Page 51 of Forbidden

Chapter Eighteen

Rosalie

“Damn,it’s so good to see you,” he said.

He stopped spinning but didn’t let me go. His lips suddenly pressed against mine. I sighed happily.

“Shh, don’t make that sound or I might have to do you right here,” he said.

Control yourself, Rosalie. Must. Not. Sigh.

He picked up the flowers and gave them to me. Then he took the handle of my bag and put his arm around my shoulders like it was the most normal thing in the world. But it wasn’t normal to me. I thought things like this only happened in movies.

Does he treat his girlfriend like this? The lucky bitch.

Neither of us said anything as we left the airport. Once we got into his car, he took his glasses off and cleaned them with a cloth before he started driving.

“When did you start wearing glasses?” I asked.

“In college. All that reading did a number on my eyesight.”

“You went to college?”

“Your dad didn't tell you?”

“My dad?”

“Yeah, he’s really been there a lot for me. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.”

“I’m realizing my dad doesn’t tell me a lot of things,” I said.

“He didn’t tell me about the stroke either. Joanna just found out the other day and told him he had to tell you. I drove up as soon as I found out.”

“Oh, you drove?”

Shane clenched his jaw for a moment and a darkness spread across his face. I knew he was keeping something from me, and I suspected it was Isabel. I wanted to ask if he drove alone or if she was here too, but I was curious if he would tell me on his own.

“I’ve been living in Virginia for the past couple of years,” he said. “After I left you, I moved to California and while I was there, I decided to go to college for Art History. I loaded up on credits and got my Bachelors in just over two years, but I didn’t know what to do with it. Your dad suggested I go into teaching, so I moved to Virginia and got lucky.”

“Why Virginia?”

“Because I needed to go somewhere that didn’t remind me of you.”

His words smacked the wind out of me. There were so many things I wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come out. I couldn’t even decide if I was hurt or angry, but I kept thinking about Isabel and wondering when he was going to bring her up.

As he drove past my dad’s exit, I turned to him, waiting for him to volunteer where he was taking me, but he didn’t say a word.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“To our place.”

The hotel? Was he serious? After all this time he was going to act like nothing happened, like nothing changed?

“No, I’m not going there,” I said. “This is ridiculous, Shane. Did you really think I’d sleep with you just because?”

“That’s not why I’m taking you to the hotel.”

“Yeah right. Do I look stupid? Why else would we go there?”

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