“Ok, we are at the Brew and Pub, but have you been drinking?” I don’t want him driving if he’s been drinking. And of course I don’t want to get into a car with him either if he’s been drinking.
“Not a lick. I’ll be there in ten.”
I hang up and lean against a wall and realize I’m breathing rather heavily. I have about a quarter of my beer left and I chug it down. Before I walk back to the others I look at my phone and see a text from Kyle.
Tell me where u are. Kyle
Not even Kyle’s text can erase the grin from my face as I head towards the table. Maggie meets me half way and I tell her that Reed is coming to get me. She hugs me and tells me that this is the best way to get Kyle off my mind. She also tells me that I need to be good, but not too good with a wink. Dirty girl. I giggle as we approach the table. Maggie tells the girls and they squeal at my excitement. Another text comes through and it’s Kyle again.
WTF Kate. Kyle
I’m surprised he hasn’t called my phone, but before I can give him the chance I decide to turn off my phone. I don’t want my mind on Kyle. Word travels fast with this group. I give Maggie a look of annoyance, but can’t keep a smile from spreading across my lips for long. The truth is I’m about to jump up and down with excitement and nerves. Quinn rushes to me and asks if Matt is with him. Once she learns that he didn’t mention Matt she starts to fix my hair and pulls out my lipstick. All the girls are happy that my mind will be off Kyle, but Maggie is more than happy… she looks relieved. Derek on the other hand asks if this is a good idea and genuinely seems worried. I assure him that I will be fine and give him a swift hug. Maggie latches her arm through mine and heads with me to the front to wait. I have no idea what his car looks like, but I’m sure my heart will sense him a mile away. I pinch my side to snap me out of my love sickened haze. The beer swimming through me doesn’t help me from feeling distracted and lightheaded. I’m not drunk by any means, but I feel more carefree. This is right where I want to be though. I start to imagine Reed’s blue eyes set on me and my body quivers ever so slightly. A feeling of lust runs through me and I press my thighs together as I remember last night. We reach the front and Maggie snaps me out of it.
“Kate, geez, you’ve got it bad, girlfriend! What exactly happened last night?” She pushes me up against the windowed entrance so that I am facing the street and stares at me. I can’t avoid her stare as I bite down on the bottom corner of my lip. I suppress a giggle from rising and shake my head with my hair covering my face.
“Ok, you don’t have to tell me, but I can tell it must have been good. Frankly, I’m just so happy that you have your mind off the asshole. Plus, Reed seems to be different and he definitely seems to be into you.”
“You think?” I mutter.
“Yes, without a doubt. When he came by earlier looking for you he looked and sounded like he was worried that he may have blown his chance with you. Don’t worry though, I didn’t say one way or another… I didn’t let him know that you were hurt that he left.” I couldn’t remember if I had told Maggie that I was hurt or she just knew. Maggie was good at perceiving me without my spoken words. I value this in our friendship.
“Thanks Mags. I’m not sure if this is a good idea, but I can’t stop myself from being drawn to him. I really think I want to see where this goes… I’m ready to be done with Kyle.”
“That’s all you can really do then sweetie, see where it goes. And hey, I’m positive being done with Kyle is the best decision for you.” Part of me always is a little hesitant about moving on from Kyle, but this time I’ve been more sure than I ever have. Even when Kyle broke up with me and I never heard from him my senior year I never moved on. I always had Kyle sitting in my mind and heart. He hasn’t been in my mind or heart the way he should have for a very long time now though. Maggie moves to lean against the windowed entrance next to me and slumps her head against my shoulder. We stand there quietly for a moment when we see a black two door car speeding up the one way street.
“Holy shit.” Maggie whispers. “I bet this is him and that’s a Porsche. I never knew he even had a car on campus.” I feel confident that this is him too. Maggie’s mouth is gaped in awe. She knows her cars because her brother is really into them. I don’t know a lot about cars, but I’m not completely ignorant as I see the GT3 etched in the bumper.
