CHAPTER TWO
Laurel
I couldn’t believe him. Whoever he was. He set my blood on fire. And in more ways than one. I hated him, but I couldn’t really tell you why. Then that kiss. My head was still spinning hours later from it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was stupid but my world had kind of been turned upside down. All by one kiss.
From a biker.
Sure, I tried my hardest not to judge, and maybe I failed at that more times than not. But really? A biker! No!
As much as I wanted to toss all the blame on him, I knew deep down that I couldn’t. After all, he had sort of been a gentleman, he brought the option to the table. He hadn’t taken without me being a willing participant. I had made that final move to connect us. To give into the kiss that I was desperate to have.
“Oh, God,” I said out loud as I circled the city for what felt like the fifteenth time.
I couldn’t go home. I didn’t know for sure, but I had a feeling that Cami and Brand were there. And I was too ashamed to face anyone right now. Plus, I wasn’t an idiot. I had a good idea that my little sister was probably getting some biker action of her own. I just couldn’t handle walking in on that right now.
But where was I to go? I couldn’t go to Brice’s house. There was no way I could face my fiancé. Not after what I had just done.
I was a cheater.
Hehad made me one.
But that wasn’t really true. I had been the one to put that label on myself. The big question was, would I do it again? And I knew the answer to that. Yes, I definitely would. Because I had never felt anything like that before. That kiss was… something I couldn’t even explain. I had never felt my body come alive like that. Not even with Brice.
However, it was all wrong. I had my road in life paved for me. All I had to do was walk it. It was an easy road too, lined with gold and plush carpet. Seriously, one would have to be an idiot to pass that up. I was no fool, that was why I was currently engaged to a man that would keep my path as smooth and plush as possible.
And no, it wasn’t just about money. It was about what was expected of me. I didn’t like to make waves. Which sometimes was hard. Especially when it came to Cami.
I loved my little sister so much even though she was the obvious black sheep of the family. She was an artist with a soft soul. She tried so hard to fit into the box that my parents wanted her to be in, but she just couldn’t. I didn’t blame her one bit. She had talent that I could only wish I had. Sometimes I felt like the go-between, the peacemaker, but I never felt like I did a good enough job protecting her.
Even with all of that, I never wanted to land myself where she was. Don’t get me wrong, I was proud of her for standing up to our parents. For really putting them—mainly our mother—in their place, but that wasn’t me. I wasn’t that strong. I couldn’t make it in life like she did. What was I supposed to do? Find a job? Sure, alright. But doing what? I had never tried to be good at anything other than being a socialite princess. Well, Mr. Biker was right about one thing. I was nothing but a pathetic, pamperedprincess.
Now, I was thinking about him again. I couldn’t get away from him and maybe I didn’t want to. It was all so confusing.
Things with Brice were easy. We knew all the same people. His family and mine got along. They had long before we had even started dating. If I was being honest, it had been my mother that had pushed me to date him. And when I was unsure about things, she was there whispering things in my ear even though I hadn’t voiced my insecurities.
I decided that I was going to get a hotel room for the night, maybe longer. I couldn’t face Cami just yet. I couldn’t face anyone with the mixed-up state that I was in.
There was nothing else for me to do but get lost in room service. To gorge myself on all the foods that I wasn’t allowed to eat, and of course, lots of champagne.
I stayed hidden away for a while. I didn’t even think Cami noticed because she was too lost to the bliss of love. I couldn’t even blame her.
It hit me too many times to count. I wasn’t in love with Brice. I never had been. And what we had was lukewarm at best.
I avoided him for as long as I felt I could and get away with it. Part of me wondered if he even noticed. I had too many sleepless nights to count. My stomach was in knots. Again, I was a cheater. I needed to come clean. Well, what I really needed to do was figure out what I was going to do. While the smart thing would have been to just go on as if the kiss had never happened, I couldn’t. Really, it was only a kiss. But it got into my head and made me realize that I wanted more out of life, out of a relationship. I wanted passion and I think that maybe I even deserved it.
I wasn’t saying that this biker was the one to give it to me. The only thing that kiss had done was prove that there was more out there. That there was something better than what I had experienced. If he had been able to light me up like that then there was bound to be someone that made my world topple head-over-heels, right? Brice certainly wasn’t that man. I had a feeling no matter how hard we tried it would never become something that would leave me breathless.
I waffled between what my heart told me and what my head demanded was sane.
In the end, it all ate away at me. I looked at Cami and decided to take some of her strength. I couldn’t go on like this, even if it meant a broke and lonely life. I had to believe that it would be worth it.
“I can’t marry you,” I said to Brice as I slid off the huge ring and held it out to him.
I never wanted to admit it, but I hated that thing. It was too big and too obnoxious. Yes, there was that ‘oh, my God’ moment the first time I had laid eyes on it. However, the second it was on my finger it felt more like a weight that held me down than anything else. That should have been my first clue that this was all wrong.
“You’re making a big mistake,” he said and his tone was so cold that it threw me for a second.
What did I expect though? For him to get down on his knees and beg me to stay? For him to tell me all the reasons I was wrong about this? For him to tell me that he really loved me and that we could work it out? Maybe part of me hoped that this wasn’t just about my family name and money. Only, it was clear now that climbing the social ladder was all that mattered to him.
