When I'm with You (Hope Town #3)(30)

I gasp at my sister in shock. “I had to be carried out? I don’t remember that.”

She laughs. “Well, I would think not since you were basically comatose when Cohen helped you in the back of his truck. You didn’t even move once. Which, bravo on taking your twenty-first down like a beast.”

“I’m never drinking again,” I vow.

“Sure … that’s what everyone says.” She laughs.

“Would you two shut up and get to the good stuff.”

I roll my eyes at Nikki, look down at my toes, and make a mental note to repaint them later.

“I’m not even sure I understand what happened,” I tell them honestly.

“How about you start at the beginning, and we can help you figure that out,” Maddi says compassionately.

With a sigh, I do just that and start from the beginning. Well, more like the middle since both of them know what started all of this—that being my humiliating graduation night.

I gloss over the night of Dani and Cohen’s wedding. I’m not sure why, but deep down, I know that moment should be left between Nate and me. “We had a run-in almost two years ago. It wasn’t pretty, and no, I’m not going to give you more than that. It’s been … hard, you could say, for me to be around him since.”

“I knew it,” Maddi exclaims. “I knew there was a lot more to why you weren’t coming around when the family was all together.”

I narrow my eyes. “Are you going to let me finish?”

She holds up her hands. “Sorry, proceed.”

“Anyway, I reminded him earlier this week why things had been strained and he’s been trying to get a hold of me since. I ignored him because I really wasn’t ready to face that stuff yet. Hell, I’m not sure I am now. Then … well, then last night happened.”

“I’m not really sure where to go with that, Em. That’s pretty vague.”

I drop my head to my knees at my sister’s words and try to organize my thoughts.

“He threw my love for him in my face years ago, Maddi. Then hurt me even worse a few years later. Then, without memory of even doing that, he hurt me again a few days ago. Until last night, he’s never even hinted at feeling anything more than a friendship type bond toward me. Now, my mind is running wild because last night he dragged me to his office, kissed me to the point of death, and then ended it with that dance. Then he left me standing there stunned stupid as he said to me, and I quote, ‘you are mine.’ So … where you might not be sure where to go with that, I can assure you that I most definitely feel even more lost than you do right now.”

Looking up, I stop avoiding them and take in two very stunned faces.

“He did what?” Maddi gasps.

“Well, way to go Nate-Dog!” Nikki yells.

“What about Levi?” my sister continues with a bitter look on her face, ignoring Nikki’s outburst completely.

“I know it doesn’t make it better, I mean I did kiss another man last night. Well, he kissed me, but I didn’t push him away immediately, so I’m at just as much fault, but for what it’s worth, I was breaking up with him tomorrow. It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve just been putting it off to avoid the confrontation.”

Maddi tries, but she does a crap job at hiding the happiness in her expression.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Nikki says softly, her face a mask of understanding as she nods gently. Of course, she understands. She knows everything that’s happened between Levi and me that has led up to that decision.

“When did you decide this?” Maddi asks hopefully.

“A few days ago, for sure. But I’ve been thinking about it for a few weeks. I would have already broken it off, but he’s been working all weekend. He got off this morning and went right to bed. Hell, maybe the gym, but regardless, we don’t have plans to see each other until later tonight or tomorrow.”

She nods, looking over at a still nodding Nikki before her nod turns into a shake of her head at my weird friend’s theatrics.

“Okay,” she starts, and I hold my breath. I would hate it if she were disappointed in me for the way I’m handling the men in my life. Shit, men in my life? When did I become one of those girls? “I’m going to have to agree with Nikki, Em. You aren’t exactly an angel in this situation, but you didn’t instigate things between you and Nate. And if I’m being honest, if I were in your shoes, I’m not sure I would have been able to resist the kind of sexual tension you two have going on.”

“But?”

Her face goes soft before she stands and walks over to the couch, sitting down next to me and pulling me into her arms. “No buts, little sister. You’re in one hell of a complicated situation, and the only advice I can give you is to follow your heart.”

“My heart needs to stop and ask for directions,” I mumble against her chest.

I feel her laugh before she speaks. “Then you know what I think?”

Lifting my head with a sniffle to keep my emotions in check, I wait for her to continue.

“It’s time to call Mom.”





MY COCK IS GOING TO fall off.

I grab the shirt I had thrown off last night and wipe my come off my abs before tossing it in the general direction of my laundry hamper.