Where We Belong (A Touch of Fate #1)(14)

We both stand there, staring at each other. Tyson's shoulders droop and his arms hang loose at his sides. My chin quivers and tears continue to stream down my cheeks. Through my watery vision, I can see the pain and sadness in his eyes. I know that I hurt him when I confessed my feelings; I know he felt betrayed. But he's the one that walked away from me and never looked back, so what nerve does he have to stand there and look upset?

When he speaks, his voice is soft and hesitant but firm. "I don't know what you went through. And I know that I wasn't there for you, nor did I give you the chance to explain or apologize, but you don't know what I went through either." When I start to respond, he holds up his hands, urging me to let him continue. I snap my mouth closed, actually wanting to hear what he has to say.

"I'm sorry for everything, Harley. Everything." My heart squeezes at the words that I've waited so long to hear. "I'm sorry for all of it. Please, Harley. Please..." he begs, holding his hands out to me. "I need you to forgive me. I need you to give me another chance." His words sound firmer at the end and he straightens his back, standing tall. "I'm going to redeem myself for how I've acted the past five years. I want to know you again, Harley. I want our friendship back."

Wrong answer, buddy.

"Are you serious? What? You think that you can move home, tell me you’re sorry, and POOF, everything is back to the way it was?" God. Oh God. I want that so badly—more than I ever want to admit. Just seeing him and being this close to him reminds me of everything that we've been through together, both good and bad. Only he wasn’t there for the really bad, and whose fault was that?

"Give me one reason," I state firmly. "Give me one reason why I should forgive you for walking away from me and our friendship so easily. One reason why I should forgive you for abandoning me at the darkest time of my life."

His response is immediate. "Because you promised to always forgive me."

I throw my hands in the air. "I was nine," I shout in frustration.

He shakes his head. "It was still a promise," he says. Clearing his throat, he runs his hands through his tousled hair. Little does he know that he’s only making it look that much better, but Lord knows I'm not going to tell him that.

Jesus, Harley. What is wrong with you? You're pissed, remember? Pissed!

Neither one of us speaks for several minutes. When Tyson finally breaks the silence, his voice is thick with emotion. "I can't make this better if you won’t let me. You have to give me the chance, Harley. Please. I know this won't be easy, and I know that it will be a long road, but I need you to give me the chance that I never gave you." His eyebrows dip low and his lips part. He looks...pained.

I hold his gaze firmly, but I can feel my resolve slipping. I hate to even think it, but when he says I need to give him the chance he never gave me, is he talking about more than friendship? I shake my head quickly, clearing my thoughts. I can't even let myself go there. Never again.

His eyes shimmer in the moonlight, tears begging to be let free. Who am I kidding? Of course I'm going to give Ty the chance. It might very well ruin me though. I survived Ty once, but I'm not so sure I will survive him again.

"Okay," I whisper, feeling defeated.

"Okay?" he quickly asks in response, his mouth morphing slowly from a small grin into a full-blown smile. My mouth, obviously now acting on its own, smiles back.

Damn mouth.

"Okay."



I LEFT THE BAR after talking to Tyson. There was no way I could go back in there and drink and carry on like nothing had happened.

Coming home to an empty house sucks. Max is with my mom and It's too quiet. Tossing my keys on the dresser, I strip out of my dress, slide into my cami and boy shorts, and curl up in bed. Pulling the covers up to my chin, I close my eyes. Reflecting on what happened tonight isn't easy when all I can think about is how sexy Tyson smelled and how good it felt to have his arms wrapped around me. I just wish it were under different circumstances, like—oh, I don't know—passion rather than desperation.

I can't believe this.

Tyson is really home.

When I walked into the bar and caught sight of him, my stomach dropped. Literally. I had always known that we would see each other again, but it was unexpected. What was even more unexpected was how quickly all the feelings that had been so neatly tucked away came flooding back, hitting me at full force.

I was both surprised and relieved that Tyson was the one who followed me out—I fully expected it to be Levi. I'll have to remember to ask Levi about that.

My determination had been holding up fairly well—or so I had thought—until he broke out the big guns. Of course, he had to use a childhood promise to make me agree to his request. Damn bastard knows how sentimental I am.

"You can't play with us." I could tell it was Jimmy talking. Anyone could hear that squeaky voice coming a mile away.

I had been playing in my backyard when I heard some kids playing on the sidewalk out front. Peeking around the garage, I saw that it was Ty with four other boys from our neighborhood. Jimmy was a bully; I never understood why Ty wanted to be friends with him.

"Well, why not?" I heard Ty ask.

"Because, you hang out with that fat girl. What's her name?"

"Harley. And she's not fat," Ty replied. I felt myself smile. I always knew Ty would stick up for me.