Page 49 of Fall Wherever They May

Aspen

Cal stands at his open door with a bare chest, looking every bit the demigod, and it causes my mouth to water. I drink him in as he towers over me. His pecs and abs are cut and defined. I just want to run my hands and tongue all over every dip of his taut muscles. Is this guy even real? Sweatpants rest low on his hips, showing off that sexy V. My core heats at the sight of him, and my thighs involuntarily squeeze together. He grabs my hand and pulls me inside, shutting the door behind us.

My body trembles with nerves. I worked up the courage to come over here, so I’m not chickening out now. I peer up at him. His hazel eyes lock with mine, and a small frown of curiosity hangs on his expression.

“You left without finishing something.”

My heart is galloping as I close the distance between us. With shaky fingers, I tentatively touch the bare skin of his rock-hard chest, trailing them to the back of his neck. He moves closer, his rough palm cupping my cheek. We’re merely inches away, and I can already taste the mint on his lips. I peer up into his gorgeous hazel eyes in anticipation. He roughly grabs my hips, slamming my back against the wall. His fingers tanglein my hair, tilting my head back, then his lips crash to mine. Grazing my bottom lip with his teeth, he sucks it into his mouth. His lips trail from my mouth across my jaw and down my neck, where he places light, open-mouthed kisses. My breathing accelerates. I become desperate for him. I pull his hair with one hand, digging my fingers into his back with the other, trying to bring him closer. I need relief. I need to feel him. His hand grabs my ass, pulling me closer, as I grind on his thigh, seeking some sort of friction. His warm breath skims up my neck, coaxing a moan from my lips. He presses his hard length into my hip. We’re feral and panting. I want more. I need more. He breaks our kiss, pressing forehead presses against mine.

“Aspen,” he whispers. My eyes pop open. His breaths are short and brisk.

He swallows hard again and licks his lips. “I . . . I can’t.” He exhales a sigh.

My heart completely stops and obliterates right there in his entryway. All the blood rushes to my head. I’m stunned. Tears of rejection sting behind my eyelids. He kissed me, right? I didn’t imagine that, did I? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He was into it, right? I don’t understand why the sudden shift. What I do understand is that I need to get the fuck out of here.

My hand slides from around his neck and falls to my side. He takes a step back. Maybe I came on too strong, but fuck, I thought . . . I guess it doesn’t matter what I thought. He was obviously caught up in the moment. He doesn’t want me.

“Okay.” I turn my head; not wanting him to see the embarrassment on my face. My voice is thick when I speak. “I’ll . . . umm . . . I’m just going to go.” I don’t give him time to speak; I turn around and dash out of his house, slamming the door behind me.

His door quickly opens. “Aspen, wait!”

I don’t stop. I’m too fucking embarrassed and hurt. I keep walking. The ice on the road has been long forgotten, but I’m soon reminded when my feet fly out from under me, and I land on my back.Umph. My breath is knocked out of me for a second.

“Fuck!” Cal yells, running to me.

I’m disoriented. It takes me a minute to recover as I lay on the freezing asphalt. Groaning, I roll over. Cal is at my side trying to help me up.

“Please, Cal. I can’t do this. Just . . . please.” I try to shake him off.

“Let me at least help you up.” He grabs my elbow, lifting me off the ground, steadying me. “I’m sorry, Aspen.”

I jerk out of his hold. “Please, just go home.”

I’m a mess, and I hate that he’s seeing my embarrassment right now. I turn, walking toward my house, careful to avoid slipping again.

Cal stands in the street, waiting until I get to my door. I finally make it inside without any more mishaps. The second my door closes, I lean against it, and the dam breaks—I sob. Deep, guttural, body-wracking sobs from both rejection and embarrassment.

“Want to talk about it?”

Fuck!I let out a gasp and jump at the sound of my mom’s voice. My hand flies to my chest. I don’t know how long I was standing there crying, but it looks like she just witnessed it all. Mom sits at the kitchen island. The only light illuminating the house is the one directly above the stove. She uses her foot to pull out the stool next to hers, waving me over.

“Come sit,” she orders.

I huff a sigh, unsuccessfully trying to dry my tears with the back of my hand—they just keep flowing. I take off my coat,hang it on the hook, then stroll over and plop my ass down on the stool. Mom reaches up and wipes my tears with her thumbs.

She rubs my back. “Want to tell me what just happened that brought you home in tears?”

I shake my head, then nod. I give myself a minute to cry, burying my face in my hands, and I sob. “He rejected me,” I cry. “I’ve imagined so many possibilities for Cal and me, thinking that we were becoming more and . . . I just . . .”

“Oh, honey. I don’t know what’s going on with Cal, but I will say, I can tell that man has been deeply hurt.”

I twist my fingers together and bite my bottom lip. “What?” I ask in confusion, a frown marring my face. I wipe my eyes again. “What makes you say that?”

She sighs and runs her hand through her hair. “I guess I can see myself in him. I saw so many conflicting emotions cross his face this evening: love, joy, pain, longing, confusion. I recognize it.”

I sigh, and my mom wraps her arms around me.

“He won’t let me in, Mom. I don’t know what happened to him because he won’t freaking open up. He’s so closed off about his life. When I first came here, Tucker was the only person who could draw him out of his shell. Everyone says he pretty much stayed to himself; he didn’t go out or talk to anyone.” I bury my head in my hands, then pull them away to look at her. “When we’re together, he laughs, and seems so alive. His friends tell me that’s a rarity, but I think I misread everything. Maybe he doesn’t see me the way I see him.”

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