She breaks the kiss, and we’re both heavy breathing as she rests her head on mine. “I think we should stop, don’t you?”
“We could…”
She bites her lip before smashing them against mine, her hips moving back and forth seeking friction. I raise myself and grip her hips, pulling her down. She cries out in pleasure as she hits the sweet spot.
I break the kiss and move to her neck. “That’s it, Shortcake. Use me.”
She’s completely lost in her pleasure, her moves becoming more erratic. The pleasure builds in my spine as my balls draw tighter. Hayleigh throws her head back, her mouth falling open as she moans loudly.
The sound does something to me. I grab her hips and move her faster; her hands fly to my shoulders as she steadies herself before crying out. I pull her down for another punishing kiss as she whimpers into my mouth, her orgasm drawing out as mine barrels full force through me, and I do something that I haven’t done for years.
Her movements slow, then stop altogether, but we don’t move; we don’t speak. We’re two people lost in the moment of something monumental.
Because now I’ve seen what Hayleigh looks like when she loses control, and there is no way I am giving that up. She can feed me all the scraps she wants because I’m in this for the long haul.
I’ll make sure she knows it.
Chapter 14
Hayleigh
“You didwhat?”Emmy shrieks, and I burst out laughing before flapping my hands around.
“Shh, be quiet!” She puts her fingers to her lips and mimes locking a key. “Okay, so I had walked in on him and Archie, obviously, cooking up some stupid idea to read this envelope I had given Nate. At first it hurt, it felt like a betrayal, but then I walked away, and I visited Daisy…” I stop as hurt flashes across Emmy’s face, so I hurry on. “She’s been helping me with meditation, and I didn’t want to be a burden on you.”
Emmy reaches across and places her hand over mine. We sit cross-legged on the couch, facing one another. “Hayleigh, you haveneverbeen a burden.”
I pick at my leggings and shrug. “It’s hard not to feel that way…” I trail off because I want to tell her everything, but what if she hates me after?
“Hey, this is me. I will never judge you for what you tell me.”
God, this girl is my best friend, an honest-to-God angel.
I take a deep breath. “I never knew Pete was the one stalking you, not for one minute, but–I felt that he was capable of something. I don’t think I wanted to believe it was him, but I must have known deep down, and for that I’m so sorry, Emmy…I…” I trail off as a sob works its way up my throat.
Emmy pulls me into a hug, and somehow,she’sthe one comforting me. “It’s okay, let it all out. Hayleigh, you are not responsible for whathedid. You couldn’t have known because, whether you like to admit it or not, you were a victim too.”
I sit back up and wipe my eyes, shaking my head. “But he was my fiancé, Emmy. I should’ve known him better than anyone, or at least I thought I did.”
“Oh sweetie, you taught me better than anyone what a narcissist does, but it’s so difficult to see it when you’re in that place and believe me, nobody saw Pete coming. He was very convincing, so don’t you dare feel like you’re somehow responsible because I do not think that. Is that why you’ve been so distant?”
I cover my face with my hands, and I sob. “I’m s-so s-sorry-” I never felt like a victim; all this time, I felt like an accomplice, but that was never true.
She wraps me in her arms. “Please don’t ever think that, Hayleigh. I promise you that no one thinks that.”
I sit back and wipe my tears before shaking out my arms. “Okay, enough crying because my nose is blocked. Tell me about you.”
She wipes her eyes. “I do have something to tell you, but it’s better if I show you.” She gets up and heads into the kitchen, rummaging through the drawers before pulling out an envelope and for a moment, my heart stops.
It’s not your envelope, stupid.
She sits back on the sofa and hands it to me. I turn it over in my hands; it’s plain white, smaller than the one I’ve been avoiding for months.
Emmy clasps her hands together, bouncing in place. “Open it then, it won’t bite.”
My fingers rip open the envelope, and a small card falls out:
Auntie Hayleigh
