Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 26959 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26959 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
She couldn’t hold back her grimace.
“Hey, sweetheart, I’m not telling you this to upset you or make Tanner look bad. I just want you to know why Tanner is now the way he is. I think he doesn’t see himself as being worthy any longer because, for years, he has told himself what a worthless asshole he was to you.”
Sasha shook her head, stunned that Tanner had felt that way. Yes, she had been heartbroken, but never in a million years did she think Tanner felt that way about himself, or that Jonas was just as stricken with her absence as she was.
“I would have given you my heart… both of you.” Knowing that all these years had been wasted on both sides angered her and also made her feel sorrow. “I wish you would have said something. Heck, I wish I would have come home and talked to the both of you.”
“And we wish you would have said something, too.” He smiled at her and brushed his thumb along her bottom lip. She couldn’t argue with him because the past four years had been all of her fault.
“I’m sorry I avoided you guys and hid my feelings. I was scared, worried that Tanner thought what we did was a mistake. I shouldn’t have wasted all that time.”
Bringing his other hand to the side of her face, he stared into her eyes. “No, Sasha, you shouldn’t, but no one is to blame, especially not when the past doesn’t matter anymore. You’re here now, and that is all that matters.”
Bringing her close for a kiss, he whispered against her lips.
“Let’s just focus on the future and the fact everything is out in the open.”
“But what about Tanner? And... oh God, Rian.” Her brother was so not going to like this, even if she was an adult and he had no say in the situation. And what about Tanner and his new girlfriend? Was he really serious about her?
“Everything will work out. I promise.” Jonas, always the optimist. “And the whole issue with Tanner and this Brianna girl is nothing you need to worry about. I saw the way he looked at you at Shake’s. He still loves you, whether he is trying to fool himself and everyone else or not.”
Just the thought of talking to Tanner and telling him all of this scared the shit out of her. “I just don’t see how you can be okay with me loving your brother... and wanting to be with your brother, too.” He shook his head before she even finished.
“Sasha, don’t you understand?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “This isn’t about me sharing you with Tanner. This is about the one girl we are both madly in love with returning our feelings.”
He kissed her lightly, as if to solidify his point.
“This is about not worrying what others think and going with what our hearts tell us. Do you understand, sweetheart?”
She did, but all of this was so confusing and unconventional. It also seemed so easy and progressed far too fast. It was like the years away from them hadn’t happened at all, like they had always been together and were now making it known.
“And don’t worry about, Rian. He’s a hard-ass, but he loves you, and I know he’ll want you to be happy. Besides, I’ll talk with him.”
Did he not know her brother? Rian was going to shit bricks once this all came to light. Their parents, too, but Sasha didn’t want to think about any of that, not when it seemed everything was finally falling into place.
5
To Sasha’s utter disappointment, Jonas didn’t allow her to help him relieve his clear arousal in the truck. Granted, it wasn’t the most romantic of spots, but after all the years of denying herself, she didn’t care where they were.
Besides, she hadn’t exactly wanted to have sex in his truck, but his erection had been hard and insistent, and she had wanted nothing more than to feel his length in her mouth or in another part of her body.
Even thinking about that now had her cheeks heating and a hard slam of lust pulsing through her veins. Yes, she had been with two guys in the four years away from home, but even they couldn’t erase what she felt for Tanner and Jonas.
The sex had been anything but romantic or memorable, but she knew she couldn’t let herself pine over men who didn’t return her feelings.
Or that was what she had thought.
Now, it was the following day, and Jonas was due to pick her up in ten minutes to go house hunting. Sasha found herself trying on the fifth outfit. She felt like she was going on her first date, which was a ridiculous notion given the fact she was twenty-two and it wasn’t a date at all.