Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
I put my hand on her door because I feel like she’s trying to leave, and I refuse to go another day without having this conversation. “What’s going on with you, Chrissy?”
She crosses her arms over her chest defensively. “We just left our brother's funeral. I don’t know what you want me to say.”
As I stand her with one arm on the door and one hand on her shoulder, I know I should do the right thing and give her some space and time. But doing the right thing has never been my strong suit. “But why are you avoiding me? And don’t tell me you’re not because we both know you are.”
She bites her lip and just looks at me. I’ve had a bad feeling since I left her house the other morning, and I know I have to ask what I’m thinking. “Do you regret the other night?”
She blinks and softly asks, “Do you?”
“Fuck no!” I say too loud as people walk pass us. I dirty look them until they walk past and then I lean in to Chrissy. “Hell no, I don’t regret it. Do you?”
She puts a hand on my chest, and it’s obvious she’s trying to calm me down. Hell, is this where she gives me the boot. She tells me it was fun but it’s over already. My heart is racing, and I can’t catch my breath. “This is not over, Chrissy.”
She smiles, shaking her head. “It never started, Gabe. It was one night.”
“It meant more than a one-night stand, and you know it. You were there, Chrissy, and don’t act like it didn’t mean anything to you. I don’t know what this is, but I’m not letting you end it because you’re scared.”
She juts her chin at me. “I’m not scared.”
I’m practically panicking at the way she’s keeping her emotions on lockdown. I’m just going to say it. I should have said it to her the other day before I went into work. “I love you.”
She doesn’t seem happy or surprised by my statement. She just nods her head. “I know you do. Since the day we met you’ve taken care of me.”
I lean my back against her car door and cross my arms over my chest. It’s either that or I’m going to reach for her. “It’s more than that, and you know it.”
She looks so sad. “It’s not. You feel obligated to me. I’m like your little sister—”
I cut her off and hold a hand up. “No offense, honey, but there’s not any part of me that thinks of you as my sister.”
She clenches her eyes shut and opens them again. “Think about this, Gabe. We have sex a few times, and then you meet another girl—”
“That’s not going to fuckin’ happen!”
She stomps her foot. “Gabe, listen to what I’m saying. I’m giving you an out.”
I grit my teeth. “I don’t want or need an out.”
She sighs, tilting her head. “Will you please hear me out?”
“Fine,” I grunt.
She nods. “If you met another woman, you wouldn’t leave me.”
I nod, because finally we’re getting somewhere. “You’re right there. I wouldn’t leave you. I’m not a cheater, Chrissy. I would think you know that about me.”
She rolls her eyes. “That’s not my point. My point is that you would never let yourself hurt me. You couldn’t do it.”
Dumbfounded, I stare at her. “I’m lost. How is that a bad thing?”
She takes a step back from me. “You’re not hearing me. Even if you were unhappy with me, you wouldn’t leave me. You would just stay with me because you wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to hurt me. You’d feel obligated to stay with me.” She sucks in a deep breath and lets it out. “I don’t want to be an obligation to you.”
“Chrissy, baby, this is—”
She shakes her head. “You had sex with me because you felt bad for me. I practically threw myself at you and didn’t give you much of a choice—”
I take a step toward her and don’t stop until we’re toe to toe. This is getting ridiculous. “I didn’t sleep with you because I felt bad for you. I slept with you because for the past three years you are all I think about. You wanted to know why I haven’t been dating, and I only told you half the truth. The other part of it is the fact that you’re the one I wanted. I told myself I couldn’t lose you as a friend, and that’s why I never acted on it, but trust me, feeling bad for you never had anything to do with the other night.”
She opens her mouth and then closes it. I lift my hand and cup her cheek, and she shakes her head, stepping away from me again. “I can’t do this right now, Gabe.”