The guys start to shift on their feet, looking around with uncertainty as to what they should do. I get it. They don’t want to be involved in any drama between us. No guy ever does.
She grimaces but concedes. “Fine.”
Kady swings around and stomps off toward the front of the house, through a side gate and toward the street. I follow along at a clipped pace trying to keep up.
She stops abruptly and turns to face me, once again taking a defensive posture with her arms crossed in front of her. I fight myself to keep my eyes on her face and not at her boobs. But fuck, they look incredible in the low-cut tank she wears. Plump and perfect.
I clear my throat, swallowing down the lump forming there.
I knew Kady was back from Madrid based on the voicemail she left me the other day. But I had no idea she’d be at her brother’s house tonight. It’s a happy coincidence to be sure. And a privilege I’m not going to waste.
“It’s good to see you, Kitty.”
The pet name falls from my mouth before I can stop it. It’s the effect she has on me. But it doesn’t have quite the same effect on her. She wrinkles her nose and her eyes narrow.
“Don’t you dare call me that. In fact, don’t you call me anything, you fucking liar.”
The venom in her voice is harsh and painful to hear. But I understand it.
“Kady, I want to apologize for not calling like I said I would. For not returning your call from the other day. It’s just been a shitty few weeks. I know you know I got cut from the team right after you left, but there’s more to it than that. There’s a lot going on right now.”
Since I hadn’t planned on seeing her tonight, I have no idea where or how to start. I’m a bumbling idiot, trying to make use of this time with her.
I’m about to continue my groveling and excuses, but she interrupts with a hand in the air.
“Whatever, Gavin. I didn’t expect anything from you, anyway. You’re off the hook. Let’s just move on.”
She starts to walk away, but I grab her wrist and pull her back, holding her firmly in front of me so she can’t move. I don’t want to let her go.
“You don’t understand. I don’t want you to let me off the hook. And you should have expected more from me, goddammit. When you’re in love with someone, you should expect a helluva lot more. Starting with returned phone calls and explanations.”
Kady scoffs at this. “I never said I loved you.”
I smirk, but my voice is all seriousness. “I know. I’m in love with you, Kady. I fell for you the minute I saw you in that café in Florence. And it’s only grown bigger since we’ve been apart. I’ve been going through the worst time in my life, and it’s been made worse by your absence. You’ve been on my mind constantly, and I wanted to call you so many times. But I was a coward and didn’t know what I’d say,” I ramble, finally stopping to take a breath to settle my nerves.
“I don’t know if my career is over or not, and I don’t know what I’m going to do. And I’ve been dealing with my stepfather dying. He’s in the hospital right now and my mom needs me. Me and my brother. I just can’t deal. I’ve been a mess and I know I couldn’t have given you what you need.”
She tries to wiggle from my hold. “You have no idea what I need, Gavin. Look, I’m really sorry you’ve had all this shit to deal with. It really sucks. But let’s face it. What we had in Italy is over and there’s nothing there,” she says, pointing to the space between us. “I don’t need anything more from you.”
“That’s bullshit. I know you do. Because I need you.”
The wind is knocked out of me when she slams her palms into my chest.
“Fuck you, Gavin. Just who the hell do you think you are? Coming here like this, saying all these things to me after three weeks of radio silence. You made it painfully obvious that I meant nothing to you, and now you want me to believe that you love me and you need me? How stupid do I look? I’m not some desperate little hoops hunny you can lie to just to get me back into your bed.”
She spins away but I’m quick and reach around her stomach, lifting her off her feet that she kicks and swings in the air. I hold tight and slam her back against my chest with awhoosh. She’s like a thrashing fish, wiggling and flailing in my hold. But I don’t let go.
A guy walks around the side of the house as he hears her scream, looking ready to battle for her safety.
“Hey man, is everything okay out here? Kady, are you all right?”
It’s one of the guys who was pawing at her in the backyard, looking to get in her pants.
Kady stills in my arms, the tension in her muscles slowly dissipating and withering.
“I’m fine, Deacon. Gavin here was just trying to prove to me how strong he is.”
The guy stares at us a few moments trying to decide if he should believe Kady, but then gives her thumbs up and walks back to the party.
