A Reason to Stay

by Melissa Ellen

  I knew her words to be true. Lizzie never had a problem getting sex out of a guy. I didn’t know Mike’s intentions of why he was making her wait for it. I had a sneaking suspicion that might be the reason, though.

  “Don’t get me wrong. The foreplay is off the charts and I know it’s effecting him just as much as me. That much is obvious. If he doesn’t stick it in me soon, I’ll be forced to handcuff him to the bed in his sleep and take matters into my own hands,” she winked at me.

  “Lizzie! You are so brash!”

  She shrugged her shoulders, taking a sip of her mimosa.

  We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and spending time catching up. We hadn’t seen much of each other, both being preoccupied with the new men in our lives. We finished up our shopping for our families before going to Sur la Table for Lizzie to pick something for Mike.

  I had no idea what to get Rhett. The man had everything. Most things seemed too impersonal and all of Lizzie’s ideas too kinky for my taste. Though, I’m sure Rhett would enjoy them. The girl definitely seemed sex deprived. Poor thing.

  By the end of the day, I felt frustrated and hopeless that I would find him something.

  “You’re putting too much pressure on yourself. Rhett will love anything you get him, even if it’s a tie,” Lizzie tried consoling me. She was probably right. I decided to hold off purchasing anything for now. I still had some time to look around.

  After shopping, we headed for dinner and drinks. Mike, Stephen and Rhett were meeting up with us. It took a lot of begging on my part to get Rhett to come and promise to behave. I wanted him to spend time with Stephen and I, so he could see there was nothing to worry about. I figured if he gave it a chance, he and Stephen would actually hit it off. Maybe even become friends.

  When we arrived at the bar and grille, Stephen and Mike were already there holding a table for us. We sat with them, ordering our drinks, chatting while we awaited Rhett’s arrival. He had to pop into the office when I left him this morning, saying he had some things to take care of from being out of the country longer than planned.

  After forty-five minutes of waiting, we decided to order some appetizers to hold us over. I apologized to my friends, embarrassed by his lateness. I pulled out my phone, once again, checking to see if I had perhaps missed a text or call from Rhett, explaining where he was. There was none.

  When the appetizer arrived with still no word from Rhett, I sent him a text.

  A: Where are you??

  I waited a moment for a reply, expecting a prompt response. Nothing. Thirty minutes went by and still nothing. I couldn’t ask my friends to wait any longer to eat. As I pulled out my phone to try and text him, again, it chimed with a new text.

  R: Sorry, babe. Order without me. Meet you, later. x

  That’s it? Seriously? No explanation? I put my phone away, irate. I tried hiding my anger from my friends the best I could. When I looked up at their faces filled with pity, I put on the biggest smile I could manage.

  “Was that Rhett?” Lizzie inquired carefully.

  “Yes. Let’s order. He’s just stuck at work. He said to eat without him. He’ll meet us for drinks,” I rambled, pretending to be unfazed.

  I was a shit liar, especially when it came to my friends. They knew me, and I could see the concern on their faces. It only fueled my anger at Rhett more.

  We ate our dinner - me, mostly drinking mine. Rhett still hadn’t graced us with his presence, nor had he followed up with me on when he would arrive. Between the alcohol and anger, I was in a mood, so it was probably best he didn’t show at all at this point. After more hours passed and more drinks went down, I figured he wasn’t coming. I moved from beer to shots, determined to get wasted. I wanted to numb my mind and forget Rhett existed. I knew that was impossible, still I was at least going to try.

  At first, Stephen was right there with me, matching me shot for shot. It was about four shots in when I started slurring my words, barely able to sit in my chair that he decided to try and stop me from continuing my mission.

  “Pumpkin, maybe we should slow down. Have some water or coffee.”

  “I’m fine! Quit being a pussy and get me another shot!”

  “No. Not until you have some water and maybe some food.”

