What the hell was I doing?
I knew it was a horrible idea to flash Dex that stupid “come hither” look, but let’s face it… the alcohol was making me bold, and I wanted him. For once, I wasn’t thinking about tomorrow, or the day after that, or the week after that. All I cared about was right now. Being pressed so close to him and feeling his thick arousal against me as he blatantly let me know how much he wanted me… It had put me in such a haze that I couldn’t think clearly. All I could think about was the burn in my stomach that craved more.
Just when I thought Dex was going to leave me hanging, I felt him come up behind me and wrap his arms around me.
“You’re driving me f*cking crazy tonight, Liv… You know that?” He pressed his lips to my neck, and I couldn’t contain the moan that escaped my throat. “You like that?”
All I could manage was a nod as he continued to move his mouth over me, licking and sucking my heated skin. His grip around me tightened as I melted into his body, overwhelmed with sensation and barely able to stand.
“I can’t keep myself from touching you. You’re so f*cking perfect. You’re gonna have to tell me when you want me to stop.”
“Don’t stop. Please,” I begged. My body was screaming for his touch, and my brain was no longer in charge of the words pouring out of my mouth.
“Where do you want me to touch you?” His hands roamed down my ribs, grazing the sides of my breasts before settling on my hips. “Here?” He kissed a trail down my neck and over my shoulder, and I was desperate to feel his hands on me.
When his palm traveled back up my stomach and came close to my breast, l arched into his touch until his hand settled over it, his thumb teasing my hardened nipple through the fabric. I pressed my backside against his hardness and he growled, moving his other hand down to the top of my thigh and under the hem of my short dress, only inches away from where I needed him to be.
“How about here?” he whispered, tracing his fingers along the edge of my panties. “Do you need some attention here?”
“Yes,” I nodded breathlessly.
His fingers finally met their mark, rubbing me through the thin silk of my panties. I moaned loudly, reaching one arm over my head to clasp him around the neck as I tilted my head back and pressed my lips against his throat.
“F*ck, Liv… You’re so f*cking wet.” He reached underneath my panties, moving his clever fingers over my hot flesh. “I need to take you home so I can give this perfect p-ssy the attention that it needs.” He dragged his hand up my side and cupped my breast with the other hand. “And I’m gonna kiss these amazing tits and suck on your nipple until you come.”
By now my body was practically throbbing with the need for release. I wasn’t sure I could wait until we got to his house, even though it was only a fifteen-minute drive. I rubbed my bottom against his hard length, but the feel of his arousal only turned me on even more.
Dex removed his hands from me, but before I could protest the loss, he turned me around to face him, crushing his mouth to mine. His tongue slipped through my parted lips and twined frantically with mine as he cupped my ass and lifted me up. My arms and legs automatically wrapped around him as he carried me over to his truck, never once separating his mouth from mine. He pushed my back against the side of the truck, his erection pressing perfectly against my center. Desperate for release, I gripped my legs tighter around him and rocked myself along his hard, perfect length, crying out loudly when he hit the right spot.
“We need to get out of here now,” he groaned. “Or else I’m going to have to make you come right here, and I’d hate for someone to hear your sexy screams when I do.” Throwing the door open, he put me in the passenger seat. “Wait here, baby. I’m going to go inside and tell them we’re leaving. Don’t move.”
After grabbing Olivia’s purse and hastily saying goodbye to everyone, I rushed back to my truck as fast as I possibly could—with a hard on—and peeled out of the parking lot. I was a little worried that in the few minutes I was inside Olivia might have changed her mind about what we were about to do, but she scooted across the seat and aligned herself right next to me. She started kissing my neck and reached into my lap, rubbing me through my jeans and nearly causing me to run off the road.
“God, you’re killing me,” I groaned, stomping the gas pedal down even further.
“You’re so big… and hard,” she giggled, looking up at me deviously as she continued to stroke my now rock-hard length.
“Well, my cock f*cking loves you.” I pressed my hand over hers in my lap, dragging it over every swollen inch and letting her feel what she did to me.
She leaned up, nibbling on my earlobe as she whispered in it. “Good, because I am horny,” she giggled again.
Hearing those words tumble from her mouth made me want to pull over and bury myself inside her right there. Apparently she was drunker than I thought. If I were a better person I would probably put a stop to it, but I was way too far-gone for that. I needed her. Badly.
