Page 21 of You are the Reason

What ifshefeels uncomfortable with how close we are? Will I still be able to call on him, to confide in him? There is a tightness in my chest as he notices me standing there and the burn behind my eyes threatens to take over.

“Whoa, Kins, way to sneak up on me.” He laughs, before he realises that I’m balancing on the brink of tears. “Hey, talk to me.” Jesse sits down on the toilet and drags me onto his lap.

“Do you think things will ever have to change between us?” I ask. “Like, if either of us gets into a serious relationship?” I can’t bring myself to look up at him; all these emotions have honestly come out of nowhere and I’m just word vomiting on him.

Jesse rests his chin on top of my head as he speaks, “Did Tanner say something?”

“No.” Speaking about my feelings has never been easy for me but with a deep breath I continue. “When I saw you here, in my space doing this for me, just as we have always done so easily for each other —” I pause to take another deep breath because I’m rambling; as always he is so patient. He tightens his hold on me and waits, “— it’s the thought of you having a partner and not being able to lean on you whenever I need you.” I’m a sobbing mess now, what am I even asking him?

When I turn to face him, his brows are furrowed. He tucks the loose strands of hair that are falling into my eyes behind my ear before he speaks.

“I’ll always be here for you, Kinsley. Day or night, if you call me, I will move heaven and earth to get to you. Do you understand me?”

Until he findsher.Until he finds the girl who can give him everything that I can’t.

He kisses my forehead, encouraging me to stand, then leaves me alone to the bath he has drawn for me.

Chapter Fourteen

Tanner

I’m fuming as I take the exit towards Kinsley’s apartment. I had to find out through work that there was a break-in at Twisted Sister. We were notified so we could keep an eye on the other businesses in the area which we manage and to report any suspicious behaviour. It’s not just the break-in that has my knuckles turning white against the steering wheel, it’s the fact that something could have happened to her.

I’ve been patient with her, waiting for her to be ready to goall in, but I can’t protect her the way I want to — the way I need to — if I continue to wait. It’s time to show her, and everyone else, who she belongs to.

Jesse’s car is parked out the front, but I already knew that. After I got the call about the break-in I looked over the cameras at the apartment. I saw him come over last night and surprise surprise, the bastard hasn’t left yet. It’s not that I dislike him, I’m glad she has someone looking out for her. It’s the fact that I want to be the one she runs to. I open the door to the apartment without knocking, I’ve never knocked before, why should I start now?

Jesse is standing in the kitchen and his eyes dart to mine. His initial expression of shock quickly turns to unease. I enter the apartment and he greets me with a fake version of the cheesy grin I know Kinsley loves.

“Hey, Tanner,” he says as he leans back on the kitchen counter. The same kitchen counter I have eaten off multiple times, in more ways than one.If only he knew.

“Kins here?” I ask, not bothering with small talk and fake smiles. I’ve never been the jealous type, so I don’t know what has come over me. This girl has me wound up tight and I feel like I could snap at any moment.

We both turn heads as she walks down from her bedroom. How can a girl look this sexy in just sweats? Her hair is still damp from her shower and the scent of her shampoo lingers throughout the apartment. She glances between us both before smiling sweetly at me.

Jesse chuckles and squeezes Kinsley’s shoulder as he walks past her and towards the door. “If you’re all good, I’ll catch up with you later, yeah?”

She nods at him, her eyes continuously drifting back to me. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

I move out of the doorway and towards Kinsley, but as I go to reach out and pull her towards me she places her hand on my chest, keeping a distance between us.

“Jess, wait!”

Looking up I see him hovering in the doorway. Kinsley moves around me, walking right up to wrap her arms around Jesse’s waist.Breathe Tanner, you don’t know how much last night may have shaken her up.As much as I don’t want to admit it, I think Jesse is actually a good guy.

I hear a muffled ‘Thank you, for everything’ before she pulls away and the door closes behind him.

I let my eyes drift from her to the couch. Sitting down, I reach for her and pull her into my lap. “You didn’t call me.” The thought slips through my lips before I have the chance to reign it in, not at all the way I wanted to lead this conversation but, we are in it now.

“This is still so new, I didn’t know if I should.” She looks down at her hands, picking at her fingernails; an anxious habit. “And to be honest, it has only been Jesse in my corner for so long, he was the first person I thought of.”

With a deep breath I take her hand, pressing the tips of her fingers to my lips, kissing them one by one. “I’m going to spend the rest of the day showing you who you belong to, but first I need to know what happened last night.”

Kinsley bristles at my words before she straightens her shoulders and begins to speak, “I was in the office waiting for a taxi when someone broke into the bar and started smashing glasses.” I can feel her tensing up as she speaks, so I trail my hands up and down her back encouraging her to keep going. “The taxi scared them off when it arrived and I just left. I was panicking so I texted Jesse on the way home and once I was back here I called the police station.”

“Are you okay?” It’s a stupid question, but communicating isn’t my strong suit especially when it comes to feelings.

Looking up at me through her dark lashes she says, “I am now.” Her voice is sultry and there is a sparkle in her eyes. She has no idea what she has coming for her and just the thought alone has my cock stirring. From here on out I want to be the first person she thinks of when she wakes up, and the last person she sees when she closes her eyes at night. I want to be in every one of her waking thoughts. The shining knight in her dreams and the devil in her nightmares.

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