Page 97 of Love Me, I Dare You

Nash laughs, but not because he finds any part of this situation funny. Yet again, I have to remind myself that he’s just as guilty in all of this. “This changes everything. You fucking better do right by her or I swear to God, Jase, I’ll fucking murder you.”

The thought of Nash ever doing anything to purposely hurt someone is unbelievable, but by the look on his face, it’s also not unlikely.

Jase steps forward, though luckily the bar still separates the two best friends. “You’re one to fucking talk. Are you going to do right by Bailey? Are you going to return the money my dad gave you and force her to pretend the last ten years didn’t happen?”

Now it’s my turn to laugh, appalled by my brother’s insinuation that Nash was capable of taking money in exchange for leaving me. “Jase, I love you, but how dare you?”

Instantaneous regret hits my dumbass brother. “I’m sorry, okay, my pops said…”

“Oh, so you believe everything a man who’s lied to us our entire lives says?” Jase drops his gaze, unable to meet mine, embarrassed he’s even suggested that what Nash and I have isn’t real.

I look around the room at the familiar faces that have all felt varying levels of the same pain and grief. Brothers who’ve lost so much time. A girl and her baby, all alone in this world, even if she has her two best friends on her side. And then there’s me, tangled between both sides, fearing betrayal of both, refusing to choose one in fear of what that will do.

Everyone looks defeated, ruined by the truths and pain my family has caused. I can’t help but feel guilty, wanting to erase everyone's unease as best I can.

“We can’t keep doing this. Can’t continue to allow our parents and this stupid rivalry between them to dictate our futures. Look at us. Just a few hours ago, we were behaving like old friends. Lending each other a hand, putting all of this together because we wanted to help one another.” I turn to Monty. “Your sister is my best friend and your brother, the man I’m in love with. My brother is the father of her child and that means he’s now family as well. We can’t keep running away from each other the moment things go awry, especially when they’re out of our control.”

“You,” I say, turning to Jase. “Kept me away from him for ten years because of some stupid idea that two things couldn’t coexist. He couldn’t be your best friend and my boyfriend. I know you are not the only one to blame. He made the choice to stay away on his own, but our fathers were also the culprits in all of this. My dad for threatening him and for blinding you by the hatred he felt for their father.” I turn to Nash, who watches me with an unreadable expression. “And your father, he raised you to believe we were the enemy, allowing you to fear the power my father wields.”

I’m too drawn into Nash’s gaze, his stare pulling me in closer until I’m closing the distance between us. I flatten a palm against his heart, my other hand reaching up, my fingers running through his hair. “I don’t want to give up on this, regardless of the mistakes we made in the past. I don’t want to waste any time yet again separating and letting him win. I forgive whatever reason you had for leaving. I just want you to promise me this time you’ll stay.”

Nash is about to speak, but I quiet him with a soft kiss. I’m not done getting everything off my chest, and I have to do so ifanyone in this room is going to have the chance to move forward. “We have to allow Monroe and Jase the opportunity to figure things out on their own. I know you’re angry, but I know my brother. You know him and chose him as a best friend because of the man that he is. He’ll do right by her and the baby. I can promise you that. But it would be hypocritical of us to try to keep them apart.”

The room stands still, no one speaking, though I know they all agree with me. I’ve never heard a silence quite this loud, yet there’s a shared understanding that hangs heavy in the air, needing no verbal confirmation.

“As for Beau…” I say, turning toward the man we’ve just discovered binds the two of us together more than we ever expected, but he silences me with a soft smile. Beau is my father’s son, my brother, yet he’s also Nash’s blood. As fucked up as it sounds, it won’t change anything. There’s nothing that could have surprised me more than that revelation. Though I can’t allow it to dictate how I feel about Nash. We'll somehow work through this, But at the moment, it’s not our priority.

In this moment of stillness, our unity and trust is palpable, a powerful force that binds our families together.

Nash cups my cheek in his palm, his thumb rubbing circles along my tear stained skin. I think he’s about to argue, to tell me he can’t do what I ask, but yet again, the man surprises me, showing me exactly why I love him.

“We’ll figure it out,” he says, placing a soft kiss against my lips. ”Let’s go home, Angel. Everyone go home. We can deal with this tomorrow.”

Epilogue

Bailey

Nash hoists me up into his arms and into the apartment, carrying me to my room and over to the unmade bed, before setting me down on his lap. My body heats in anticipation as his hands sneak underneath my shirt, warm lips brushing against my neck and leaving kisses in their wake.

Everything about what led us here is shoved to the back of my mind because in this moment, the only thing that matters is him and the way he makes me feel loved and cherished. Despite our twisted past, regardless of the people in our life who tried to keep us apart for so many reasons, we found our way back to each other and for me, that is enough.

We are no longer burdened by the weight of all the secrets and lies, or people who’ve stood between us. We’ve defied the odds and re-written our history despite the obstacles we’ve faced. Here by his side, with his arms around me, my lips aching to feel his, I find solace and strength. Our love transcends any challenge that threatens to keep us apart. Our past brought us back to one another, defining fate, and I am grateful for who we have become because of it.

This time I’m the one who initiates the kiss, taking his lips in a steady, tender caress. He allows me to keep control. No intense need to devour when we have our entire lives to enjoy the way our mouths mesh to the perfect rhythm.

My hips swivel, moving in soft, slow circles over his thick erection, pressing against me, and it only makes him deepen the kiss.

“Bailey,” he hums against my pulse, licking and kissing me softly. A surge of desire courses through me as Nash’s hands grip my ass, moving me faster over him until our hurried lips match the intensity of my breathless pants.

Flipping us so that he’s hovering over me, his lips descend on mine, fervent and passionate, a complete contrast to before. “Too heavy?” he asks, but I’m too far gone to care if the man is crushing me or not. I’d happily be crushed to death so long as it is him I’m beneath.

With a laugh, he releases me, only to reach for the button of my jeans and tug them down to my ankles. I kick them off, spreading my legs so he can easily and comfortably fit between them.

Nash wastes no time, dipping a hand inside my thong, and pushing it to the side, as his fingers gently trace my lips, spreading my wetness over my clit as his fingers move in a circular motion. I’m writhing underneath him, my pleasure blinding me to the point I can’t think straight, let alone speak.

My nails dig into the sheets beneath me, aching to feel his muscles beneath my finger tips only my arms have no strength to reach for him. “Nash,” I moan, unable to resist the urge to have him inside me, of him making me come with his cock. Hearing his name on my tongue only makes him quicken his pace, rubbing me harder, as he trails kisses down my stomach until his lips descend over my pussy and taste the arousal building for him.

“I can kiss you for the rest of my life and never get tired of it, B,” he whispers against my skin.

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