Page 58 of One Short Summer

“So, what did you do? Did you kick Alex’s ass?” Her voice is softer this time, like she’s afraid she might hurt my feelings otherwise.

I scoff and shake my head. “No. I was too shocked to do anything, to be honest. I turned around and left. I went straight back to our dorm room and packed up my stuff. I tried to avoid them both, but they caught up with me eventually—separately, of course—to explain themselves. I didn’t want to hear them out but was getting tired of being chased on a daily basis, so I let them say their two cents and be done with it.”

The same irritation I felt back then slams into my chest. “They didn’t care about my feelings, or they would have respected my wish to be left alone, especially after what they’d already done. All they cared about was the guilt they felt and wanting to lift that weight off their shoulders. Nothing but another selfish act.”

She grumbles but doesn’t say anything.

“Anyway. Alex didn’t even try to make up an excuse, which was fine by me, and Ashley blamed it all on me and my writing.”

That got Monica’s attention again. “She what? Are you serious? Why would she do that?”

“She said I shouldn’t be surprised she turned to someone else to make her feel special because my books were clearly more important to me than her. Apparently, I didn’t pay enough attention to her, giving all my love to my stories instead.”

Monica surprises me when she starts laughing. “Wow. What a load of bullshit. Well, thank goodness you dodged that bullet.”

I don’t know what overcomes me in that moment, but I laugh too.

The clarity in this moment is almost overwhelming, the pure stupidity and absurdity of the whole situation suddenly standing out to me like a blinking neon sign. It’s been a dull, nagging memory in the back of my mind ever since it occurred, pulling a small dark cloud over my life, and I let it.

Over time, I pretty much convinced myself Ashley was right and Iwasa lousy partner. I mean, the few dates I’ve had over the years obviously didn’t go anywhere, and what better proof is there?

Laughing with Monica about it is almost cathartic, making me realize how much they really screwed with my brain back then. Maybe I should have talked to someone about this after all. Seems like that could have saved me a lot of headaches.

It appears all I needed was someone to put it in perspective for me.

“Thank you.”

The words are out of my mouth before I can grasp the real meaning of them because let’s face it, this isn’t just a thank-you for listening to my story and helping me deal with it.

This thank-you is for so muchmore.

Monica isn’t the only one who’s changed this last year, I have too. I was always the quiet one in our family, the one who lived in his head and through his stories. Now, I’ve come out of my shell, louder and more direct than ever before, challenging the people in my life more along the way too.

Monica’s partially responsible for that. Entwined in my life in ways I never fully realized.

My sole focus is on her now and the sweet look she gives me.

This woman. Driving me crazy like no one else ever has before. My veins pulse with need for her, the urge to grab her under her arms to pull her up on my chest too strong to resist. When she’s finally close enough, I capture her tantalizing lips in a kiss.

There are no reservations between us, no awkward holding back so many people experience when they’re with someone new.

We’re not just kissing, we’re devouring each other, and don’t make a secret about it either.

She pulls back after a few minutes of intense making out and brushes the hair out of her face. “Hey there, Romeo. Where have you been hiding? You can say thank you to me like that whenever you want, day or night.”

I roll my eyes at her but can’t keep the grin off my face. “I meant it.”

“Me too.” She winks at me before patting my chest a few times with her hand. “Seriously though, there’s no need to thank me. It’s not like I did anything.”

“You’re here with me, and that makes all the difference. Maybe I never would’ve realized how hung up I was on my past if it wasn’t for you and this conversation.”

Her gaze turns serious for a moment, something that doesn’t happen too often with her. “Charlie once told me we feel what we feel, and it’s okay to do that. Bottling up emotions or burying them is never a long-term solution, and it will catch up with you eventually. I’m glad you finally see it for what it was, two people you loved and trusted betrayingyou,not the other way around. You should haveneverfelt bad about it in the first place. At least now you can move on.”

Something intense flickers across her face, accompanied by a tightening of the skin around her eyes. When it’s gone a moment later, I wonder if I imagined it all together.

Then, a slow smile forms at the corners of her mouth. It’s sexy and sensual, and my body reacts instantly to it as her hands begin roaming over my chest. “Let’s not waste another second on those awful people. Let’s get back to that sexy thank-you instead.”

Only Monica can move from a serious conversation to being a little seductress without even making a real effort. Grabbing her by the waist, I flip us around. Pressing my hard body into hers, I’m more than ready to lose myself in the here and now, and in her alone.

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