Page 289 of Breaking the Pucking Rules
“Thank you,” I muse, my eyes tracking her every movement as she lowers herself into the other chair.
I want to demand she move it over so she can be closer to me, but I refrain.
I might have made a few decisions about where I want things to go with us, but I’m not under any illusion that she’ll be on the same page after the way I’ve treated her.
She’s here for Sutton right now, not me.
I want her to be here for me, though.
“She finally sleeping?” Casey asks, keeping her eyes on Sutton.
“Yeah.”
“I tried to get her to sleep while we were waiting for you, but she refused until you got here.”
My heart seizes.
“Well, I’m here now,” I say like an idiot.
“Yeah,” she mutters.
I keep my attention on Sutton for a few seconds, thanking any deity who’ll listen to an asshole like me that she’s okay. But my eyes inevitably drift to Casey again.
It’s been the same since I ran into her that night at the ball. Our bodies are like two magnets that can’t help but gravitate toward each other. The pull is ridiculous, and I don’t think it’s going to lessen any time soon. If anything, it’s getting stronger.
“Casey,” I whisper, forcing her eyes to lift to mine. “I’m sorry.”
Her brows pinch, her throat rippling with a thick swallow.
“It’s okay. I?—”
“No. It’s not okay. How I acted…nothing about that was okay.”
Casey’s eyes flick to Sutton briefly before she focuses back on me again.
“I should have told you. It was my fault. I blindsided you and?—”
“Why didn’t you?” I ask.
“Because it was just another reason why we shouldn’t have been…” Her eyes jump to Sutton again, watching to see if she’s still sleeping. “Doing what we were doing,” she continues a little quieter.
“I was scared,” I blurt, unable to keep the words in any longer.
She blinks, reaching up to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ear as she contemplates my confession.
“Was scared?” she asks hesitantly.
I shake my head. “I am scared,” I clarify.
Nodding, she twists her fingers in her lap, leaving me hanging on that confession.
As the seconds tick on, I regret saying it more and more.
But then, her lips part, and she whispers, “So am I.”
Our eyes hold as the air in the room thickens. My chest heaves as I fight to drag in each breath. My body burns for her. I want to march over there, pull her into my arms, and never let her go.
Sutton whimpers in her sleep, and I’m dragged back to reality.
