Second Chance Love

“Get your ass in your room and get dressed,” I gritted through a clenched jaw. “Now!”

“No! I want to go home!”

“What am I supposed to tell Jax?”

“Just tell him another one of your lies about me.”

“Darlin’…”

“Stop calling me that!”

“I’ll call you anything I damn well please. Now go get fucking dressed.”

“Caleb, let go of me!”

“You don’t want to watch your brother win the Super Bowl? After everything he’s done for you. Think about him. It would crush him if you weren’t there.”

“You have no one to blame but yourself.”

“You’re absolutely right. This is all my fault. I should have known better, and like I said, it won’t happen again. But I’m not going to stand here and tell you what you want to hear when it’s complete and utter bullshit. We both know nothing can come of what I irresponsibly did last night. If I could take it back, I would. I was drunk, and you were here. End of story.”

“When are you going to get it through your thick skull that it’s not the end of the story just because you say it is? You think you can boss me around whenever you feel like it, but that’s not the case, Caleb. I’m a grown ass woman. I don’t owe you shit. If I want to go to a party, go on a date, fuck five guys at once, then guess what? It’s my choice! Not yours or my brother’s. You want to pretend like last night didn’t happen, just like you want to pretend the day we shared before we found out about Jax didn’t happen either.” She paused, letting her words sink in.

“You claim he’s your best friend and that you made a promise to him, but all these lies are just piling on top of each other, and it’s sickening! Also, news flash, asshole! You weren’t drunk when you kissed me. Think about the reason why you kissed me in the first place. It was right after I said I hated you. Your reaction was to kiss me and then come back and touch me?”

“I never would have touched you had you not been in my bed.”

“Liar!”

I was in her face in two strides. “You want the truth? I’ll give you the fucking truth. I’m a man. I was drunk. And you were throwing yourself at me like you always do, sweetheart. Now go get fucking dressed!”

“You’re so full of shit, and you know it. The fact that you expect me to believe your lies is mind-blowing. I’m not Jax, Caleb. I can see right through you. You want to know my truth?”

“No, but you’re sure as shit going to tell me anyway.”

She glared at me. “I do hate you, but I also have these deep feelings for you I can’t shake. I’ve tried. For over a year I’ve prayed they would go away, but then you show up in my life and mess it all up again. I can’t get over you because you won’t let me!”

“I gave Jax my word. It’s the only reason I’m still in your life to begin with.”

“Bullshit! It’s just your excuse. It’s your cop out to continue being in my life without any real repercussions. You want me, Caleb. As much as I want you, and at least I’m not scared to admit it. I love my brother. I don’t want to hurt him, but at the end of the day, he wants me to be happy. I’m sure he wants you to be happy too. So why is that so wrong if we make each other happy?”

“Evie…” My patience was wearing thin. “What would make me fucking ecstatic is for you to go change.”

“You’re not even listening to me!”

“I am, and all I’m hearing is another one of your goddamn temper tantrums!”

She pushed me, but I didn’t move an inch. Taking a deep, solid breath, I refused to let her leave.

I did the only thing I could in this situation—I bargained, “If you stay for the rest of the weekend”—I purposely let go of her arm—“I’ll do whatever you want.”

Her eyebrows lowered while she folded her arms over her chest. “What does that mean?”

“It means exactly what I just said.”

“I don’t need anything from you.”

“I’m sure you can think of something as long as it doesn’t involve my dick inside of you.”

With a wicked grin, she thought about it for a second.

“Oh, no, Caleb Hawkins,” she mocked in a condescending tone. “If I’m staying here with you, then you’re going to pay for it. At your dick’s expense.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, not understanding.

I just never expected her to add…

“You have to get your cock pierced.”

Chapter 20

Evie

He scoffed out, “What?”

I vindictively smiled. “If you’re going to torture me to stay and not admit you’re barging into my life because you want me any way you can have me, then I’m going to make you pay for it.”