Page 89 of You're To Blame 2

A piece of me died all over again. My brother despised me because of my love for a girl.

“I loved you too, Mason. Your death wrecked me.” I pointed into my chest.

“My love for Chelsea had nothing to do with us. You’re my twin. Mason, we shared a different kind of bond since birth.” I cleared my throat in an effort to hold back the tears. There was nothing left to say. He ruined any chance of us ever being close again.

I ushered Chelsea out of the room. Where was the feeling of exuberance? I won. Yeah, I put a stop to their bullshit and a small part of me was relieved. What did I think would happen? That my brother would apologize. Admit he was wrong and that he loved me. My brother came back from the dead, of course I wanted him back in my life. Why couldn’t we return to the states after grandfather’s death and we’d become brothers again?

The wind had been knocked out of my sail. Chelsea reached inside my pocket and retrieved my keys. Once inside my bedroom, she sat me on the bed.

“Tate, can you look at me?”

My jaw ticked and my nostrils flared. I was a fucking mess. “It’s over,” I muttered.

My fingers gripped the nape of her neck and I dropped my head upon hers. “Sorry...Chelsea.”

She caressed my face. “I never wanted to come between you two. Our love for each other destroyed you and your brother. I don’t know what to say.” She shook her head as a tear escaped her eye.

“You were always meant to be my man. I cannot apologize for the love we share. Do you still want to be with me?” Her eyes slammed shut in an effort to brace herself for my answer.

“Absolutely, Chelse. Yeah, it hurts my brother and I will never be close, but I don’t regret us for one second.”

She climbed into my arms and sobbed. “It’s over. We’re free to be together.”

My heart beat again. “Yes, I can express my love for the only woman I ever loved. You.”

“The calendar under your bed, Tate. Now that was the most romantic thing to date. I will tell our grandchildren that story.”

We laughed.

I pulled back and stared into her blue eyes. “I love you, Chelse.”

“And I love you, Tate.”

I took her lips like it was our last night together. Finally, we’d enjoy the remainder of the school year. Together.

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHELSEA

Putting an end to Mason and Marisa’s bullshit was gratifying. Tate expressing how he felt to Mason was heartbreaking. He loved his brother. Defended him with every fiber of his being. To learn the person that he built up and placed on a pedestal hated him... Hated him because he felt his love for a girl, was greater than his love for him. Once again, Mason had proven to be narcissistic.

Tate was deep in thought after we walked away from Mason and Marisa. For a moment, I thought Tate wouldn’t want to be with me anymore. After all, I single-handedly destroyed part of his life. All for just being me. Facing each other on the bed, I tried peeking into his soul to sense his sincerity about us. After the haze over his eyes had been lifted, he crushed my lips with passion and need. It was far greater than anything I’d ever felt with him. It felt freeing. No more holding back. No moregrief, sorrow, or confusion. All the cards had been laid out on the table. Tate could have a fresh start with me.

He paused and stared into my eyes. His fingers traced over my cheeks. “Chelsea Ann Marie Culver, I’ve been in love with you since kindergarten. It’s true, I counted the days until I’d see you again. When we were apart...” He glanced down and then back into my eyes. “I watched you run Cross Country. Paid a kid to snap pictures of you laughing and smiling. Because you didn’t smile that often thanks to me. I inflicted so much pain on your life.”

He cupped my face. “I hope we can start over and you can truly forgive me. Baby, I know I don’t deserve you. I am thankful for how deep your love is for me.”

I leaned in. Our lips barely touched. “The first layer of your pain had been peeled away when you admitted to yourself and to the world I wasn’t to blame. This evening, the last layer holding you back was ripped off. We are free to love each other.”

His brows rose. “Holding me back?”

“Yes, Tate. Through everything we’d gone through, there was never a doubt in my mind I wanted to give myself to you. I wanted to be your girlfriend. How we would come together was a different story. For sometime, our hate for each other outweighed our love.” I smiled.

“Let’s enjoy this time. Get back on our study schedule. And I can cheer for you and Lake at the games.”

He rolled his eyes.

I shoved him back against the pillows. “We can have sex right here for the first time in a long time.”

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