“I never told you,” I admit, “because you hated to talk about Justin, but I have these memories of him yelling at me and throwing me in my room because I was crying for you. I didn’t know why you weren’t there, but now it makes sense.”
Mom’s eyes widen and several tears leak from her lids. “You never told me.”
“At first I thought they were nightmares, but as I got older, I realized they were memories… I didn’t want to upset you.”
“Oh, Georgia. I wish you had told me. I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you about my past… our past. It’s just that…” She sighs. “It’s so hard to talk about it.”
“It’s okay, Mom. So, what happened after you left Justin?”
“After I ran, thinking you were dead, I ended up here in Los Angeles,” she says with a watery smile. “I met Tristan and Lexi, and I fell in love with her at first sight.” She sniffles back her tears. “But it took me a little while to let Tristan in. I was scared that what happened to me before would happen again.”
“Well, who can blame you?”
Mom shakes her head. “I was so focused on the bad that already happened, I almost missed out on the good.” Mom moves the tray off my lap and sets it on the nightstand. Then she takes my hands in hers. “What happened with Robert sucks. He was a shitty guy and will probably end up alone, but what I’m concerned about is the fact that after him, you didn’t date for months. And now you’re saying you’re never going to a club again. You can’t allow the bad to keep you from the possibility of the good.”
She’s right. It’s exactly what I do. I stay in my room, in my little bubble, where I’m safe. It might’ve stemmed from when I was little and my bio dad kept me in my room for damn near a year, but I’m a grownup now and it’s time to stop letting my fears dictate what I want in life. I want to be free…free to love, free to live. Just be free to do what I want.
“You’re right. I’ve worked myself up over the years, creating a mountain out of a molehill, and it’s time I take control of my life. I know what I want, and right now, the only person standing in my way is me.”
“How are you feeling?” Chase plops down on the bed next to me. He props his muscular forearm up against the side of his head and looks at me with his mesmerizing hazel eyes.
“Better,” I tell him truthfully. “My mom and I had a really good talk, and I’ve come to a decision…” I twist my lips, unsure if I should tell Chase. He was really worried about me going to the club, and with his sister…
“Well, go on,” he says through a laugh. “What’s this decision?”
I take a deep breath, then in a rush, say, “I’m not going to give up finding the right guy… even if it means going to a club.”
Chase blinks once. Then again. And then his mouth is on mine. He threads his fingers through the back of my hair and tugs me over to him. At first I’m in shock, wondering what the hell is happening right now. But then his tongue darts out, licking across the seam of my lips, and just like that, my mind goes blank, my body doing all the thinking for me.
I scoot closer, my body sighing into his, and he deepens the kiss. His lips mold with mine, our tongues tangling in one another. His hand leaves my hair and skates down the side of my body, until it lands on my hip. And then he’s gripping my hip and rolling me onto my back. His legs push my thighs apart and he settles on top of me.
Our kiss is messy, desperate. Filled with all of our pent-up sexual tension. I run my fingers through his hair, and wrap my thighs around his waist, pulling him closer to me. When the hard bulge in his pants grinds against my center, I let out a needy groan, which spurs him on. He nips at my bottom lip, then sucks it into his mouth, before he breaks the kiss and moves to my neck. I tilt my head slightly, giving him better access, and he licks a trail along my sensitive flesh, taking his time and covering every inch.
I’ve only been kissed by a couple guys in my life, and none of them made me feel like this—as if my body is being wound up tightly in the best way. If he continues, I have no doubt I’ll eventually snap. My lady parts are clenching in want. My nipples are hard, and as Chase works his way down my body, his fingers brush up against them, making me moan. How can such a simple touch elicit so much pleasure?