Page 9 of Wreck Me

Once he finished and totaled out the transaction, Isla’s attention shifted from the floor to her surroundings, and she frantically waved her arms at the cashier, trying to pull his attention to her. “Oh! No, wait,” she exclaimed as she dug through her purse, looking for what I assumed would be her wallet.

“I’ve got it,” I grumbled, swiping my debit card through the card reader. From my periphery, I could see her cheeks redden, and I fought against a smirk.

Thanking the cashier, I picked up Isla’s bag of groceries and thrust it into her arms before grabbing my own significantly lighter bag.

“You didn’t have to do that, Caleb. I can pay for my own groceries,” she argued, falling into step beside me as I exited the store.

“Where are we heading?” I asked, looking around for a place we could go.

Isla did the same before she wordlessly started walking to our right. I shook my head with slight annoyance, following behind her and admiring the view. She wore a pair of jeans that hugged her ass perfectly, and a loose fitting burnt orange shirt with a deep V cut down the back, giving me a view of her creamy skin and the luscious curves hiding beneath. My cock strained in my pants at the sight, and the memory of how she felt crumbling blissfully beneath me played like a movie in my head.

She stopped at the steps of the library, climbing a few before she settled down on one and placed her grocery bag beside her. I did the same, letting my legs stretch wide in front of me, while my elbows sat on the step above me. Conflicting feelings brewed within me—I wasn’t sure how I wanted to handle this. I couldn’t deny the attraction I had toward her and all the things she made mefeel, but the self-destructing side of me knew I shouldn’t make her a part of my life.

In my eyes, Isla was the definition of perfection. Rich family, supermodel looks, killer curves, and from the brief interactions I’d had with her, the most breathtakingly genuine personality. A guy like me didn’t deserve a girl like her.

I needed to stomp out the flicker of hope she had. There was no other choice.

Swallowing my morals and the lump in my throat, I stepped into a persona I reserved only for very rare occasions.

“I’m not sure why you think there’s anything to talk about. You were a warm pussy for me to slide into, and nothing more. I warned you of that before I fucked you, did I not?” I crossed my arms over my chest and schooled my expression into what I hoped was disinterest, feeling nauseated at my own words.

“You’re so full of shit, Caleb. I may not know you all that well, but I have been around liars my entire life. People who use others to get exactly what they want. People who do anything it takes to get what they want. That’s not you, and I know what I felt wasn’t one-sided.”

“And what exactly did you feel, Starlight? Because the only thing I felt was your pussy as it gripped my cock and swallowed it whole.”

Redness slid up her cheeks as she stared at the steps below us. The words tasted like bile on my tongue and the moment they passed my lips, I wished I could take them back. There was no truth to my statement, but she needed to think there was. “Look, I told you already. There’s nothing I can give you. Getting involved with someone like me won’t do you any favors.”

“And what if I don’t want anything?” she asked quietly, still staring down at the concrete of the stairs. “What if all I’m asking for is a little fun?”

I turned my head to face her, the words falling out of my mouth before I could stop them. “We both know that’s not all it would be.”

She snapped her gaze to me, our eyes connecting like magnets. “So you admit you feel something, then?”

“Like I said, you were—”

“I know, just a warm pussy to slide into, right?” Tears formed as she repeated my words, and I felt like the world’s biggest jackass.

My entire mouth went dry, and I jutted my tongue out to wet my lips, wondering if there was any way to salvage this so I wasn’t coming across so harshly. Why was this so hard to do? I hardly knew the girl and had slept with her one time. I forced the lump in my throat down with a thick swallow. “Right,” I told her, nodding once.

“I don’t believe that,” she seethed. She wasn’t letting up, as though she could see right through me. And maybe she could, because it sure as hell felt like she could see me, deep down in my soul.

“What part of this are you not comprehending? You come from money and privilege. I come from pain and suffering. This idea you’ve painted in your head about us riding off into the sunset and a white picket fence, it’ll never happen.”

“Gaslighting me, Caleb? Really? I never asked you for any of those things. I never even alluded to it. All I want is a chance to get to know you, but you know what? Forget I even asked. I’m not going to beg for your time. I may be trying to pave my way and break apart from my father's control and my life ofprivilege, but I know my damn worth, too.”

My heart slammed behind my ribs, loving the ferocity this woman exuded. Pride bloomed in my chest as I watched her stand, bending at the waist to pick up her bag of groceries. I had no right to be prideful over this woman and the strength she harbored, but I was, and I couldn’t explain why. My brows furrowed with my conflicting emotions, confused at what to feel.

I would let her go, here and now. She wouldn’t find me again after what I said. Isla didn’t seem like the type to give a second chance after she was burned, and the look on her face told me my words had scorched her.

Whoever came up with that ‘sticks and stones’ line was fucking lying when they said words couldn’t hurt you.

My words hurtme. Everything I said was bitter and ugly, with not even an ounce of truth behind them. But that’s what I wanted, right? I wanted her to go. To leave me alone and never come back. For her own benefit.

Right?

She gave me her back and floated down the stairs, not sparing me a glance as she turned left and headed back in the direction we had come from.

Fuck.

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