He Belongs With Me (26 page)

“It’s fine, but help me out of these covers before I get claustrophobic.”

Leo started pulling me free. He tried to keep a straight face, but I saw one very sexy grin trying to break free. By the time he got me out of my confinement, my heart was racing and my breathing rate had doubled. We were now both wonderfully naked with our limbs tangled on top of the sheets.

“Are you okay?” he asked me. “You seem different today.”

“It's just...you make me shy,” I whispered into his chest, all of a sudden finding myself unable to meet his pretty blue eyes. “And nervous and scared and crazy-insane. And the last couple days, there's been this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that won't go away. Fluttering. But please don't think I'm going backwards with you. It's just that…well, it’s daylight and I've never been naked like this with anyone before.”

He hooked his finger under my chin and tilted my face up toward him. “Trust me, the feeling's mutual. Remember that day at the pool last year when you asked if I was gay?”

I rolled my eyes. “How could I ever forget that?”

“Yeah, well neither could I. You marched over in your swimsuit and laid your fine ass down beside me. I'm not sure what you were reading, but you were biting your lip and blushing. I swear, I couldn't move or think or breathe. That's the real reason I never got up to change or swim. I had to picture my Great-Grandma Bunny the whole time just to keep from embarrassing myself. I couldn't even manage to have a normal conversation with you.” He swept a finger over my shoulder and down the length of me, stopping to trace small circles on my thigh. “So...I'm ecstatic that you're feeling some of the same things that I've always felt for you.”

His words made me feel ten times better. He was just Leo. Honest and sexy as ever, but still just Leo. My moment of weakness faded and I ran my fingers over his chest, something I was never going to get tired of doing. “I play up the indifference thing so people don't know what I'm really feeling,” I confessed.

“I know. But when it's just you and me, you don't have to do that anymore. To hell with the rest of the world—they don't matter.” He rolled us together so that I ended up straddling his lap. I rested my hands on his chest and his blunt fingernails dug into my hips. He lifted me up, positioned me just right, and I bit back a scream as he brought me down on his erection. His action took me by surprise on many levels. I'd been so absorbed in our conversation that I hadn't realized how wet and ready I was or how hard he was. Suddenly he was inside me and I bit back a moan.

“Last night, I was scared too.” His eyes bore into mine.

“You were?” I breathed. My body tried taking over all rational thought, but I wanted to know this. “Is that...um...why you froze up on me?”

“Yes. Then you dropped down to your knees and I realized I was your first. No man can ignore the gravity of those unspoken words.” Again, he lifted me up and lowered me gently back down so that he was deep inside of me. “Why were you still a virgin, Clara?”

“Um.”

“You're the most impulsive person I know, but you never felt the need to chase after
that
impulse?” He rolled us. This time, he was on top. He began easing in and out of me, as if he could no longer control himself to hold a conversation during sex, but still he said between ragged breaths, “Tell. Me. Please.”

“Because...” His movements continued. I didn’t know why, but everything seemed more real this morning. Like the light of day made it all so much clearer. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. My body climbed higher and higher—a natural reaction to Leo—even though my mind was splintering in a million different directions. “Because...”
Shit.
It dawned on me exactly what Leo was asking.
Why him? Why now?
And I realized that there was only one answer. “Because I love you.”

An orgasm I hadn't been expecting devoured me. For a brief wonderful moment, I forgot what I'd just admitted and only felt the high. I felt weightless and happy and free. And then as I came back down, reality sunk in. Maybe Leo had already confessed it first and maybe it was true, but my words still terrified me. I knew I had to run like hell—this was just too much.

After Leo found his release, I scrambled out of bed and started getting dressed as fast as possible. My pants...I found those no problem and yanked them on. Forget the underwear. My socks and shoes were on my feet a second later. But where the hell was my shirt? I couldn't leave without a shirt.

“I have my lessons,” I mumbled, avoiding Leo's eyes. He'd gotten out of bed and I felt him watching me, but I couldn't look at him right now. I covered my chest with my arms as I searched the floor. “Dad's gonna kill me if I'm late again.”

“You still have thirty minutes.”

