Page 56 of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

I sighed, pushing the plate away. She was right—mostly. I never should have gone behind Kannon’s back, digging into his life through Riggs. But that didn’t excuse the way he’d lashed out at me. Or did it?

Ugh. It was all so confusing.

I shouldn’t have butted my nose in. His life was his business. But I couldn’t help it. The concern had gnawed at me, incessant and overwhelming, until I found myself asking questions I had no right to ask. I was curious about him. I wanted to know what happened to the young man that had been my best friend. The guy that could make me laugh even when I was feeling sad. My best friend, who once shared all his dreams with me, dreams we had naively believed we could conquer side by side. What had changed? Where had all that light in his eyes gone?

I could have asked him directly. That would have been the mature thing to do. But I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be interested in telling me about his wife. That still blew my mind. I couldn’t believe he had been married.

Married!

I didn’t know if I felt jealous or sad because he lost her. When I was young, I used to fantasize about me and Kannon getting married. Even though we hadn’t talked in ten years, there was this feeling deep in my heart that he was supposed to be mine. It was naive to think he would simply wait around for me. He was an attractive man and naturally he moved on. But still, the realization stung.

And to know he didn’t tell me. He didn’t want me to know. That hurt. It was like he was trying to keep me out of his life. It was silly, but it was the way I felt. I should have known. I should have congratulated him on his marriage. And I should have been there when he lost her. I used to be his best friend. I should have known, and I should have been there to help him through it all.

But he didn’t want me. He didn’t even want me to know.

A sharp knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I obviously wasn’t expecting anyone, which I hoped meant it was Kannon. I didn’t hear the motorcycle, but I had been lost in thought. When I opened the door, I gasped.

It was Kannon, standing under the porch light. He looked like he’d crawled through hell. His jeans were torn, his jacket scuffed, and faint streaks of dried blood ran down his knuckles. His dark hair was wild, and even though his expression was calm, his eyes told a different story.

Genuine fear rolled through me.

“What happened to you?” I whispered, my voice catching.

He reached for me, but his hand stopped short, hovering like he wasn’t sure if he had the right anymore. “I’m fine. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

I glanced over his shoulder where his bike sat in the driveway. In the porchlight, the damage to it was obvious even from here—scraped paint, bent handlebars, a muffler that looked half-destroyed.

“Can I come in?” he asked, his voice low and rough, like he’d swallowed a pint of gravel.

Every rational part of me screamed to say no. I should’ve told him to leave until he apologized, to demand an explanation for why he’d treated me like I was some nosy stranger instead of someone who cared. But I stepped aside and let him in. The man obviously needed help.

He brushed past me. His presence overwhelmed the room. I shut the door behind him and took a second to calm my racing heart. When I turned around, he was there, filling every inch of my personal space.

“Kannon—” I started, but before I could finish, he pulled me into his arms. His embrace was fierce, like he needed me more than air. His lips crashed down on mine, his hand sliding into my hair, anchoring me to him.

I melted into him for a moment, my hands curling into the worn fabric of his jacket. The kiss was everything I had missed, everything I hadn’t let myself want for years. But then my brain caught up with my body, and I pushed against his chest.

“Kannon, stop,” I murmured, pulling back.

He groaned, reluctant, his forehead resting against mine. His breath came in sharp, uneven bursts. I wanted nothing more than to kiss him and give in to the desire, but I couldn’t. I refused to let myself get caught up in another moment of passion. Clearly, he had a near-death experience, and this was him celebrating the fact he was alive. I got it. It was an adrenaline rush, and he wanted sex.

But I had a little more pride and self-respect than that.

“You can’t speak to me the way you did and then kiss me like this. It doesn’t work that way.”

There was a flicker of regret in his eyes.

“And I won’t kiss you like this until I apologize for going behind your back,” I said. “I’m sorry, Kannon. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have snooped into your life. There’s a right way to do things and that wasn’t it.”

“You had your reasons,” he said quietly.

“They weren’t good enough. I wouldn’t appreciate someone gossiping about me behind my back. It was out of line, and I shouldn’t have done it. I won’t do it again.”

He exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry, too. I don’t think you’re broken or need fixing. All the things I said… I wish I could take them back.”

I blinked hard against the sting of tears. “Honestly? I wish you could, too.”

He searched my face, like he was trying to figure out how to make it right. “How can I fix this?”