Page 20 of Moving On (Cape Falls)

He turned back to Laura and waited.

“Rose doesn’t know she is. She doesn’t know what she is when it comes to you.” Laura stood, going toward him. She put her cup on the counter, staring at him.

“Why are you here, Laura?” he asked.

“Rose thinks you’re in love with me, Peter.”

“That’s not new. Everyone in Cape Falls knows I’m in love with you.”

Laura cocked her head to the side, looking at him. “Do they?”

Sipping at the warm liquid he waited for her to continue.

“You’re not in love with me, Peter.”

He laughed. “You’re going to tell me how I feel?”

“Okay, I’ve beaten around the bush because I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you’re getting old. It’s time you had a wakeup call. You’re the only person in Cape Falls, in our little outcast circle, who thinks you’re in love with me.”

“This is going to be good,” Peter said, ignoring her last words. Laura angry was actually quite comical.

“You’re not in love with me, Peter. You haven’t been in love with me for a long time.”

He shook his head.

“You don’t get hard for me. For a couple of years you tried to hide your erection whenever you touched me. I saw it and never mentioned it. For the last couple of years, even before Dean got his cancer, you didn’t try to stop hugging me completely. You’ve been flaccid, Peter.”

He listened to her explanation. Peter couldn’t remember when he’d stopped responding to her, only that he had been unresponsive to her. Her body was amazing. He adored her curves, but in his mind he saw Rose’s curves. At the thought of Rose his cock started to stiffen.

Frowning, he cut the thoughts of Rose out of his mind and stared at Laura. His cock started to go. What the hell was happening to him? He never wanted to analyse his lack of response to Laura. Loving her was the only thing he knew how to do.

“You’re not interested in me. Your love for me has changed, Peter.”

She stepped up close to him. Grabbing his hand, she pressed it against her breast.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked, trying to pull out of her grasp.

“I’m proving something to you.” In the next breath her lips were on his, and Peter did everything he could to fight her.

This is your chance. Kiss her.

Cupping her cheek, Peter tried to deepen the kiss, but every time he did, he couldn’t help but feel sick to his stomach.

This wasn’t right.

Dropping her hands, Laura stepped back.

He felt nothing. Peter wasn’t disappointed or upset by his lack of response.

“Why did you do that? What is Dean going to think?” he asked, wiping his mouth.

Laura laughed. “Dean was the one who ordered me here. He felt it was time you realised the truth seeing as you were more than happy to stay blind to it.”

“What truth?” Peter asked, feeling all wrong for kissing her.

“Your love for me is not like the love of a man for a woman. You see me as your friend or as your sister. Nothing else, Peter. In fact, I’m grossed out right now because I see you as my brother.” Laura wiped her mouth, looking as grossed out as he felt.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” he asked, hating the truth blaring in his face.

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