Page 22 of Hush (Fighting Fate)

Before I could think anything else, his lips were on mine, and we were kissing. The decision had been made. My body melted and reacted of its own accord, my lips parting against his, and my hands snaking up into his hair. Corey’s hands pressed firmly against my lower back, pulling me against him as his lips caressed mine.

I instantly knew this was the kind of normalcy I’d been looking for. My body had been craving it, but I still couldn’t help feeling like something was missing. It didn’t feel right. And it didn’t taste right.

Eventually we pulled apart and Corey exhaled with a grin. “Wow.”

I looked up at him and blinked, reality coming back like a slap in the face. The lust in his gaze paralyzed me. Everything, and I mean everything, rushed back to me, stealing the air out of my lungs. I felt like I was back in Mitch’s bedroom. Shit.

I guessed my expression mustn’t have shown the anxiety that coursed through me, because Corey just lifted his lopsided grin a little higher, pulling it into a knowing smile. Oh crap. What the hell was I doing?

Confusion, my constant companion, stepped front and center. Taking a small step back, I feigned a tiny smile. “Um…I need to use the bathroom.”

Corey let his hands glide over my hips as he released me. “Okay. I’ll get you a drink.”

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I grumbled to myself as I weaved my way through the crowd, trying to find the way to the bathroom. I reached the end of a long hallway, and opened a door that looked like it could be it, but instead found myself standing outside. Shit.

I sighed then drew in a deep breath. Now that I was away from the music and the intoxication of the crowd, I felt kind of wrong. My head couldn’t seem to keep focus on anything for very long, and my body seemed incredibly heavy. Why did it sound like such a good idea to get drunk? Yes, I’d felt pretty damn good for those few hours, but this uncontrollable mess was horrible. I needed to go home.

I didn’t even bother going to find Mia to say goodbye. I just tapped out a quick text then slipped down the side of Ryan’s house, and started for home.

Chapter 18

Noah

At exactly 12:36am, Kaeli slipped through the side gate and out onto the street. She’d barely gone past the neighbor’s house, when I realized she’d accomplished her goal of getting drunk.

She didn’t stumble and giggle like most girls did when they were drunk. Kaeli just had an intense focus about her, her body tightly wound as she concentrated on each foot going in front of the other. I wondered if it’d helped her forget everything she’d seen back at the house. Strangely, I hoped so.

I walked a little way behind her, on the other side of the street, keeping to the shadows. She’d only gone two blocks when I heard a faint sob come from her. Fuck. Why did that sound hurt me so much?

She slowed, then eventually came to a complete stop, dropping her face into her hands. My heart contracted. I hated the thought of her being so upset. I just wanted to comfort her.

Quietly, I slipped further up the street from her, then crossed over, coming to stand a few yards in front of her. As if sensing my presence, she lifted her hands from her face and looked up at me. I couldn’t hear her from where I was standing, but her lips parted like she gasped and her eyes widened a fraction.

“Mitch?” she whispered.

I watched her wearily. I knew what she must think of me. Even though I wanted to go to her more than anything, I knew my touch probably wasn’t what she wanted right now.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

I decided to go with the truth. “I followed you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Why?” she said disdainfully. “Is TJ worried his latest mule might get hurt? Or was he just worried I might become a blabbermouth when I was drunk?”

“Neither. TJ doesn’t know I’m here.”

She blinked in surprise. “Then why are you?”

I shrugged. “I told you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

She stared at me for a long while. I almost couldn’t hear her next words. “Well, I’m not.”

Her bottom lip trembled. I cou

ld tell she was trying so hard to keep it together. I took an involuntary step towards her then stopped, remembering I was the enemy. That was when she lost it. The tears flowed down her cheeks like a waterfall.

I closed the gap between us, coming to stand before her. Gingerly, I reached out and wiped a tear away with my thumb. Surprised flittered in her eyes for a second, then before I knew anything else, she leaned forward and rested her forehead on my chest, her hands coming to rest either side of my waist. I didn’t think about the fact that she should hate me, that she should be cringing from my touch. I just wrapped my arms around her and did what I had wanted to do since the first moment I saw her. Hold her.

After a while, she pulled away from me. She didn’t move away very far, just enough to look up at me, her hands still resting on my hips. The trust I saw in her eyes paralyzed me. When the hell did that happen? I was so screwed. The second TJ saw her look at me like that, the operation was going to go to hell. I needed to fix this.

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