The Best Kind of Trouble (20 page)

I looked up at the ceiling, blinking away tears. When I felt like I could speak, I lowered my gaze back to his face and said, my voice cracking on the words, “That’s not fair. You broke my heart first!
You
broke up with
me
!”

“
I’m not going to stop,” he said forcefully.  “I love you. I’ll never stop loving you.”

My eyes widened. Shock slammed into me.
Wasn’t he just walking out the door?

His voice was rough with emotion, his eyes a swirling violent stormy mix of blue and gray. His words shook with passion.

Nathan crossed the room in three long strides and then dropped to his knees in front of me.  The fierce expression in his face softened, his eyes shone brightly.

With excruciating tenderness, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and framed my face in both his hands.

My breath faltered. My heart threatened to gallop out my chest and fresh tears wet my lashes.

“I love you, Ashley,” he said fervent conviction.  “I’ll go now if you want me to go. But I won’t stop loving you.  Or trying to win you back.  Not until—”

He paused and I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat and whispered, “Until?”

The knot in his throat bobbed and his eyes darted between mine, searching for something, I guess.

His mouth lifted up on my one side.

“Do you want me to go?” he asked.

My eyebrows rose up and my eyes widened at his abrupt change. A smirk curved his lips and his words sounded almost playful. But the raw emotion I saw radiating in his eyes belied all that.

And a very real part of me wanted to say no.  Wanted to wrap my arms and legs around him and drag him back into my bed. To feel his lips on mine, his heat, his love,
him.

Instead, I held onto my resolve and nodded, knowing this wouldn’t be the last I saw of Nathan Williams.

“I want you to go.”

“Katie,” I whined the next morning as I was packing.  She sat on my bed with a sad pensive look on her face. “Please come with me.  Just for the summer.”

She sighed. “What about my job?”

I wrinkled my nose. “You’ve only been working there for two weeks! And it was only so you could score free drinks!”

She laughed.

“Please Katie,” I pouted.  “I need you there.”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Why, Ash?”

My shoulders slumped and I sat heavily on the edge of the bed.

“Because. I’m not sure what’s going to happen when I get back to California, but I feel it in my gut that
something
is going to happen. Nathan’s only an hour away playing football in San Diego. And Caleb—”

I stopped. I didn’t even know where to begin with Caleb. Was it just affection and attraction? If I could let go of Nathan could it be love? Would Caleb even want that?

The questions plaguing me were part of the reason I needed Katie there.  I needed someone who supported me, someone who could run interference.

Someone who could possibly keep me from making a mistake if Nathan kept relentlessly pursing me.

I thought about the determined glint in his eye the night before. The promises that swam in those blue eyes and in his kiss. Promises I desperately wanted to believe, to drown in.

Promises I knew Caleb wouldn’t make. And I wasn’t sure Nathan could keep.

I stuck my bottom lip out at Katie. I needed her. Otherwise I was sure I was going to make an even bigger mess.

“Okay!” Katie squealed excitedly, distracting me from my gloomy thoughts..  “Let me get packed, and we’ll go.  I gotta tell Dad.”

I smiled wide. “And what about Drew?”

Katie paused in the doorway. Her whole body tensed.  She frowned and shook her head.  “Who the hell cares what Drew thinks?”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “Did something happen?”

She blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s a long story, Ash.  I’ll tell you on the plane.”

~000~

“So…he basically asked you to move in, you said no, and then he was all over some other girl? But last night he came back to the apartment with you.”

Making sense of Katie’s story was not easy.  She had rambled on, with angry tears and exaggerated hand gestures, for the last thirty minutes.

She sighed. “I didn’t say no. I just…that’s a big step. A step I’m pretty sure my parents wouldn’t like without a ring and a church.”

Katie leaned her head back against the seat. “And last night?”

“Last night I saw him at the bar, he and the guys waited until I got off and then came back with me. I basically ignored him all night and then we got into a huge fight this morning before he left.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I give him a week before he shows up in Cali.”

~000~

Four days later, Katie and I got dressed up and walked two blocks to a party Caleb had texted me about.

I was nervous to see him. I didn’t even know he had my phone number until the day before when he texted me.

Katie and I walked into the party and my eyes immediately landed on Caleb. His familiar form was a welcome sight. All long lean muscles, inked up arms and a dangerous swagger that could make any girl swoon.

