Page 51 of Finding Happily Ever After
Was he going to kiss her?
His breath came fast.
Did she want him to?
Yes. No.
Definitely yes.
Desire and anticipation and the slightest little bit of fear mingled together in a heady combination that muddled all her feelings.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Travis, his hand still on her arm, leaned close.
She sucked in a breath and instinctively closed her eyes for the kiss that was sure to come.
Instead, he released her abruptly, leaving her off-balance. She snapped her eyes open to see he’d taken a step back.
He’d removed his cowboy hat and with his other hand was roughing up his hair. “Sorry,” he said gruffly. “I shouldn’t have done that.” He never looked at her, just turned, grabbed his hammer again and walked away.
Disappearing into the pines and leaving Steph to stare after him, wondering what the hell had just happened between them. Because whatever it was, it had left her wanting more.
ChapterFifteen
It had beenthree days since everything had blown up and still Natalie couldn’t figure out how things had gone so wrong with Aiden. Yes, she’d withheld information from him, but it washersto give.Hehadn’t told her he’d been married before! And that was awaybigger deal than her virginity.
She just couldn’t understand it. Everything had been going so well and then…
She moved through her days, performing her duties at the station on autopilot, grateful for any emergency callouts because they meant she could escape her thoughts and memories long enough so she didn’t have to feel the panic and hurt that had consumed her since leaving Aiden’s house. But then the emergency would be resolved and her day would once more grow quiet enough that it would all rush back to her as though it had just happened.
When she’d woken up in his bed, everything had been right.Soright. She’d never felt such a sense of completeness before. Of full-body happiness. How could something that felt like that be wrong? It wasn’t wrong. It was all kinds of perfect.
And then she’d remember. It hit her out of the blue, like a wrecking ball in an old, abandoned building.
The phone ringing.
Smash.
Brenna. His wife.
Smash.
His face when he heard that she’d kept a secret from him.
Smash.
And that was it. The way he’d looked at her, as if he didn’t trust her. Like he didn’t trust himself. It was as though he were giving up. But she hadn’t done anything wrong. Had she?
No.
It didn’t matter how many times she went around it in her head. Not telling Aiden that she was a virgin wasn’t an offense that should destroy a relationship. It washersecret. It wasn’t anyone else’s business. Not like having a wife.Thatshould have been her business.
She dropped her head to the table. Everything was so messed up. She hadn’t felt so terrible since…
Since high school.
It took her a few days to realize it: The awful, all-encompassing body ache; the numbness in her feet and hands. The dizzy sensation when she thought about Aiden. The way her stomach couldn’t settle. How she was both hungry and had no appetite at the same time. It was familiar. It was a distant memory, but still. It was exactly how it felt all those years ago when Brandon Ryan had gone to school the day after their date, when she hadn’t let him stick his hands down her pants the way it was rumored he’d done with all the other girls, and told everyone that not only had Natalie let him, but she’d also had sex with him. More than once.
By the time she’d walked to her locker that morning, everyone knew the story. The lie. But no one cared that it wasn’t true. Not even her friends. In fact, it was Natalie’sbest friendwho was the first one to say it.Natalie Collins is a slut.A whore. She’ll spread her legs for everyone.
