Page 53 of The Road Sometimes Taken

“We don’t tell anyone. The last thing I need is for people to call me a cougar or something.” Her tone shows how serious sheis about this, leaving me with nothing to do but laugh. She narrows her eyes at me and I shake my head.

“Two years, Cara. You’re two years older than me, not ten but sure, done,” I add. Not that I kiss and tell but I also don’t have many people that I actually talk to. Sadly, I’m only close to my siblings.

“Number two, no sleeping with other people.”

“You think if my dick is inside of you, I would be able to have it inside of someone else? Also, there is no one else. Next,” I laugh. Does she think I’d be able to think about anyone else for the rest of my life after I know what she feels under my touch?

“It stops when the road trip ends,” she adds and even though I knew she would, it still shocks me. It hits me right in the heart.

I want to be done with this conversation as soon as possible. I want to understand her boundaries, but I also don’t want to talk about all the things I can’t do. Iwantto talk about all the things I can and will do with her, to her, around her.

“What about the things wecando? All these cant’s are leaving me thinking you don’t want to do anything at all.

Cara turns her body to me, the sheets showing every curve of her body under it when she says, “You can touch me all you want.” She smiles at me as she traces her body with her hands taunting me.

“Agree, you can touch me too,” I say.

“You can kiss me all you want and you can fuck me all you want to.” Her cheeks redden when she says that. Somehow that makes her look even sexier. I pull her to me in one quick swoop and she yelps before saying, “Wait, though, I have one more.”

I raise one eyebrow hoping it’s not something too crazy but nothing could have prepared me for how deep what she says hurt.

“When this is over… you still need to be able to be my friend, deal?” Cara adds. It stops me for a moment, my whole body tensing. I know I’m not end game for her and I know she deserves better but it still hurts to hear it come from her lips. I know I won’t be able to move on from this trip but I’ll happily give her the week of her life. The more I think about it though, the more I realize that one isn’t going to be that hard because I’ll take whatever she’ll give me and hell if she upgrades me from best friend’s brother to friend, I’ll take it. Even if it kills me slowly in the process.

“Are there any rules about what to have for breakfast?” I ask, brushing her hair behind her ear and hoping she doesn’t see how she’s breaking my heart in the process, even before I can fully give it to her.

“What?! No, you know you can have whatever you want for breakfast because I don’t really care about eating this early.”

“Then I know exactly what I want,” I say, grabbing her leg, draping it over mine, and bringing my other hand to her neck. “I’m ready to eat.” And without waiting another second, I crush my lips to hers.

27

NASHVILLE WITHOUT US

INVISIBLE STRING, TAYLOR SWIFT

Cara

“I can’t eatone more thing today, Cara,” Manny says, holding his belly and bending over like a toddler who just ate something they don’t like.

“We have one more stop and then we can go do whatever you want. Pretty please,” I beg, holding his hands. We’ve been walking around trying different foods in Centennial Park but I really want something sweet now. I feel like I could eat a cow today and I’m not sure why. Maybe because we spent approximately six hours lost in the sheets last night and then two sessions this morning before we left the house. Both a first for me. I have been with plenty of men but most of them were hookups. Cole was my longest relationship and that man never went more than once. He sure as hell didn’t do more than he needed to. Definitely didn’t spend hours kissing every inch of my body, making me laugh, or taking pride in the way he was making me feel.That’s what Manny did. It was as if mypleasure was directly tied to his. Like he enjoyed making me feel good just as much as I enjoyed feeling it. Two days he spent getting to know everything I liked in and outside of that house. I’m sad the Nashville trip is coming to an end soon because it has been my favorite stop of this trip by far.

“I have a stop I want to make, too,” he says.

“Oh? Do tell,” I reply, shoving the last piece of pretzel into my mouth.

“Let’s go to the other side of the park to look at the Parthenon,” he says and I jump, clapping my hands. I’ve been wanting to go there for a while but I didn’t think he would’ve liked going there.

“You want to?” I ask, moving my eyebrows and practically dancing out of happiness.

“Yeah, it’s on your list too, right?”

“Yes, but doyouwant to go?” I ask as we walk toward it.

“I do, Cara, but even if I didn’t want to, you want to and that’s enough for me,” Manny adds, holding my hand and looking around as we make it close to the building. The Parthenon is a museum in Nashville but it’s also the only full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens, which I think is really cool. We’re almost there when he drops my hand and stands behind me instead. I try to look back at him but he holds my shoulders, keeping me looking forward.

“What?!” I shout but he just squeezes my shoulders.

We continue to walk until I hear someone near me shout, “I can’t believe you thought you could do Nashville without us.”

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