Page 52 of Collide (Collide 1)

"You want honesty?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I'm shooting for here," she laughed.

"I hate it. It bores me pretty close to death. "

"You should be happy with what you do for a living," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "Have you ever thought about selling your portion off?"

Stroking the hair away from her face, he kissed her forehead. "I have, and I will eventually. Considering we just got her back on her feet again within the last few years, I want to make sure she's solid before I do. "

"You're a good brother, you know that?"

"Oh, I'm as pretty fucking cool as they come. " They both laughed, and Gavin pulled her closer. "Enough about me. What made you decide on a career in teaching?"

/>   "Well, I'm dyslexic actually. When I was growing up, I attended a school that either didn't recognize that I had it or didn't have the staff that was able to help me. " She reached for her glass of wine and took a sip. "Other kids made fun of me because it kept me from advancing in my studies to a point. With that, as I struggled through high school, I decided that I wanted to become a teacher because us dyslexic folk can notice right away when a child has it. I figured if I could help just one kid get diagnosed early on, it would be worth it. "

He stared at her for a few seconds and smiled. "You know, you're as pretty cool as they come. "

"Oh, am I?" she asked, laughing. "I've never been referred to as cool. Ever. "

He gently pulled her up and positioned her legs around his waist. Stroking his hands through her hair, he brushed his lips against hers. "Yes. You're undoubtedly the coolest woman I know," he said, sucking on her bottom lip. She smiled. "And I promise to always refer to you as being cool. "

"Well, thank you for that. " She laughed against his mouth. "And I promise to always refer to you as a wiseass. "

"Mmm, you have my permission to call me whatever you want. "

She smiled and continued to indulge in his overly skilled mouth.

After a few minutes, Gavin pulled back, the proverbial "elephant in the room" resting heavy on his chest. "Could I ask you a question now?"

"Absolutely," she replied, placing a kiss on his jaw.

"How are we going about telling Dillon?" Gavin felt her body tense as she bit her lip. He brought his hand around the back of her neck and cautiously coaxed her face within inches of his, his eyes soft. "Emily," he whispered. "We. I said we. I'm not letting you tell him alone, do you understand me?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "I do, but could we not talk about him right now?"

Gavin searched her eyes. He could tell she was nervous, and he knew the risk she was taking was far greater than his was - but he also felt confused at that point. "We have to talk about him, Emily. "

"I know we do," she answered, lifting her hands to his cheeks. "It's just that he doesn't get back until Tuesday. It's Sunday night, and I just want right here and now to be about you and me. Not him. . . just us, Gavin. " She found his perfect mouth again and kissed him ferociously with nothing more than wanting to rid Dillon from her thoughts. Gavin tightened his hold around her waist and groaned into her mouth. She slowly pulled back and looked at him. "Tomorrow night, okay? We'll go over everything tomorrow night. "

"Alright, but you have to swear to me that you won't say anything to him before. " He smoothed his hands through her hair. "I want to be there. Again, this is us. "

"I know this is us. Thank you," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his. "But, honestly, I haven't even answered his phone calls. "

"Okay, I just want to make sure - "

Emily placed a silencing finger over his mouth, and he smiled. "Stop," she said, removing her finger as she replaced it with her lips. While his tongue swept through her mouth, she tried to relax her nerves down from the conversation.

That didn't take too long at all.

"You're staying with me tonight again, I assume," he whispered, his mouth grazing over her jaw.

She tilted her neck to the side as his kisses moved down her collarbone. "I can't. I've been substituting for someone, and I have papers to grade when I get home. Besides, I have to be at the school by seven tomorrow morning. "

"You teach first grade, don't you?" he asked as he lifted her arms up, gently pulling her sweatshirt off.

"Yes, that would be the grade I teach. " She unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side. "Why do you ask?"

Focusing his eyes on her luscious breasts, a reverent smile broke out across Gavin's face. Wetting his lips, he remained silent.

Emily placed a finger under his chin, bringing his gaze back to hers. "Why?"

He pulled her into his mouth and started kissing her. "Why what?" he asked, nipping at her lip.

"Gavin," she laughed. "You asked if I teach first grade. "

"Oh, right," he chuckled, swiftly removing the shirt from his body. "You said you can't stay with me because you have papers to grade, correct?"

"Yes. "

"Don't they all just automatically pass at that age?" he clipped, sweeping his hand beneath her knees as he rose to his feet and carried her to his bedroom. "I mean, it's only coloring and shit like that. "

"No, they don't automatically pass," she laughed. "And they don't just color. "

Placing her on the bed, he watched as she slid her naked body toward the pillows.

