Ignite (Speed Series Book 1)(47)

I slowly sat back down in the chair and tried to wipe the endless tears away. “O-okay,” I whispered as chewed on my lower lip.

“My head hurts so damn much,” Emmit said as he lifted his hand and felt the bandage.

Trying to find my voice, I finally managed to say, “You were hit over the head with an unopened beer can by one of Malcolm’s fans.”

Emmit let out a sigh. “Fucking, Malcolm.”

My lower lip was going to be bruised with how I was tearing it apart.

Emmit turned and looked at me. I wasn’t sure how to read his eyes. They were . . . empty. Looking down at my hands in my lap, I began talking. “I’ll understand if you’d like for me to leave, Emmit. I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me for running away again. It’s just, I overheard the conversation between you and Stephanie and from my perspective, it sounded as if—”

My hand came up as I wiped my tears away again. “I knew in my heart you hadn’t cheated on me.”

“Why did you leave then?” Emmit asked.

Before I was able to answer, he looked away from me. “It doesn’t matter. None of it matters anymore.”

My heart dropped, and I knew in that moment I had lost the only man I’d ever loved.





THE SOUND OF ADALINE’S VOICE caused my heart to feel light again. A warm sensation spread through my body as she talked about us growing up. When she brought up the night we had first made love, my eyes automatically opened. The light in the room hitting my eyes felt like a million knives stabbing me in the back of my head.

My heart ached as I listened to her talk. Hearing her say she knew I didn’t cheat on her was sweet music to my ears. She must have finally listened to the damn messages I left.

“Why did you leave?” I asked before looking away. What was I doing? It didn’t matter why she left. What mattered was she came back. “It doesn’t matter. None of it matters anymore.”

The sharp intake of air from Adaline caused me to look back at her. Her face was white as a ghost as she stared at me in disbelief while I asked, “Did you listen to my messages finally?”

My body went rigid when she shook her head. “I didn’t listen to them.”

“How did you know I didn’t cheat on you then? Did you talk to your dad? My mom?”

Adaline was chewing on her lower lip, causing it to instantly swell. “No,” she said. “I just finally decided to stop listening to my head, and I listened to my heart. I’m so sorry I hurt you again, Emmit. I’d give anything to take it all back.”

The warmth spread through my body again as I looked into her eyes. “You can’t run away every time you think there’s a problem, Addie.”

Nodding her head frantically, she barely spoke. “I . . . I know. I’m an idiot.”

I would have nodded in agreement, but my head hurt too damn much. “We need to work things out together if there is a problem.”

Adaline began crying hard again. “I. Know. I. Hate. Myself. For. Hurting. You.”

“I want a do-over, Addie.”

With a snap of her head, she wiped her eyes and then her snotty nose. “A do-over of what?”

“That night.”

Adaline slowly shook her head as she pinched her eyebrows together. “What night?”

“The first night we made love.”

Adaline’s mouth dropped open as she pulled her head back in shock. “Never. That night was the best night of my life. It was magical and romantic.”

Looking away, I closed my eyes. “Nah, it was hot as hell. The bugs were eating us alive; it bruised the hell out of my knees and your back. You bled on my mother’s favorite quilt and you wore a look of pain the entire time.” I opened my eyes and caught Adaline’s stare. “I was so scared I was hurting you.”

Adaline’s blue eyes softened as flashed me a smile. God how I loved that smile. I’d never in my life get tired of seeing it. “Like I said, it was the best night of my life. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Except the part of your mother’s quilt.” Standing up, Adaline leaned over me. Her lips stopped right before they came in contact with mine. “You weren’t hurting me, Emmit. You were making me yours. I’ll forever be yours. A moment like that doesn’t happen twice.”

The moment her lips touched mine, I felt a surge of energy race through my body. Lifting my hand, I placed it behind her neck and pulled her closer to me. I’d give anything to have her crawl into bed with me. I could still taste that first kiss, like it had happened yesterday.

A male’s voice cleared their throat from behind me as I dropped my hand and Adaline pulled her lips away from mine.

“I see sleeping beauty woke up.”

The sound of Malcolm’s voice caused my head to hurt more. “Get the f*ck out of my room, *.” He walked around the end of the bed and gave me that shit-eating grin of his.

“You know you want to see me. My pretty face makes you feel better.”

Rolling my eyes, I let out a groan and swore some more under my breath. “What’s wrong, Malcolm? Coming to see how bad of a job your flunky did in trying to keep me out of a race car.”

“Emmit!” Adaline said as Malcolm’s smile faded.

“You really think I’m that worried about your shitty driving that I would have to pay someone to keep you out of a car. You sure think highly of yourself, you *. I’ll beat you any day, any track.”