Collide (Collide #1)(144)

Using the back of her hand to wipe her nose, she stared at him, her mouth wide open. "I can't believe what you're saying to me, considering - "

"Considering what?" he cut her off, his tone harsh. "You walked out of my life, and now you show up at my door out of nowhere, laying all of this on me. If you're looking for a shoulder to cry on, I'm not your guy." He rose from his chair and padded into the kitchen, flinging open one of the cabinets. Yanking a bottle of bourbon from the shelf, he poured himself a shot and tossed it back. "I'm sorry to hear about your father - I honestly am - but I don't know what you want from me."

"Gavin, I came here because you're the only person in the whole world who really knows and understands me," she gasped, her tear-stained eyes wounded. "You know my mother left us. I have no one. How can you be so heartless?"

"Yeah, I'm the heartless one. I learned from the best; let's not forget that. If you need money, just f*cking say it already. Goddammit!" he snapped, slamming the shot glass down on the counter so hard that Gina jumped, startled by his anger.

Somewhere in between the spiked level of adrenaline coursing its way through his veins and her sobbing, Gavin faintly registered the sound of his cell phone ringing in the office. For a moment, he felt as though his feet were frozen to the ground. He couldn't believe that the woman who'd hurt him so badly and put him through so much heartbreak was sitting on his sofa - asking him to alleviate her pain. Shaking his head, Gavin finally turned away from her without another word and shuffled out of the living room to answer the call.

By the time he made it into his office, it had stopped ringing. Picking it up, his heart dropped when he realized it was Emily that'd called. He reclined himself into his leather chair, stabbed his passcode into the damn thing, and retrieved the message she had left for him.

"Well, hello there, wiseass. I know it's pretty late, and I was about to go to bed myself, but I just wanted to call and thank you for one of the best nights and days of my life. I know you and I have a tough ride ahead of us..." She paused and lowered her voice. "But as afraid of all of this as I was, I'm not scared anymore, Gavin. I'm really not. You depleted me of any doubts that I had about us. I don't know. I'm just rambling on now, but I wanted you to know that I do love you, and I'm excited to see just how amazing we're going to be together. I'll see you tomorrow night. Sweet dreams."

Gavin lost count of the amount of times he listened to Emily's message, her voice like an angel amid the nightmare that was in sitting in his living room. Sighing, he scrubbed his palms over his face and debated on sending her a text. He decided against it, considering she said she was going to bed.

Rising from his chair, he made his way back into the living room - only to find his nightmare ex laying on his couch sound asleep, wearing only her sweater and panties. On the floor, next to her jeans, the bottle of bourbon was tipped on its side nearly empty.

"How can a day so f*cking good end so badly?" he mumbled to himself as he moved across the room toward the couch. "Gina," he said, leaning over her as he nudged her shoulder. "You need to leave."

She swatted her hand at him but severely missed her mark. "I'm too drunk to go anywhere, Gav," she slurred. "Don't worry; I won't steal your millions while you're asleep."

"No, Gina, you're not sleeping here," he replied, his voice insistent. "Get up."

"Pick me up if you want me out then," she said, giggling as she reached for the blanket.

Gavin cringed because the blanket she was now draping across her drunken body was the blanket that he'd spent the day tucked underneath with Emily.