Hadley
“I’m gonna go to the movies with some friends, is that okay?”
I looked up from the magazine I was reading to see Ryker dressed and ready to leave. “How did you manage to get your shirt buttoned?”
“It only took ten minutes and rigging up my shirt and hanger to get the damn thing on,” he laughed.
I rolled my eyes and shut the trashy tabloid. “Next time, holler for help, and who are you going out with?” It was Friday night, and I was dressed and ready for work, waiting for Tate.
“I’ve had this damn thing on for a month already, I should be able to function without you, Haddie.”
I smiled and tilted my head. “You sure do know how to make a girl feel needed, Ry. Now, tell me who’s all going to the movies.” I was finally getting a handle on the whole guardian/aunt deal.
“Jim, Tony, Cassie, Millie, and Jordan.”
“Girls?” I questioned.
“Yes, Aunt Haddie, girls. Like you.”
I rolled my eyes and waved my hand. “Fine, go. Just don’t be out too late. I know it’s Friday, but your curfew is eleven.”
“I was going to spend the night at Jordan’s.”
“Have I met him?” The past few weeks, Ryker had a parade of friends coming and going, but I sucked at remembering names.
“Yes, he’s here every day to pick me up and take me to school.”
Oh. Shit. “I thought his name was Shawn.”
Ryker shook his head and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “No. I don’t even know a Shawn.”
Shit bundts. I take back the fact that I was doing better at the guardian/aunt deal. “Well, I guess that’s fine, but call me when the movie is over, and let me know what you’re doing.”
Ryker nodded and hitched his bag over his shoulder. “Will do. I’m leaving now. I told Jordan I would meet him at his house.”
“You’re walking? Tate could give you a ride when he gets here.”
“Nah, I’m good. I’ll see ya tomorrow,” he called as the door shut behind him.
I sighed and sat back in my chair. “They grow up so fast,” I mumbled.
“Knock, knock,” Tate called as he opened the door.
“Hey, you just missed Ryker.”
Tate shut the door and stalked toward me. “I saw him. He told me he was headed to a friend’s house for the night.” He bent down, picked me up, and his lips were instantly on mine.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and did the only thing I could, hold the hell on and let Tate have his way with me.
“Fuck, I missed you,” he growled. His hands were on my ass, and he ground his dick into me. My heart was beating wildly. If Tate hadn’t been holding me, I’m sure I would be a puddle on the floor. My body trembled, and Tate’s mouth slid over to my ear. “Tell me you missed me. I know your body missed me, but I need to hear it from your lips, sweetheart.”
“I…I missed you,” I gasped.
“That’s my girl,” he whispered.
My legs flexed around him, and I pulled myself as close as I could get to him. “I like that.” His head lifted from my neck. “Being my girl?”
I bit my lip and nodded. Oh yeah, I liked it a lot. His eyes were clouded with desire, and I could feel his dick through my panties. This was the only time I liked my work clothes. Short skirts and Tate were a combination made in Heaven.
“How much time do we have until you have to be at work?”
I looked over his shoulder at the clock above the stove. “Twenty minutes.”
Tate growled. “Just enough time to make you come on my fingers.”
Jesus Christ. “Tate,” I moaned and buried my face in his neck. “You can’t say shit like that.”
“Get used to it, sweetheart. You’re gonna hear everything I want to do to you all of the time.”
Tate moved to walk down the short hallway, but the click of the front door stopped him in his tracks, and I froze.
“Hey, I forgot to gra—” Ryker’s eyes hit Tate and me, and his jaw dropped.
“Fuck,” Tate growled.
I didn’t know what to do. Everything inside of me screamed to get out of Tate’s arms, but I couldn’t move.
“What the hell?” Ryker barked.
“Just calm down, Ry,” Tate insisted quietly.
“Calm down? How the fuck am I supposed to calm down. You’re screwing my aunt in the middle of the kitchen.”
“Ryker, please.” My legs finally unlocked, and I slid down Tate’s body. I pushed my skirt down and tried to look like I hadn’t been about to have sex. “We need to talk.”
Ryker shook his head and grabbed his coat off the back of the couch. “Fuck no. The time to talk was when you decided to screw my karate instructor.”
“Be careful how you talk to your aunt,” Tate warned.
Ryker glared at him and shook his head. His gaze turned to me, and he sneered. “You know what, you’re just like my mom, Hadley. She did the same shit to me. Thought I couldn’t handle the damn truth, and then she was gone.”
I pulled out of Tate’s arms. “Ryker, no that’s not what I did.”
“Really? How long has this been going on? Since I broke my arm?” Tate and I both stayed quiet. I didn’t want to have to lie to Ryker anymore. “Holy shit,” he gasped. “You knew each other before I introduced you.”
My eyes dropped to the floor, and I nodded. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Ryker. I didn’t want—”
Ryker moved to the door and cut me off. “You know what, I really don’t care what you want or what you meant, because either way you fucking put it, you didn’t tell me the damn truth.” He stormed out of the house without another word.
A sob ripped from my throat when he slammed the door.
“Sweetheart.” Tate moved toward me.
I put my hand up and shook my head. “No.”
“He needed to find out, Hadley.”
“No. Not like this. This is exactly what I was afraid would happen, but you wouldn’t let me go. Hell, I didn’t want to let go either.” I ran my fingers through my hair and moved to the other side of the kitchen. “I was selfish. I only thought about myself and not about Ryker. My sister wanted me to take care of her son when she died, and I’m doing a bang-up job of fucking it up.” God, I was a fucking idiot. Why didn’t I listen to myself? Was being with Tate worth losing my nephew?
“Just calm down, and we’ll talk about this.”
I shook my head and pointed to the door. “No. You said if I ever said no, you would stop.”
“I did,” he replied solemnly.
“No. Stop. Leave.” The three words that I knew Tate wasn’t going to ignore. “We can’t do this anymore. I can’t be selfish and only think about what I want.”
“Hadley, just take a second and—”
“No! What I need is for you to leave and not come back. I’m sorry, Tate. We never should have started this, because I knew one of us was going to get hurt besides Ryker.” Tears streamed down my face, and I wiped them away. “I’m sorry, but please leave before either of us hurts each other.”
Tate sighed, and his shoulders sagged. “I think it’s too late for that, Hadley.” He moved through the living room and turned to look at me when his hand was on the door handle. “I’m always here if you need me, Hadley.”
Another sobbed ripped through me, and I covered my mouth with my hand. I wanted Tate, hell, I loved Tate, but it wasn’t going to work. I would hurt myself over Ryker any day, and that was the choice I had to make now. “Just please leave.”
He nodded and left like the gentleman that he was. I said no, and he listened.
I said no, and I broke my own heart.
I was alone, and it was my own fault.
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