Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
I’ve never felt so utterly alone in all my life.
15
SLATER
It’s been a few days since the blowout at my place with Derek. Sierra and I haven’t spoken since, and it’s been killing me. But the last thing I want to do is cause any more problems between her and her brother—something I knew was a real possibility when we first started up together. The whole time we were doing our thing, I knew it would be a problem for Derek. But the more time I spent with Sierra, the harder I tried to convince myself that he’d be okay with it and would be happy for us. Delusion is almost as powerful and addictive a drug as Sierra is.
The truth was I stopped caring long ago whether Derek approved of us or not. I was being selfish. Foolish. And now, my relationship with my best friend, not to mention the relationship with a woman I care about more than I ever thought I’d care about anybody, is in absolute shambles. With a sigh, I knock on the door and wait. A moment later, it opens, and Moni is standing in front of me. She frowns.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey.”
“Sierra here?”
She hesitates, and for a moment, it doesn’t look like she’s going to let me in. Sierra’s obviously upset I went radio silent on her for the last few days. I don’t blame her. Eventually, Moni opens the door and steps aside. I step into the dorm room and find Sierra sitting cross-legged on her bed. She’s wearing pink sweats, thick gray socks, and a gray hoodie. Her hair is a mess, her eyes are red and puffy, and she’s holding a crumpled tissue in her fist. Seeing her like that makes me feel like an absolute asshole.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey.”
“I’m going to go grab some coffee,” Moni says. “I’ll be back.”
She gathers her things and scampers out of the room, leaving us alone. I stand in the middle of the room and slide my hands into my pockets, not quite sure how to begin.
“I tried calling you. Texted you too,” she said.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Why did you just ignore me?”
“I wanted to call you back.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“I just thought, after what happened with your brother, that we both needed a little time.”
“Would have been nice if you’d told me that,” she says.
“I know,” I reply softly. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” she asks. “Why did you ignore me?”
I sigh and sit on the edge of her bed. Unable to look her in the eye, I gaze at the floor beneath my feet.
“I don’t have a good answer for you, Sierra. I know we’re both hurting right now, and … I just wasn’t sure how to handle everything I’ve been feeling. I just needed a little time to figure out what I was feeling and put all my thoughts and feelings into order,” I tell her. “I know that doesn’t take away any of the hurt I caused you by freezing you out these last few days, and I’m kicking my own ass for doing it. I never want to hurt you.”
“And yet, you did.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. Sorrier than I can ever express.”
She pauses for a moment and seems to be absorbing my words. She uses her tissue to wipe her eyes then turns to me.
“And have you?”
“Have I what?”
“Figure out what you were feeling?”
I hesitate, then nod. “I have.”
“And?”
“And I’ve decided that if your brother can’t accept us, then it’s going to be his loss,” I say softly. “I love Derek and always will, but … but I love you too, Sierra.”
Her eyes widen and her full lips part, shock on her face. She’s silent for a minute, seeming to be grappling with what I just said. It clearly wasn’t what she was expecting to hear.
“Y-you love me?” she asks.
“I do. I’m sorry it took me a couple of days to be able to say it,” I tell her. “But that’s what I feel. I just thought … I just wanted you to know.”
Having said what I needed to say to her, I get to my feet and start for the door. But Sierra grabs my hand and pulls me back down onto the bed. She climbs into my lap, straddling me, and wraps her arms around the back of my neck. Her green eyes sparkle, and her full lips curl upward as she looks at me.
“I love you too,” she says with a breath of relief. “I love you so very much.”
Before I can reply, her mouth crashes into mine, and she kisses me long and hard. She grinds herself against my thickening cock as her tongue swirls languidly around mine. I pull back for a moment and look her in the eye, the corner of my mouth quirking upward.
“So, you forgive me?” I ask.