Promo Tour: Irreversible Damage by KJ Bell
Synopsis: With their past behind them and a baby on the way, life for Brady and Tori is finally on track. That is, until tragedy divides them. Unable to cope, Tori moves to Minnesota to be with her parents. Heartbroken and alone, Brady throws himself into his music. His career takes off and Tori assumes Brady left her behind. After a chance run in with Brady’s brother, Tug, Tori makes a decision. One that leads to Irreversible Damage.
Tug’s POV
Spoiler alert…You should read Irreversible Damage before reading this.
I bring Tori to the restaurant in my
hotel for diner. She laughs as I talk about business. It’s a nervous laugh that
alerts me to the fact she thinks I’m heartless. I guess bragging about takeovers
and mergers to expand the Gibson brand globally makes me seem cold and disconnected.
Occasionally, she sucks in a shocked breath. I hate the look of fear in her
soft blue eyes. I know I’m detached from my customers and my clients. I have to
be. I don’t get emotionally involved when I’m taking a company out from under
someone. I learned from my mother that trusting people is useless and weak. I
should talk about something else, but I’m trying my hardest to steer clear of
discussing Brady. Mostly, because I’m afraid she’ll admit she still loves him.
As we share dessert, I spot a smidge of
chocolate on the corner of Tori’s mouth. I reach under the table and shift my
crotch as I imagine licking the chocolate from her face just before I kiss her.
It’s wrong. She and Brady may not be together, but they’re far from over each
other. As I talk, she laughs. It’s a sound I haven’t heard in months. She’s
beautiful. I’ve missed her so much it’s painful. She’d be angry if she knew the
only reason I’m in Minnesota is for a chance to make her mine. I hate that I
lied to her, but I had to try.
We’re different people now. Our
experiences have hardened both of us, but I love that I’m still capable of
making her laugh. I may not be the same guy, but one look from her makes me
feel as though I haven’t changed at all, that I’m still me.
After dinner, I reluctantly offer to
take Tori home. As much as I want her, I don’t want to rush things and send her
running. To my surprise, she suggests a
few drinks at the bar. I agree instantly, delighted by her obvious desire to
spend more time with me. When we sit at the bar, I orders two shots of Blue
Sapphire. I lift a brow and smirk at her. “Gin’ll make you sin.”
Her cheeks flush as her eyes grow big. I
know she thinks I’m flirting, and I let her squirm for a moment, thinking about
it. Her lips part to say something.
I laugh and interrupt her. “Don’t get
your panties in a bunch, Tor. It was a joke.”
Her shoulders relax and she smiles. I
was joking, but if our night leads to sin, I won’t stop it either. The
bartender sets the shots down in front of us. I pick one of the shots up and
hold it in the air. Tori shoots me a puzzled look and picks her glass up from
the bar. I smile and say, “Here’s to new beginnings for you. I hope you find
the happiness you’re looking for.”
She looks like she wants to add
something, but doesn’t. Her head falls back as she swallows down the shot. She
looks adorable as she grimaces from the taste. I order two more shots and tell
the bartender to leave the bottle. She grabs one of the shots, holds it in the
air, and says, “Here’s to friendship.” She swallows the shot down and waits for
me.
I smile, but I’m crushed. Why can’t she
see it? We’re more than friends and tonight I intend to prove it. I toss the
shot back and slam the glass onto the bar. I have to get her alone. Tori gives
me an uncomfortable smile and turns her head.
I pull my money clip from my pocket and
throw a hundred on the bar before picking up the bottle of gin. With my free
hand, I grab hers and pull her from the stool. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?” She giggles as I
drag her behind me. We can’t get to my room fast enough. I have to touch her.
I keep walking and answer, “To my room.”
She stops abruptly, but I keep pulling.
When I spin to face her, she practically falls over.
“What?” She shouts. I hear the worry in
her voice. She thinks I’m taking her to my room for more than friendly conversation.
I smile, knowing that’s exactly what I’m doing. I can’t let her know that
though. I watch her intently. Her mind is working overtime trying to determine
if she has given me the wrong impression. I have an idea how to ease her
concerns. “I’ve been practicing.”