  “I’ll get it myself, then,” I rebuked, ungracefully moving to get up and make my way to the bar. As I drunkenly stood, I lost my footing, falling into Stephen’s lap. He caught me, wrapping his arms around my body before I back flipped off his lap onto the floor. I threw my hands around him, laughing with giddiness from the alcohol.

  It was that moment I realized nobody else was laughing at my clumsiness. Lizzie was giving me a look of warning, trying to silently signal something. My head was too fuzzy and delayed to comprehend. I felt Stephen’s body harden under my hands, realizing everyone was looking at something or more like someone.

  CHAPTER 12

  Rhett stood a few tables away looking sexy and murderous, all at once. Despite my anger, I was turned on instantly with the sight of him. How does he do that? Damn him. I didn’t bother moving from Stephen’s lap, even as Rhett stood with clenched fists, giving us the death stare. Frankly, even if I wanted to, which I didn’t – payback was a bitch – I had already proved I couldn’t move or walk on my own.

  Instead I turned my eyes on Rhett’s, crossing my arms, giving him my most threatening death stare. Unfortunately, I don’t think in my current state it was as effective as his.

  Rhett moved towards us, his stride telling me he was not to be messed with. My drunken brain said fuck it. I was going to mess with him anyway. He didn’t take his eyes off of me as he walked. He held my gaze, penetrating me with his anger. That was fine. I was pissed, too. In both senses of the word.

  When he reached our table, he broke our eye contact, looking at Lizzie and Mike. “Lizzie. Mike. Good to see you.” They both nodded, Lizzie giving him a concerned smile. “Sorry, I’m late,” he apologized, earning him a smartass huff of breath from me. He was beyond late. He ignored me. Bastard. “Unfortunately, it looks like I need to get my girl home and won’t be staying.”

  He turned to Stephen and me, putting his hand out to help me up. I ignored it. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said rebelliously. Stephen didn’t move to let me go either.

  “Ava, either you leave with me on your own or I’ll carry you out. Your choice,” he said in a low demanding voice.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” I glared.

  “Try me,” he glared back, his arms crossing over his chest.

  Shit. I knew he would. He was crazy mad and the last thing I wanted was another scene in front of my friends.

  “I’ll take her home,” Stephen interrupted. I really wish he hadn’t. Rhett turned his pointed stare to Stephen.

  “I’d appreciate you removing your hands from my girl,” he demanded with an authoritative tone that said don’t fuck with me. Stephen wasn’t intimidated by it or if he was, he didn’t show it.

  “I’m not removing them unless she wants me to,” he challenged.

  Oh, shit. This was going downhill fast. I appreciated Stephen coming to my defense, but I wasn’t going to allow him to get pummeled in order to do so, and this was only going to make things worse if I ever wanted them to become friends. Something told me that might be a pipe dream.

  I looked at Stephen, giving him a small smile with a slight nod of my head, telling him to let me go. He gave me a worried look, reluctantly dropping his arms from around me, still bracing my back to keep me steady.

  I took Rhett’s hand as he helped me to my feet, tucking me into his side with his arm around me while grabbing my things from the chair I’d been sitting at. He guided me out of the bar into the crisp air of the night. I yanked my items out of his hands, moving away from him, stumbling into the side of the brick building. I used it to hold me up while I breathed in the cold air to help sober me. I pulled out my phone, searching through my apps.

  “What are you doing?”
he clipped, impatiently.

  “Calling an Uber,” I slurred.

  “No, you fucking aren’t. Let’s go, Ava. I’m taking you home.”

  “I told you. I’m not going anywhere with -” I didn’t even finish my sentence before Rhett moved, sweeping me up in his arms and over his shoulder in one swift move.

  “Put me down you fucking arrogant bastard!” I screamed, flailing my legs in the air while beating my arms on his back.

  “Ava, mouth!” he shouted, taking us both in stride to his car.

  He put me in his car, pinning me back against the seat with his forearm across my chest as he buckled me in, not allowing me the opportunity to argue the seatbelt this time. As he moved to click it in place, I breathed in his glorious scent. He deliberately brushed his electrifying fingers slowly across my thighs as he pulled the belt across my lap. He was torturing me with his touch on purpose, igniting my desire for him. Proving his point. I was his.

