Total pages in book: 213
Estimated words: 201920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1010(@200wpm)___ 808(@250wpm)___ 673(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 201920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1010(@200wpm)___ 808(@250wpm)___ 673(@300wpm)
“So you think I’m yours again?” I ask him as I wipe under my eyes and sniffle. “Just like that?”
He holds my gaze as he tells me, “You’ve always been mine.”
And I don’t have any words for him in return.
It’s true.
Daniel says that he’s the one who never had a chance back then.
But the truth is Tyler never did.
I was always Daniel’s and I don’t think I had it in me to say that out loud. Because I don’t know if Tyler could have ever forgiven me if he knew.
Daniel leans closer to me with the intent to kiss me. But just before he can cup the back of my head, he winces in pain.
“Shit,” the word leaves my lips quickly and I hover over him. “For the love of God, lie down and rest.” I pull up the sheets to check on the wound, but it looks the same.
“No, I need to kiss you,” he says softly and when my eyes meet his, he smiles weakly and pleadingly.
“I need to kiss you too,” I whisper and tears prick my eyes.
I lean down to press my lips to his. I mean it to be soft and sweet, but it deepens instantly and naturally. One of his hands cradles the back of my head, his fingers spearing through my hair. The other grips onto my hip, holding me there as his tongue sweeps over mine and his hot breath mingles with mine.
My body heats, feeling completely at home in his embrace.
“I need you,” he whispers against my lips with his eyes closed. My pussy clenches at his words and it’s then that I feel his erection against my thigh. The agony breaks and I wipe under my eyes.
“You’re hurt,” I tell him as I weakly shake my head and cup his strong jaw in my hand.
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll always need you. Always want you.”
My heart pounds and pounds again. Recognizing how true it is, because it’s the same for me.
“I love you,” I say the words in a whisper even though they frighten me. “I can’t lose you.”
“I love you more,” he tells me and I lean down to kiss him again and shut him up before he makes that pain in my heart grow even more.
CHAPTER 28
Tyler
Five years ago
I feel so fucking stupid.
I don’t know how I didn’t see it before.
It took him texting me where she is for me to realize it.
Daniel’s in love with Addison.
And she’s in love with him.
It all makes sense now.
I check the map on my phone to make sure I’m going the right way, although every step makes my heart hurt more.
He doesn’t know that I know. Neither does she, but I can do them both a favor and tell them.
I want to kiss her one last time though.
I know it’s wrong. But it’s just a goodbye kiss. Something to remember her by. Something to let her know that it’s okay. That I’m okay with her loving him. I just want her to be happy. She needs it more than anyone. I can see it in her eyes.
My throat feels tight as I walk past Fourth Street. The rain starts coming down harder and it feels fitting.
I pull up my hoodie around my head and listen to my sneakers squeak on the sidewalk as I make my way closer to heartbreak.
I thought her telling me that she couldn’t be with me anymore was the worst thing I’d ever feel.
But knowing she loves my brother and wants him more than she wants me? Fuck, it hurts. It hurts so fucking much.
My phone vibrates and I look down to see a text from Daniel. She’s gone into the corner store now and Daniel said it looks like she’s been crying. She’s been doing it at school too. But she won’t let me near her this time. She won’t let me comfort her when she needs it so badly.
This isn’t the first time she’s dumped me. My brothers don’t know because I’m too ashamed to tell them.
But each time she did, I’d find her crying somewhere and she’d let me hold her to make it feel better.
I just loved her, hoping she loved me back. And I know some part of her does. But I never thought she didn’t love me fully because there was someone else.
I thought it was just the way she is. That she just pushes people away and that I would have to handle her more gently. I should have known by the way she avoided Daniel and the way he asked about her.
How was I so fucking stupid?
Do you want me to go to her? Daniel texts me and I stop one block over from where she is. Where both of them are. So close, I can see the window of the store. The light is dim in the sheets of rain. So close, but so far away.