I smile, watching her face scrunch
together as she tries to figure out what I’m up to. She shakes her head and I
realize what I said came out all wrong. Every time we’ve ever played poker, Tori
kicks my ass. As of late, I’ve been playing frequently. I thought a friendly
game would be a good excuse to get her up to my room.
I burst out laughing and release her
hand. “Oh, shit!” I point at her. “You thought I meant sex.” I attempt to
reassure her that wasn’t what I meant, but I can’t stop laughing. Tori joins me
and starts laughing hysterically. My face flames red while I try to restrain my
laughter.
“Poker, pretty girl,” I finally manage
to tell her before grabbing her hand and walking toward the elevators. “I think
I can finally beat you.”
She relaxes. I think about how
ridiculous “practicing” would be. I stop
and turn to face her. She doesn’t notice and smacks right into my chest. I
breathe in her lavender scent. My dick shifts in my slacks as fire crawls up my
neck. If I was braver, I shove her into the elevator and take her. I wouldn’t
allow her to object. She’d be mine. When she looks up, I narrow my eyes. She’s
afraid of the attraction she feels for me. The fear glows in her eyes. I suck
in a ragged breath and say, “When it comes to sex, I’m an expert.”
I watch her shiver and she struggles to
walk. I turn and stroll toward the elevator letting those words linger with
her. I know she’s shocked. She doesn’t know me anymore. I’m not the same guy I
used to me. I don’t want to be. That guy is weak. The day my mother shot
herself, I realized the world is a shitty place to live. You can never truly
trust anyone, so you might as well take what you want. Well, I want Tori. It’s
wrong, and if push comes to shove, I might not be able to go through with it. She’s
the one person in my life that makes me feel good about myself. I can’t hurt
her.
We enter my hotel suite. I lean against the
wall with my arms over my chest watching Tori stroll around the room. I wonder
what she’s thinking. Does she regret coming out with me tonight? After several
minutes, she turns to face me.
“Are you staying here with other
people?”
I lift an eyebrow and smile. “Nope…just
me.” I stroll over and stand next to her. The energy between us hums in my
ears. Her shoulders tense immediately.
“Why do you need such a big room?”
I shrug. I didn’t bring her up her to
discuss the size of my hotel room. “Tax write-off.”
“Shut up!” She smacks me on the arm and
sways a little. She’s clearly feeling the effects of the gin. I feel worse for
bringing her up here. I won’t have sex with her tonight. She needs to be clear
headed if she chooses to be with me.
“Come!” I order her before walking over
to the windows.
“You’ve become quite bossy, you know
that?” I laugh as she follows me.
I spin to face her. I’m beyond bossy.
I’m downright ruthless. After learning about my mother, I will never lose
control of my life, or allow someone to push me around. The only way to avoid
deceit is to dominate those around you. I glare at her, watching her lips press
flat as I lean in close to her.
“You have no idea, pretty girl. Now
sit!”
She laughs and it’s sexy as hell. I think
she likes my pushiness.
We sit down on the floor and I set the
bottle of gin and two shot glasses next to us.
“Okay.” My eyebrows lift as I grin. She
smiles and locks eyes with me. “Here’s the rules.” I line up the shot glasses
and fill each of them with gin. “I lose the hand, I drink. You lose, and you
drink.”
“Are you sure?” She pokes me in the
chest. I reach down quickly and grab her finger. I pull her hand to my lips,
intending to suck on her finger, but change my mind. I bite down gently on her
finger before pushing her hand away. She laughs. “You do remember that you’ve
never beaten me?”
“Oh, I’m sure.” I grin. Tonight’s stakes
are higher than any I’ve ever played for and I don’t intend to lose.
I hand her a shot and pick one up for
myself. We throw them back together. She visibly relaxes as she looks out the
window. As I deal the cards, she’s suddenly a million miles away. Brady taught
Tori to play poker. He taught all of us and stole our money in the process. She’s
remembering too, and if I don’t say something soon, she’s going to realize she
shouldn’t be here and bolt.
I smile and say, “Oh, pretty girl. You
ready to lose your ass?”