  As he backed away to shut my door, he held my gaze, making sure I understood this. I turned my head, facing the windshield, looking straight ahead.

  “Fine. You can take me home,” I conceded, as if I had a choice. “That’s it. You take me home. To my house and then you leave. You’re not staying with me.”

  “We’ll see about that,” he said with a smirk, closing the door.

  Arrogant Ass.

  The ride home was quiet, both of us seething in our own anger. I knew once we made it to my apartment, if he touched me, I was a goner. I wanted him. Needed him. I hated myself for feeling so desperate and dependent. I blamed the alcohol, though I knew that wasn’t the only thing that drew me to him like a bee on honey.

  I wanted answers before I let him inside my apartment, so I broke the silence first. “Why were you late?”

  He sighed heavily, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. “We’ll talk about it when you’re sober.”

  I was already feeling more sober from the adrenaline pumping through my body, and I was not going to allow him to use my current state as an excuse to not answer my question.

  “No. I want to know now,” I stated firmly. “You stood me up and worse you stood my friends up. You didn’t even bother letting me know you were going to be late. That embarrassed me. My friend’s probably think you are a complete jerk.”

  “I don’t give a flying fuck what your friends think of me! They shouldn’t be encouraging you to get this drunk.”

  “Well, I do! Their opinion matters to me and I think you are being a complete jerk!” I yelled at him. I had never been so angry in my life. He turned to look at me, his hard expression softening, his eyes remorseful.

  “Ava, I’m sorry. I hadn’t planned on missing dinner or being that late. Something came up.”

  “Something,” I said tightly, processing his words. “Would it be the same something that came up last time?”

  “Ava,” he warned, not looking at me. His hands fisted tighter around the steering wheel as if he was fighting something within himself. “Are you going to get this drunk every time I have to change our plans?” he asked through gritted teeth.

  “Depends. Are you going to continue to cancel our plans to be with her?”

  “Ava, it’s complicated,” he pleaded with me to understand. I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand it at all.

  “If it’s that complicated, then maybe we should just end this. I’m not prepared to be the other woman in your life and always come second to her.”

  “Don’t you dare fucking say that! You are the only woman in my life. Don’t throw that shit in my face and say things you don’t want. We are done having this conversation,” he said with finality.

  He was right. I didn’t want to end this. Yet, I started feeling like I probably should. I was getting too dependent on him. And too quickly. And worse, as much as I wanted to trust him, I was having a really hard time doing that, since he kept changing our plans anytime she got in the way. There was more to it than what he was telling me. Everything about the situation scared me. The only ending I could foresee was my own heartbreak.

  We rode the rest of the way in silence. When we arrived at my apartment, I jumped out of the car after he barely put it in park. Amazingly, I was able to make it up the stairs in strides, trying to put as much space between us as possible. I quickly unlocked the front door, slamming it shut behind me. I moved determinedly to my bedroom. As I made it to the door way, I heard the front door open and softly close, the latches and locks clicking into place.

  “You’re on the couch. Don’t come near me and don’t you dare touch me,” I warned without looking at him. I slammed the bedroom door behind me. I didn’t bother locking it. It was pointless. If he wanted to get to me, I knew he would just break it down.

  I brushed my teeth before stripping my clothes off, crawling into bed. I lay there awake, waiting for him to defy me. He didn’t. He complied with my demands, allowing me to win that much of our fight. Though, it was the one part of the fight I wasn’t really sure I even wanted to win. I closed my eyes, letting the drunken sleep take me under.

  I woke up to Rhett in my bed. His arm was draped across my waist as he laid on his stomach still sleeping. I wasn’t sure if he crawled into bed with me in the middle of the night or early this morning. Knowing him, it was probably the former.

  It infuriated and calmed me at the same time. I watched him sleep, admiring his face. I didn’t move at first, not wanting to wake him, but I needed some space. After I was sure he was still out cold, I slowly slid out from under his arm.

