Page 16 of Fate Forever and Always

“You okay, Sweets?”

“No.”

I was hesitant to ask because she hates when people pry into her business. Honestly, the last thing I want to talk about or hear about is Jake and how much he hurt her, but I asked anyway. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

I shouldn’t have asked.

She spent the entire ride telling me every nasty, foul word and every shitty thing that man had ever said and done to her. I didn’t know most of this shit, but why would I. Her being with him changed everything for us.Us? Where the fuck did that come from?

At first, it was simple things like making her do what she had asked him to do, like the lawn work and taking out the trash cans. She started telling me more serious things, like the names he called her and canceling dinners at the last minute. She also mentioned there were several nights that he chose to not even come home without letting her know.

“But that’s how men are, I guess.”

I must have zoned out on some of what she was saying because I barely heard the last part. I turned my head and gave her a puzzled look even though she wasn’t looking at me and still staring out the front window.

“Callie, not even one of those things is normal. It is not okay for a man to tell any woman, let alone the woman he loves, that she is a lazy pig or anything even close to that. Why did you let him treat you like that? Why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you just leave?”

“Nick, stop. It’s not that easy when you love someone.”

“Yes, it is Callie. Come on. I know you are not that naïve. I would never let someone speak to me that way, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have stood by and let him treat you that way if I had known.”

She was quiet for a second before she finally looked at me.

“Why would you have cared how I was treated? You made it clear a long time ago that you didn’t want to know anything about my relationship with Jake. I barely saw you unless you were with Aubs the moment I started dating him.”

Luckily, I was pulling into the driveway. I turned the car off before turning toward her in anger.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? You’re the one who became a different person as soon as you two found each other, Callie. You stopped calling me to hang out, stopped seeing me anytime I wasn’t with Aubrey, and you acted as if you fucking hated me anytime I said a damn word. Plus, you know the moment you told me he even breathed funny toward you, I would have–”

“Shut up. I did not. It was all you. You didn’t give a shit anymore.”

I felt myself getting angrier by the second with every word that came out of my mouth, so instead of continuing this and turning it into a bigger fight than it needed to be, I got out of the car, walked to her side, and helped her out. She was drunk and wouldn’t remember most of what was said tonight anyway.

“This conversation is over, Callie. If you want to talk more when you are sober, we can do so. Tonight, I'm done. We both need to cool off.”

“I don’t want to talk to you, Nick. You just don’t get it.”

“Okay, Cal, you're right.”

“Fuck you, Nick.”

I didn’t bother saying anything else. I helped Callie up the stairs and held her arm while I unlocked the door. She didn'tmake it easy, trying to pull away every two seconds. Once inside, I locked the door behind us so we could both go to bed. I turned around, and she was still standing there, staring at me—closer than when we walked in.

“What are you looking at?” I asked in an irritated tone.

“You, you're…infuriating.”

My eyebrows went up in surprise. “You think I’m… you know what, Callie, you’re right. It’s all my—”

She moved toward me, pushing me against the door. Her lips were on mine, cutting off not only my words but any rational thoughts I had left. My fingers dug into her ass without hesitation. I’ve never felt something more perfect in my life. I’d always wondered what touching her ass would feel like. I lifted her off the floor, her legs wrapping around my waist. Her thick thighs gripping my body made me feel even more at home. She fit perfectly against me.

“I fucking hate you,” she murmured on my lips as I smirked. She kissed me again, harder this time. Her warm tongue tangled with mine, and she let out the sexiest moan. We made our way toward her bedroom. I placed her on her bed and kissed her even deeper. I never wanted to stop, but I knew I had to. She tried to pull me closer when I pulled away. I kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear.

“I don’t hate you, which is why we can’t do this until you are ready and sober.” I gripped her chin with my thumb and pointer finger and made her look me in the eye. “When we do this, and yes, I mean when. You will be mine. There will be no going back.” I grinned and gave her a peck on the lips before turning around and walking to the door. “Good night, Sweets. I will see you in the morning.”

I went to my room and took the coldest shower I think I’d ever taken. I couldn’t get the visions of what had just happened out of my head. Once I realized the cold water wouldn’t help, Iturned on the hot water and stopped torturing myself. I closed my eyes and gripped my cock while picturing Callie’s curvy body wrapping around mine. I placed one hand on the shower wall, letting the hot water hit my back. As my brain wandered to thoughts of Callie, I started with slow strokes—the thoughts of her plump ass in my hands, her smooth lips on mine. I almost wished I wasn’t such a nice guy. I wish I didn’t stop her. I should be deep inside her right now, making her mine, but I could never do that to her unless she explicitly tells me that’s what she wants while she is completely sober.

I surprised myself tonight by telling her some of that stuff, not that she will remember it in the morning, but I’m hoping I didn’t just fuck everything up by saying something so intense like that too soon.

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