Tori laughs and picks up her cards. She
flashes a sassy smile before pulling the cards to her face. She glances over
the top of her cards. Her eyes smile. I hold all five cards in the air
confidently. “You’re keeping yours?” she asks, studying my face. She’s looking for
a tell. She won’t find one. The days of tipping my hand are long gone, in poker
and in life. Tonight is the biggest bluff of all, and so far she hasn’t seen
through it.
“Oh, yeah!” I nod with a smile. I have
her beat.
“All right. Me ,too.” She winks and
sticks her tongue out at me. “What do you have?”
“Three queens.” I announce, gloating.
Her face twist and she suppresses a
smile. Does she have me beat? I can’t tell for sure until she starts to lay her
cards down.
“Four kings.” She lays each card down
one at time, reveling in her victory.
“Gah, woman! How do you do that?”
She shrugs and giggles before ordering
me to drink.
Over the next few hands, we alternate
victories. The subtle changes in her laughter and speech tell me she’s enjoying
our game, and hanging out with me. My plan is coming together as smoothly as
I’d hoped. I couldn’t me more thrilled with the direction our night is headed.
There’s a chance she wants to be with me too. I feel it.
“Okay, new game, Tuggy.” Her words slur
a little and I laugh. Only Tori could get away with calling me by such a
ridiculous nickname. I raise an eyebrow at her and wait. “To make this interesting, I say loser drinks
and removes a piece of clothing.”
I respond instantly. “Deal!”
She laughs as I deal out the cards.
It takes everything in me to hold back a
laugh when she loses the first hand. Her face turns a bright shade of red as
she tosses the drink back. She nearly chokes as the reality of her situation
sets in. She clearly didn’t consider what she was wearing when she came up with
this little game. She has on a skirt, blouse, and I assume at least a bra and
panties, though I’d be thrilled if she was commando underneath her clothing. I
stare at her smugly and watch her fidget. My eyes roam over her breasts and
notice the outline of a bra under her blouse. My breathing grows heavy thinking
about seeing her in something soft and lace.
“You made up the game, sweet girl.” I
motion to her shirt with my index finger. “Off.”
I’m enjoying this more than I should be,
but I’m not about to stop her. She smirks, stands up and shimmies out of her
skirt. I’m disappointed, but it’s doesn’t last long as my eyes travel along the
defined muscle of her thighs and down to her calves. I run my eyes back up her
legs, pausing briefly on the skin peeking out between the top of her panties
and the bottom of her blouse before continuing to her mouth. I shift and adjust
my crotch before looking away.
“Sit,” I order her before dealing the
next hand.
She smiles and sits. I can tell by the
look on her face, she’s enjoying the effect she has on me. I wonder how far
she’s willing to go and if I should let her. I know I said I wouldn’t have sex
with her tonight, but my resolve is slowly dissipating.
After Tori wins the next three hands, I
laugh at her disgusted face. Given I had a suit on this evening, I’m still
completely clothed. I’ve removed two socks and my suit jacket.
Tori looks disappointed with her next
hand. She immediately tries to hide it with a large grin. “Oh, say goodbye to
your shirt, smug Tug.”
I arch a brow. “We’ll see.” I’m more
than confident with the high pair in my hands. If she had anything, she
wouldn’t have boasted so proudly.
I have her beat, which means she’s about
to lose her blouse.
We lay our cards down at the same time.
Her tens loose to my pair of jacks.
I laugh loudly as I press my finger into
her cards and move them in circles on the carpet. When I look up at her, she
smiles. “Who’s losing their shirt?”
It’s that or her panties and I know she’s
not brave enough to remove those. She starts to remove her shirt. My heart
feels like it’s about to explode. I yank on the hem of her shirt. I need a
minute to decide if I can go through with this. “Not yet. Drink first.”
She sends me an annoyed look and I smile
before glancing at her my mouth. I want to shove my tongue down her throat and
kiss her in a way that marks her as mine forever. I want to feel what it’s like
to love her. I can’t do it. I’m about to tell her she should leave when she downs
the shot and rips her blouse over her head. My eyes go wide as I suck in a
strangled breath. My eyes fall to her chest, moving between each perfect
breast. My lips part and I struggle to swallow. Tori blushes as the look in her
eyes shifts to something longing. Her tongue sweeps across her bottom lip and I
nearly pounce on her.