“Have you seen my tank top?” The stupid thing had to be here somewhere. “Or do you have some kind of shirt I can borrow? Like a white t-shirt or something?” Tears stung at the backs of my eyes, but I couldn't let Leo see me cry. Oh God, this was turning super embarrassing, super fast.

Leo rummaged around in one of his dresser drawers and pulled out a white shirt. He walked across the room to hand it to me, but when I went to take it from him, he didn't let go. Lord help me, the tears were threatening now. I had to keep it together. “Give me the shirt, Leo.”

“It's not going to fit you.” His voice came out all gritty, not even close to its usual calm and collected tone, but he let go, giving me the shirt.

I yanked it over my head and then dared a glance up at him. I expected to see him looking angry, based on the past alone, but his eyes were soft and even brimming with unshed tears. I'd been waiting for years for my perfect guy, my perfect romance, the stupid pet names, and the whole perfect future together. And now…all of it was smack-dab shoved in my face. Why—
seriously, why
—did it have to be Leo freaking Maddox?

Leo reached up as if to touch my face but dropped his hand. His jaw clenched and he said nothing as he turned to get dressed himself. He didn't bother with fresh clothes and instead put on his day-old clothes from the floor. After putting on his socks and picking up his shoes, he crossed the room to where I was still standing. “This is the part where I lose my temper,” he said, his voice even and controlled. “We just spent a great night together—the best of my life—and now you're being ridiculous. Fucking ridiculous.”

“Don't call me ridiculous.”

His eyes narrowed. “I call it like I see it, sweetheart. Is it really so terrifying to love me? If so, then go on—run off if that's what you have to do. But don't expect me to always chase after you when you pull this kind of bullshit.”

And there he was. The snake with blue eyes. The boy I grew up with. I should have known he was still buried inside, waiting to attack. I'd been distracted by all of his charm and the sex, but now I could see crystal clear. Mentally, my heart cracked apart and I fell to the floor crying, but on the outside I stayed as strong as ever. My best friend, indifference, came rushing in to save the day. The emotion slipped off my face and I gave him a small, I-don't-give-a-shit shrug. Maybe he could tell it was fake, but I did it anyway. “Whatever. Goodbye, Leo.”

With steady hands and my head held high, I turned and hightailed it the hell out of there. And, as promised, Leo did not chase after me. I should have never expected anything more.

CHAPTER 23

MAGGIE

Fifteen mosquito bites. I'd fallen asleep in my car with my window cracked, and it seemed as if I'd been an all-night-long buffet for the blood thirsty things.

I can't.
Those had been Dean’s only words.
I can't.
No explanation. No apologies. Only two horrible words.
I can't.
I'd misread all the signals—for the second time in my life—and it had once again left me heartbroken. Ripped open. Crushed. Embarrassed. And I had a splitting headache on top of a stomachache to go along with my foolishness. After Dean said those two little words—
I can't—
I'd left his apartment and turned off my phone. Going to Blacksburg for the night hadn't felt like an option. I'd needed to be someplace comforting. That's why I'd parked on the banks of Blue Creek and stayed here for the night.

The early sun sparkled on the water. It was beautiful and reminded me of Leo. We used to play in this very spot as kids. We'd skip rocks across the riverbed, try to catch tadpoles, and sometimes float a mile or so downstream on inner tubes. Clara always tagged along with us. Even though Leo and I were closer, she always was around too. There were even some days when the three of us actually got along. I missed those days.

Last night may have been a disaster, but I did learn one important thing. Even if Dean royally rejected me, our little almost-kiss told me everything I needed to know. I didn't—nor would I ever—love Leo in
that
way. How could I when I still felt so much for Dean? I thought I'd gotten over him years ago. I even thought I'd loved Andrew. But I hadn't. The rest had only been distractions—bandages to conceal the split in my heart—when in reality, I still loved Dean. Good thing I never kissed Leo. How awkward would that have been?

With a huge sigh, I started my car's ignition and headed home. As if the last couple of days hadn't been dramatic enough, I found that Dad wasn't alone when I got to the house. Anita's white truck sat parked—crooked—in our driveway.
Please let her be over for driving lessons.
I chanted the words on repeat in my head as I took the porch steps two at a time.

