Page 42 of You Loved Me Once
“I don’t know. I saw you and started to walk toward you. I swear it was like I couldn’t stop myself.”
His admission stuns me. There’s a hint of defeat in his voice. Bryce is struggling just as much as I am.
“Why were things so dark?” I ask.
He pinches the bridge of his nose and then takes a long, slow slip of his whiskey. “You think I wanted you to leave? I was a wreck after you decided to go to Northwestern. We were stronger than that, Chick. We were supposed to go to school together, start our life, and you came back home and then it was like I didn’t matter anymore.”
He mattered. He always mattered. Hell, at one point, he was all that mattered.
Maybe we should talk about all of this that lingers between us? Closure is what we’re both lacking. If we could get it out there, we could finally put this thing to bed.
“Oh my God. I met this guy right by the bath—” Julie’s voice breaks the intense moment. “Well, hello there.” She looks at Bryce.
He drains the remnants of his whiskey and stands. “It was great to see you, Dr. Adams. I appreciate you lending me your seat, miss.”
Looks like closure has to wait.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Peyton.” The formality sounds foreign coming from my lips. He’s Bryce. My Bryce. The one who I met in a run-down bar like this one what feels like a million years ago, but he’s not mine anymore.
Chapter 12
Knock, knock, knock.
I really need an IV to cure this hangover. Vodka is not my friend today. No, today I hate vodka and all the promises it made about how much better I’d feel if I drank it. I do not feel better. Instead, I have a splitting headache and I’ve spent a few hours in front of the toilet.
“Ren?”
My head falls back. I groan when I realize who it is, and I rest my hand on the door. I don’t have the energy for today. I wanted to spend today in bed, hating my life and enjoying a little pity party I was going to attend.
“Ren, I saw your car,” Westin’s voice says from the other side of the door.
I twist the lock and unhook the chain, knowing I need to deal with this now. Westin deserves better from me.
“Hey,” I croak, clear my throat, and try to smile.
“Are you sick?” he asks with concern lacing his voice.
I shake my head. “No, Julie and I went to Rich’s bar.”
He smirks. “You blew me off for that?”
“I didn’t blow you off, Wes. Or, I didn’t mean to. Either way, please know I’m being thoroughly punished for my sins.”
“Since last night was a bust, I’m stealing you for the day,” he informs me. “Go get dressed, we’re going out.”
I look at him with my brows raised. “I’m sorry, what?”
He takes my hand, pulling me toward the bedroom. “Get ready, Ren. Don’t fight me, just listen for once.”
I stop walking, cross my arms over my chest, and fight back a smile. “What are you up to, Westin Grant?”
Our eyes are locked, and he moves close, his strong arm hooking around my back, and pulling me in so we’re flush against each other. “I’m doing what I should’ve done a long time ago,” he says, watching my reaction. “I’m not going to let you drive the car anymore, Serenity. I want more and I’m tired of waiting for you to be ready.”
I gasp as the fire burns in his gaze. “What if I’m not ready now?”
His lips turn into a sinful smile. “Then I guess I’ll have to make you ready.”
If this were a week ago, I would’ve been thrilled at this take-charge kind of change in him. I might not have been on board right away, but I wouldn’t feel as though I was being pulled apart. Now, though, I’m at war with the girl I was and the woman I want to be. I think about what it was like to let a man run my world, and how that ended. My heart is irrational and it’s torn. I remember the way it was for me a long time ago with Bryce, and even though I can’t have it, I crave the closeness and love I felt.
