Rival (Fall Away, #2)(66)

FALLON


I often wonder if the past looks better to people because they hate the present so much or if it looks better because it was better. Expressions like “the good ole days” implied that life used to be of a higher quality than it is now, but I think everything looks better in retrospect. After all, it’s not like we get the chance to go back and relive it knowing what we know now and test that theory.

Except for me.

I did get to come back home. To a place I hated. A life I didn’t want. And to a boy I despised.

And even given all of that, I’d still missed Madoc. I never stopped wanting him and loving him.

I had still been obsessed with hurting him even though in the pit of my stomach the ache of needing him still burned. I thought for sure I would come home to a revelation, like: Why did I ever think I loved him, or What the hell was I thinking?

But no. In this case I didn’t remember our time together fondly because I wanted to. I remembered it fondly because it was that good.

I remembered the truth. Not some watered-down, sugarcoated version my mind whipped up after time dulled the pain.

It really was that good.

“Madoc,” I warned in a playful voice.

He breathed a laugh in my ear. “You’re so warm everywhere,” he said, spooning me. “And still wet.”

His arm was draped over my waist with his hand rubbing between my legs.

We’d fallen asleep last night after a much sweeter and calmer round of lovemaking, and I was exhausted. After barely getting sleep the night before, the long drive back to Shelburne Falls, discovering the boxes in the basement, and then coming back here last night, I needed rest and food.

But I still smiled, because I knew why he’d woken up early.

He was probably on high alert even though he didn’t realize it. His subconscious probably thought I was going to skip out when he was asleep.

“I was dreaming about you.” I yawned and then nestled my nose into the pillow. It had the scent of his cologne all over it, and I just wanted to pull the sheet over my head and crawl into his smell.

His fingers began to work their magic, stroking and circling around me, and I felt the throb of my arousal.

“Tell me about the dream,” he urged.

Mmmmm . . . I had a better idea. Yeah, my head felt like a balloon, and I could barely open my eyes, but who cared?

Reaching over, I took one of the condoms Madoc dumped on the nightstand last night after the first time. I should’ve known then that he had plans in the middle of the night.

Turning over, I pushed him onto his back and climbed on top, straddling him.

Licking my lips, I ran a finger across his cheek. “I think I’ll show you.”

? ? ?

“Oh, my God. You remembered.” I covered my mouth with my hands, accidentally letting the sheet fall to my waist as I sat up in bed. Pulling it back up, I eyed the box of Krispy Kremes like it was the living end. My stomach growled immediately.

He plopped down, lay on his side, and opened the box that sat between us. “No, not really,” he admitted. “Addie still gets them every Sunday. She gets our regular assortment. Lemon-filled for you, chocolate-glazed for me, and just plain glazed for my dad.”

And nothing for my mom, I remembered. She would never eat doughnuts.

He picked up his favorite and took a bite. The flaky icing on his lips moved as he chewed, and for some reason, my heart nearly exploded.

Diving in, I snatched up his unsuspecting lips, and had to hold back my laugh when he jerked in surprise. Licking off the icing, I couldn’t believe how hungry I was. Madoc made me promise not to leave bed without permission for twelve hours, and now I thought he’d have to drag me away.

It wasn’t food I wanted now.

I hovered over his mouth. “I like you.”

He inched back, peering at me with suspicion. “I thought you loved me.”

“Oh, I do. But we can love people we don’t like. You know?” I dug in the box for my lemon-filled. “Like our parents, our siblings . . . but with you, I like you, too. I like being with you and talking to you.”

He narrowed his eyes and stuffed a huge bite into his mouth. “You just think I’m cool, because I have all of the seasons of Vampire Diaries on DVD.”

Oh, my God!

I burst out laughing, covering my full mouth with my hand as I chuckled.

“You do not!” I blurted out, disbelieving. “You don’t still watch it, do you?”

He scowled at me and snatched another doughnut from the box.

“It’s your fault,” he grumbled. “You just had to watch it every Thursday, and then I got hooked.”

“Madoc.” I swallowed the rest of my bite. “I haven’t watched it in years.”

“Oh, you should.” He nodded. “Damon and Elena? Yeah. Then there was Alaric. That kind of sucked. And then the Originals came into town. They’re pretty awesome. They have their own show now.”

I started laughing again, and he cut his eyes to me, frowning.

“I’m serious,” he implored.

“I can tell.”

We sat there, eating and chatting for the next hour, and then Madoc reluctantly let me out of bed after I’d begged to use the bathroom.

I wanted to go for a run, but I’d had sex four times in the last nine hours. I was sweaty, sticky, and sore. I needed a hot shower badly.