I watched him for a moment talking with two other guys and a couple of girls who leaned in as he talked. The beach house was full of people talking and loud music blared out of some speakers in the living room.

When Caleb turned and his eyes caught mine, his whole face changed betraying that cool easy confident mask he usually wore. 

He immediately stalked across the room. Before I could utter a word or even breathe, he gripped me by the nape of my neck and slammed his lips to mine.

I melted, my body went pliant as I surrendered to his kiss. And the easy escape it offered.

Suddenly, it was all I needed. I reached up and fisted my hands in his t-shirt, clinging to him and pulling myself closer. All the muddled thoughts and hurt from seeing Nathan suddenly destroyed, wiped out with the sweep of his tongue against my lips.

Before I could register a coherent thought—or realize that we’d just kissed in a very public party and I was pretty sure I just saw the flash of a camera phone—someone came barreling at us, tackling Caleb to the ground.

I got shoved backwards as shouts erupted as the sounds of flesh hitting flesh, and two men grunting and cursing on the ground filled the air.

The screaming of party-goers signaled a massive fight. I pushed my way back though the crowd until finally I found myself in the middle of a circle of people.

I was stunned as I watched Caleb and Nathan grapple with each other on the floor.

“What the—?”

Caleb was a strong guy but I wasn’t sure he was any match for a two hundred and thirty pound, six foot five NFL quarterback.

Oh god.
I thought suddenly.

I looked around at all the camera phones out and Caleb and Nathan fighting—presumably over me—in public.
Shit.

After the photo of my dirty romp with Caleb, this was exactly what I didn’t need.

“Nathan!” I screamed as I propelled myself forward. “Nate, stop!”

They didn’t hear me. I moved closer just as they broke apart and stood up. I lunged for Caleb, who was closer to me, but he didn’t see me or hear me, and when he cocked his fists back, his elbow caught me in the nose.

Blood immediately gushed my vision blurred from the pain. I wavered on my feet.

“Parker!” Caleb yelled, he wrapped an arm around me and titled my head back, helping me pinch the bridge to stop the flow of blood.

“Don’t fucking touch her!” Nathan roared. He ripped off his shirt and thrust it at me as he pushed Caleb out of the way.

“Ashley!” Katie screamed as she ran to me.  “Are you okay? Oh god, we gotta get out of here before the police get called.”

“I’m fine,” I said. 

I moved away from both boys and closer to Katie.  My eyes darted back and forth between them. Both of them were breathing heavily and frowning, blood trickled from the side of Caleb mouth and Nathan’s eye was already starting to turn purple.

I shook my head, feeling lost and disgusted all in the same breath.

I let Katie lead me out of the party and I ducked my head to avoid the whispers and stares. Once outside, we walked the short two blocks back to my beach house. The boys followed us the whole way. No one said a word, but the tension was so thick, I felt its suffocating fingers closing around my throat.

I disappeared into my room and Katie helped me clean up. She was unusually quiet as we cleaned up and I changed shirts.  When I came out, both boys were still there, sitting on opposite couches.  They stood when I came in.

My stomach churned. The silence was thick and oppressive.

“Ash, I’m really sorry. I—” Caleb began.

I shook my head. “It’s okay, you didn’t mean to. I shouldn’t have—”

Nathan snorted.

I turned narrowed eyes on him. “What the fuck did you think you were doing?”

His eyes snapped up from glaring at Caleb to mine.  I could see the anger and something else dance in his blue eyes. A muscle in his jaw ticked, and the veins in his neck strained against his tanned skin.

“I was thinking I saw some jackass kissing my girl.”

I ground my teeth together. “I am not your girl.”

His face paled for a moment and he frowned. “Four days ago, back home, you—”

“I told you I wanted you to leave,” I took a deep breath and looked away. “Just like I want you to leave now.”

Several silent seconds ticked by. Then, Nathan moved across the room and stopped right in front of me.  His voice was low, soft, and a little pained. “This doesn’t change what I said.  I won’t stop. Ever.”

Two seconds later he was gone. When I looked up Caleb was scowling. I opened my mouth to try and explain or say something—anything—but he held up his hand to stop me.

He shook his head and then crossed the room and wrapped both arms around me. “I’m so sorry about the nose, Parker.”

He kissed the side of my head and then murmured, “I should go.”

Before I could stop him or find the words to speak, the front door clicked shut.