I inhale a deep breath before clearing
my throat and sitting up straight. She has to leave now, or we’re going to do
something stupid. “I think you should put your clothes on. I’ll call you a
cab.”
She shakes her head softly as she crawls
over the cards until our faces touch. Her lips rest ever so slightly on mine. “I
don’t want to get dressed.” She utters the words in a whispered breath. “And
I’m not leaving.” She closes her eyes, waiting for me to kiss her. God, I want
to. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life, but she’s in no condition to go
through with this without regret.
“Jesus, Tori.” I jump to my feet and
offer her a hand. “Put your goddamn clothes on.”
She takes my hand and stands up. Fire
shoots up my arm. Her nearly naked chest presses against my body. I’m losing
control.
Tori starts unbuttoning my shirt from
the top. Her hands slide under the shirt and her palms heat my chest. The air
becomes thick as I struggle to keep my breathing calm. She plants kisses on my
chest. My erection throbs to the point of being painful. Her fingers go to work
on unbuttoning the rest of my shirt. “I
want you.”
I’ve wanted to hear those words from her
mouth for as long as I can remember, but I need her to understand this is not a
game. I’m in love with her.
I cover her hands with my own, stopping her
from releasing any more buttons. I
squeeze hard as I study her expression for any signs of regret. “Tori. We’re
not kids anymore.” I move one of my hands to her lower back and draw her close
to me. Her breath hitches as my erection pushes into her stomach. “Don’t start
something you can’t finish.” I growl against her cheek.
I expect her to bow out and run. Instead
her hands lower to my belt buckle. I nearly come when she covers the length of me
with her warm palm. “You want me. I know you do.”
I groan. “I do, but this is careless.”
“I don’t care,” She whispers as she drags
her tongue over my earlobe. “I feel dead. It should have been me.”
I grip her face tightly in my hands
forcing her to look into my eyes. I hate that she feels responsible for Mona’s
death. “Don’t say that!” My thumbs stroke gently over her cheekbones. “Don’t
you ever fucking say that!”
“Make me feel alive again.” Her tongue
reaches out to slowly lick my bottom lip. It’s my undoing. My self control all
but disintegrates. “I want to feel again. Please.”
My hands leave her face to grip both of her
arms just above the elbows. I have to be very clear with her. “Tori, you have
to stop, because I can’t.” I shaker her gently. “I’m not the guy I used to be.”
I breathe in deep through my nose inhaling her scent. “If you push this, I
won’t stop it. I will fuck you.”
“I’m pushing.” Her challenge comes
without hesitation as she continues to stroke my dick through my slacks. Short
of throwing her out, there’s nothing more I can do to stop her. I’m a complete
son-of-a-bitch for letting it get this far, but I’ve been in love with Tori my
entire life. This is my chance. As a kid, it was just a crush. In our teens, it
was infatuation, but at some point in our adult life, my feelings turned into
love, around the same time I realized Brady loved her too. He had his chance to prove he deserved her. I
stepped back and let them try, but Brady fucked up. He gave up on her when she
needed him most, or maybe that’s what I’m telling myself to ease the guilt deep
inside. I can make her happy.
“Fuck!” I slide my lips softly over hers
and sigh. As destructive and wrong as this is, I’m going through with it, and
so is she. “You smell incredible.” My eyes travel over her skin as my hands
slide up her arms, circling her shoulders. “You have the most beautiful skin.”
A moan escapes her as she goes to work
undoing the remaining buttons on my shirt. She pushed the shirt over my
shoulders and down my arms. It falls to the floor. Her lips plant soft kisses
on my chest as she peers up at me. I cup her face in my hands. Our eyes lock
for a second before I crash my mouth into hers. I growl as I force her backward
until she slams up against the wall. My hand dips into her panties. She whimpers
as I shove them down her legs. She wiggles free from them and kicks them aside.
