Page 105 of Falling Too Late

I had tried to simply hope that she was being taken care of. Hope that no one was hurting her, and she had a good life. Hope that she was smiling every day. But I was a selfish bastard when it came to her, and I wanted to be the onlyone for her.

“Yes. I thought about it every day. I tortured myself with the thoughts of you being with another man.”

She shook her head. “Alex, I haven’t. . . I’ve only ever been with you.”

CHAPTER 39

WREN

The words wereout of my mouth before I could stop them. Heat crawled up my neck.

His eyes traveled up the length of me.I leaned in, wanting more. I wanted this. I wanted him.My heart pounded in anticipation.

I saw resistance in his gaze before he spoke.

“Wren, there’s something I need to show you.” He breathed the words against my lips before pulling away. His hand brushed my cheek and came around to the back of my neck, his favorite handle.

I tried to pull away, but he held me in place. I felt rejected and embarrassed. “Wren, please. I want this with you, but I need to show you something first.”

“Okay,” I said meekly. “Let me get ready and we can go.”

He kissed my forehead before letting me go. I headed upstairs, closing the door gently behind me. I collapsed back on the bed, a frustrated breath escaping me.

“What the hell did you think would happen?” I grumbled to the ceiling before getting out of bed and getting dressed. The moment he said he had been thinking of me with other men, I wanted to erase those thoughts from his mind. I wanted him toknow that I had never even come close to slipping into bed with someone.

I had thought about it. Ripping the Band-Aid off, having a one-night stand with a stranger in a bar just to break that last connection I had with him, but I couldn’t do it. The weight of Alex’s and my first time was too great. I needed more than just a body to sleep with.

Alex had ruined me for anyone else. He had taken me, mind, body and soul.

There was no other person for me.

I dropped my face into my hands, the realization hitting me.

For years, I knew Jon wanted more. Even though he had never said it out loud, I knew he had been waiting for me to be ready to be with someone else. And I knew thatsomeone elsein his mind was going to be him. I had let my resolve break down over the years and I was going to settle for him.

Alex’s best friend.

The best friend who may have betrayed us.

Suddenly, I felt sick.

I shot out of my room and ran to the bathroom, putting up the toilet seat and hanging my head over it. Nausea washed over me and I fought to keep the coffee down.

Once I fought it down, I went to the sink, cupping water to my mouth.

I chose jeans and a black tank top before heading across the hall and spraying my hair with my water and leave-in conditioner to bring some life back to my curls. Once I was satisfied with my hair, I went ahead and applied some light makeup.

Alex was sitting on my front porch when I came downstairs. Queen was laying close behind him while he was tossing a ball for King. I shook my head at them. The pups had been glued to me since the beginning, Alex had been here for a day, and they were already attached to him.

Just as attached as I was.

I pushed open the storm door and the smell of cigarettes hit me.

“Ready?” Alex stood, turning around, and I saw the culprit hanging from his lips. I walked forward and ripped it from his mouth, taking it to the birdbath in my flower bed and putting it out before I whirled on him.

“Your mother died of lung cancer and you picked up her one bad habit!? Are you fucking kidding me, Alexander!”

His eyebrows rose and he put his hands up in surrender. “Woah, I’m sorry. I won’t smoke around you.”

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