When we finally got to my house, I jumped out of the truck and practically carried her inside to my bedroom. My mouth found hers again, savoring the feel of her soft, perfect lips and the way her tongue tangled with mine. I was addicted to this mouth and couldn’t wait to find out if the rest of her tasted just as sweet.
Olivia’s hands found the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head, and I wasted no time peeling that sexy little black dress off her body. Stepping back, I took a second to enjoy what was in front of me.
“You’re so f*cking beautiful, Olivia.” She wore black, lacy panties and a matching bra that propped up those perfect tits that I was dying to put my mouth on. I had the sudden urge to pinch myself and make sure that this was real and not just the greatest dream I’d ever had.
I strode toward her, tangling my hand in her hair as I pulled her mouth to mine and placed a gentle kiss on her full lips. She ran her hands down my chest and over my stomach, landing on the waistband of my jeans as she popped open the button and lowered the zipper. I kicked them off and backed her onto the bed, sinking her to the mattress and kneeling over her.
As I began kissing a trail down her chest, Olivia reached behind her and unclasped her bra, tossing it to the side and revealing the most flawless breasts I’d ever laid eyes on. I stared at them hungrily for a moment before covering them with my mouth and hand, kneading them and sucking her nipple into my mouth.
“Oh God…” she moaned, reaching into my boxers and wrapping her hand around my cock.
“Shit…” I hissed as her fist began stroking me up and down. “If you keep that up, I’m going to explode right now, baby.”
“You feel so good, Dex. I want to feel you.” She removed her hand and pulled me down on top of her. I settled between her thighs, and she wrapped her long legs around me so that my erection was right up against her p-ssy, pressing through the thin layers of clothing that separated us.
I rocked against her, agonizingly slowly, wanting her to feel every inch of me. “How’s that feel, baby? Can you feel how much I want you?” She moaned, clasping her legs around me and clawing at my back as she tried to pull me impossibly closer.
“I want you inside me,” she pleaded.
God, how long had I been dreaming of hearing those words fall from her lips? I’d never wanted anything more, and yet for some reason, it didn’t seem right. At least, not now. She was drunk, and even though she said she wanted it now, I didn’t want alcohol to factor into the decision. I wanted her to want me the same way I wanted her—no question, no hesitation, no doubt.
“Liv, I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you, and even though I would like nothing more than to bury myself inside you right now, I can’t. Not now… not when you’re drunk and there’s a chance you might regret it later.”
“Come on, Dex, since when has that ever stopped you?”
“Since it’s you.” I brushed the hair away from her face, dropping kisses along her neck and tilting my mouth to her ear. “You’re different, Liv. When I finally do sink inside your willing body, I want you to feel everything. I want you to be completely aware of every touch… respond to every movement… remember every single second… and I want you to want it.”
“I do want it,” she whined. “I need you…”
“You have me, don’t worry. I’m going to take good care of you, sweet Liv.”
My lips traveled over her soft skin, kissing a path between her breasts and over her stomach as I slid down her body. I grabbed her panties and slipped them off slowly, tossing them to the side as I kneeled in front of her.
I ran my hands up her legs, parting them gently as I spread her in front of me. I kept my eyes locked on hers as I caressed the smooth skin of her inner thighs before finally dropping my mouth to her wet p-ssy. I teased her with my tongue, enjoying her taste as I pressed my lips against her and licked her sensitive flesh.
“Ah, yes…” she cried out, clutching the sheets in her hands and arching her body off the mattress.
Her response to me and the sexy sounds she made turned me on even more, and I nearly blew my load right then. When her loud moans turned into shameless begging, I finally went for it, licking and sucking until her body stilled and she cried out her release.
I hadn’t finished devouring her yet. It wasn’t until after her second orgasm, when Olivia was sated and tired, that I finally stopped. I refused to let her return the favor, covering her with the blankets and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Tonight was all about her and making her feel good. Despite my painful erection, that’s how I wanted it. Instead, I opted for a shower, pumping my fist over my cock as I replayed the night in my head–the way she felt, the way she tasted, and the sounds she made–and came almost instantly.
Olivia was asleep when I returned to bed. I didn’t want to wake her, so I crawled in beside her and pulled her close, amazed at how perfect it felt.
***
I gathered up the clothes that had been strewn around Dex’s bedroom and quickly threw them on. As nice as it had felt to wake up with Dex, when I thought back on the night before and reality set in, I automatically began to panic. I was humiliated about the way I’d thrown myself at him and needed to get out of there before he woke up.
