Chapter 13

Ever

I’m beyond confused. I’m stupefied and frustrated. I’m angry at myself, and angry at Linc.

It’s been four days since that kiss.

That amazing kiss!

I’ve tried to analyze my actions. I’ve tried to reconcile my feelings. I’m not coming up with one damned thing that makes any sense to me.

I’m going to blame Halle Berry. The sex scene in Monster’s Ball was so animalistic and heated, that I immediately started picturing me and Linc in that scene. And the minute I did that, I went red with embarrassment...because the object of my fantasy was sitting just two feet from me.

By the time he invited me to cuddle with him, I was a raging mess of hormones. All I could think about was kissing him, about having his lips against mine, and his hands all over me. I still cannot reconcile who this woman is. I am by no means a prude, but I am also not someone that would come on to a man so intently. I’m usually not bold enough or confident enough in myself as a woman.

Add in the fact that my sexual ego was practically smashed by Marc, and you should have a woman that is content to stay inside of her shell.

But apparently, Linc Caldwell does something to call to my inner sex goddess.

I had no control over my words. Once my lips touched his, I had no control over my actions. All I know is that suddenly, I’m looking at Linc Caldwell in a different light and I want him...badly.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t appear to want me. He broke the kiss and went to bed. He gave me a platonic kiss on my forehead and left me alone in the living room, my body screaming for something that only he could give me.

And since that moment four days ago, he hasn’t said a word about it. He’s acting like it never happened, and I’m taking my cue from him. He apparently wants to put it out of his mind, and I’m trying to do the same.

But damn it all to hell...I can’t. There is no way I’m going to forget that kiss and what it could have led to.

And to make matters worse, Linc has been unfailingly polite to me. We still run together every day, and I’ve joined him for his workouts. I even went back to the hospital again to see Kyle with him. I almost would prefer it if he was angry with me or something.

I glance over at him now. We’re driving out to his father’s house for a cookout. I made a pasta salad to bring and Linc stopped at the store to grab some beer. I’m actually thankful that we are doing something today that involves other people. Something to alleviate a bit of the tension swirling between us.

I think back to the other day when we were eating lunch after visiting Kyle that first time. I had asked Linc why he didn’t tell me about his visit with Kyle and he told me it was because he couldn’t trust me not to think the worst about him. He expected me to take something that he was doing from the goodness of his heart, and look at it with such skepticism, that I would never have believed the genuineness of his actions.

And it saddens me that my own distrust has caused Linc to hide a bit of himself from me.

Did I do that to Marc in any way? Was I too remote with him and that caused him to fuck around on me?

I think back over my relationship with Marc. Sure, in the beginning, I was very closed off. I was suspicious of him and his actions. When he first told me he loved me, I almost laughed at him. It was only through his perseverance that I finally wore down enough to open up.

But now I’m wondering if I really let him in all the way.

“Are you coming, Ever?”

I blink and look around. We’ve pulled into the driveway of Linc’s childhood home and I had not even realized it. Linc is actually standing outside his car door, leaning in to look at me.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

I shake off my worries about Marc and the way I treated him. I try to put that phenomenally fantastic kiss out of my head.

“I’m fine,” I say as I get out of the car.

Linc’s father turns out to be one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. And it both warms my heart and gives me a pang of jealousy to watch him interact with Linc and Nix. They laugh and banter about with an ease that bespeaks of an unbelievably tight bond among them.

There is a lot of love and respect there. Something I’ll never have with my father. I don’t know if I even feel love for my dad. I know I don’t like him. And I’ll never respect him.

“So, Ever...what exactly did my son do to get you so riled up to write that article about him?”

We are all sitting around a large patio table in Hank Caldwell’s backyard, having just gorged ourselves on barbequed chicken. I feel like a deer caught in the headlights. Everyone is silent, waiting for me to answer. I glance at Linc, but his face is impassive. I look back to Hank, and he has a look of genuine curiosity on his face. Thankfully, I don’t see any anger, and I heard no bitterness in his voice. Nix has a sly smile on his face and Emily...well, she’s glaring at me which has been her look of choice all afternoon.

But damned if I can think of a thing to say. I swear I can hear crickets chirping in the distance, the silence is so oppressive.

Taking a shaky breath, I say, “Um...Mr. Caldwell...your son didn’t do anything. I wrote an article before checking my facts and my anger. It’s as simple as that.”

Hank chuckles. “Oh, darlin’. We all do things when we’re angry. It takes a strong person to admit when they’re wrong. That takes courage and I respect that.”