“Huh.” That’s all I can say. I walk to the door to head outside and Maggie follows behind me with a little squeal. Once the Porsche is in park and the door flies open, Reed’s tall body emerges and his blue eyes instantly hit mine. He moves from the curb onto the sidewalk. I smile at him and he gives me a bright smile with one of his famous winks. My breath hitches and I stop walking. He moves straight to me and hugs me holding me close against his chest for a moment.
“Hi Katherine.” He whispers in my ear. Swoon. I have to remind myself breathe.
“Hi Reed.”
He says hi to Maggie and then asks if I’m ready to go. We head to the passenger door with his arm just above my elbow. I get a better look at him and he’s in a pair of casual jeans and a faded Green Bay Packers t-shirt. I love this look on him. His hair is slightly damp and a few pieces fall forward to cover his eyes. His face looks smooth and he smells like pine aftershave. Maggie moves in and gives me a hug.
“I’ll see you guys in a bit at the party, right?” The look she gives Reed says that he better show up with me there.
“Of course, Maggie.” Reed gives her a smile that has Maggie catching her breath. He opens my door and I get in. I tell Maggie goodbye and that I’ll see her in a bit. She tells me to turn my phone back on. As Reed is walking around to his side I see he and Maggie exchange a few words, but I can’t hear what they are saying. I do see Maggie leaving with a look of satisfaction. Before I forget, I turn my phone back on.
Reed slides into the driver’s seat and pulls his seat belt on. He then checks to make sure that I have mine on too. We pull away slower than I would have expected into traffic. Music is on, but it’s low and I can’t make out what he is listening to. My eyes are focused on him shifting gears as he drives. I have an urge to touch him in particular to slide my hand over his shifting gears. I wonder if he wasn’t shifting gears if he would be holding my hand or touching my thigh. His eyes shift over to me and a smirk settles on his lips and yet his jaw remains squared perfectly.
“Thanks for letting me pick you up.” I’m still watching his hand shift gears, but I’m holding on to his words as I wait for him to continue. “Have you really thought about me today?” While the question itself sounds insecure his tone is anything but. I take a deep breath and angle myself towards him with my eyes on his face. I silently reiterate my mom’s words, honest is the best policy.
“Yes.” Nervously I move my hair behind my ears and bite on the bottom corner of my lip. “But I’m wondering why you left my dorm so … suddenly, quickly.”
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you, but I’ve done that for a while now. I’ll explain why I left last night when we get back to my place, ok?” He adds, “How much have you had to drink?”
“Sure and um, a couple beers. Why?” I smile at him and settle my body more centered in my seat.
“I just don’t want you to be drunk when we talk that’s all.” I suddenly feel ashamed that he might think I drink all the time.
“I really don’t drink that much or often.”
“I know you don’t. I’m not judging in the slightest. Actually, I’m glad you are letting loose a little.” He winks at me and then pulls up to the front of his house. It’s the same house that Marco lived in last year, but I haven’t been here since then. Seeing the front porch I remember kissing Marco and I cringe a little. I start to open the door, but Reed asks me to hold on. He comes around to my side, opens my door and grabs hold of my hand to help me out.
We head up the steps of the porch to the front door. I glance back at the Porsche and think how odd it looks parked in front of this old off campus house. It l
ooks out of place. Almost like Reed among campus with his good looks.
“Is Matt here?” I figure I better look out for Quinn.
“He probably already headed over to 15th. Actually all my roommates are out, so it’s just us.” I can’t help, but wonder if he planned it that way.
Chapter 23
Once we get inside he heads straight to the kitchen to get me a glass of water, which I appreciate more than he knows. I didn’t drink that much, but I feel a little light headed. Of course it could be Reed’s presence that has me feeling that way. He takes me up to his room and sits me on his bed and excuses himself for the bathroom. I pull out my phone and see seven missed calls all from Kyle and I’m not sure how many text messages. The most recent text sends a chill through me.
Pissed doesn’t even explain how I feel right now. Kyle
I check to make sure my ringer is off and look up to see Reed standing in the doorway looking as sexy as ever. I quickly put my phone back in my purse.
“Were you texting Kyle?”
“Yes, I mean no. He texted me and I was reading the last one.”