With one last glance at Dex, his naked body tangled in the sheets and his handsome face so peaceful in sleep, I quietly snuck out of the bedroom. I crept around the living room, searching for my purse, and crashed into something, causing a loud noise to echo through the room.
“Shit!” I half-whispered, trying to get out the door as fast as possible.
“Liv?” Dex’s voice called out from the bedroom, and I heard the springs of his mattress as he got up. “You okay, baby?”
I froze, briefly considering running out of the apartment at top speed so I wouldn’t have to face him.
He appeared at the door wearing only his boxers and my idiotic heart immediately started racing at the sight of him.
“Where are you going?” His voice was heavy with sleep. “Come back to bed.”
“I—I have to get to work,” I stammered, gesturing toward the door.
“It’s only six… Come back to bed and we can start the day off right.” He grinned seductively and moved toward me. “Then we can grab some breakfast or something.”
“I really need to get going,” I muttered, backing toward the door. “Sorry about last night, I guess I was pretty drunk. How about we skip the awkwardness and pretend it never happened?”
“You want to pretend it never happened?” His expression was confused, and hurt.
“Yeah, it was a stupid mistake. No need to make a big deal of it.” I tried to play it off but my words were forced, and I couldn’t look him in the eye. “Besides, I thought random hookups were your specialty? Don’t tell me you’re getting sentimental on me?” I laughed awkwardly, ignoring the huge lump in the pit of my stomach.
Dex’s face turned hard, his entire demeanor changing from hurt to angry. “If that’s all it was, then fine.”
“Friends?”
“Right. Friends,” he hissed, turning and walking back to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
My stomach remained in knots during my shift at the aquarium and I felt… unsettled. Every time I remembered the pain I saw on Dex’s face, I wanted to throw up.
I thought he’d be relieved with my decision to pretend it never happened. I’d let him off the hook. Dex was only interested in having a good time. If I let myself believe it could be more, he would only end up destroying me. Sure, he had seemed into it at the time, but he had also been drunk, and I’d been blatantly throwing myself at him. If I was going to salvage our friendship, I needed to play it off like it was no big deal… just sex. If I acted like a typical girl and got all attached and all “so what does this mean?”, then it would only chase him away. He would end up being yet another person that I lost.
I couldn’t handle losing Dex. I cared for him too much. I wanted him in my life. The feelings that were clouding my judgment were simply a result of the incredibly satisfying night we had, and I couldn’t let that get in the way. Dex must have felt that on some level too, because—let’s not forget—he turned me down! Dex, who had sex with any woman with a pulse, turned me down when I told him I wanted him inside me. The reminder made my cheeks redden with embarrassment. Forgetting the whole night was definitely the right decision.
So then why did Dex seem upset? He acted like he was genuinely hurt when I told him it was a mistake, but it wasn’t as though he tried to correct me.
“You have me, don’t worry… I’m going to take good care of you, sweet Liv.”
His words from last night echoed in my head, making me question everything. Was it possible that Dex had real feelings for me? What would that even mean?
I couldn’t get into a new relationship. I needed to gain my independence. Not to mention that I still practically had a tan line from my engagement ring! I had just gotten out of a long-term relationship with a man that I’d planned to marry. I couldn’t consider starting another one so soon. What kind of person would that make me? It’s not like I had feelings left for Steven—the guy was a cheating pig—but I wasn’t someone who jumped from one relationship to the next.
One thing I did know was that I wasn’t ready to put myself out there and risk getting hurt, and as amazing as Dex was, he had “heartbreak” written all over him. I couldn’t handle that kind of pain. He had an endless supply of willing woman everywhere he went. How—and why—would he ever settle for just one? Dex didn’t do relationships, and I didn’t do random hookups. It was that simple.
“You have me.”
I shook his words from my head. They only confused me more. It didn’t help that the entire night kept replaying in my mind, over and over again. The words he’d whispered and the way he’d touched me… it got me so worked up that I had to step into the bathroom and splash cold water on my face to calm myself down. Somehow, I’d managed to have the best sex of my entire life without even having sex.
I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to look at him without thinking about last night and wanting him that way again. Part of me would always be wishing that we could be more. I knew I couldn’t handle losing Dex’s friendship, but could I handle not being with him?
My mind was running in circles. These were the times that I wished that my mother were still alive. She had always known the right thing to say to help me through my internal struggles. I missed having her to talk to. I missed having someone who would be there for me, and love me, no matter what. Through all my mistakes, and doubts, and fears. Through everything. There were times when I felt that I didn’t have anyone, and I hated feeling so alone.
