AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What makes you think I did something?”
Once again Matt just looked at him with that stupid fucking eyebrow raised. “Remember what I told you. Earn her trust. Show her you can take care of her. That you’re not going anywhere.”
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks Stevie.”
Matt clapped him on the shoulder. “Anytime, Ray.”
It only took ten minutes to drive from his parents’ to Christie’s, and as he turned his truck down her street, he found himself holding his breath, hoping she was home. He couldn’t take any more of this silence. They needed to talk. Today.
His pulse sped up when he spotted her SUV in her driveway. He could see the lights of her television flickering against her living-room window in the falling dusk. Pulling up to her curb, he threw the truck in park and, pulse pounding a furious rhythm in his temples, strode to her front door and knocked. After several long seconds, she opened the door.
He swallowed around the thickness in his throat at the sight of her. Hair in a messy ponytail, wearing her Tulane sweatshirt and yoga pants, she looked pale, sad, and so fucking beautiful he couldn’t quite breathe for a second.
Her eyes met his and she chewed mercilessly on her bottom lip, not saying anything, not moving except for the scrape of her teeth against her lip.
“Can I come in? If you hadn’t guessed from all the voice mails I left you, I’d really like to talk.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels.
She frowned and then nodded, stepping back to give him space to enter.
“Christie, God . . . I’m sorry for leaving those papers out and then leaving. I didn’t mean to . . . Shit.” He took a few steps into the house and shook his head. “That must’ve really upset you, and I need you to know that that wasn’t my intention at all.” He reached out a hand to stroke her arm, but she spun away from him, retreating into the living room. He suddenly felt too hot, his skin tight and prickling, and he shrugged out of his coat and tossed it on the couch. Glancing at the TV, he saw National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on mute.
“Luke, I’m the one who’s sorry. I thought maybe you’d get the message if I didn’t take your calls.” She twisted her fingers together, looking at the floor.
“What message is that?” A long, tense silence hung between them, eating up the air in the room and making the space suddenly feel much too small.
“That you and Ethan are better off without me and my mess in your lives. I don’t blame you for walking out the way you did. I should’ve told you.”
He curled his fingers into his palms, wanting to trace his thumb over her cheekbone. “Christie, it’s okay. I’m not mad. I wish you’d told me, but I’m not angry. If I ever come face to face with this Brian guy, I’m gonna beat the shit out of him, but none of this is your fault.” He didn’t blame her, but he also couldn’t ignore the twinge of possessiveness he felt at the thought of strange men looking at sexy, naked pictures of her. At first, he’d been angry that she hadn’t told him about the photos, but he’d gotten over that pretty quickly. Mostly, he felt like an asshole for leaving the folder out the way he had.
“No, it’s not okay.” A single tear slid down her cheek, and she hastily wiped at it with the back of her hand. “You deserve someone better than that. Better than me.”
“Why don’t you let me decide what I deserve?” he asked softly. He reached out to brush a fresh tear away with the pad of his thumb and felt a small surge of victory when she didn’t back away from him. “Christie.” He slipped a hand under her chin and lifted her face to his, and his stomach dropped like he was at the top of a steep hill on a roller coaster. Taking a deep breath, he said what he’d come to say. What he needed her to know, more than anything. “I’m in love with you.”
Instead of melting into his arms as he’d hoped, she stiffened, her eyes wide. She swallowed and then stepped back. “No, you’re not. You couldn’t possibly be.” She shook her head as she spoke, not looking at him.
“Why’s that?” His stomach tightened, its contents swirling unpleasantly.
Fresh tears spilled over her cheeks, and he ached with the need to wipe them away. She sniffled. “Look at me, Luke. I’m a mess.”
“None of that is your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. All you did was take sexy pictures of yourself for your boyfriend. That’s not a crime. Lots of people do that.” He crossed his arms, mostly to keep his heart from pounding straight out of his chest.
“You and Ethan shouldn’t be saddled with my problems.” Her brown eyes met his, and he felt like he might throw up at the pain he saw in them.
He closed the distance between them again and slid his palm over her cheek. “I’m so sorry that this happened to you, Christie. It’s awful, but if you think I’m going anywhere, you’re wrong.”
She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. “What if your family found out about the pictures? Other people in the community?” She blew out a long breath and moved back. “Those pictures will probably always be out there. I can’t get them back. Ever.” She turned away from him, closing herself off. Watching her, he could actually feel tiny pieces of his heart breaking into jagged little shards each time she pulled away from him, punishing herself for someone else’s cruelty. Trying to protect him by shredding her own heart in the process.
He came up behind her and pressed his hands into her shoulders, wanting to anchor her, to reassure her. “If that happens, we’ll deal with it.”
She turned to face him and balled her fists at her sides, tears shining in her eyes. “I didn’t want you to look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you feel sorry for me. Like you pity me. Like I’m damaged.”
“I’m not supposed to feel bad for you? He did a shitty thing, Christie. It’s not your fault, but that doesn’t change that a fucking shitty thing happened to you.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, trying to reign in his frustration.
“You know that it’s for the best if we end this.” Her tone was quiet, almost pleading.
