Cherished (Wanted 4)

Scott looked at me with a questioning look, but then he gave me a weak smile. “Okay, baby. We’ll meet you back here in ten minutes?”

I nodded. “Give me fifteen.”

I reached up and brushed my lips against Scott’s. He put his hand behind my neck and pulled me in closer as he deepened the kiss. I let out a small moan.

God, I’ve missed him so much.

Scott pulled back slightly and smiled against my lips. “God, I’ve missed you so damn much.”

He put his forehead against mine, and I felt the sting of tears building in my eyes again.

I pulled back and grinned. “I’ll go as fast as I can.”

I took a few steps back and turned. As I quickly made my way back to the cabana, my heart was pounding in my chest. I had to tell Scott about what had happened between Trey and me. I have to.

I lifted my fingers and gently rubbed them against my lips. They were still tingling from Scott’s kiss. I smiled as I thought about being with him, making love to him again after being away for so long.

I rounded a tree and saw Trey sitting on the steps to my cabana. He jumped up when he saw me.

“What happened?” he asked as he walked up to me.

He went to take me into his arms, but I put my hand up to stop him.

“Trey, please…I have to go pack up my things, but I’m so glad you’re here. I wanted to say thank you so much for being such an amazing friend and for helping me these last few weeks.”

Trey’s whole body slumped. “So, that’s it? He comes here, and you’re just going to leave with him? Just like that, and what we had stops?”

My whole body started shaking. “Yes! Trey, I love Scott. I’ve never been dishonest with you about my feelings, especially my feelings toward you.”

Trey ran his hand through his hair as he shook his head. “I see how you look at me, Jessie. You say you only want to be friends, but I know you care about me more than that.”

I felt heat move up into

my face. “Trey—”

“No. I waited for you. You asked for time, and I gave you time. I stayed away from my family and waited. I waited for you to get over that prick, and then he just swoops in here and takes you from me.”

The anger I was feeling surprised me. “What? I didn’t ask you to stay here! I didn’t keep you away from anyone. I told you I love him, and yes…yes, he can swoop in here because we love each other, and we’re having a baby together. He isn’t taking me from you because I was never yours in the first place. I’ve always been his.”

Trey gave me a weak smile. “You got that right.” He turned and started to walk away.

I couldn’t let him leave like this. “Trey, wait, please.”

He kept walking.

“Trey!”

He stopped and slowly turned around. I walked up to him, and I did the one thing I knew I shouldn’t do. I reached up and brushed my lips against his. It started off as a simple, innocent kiss, but Trey attempted to turn it into a more passionate one before I pushed him away.

“Trey, please…I love him more than life itself.” I looked up into his eyes.

He reached down and wiped away the tears rolling down my face.

“I’ll let you go…but only because I’ve fallen in love with you, Jess. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart—always. Good-bye, love.”

He took a step back and gave me that smile of his. Then, he turned and walked away. I watched him for a few seconds before I quickly ran into my cabana.

I looked around at all the things Trey and I had collected throughout our time here on the island. I didn’t need…or want any of it. I reached for my bag and quickly put all my clothes in there. I walked over to the bed and reached under it. I grabbed my shoebox and put it into my bag. I looked around and saw the shell that Trey had bought me sitting on the table. I picked it up. I thought back to the day when we had gone on the tour of the ruins and how much fun we’d had. Trey had found this shell in one of the stores we had gone through. He’d bought two, one for me and one for him.