Page 123 of That Moment
She sags against me, cheek to my shoulder, a soft, contented sound catching in her throat. I press my mouth to her temple, eyes closed, and try to brand this into memory; the weight of her, the warmth, the way it feels when you’re in love.
Chapter 23
Adrienne
“I’m in love with you.”
The words shatter the silence. For a heartbeat, everything freezes. The ceiling fan hums softly. My pulse pounds in my ears. Scotty’s eyes, half-lidded from the afterglow, flick open.
He blinks once. Then frowns. “What?”
My smile wavers, nerves coiling tight. “I said I’m in love with you.”
He sits up so fast the mattress shifts under me. The warmth that filled the room moments ago disappears, replaced by a cold, heavy silence.
“Scotty?” I whisper.
He drags a hand through his hair, staring at the floor. “Don’t.”
The single word slices through me. I clutch the sheet tighter to my chest, throat tight. “Don’t what? Tell you how I feel?”
He exhales, still not looking at me. “You shouldn’t have said that.”
Something inside me cracks. “Why? Because it makes this too real? Because it’s easier if it’s just?—”
“Adrienne.” His tone is low, warning. I stop talking. He finally turns his head, eyes darker than I’ve ever seen them. “You don’t get to drop that like it’s nothing.”
My heart stutters. “It’s not nothing.” I swallow hard, the lump in my throat making it hard to breathe. “I knew this would ruin everything.” He doesn’t deny it. The silence between us stretches, loud and unbearable, until I finally whisper, “Say something.”
But he doesn’t. He just sits there, muscles tense, staring at the floor like the words I said were a line he can’t cross. His head snaps up suddenly, eyes sharp and cutting through the quiet. “What kind of fucked-up game are you playing right now?”
My chest tightens. “What?”
He stands, pacing a few steps away, still naked, tension rolling off him. “You’re the one leaving, Adrienne. You tell me you love me before you even tell me about this big job in L.A.?”
The words hit so hard that it takes a second for them to register. “What?” I whisper again, smaller this time. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t do that. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
Confusion knots through the panic. “Scotty, I—I don’t?—”
He cuts me off with a bitter laugh. “You know, I actually thought this was different. That for once, I wasn’t just something you were trying out before you ran off to the next big thing.”
I stare at him, heartbeat thudding painfully in my chest. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” He grabs his jeans off the floor and pulls them on, movements rough, angry. “You were gonna leave. And you thought saying you loved me would make it easier? So you didn’t have to feel guilty?”
My throat burns. “Scotty—no. That’s not?—”
He laughs again, but it’s hollow this time. “Guess I should’ve seen it coming. I guess you were honest with me about not knowing what you wanted.”
My mouth falls open. “Who told you about L.A.?”
His head snaps toward me, eyes narrowing. “So it’s true?”
“What?” My pulse spikes, confusion and dread twisting together. “No.”
He grabs his jeans off the floor, yanking them on with rough, jerky movements. “Axel told me, at your parents' party,” he spits. “Said you’ve got some big job offer in L.A. and you’re taking it.”