“Dad,” I called, once inside the house.

“In here, honey,” came Anita's soft voice. I found her perched on one of the bar stools, a plated waffled drenched in syrup sitting in front of her. “Your daddy is outside grillin' up some sausage.” She chuckled. “Does that man grill everything?”

A sliding glass door separated us, but I glanced up to find Dad outside, hovering over the grill like always. Was it happening again? Had Dad entered into another whirlwind relationship—one that would involve a quickie marriage and costly divorce—just like the one he'd had with Monica Harvey? “So, you and dad are together then,” I wondered out loud, plopping down on the seat beside her.

“Oh God, no.” She gently touched my shoulder. “Well, not that I'm aware of. I've always liked your daddy. He's an honest, kind man. I've dated too many men who ain't been those things to me. Reed just asked me over for breakfast and I came. I wanna hope that means he's wantin' more than a business relationship with me, but it's too soon to know for sure. And if that upsets you, then you best tell me now. I won't purse it further if you don't want me to.”

I decided in an instant that it didn't upset me at all. Anita wasn't a witch like Monica Harvey. And even if she was, I’d learned after that debacle that nothing could ruin my relationship with Dad. He loved me unconditionally, and it didn't really matter who he dated or married or divorced. Just like Leo dating Clara didn't really have to affect me that much either, I realized.

“I approve,” I told her. “One hundred percent. Just don't count on me to call you
Mom
.”

She burst out laughing. “Oh honey, I will strangle you if you ever call me that. And don't you dare tell your daddy anything. I'd be real embarrassed if he knew we had this conversation. I’m sure he only asked me over to go over next week's schedule or something else work related like that.”

“No way. Dad only grills for people he cares about.”

“Really?” she asked, sounding surprised and hopeful.

Dad came back into the house another second later. “Hey, Maggie May. I saw you two laughing from outside. What's so funny?”

“Nothing,” I answered, my eyes flickering briefly to Anita. Her cheeks had turned a cute shade of pink. I quickly glanced back at Dad and before he could inquire further, I said, “But I have some news. Valerie is not your child. She's Dean's.”

Dad's jaw dropped and so did the plate of sausages onto the counter. “
Maggie
,” he scolded.

“What? I thought you'd be relieved.”

“I guess I am, but we all agreed last night that we would wait.” Dad's sharp eyes took in my day-old clothes. “Didn't you go to Blacksburg last night?”

“No, I went to Dean's.”

The lines on his face crinkled. “And you're calling him Dean now too.”

“
Daddy
,” I whined. “I didn't stay the night at his place. Look at my arms.” I jetted my arms forward to show off all the bug bites. “I parked by Blue Creek and slept in my car. I didn't feel like coming home or driving to my apartment. I needed a night alone to think. But would it really have been so bad if I had stayed with him?” Ever since Clara and I started college, Dad had relaxed considerably on how late we stayed out with boys. Why was he suddenly becoming protective now? I thought he liked Dean. He called him a “good man” yesterday. Plus, shouldn't I be the one making these kinds of decisions for myself? Not him...or Leo, for that matter. Speaking of… “Where's Clara? Did she stay with Leo?”

Dad sighed. “You and Clara are both old enough to make your own decisions. As long as you stay safe and tell me where you're going, then my only choice is to trust you both. But don't forget, if you decide to get involved with Dean, then he comes with the whole package. As for your sister, I'm relieved she's with Leo. He's fiercely protective and will always look out for her. Maybe that means I can finally have a little piece of mind. Your sister can be very stressful, you know. The only reason I let the whole New York thing slide so easily was because she was with Leo.” He kissed my forehead and moved toward the waffle maker. “I guess I'm glad you confronted Dean and figured that out for the rest of us. Anyway, are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

I heard the side entrance door open and immediately thought Clara’s ears must have been burning. Except it wasn't Clara…it was Leo. “Morning,” he said as he passed through the kitchen. He headed straight for the living room, not really looking at any of us, and I noticed that I wasn’t the only one still sporting yesterday's clothes. “I'm going to go lie on your couch for a while. So, yeah, ignore me.” He disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared, and I heard the TV click on in the living room.