Chapter Seventeen
Cory
Livhasherarms around Nate, and her lips pressed against his. His arms are down by his sides, unmoving, and he’s obviously not kissing her back, but he’s not pulling away either. Neither of them has noticed our presence, so we both instinctively stay still.
When Liv finally pulls away, she looks up into Nate’s eyes with a gaze full of love. “I know you felt that, Nate. It was impossible not to.”
“Shit!” Emily whispers beside me. It’s quiet, but not quiet enough.
Nate’s eyes flash to mine, widening on impact. “Cory, it’s not what you think.”
I know it’s not, but I’m at breaking point. The pain displayed on Nate’s face tipping me over the edge.
I run out of the room and down the hallway, trying to remember where the hell the bedrooms are. “Why the fuck does anyone need a house this big?” I say out loud as I turn around yet another wrong corner.
Nate catches up to me and grabs me from behind, lifting me into the air when I try to keep running. “Let me go, Nate.”
“No! We need to talk about this. I didn’t kiss her back. I didn’t want to kiss her back. And I definitely didn’t feel what she thought I did. I need you to know that.”
“I know,” I blurt with clenched teeth, still thrashing around in his arms.
“Then why are you running?” Nate grunts out, squeezing me a little tighter, so he doesn’t lose his grip.
“It’s too much, Nate. It’s all too much. If you want to talk, put me down, and I’ll talk, but I’m not sure you’re going to like what I have to say.”
He sighs and lowers my feet to the ground before turning me to face him. I take in our surroundings, wondering where we are in relation to the rest of the family. Are they all listening in?
Nate must think the same thing because he grabs my hands and pulls me into the closest room.
The heat hits me instantly as my eyes dance around the amazing sight before me. Blue shadows bounce off every surface, reflecting the water taking up eighty percent of the room. Of course, they have an indoor pool. Another thing to highlight the difference between mine and Nate’s worlds. It’s easy to forget when we’re at college, but now…
Nate’s staring at me with an anguished expression. Like always, he can read me and doesn’t at all like what he sees. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. I don’t want this life, Cory. You know that.”
“It’s not the only issue, Nate. I told you Liv wanted you. I told you this would happen, and you didn’t believe me.”
He grabs his shoulder and sighs. “I know. I should have listened, but I thought you were projecting.”
“What?!” I rear back like he hit me.
“I thought you were just letting your insecurities take over. I thought—”
“Wow! Thanks.”
He winces. “Cory, that’s not—”
“You don’t even know what made me insecure,” I say, even as I realize that’s not entirely his fault.
Nate’s eyebrows rise and then furrow. “That’s because you change the subject every time I ask. How about you tell me now? Give me all the facts while we’re sorting things out.”
“I don’t think that’s what we’re doing.”
“Ugh! You’re doing it again,” he fumes, and the tone of his voice has me seething.
“The only two guys I’ve been with, other than you, treated me like dirt. Is that what you want to hear?” His shoulders drop, but he doesn’t respond. “My first boyfriend was a virgin chaser. He said all the right things and showered me in compliments... Until we had sex. He left before I’d even had the chance to clean myself up. Boyfriend number two also treated me like royalty, yet I always felt like something was off. Turns out he was married to his high school sweetheart, and I was the other woman. His secret. I swore I’d never let a guy treat me like that again.”
Nate looks murderous and sympathetic at the same time, if that’s even possible. He pulls me into a hug and squeezes me tight. “I wish you’d told me, Cory. I would have done more to show you. I’ll never do that to you.”
“You have done it.”