I grip her thigh, wrapping her leg around my waist. Her fingers lower to the
button on my slacks. She tears it free before lowering the zipper. I shove my
pants and boxers to the ground before lifting her up and pressing my lips to
hers in a heated kiss. When she wraps me up in her legs my hands dig into her
hips. I lower her onto my cock with a roar as I slide into her with ease before
slamming her hard into the wall. The sensation of being inside of her is mind
blowing. I thrust my hips into her repeatedly and fuck her, like I promised. Between
my emotions, and the noises she’s making, I won’t last long. It’s raw and
primal, and not exactly what I thought our first time would be like, but it’s
perfect. Everything is right in my screwed up life because the very girl I
would die for has finally chosen me. I feel her tense as she tightens around my
cock and climax causes her body to tremble. I groan loudly before driving
forward one last time and erupting inside of her with a growl. Just as I
finish, I think I hear her cry.
My happiness dissolves.
She didn’t choose me.
She regrets what just happened.
Tonight was a mistake.
I’m terrified to look at her, but I need
to see if she’s okay, so I pull back slightly. When I get a good look at her face,
I want to die. “Jesus, are you crying?”
She nods and sucks back a sob. I hate
knowing she’s ashamed.
“Fuck! I knew this was a bad idea.” I
don’t mean to sound angry, but I’m pissed at myself for not being stronger. I
knew she wasn’t ready. “Goddamn it!”
I lift Tori off of me and set her on her
feet. After picking up her panties from the floor, I lift her up in my arms again.
She lays her head on my shoulder as I walk to the bedroom. Her body trembles.
Why did I let this happen? I should say something. Words won’t do anything to
ease her guilt and I can’t turn back time. We’re both so messed up. We proved
that tonight and now there’s no going back. I set her on the bed before opening
a dresser drawer and pulling out a white T-shirt.
She feeds her arms through the T-shirt
as I slip it over her head. Her lip quivers and she keeps biting down on it.
“Stand up.” She does as I ask, and I hold her panties out for her. She steps
into them and I pull them up before kissing her on top of the head. The small
sob that leaves her lips nearly brings me to my knees. I’ve hurt her and I’ve
destroyed our friendship. We’ll never spend another carefree moment together. I
pull back the covers on the bed and tell her to get in. When her head hits the
pillow, I bring the duvet up to her shoulders and slide in next to her. I roll
to my side and nestle in close to her as I stroke the side of her head. I sigh
as I think about what I should say, but I can’t think of anything that doesn’t
sound as desperate as I feel.
“Are you upset with me?” Her voice
cracks.
I shake my head as I squeeze my eyes closed
so I won’t cry. I’m not upset with her. I’m furious with myself. What I let
happen tonight makes me pathetic loser. “Sleep, sweet, girl.”
Although I know she wants me to say
more, I can’t. Everything has changed between us and tomorrow we’ll have to
face it.
Early the next morning, I stop at the
desk to arrange breakfast for Tori before I hit the streets for a run. As my
feet pound into the pavement, I think about how foolish we both behaved last
night. Despite that, there’s a small flicker of hope burning deep down inside
of me that thinks we have a chance. As I jog toward the lake, her tear stained
face flashes through my brain and that little flicker goes out completely,
leaving a black stain on my heart. She’ll never love me the way she loves
Brady. I increase my pace to a dead run and continue until my lungs burn. I
keep going until my legs give out and my knees begin to buckle. I steady myself
and reach my arms above by head before screaming to the sky. People stare, but
I keep yelling until my throat closes up before I turn and walk back to the hotel
to take Tori home and let her go for good.
I inhale a courageous breath before
turning the knob and opening the door. Tori turns toward me and continues to
tap a pen against the desk where she’s sitting
“Hi,” she says softly, tapping the pen
more aggressively.
“Good morning.” I smile and glace at the
table of food. “I see you got
breakfast.”
“Thank you.” I hate the uncertainty in
her voice. “Tug, we need to talk.”
I nod. “Yes, we do. I’m just going to
grab a quick shower.” I start to walk to the bathroom. Teasing her is the best
way to ease the tension. It always has been, so I turn with a grin and say, “That’s
a two-hundred-dollar pen you’re about to break.” I laugh, thoroughly amused
with my efforts and the smile she gives me.
