Page 28 of Third Time is the Charm
The thought jarred her – and he felt it. Beth pulled back, stepping out of his embrace, her hand coming up to cover her mouth, shocked at how easily she’d fallen right back into his spell.
“Beth,” he groaned her name, his hand running roughly through his hair. “God, I’m sorry.”
Her eyes widened at the words.An apology?She couldn’t process this, she needed to get away from him. Her feet began to inch towards the door to her room.
The look in his eyes was tortured regret. “Please, don’t... Fuck, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t stop myself.” He huffed, knowing how poor of an excuse that sounded like. “I’m so sorry, Beth. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.”
She nodded her head, trying to shuffle around him, forcing herself to do so calmly. “It’s fine. I just… I should go. Goodnight, Darcy.”
His jaw clenched, anger bubbling to the surface of his face where she could see that her words were not what he wanted to hear. “Beth, I need to talk to you. Please.”
An apology. A please.
This couldn’t be happening; this couldn’t be real.
She couldn’t fall for this again.
Her head began to shake frantically. “No… no, I can’t. I can’t, Darcy,” she mumbled hysterically. “Not again, I can’t. This… everything… it’s always on your terms. I have to go.”
She couldn’t – not now; it was all too much.
Beth turned to bolt for her door, suffocated by the emotions fighting for control in his presence.
“Beth, wait, please,” Darcy pleaded as his hand came out to grab her arm. She came to a halt, the déjà vu crashing over her – his hand on her arm at the Gala, wanting to explain his ‘barely tolerable’ comment. Who could have known this is where that had her end up?
She looked down at where his hand was on her, except this time, it wasn’t Darcy who took his hand back, it was she who pulled her arm out of his grasp, tears now running down her cheeks.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she asked softly, her voice filled with pain; her words were almost an exact recording of those that he’d said to her outside of her father’s office.
Darcy looked like she’d struck him, his arm dropping to his side, as his head gave her a brief nod, agonizing regret written all over his face.
“I’m sorry, Beth. Goodnight.” The deep tenor of his voice rumbled through her, the sadness in it reverberating throughout the hall.
Beth turned and unlocked her door, escaping to the haven of her room. She collapsed onto her bed, letting the tears fall freely. Her phone buzzed and startled her, for a brief second her heart sped up wondering if it was Darcy reaching out.
It was Colin.
-Hope this doesn’t wake you, but I can’t wait to see you… Just finished packing my dancing shoes ;)
Beth smiled slightly through her teary eyes and then, holding her phone, punched the pillow next to her in frustration when all of the anticipation pulsing through her came to a screeching halt as soon as the stupid pile of broken hopes inside her chest realized it wasn’t Darcy. Beth groaned, the tears coming in droves now. Her breathing became labored as exhaustion amplified her distress – all thoughts of Col or responding to him suffocated from her mind at the memory of the kiss she’d just shared with the man sheshouldn’twant.
Why had she let it happen? How could she?
They were dumb questions to ask because she knew exactly why. She missed Darcy and she still wanted him.
Which was why she needed to stay away from him.
It didn’t matter what he had to say or that Jane thought she should talk to him; she would only end up with her heart broken, again.
Everything was always on his terms.
First, he wanted to kiss her, then he wanted to talk to her. Every situation, every choice, was always on his terms – just like before.
And if she let it continue, she’d be right back where she was–hanging onto his every careless word, hoping they’d, at some point, turn sweet again – ignoring the truth that that point would never come.
Chapter 9
The bags under her eyes were a dead giveaway that she’d tossed and turned all night, struggling to fall asleep until well after three in the morning. Beth groaned,at least her makeup was being professionally done today;if anyone could hide the dark circles, they could. Her cranky, tired face on the other hand would take some more work. She’d cracked a smile once this morning, when she’d responded to Col’s text from last night.