“Is he here? Are you going to see him?” His forwardness throws me off a little.
“Yeah, he is here, but I do not plan to see him.”
“Will you please tell me more of what’s going on with you two? I’m going crazy trying to figure things out, Kate.” This takes me off guard and by surprise.
“Will you tell me why you left last night?” I figure I might as well gain something out of opening up.
“It goes hand in hand. I left because I don’t know what your relationship is with your ex. I’ve heard from your friends that you were broken up before or that it was maybe over. I’m not going to lie to you…” He pauses and moves over to sit on his bed beside me. I’m finding it hard to look at him so I glance around his room and I'm relieved that the photo I saw in here over a year ago is still not out. He moves in towards me angling himself towards me and grabs my hands. Then he slides them up my arms to cup my cheeks. I just keep breathing and stare at him. “You are so beautiful, you know that.” Of course I don’t respond. Then he straightens himself as if to get back on track. “I’ve wanted to do what we did last night since I laid eyes on you, Kate. I’ve wanted to do so much more with you. I’ve always liked you and then yesterday things seemed like there could be a possibility and I acted on it. But the reality is I don’t know if you are really done with Kyle. I left because I knew he was coming today and I didn’t want to leave myself more open to the fact that you might still really be with him.”
I scoot over towards his nightstand to grab my water. I take a long sip as I try to process everything he has just said. This sounds like more than flirting or just trying to get in my pants. I feel vulnerable right now as I think about laying it all out there for him. Ok, well, not everything, but I need to explain to him my relationship about Kyle. I sit back next to him and my knee presses up against his thigh.
“It’s not like that.” I’m talking softly, but not whispering. “I don’t know if I can explain everything. It’s hard for me to talk about it and open up.”
“I know it’s hard for you. Can I ask you questions and you answer as truthfully as you can?”
“Sure, but I want you to know that I have no intentions of being with him again and I want to move on.” I let out a breath because that was really hard for me to say out loud. Shockingly, I feel a little relief at being so blunt. I’m looking into my lap, but I can see a small smile stretch across his lips.
“How long were you together?”
“Well, we dated for my sophomore and junior year in high school. Then we officially got back together this summer and we were together until just a few weeks ago.” There that was easy enough. I’m just stating facts. I let out another breath of relief.
“Why were you broken up for so long?” Crap. Never mind this is going to get complicated. I close my eyes for a brief moment.
“He left me the summer right before I started my senior year in high school because he wanted to go into his freshman year at college single. Then he started coming around and calling the following summer saying he made a mistake. I had a lot going on with my family and kept my distance. I wanted to start my freshman year single at that point.” I’m hoping this answer will suffice as enough. He reaches over and laces his fingers through one of my hands. This calms my nerves and I realize I actually feel more comfortable talking to him than I had thought I would.
“Have you dated anyone else or had any other boyfriends?” I notice his jaw tighten as he asks this.
“Well, I guess if you count Derek and Marco.”
“Yes, I’d count them. Do you know how jealous I was to see both of them kiss you here at this house?” He gives me a chuckle, but I can tell in his tone that he is serious.
“I saw you making out with Quinn, remember?” He bites his top lip and leans his head back with another low chuckle. “Plus, you always have plenty of admirers on campus. Hey, do I get to ask you questions?”
“Sure, as long as I can keep asking you questions. Next, why do you think you are done with Kyle this time? Because it seems like you’ve gone back and forth with him over the years.” Shit. This is getting a little more intense, but I decide to keep going so that I can ask some of my own questions.
“I admit I probably should have never gotten back together with him this summer. I am done now, though. It’s hard for me to explain everything, but … he’s not nice to me all the time. I don’t want to be caught in this anymore. It’s not healthy. A girl answering his phone is not even the real reason.” His grip on my hand has tightened, but I press on. “My turn, have you had a long term serious relationship before?”
“First, what do you mean he isn’t nice to you? Then I’ll answer all your questions.”
“No, that’s not how this works. Answer my question and then you can ask your next one.”