As the water beats down on me, I
consider what I should say, and how I should act. I wish she could see how much
I love her. I’d take care of her. I know she wants my friendship, but after
last night, I’m not sure I can give it to her.
I dry off and open the door. Tori is still
at the desk, having a conversation with herself.
“Nutty
Buddy…what have I told you about talking to yourself?”
She jumps and spins in the chair. After
her eyes narrow, the pen she was holding flies in my direction. I duck and the
pen bounces off the wall behind me. I laugh and it feels good. When I look up,
I notice her eyes traveling over me admiringly. I hold two fingers in the air
and point them at her eyes, and then at mine. Her cheeks color and her eyes go
wide. She’s busted.
“You suck,” she tells me through an
awkward laugh.
“That’s not what you said last night.” Her
mouth falls open and hits the floor. Shocking her is always so much fun. I
can’t resist. “It was more like, ‘Oh,
yes. God, you’re so good.’”
She laughs and shakes her head once. “Your
ego is much too big for one person.”
I shrug and press my lips together
before I ask, “Are we friends?”
She nods weakly. “We are, but we still
need to talk about it.”
I run my hands through my hair,
filtering through all of the things I want to say to make things right between
us. It’s so much easier when I can crack a few jokes to smooth things over, but
that’s not going to work this time. “What’s there to talk about? We made a
mistake. We’re still friends. It’s all good.”
She scoffs. “It’s not all good. How do
we know it was a mistake?”
I shake my head. “I know.”
She huffs and throws her heads up. “What
makes you so sure?”
I let out a heavy sigh as I walk over to
her. She’s trembles slightly as I place both of my hands on her shoulders and
scowl down at her. “Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that would have
happened if we were sober?”
Her eyes instantly dart to the floor as
her fingers toy with the fabric of her shirt. “No.” She frowns.
“I didn’t think so.” I cross the room
and sit on the bed, looking over at her confidently, although, I feel anything
but. “Forget about it, okay? I don’t want this to affect our friendship.”
I know it already has, but I prefer to
pretend otherwise. She gets up from the chair and I keep my eyes on her as she
comes close to me. She’s looks beautiful as she drops to her knees in front of
me. My body goes erect because all I want to do is throw her on the bed and
have her again. I nearly lose it when she puts her hands on my thighs and looks
up at me. “Is that what you want…to be
friends?”
Hell no! I want way more than
friendship. My lips turn to a frown as I slowly shake my head and whisper,
“No.”
Her hurt expression meets mine and in a
calm voice she asks, “What do you want from me?”
I should lie, because the truth is
torture for both of us, but I won’t lie about how I feel any longer. I sigh and
lean down until our faces nearly touch. “I want you to choose me.”
She lets out a rush of air before
sitting back on her heels. Her eyes don’t leave the carpet as her hands tangle
in her lap. Finally, she breathes in deep and says, “I can’t.”
My hands reach out and cup the bottom of
her chin, tipping her head back. I smile. “I know.”
Her fingers curl around my wrists. She
moves my hand to her cheek and leans into my palm. I yank my hand away before I
kiss her. It slips into my hair. I start to tell her we can make this work, but
stop. She doesn’t want to be with me.
“Tug…I’m so confused. I don’t want to
lose you. I need your friendship.”
I nod and look directly at her and although
it kills me, I say, “You got it.” My
smile’s fake and I’m forcing it. “What now?”
She stands and sits next to me on the
bed. “I have no idea. Do you think we should tell Brady?”
I groan as the muscles in my jaw tighten,
and I lean forward, resting my forearms on my thighs. I don’t give a fuck if we
tell Brady. Maybe if he knows, he’ll treat her right, and quit focusing on all
the wrong things. I don’t know what to say. “Do you want to tell Brady?”
Her gaze falls to the floor and she
sighs softly. “I don’t know.”
I reach over and gently stroke her knee.
“I’ll do whatever you want, sweet girl.”
She sighs again and silence falls
between us briefly before she looks over at me. “Then I say we don’t tell him.
