Love Tap(85)

I feel her standing behind me before hearing her. Resting an elbow on my knee I rub my chin with my hand waiting for her to say something.

“Camden?” Her words are innocent and soft, making this so much harder. “Can we talk?”

I don’t respond, because I’m not sure what to say. Maybe because I know I f*cked up as much as she did. When they say men suck at apologizing, they were right.

A hand slaps me upside the head. Furrowing my brows I turn, finding her standing straight, her hands balled into fists at her side.

“Have you lost your mind?” I cock a brow.

“You’re going to talk to me!” she demands. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I left you behind four years ago. I’m sorry that I accepted an illegal fight and didn’t tell you about it. I’m sorry for… I’m sorry for everything.” Tears fall from her eyes and I can feel my resolve instantly break. Bending down I grab my bag and walk to the door not wanting to hash this out here. Especially after the shit that just went down between Thomas and I.

Stepping outside the summer sun warms my skin, sweat instantly beading along my back.

“Most of all, I’m sorry I ever hurt you when all I tried to do was the opposite. I’m just… I suck at doing the right thing. I always have,” she continues, trying to keep up.

I stop a few feet from my car, my keys in my hands. That is why I love Tate though, her faults are what attracts me to her.

“But you aren’t perfect either. You kept secrets from me too, remember that!”

Her footsteps crunch in the gravel as she heads back to her car. I want to be mad at her, but I can’t for the life of me do it any longer.

Angry and confused I throw my bag on the ground and rub at the back of my neck. My head lowered, my eyes closed I call after her.

“Tate!” Opening my eyes, I turn. Tate stops and looks at me with swollen eyes from crying. It bothers me that she’s been crying.

Licking my bottom lip I strut toward her. Her body trembles as I near, her eyes fluttering, her wet lashes stick together.

“I didn’t know—” Fisting her hair hard, I press my mouth to hers, shutting her up.

My lips part hers, demanding entry. Her hands cupping my face I swallow her cries, the taste of stolen tears and sadness filling my mouth. It feels good having her next to me again.

Jerking her hair, her lips pull from mine and I rest my forehead against hers.

This woman is my nightmare and my saving grace. Like a drug. You know it’s bad for you, but the way you feel when you’re so wrapped up and consumed by it overrides any rational thinking.

That’s the shit love is made of.

“I should have told you everything. I messed up,” I confess. “I’m sorry too.”

She nods, a small smile trying to break through her sadness.

I dig my fingers into her neck, catching her attention.

“But, don’t ever pull that shit again,” I whisper.





Chapter Thirty-One


Three Days Later

Tate



I lay in Camden’s bed, my body aching from head to toe. The second day was the worst when it came to pain, and each day gets better but I still hurt from the broken rib. It’s going to take some time to heal from this one.

My hands under my chin, I stare at the half empty duffle bag sitting on the floor across the room. I paid Dad’s debt and the house. He doesn’t know, and I don’t plan on telling him. I’m hoping he just thinks the banks gave up trying to get money.

If I told him I took care of everything he’d think of it as a handout when in reality I’m trying to keep us together. My family is too fragile to lose something so sentimental. It would break us all over again if we lost the house.

Fingers walk up my spine, as Camden lies next to me on his bed. The hairs on my neck raise from the tickle they leave behind.

“How do you feel?” he whispers in my ear. His breath warm and hot, my body pulses to be wrapped in nothing but sheets and him.

“Like a train wreck,” I mumble, “but better.”

His hands make work of my shoulder blades and a sigh escapes my mouth. Fuck that feels great.

“Don’t make noises like that, I want to f*ck you so bad but I’m scared of hurting your cracked rib,” his voice comes out rough and promising. It does things to me.

I look over my shoulder and smirk.

“I can deal, I have pain meds.” After our fight I still feel like there’s tension between us. Sex would lay that to rest. Sex makes everything better.

He arches a brow, a primal grin crossing his face.

Leaning over he kisses my back, skipping over the wrap around my ribs and back he kisses my tailbone before biting my ass cheek hard.

“I know you think I forgot about you deceiving me, but I haven’t. You lied to me HellCat, and I plan on making you think twice before ever doing that again.” I was right about the tension, but am excited to relieve it with sex.

Fire burns in my chest that spreads down my abdomen and igniting between my legs from that threat.

Sitting up on his knees he pulls his jersey shorts down, and his erect cock pops free. My mouth salivates wanting to taste him. Holding the base of himself he slaps the mounds of my ass that peek out from under my panties with it.

“I was going to tell you about the fight as soon as I got back. I wasn’t lying, it was just an omission,” I justify.