He quickly shed the rest of his clothing and climbed under the blankets with her. "There's nothing I could say to you - wait, strike that. There's nothing I can do to you that would make you change your mind about staying with me tonight?"

She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "I really can't. But I'll let you try to convince me," she laughed.

"Mmm, you run a hard bargain," he breathed out, feathering his lips along the curve of her neck. "But I'll take it, Miss Cooper. "

Over the next several hours, both Gavin and Emily thoroughly enjoyed. . . dessert multiple times. Though he hounded and harassed her a little bit more about spending the night, he couldn't get her to stay. By the time he brought her home - despite his best efforts with the passionate tender kiss he left on her lips and even going so far as offering to pay her a year's salary for the night - he watched as she closed the door to her apartment. He cursed the fact that tomorrow was a Monday, and she had to work.

With his body racing with excitement and his heart soaring with a love unlike any that he'd ever felt, it was all that Gavin could do to make his way home without getting into a car accident. His mind replayed the last twenty-four hours repeatedly - like a vivid movie, a vivid love story. To hell with Casablanca, he was in love - and now he truly felt like a god.

Now he had it all.

He knew he looked like a goofy lovesick fool as he padded into his building, whistling to himself. The door attendant greeted him with the tip of his hat and a curious expression on his face, showing that he even knew something had changed in Gavin. Smiling, Gavin patted him on his shoulder, shook his hand, and headed for the elevators.

Deciding to forgo a shower - wanting to hold onto the smell of Emily's scent emanating from his pores - it was well past eleven by the time Gavin sat down in front of his laptop to get some work done. It was also well past eleven when his front door buzzed. Snapping his head up, he couldn't help the smile that washed over his face as he made his way down the hall. Emily had promised that if anything changed, she would come back. He reached for the doorknob, and upon opening it, he was met by familiar green eyes staring back at him.

Unfortunately, they weren't the eyes he had expected to see.

Feeling the blood drain from his face, confusion clouded his head. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"That's a nice way of greeting someone you spent a half a decade with," Gina replied, wiping tears from her face as the smell of booze wafted through the air around her.

Gavin poked his head out from behind the door and glanced from side to side down the hall.

"What are you doing?" she asked, stumbling back.

"I'm looking for the fucking hidden camera crew - that's what I'm doing," he bit out. His brows furrowed like raven's wings over his darkened eyes. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No, Gavin, it's not a joke" she choked out, slurring her words. "I know I'm the last person you want to see, but the only reason I'm here is because my father died. "

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked down to the ground and shook his head. "Gina, what do you want from me?" he asked, his voice calmer.

"Jesus, Gavin, I just told you that my father's dead," she sobbed, moving closer. "My brother's in Greece right now. You know I have no one else," she cried, burying her face in her hands. Bringing her bloodsh

ot, swollen eyes back to his, her lips quivered. "Can you at least let me come in for a few minutes?"

Swallowing hard, he stared at her for a long moment as his thoughts ran over every possible scenario that might allow him to escape the situation. Watching the woman - whom he had spent so many years with - tremble and shake before him like a lost, broken-hearted child, he couldn't stop his thoughts from weaving over to Emily. He wondered what the woman - whom he was now in love with - would think if he actually let his ex-fiancee come in.

"Please, Gavin. I just need someone to talk to right now," she whispered, staring at the ground as her body swayed slightly.

"Gina, you do understand that you're only coming in to talk, right?" She wiped the tears from her face and nodded. "I want to make myself very clear. I'm giving you fifteen minutes, and then you have to leave. "

"Okay," she cried, looking into his eyes. "Thank you. "

Without another word, he ran a nervous hand through his hair and reluctantly stepped out of her way to allow her into his penthouse. His mind struggled with his decision as he snapped the door shut. She stumbled into the living room, removed her jacket, and discarded it onto the floor as though it were a used tissue.

"Do you have any alcohol?" she asked, sinking herself into the couch.

"I think you've already had enough to drink," he replied, taking a seat on a chair across the room. "What exactly happened?"

"He hung himself," she sobbed, folding her hands across her stomach as if she were in physical pain. "He got himself in deep and lost everything. I'm messed up. Financially, he dragged me down with him this time. "

Gavin knew immediately what she was talking about. He'd spent five years of their relationship digging her father out from one gambling mess to the next - everything from horse race betting to long weekend trips the asshole spent in Vegas. The tally was close to a $300,000, if not more.

