Page 64 of Trails of Temptation

“George, it’s fine—”

“There was no reason why I couldn’t have told you what was going on instead of keeping you in the dark for a week. That was… mean. And I am sorry.”

“George—”

I stepped toward her, closing the distance between us. “I love you,” I said, tucking her curls behind her ear before caressing her cheek. “I am in love with you. You have my entire heart, my soul, every fiber of my being belongs to you. But I fucked up, and if you don’t want to be here, if you can’t be here, I understand. I deserve it—”

She reached up and pulled me in, her mouth hovering over mine.

“I love you, too, and there is no way in hell I’m letting you let me go. I’m in this for good.”

“Why?”

“Why?” She brushed her lips over mine but didn’t kiss me. “Because I’ve been in love with you since I was a teenager, George. You’ve taken up my thoughts for half of my life. I want you, flaws and all. I wanted you before, I want you now, and in the future. I know you have a hard time sharing your feelings. I know you’re hurting and it’s killing me—” Her breath hitched, and I felt tears welling in my eyes as I accepted her comforting touch, my body starting to melt against hers. “I’m in this, George. If you still want me.”

“I do,” I whispered, then kissed her fully, wholly, and without a shred of hesitation.

* * *

Keely sat on the freshly swept floor in the dining room, plating a paper plate and pizza on her knees while Pete and I unhooked the old, thankfully empty, fridge from the wall and pulled it loose from the vinyl floor tiles.

“Just toss it out on the porch,” I said as we guided it across the kitchen. “Everything is going to need to go.”

“Including the porch itself.”

“Yeah, that too.” I was beginning to wonder if this massive, expensive project was even worth it.

Music drifted from the radio Pete brought back with him when he returned with the pizza and beer. I turned to go back into the house but Pete shut the door behind him and remained on the porch, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans.

“We… gotta talk.”

“Uh, yeah, we do.” I looked over at him, noticing the bruising still lingering on his face. We’d really hurt each other in several different ways. “I don’t want Keely to overhear,” I continued after a moment.

“Mm… Me neither,” he replied pointedly, tilting his head toward one of the barns.

We walked side by side across the severely overgrown dirt road leading from the house to the first barn, the closer one, which used to house the horses my dad owned. It was empty now, nothing but a few pigeons roosting in the rafters.

“Terrible shape,” I said under my breath, looking up the disrepair and splintered rafters.

“Yeah, well, the roof has lasted this long. I doubt it’ll collapse on top of us.”

“Why are you here, Pete?”

Pete pursed his lips. “Because regardless of the fact you’re very publicly carrying on with my little sister… You’re still my friend, and I… Care about you.”

“I can tell that was hard for you say,” I said wryly.

Pete smirked, shaking his head. “I’m sorry about your mom.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry, too.” I proceeded to tell him about what happened and what she’d said to me before she passed. I lingered on how she hadn’t wanted me to be around to watch her die, and that she was actually looking forward to death if only to see my dad again. That had been the only comfort I had.

“I shouldn’t have just run off on Keely.”

“She was under the impression you left because of her.”

“I know.”

“Because of what we did.” Pete chuckled.

---