He drags his hand down his face and takes a few steps toward me. My instincts urge me to step back, but I stay planted, standing my ground.
“Lainey, baby, look, I fucked up, okay? I know that! But I’ve been good! I want to prove that to you. Just give me a second chance.”
God, the manipulation never ends. How was I blind to it for so long? He doesn’t want me back. He just wants to control the information I have on him.
The door opens behind me, and I slam my eyes shut as Cole backs up slightly, his hands up.
“What the FUCK are you doing here?” Jensen’s voice shimmies down my shoulder, booming from the front stoop. The sound of his crutches grow closer until I can feel the warmth and anger radiating off of him onto my back.
“Look, this doesn’t have anything to do with you, okay?” Cole acts tough, but his confidence wavers as Nighthawks player after player joins my side. “This is between Lainey and me.”
“Anything you need to say to her, you can say with us here,” Cam says protectively, and my heart warms at the support of my newfound family.
Cole wets his lips before looking back at me. “Lainey, I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. I love you so much.” He pauses, taking a small stride toward me, and Jensen stiffens against my back. “I can’t lose you. I need you, baby.”
I swear the world has stopped spinning or I’ve entered a parallel universe because I feel absolutelynothingwhen he finishes his pathetic speech. No sympathy. No regret or sadness.
His eyes turn upward, and he continues, “You have to be with your soulmate, Lainey. We’remeantto be together.”
I’m possessed by someone else.
Someone confident and sure of who they are and what they want. That’s the only explanation. I’m tired of this game we’ve always played.
I’ve been living in such fear of what-ifs and doubt since my attack, walking through life on my tiptoes, scared to ripple the water. Look where that’s gotten me. I was stuck in a bad relationship for far too long. I was captive to my mind and body, hiding from my past and scared of the future.
But I’m done living like that. I’m going to be a mom, and I want to set an example for my baby. I want to be someone who goes after what they want, who loves unabashedly and truly, and doesn’t hide from the world.
“You’re right about one thing, Cole. I do need to be with my soulmate.”
He perks up, and I smile, knowing what I’m about to do—something I should have done a long time ago.
Spinning around, I look up at a fuming Jensen. His gaze flicks down to me, instantly softening, and I know without a doubt that the only person I’m meant to be with is him.
Looking back to Cole, I smirk. “And it’s certainly not you.”
My hands slide up Jensen’s chest and cup his sharp jawline as time stands still, his brown eyes full of longing and anticipation.
“Butyou.”
Rising to my toes, I pull him down toward me, and his lips collide with mine. At first, he’s frozen, but only for the tiniest sliver of a second.
He claims my very being with his kiss, branding me to the core as emotion wells in my eyes from the intensity in his touch. His lips roll against mine, and his crutches fall, crashing to ourfeet as he grabs my face desperately, deepening the kiss with utter devotion. I can taste his passion, feel his possessiveness, and I’ve never been more present in a moment than I am right now.
I’m not disappearing into the back of my mind or fighting tears to get through the intimacy. I want to betherewith Jensen when we have sex more than I’ve ever wanted it before. I want to be fully present with everything that happens.
The tip of his tongue strokes the seam of my lips, and I moan into his mouth, granting him entrance and forgetting everything else around us, including the applause and cheers being shouted in happiness.
I’m floating, merely tethered to the ground by this kiss. His warm tongue dances with mine as time fades away.
He presses his lips once more before his forehead rolls against mine, his breath labored and husky. “I’ve waited so fucking long to do that.Pleasedon’t tell me it’ll be the last.”
Biting down on my tingling bottom lip, I look up into his eyes, slowly inching away so I can see him fully, clearly. Even though I shouldn’t promise this, I do because Jensen and I are inevitable. “It won’t.”
His pupils are shot with lust, and he smiles bigger than I’ve ever seen.
He murmurs loud enough for only me to hear, “Good.”
“All right, buddy, it’s time for you to get the hell off my property,” Alec demands rather than requests as I spin back toward Cole with Jensen’s arm wrapped around my shoulders.
