man who didn’t protect a girl. Things are new to him too, and he wasn’t sure, so he did the manly thing. And you screwed the girl before he did that. You’re right, I do trust him, a little, because thus far he’s proven to be nothing but trustworthy. I think he’s hot because he is—ask Webster’s Dictionary! But that doesn’t mean I’ll fuck him. I never, I mean besides…” I trail off, my voice and eyes filled with embarrassment.
He gently grabs my cheeks and lifts my head, holding it in place, forcing me to look at him. “Besides me?” he whispers, searching my face with his own glassy eyes.
“Well, yeah,” I mutter. “You were there.”
“You’ve never been with anyone besides me? Seven years ago?” He gasps out his questions, his shock blatant.
I shake my head back and forth in his hands. “You think I’ve been hiding some trustworthy true love from you? I’m a heterosexual young woman, Rhett, and some guys are attractive, but I’m safe controlling myself. You, on the other hand.” One brow lifts, calling him out.
“I lost it.” He chuckles, releasing my face. “I was mad and feeling insecure, and she was there. I don’t know.” He half smiles apologetically. “She was looking at me kinda like you look at him, so I pretended for a little while, with her.”
“Rhett?” I whisper shakily, bracing myself for an answer I’m not positive I’m ready to hear.
“Yeah?”
“Are you in love with me?”
He sighs loudly, standing and offering me a hand. “I love you more than anyone in this world, except Jarrett and Conner, with whom you tie. I would die for you, kill for you, and kill myself if ever my life didn’t include you. The time we were together will forever be the most beautiful, meaningful moment of my life, one I revisit in my mind often. But no, I’m not in love with you.”
We’re back to holding hands, our stride speedier. “Then why are you fucking my lookalikes and worried how I feel about Cannon?”
“Because I’m bi-polar, selfish, and codependent as hell.” He grins at me sideways, a saucy flare returning to his navy blue eyes. “For seven years, I’ve always been the number one man in your life. I could still get some on the side—this is the selfish part, please forgive me—and never had to worry about anyone touching or taking you away from me. But now…”
“So you knew, earlier, that I’ve never—”
“Of course.” He laughs, jiggling my hand. “I know everything about you. But it was nice to actually hear it confirmed out loud.”
“You bastard!” I reach across with my far hand and slap his arm. “ That was selfish.”
“It was, totally, but it also told me what I already knew. I’ve never had to worry about losing you before. I knew you didn’t want me, but as long as you didn’t want anyone else, I was fine with that. But Cannon’s different. He’s got a shot. And if he takes it, I could lose you.” He stops, pulling me against him. “You’re my best friend, my medicine, my proof not everyone sucks. I don’t want to lose you.” He gulps, a choking, painful sound against the top of my head where his cheek rubs.
Resting my forehead on his shirt, I wrap my arms around his waist. Onlookers might see a couple in love, but we’ve just established our kind of love. “You’ll never lose me, Rhett, ever, no matter who you sleep with and who I don’t.”
“About that.” He shifts to catch my eyes. “No one will ever be good enough for you as far as I’m concerned, but whoever you decide is good enough for you, go for it. You’re beautiful, and kind, and caring, and nurturing, with so much love inside you to give, just waiting for the right person to unleash it. Maybe that’s him, maybe it isn’t, but you deserve the chance to find out. You’re overly worthy of someone whispering how magical you are in your ear and making you feel loved. Don’t listen to me, Liz, my damage is done and irreparable, a cross I’ll
He gently grabs my cheeks and lifts my head, holding it in place, forcing me to look at him. “Besides me?” he whispers, searching my face with his own glassy eyes.
“Well, yeah,” I mutter. “You were there.”
“You’ve never been with anyone besides me? Seven years ago?” He gasps out his questions, his shock blatant.
I shake my head back and forth in his hands. “You think I’ve been hiding some trustworthy true love from you? I’m a heterosexual young woman, Rhett, and some guys are attractive, but I’m safe controlling myself. You, on the other hand.” One brow lifts, calling him out.
“I lost it.” He chuckles, releasing my face. “I was mad and feeling insecure, and she was there. I don’t know.” He half smiles apologetically. “She was looking at me kinda like you look at him, so I pretended for a little while, with her.”
“Rhett?” I whisper shakily, bracing myself for an answer I’m not positive I’m ready to hear.
“Yeah?”
“Are you in love with me?”
He sighs loudly, standing and offering me a hand. “I love you more than anyone in this world, except Jarrett and Conner, with whom you tie. I would die for you, kill for you, and kill myself if ever my life didn’t include you. The time we were together will forever be the most beautiful, meaningful moment of my life, one I revisit in my mind often. But no, I’m not in love with you.”
We’re back to holding hands, our stride speedier. “Then why are you fucking my lookalikes and worried how I feel about Cannon?”
“Because I’m bi-polar, selfish, and codependent as hell.” He grins at me sideways, a saucy flare returning to his navy blue eyes. “For seven years, I’ve always been the number one man in your life. I could still get some on the side—this is the selfish part, please forgive me—and never had to worry about anyone touching or taking you away from me. But now…”
“So you knew, earlier, that I’ve never—”
“Of course.” He laughs, jiggling my hand. “I know everything about you. But it was nice to actually hear it confirmed out loud.”
“You bastard!” I reach across with my far hand and slap his arm. “ That was selfish.”
“It was, totally, but it also told me what I already knew. I’ve never had to worry about losing you before. I knew you didn’t want me, but as long as you didn’t want anyone else, I was fine with that. But Cannon’s different. He’s got a shot. And if he takes it, I could lose you.” He stops, pulling me against him. “You’re my best friend, my medicine, my proof not everyone sucks. I don’t want to lose you.” He gulps, a choking, painful sound against the top of my head where his cheek rubs.
Resting my forehead on his shirt, I wrap my arms around his waist. Onlookers might see a couple in love, but we’ve just established our kind of love. “You’ll never lose me, Rhett, ever, no matter who you sleep with and who I don’t.”
“About that.” He shifts to catch my eyes. “No one will ever be good enough for you as far as I’m concerned, but whoever you decide is good enough for you, go for it. You’re beautiful, and kind, and caring, and nurturing, with so much love inside you to give, just waiting for the right person to unleash it. Maybe that’s him, maybe it isn’t, but you deserve the chance to find out. You’re overly worthy of someone whispering how magical you are in your ear and making you feel loved. Don’t listen to me, Liz, my damage is done and irreparable, a cross I’ll
Similar Books
