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I can’t believe he’d stoop so low. “Are you for real? Your sister? Really? Oh my God, Reece. You must think I’m an idiot.”
“What. No. Callie. I’m serious. My dad and her mom… Please let me in.”
He sounds too real for it to be a lie, but why the secret?
“Okay.” I step back and let him shut the door behind him, but not before I catch Drew in the distance watching us.
Creepy. Despite the looks and the different air around him, Drew is definitely still creepy.
“C’mon.” I lead him upstairs and to my room because it’s the only room in the house where we’re guaranteed privacy. I’m twenty-two so I have an agreement with my parents. Basically, I can have anyone I want in my room, male or female, for as long as I want, but I’ve not to have sex in my room. Yeah, I rolled my eyes at that one. Mainly because I was thinking “as if.” At the time I didn’t have a boyfriend, let alone anyone interested. But I’ve no interest in having sex with Reece in my room or anywhere else for that matter.
Okay, I’m lying. I’ve missed him more than I thought I would considering we hadn’t spent that much time together before he screwed it up, again.
Walking into my bedroom, I quickly glance around to make sure nothing has been left out. I’m not the neatest of people and have a bad habit of leaving clean clothes out when the housekeeper gives them to me to put away. I certainly don’t want my panties lying around the room.
“Nice.”
I turn to look at him. “Yeah, it is… Reece, sit down, you’re making me nervous.”
He pauses for a minute before walking over to my closet and dropping to the floor he straightens his legs out in front of him and rests his head against the door behind him.
“It’s good to see you,” he tells me before clearing his throat. “I told Dal I was coming here to tell you the truth because I’m hoping the truth will make you forgive me for being a dick. I’ve screwed up more than once with you and this time was just so fucking screwed up.” He rubs his neck, again. “Ah, okay from the beginning. Dal overheard her mom and dad shouting about who her father really was. She was thirteen. When her mom shouted my dad’s name Dal came over to my house ready to do what, I don’t know, but she ended up telling me what she’d overheard. So, I confronted my dad. He was shocked at first, but then he got all cocky and told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. It’s been hard living with the knowledge of what Dal is to my family. Yes, she’s my sister, but she’s also my dad’s guilty secret. We decided to keep it to ourselves and I guess it’s just become second nature not to speak out about it.”
Wow, I certainly wasn’t expecting that kind of explanation. I can see how hard that was to tell me with his uneven breathing. He’s upset. God, all I want to do is walk to where he’s sitting, climb onto his lap and wrap my arms around him. I’ve missed him so much. But until I know why he didn’t defend me, I can’t do that. It hurt more than I can say.
“Callie, please say something.” He holds his hand out to me before dropping it back down to his lap.
“Doesn’t your mom know? Surely after all this time.” I wrap my arms tighter around my waist.
He shakes his head. “She doesn’t…at least I don’t think she does. My mom isn’t the strongest of people, and when I found out about Dal’s parentage was around the time my dad left. I think it would have finished my mom off finding out about Dal. I was pissed at first and blamed her, but once I’d calmed down and realized what her home life was like, I realized none of it was her fault. So we became friends. Donovan knows, he said he overheard me on the phone with Dal. Apparently he overheard us talking at some point, but decided to keep it to himself and I told Phoenix as I was leaving to come down here.”
And I grumble about my parents being over protective, but what must their lives have been like growing up. That’s so sad.
I’m starting to get a headache with everything, first trying to hide and stressing over Drew and now taking in the hot guy who holds my heart and what he’s telling me. But I still need an answer, so I ask, “Why didn’t you defend me to her? She said some hateful things and you agreed.” I swipe a tear from my cheek without looking away.
He sighs. “Will you let me hold you while I try and explain. I really need you in my arms right now.” Laughing, he looks toward the window in embarrassment.
I can always pull away right? If I don’t like what he has to say. Standing up, I walk over to him, which has his eyes back on me as he watches me get closer and closer to him. Instead of sitting beside him, I straddle his legs and make myself comfortab
le on his lap as he pulls me against him. I rest my face against his chest and breathe him in. All man – chocolate and spice mixed into one and he’s all mine…or he was. Maybe…
“I don’t really know what to say other than I’m more sorry than you’ll ever know. Not just for standing there and letting Dal trash you like she did, but for what I said outside the club. I didn’t mean any of it. I was seething inside while I listened to her going on and on about you, but I was also angry with myself because I’d already let Dal talk me into spending the following day with her on my bike, when I wanted to spend it with you. So instead of saying anything in your defense I just stayed silent beating myself up for being a dick and not thinking things through before agreeing to stuff.”
He tangles his fingers in my hair and tilts my face up to meet his eyes. “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you, but in the past there’s never been anyone to think about but myself. I was feeling guilty about that and I’d had enough of her going on, so I just agreed, because I thought it would be easier. The thing is, I wasn’t planning on doing that, I was going to talk you into coming back to my place and shoving Dal onto the sofa and you in with me. But that kinda got screwed up when you overheard her and then me.”
He bends and gives me a gentle kiss on the lips before pulling away and searching my eyes. “I’m sorry I hurt you Callie that wasn’t my intention.”
I wrap my arms around him and rest my face against his shoulder, inches away from his ear. If I wanted to I could stick my tongue out and lick his ear, which usually gives him an instant woody, but that will have to wait for a few minutes.
I’ve missed him so much and want to believe everything can go back to how it was, but I really don’t think it can. “Reece, I understand that Dal is your sister, and, well, family always comes first. But I can’t be with you if you’ll always be agreeing and going off with her without a thought to me or my feelings.” I slap my hand over his mouth when he goes to speak. “Please let me finish. I want to be with you and I know I sound like I want you to always put me first, but that’s not it. I’d just like you to at least think about me before going off making plans or whatever if I’m going to be your girl because I’ll always think about you before making mine. Does this make sense?”
He kisses me again, quickly, which is starting to annoy me because I want more – a lot more.
“It makes sense and if you’re my girl then it’s to be expected. Callie, I told you before that I’m going to mess this up basically because I haven’t done it before, but when I do in the future please don’t run. Tell me what I’ve done wrong okay and I’ll try not to be pissed when you do.”
I start to laugh. Only Reece could try and mend bridges by telling me he’s going to screw up.
“Will you be honest with me from now on?” He nods his head.