All the more reason to keep my friendships intact, I thought with a sigh, firming my resolve.
I’d crossed a line with Dex that I never intended to cross, and I needed to find a way back. I only hoped that our friendship wasn’t beyond repair.
I stared at the crumbling plaster around the fist-size hole I’d punched in the wall after Olivia left. It was fitting, considering I felt like my entire life was crumbling around the edges, leaving a gaping hole that I couldn’t seem to fill.
It had been a while since I took my anger out with this kind of destruction, but then again, I’d never experienced rejection like this before. It was an entirely new feeling for me, this combination of anger, hurt and confusion. I didn’t know how to deal with it.
I threw on my gym shorts and sneakers, and went out to the beach for a run. Dealing with my emotions the only way that I knew how. Six miles later, my anger had taken a backseat but I was still as confused as ever.
I thought that Olivia and I were finally on the right track, finally where we were supposed to be. But now we were even farther away than before. If anything, it was like we’d gone backwards. One step forward and two steps back. It was a discouraging pattern that I didn’t know how to break.
Since running and destroying things didn’t seem to help, I decided that I needed a distraction. There was nothing like working on a car engine to occupy the mind, so I went into work early, beating everyone there, even Nate.
I was elbow-deep in the engine of old Dodge Charger when Nate came into the garage, whistling cheerfully and holding a cup of coffee.
“Getting an early start?” he asked.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Considering the way you and Olivia were dancing last night and then ran off on us, I’m not surprised you didn’t sleep! Did you two finally hook up?”
I didn’t bother lying about it, and he took my silence as confirmation.
“No shit, really?” he said, surprised. “It’s about time. Good for you, bro.”
I rolled out from under the car and sat up, grabbing a rag to wipe my hands off. “Don’t get too excited. It was a mistake, according to Olivia. She wants to pretend it never happened.”
“What about you? Did you think it was a mistake?”
“I didn’t before, but now I don’t know what the f*ck to think,” I shrugged. “I thought she was on the same page as me. Clearly, I was wrong.”
“She’s probably confused about the whole thing. I mean, she just got out of a relationship and totally uprooted her life. Maybe she’s scared to make another big change. It’s obvious that she has feelings for you though—anyone with eyes could see that. It’s a matter of getting her to admit it… which won’t be easy because she’s determined to be on her own.”
I considered what he was saying, and, surprisingly, he actually made a lot of sense. “When did you get so damn smart?”
“Some of that may have come from Amy,” he grinned. “We’ve spent some time discussing your situation.”
“Figures,” I chuckled. My sister was notorious for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. She did have pretty good advice, though. I’d give her that.
“So the real question is how you feel about her… are you ready to give up all the casual sex and random woman, and be there for Olivia the way she would need you to be? Cause, if you can’t do that, then the rest of this shit doesn’t matter.”
I hadn’t thought about any other women in a long time, but that wasn’t the part that I was worried about. The problem was whether or not I could get past my own problems and be the kind of man she needed.
“Olivia’s different from anyone I’ve ever met. She makes me want to be different… better,” I answered truthfully. “No one compares to her. I know that she deserves better than me, but the idea of her being with anyone else rips me apart. I would do anything for her.”
“Well… there ya go. I guess you are ready.”
“How do I get her to admit that she has feelings for me?”
“Give it time. She’ll come around.”
Sitting around and waiting was not my style. I was a man of action, making things happen. I’d been waiting my whole life for someone like Olivia. I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing while she slipped through my fingers.
“What if you’re wrong and she doesn’t have feelings for me?” I asked.
“That’s a risk you’re going to have to take. Is it worth the risk?”
Without a doubt.
***
It was busy at the bar that night. I went straight from waitressing the dinner shift to bartending for the remainder of the night. It was crowded for a weekday, but apparently that was the norm now that we had entered the hectic summer months. Despite my exhaustion, I was glad to be occupied. It was a welcome distraction from the thoughts that had been eating away at me all day.
I hadn’t heard anything from Dex since I left that morning, which wasn’t surprising considering how we’d left things. Still, I found myself missing the random, goofy messages he usually sent me. No matter how bad my day was, I could always count on him to put a smile on my face.
As my mind drifted back to more sexy images from last night, I looked up to see Dex walk into the bar, looking like my every fantasy come to life. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, as if my naughty thoughts were written all over my face.
