Page 42 of Surviving Lies

I shrugged, because I honestly didn’t know. “Why are we up here, Ty?” I looked into his eyes when I asked that question, hoping to discern if he was going to be honest. I wasn’t sure if he was going to want to talk about the ride over with Gage, or even what we saw on the way up. Or us. I really didn’t want to talk about us. Today was supposed to be fun, and talking about us was heavy stuff. “What are we doing right now?”

He blew out a heavy sigh and looked away. “I just needed to feel like we were ‘us’ again for a minute.” He gestured to the room, his hands splayed out. “Being here, at this house again, and seeing you. I miss us so fucking much. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you, not since the moment you came out of your apartment.” He laughed at himself. “Makes me sound like I’m stalking you a bit.” His whiskey eyes found mine as his face turned, the long hair from the top partially covering that brown iris. There was a wetness building in his eyes, and that was breaking me.

“Ty,” I said, my voice tremulous.

“Hey, I promised I wouldn’t make today a drama-filled day for us.” He cackled when he said that. “Shit, imagine me being the one causing more drama than you. I never thought the day would come.” A warm smile spread across his face, the humor evident in his tone. “Today is going to be fun. The first football game this year, and we’re sophomores. I guess I just needed a moment alone with you.”

I leaned my chin on his shoulder, appreciating his words.

“Well, this moment alone was nice, thank you,” I offered.

Ty remained quiet for a bit longer than I anticipated after my response. His throat clearing was my only alert that he was about to talk.

“So,” he started, then paused again. “I don’t know how you would feel about this, considering I said I would give you space and all…” He was fidgeting with his fingers, an imaginary hangnail possibly, as he avoided completing his thoughts.

But I knew where they were going.

And, crazily enough, I felt the same way he was feeling. Being back here, in this space where we had special memories last year, created the desire to try to make this work between us again. Well, maybe not go back to what we had, but to spend time with him.

“Ty,” I said, and his head spun to look at me. The compassion in my voice seemed to give him hope.

“Bec, what would you do if I happened to show up at your place tomorrow morning, to pick you up, let’s say to go grab breakfast?” The small smile on his face was full of optimism.

This was not supposed to be happening. He said he would give me space. The guy I’m spending my time with now is downstairs. The dark, hot new guy who gives me incredible orgasms.

So why, when Ty asked me that question, did my stomach do a flip? Why?

I returned the smile. “I’d say, I would walk out my door and get in your car.”

His head bobbed up and down in gratitude while his mouth spread into a wide grin, his bright white teeth on show. I couldn’t help but widen my smile as well.

What was I doing? I was complicating my life was what I was doing.

But it felt right. In that moment, it felt right. I needed to give us that chance. Didn’t we deserve that?

His hand cradled my cheek. “I was going to ask you for a kiss, but I feel like I’d be pushing my luck,” he said. “And I don’t want to jeopardize our day tomorrow, so this little time with you will be all I ask of you today.”

I nodded, appreciating his regard for my feelings. But his hand remained on my face.

“But I can’t seem to let you go without asking for one. Can I get one before we go back downstairs? I just need to feel your lips against mine. My dreams aren’t cutting it lately.”

I stared at his lips. They were addictive: soft, and pillowy, the bottom one plumper than the top – lips any girl would give their left tit for. I wanted this kiss as well.

I pushed my chin along his shoulder to let him know my answer. The hand still cradling my face moved behind my neck, working its fingers into my hair, guiding my lips to his. His warm breath blew out against me as his lips pressed against mine. There was no collision of mouths, no battle of tongues.

Rather, there was tenderness and a beauty in our union. It radiated from our lips through to my heart. He ended it before I was ready, but came back to kiss each of my lips individually. The top got a peck, then the bottom, before he pulled away and searched my eyes.

“I love you, Becca Reynolds. And I will fight for you, for us. Please know that.” His look lingered.

“Ty, I ...”

“Don’t say anything. I didn’t say it to hear it back. I’ll wait to hear it again when we’re in a good place.” He said it with such confidence, he even made me feel we would get there.

“It’s not that I don’t ...” I started, but he stopped me.

“I know, and it’s OK.” And then suddenly he jumped off the end of the bed and extended his hand to me. “C’mon, let’s get back downstairs. Lanie will have my ass if I keep you away from her and the party for too long.”

And for a second, it felt like old times. I grabbed his hand, and we started for the door together. Bounding down the stairs, excited to get back to the crowd, I wasn’t paying much attention to the surrounding people. As we tried to find Lanie and Xander, Ty held on to me because it was so crowded.

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