both for the lovely evening, but I think I better get this guy home while he can still walk.”
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. You sure you can manage? Stef or I can go with you.” Tyler hugged me and whispered in my ear.
“No. You stay here. I’ve got this.”
J esse was in no condition to drive, so the guys walked the two blocks with me and helped get him in the car before I made my way back home. After a great deal of struggling on my part, I managed to guide him to his bedroom. He was wasted out of his mind, and could barely stand, let alone undress himself. I pushed him back and unbuttoned his shirt then pulled it down his arms. With shaky hands, I fumbled with the button on his pants, letting them fall to the floor before easing him back on the bed. I looked down at him, lying only in his tight boxer briefs, and thought back to a time when neither of us gave a damn about the consequences, we just did what felt right. Every once in awhile I missed those days. My heart grew heavy as I thought about how easy it would be to take off my clothes and straddle him. He probably wouldn't even remember what had happened. My fingers trailed lightly down his thigh as I stood.
I pulled the covers over him and turned to leave, but before I could step away his hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me down to his lips. It was a sloppy kiss, nothing like the one he'd given me an hour earlier, and when I didn't return it he let out a pained laugh and dropped his arm to cover his eyes. I cupped his cheek in my hand and stepped away from the bed. Before I could make it out the door I heard him mumble my name and my head fell slightly before turning around.
"What?" I asked, softly.
"I'm sorry I broke my promise. Please don't leave me, I need you too much." The next thing I heard were the snores of a drunken man. I stared at his still frame for a few more minutes, willing myself to walk away. As a tear fell from my eye, I knew that I needed to put some emotional distance between us. I couldn't quite bring myself to walk away physically, but my heart needed to move on, for both our sakes.
CHAPTER NINE
T he next two weeks were both physically and emotionally painful as I fought to maintain a professional distance. We still had dinner together a few nights a week, and some nights we would sit on the sofa and watch television in comfortable silence. Other nights, he would go to his room and play guitar while I would lie on my bed and attempt to read a book. No matter which option we chose it felt like torture. I guess, looking back on everything, we should have seen this coming; I mean who were we trying to kid? We were two people that had been very intimate and now we were trying to maintain a professional working relationship, all while living under the same roof and denying our feelings for each other. I kept waiting for the proverbial bomb to go off, signaling that war had officially commenced. Until then, I did my best to keep my true feelings at bay, knowing full well the damage I may be doing to both of us.
One evening, I was curled up on my bed reading, when Jesse came through the door carrying two steaming mugs.
“Knock, knock." He gave me a silly grin, one that usually came out when he was feeling particularly happy. "I thought you might like some cocoa.” I looked at him quizzically, wondering if he'd somehow lost his mind, or turned soft on me. “Don’t worry, there’s alcohol in it.” He chuckled, setting it down on the table beside the bed. I only nodded and shifted my position. “What are you reading?” He sat on the edge of the bed, making himself at home.
“Just a romance novel,” I shrugged. “I read a lot of them.” I felt my cheeks going crimson with that admission. “Thank you for the cocoa.” I took a sip and let the alcohol laced chocolate warm me.
“You’re cute when you blush.” He climbed over me and settled in on my bed with his head across my legs. “Read something to
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. You sure you can manage? Stef or I can go with you.” Tyler hugged me and whispered in my ear.
“No. You stay here. I’ve got this.”
J esse was in no condition to drive, so the guys walked the two blocks with me and helped get him in the car before I made my way back home. After a great deal of struggling on my part, I managed to guide him to his bedroom. He was wasted out of his mind, and could barely stand, let alone undress himself. I pushed him back and unbuttoned his shirt then pulled it down his arms. With shaky hands, I fumbled with the button on his pants, letting them fall to the floor before easing him back on the bed. I looked down at him, lying only in his tight boxer briefs, and thought back to a time when neither of us gave a damn about the consequences, we just did what felt right. Every once in awhile I missed those days. My heart grew heavy as I thought about how easy it would be to take off my clothes and straddle him. He probably wouldn't even remember what had happened. My fingers trailed lightly down his thigh as I stood.
I pulled the covers over him and turned to leave, but before I could step away his hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me down to his lips. It was a sloppy kiss, nothing like the one he'd given me an hour earlier, and when I didn't return it he let out a pained laugh and dropped his arm to cover his eyes. I cupped his cheek in my hand and stepped away from the bed. Before I could make it out the door I heard him mumble my name and my head fell slightly before turning around.
"What?" I asked, softly.
"I'm sorry I broke my promise. Please don't leave me, I need you too much." The next thing I heard were the snores of a drunken man. I stared at his still frame for a few more minutes, willing myself to walk away. As a tear fell from my eye, I knew that I needed to put some emotional distance between us. I couldn't quite bring myself to walk away physically, but my heart needed to move on, for both our sakes.
CHAPTER NINE
T he next two weeks were both physically and emotionally painful as I fought to maintain a professional distance. We still had dinner together a few nights a week, and some nights we would sit on the sofa and watch television in comfortable silence. Other nights, he would go to his room and play guitar while I would lie on my bed and attempt to read a book. No matter which option we chose it felt like torture. I guess, looking back on everything, we should have seen this coming; I mean who were we trying to kid? We were two people that had been very intimate and now we were trying to maintain a professional working relationship, all while living under the same roof and denying our feelings for each other. I kept waiting for the proverbial bomb to go off, signaling that war had officially commenced. Until then, I did my best to keep my true feelings at bay, knowing full well the damage I may be doing to both of us.
One evening, I was curled up on my bed reading, when Jesse came through the door carrying two steaming mugs.
“Knock, knock." He gave me a silly grin, one that usually came out when he was feeling particularly happy. "I thought you might like some cocoa.” I looked at him quizzically, wondering if he'd somehow lost his mind, or turned soft on me. “Don’t worry, there’s alcohol in it.” He chuckled, setting it down on the table beside the bed. I only nodded and shifted my position. “What are you reading?” He sat on the edge of the bed, making himself at home.
“Just a romance novel,” I shrugged. “I read a lot of them.” I felt my cheeks going crimson with that admission. “Thank you for the cocoa.” I took a sip and let the alcohol laced chocolate warm me.
“You’re cute when you blush.” He climbed over me and settled in on my bed with his head across my legs. “Read something to
Similar Books