  I put on my silk robe and left the room, closing the door softly behind me. I was pretty sure Lizzie wouldn’t dare to come home last night. I double checked her room just in case. She wasn’t home. I walked into the kitchen to make some coffee.

  I stared out our small kitchen window while standing at the counter, sipping from my mug, letting my thoughts take over. I tried processing everything that was Rhett and me. The whole relationship had been intense from the start, and as much as I tried and wanted to protect my heart, it had been an impossible feat.

  I was in love with him. That quickly. It scared me out of my mind. I don’t think I ever felt this strongly about Chris in all the years we were together. If Chris could break my heart the way he had without an ounce of comparison to what I had with Rhett, then Rhett would damage me beyond repair.

  I couldn’t move forward with him unless he told me everything I needed to know about him and Serena. There was something there. Something else that tied them together. It had to be more than her just being a family friend. I couldn’t trust him without knowing the full story.

  My thoughts were disrupted by his strong hands as they gripped my hips. He pulled me into him, nuzzling his face into my neck. I tilted my head, allowing him access while closing my eyes, letting myself enjoy it. We were about to have a conversation that could end us forever, and I wanted to feel his touch - live in the moment - for just a minute longer. He kissed me, descending from behind my ear, down my neck and over my collarbone.

  I put my coffee on the counter, clamping my hands around the edge for strength. He turned me towards him, pressing his bare chest to mine, taking my mouth with his. I allowed his probing tongue to enter my mouth while sliding my hands slowly up his firm, warm torso, stopping them at his chest. I pushed lightly against him, breaking our kiss.

  “We need to talk,” I breathed, trying to catch my breath.

  I didn’t look at him. I could feel his body tense beneath my palms, expecting the worse. He held all the cards, though. It was his choice. He gave me the full story or I walked. No matter how hard it would be or how devastated and broken I would be, I couldn’t trust him if he didn’t give me this.

  He didn’t respond with words. He took my hand, guiding me to the couch. He sat, pulling me down next to him. I tried moving away from him to the other end to give myself space to think. He wouldn’t allow it. He held me tight to his side, turning my face up to look at him. I didn’t wan
t to look at him. It was hard enough he was making me feel him.

  “If we’re going to talk, you need to look at me.”

  I complied as hard as it was. I needed to start this conversation with being pliant, so he would do the same in return.

  We sat there for a few minutes, just staring at each other until he tilted his head expectantly. A smile playing at the corner of his lips. Oh. Right. I needed to say something.

  “I want the full story of you and Serena-”

  “Ava-” he started to interrupt me. I didn’t allow it.

  “And before you cut me off, this will be the last time I bring this up, because if you don’t tell me, then I’m done,” I said it with as much finality as I could conjure. Just saying the words made my heart ache. I had to let him know I was serious, though.

  He didn’t respond immediately. He sat there silent in an inner battle with his own thoughts. His silence made the anxiety in my stomach flip with nausea, scared he would say it wasn’t worth it and leave. He finally spoke after what felt like an eternity.

  “Our fathers are old college buddies and have been close ever since. They were in each other’s weddings, and fortunately, our mothers have always gotten along just as well. They both were pregnant around the same time with myself and Serena, so naturally we grew up together. Took family vacations together. Spent holidays together. I didn’t notice her much beyond being a friend until the teenage years. She blossomed, and I became a stupid, horny, teenage boy.

  “I knew she had a thing for me for the longest time. She wasn’t really my type. I always thought she was a sweet enough girl, but never planned to take things to where we did…..like I said, though, she was a pretty and willing girl. And I wasn’t going to turn it down. The summer before our senior year, we started to experiment with each other. She was my first. It was always just sex for me.

  “We carried on like this through the school year. I should have ended it sooner, and I knew that. She was getting attached, and I wasn’t looking for a relationship, especially right before I left for college. I’d promised myself I was ending it by graduation. Then she came to me one night in tears and a mess.” He paused, taking a moment to break our eye contact before looking back at me.