He greeted a few people before nonchalantly strolling over to the bar, wearing a big smile and appearing as though he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Hey, Liv. What’s up?” he said, plopping down on a stool in front of me.
“I’m good… um, how are you?” I stammered, totally thrown off by how casual he was acting.
“Can’t complain.”
We talked briefly, completely avoiding the elephant in the room and the fact that his head had been between my legs less than twenty-four hours ago. I was desperately trying to appear as normal as possible despite the butterflies in my stomach and the tension that was radiating throughout my body. Everything about it felt off. Our conversation was forced, and Dex was far more standoffish than usual. There were no flirtatious comments, coy smiles, or excuses to touch me… and I missed it. I didn’t like it this way. Maybe what had happened between us was too significant to pretend that it hadn’t happened. Maybe we needed to talk about it if we were ever going to get past it.
Before I had a chance to say something to Dex, I got called over by a group on the other side of the bar. After making what seemed like a dozen drinks, I returned to find a busty brunette perched on the stool beside him. The dress she was wearing left little to the imagination, and she was leaning as close to him as possible, arching her chest out and practically shoving her boobs in his face.
I glared at her while I walked over to where they were sitting, annoyed that I couldn’t step away for five minutes without the slut parade swooping in for him. I mistakenly assumed that Dex would send her packing when I came back, because that’s what he normally did. I hated the fact that it hurt me so badly when he didn’t.
“Brandy, this is Olivia,” he introduced me. “She’s a good friend of mine… right, Liv?”
He looked at me purposefully as he emphasized the word “friend,” as if daring me to correct him.
“Yup, that’s right,” I snapped, wondering what kind of game he was playing. I didn’t know if he was trying to prove a point or if he had just regressed back to his a*shole self. The insecure part of me wondered if all I’d ever been to him was some kind of challenge.
Brandy and I continued to exchange bitchy looks until she finally excused herself to go use the restroom. Dex continued to sit there, cool as a cucumber, pretending as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Which only irritated me more.
“Back to trolling for bar trash, I see.”
“That’s what single guys do,” he said with a pleased smile. “Would you prefer if I didn’t?”
I could see the challenge in his eyes. He wanted me to admit to being jealous… to having feelings for him. But why? What the hell was he trying to prove? Whatever sick game he was playing, I wasn’t going to let him win. No way would I give him the satisfaction of admitting to anything when he was being such a total jerk about it.
“By all means, troll away,” I smiled back stubbornly. He wanted to play childish games? Fine. I could play, too.
We glared at each other across the bar, both of us refusing to give in. When Brandy came back, Dex stood up and grabbed her hand. “Come on baby, let’s dance.”
As he pulled her to the dance floor, she tossed me a huge, delighted grin over her shoulder that made me want to hurl. It wasn’t long before they were grinding and gyrating against each other, her back pressed against his chest in the same way mine had been last night when it was the two of us dancing together. When the slut bent over, putting her hands on her knees and grinding her ass into Dex’s crotch, my stomach twisted into knots. I felt like I was going to be sick. I kept trying to remind myself that he was only aiming to get a rise out of me, and I shouldn’t let it bother me, but it did.
With each song, their disgusting performance on the dance floor got worse, until they were basically just dry humping each other in a crowd of people. Their sweaty bodies were fused so tightly together that it was difficult to tell where one whore ended and the other began. I tried not to look at them, but it was a train wreck happening right in front of me that I couldn’t help but watch.
When they finally decided to come up for air, Dex sauntered over to me while Brandy stopped to talk to her friend.
“Hey, Liv, could you be a doll and get me a water?”
“I think what you really need is a shower,” I hissed. “You’re covered in skank sweat.”
“Aren’t you awfully snappy tonight,” he grinned, resting his elbows on the bar. “I wonder why that is…”
“No, I’m just repulsed. Could you give me a heads up before you go out there for round two so I can go to the back and gouge my eyes out? Thanks.”
“You jealous, Liv? Cause you know I’m all yours if you want me. Just say the word, and she’s gone.” Leaning over the bar, he reached out and brushed his fingers along my cheek.
I recoiled from his touch, furious. “How could you think that I’d want you? You make me sick. Go back to your stupid slut and leave me the hell alone.”
His smile fell, pain sweeping across his face. But I didn’t feel bad this time. Did he really think that this was the way to win me over? That he could act like an a*shole and I would swoon at his feet?
Dex was never going to change. This is who he was. I was delusional to think that any kind of relationship with him was anywhere in the realm of possibilities.