His words are so very kind, and frankly, I didn’t realize how much I needed them. The tension in my shoulders eases. I glance around the table again. Both Nix and Linc are smiling with good nature at me but Emily still looks like she has some poop rubbed under her nose.

I just don’t get how Linc can so easily forgive me and how Nix and Hank seem to be fine with me, yet Emily is still holding a grudge. But I intend to find out before we leave.

And it’s not long before I get my chance. Emily heads into the house to grab a few more beers. I follow right behind her, not saying a word as I get up from the table.

As soon as I corner her in the kitchen, I cut straight to the heart of the matter. “Is our friendship irrevocably broken?”

I catch her off guard and she turns to look at me. Her eyes are distant and that makes my heart sink just a bit. But then she surprises me. “Maybe if you told me why you did it, I’d have a better understanding.”

Emily reaches into the fridge and pulls out two beers. She hands me one and I open it up to take a sip. Looking at her, I tell her the best way to sum up the reason for my actions. “Okay...here’s the half empty. I think my father broke me. I think he fucked me up so bad that I take the slightest mistake by a man and blow it out of proportion. There’s a good chance I’m so seriously fucked up that I’ll never have a healthy relationship.”

I watch as Emily’s eyebrows rise higher and higher on her forehead while she listens to me. When I finish, she says, “Wow. That’s a good reason.”

I smirk at her but the truth is I just laid my heart out on the line. I don’t talk about my father with anyone. I hold my beer up to her in mock salute. “Daddy issues are usually the best.”

“Linc seems to have forgiven you.”

“Yeah. He’s a pretty great guy I’ve come to find out.”

“I’m glad you’re seeing that. It’s why I was so mad at you.”

“Was? As in past tense?”

“Yes. Past tense. I suppose I should forgive you, too. I don’t want to be odd-man out.”

I grab Emily in a hug. “Oh, thank God. I was afraid I’d have to do some serious groveling.”

Emily hugs me back and then steps away. “So, what’s going on between you and Linc?”

“What do you mean?”

Leaning back against the counter, Emily just looks at me with a knowing smile on her face. “Don’t play dumb, Ever. There’s something going on between you two. Linc keeps staring at you like you’re an oasis in the desert and you keep doing the same. The problem is, neither one of you are noticing it about the other.”

I groan. I can’t believe I’m that obvious. And I can’t believe I’m that oblivious. “I kissed him.”

“You what?”

I groan again. “I kissed him. I totally came on to him, straddled his lap and kissed him.”

“What did he do?”

“He kissed me back. And for a while, it was amazing. Frankly, the most amazing kiss I ever had. But then he pulled away and gave me a brotherly kiss on my forehead. We haven’t spoken about it since.”

“Hmmmm. That’s odd.”

“I know, right? I mean, isn’t Linc legendary with the women?” I take a long drag on the beer. “I suppose I’m just not up to his standards or something.”

“That’s ridiculous, Ever. You’re gorgeous and smart. Any guy would swallow their tongues to get a taste of you.”

I smile at her. “That’s sweet of you to say, but I’m not feeling it. I mean, what would you do if Nix pushed you away.”

Emily is the one that smiles at me now, and her look is positively devious. “Oh, you poor girl. You shouldn’t have asked me that. Nix did exactly the same thing to me. He was trying to be altruistic or some shit like that.”

Really? That’s interesting. “What did you do?”

“I came on to him hard. He didn’t stand a chance.”

“Are you suggesting I do the same thing?”

“Absolutely. If you want him, why not go for him.”

I’m silent. There’s no reason why I can’t. I’m young and single. Marc was my first, and Linc probably won’t be my last. But there is something that is holding me back.

“Here’s the thing, Emily. I don’t want a relationship. I’m done getting my heart trampled on. I think if I did anything with Linc, it would just be sex. Is that wrong of me?”

“Hell no. That’s how it started with me and Nix. But you need to be careful. I know you think you both know what you want and what you don’t want, but things tend to shift once you make it to the bedroom together.”

“Well, that is if we make it to the bedroom together. I just don’t think I can take the lead in this. I was too embarrassed when he pushed me away the last time.”

“How about you just play it by ear and see how things unfold. But, Ever...please don’t hurt him again. He doesn’t deserve it.”

I swallow hard, because I know that I do have the power to hurt Linc. I’ve already done it to some extent, just by the mere fact he didn’t trust me enough to tell me he was going to hang out with a sick little boy.

The more I think about that kiss...that freakingly extraordinary kiss...I can only conclude that I have not given Linc any real reason to trust me. If anything, he has all the reason in the world to distrust my every action.