Page 175 of The Home Grown
It takes me seconds to come apart. It’s almost instant and unstoppable. All the while, the steady rhythm of Mike—thrusting into me, carries me over.
Then the pained, delicious sounds of him—coming right along with me, fill my ears.
He kisses my neck, then my jaw, then my cheek.
“I think you’ve got about a minute to spare,” he says.
Chapter Thirty-Six
BETTSY
I knowI should leave things alone, but I can’t. I physically can’t, and as soon as Ellie texts me back with his number, I’m poised and ready—my thumb hovering over the call button.
Honestly, this is the last thing I thought I’d be doing. But it’s been on my mind ever since my conversation with Greer.
I’ve been where he is … or close, anyway. Letting everything come second to an unrequited love who doesn’t really give a shit about you or your career.
Thing is, I didn’t understand the why back then. But I do now. It was Ellie.
Everything. All the heartache, sleepless nights, the sting of rejection … it was because of her.
Because I wasn’t meant to be with anyone else.
And maybe the universe was just showing me the lows, so I’d know exactly how lucky I am to feel this high.
Now, I need to pay it forward.
I should be playing poker with the guys, but instead, I’m locked in the bathroom with my phone pressed against my ear—desperately listening to it ring out.
Ring. Ring.
Ring. Ring.
Ring. Ring.
“Hello?”
I swallow and lean against the vanity unit, willing myself to speak.
“Hey, it’s uh … Bettsy.”
The line goes quiet. Several seconds pass. Long enough for me to wonder if I’ve made a mistake.
“Bettsy?” he says. “What the hell do you want?”
“I don’t really know,” I say. “But I do know I’d not be able to live with myself if I didn’t try.”
He lets out a dry laugh. “So, this is just an ego boost for you? Perfect.”
“Nah, it’s not like that,” I say. “I just wanted to say—” I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry things worked out the way they did.”
“Yeah, right. I bet you’ve been laughing at my expense.”
“Not at all. Really, I haven’t. In fact, I’ve been trying to figure out what I can say to get you to change your mind about the team—which is funny because if someone had asked me a few months ago I would have told them it was a dream come true. We don’t have to be friends, but we should appreciate we share the same love. And you and I both know the hard work and the sleepless nights and the bruises and the?—”
“What’s your point, Bettsy?” he says.
“My point is … it’s not worth giving up for the sake of a woman with no backbone. Believe me, I’ve come close myself and honestly, it’s not worth it. Now, more than ever, you need the guys, and you know … that deep-rooted feeling ofbelonging.”
