Page 104 of Trapped In Love

“I don’t know,” I said with a sigh.

“Please!” she begged. “I don’t want my big brother to be a boring monk for the rest of his life. He misses you, and I know you miss him, too.”

I cocked an eyebrow at her. “How do you know that?”

“Because of the smile on your face when you looked at the paintings. Especially that last one. That’s like romance book cover-worthy.”

This girl was pulling hard for her brother, and I could appreciate that, but my fragile heart was still afraid of being hurt again.

Felix stepped in front of me and handed me the bouquet. “You wouldn’t talk to me, so I needed to get your attention somehow. Skye said I needed to grovel.”

I fingered a petal of one of the flowers but wouldn’t look at him. If I looked into those dark eyes, I would cave. “Then grovel.”

“I didn’t want to leave you. I woke up to my sister calling me crying, and I immediately went into dad mode.”

Skye nodded solemnly, confirming his story.

“I’m so sorry, Gemma. I never meant to hurt you. All I could think about was getting to Skye and making sure she was okay. I drove all the way to Cape May, and my phone died. By the time we got back to Drakesville, and I got her situated, I was beat. I passed out and then woke up to your ‘go fuck yourself’ message.”

I cringed. That made me seem like such a bitch. He had been so focused on his sister, and I loved that about him, but it hurt that he hadn't even thought to wake me up to tell me what was going on.

“You made me feel like garbage. Like I meant nothing to you.”

He grabbed my hand and kissed the bi pride heart on the inside of my wrist. A part of me wanted to recoil, to slap his hand away, but the part of me who still loved him, who missed him with every fiber of my being, was warming up. “I know, sweet thing. I understand if you don’t want to take me back. I’m so sorry. I let you down almost immediately.”

“I told you he’s a dumbass!” Skye cut in.

“Hush you,” Felix snapped at her.

I couldn’t help the smile spreading across my face. Okay, she was a cute secret weapon to use against me. It was so sweet how she wanted to help her brother.

I looked back at the painting again and chewed on my lip. We were so happy up in the Poconos together. We looked so in love, and my heart yelled at me to give him another chance. To give him a thousand more chances. Because relationships were hard, but when someone loved you despite your flaws and they were baring their soul to you, it was a good idea to listen.

When I turned back around, he looked so sincere, like he knew he fucked up. And his sister gave me those pleading puppy dog eyes I couldn’t say no to. But more than that, it was the fact he was laying out all his cards for me that made my heart win over my stubborn head.

“I would’ve gone with you. Or understood why you had to go. All I ask is that you don’t keep me in the dark again. I get Skye’s your world, but I want a piece of that, too.”

“What are you saying?” he asked, confusion marring his handsome face.

“Do you forgive him?” Skye asked.

When I looked at his paintings, I felt the love he poured out onto the canvas. I felt his sincereness in knowing he fucked up. But I fucked up, too. Maybe I was stubborn by not giving him the chance to explain himself. I acted too rashly, thinking the worst of him, without letting him tell me he was sorry.

I nodded.

“Really?” Felix asked.

“I’m sorry, too.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“For being my typical stubborn self. For not giving you a chance to apologize.”

“Geez, just kiss already and get it over with!” Skye teased.

I yelped when Felix pulled me flat against his chest and slanted his mouth on mine. I dropped my flowers on the floor while he kissed me. I had missed the way he kissed me, like I was the only woman in the entire universe.

“GET A ROOM!” someone yelled. I was pretty sure it was one of the MacGregors. Assholes.

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