He’s moved on anyway.”
Is that why last night happened? She
thinks Brady’s moved on. “His music takes up a lot of his time, but I don’t
think it compensates for losing you.”
A strangled noise emanates from her
throat before she huffs. “No, but Annabelle obviously does.”
“What are you talking about?”
Does she think Brady is involved with
Annabelle?
“Oh, come on, Tug. Have you seen the photos of
the two of them together?”
I try to hide my irritation and say, “So
she tags along with him. She’s there for Andrew.” Her head falls to my shoulder
when I pull her close. “You should know better than to assume anything based on
paparazzi photos.”
“I saw them together.” She lets it out
slowly. I don’t react and she continues. “That’s why I left. I walked in on
them.”
I know from spending time with Brady and
Annabelle that nothing is or was going on between them. As much as I’d like to
lead Tori to believe it has, and reap the benefits, I can’t let her think Brady
betrayed her. I turn to face her. She stares at her lap. “I don’t know what you
think you saw, but Brady isn’t with Annabelle. He hasn’t been with anyone.”
Genuine shock descends over her
expression. She clearly doesn’t believe me. “Maybe it was only the one night,
but it happened.”
There’s no way Brady was with Annabelle.
He’d never be able to hide it from me. “I think you’re wrong.”
I need her to believe me. I want her to
be with me, but I won’t allow it to happen simply because she thinks Brady
moved on and she’s angry. I’d rather not have her at all than be second best to
Brady again. My heart hurts.
She still looks doubtful. “Whatever!”
She sounds like a child, a hurt and vulnerable child. “He’s hasn’t made any
effort to contact me, and he signed the annulment papers immediately. It’s
over.”
She’s pissed and obviously wants ne to
quit defending Brady. I hold my hands up defensively. “Hey, I’m not going to
argue with you.”
Her shoulders relax. “Thanks, Tug.” She smiles.
I smile back and pat her knee. “Are we
good?”
She nods.
I get up from the bed and grab my keys.
“Should I take you home now?”
I watch as her face twist into total
panic. “Relax, sweet girl.” I drop a reassuring kiss on the side of her head.
“I called your mom and told her that we had wine with dinner and I thought it
best to wait until morning to bring you home.”
She smiles, stretches up onto her tiptoes,
and kisses me on the cheek. My heart splinters in two. It’s a friendship kiss. “Thanks,
Tuggy. You’re too good to me.”
I look down, directly into her eyes. “I just
want you to be happy.” My voice falters a little, knowing her happiness should
be with me. Things between us are changed forever.
Her eyes dart away from mine and she
looks at her feet. She’s as miserable as I am, and although our reasons are
different, we’re both to stubborn to admit it.
I go to the door and open it. “Let’s get
you home.”
“Tug…”
“I told you, we’re good.” I’m annoyed
and start to walk through the door.
She marches to me. “It wasn’t a
mistake.” I sigh heavily. “I mean it. Yes, maybe it wouldn’t have happened if
we weren’t drinking, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want it, too. I care about
you.”
“But you’re still in love with Brady.” I
remind her.
We’ve been here before, me wanting more
than she can ever give me because she loves Brady more. It sucks.
“I love you, too.” She’s holding off
tears. I know she loves us both, and I don’t want her to cry. “It’s different,
but I do.”
“I love you, too, sweet girl.”
I pull her close for a hug. She squeezes
hard. I don’t want to let go because when I do, I’ll never see her again. I’m letting
go of her and my feelings.
Though it’s a lie, I say, “I’ll take you
any way I can get you, even if it’s only as my friend.”
She leans back and peers up at me.
“Promise me that won’t change. That we’ll always be friends.”
I continue the lie because I don’t want
to face how I actually feel. “I promise.”
She returns my smile and grabs my hand
to leave. It burns. “Good, because I’d rather streak naked through town than
lose you.”
I laugh loudly and pull her though the
door.
She thinks we’re good, but we’re far
from it. I have to put distance between us. I meant what I said earlier. I
don’t want to be friends. It’s too painful.
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Irreparably Broken (book #1)
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