Page 12 of Forever Yours
I lean down and take her lips with mine. There’s absolutely nothing gentle about the kiss. My mouth takes absolute possession of hers, grinding brutally against hers and I thrust my tongue inside dueling with hers. My hand tangles in her thick ponytail and I pull her closer, wanting to plunder her mouth. She tastes like I thought she always would. She tastes like mine. I grind my hips against hers and hear her whimper when she feels my hardness digging into her.
I pull away, breathing hard. I lean my forehead against hers, both of us gasping.
“I can’t tell you I don’t want you. But I can’t love you like you deserve. I can’t be that man for you. You deserve better. You deserve someone who can be that man. I can’t.”
Her eyes burn with unshed tears and disappointment. She reaches up and touches my cheek.
“You could be that guy. You just don’t have the guts to be him.”
With those words, she lets me go. And she walks out of my front door. I stand there staring at that door for a long time after she’s gone. I did the right thing, so why does it feel so wrong?
Chapter Fourteen
I’ve never thought of a guy other than him. I guess it’s time to change my expectations.-Sophie
Sophie
Matt holds the car door open for me and I smile gratefully. This can’t go bad when he’s so obviously being a gentleman, can it?
“There’s a party off campus I thought we could go to. Sound cool to you?” Matt’s smile brings out one dimple. I feel like I should swoon over his dimple, but instead I think of Liam’s dimples and the magic of his smile.Fuck, get it together Soph. You’re supposed to be getting over him, not daydreaming over him.
“Sounds great, Matt.” I smile, trying to look genuinely excited.
Matt asked me out a week after what I’m labeling The Kiss and Ditch. It was a truly amazing kiss, but what followed after sucked big time. I can’t make Liam understand the love that he’s capable of, the love that we could have if he would just reach for it. It’s time to let go.
The party isn’t what I expected after my first and only experience at the last one. It seems to be mostly high school students who invited Matt to gain clout. The booze is free-flowing, but most of the people here look too young to legally imbibe in it. I’m bored as hell as Matt makes his way through each room of the house. He’s greeted like a long-lost hero by everyone.
Two hours pass with barely a glimpse of my date. I end up sitting outside on the back porch, my legs dangling over the side as I swat at mosquitos here and there. My mind wanders to the nights when I would sit side by side with my brother and Liam on the little back porch of the trailer. We would look up at the stars, pointing out different constellations to each other, and talking about our dreams and hopes. God, it feels like so long ago. But then again, it’s almost as if I can feel those youths with me dreaming and hoping.
I close my eyes. All our dreams had centered on getting out of that trailer park. For Brian and me, the most important thing had been getting out so we could make money and buy Mama a better home. Brian knew that his only way was the military. I dreamed of studying the works of Einstein and Isaac Newton and coming up with my own theories. Liam simply dreamed of getting out, doing whatever it took to leave.
I only got glimpses of Liam’s homelife, but the glimpses I got were absolutely terrifying. His father with the voice that never spoke below a yell, and his mom that cowered in corners. They were what he had to go home to. I couldn’t help but notice the bruises that appeared on Liam’s face with a frightening frequency. I longed to make him better.
I breathe in the air scented by the fire pit in the backyard. I curl my fists over the wooden planks of the porch and swing my legs again.Liam. Why must everything always be about him? Why can’t I just get over him?He doesn’t want me, or at least not enough to try.
The creak of the floor beside me has my eyes flying open.
“Wondered where you got off to? What’s up, pretty girl?” Matt’s slow drawl has a bit of a slur to it as he stumbles and then finally sits down beside me.
I shrug. “I’m just enjoying the night.” I pull my cardigan closer to my skin and not so subtly scoot a little further away from Matt. The smell of alcohol permeates the air.
Nerves roil in my gut as he slides closer to me again. I glance up at the stars and point up at them, hoping to distract him. “Did you know that there are black holes out there? No light can escape them and they…” I jump when I feel his arm loop around my shoulders.
“You’re such a cold fish, Sally. What’s up with you? Don’t you know what most girls would give to be here with me?” He reaches over to slide a finger down the side of my cheek, and I try to shift away again.
I grab his finger and push it away. “The name is Sophie, and I’m not most girls, I guess. I’m ready to go home. I’ll get an Uber,” I say through gritted teeth.
“No need for that, So…Sophia,” he hiccups. “I can drive you home. And then maybe we can get to know each other better.” His white teeth gleam in the darkness of the night and I hug closer to the porch column next to me. I’m essentially trapped between him and the column. I glance around. There’s absolutely no one out here.
“I’m good. I’ll make it home just fine on my own.” I start to push myself up, hoping to make a quick getaway but Matt grabs my arm.
“You’re not going anywhere, pretty girl. I’ve got plans for us tonight.”
His grip on my arm is painful, but I try to shake it off. “Nope, I think I’ve got entirely different plans for me, myself and I. I’ll be going now.” I try again unsuccessfully to pry his bruising grip from my arm.
“You’re staying here,” he grunts as he yanks me down.
I land with a thud next to him and almost topple off the porch.
