Page 25 of Fated Shot

“Bed,” I let out, my voice more gravelly than usual. She looks over her shoulder and motions toward the right. Straightening up, still carrying her, I head in that direction. Her mattress is lying on the floor, the bed filled to the brim with frilly throw pillows as I gently lower her down. She’s lying there in the middle of the bed, cheeks flushed and lips swollen. I watch her, my hunger growing.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I say as I lower myself over her, supporting my weight on the hands placed on either side of her head.

Leaning in, she arches her neck up to close the distance, and I decide right then that her lips on mine is the best feeling in the world. Flipping us on our side, her hair sprawls out around us before I pull her head closer to me. We blend together again; I just can’t get enough. Her breath hitches when I rest my hand on her waist, and she gasps as I pull her body closer to mine. The way she’s moving and the sounds she’s making are better than anything I could have ever dreamed. If it wasn’t for my hands roaming her body, there’s no fucking way I’d believe this was real.

Her hands explore my chest and her soft skin so delicately touching mine is a turn-on I didn’t expect. As she drags her hand down my torso, I grumble in approval, closing my eyes. Leaning into the feeling, my palm lands on the sexy, soft part of her stomach.

Feeling her body tense, I whip open my eyes to meet hers, a vulnerability present within them.

“Hey,” I say, gently stroking her cheek. “You set the pace okay?” I tuck one strand of hair behind her ear. She stares blankly at me, blinking with a dazed look about her. Is that the look of regret?

“I-I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” she says, leaning back now, creating distance between us. I follow her cue immediately, sitting up. The words hit like a ton of bricks as I force a breath, rubbing a hand down my face.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” I say, standing up from the mattress. She’s got her knees pulled up to her chest now, not even meeting my eyes.

“Shit, I got carried away,” races out of my mouth. “I’m sorry, I’ll g—”

“I think you should go,” she saysat the same time.

My chest sinks, and I can’t do anything but nod. I turn immediately to leave. The lights of the city are dully illuminating her living room as I notice the boxes stacked all around. Laying on top of one of them, there are two big, round, sleepy eyes looking at me. The dark brown fluff ball gives a little “meoww” as I wave my hand toward it.

I continue to the door, opening it, the light of the hallway flooding into the apartment before I step out and gently close it behind me.

How did I fuck this up so badly?

Chapter 11

Mia

I wake up to an‘I’m sorry’text from Jack Brody.

I feel horrible. Somewhere between potential friend hang out and this is definitely a date I lost my mind. It was going so well. We were genuinely getting to know each other, but he looked so good and was so sweet, and I just couldn’t function once he kissed me. He smelled amazing and was so gentle. I needed more immediately, needed him more than I’ve ever needed anything else.

By the time we’d made it to the bed, everything came crashing down on me all at once. I’m not the fun one-night stand girl. I’m not a puck bunny. I can’t do casual hookups, and I’m not impulsive, wild, and free. My mind was racing, and I just couldn’t keep going.

Thoughts of the brunette from the restaurant keep creeping in. She’s the type of girl he could get in a heartbeat, and the intimidation poisoned my system. She was fawning over him all night. I’m sure she would have happily hooked up with him, but I just… couldn’t.

“Boring” is the word Seb used to describe our sex life. I can’t say I disagree; it was always pretty vanilla. I did want to explore more but never felt, I don’t know, the most adventurous with him.

I got bored, Mia.

What was I supposed to do?

There was nothing exciting about us anymore.

The words every girl loves to hear from her cheating boyfriend while she’s sobbing in front of a naked woman on her side of the bed. It absolutely destroyed me for weeks. I moved out immediately and decided Toronto was my next move.

It took my world falling apart to realize it was never one I wanted to be a part of to begin with. I didn’t have anything separate from Seb. I moved intohisapartment, we hung out withhisfriends, spent time doing the thingshewanted to do. I didn’t realize he controlled everything in my life until I left. Not that betrayal is a good thing, but I’m grateful it happened. Hindsight is a godsend.

When I came home at the start of the summer, I wasn’t ready to share everything with my parents, so I went with the tried and true‘we needed space’route. Thankfully, they haven’t bugged me to talk about it since.

It was only after two weeks of radio silence that the calls and texts started coming in. One apology after another, desperate attempts to get back together. I forgave him and said I could try a friendship with him in the future, but going behind my back and arranging this grand birthday gesture with my dad as if we were back together was messed up. Give an inch, and he’ll clearly take a mile. Now, unless I’m ready to unpack everything that happened between us to my parents, I have to see him next week at the game Doug Cameron so generously invited him to.

Even after a summer of healing, I just can’t shake theboringout of my head. Don’t get me wrong, I know it wasn’t my fault he decided to cheat, but on the off chance there’s even the tiniest bit of validity to that statement, I don’t want to make a fool out of myself. Especially not in front of someone who literally has women throwing themselves at him twenty-four-seven.

I went from being a sheltered wallflower in my first year of university to meeting and moving in with Seb. I didn’t have anytime to explore, and I wanted to be a little carefree for once, chase the wild attraction I felt for the first time in a long time. I really thought I could do it too—one night, no strings attached, but this is what I get for trying.

There are more embarrassing things that can happen. Freaking out and sending a hot hockey player out of your apartment cannot be at the top of the list,right?

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