Chapter Eight
When we exited the freeway and were closer to my place, I gave Bass directions to my dorm.
He parked the car and killed the engine then looked at me silently.
The silence stretched for a good minute before I spoke; unsure how to take it from here. “It was nice to meet you, Bass. It really was. I had a great time; bizarre, but enjoyable nonetheless.” I grinned at the studious man beside me. My smile faltered when he didn’t smile back. Why was he so serious all of a sudden? We were fine when we left his house.
“I have this dinner thing on Tuesday night for a film I just signed up to shoot this summer in Greece. Would you come with me and be my date?”
“Oh, don’t you all discuss work details? I don’t want to intrude on that.” Not to mention, I would look like a complete idiot and so out of place.
“You won’t. It’ll be fun. The director is my godfather, actually. So it’s going to be laidback; don’t worry. You’re going to have a blast. Say you’ll go with me?”
“Do people ever tell you no?” I cocked my brow at him. I somehow doubted he ever got a ‘no,’ especially from women.
A lazy, gorgeous smile etched on his face as he responded, “Well, there’s this girl… she’s stunning and funny and she has these beautiful blue eyes and golden hair and she doesn’t seem to be interested in me, not one bit. I, on the other hand, feel compelled to be with her and to see more of her.”
I nudged his arm. “Now you’re just being silly, Bass.”
“I’ll pick you up at five, Tuesday afternoon?” He reached up to my face and his thumb grazed my bottom lip. His eyes darkened as he studied my slightly parted mouth.
Why doesn’t he just kiss me already? He was always looking at them.
Oh, hell yeah, I knew he was staring at me; my skin would prickle every time he did. His gaze was that powerful; it affected me even if I wasn’t paying attention to him.
“Bass…”
He looked at me, his eyes unreadable. “Did you love that guy you were with, Em?”
My throat ran dry. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“I knew you did. I just needed confirmation. Thank you for your honesty.” all right… then.
He got out of the car and opened the door for me. I cleared my throat as I stared at him; the sun was glowing behind him, almost blinding me. “Bass, I think you’re great, but I don’t think I’m what you’re looking for. Everything’s complicated with me right now.”
He held my chin and forced me to look deep into his eyes, powerful in their passion, acute in their force. They reached something inside me.
“Aren’t we starting out as friends as we agreed upon? Don’t worry, Em.” Bass gently kissed my forehead. “Be ready by five come Tuesday afternoon. I’ll see you then.” With that parting, he slid back inside his car, gunned the engine and raced out into traffic.
I was standing on the pavement, rendered speechless.
What a man…
With my purse in hand, I strode toward my building and into my dorm. Thoughts of the night spent with Bass raced through my mind. The sunrise… each time I saw one would forever bring me back to the night I spent with Bass.
I was about to unlock the door to my room, but before I could even get my key in the lock, it was yanked open by an angry looking Carter.
What was he doing here? Probably to see Lindsey, they were siblings after all.
“Uh… hello," I said lamely as I started to walk towards my bedroom.
Carter jumped in front of me. “Is that all you have to say? A f*cking hello!” In my sleep deprived state, it annoyed the hell out of me. What a drama queen! I was not in the mood to be bombarded by him at that time.
I looked up to face him as I folded my arms across my chest. “What do you want, Carter?”
Carter pulled me inside my room and shut the door loudly. He shoved me up against the wall and placed his hands on each side of my head, caging me in. “What I want is for you to explain what the hell you’re doing? The entire school knows about your little getaway and your little stunt with that actor dude.” So what? Who cares about the entire school? I had fun and that’s all that mattered.
“That’s none of your business, Carter, and certainly not the entire campus’s either. I couldn’t care less about what they think. Now, will you please move? I need to rest. I’m exhausted.” It was too late to realize that that was the wrong thing to say. It set off something in Carter. He looked downright murderous.
“You’re exhausted? From what, Em?” Carter’s voice had gone low and deadly. I swallowed hard as I studied him. He looked deadly; his eyes were so dark and dangerous. Had I pushed him too far? No matter how angry he was, I knew for a fact that he would never, ever hit me.
“I said. That’s. None. Of. Your. Business. Got it?” I spat the words back at him. If he was angry, I was angrier.
How dare he march in here and act like this?
“Don’t do this to me, Em… this is driving me insane!” he spat out, wretchedly. I wasn’t expecting that. Never from him.
I felt a spring of hope… maybe… just maybe… “I thought we were done?” I asked, watching him with uncertainty, trying to gauge his thoughts.
He closed his eyes and whispered, “I know, but I can’t stomach the thought of you with another guy. I just can’t. I’m going crazy here, Emma.”
Oh f*ck, I feel torn. Did he have a change of heart?
Oh, f*ck it! It’s now or never.
Emboldened, I went for the kill. “Do you love me?” I throatily asked.
His eyes instantly opened with my damning question, searching and pensive. “I told you I don’t do love, Em,” Carter responded with distaste.
His words gutted me all the same. What was I thinking? He wouldn’t just change after a few days. “Then there’s no point of you being here, now is there, Carter?”
His dark eyes penetrated mine and my heart stopped when he spoke. “Are you in love with me, Em? Is that what this is all about?” His hand cupped my cheek. The sudden contact of him almost undid me.
For some odd reason, I wanted to cry. I loved him so much, it was crazy. I felt crazy for wanting him to love me, even if it was just a small fraction of what I felt for him.
But alas, it was not meant to be.
“I don’t.” It was the biggest lie of all, but I wouldn’t back down knowing he didn’t feel the same way about me.
“You don’t sound convincing to me and if that’s the reason why you broke it off, then I don’t mind that as long as you’re with me again,” he emphasized. How embarrassing was that?
He didn’t mind that I loved him, did he? Well, great. Good for him because I f*cking minded! I minded that he didn’t feel shit about me.
Romantic, was he not?
“Well, that’s your problem. Now, will you please get out of my room? I didn’t sleep much last night and I need some rest.”
“Em, is it true? Did you spend the night with him?” His voice sounded pained again.
Was it pain, really? Or was it his bruised ego because I ended our stupid relationship? The question was a Catch-22 and I didn’t know which answer to give him.
Did I spend the night with Bass? Yeah, I did. Did I have sex with him? That was a definite no.
“He took me back to his home. We spent the night together, if that’s what you want to know.” I pressed my lips together as I watched all kinds of emotions run through his eyes… his face. The way he looked at me, sliced me in two. There was so much hatred there, I felt pained and wretched. I wanted to reach out to him, but I didn’t. We were past that.
He punched the wall next to me hard and growled like a maniac. I was surprised that the wall didn’t have a hole in it. His knuckles—from what I could see—were cut open and bleeding, but it didn’t seem to faze him.
“Goodbye, Emma,” Carter whispered and marched out of my room, my life.
What a stupid mess this was. I guess this really was goodbye for us. It was the conclusion, the ending.
Why wasn’t I crying? The night we officially broke it off, I felt every single pain that wracked through my body. Now, there was still pain, but not as intense or numbing. It was bearable. Heavy on my heart, but bearable.
It took me a good five minutes before I was able to move. I stripped off my clothing and jumped into bed in my underwear. I just wanted to hide inside my comforter and curl up. I definitely needed my brain to shut down and dream away. It took an hour for my pressing wish to happen and I was more than relieved when it did.
“Sometimes you need a second chance, because time wasn’t ready for the first time.”
~Author Unknown