Without a word, he spun around and marched over to Brandy. Pulling her body against him, he dropped his mouth to hers and began kissing her intensely.
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to cry or throw up. I rushed outside through the back door before the first sob broke free.
This was a new kind of pain for me. I’d never felt this before, not even when I walked in on my fiancé screwing another woman… and we’d been together for four years! Dex and I were barely together for one night, so why did this hurt so much more?
This was different, though. It hurt more because Dex knew me—really knew me. I’d cracked my walls and given him glimpses of who I was, and that terrified me. It was one thing to be rejected by someone who barely knew the real me, but to be hurt by someone that I trusted enough to expose myself to… that was something else entirely.
I stood outside in the fresh air, taking deep breaths and trying to regain my composure. Every time I thought about his arms wrapped around her and his lips on hers—the same arms that had been wrapped around me, the same lips that had been on mine—fresh tears flowed down my cheeks.
I’d been hesitant with Dex because he knew me too well, and somehow he managed to crush me anyway. That was what happened when I let people in. That’s how it always was. My dad, Steven and now Dex. All they ever did was hurt me and leave me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Olivia freeze. Her face paled and her eyes filled with pain before she turned and ran out the back.
My heart dropped.
Immediately I knew that I’d gone too far and really f*cked things up. I hadn’t even meant to do it, but when I heard her say all that shit about not wanting me and how much I disgusted her, I was so pissed off and so f*cking hurt that I just lost it. I hadn’t been thinking. All I’d wanted to do in that moment was hurt her the way she hurt me.
But the look on her face… shit. It broke my f*cking heart to see that. The pain in her eyes, the anger, the sadness… I never meant to do that. It gutted me. That look hurt more than getting ripped apart by shrapnel.
I tore my mouth from the whore I was kissing and pulled away.
“Where you going, baby?”
“Get the f*ck off me, I have to go.” I pushed her into the arms of a random guy nearby. “Here you go. I bet he’ll f*ck you.”
Ignoring her shocked expression, I stormed out of the bar. I wanted to find Olivia, but I knew I was the last person she would want to see. I didn’t want to make it worse than it already was, so I began walking to nowhere in particular, trying to clear my head.
All I could see was the look on Olivia’s face.
I sat on the hood of Olivia’s car, waiting for her to come out at the end of her shift. I don’t know long I was out there—a couple hours maybe—but I refused to go home without talking to her first. Everything had spiraled out of control, and I was powerless to stop it. I felt weak. In the Marines, we were trained to alter our circumstances and regain control when a situation got out of hand. When you lost the upper hand in war, you became vulnerable and exposed. I felt that way now, only this was a different kind of war. One that I was unfamiliar with. There were no definitive boundaries or a chain of command to follow. I’d worked long and hard to become a successful Marine, but I was inexperienced when it came to life outside of combat. My training couldn’t help me with this.
Olivia finally came outside, her eyes narrowing angrily when she glanced up and saw me there.
“I’m so sorry, Liv.”
“What the hell are you doing out here?” she said, stopping several feet away from me. “You sure made quick work of that girl in there. Did you decide to do her out here in the parking lot instead of taking her all the way back to your place?” Her hands rested on her hips defensively, and she wore an angry scowl, but there was vulnerability in her eyes that couldn’t be hidden by her tough exterior. I hated that I was the one who put it there.
“I promise you, I didn’t sleep with her. I left without her.”
She scoffed, “Well, that’s a first.”
“Can we please talk?” I said, stepping toward her slowly.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Dex. You were out there dry humping and making out with some random slut right in from of me, less than twenty-four hours after we… whatever, it doesn’t matter.” She tried to move past me to her car, but I blocked her path.
“I know that I f*cked up. I know that. But I was only doing it to make you jealous. I was upset about what you said, and I was stupid. I wanted to hear that you have feelings for me and that it wasn’t a mistake. I wanted to be more than that.”
She was quiet for a moment, staring at the ground between us. I thought I had finally gotten through to her. When her eyes met mine, though, they were firm.
“Even if I had feelings for you then, I sure as hell don’t anymore. Nothing will ever happen between us because guys like you never change.” She stepped forward into the space between us until she was only inches away from me. “Now, if you care about me at all, then you’ll leave me alone and get out of my way so I can go home and pretend that the last two days never happened.”
Defeated, I stepped aside and let her climb into her car. I watched helplessly as she drove off, never slowing down or glancing back.
***