Deciding Love (30 page)

“You’re Colt Morgan’s sister, right?” She said.

I nodded, my voice long gone.

“I’m Perrie.”

I cleared my throat, nodding. “I remember.”

Her face took on a look of regret as she glanced away for a second. As much as I hated her, I couldn’t deny that she was gorgeous. She’d died her hair a silver grey that seemed to work with her warm skin tone. Her lips were the colour of coral, and her green eyes were lined with a thick, black liner, giving her a cat eyed shape.

She was so put together and had this air about her. It was no wonder Kyle had wanted her over me. I must have seemed like such an immature little girl next to her.

The awkward tension between us was painful as we simply stared at one another, neither knowing what to say. I was surprised she had even greeted me, all things considered.

Without knowing what else to do, I turned back around, praying the two people in front of me would hurry up so I could get out of here.

“Um,” I heard her say.

I faced her again.

“Look,” she said, clearly as uncomfortable as I was. “I just saw you, and I felt like I needed to clear something up. I know it’s awkward, but I’ve felt really bad ever since...that day.”

I waited.

She took a deep breath, glancing around again. “I don’t know what the deal was exactly between you and Kyle, but I just thought I should let you know that nothing happened between us.”

I was going to be sick. I didn’t want to have this conversation, because now all I could do was picture the two of them together, and it hurt so much.

“Okay,” I said weakly. I went to turn again, but her hand on my arm stopped me.

“I know you have no reason to believe me, but I’m not lying. Nothing happened, that day or any day for that matter. Kyle and I...we’ve never...you know. It’s not like that between us.”

They had never been together? Then why...?

“But he said...”

“I know,” she said, frowning. “I should have said something right then and there, but I was as shocked as you were by his behavior. I was so mad at him after, I haven’t spoken to him since.”

Wow. This was not what I expected her to say.

“Look, I’ve known Kyle for a long time, and he has his share of issues. I don’t know why he purposely pushed you away, but I just thought it was important for you to know that he didn’t sleep with me or anyone else that night. He showed up at my place drunk and upset about his mom. Then he passed out. I swear to you, that’s all that happened. I just...thought you should know.”

“Next,” the cashier said loudly.

I jumped, realizing it was me she was yelling at. I placed my items on the belt and turned back to Perrie as the lady rang everything up.

“Thanks for letting me know,” I said, meaning it. “I appreciate your honesty.”

She gave me a small smile before walking away. Now I just had to figure out why Kyle had lied about it.

He hadn’t cheated on me that night. No, instead he had just wanted me to think he had, effectively pushing me away. Why would he do that? As relieved as I was that he hadn’t actually slept with someone else, I was still just as angry as before.

He had made me hate him and I was going to find out why. But first, I needed to make an important phone call just to make sure Perrie really was telling the truth.

It was storming by the time I made it out of the store and to my car. I was soaked as I slipped in behind the steering wheel, shaking out my arms and legs. Turning on the car, I blasted the heat as I sat there and reached for my cellphone. Pushing the contact at the top of my list, I waited.

“Hey, girl,” Cat said as soon as she picked up. “What are you doing?”

“Sitting in a parking lot,” I answered.

“Sounds like fun.”

“Not as much fun as it was to run into Kyle’s friend, Perrie, at the drug store.”

Cat went deathly quiet.

“Cat?”

“Yeah, I’m still here.”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice sounding sad now. “Chlo, whatever she said to you, I just want to go on record as saying that Perrie really is a nice girl. We’ve known her family for years. She and Kyle have been friends for a long time.”

“So I hear,” I said.

“Oh god. What did she say?”

“She just shed some light on a few things.”

Cat went silent again. Did she know? A nagging suspicion filled my gut as I listened to my best friend simply breathe on the other end. Normally she would have been asking me questions. But she wasn’t. That spoke volumes to me.

“Did you know, Cat?”

“Know what?”

“That he had lied that day? That Kyle and Perrie hadn’t slept together like he wanted me to think?”

She sighed, and I knew the answer before she even said it.

“Yeah, I knew. Kyle and Perrie aren’t like that, so I figured it out right away.”

“Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it wasn’t my place. Kyle was pushing you away, and so I let him. He was making a huge mistake, but the only way he could learn from it was to let him do it.”

My cheeks were suddenly wet and I realized I was crying again.

“I was so hurt,” I said, my voice cracking.

“I know, Chloe,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I was just trying to stay out of it, you know? I didn’t like seeing you hurt, but I also felt like I had to let Kyle make his own bed.”

I sniffed, trying to stem the tears that kept falling. “So he really didn’t sleep with her?”

“Sweetie, he hasn’t been with anyone since you.”

What? My stomach bottomed out. What the hell was Kyle doing? He had ruined us for nothing? He wasn’t even going about his usual ways? And now he was trying to get back together with me? I didn’t understand any of this. The word why just kept repeating in my mind.

I wiped at my cheeks and took a deep breath. “Where is he?”

I drove through the wet streets, my hands gripping the wheel as I made my way to the mechanics Kyle used to work at. Sure enough, he was there, his upper body bent over the hood of his car just outside the shop, his back soaked from the rain pouring down on him.

I pulled up beside him, slamming the door loudly as I got out. His head snapped up, his eyes widening when he saw it was me. I marched around the front of my car toward him, anger making every part of me shake.

“Why?” I shouted over the pouring rain. My hair was already plastered to my head, water dripping into my eyes and mouth. I didn’t even want to look and see what my clothes looked like.

