“Yep,” she said. “That’s it. You know how to give a girl one hell of an orgasm. Thanks for that.”
He threw the covers back and stood up. “Don’t do that. Don’t make what we had into something it’s not.”
“I told you not to talk to me about this,” she said firmly. “You’re the one pushing it. I don’t want to say anything else to make this worse. I’m going home now.”
“It’s barely seven,” he said.
“I’ve got things to do.”
“Don’t drive when you’re upset,” he said.
She turned from where she was packing her clothes from yesterday. Her big brown eyes were glossy. “Clay. We are different people. I’m an emotional creature. It’s been a really tumultuous few months. The last couple of days were worse. I watched two people who love each other deeply get married yesterday. Maybe I’ve got rainbows in my eyes with a sprinkling of glitter. I don’t know. You’re making more out of this. When I tell you to let it go, I mean it. I’m embarrassed.”
He sighed and pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want you to feel that way,” he said. She was wiggling around to get out, but he wasn’t releasing her.
Maybe he needed to hold on as much as he wanted to soothe her.
“You can’t control how I feel. I know you think you can. That you can tell everyone what to do and they follow along. I guess I’ve been doing that with you too.”
“Stop,” he said. “I care for you. I do. Never think otherwise. But I’m not someone who throws that word around. Not even in my family.”
He couldn’t remember his father saying it to his mother. He was sure it happened, but probably behind closed doors.
Ford was the only one who talked about being in love, but his brother always knew what was in his heart more than the rest of them.
She let out a large breath. “I know. I get it. I really do.” She pushed out of his arms. “This is just one more awkward moment between us. Don’t worry, I won’t glue paper hearts on your mirror or finger paint on your walls. Nothing like that.”
He forced out a laugh. “I didn’t think you would. Stay. Please.”
It was a lot for him to ask that.
“It’s best if I go. I have things to do. I’m not mad. I promise.”
But she was hurt and that was worse.
She picked up her bag, grabbed her purse, found her shoes by the door and was hopping around while she pushed her feet into them. He thought she’d fall for a second and reached out, but she shot his attempt down with a glare that might have singed his fingertips if she could shoot laser beams out of her eyes. She’d caught herself on the wall anyway, proving she didn’t need him.
“Can I get a kiss?”
“Sure,” she said, moving close and smacking her lips to his. She didn’t even pucker them.
She opened the front door and walked out, got in her SUV and drove away.
“Fuck!”
Just when he thought he could get a handle on things he messes them up again.
It didn’t matter how much he tried, he never could get the important things right.
When he came out of his bedroom after showering, his mother was in the kitchen.
If he’d had his phone on him, he would have known someone was in his house. But he never worried around his family.
“What are you doing here?”
“I saw Meredith speeding down the road. She looked upset.”
He’d unlocked the gate for her. He could have been a dick and kept her locked in, but he wouldn’t do that.
