She blows out a breath, her shoulders sagging a little. “I thought so. Okay. Here’s my attempt at doing the right thing and not the mom thing.”
“Okay…” I hedge.
“I’ve known about you and Thayer.”
I think my heart stops for a beat. “Oh?”
“I found you asleep in his bed right before Danny’s accident.”
“Oh God,” I groan, dropping my face into my hands, embarrassed.
“Obviously, our situation is…complicated. So, I thought it was best that I separate you two.”
So that’s why she moved us back to Shadow Ridge?
“And I’m not saying it was the wrong thing to do. You were seventeen. When we moved back, I thought he’d be away for college and that you would’ve moved on. But as soon as both of you were in the same place, you were like two magnets. That kind of love—the kind that doesn’t fade with time or distance—it’s rare. Like catching lightning in a bottle. And if the only thing holding you back from being happy is the fact that he’s Grey’s half-brother, then you should be with him.”
I blink, not expecting the conversati
on to take this turn.
“It’s not just that,” I say, wanting to open up, but not quite sure how. My mom and I have never had the kind of relationship where I felt comfortable talking to her about guys.
“I’m not telling you what to do. You’ve always been responsible enough to make your own decisions. I’m just letting you know that whatever you choose, I’ll support it. And Grey will come around, too.”
Thayer
I’m outside Shayne’s house like a lovesick fuck under the guise of checking on her. The truth is, no one has tried anything since the night of the fire, but I can’t stay away. I’ve tried. All the lights are off except the lamp in her room, and her window’s open, like I knew it would be. It’s barely sprinkling, but the wind is blowing and thunder rumbles in the distance.
I make my way over to the side of the house and hoist myself up and through her window, trying to keep my entrance as quiet as possible so I don’t wake her mom. Shayne’s curled up on her side and she must have fallen asleep not very long ago because “The Freshman” by The Verve Pipe plays from her phone’s speaker on the bed next to her. As I get closer, I notice the tip of her nose is red, like she may have fallen asleep crying, and I feel a pang of guilt. I’ve been the source of her tears too many times, but I’d kill anyone who dare made her cry.
I brush a wayward strand of hair off her cheek and tuck it behind her ear before I crawl into bed behind her. I kiss the back of her neck, curling my hand around her hip.
“Our scars are called Lichtenberg figures,” I say, dropping my forehead to the top of her spine. I’m not even sure she’s awake, but I keep going anyway. “You asked me why I’d get a permanent reminder of that night.” I use the tips of my fingers to trace the curve of her hip, feeling goosebumps break out over her warm skin.
“It was the night you told me you loved me.” I kiss her again where her shoulder meets her neck. I hear her breath catch, and I know she’s awake now. “Because in some fucked up way, I felt like that night branded us together, whether we liked it or not.” Another kiss. “But more than that, it was the night that I realized I loved you. And I couldn’t handle it. My mom left us. Danny had just died. I was fucking scared to love anyone else. So, I did what I do best, and I shut down. I pushed you away. But I wanted to remember what that felt like.”
Shayne wordlessly rolls toward me and my hand slides underneath her shirt with the movement, gliding up to rest in between her shoulder blades. Our lips are centimeters apart, but she keeps her eyes downcast.
“I’m sorry.” The words are simple, but I don’t think I’ve actually said them before. “Be with me.”
Her breaths come quicker now, and I can feel her heart pounding. I don’t know what she’s thinking or feeling, but she’s not kicking me out, so I take it as a good sign. Then I feel her tongue graze my lips, tentatively slipping between them as her hands come up to cup my jaw. She kisses my top lip first, sucking lightly, and then she repeats the motion with the bottom. I groan, letting her take her fill, but when her tongue slides against mine, I can’t help kissing her back.
I slide my hands into her hair, holding her to me as I move my tongue against hers. I roll her underneath me, then sit back on my heels to peel her grey shorts down her legs, taking her underwear with them. Shayne lies still, letting me undress her. Her tank top is next. I push it up to expose those perfect tits, admiring how pretty her little pink nipples look with those dainty piercings. I crawl on top of her, my hands pinning hers to the bed as I take one hardened tip into my mouth.
Shayne moans, lifting her hips, seeking friction. I suck on her, capturing both of her wrists in one hand, then my thumb takes care of the neglected side. Getting off on her little gasps and moans, I take my time sucking, licking, nipping, and then I give the same treatment to the other side. Shayne’s practically panting now, her eyes squeezed shut like she’s in pain with her arms still raised above her head.
I curl her fingers around the slats in the headboard. “Keep them there,” I say, standing to get rid of my clothes. Shayne’s eyes are glued to me as I tear my shirt off over my head, dropping it to the floor. I kick off my shoes, shoving my pants and boxers down my legs next, and then I’m crawling back over her, kissing my way up her stomach.
“Open your legs for me, baby.”
Shayne spreads her thighs for me without hesitation, and I slide in between them.
“Tell me again,” I say, positioning myself against her slick heat before lifting her thigh to my waist. “I want to hear you to say it.”
She wets her lips, seeming nervous, and I realize my mistake. The last time she said those words, it didn’t end well. She needs to hear them from me.
“I love you,” I say, pushing inside her. I slide my hands up her outstretched arms, linking my fingers through hers as I start to move inside her. “I tried not to. I didn’t want to feel anything for anyone, but then you came along and crawled inside my skin, inside my fucking heart, and you never left. Not even for a minute. I’m done fighting it.”