CHAPTER TEN - REED
I stormed into my room and sat on my bed thumbing through my phone. I had to do something to get my mind off wanting to kill her fucking ex with my bare hands. The asshole reminded me of my father and the way he’d yell at my mom. Being a kid, I’d sat idly by and let him talk to her that way, and I’d lived with the guilt that maybe if I had done something, anything to help my mother, to stand up for her, that she’d still be with me.
A moment later Bella walked into the room. “I think it might be better if I go.”
“Why, because I won’t treat you like shit and let that asshole talk down to you? I’d never treat you that way.”
A sarcastic laugh bubbled up from her and anger flashed in her eyes. “Because you’re such a saint? You manipulated me to get me to sleep with you by threatening to have my best friend arrested!”
I tossed the phone aside and stood up meeting her eyes. “Yeah, I made an asshole move but I told you before you climbed into my bed that it was your choice. Don’t act like I had a gun to your head when you sucked my dick either.”
“You can’t think there’s more to this. I mean, it’s not like you want a relationship and it’s not like I’m ready for one anyway. So, what difference does it make if I stay or go?”
“Because I want you to stay. And don’t tell me what I want.” I walked back to the bed and took my phone. “If you want to leave I’ll call you a cab. You can wait downstairs so you don’t get soaked.”
She glanced back to the window behind me and frowned at the sight of the rain. It had grown even worse since we’d been at the creek.
She raked a hand through her long hair and sighed. “I’ll call Kayla when it stops raining. Until then I’ll be in my room.”
“Do whatever you want sweetheart.” I breezed past her and headed down to the living room bar and poured myself a drink. I shouldn’t let her go; I should do whatever to takes to make her stay, to make her want to be here.
It wasn’t that I wanted a relationship either, though with her, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. I shook my head at the thought of it. No, she was a free spirit with a dream, that was best for both of us.
I threw back the drink and sat near the big front window to watch the rain.
Hours passed, and I’d dozed off on the couch.
A soft voice woke me.
“The weather isn’t letting up anytime soon.”
I opened my eyes and I saw that she had her phone to her ear.
“I understand. I’ll be fine here, no need to worry. You and Rick stay dry. No, he’s asleep on the couch. I was thinking about going back to the hotel.” She paused and turned back to the window. “It’s not like that, Kayla. I just ended things with Gavin; this is supposed to be my time.”
She turned and glanced over her shoulder, and I met her eyes as I sat up and stretched.
“We’ll talk about this later, Kayla. I need to go. He’s awake.”
The light from her phone screen went off, and I realized that the room was too dimly lit. I reached over to turn on a lamp, but she shook her head.
“The power is out. Has been for a few hours now.”
“You’re welcome to stay. I don’t want you out in this weather.”
“Thanks, I wouldn’t want to be out in it. I think your drive is flooded anyway.”
“I’m sure it is, and the road in. It always floods, which means no one can get in or out.” I walked to the bar and poured myself another drink.
“Well, Rick and Kayla are staying at his house tonight. She called to check on us.”
“I hoped you told her that we’re fine.” I took the drink back to the sofa and lay back as she lowered herself into the chair nearest the window. Her silhouette was all I could see, but now and then the lightning lit her features.
She turned, and the lightning revealed a hard glare. “I didn’t tell her what happened, but are we fine?”
“I’m sure we will be. You’ll go back to your life soon and so will I, and then we can pretend we never met if you like.” I thought about how I’d tried to knock her up, and hoped that I hadn’t succeeded. As much as I wanted it to be her, that I knew she’d be perfect, she didn’t want me. That realization hit me harder than I’d expected.
She opened her mouth to say something but a loud crack of thunder and a crash from outside made her jump. She moved away from the window and came to stand near me as I rose from the couch.
She absently grabbed my arm. “What was that?”
“I think the wind knocked over one of my planters. I’ll go check it out.” I started for the big French doors in my dining room where I could access my patio, but she held me so tight I couldn’t move without taking her with me.
“Don’t go.” She was shaking like a leaf, and her eyes were pleading.
“I’ll be fine.” I pulled away and went to the door where I could already see that there was a branch that had busted a large planter on my patio, but when I opened the door, I realized that a tree had blown down entirely. Thankfully it hadn’t hit the house, but it was a tree my mother had planted.
“Are you going out there?” I felt another tug on my arm, and I pulled away.
“You don’t have to act concerned, Bella, but no, a tree fell, I’ll hardly be able to do anything with it.”
“I am concerned. Aren’t we in tornado country? Are we going to be safe?” Lightning lit the room, and the thunder crackled causing her to stand closer.
I put my arms around her and pulled her close. “There’s a root cellar from when this house was built; it’s in a small room off the kitchen. If things get ugly, we’ll go down there. You’ll be fine.”
“I’m sorry about earlier,” she suddenly said.
I looked into her eyes, and saw that she meant it. “I’m sorry too, but only for not minding my own business. I meant what I said, Bella. I’d never treat you that way.”