Page 24 of Bewitched By the Mountain Man
I'm frozen, my heart pounding.
“That’s why I should’ve stayed away. But I couldn’t. Every time I saw you, I wanted you more. And tonight… you said it didn’t mean anything. That I was just a rebound. I can’t accept that. Because I know it’s not true.”
I force down the lump in my throat, but the words still won’t come.
“You can lie to yourself all you want, Tessa. But I need you to know how I feel. I want you. Not just your body, not just the sex. I want every part of you. I want to know what pisses you off, what makes you laugh, what you’re afraid of, and what keeps you up at night. And yeah, it scares the hell out of me. Because I don’t know how to do this anymore. But I’d rather be terrified than keep pretending we can’t do this.”
Tears prick at my eyes. This is everything I wanted him to say, and maybe it’s all happening too fast. Maybe we’re moving at the speed of disaster. But I’ve never felt anything like this. Not even close.
Something this real, this electric… it’s crazy not to try.
A knock on the door makes us both jump.
I glance at Lachlan, confused. "I'm not expecting anyone."
The knock comes again, louder this time. A familiar voice calls out, "Tessa? I know you're in there. Your car's in the parking lot."
A chill rips through me.
My ex.
"Are you kidding me?" I mutter, and push past Lachlan to yank open the door.
Derek stands in the entry, and he looks terrible. His hair is messy, his eyes are bloodshot, and he reeks of whiskey. He's wearing the sweater I bought him last Christmas, which feels like a deliberate choice.
"Tessa," he says. "Baby, we need to talk."
"Don't call me that." I cross my arms, blocking the doorway. "What are you doing here, Derek?”
"I made a mistake." He takes a step closer, and I can smell the alcohol on his breath. "The biggest mistake of my life. Vanessa, she's not you. She'll never be you. I need you to know that."
"You dumped me for my friend," I say flatly. "By text. You don't get to show up drunk at my apartment and expect me to care about your regrets."
"I know, I know I fucked up." His eyes are pleading now. "But I love you. I never stopped loving you. Please, just… can we talk? Inside?"
"No."
"Tessa, please."
"She said no." Lachlan's voice comes from behind me.
Derek's eyes widen as he looks past me to where Lachlan must be standing.
"Who the fuck is that?" Derek demands.
"None of your business," I snap.
But Derek is already pushing forward, trying to see into my apartment. "Are you fucking kidding me? You have a guy in there? Already?"
"You were with Vanessa one day after you dumped me," I remind him. "You don't get to judge what I do."
Derek's face is turning red now, anger replacing the desperate sadness. "I made a mistake, but you… what, you're just throwing yourself at random guys now? Is that what this is?"
"Get out," I say, my voice shaking with rage. "Now."
"This is the guy you were with at the sex club, huh?" Derek’s voice slices through the room as he steps forward, phone raised like evidence.
My stomach twists. "Get out, Derek."