“Yes, I guess. It’s a long complicated history as well though, but I haven’t seen her since last year. I’ve mostly dated a lot. Dated might even be an overstatement. I’ve hooked up a lot is a more honest answer. Ok, what do you mean he isn’t nice to you?” Geez, pushy much?
“This is hard.” I look at him and see that his eyes are warm and concerned.
“Has he hit you?”
“No, but he’s scared me and been rough with me. Mostly he calls me names and manipulates me.” Nervously, I bite repeatedly on the bottom corner of my lip.
“When’s the last time you’ve talked to him?”
“It’s been weeks. He’s persistent though and hasn’t let up. He calls and texts me daily. He had plans to come up this weekend a while ago and still stuck to it. I haven’t replied to one text or taken any of his calls.” I can’t help it, but I get emotional thinking about this and a tear slips down my face and off my cheek onto his hand that’s holding mine.
“Is that why you had shut your phone off? Is the ringer off right now?”
“Yes.” He doesn’t ask to look at my phone, but I can tell he’d like to see what the text messages say. “He’s here and is pissed that I haven’t responded.”
“He shouldn’t be harassing you like this. I don’t want you to be alone tonight.” He pauses and his thumb rubs circles around my hand he’s holding.
“I don’t want to be alone tonight. I didn’t want to be alone last night.”
“Kate, I’m sorry about last night, but I got ahead of myself. I’ve wanted you for so long. The thought that we were possibly cheating is something I promised myself I would never do again, especially with you. These feelings are new to me and pure, not like anything else I’ve felt before. Last night I was lost in the need and want to be closer to you. I couldn’t stop myself. I knew I could make you feel good.” I start to blush and my body warms at the thoughts of last night. His words are my undoing and I can no longer keep myself from touching him while this close to him. I rise and let his fingers slip through mine. I’m almost in a pani
c. This all feels like too much. I try desperately to calm my breathing and continue this conversation.
“I don’t want to get hurt again. You’ve cheated?” I’m being as bare and open as I can. His hands are resting on his thighs as he looks up to me standing in front of him.
“I have no intentions of hurting you. And yes, I’ve cheated and been cheated on.” I don’t want to talk anymore. I’m not ready to learn anymore about Reed’s past and I’m not ready to reveal any more truths of my own. His eyes pierce me, but I can’t look away. It’s quiet, other than our breathing; we could hear a pin drop. The house creaks every few moments. I decide to take a risk and move myself so that I am standing between his thighs. His lips purse and his eyes close for longer than a second. When they open I push him lightly down on the bed and rest myself on top of him. Our eyes stay locked on one another while his hands rake up my backside and tangle in his hair. He starts to plant soft slow kisses at my forehead, between my eyes, down the side of my nose and on my cheek. Moving my head to the side he nuzzles in my neck as if breathing my scent in. A low humming noise strums up his throat and I feel my body clench at the sound. I angle my neck more into his lips urging him to kiss me. He reaches the spot behind my ear that I love and he gradually sucks, kisses and licks his way down to my throat. I squirm to be closer to him and a purr escapes me, but I don’t feel ashamed. In a smooth movement he shifts us so that we are lying on our sides facing each other.
“Katherine.” I blink and lick my lips waiting on his words. “You’re so beautiful. Perfect. It kills me and infuriates me to hear that someone has been mean to you or hurt you. I hate to see you cry.”
“Thank you,” I whisper out softly.
“God, I can’t stop myself.” He pulls me to his chest and nuzzles his head into my neck. “Now that I’ve had a taste of you, Kate, I don’t know if I can get enough. I just want to be close to you.” I want to tell him that I feel the same, but my words get caught midway in my throat. I press myself into his chest and wrap my arms around his trim waist. I can feel the tightness of his abs as they press against me. I too feel the need to be close to him, closer. While words fail me right now, my body is yearning to feel his lips on me again. I angle my head back so that I am facing him. He leans his forward against mine and our eyes lock. The blue in his eyes is crystal clear framed by his long dark eyelashes. The only words I can utter come out in a hush, but I know he hears me.
The Perfect Distraction (Volume 1) Page 13
