Pleasure slides through me. I couldn’t stop it from happening if I tried. And there’s definitely part of me that doesn’t want to try. At every turn, he’s knocking down my walls.
She presses her lips together, all the while giving him the stink eye. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about. You did a real number on her when you walked away sophomore year. I don’t want to see that happen again.”
Before I can utter a squeak of mortification that they’re talking about me as if I’m not standing here, Zoe pulls me in for a quick hug and kiss. “I gotta run, but I’ll see you tomorrow in class.” She gives him one last steely look that would have lesser men glancing away. Maybe even tucking their tails between their legs.
Silence descends as Zoe disappears into the crowd of student traffic. I wrack my brain for something that will break the strange tension that fills the air between us. I have no idea where we go from here.
“Why did you want to see me?” I glance away as those thoughts pound through me. Only when I’ve wrangled all these out-of-control emotions into submission do I force my stare to his.
“We’re celebrating my stepmother’s birthday tonight, and I was hoping you’d come with me.”
I blink, thrown off guard by the invitation. Not once during the time we dated did Colton offer to take me home to meet his family. Even when his parents attended Wesley football games, he was careful to keep us separated. I brushed away the hurt, telling myself that it would take time to earn his trust. In hindsight, it was yet another red flag that went unheeded on my part.
“Lys?” The way my name sounds sliding from his lips is rough and gravelly. It has me blinking back to the present.
“Why?” Why is he doing this now?
“I want you to meet my parents.” He closes the distance between us before reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “It’s something I should have done a long time ago.”
I hate that he’s saying all the right things. Everything I wish he would have told me nineteen months ago. “What’s the point? We’re not together.” I force out the rest. “When it comes down to it, we’re not even friends.”
“Aren’t we?” When I remain stoically silent, he adds, “Friends, at the very least?”
“I don’t know.” I glance away before I can get lost in his blue depths. They’ve always had the ability to draw me in, making me a little stupid in the head.
“Maybe being friends is a good place to start. What do you think?” He picks up my hand, loosely entwining our fingers together. I can’t help but stare at them and remember how good it felt to wake up in bed with him Sunday morning. “I want more than that, but I’m willing to take this slow and build your trust over time.”
Am I a total idiot for faltering? For believing him? For wanting to take a chance that he’s matured, and won’t push me away at the first opportunity when real emotions come into play?
Probably.
If I have one weakness, it’s for Colton Montgomery. Sadly, I don’t think that will ever change.
I release a puff of air from between my lips, afraid to take this leap. Afraid of what it’ll mean.
“Alyssa?” He squeezes my fingers, effectively pulling my attention back to him.
“Okay,” I blurt. “I’ll come with you.”
My heart pounds a painful staccato as a hesitant smile spreads across his face, as if he, too, is surprised by my easy capitulation. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Awesome.” He lifts my hand to his lips before brushing a kiss across the knuckles. “I promise, you won’t regret it.”
I hope Colton’s right about that, and I’m not setting myself up for more heartache where he’s concerned.
Chapter Thirty
Alyssa
Three hours and a shower later, I’m settled in the front seat of Colton’s BMW. The top is up, and we’re headed north toward the place we both grew up. Although, admittedly, Colton’s upbringing was vastly different than mine. He was raised in a wealthy neighborhood near Beck and Mia, while I was on the other side of town, in a more middle-class area.
I can’t resist glancing at him from the corner of my eye as I sit in the passenger seat.
Was this a mistake?
If so, it’s too late to back out now. This is happening. There’s no getting out of it. After a couple of miles, the familiar exit comes into view, and we leave the highway before turning onto a country road surrounded by farmland. I roll down the window and inhale a deep breath of fresh air. There’s something comforting about the wide-open spaces that settle the nerves fighting to break free at the bottom of my belly. I need that right now more than anything. Once on the outskirts of town, Colton turns into the drive of a gated subdivision before stopping outside an enormous iron entrance. He rolls down his window and taps a code into the control panel. After the gate slides open, we drive on through.