He blinked against the rain, watching me with lowered brows. “Why, what?”

“Why did you do it? Push me away for no reason?” I demanded. “I spoke to Perrie. I know the truth.”

His mouth flattened.

I stepped closer, poking his chest angrily. “You lied. You hurt me on purpose. I want to know why, Kyle. I deserve to know.”

He looked down at where my finger hit his chest and then lifted his head to meet my eyes. I could see the blatant desire there, and suddenly I wasn’t freezing anymore. My body was on fire even as the rain poured on us.

“I thought...” He glanced away, running a hand down his face. “I thought it was better that way.”

“Better?” I dropped my arm, feeling the fight drain from me. “You thought it was better to hurt me and break my heart than to just be happy with me? Was it so bad being in love?”

His nostrils flared as his eyes widened. Was he going to deny that that was what had been growing between us? Would he break me all over again? I braced myself as he opened his mouth.

34

Kyle

I didn’t know what to say. Chloe was in front of me, soaked from head to toe, her face filled with anguish, and I didn’t know what to say to ease it. Confronted with my own stupidity, I realized there was nothing I could say that would make sense now.

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” I offered weakly, reaching for her. I just needed to hold her, touch her.

She slapped at my hands. “You’re
sorry
? That’s your answer? You’re sorry?”

Tears mixed with the rain on her face, and my chest suddenly felt like it was going to crack wide open. I reached for her again even though she continued to try to push me away.

Gripping her hips, I pulled her against me, murmuring the entire time, “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Her tiny body shook with tears as her fists hit my chest, growing weaker as her head fell forward to rest against me. I tightened my hold around her.

“Please forgive me. Nothing is better in this world than falling in love with you. Nothing.”

A sob broke from her as she shook her head back and forth.

“I hate you,” she said.

“No you don’t,” I said gently.

“You broke my heart. You hurt me. I hate you. I do, I hate you.”

I tipped her chin up so I could look into her beautiful eyes, wiping the tears and water off her cheeks. “You don’t hate me, Chloe. And I don’t hate you. I love you. You’re everything that’s good, and I’m not. But you make me better, stronger. And I’ll never push you away again. I was stupid and confused, but I know now what I want, and it’s you. Just you. Forever.”

Her glassy eyes searched mine. It killed me to see her hesitation, knowing she didn’t trust me fully. But I’d earn it. I’d do whatever it took to get her to trust me again.

Leaning forward, I took her lips, relief washing over me the instant she responded. We were both soaking, the water mixing with our kiss as I devoured her, but neither of us cared. All that mattered was I had her in my arms again. And this time I was not going to let her walk away.

Her arms wrapped around my neck as she moaned into the kiss. I deepened it further, wanting to brand her as mine as much as I wanted her to brand me.

She started to shiver in my hold, breaking me out of my lust filled haze. Picking her up, I headed to my car, forcing her to sit on my lap as I got into the driver’s seat.

Her legs straddled me as our mouths found each other’s again. We were frantic, our hands roaming. I lifted her wet shirt, breaking apart to tear it over her head. Chloe grabbed mine, doing the same leaving us skin to skin. She couldn’t stop shivering as I kissed along the tops of her breasts. God how I missed the taste and feel of her. Just the sight of her in her bra was enough to drive me mad.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my keys and turned the car on, blasting the heat. As I did, she reached around to undo the clasp of her bra, letting it fall down her arms. I groaned at the sight of her rose coloured nipples, begging for my attention.

I leaned in to suck one into my mouth, soaking up the sound of her gasp and moan as she gripped my head. I needed inside her again. I needed the connection to know this was truly happening.

Pushing at her tights, she lifted off my lap onto the passenger seat so I could yank them the rest of the way, the fabric sticking to her wet skin. As she kicked off her shoes and got her pants the rest of the way off, I undid mine, pulling them down enough to free my aching cock.

Then she was back over me, her eyes bright and delirious with desire. Grabbing a condom from the glove compartment, I tore at the package, rolling it on before lifting her hips so she was poised over me.

Sitting back, I watched with bated breath as Chloe lowered herself slowly, taking me into her tight body. Emotions overwhelmed me as our foreheads met, the both of us pausing with our bodies connected.

“I missed you,” I said, gripping her hips. “Every damn day.”

“Me too,” she said on a breath. Our lips met again, this time in a slow, sensual kiss. She lifted herself tentatively before sliding back down on me.

I threw my head back against the headrest, the sensation too good. She continued her torturous rhythm, making me ache for release. As everything tightened, I held onto her and thrust upward as she came down.

Chloe cried out, her inner walls gripping me as she climaxed. I continued to move, drawing out her release until I finally found my own. With a loud bellow, I came, my eyes almost rolling in my head as I clenched her to me until the waves of pleasure stopped.

The only sound was our breathing as we both came down.

“That was...”

“Amazing,” she finished, curling into me so her head rested on my chest.

I stroked her naked back, loving the feel of me still sated inside her, and her heart beating against my chest, in tune with my own.

The foggy windows closed us off from the world around. If I could have stayed like this I would have, but we both needed to get dry clothes on.

“Oh my god,” Chloe said on a gasp, sitting up straight. That pretty mouth opened in a perfect “o”.

“What?”

“People could have seen us,” she said, covering her naked breasts with her hands.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on her face. “Relax, sweetheart. The shop has been closed for an hour already. I was just dropping my car off for them to look at in the morning.”

Her entire body relaxed. “Thank goodness.”

I shook my head with a smirk. “Let the girl come down, and all of a sudden she’s shy.”