With a heavy sigh, Gavin folded his hands together and leaned forward. "Do you need help with the funeral expenses or your rent? Which is it?"

Plowing her hand through her blonde hair, she sucked in an indignant breath. "How could you even say that to me right now? You think I came here for money?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm pretty fucking sure that's why you came here. "

Using the back of her hand to wipe her nose, she stared at him, her mouth wide open. "I can't believe what you're saying to me, considering - "

"Considering what?" he cut her off, his tone harsh. "You walked out of my life, and now you show up at my door out of nowhere, laying all of this on me. If you're looking for a shoulder to cry on, I'm not your guy. " He rose from his chair and padded into the kitchen, flinging open one of the cabinets. Yanking a bottle of bourbon from the shelf, he poured himself a shot and tossed it back. "I'm sorry to hear about your father - I honestly am - but I don't know what you want from me. "

"Gavin, I came here because you're the only person in the whole world who really knows and understands me," she gasped, her tear-stained eyes wounded. "You know my mother left us. I have no one. How can you be so heartless?"

"Yeah, I'm the heartless one. I learned from the best; let's not forget that. If you need money, just fucking say it already. Goddammit!" he snapped, slamming the shot glass down on the counter so hard that Gina jumped, startled by his anger.

Somewhere in between the spiked level of adrenaline coursing its way through his veins and her sobbing, Gavin faintly registered the sound of his cell phone ringing in the office. For a moment, he felt as though his feet were frozen to the ground. He couldn't believe that the woman who'd hurt him so badly and put him through so much heartbreak was sitting on his sofa - asking him to alleviate her pain. Shaking his head, Gavin finally turned away from her without another word and shuffled out of the living room to answer the call.

By the time he made it into his office, it had stopped ringing. Picking it up, his heart dropped when he realized it was Emily that'd called. He reclined himself into his leather chair, stabbed his passcode into the damn thing, and retrieved the message she had left for him.

"Well, hello there, wiseass. I know it's pretty late, and I was about to go to bed myself, but I just wanted to call and thank you for one of the best nights and days of my life. I know you and I have a tough ride ahead of us. . . " She paused and lowered her voice. "But as afraid of all of this as I was, I'm not scared anymore, Gavin. I'm really not. You depleted me of any doubts that I had about us. I don't know. I'm just rambling on now, but I wanted you to know that I do love you, and I'm excited to see just how amazing we're going to be together. I'll see you tomorrow night. Sweet dreams. "

Gavin lost count of the amount of times he listened to Emily's message, her voice like an angel amid the nightmare that was in sitting in his living room. Sighing, he scrubbed his palms over his face and debated on sending her a text. He decided against it, considering she said she was going to bed.

Rising from his chair, he made his way back into the living room - only to find his nightmare ex laying on his couch sound asleep, wearing only her sweater and panties. On the floor, next to her jeans, the bottle of bourbon was tipped on its side nearly empty.

"How can a day so fucking good end so badly?" he mumbled to himself as he moved across the room toward the couch. "Gina," he said, leaning over her as he nudged her shoulder. "You need to leave. "

She swatted her hand at him but severely missed her mark. "I'm too drunk to go anywhere, Gav," she slurred. "Don't worry; I won't steal your millions while you're asleep. "

"No, Gina, you're not sleeping here," he replied, his voice insistent. "Get up. "

"Pick me up if you want me out then," she said, giggling as she reached for the blanket.

Gavin cringed because the blanket she was now draping across her drunken body was the blanket that he'd spent the day tucked underneath with Emily.

He pretty much decided that he would torch it after this.

"I'm not picking you up. You're not even dressed," he said, his voice showing his patience was wearing thin by the second. He nudged her shoulder again. "Get up, Gina. I'm not kidding. "

She didn't verbally answer. However, her light snoring did all the talking, showing signs that she wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Picking up the bottle from the floor, Gavin walked into the kitchen and emptied the rest of its contents into the sink. Letting out a heavy sigh, he chucked it into the garbage, leaned himself against the counter, and grudgingly peered at Gina from across the room. Short of removing her, couch and all, Gavin resigned himself to the fact that she was indeed staying the night. With that, he flipped the lights off and headed into his bedroom, his muscles tensing with aggravation and anger with every step he took. It was well after midnight by the time Gavin climbed into bed. It was also well after midnight when he decided that his conversation with Emily tomorrow night would be about more than just Dillon. It would also consist of his unexpected house guest sleeping over.

He only prayed that Emily would understand.

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