Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
My heart aches for what I know was a bad experience for her. Whatever happened between her and that guy on that night all those years ago didn’t end the way she thought it would.
“The party was at his parents’ house in Queens.” She shakes her head. “He told me to meet him in his bedroom at ten o’clock.”
I nod.
“He said that there was an attached bathroom, so I could go in there, undress, and then get into his bed.”
Her hands cling tightly to my shoulders as she goes on, “I went up at about ten minutes to ten. I snuck out of the party like he told me to.”
I reach for her waist, and hold it gently. I want her to feel me everywhere as she tells the story. I want her to know that I’m here, and I understand.
“I went into the bathroom and took off my T-shirt and jeans.” She glances down at her legs. “I was wearing cotton panties and a pink bra. I used some of the money I earned at my part-time job for that. I took the train into the city to buy them after school one day.”
This was an event for her. She gave it careful thought and took steps to make it special for herself and the guy she was supposed to screw.
She hesitates, so I kiss her softly. “What happened?”
She rests her forehead against mine and sighs. “I heard the bedroom door close, so I knew he was in the room. I waited for two minutes like he told me to. He said he needed that much time to undress. Then I opened the door.”
She breaks. A sob shakes her body as she falls forward into me.
I hold her against me. This guy fucking hurt her. I will hunt the bastard down and rip him to shreds.
She cries for a moment before she finds the strength to sit upright again. With her hands resting against my chest, she looks me in the eyes. “When I left the bathroom, maybe ten or fifteen people were in the bedroom waiting for me. Girls. Boys. The guy I was supposed to…they were all there, pointing and laughing at me. One girl yelled that I was a fool for thinking anyone would want inside my sad panties, and another screamed out that smart girls don’t have the same choices as pretty girls and I’d never get a guy like the one I thought wanted me that night.”
“Jesus.” I tear up instantly. “I’m so sorry.”
“I went back into the bathroom, locked the door, and stayed there for hours,” she whispers. “When I finally walked out, the party was over, and only a few people were there. They were mostly passed out.”
“I wish I would have been there,” I say honestly.
She manages a weak smile. “It was horrible, Rook. I couldn’t think about sex for a long time after that, and then college and my career took over my life.”
“I understand,” I whisper.
Her hand lands on my cheek. “I know you do. You showed me how beautiful sex can be.”
I had no idea how much was riding on her first time. I made it the best I could, and I’m grateful for that.
“I never saw any of those people again,” she confesses. “I left them all in my past.”
“Good.” I nod. “That’s where they deserve to be.”
“Abby doesn’t know about that night.” She tilts her head. “Dalton does.”
I can’t be angry that she confided in him, although I’m surprised, given what she told me about how their friendship waned after the deaths of their dads.
“I went to the playground on my way home from the party.” She smiles. “Dalton was there on the swing. He had a fight with his girlfriend at the time. He told me about that. I told him about what happened to me.”
“You helped each other through a rough night.”
“Confessing to someone was what I needed to do to start moving on from it,” she says. “It took time and two years of therapy, but I’ve moved on.”
“You’re unbelievably strong.” My voice cracks. “You’re the strongest woman I know.”
“I’m also the happiest now.” She kisses me softly. “You’ve made me so happy.”
She’s done the same for me, and this is just the beginning for us.
“Will you make love to me before we fall asleep?” she asks with a whimper.
“Now?” I slide my hand down her waist to her bare thighs.
Her hands drop to the hem of the T-shirt, and she yanks it over her head in a single swift movement.
I stare at her breasts before my gaze trails back to her beautiful face. “I love you, Carrie.”
“I love you, Rook,” she whispers before giving me with a lush, deep kiss.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Carrie
I glance at Rook. “We need to get there.”
He points at his phone. “I’m just sending Dalton a text. After it’s sent, I’m off the clock for the night.”