Part 13 (1/2)

I snickered. ”Nah... I hear I can be pretty laid back like him.”

”You have a lot his traits, but when it comes to love...” Her eyes softened. ”I think you get that from your mom. The testing of boundaries, wanting what you know you shouldn't have. What you don't need. Trust me, I know.”

I wanted to frown, but I was too stuck on how spot-on she was. She knew so much about us. It was strange. I felt like I'd met her before, a very, very long time ago. Way before my memory could ever be established. ”Did you-did you know my mom personally?” I squinted my eyes in her direction.

Margie stood, looking down at me with a faint upward curve on her lips. ”Your mom was my roommate in college. We used to hang out a lot even after you were born, but... certain things set us apart.” She sighed. ”She chose me to watch over your dad because she trusted me-knew I wanted to be a caregiver and nurse.”

”Wow... it's kind of like she had this all planned out.”

”Well, I don't mean to bash your mother or anything, but when it comes to life, she lives it and refuses to have anything holding her back. I'm pretty sure when she heard about your father's Alzheimer's, she was already planning how to get out of the situation but still keep the money in her pocket. Why do you think she only has one child? Because she didn't need more holding her back, but she also wanted to have that experience in her back pocket to talk about whenever the conversations arose with other mothers. Why do you think you're so distant from her? Why she only gave you an hour of her day when you were young? Why she isn't here right now?”

”She gave more than Dad could. He was hardly around.”

”Your father worked very hard to provide for you, Chloe. He-” She froze. I could tell she wanted to say more but had to rapidly stop the flow of her words, swallowing hard and holding back. ”Anyway, remember what I told you. Anytime you need to talk, I'm here.” Margie moved towards the door, but I hopped off the bed.

”Wait-Margie!”

She glanced back as I stood in the middle of my bedroom. ”Mom wasn't all bad you know?”

”I know, sweetie.”

”And about Theo... well, I'm just a little confused right now, is all. I'm sure I'll figure that out soon.”

She put on a genuine smile, gripping the doork.n.o.b. ”That, I'm sure about too, lovely. But I'm also sure you won't be figuring it out anytime soon.”

I stared at her, unsure of what else to say. This was the most I had ever spoken about boys to anyone older than me. Margie seemed to hold wisdom and understanding. She was a patient woman, and I could use that in my life.

Honestly, it kind of scared me to think about opening up to a woman I'd just gotten to know, but it also thrilled me to know I could come home to someone that would listen and understand. Someone that wouldn't judge me or think I was insane or selfish for my actions. Someone that understood exactly what I was going through.

We swapped smiles. ”Goodnight, Margie.”

”Goodnight, bella.”

When the door shut behind her, I blew out a breath, sitting in the chair in front of my computer. Headlights crossed my window and an immediate frown took over. Hopping from the chair, I rushed to the window, watching as Theo's Charger pulled in the driveway backwards. He climbed out, and out of the pa.s.senger door came the girl with the blonde hair.

I blinked hard, biting hot tears. They walked to the door, her ahead of him. When they were inside, I could no longer look. I knew what was about to happen. Izzy didn't call her his girl toy for no reason. She only came over when he was in need... when he was desperate to get off.

My head shook hard, and unfortunately, the tears fell. If he didn't think he was hurting me, he was wrong. He was killing me, and being here in Primrose was making me spiral and lose myself all over again.

I felt just like I did right before I left.

Like sc.u.m, a piece of gum on the bottom of someone's shoe.

Worthless. Pointless. In the way.

Switching the lamp off, I slipped beneath my blanket. I fell asleep, and luckily, I couldn't remember my dreams. I just slept, but when I awoke, my head was pounding. I checked my alarm clock. 12:18 PM.

”Ughhh.” I groaned, sitting up. My head pounded even more. I'd slept a little too long. Climbing out of bed, I went to the bathroom to freshen up and then put on a pair of shorts and a tank top.

After informing Margie that I was going for an afternoon run, I was out of the door with my earphones plugged in my ears. I ran around Primrose twice and then entered the park, the park that held so many memories.

As I neared the fountain, I helplessly looked to my right and spotted the line of trees Theo had taken me through once before. I knew that patch of gra.s.s was still there, the daises and sunflowers.

I picked up my pace, running faster, zooming through the park and hitting the track. I ran it five times, until I became too tired and too out of breath. Bending forward, my palms on my thighs, I inhaled much needed oxygen, trying desperately to rid myself of all memories of him. It was impossible. They'd been seared into the core of my brain. They were permanent. There was no getting rid of him.

The sun beamed down on me, heating my skin even more and making sweat spill down my face. Footsteps sounded behind me after several seconds had pa.s.sed. Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted him running in my direction. I was sure he couldn't see me. I was standing by the fence, out of his line of sight.

I should have stayed bent over, perhaps then, he wouldn't have seen me, but I stood up straight, watching him come nearer, and his eyes moved to the right, face going stiff. I couldn't believe he still ran this track every day. I thought he'd killed that habit a long time ago, but it explained how he was still in great shape.

Sweat glistened on his forehead, beads spilling down his defined chest and over his eight abs. He slowed his pace, meeting my eyes. We stared at each other, me confused and him remorseful. Lips parted, he began to speak-explain himself-but I quickly turned, das.h.i.+ng off and regaining all the energy I'd lost only moments ago.

”Chloe!” he yelled after me.

I ignored him, continuing my run to the gap in the fence. When I made it through, I hit the trail and jogged without looking back. Heavy steps crushed the gravel behind me, and I gasped, finally peering over my shoulder, spotting Theo getting closer.

I picked up my pace, but I was no match for him, the man that used to play soccer when he was in high school. The man in such fine, sculpted shape. That man, period. His hand wrapped around my wrist when he made it by my side, spinning me in his direction.

I instantly protested, struggling to yank away. ”Theo! I'm done! Why can't you just leave me alone!?”

His eyes glistened, full of an unexplainable ache. Nostrils flared, he watched as I clawed and scratched at his hand, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. ”You don't feel bad about this?” he asked angrily, brows furrowed ”About what!?”

”About this! This, Chloe!”

My fighting came to a cease, confusion taking anger's place. Then, I realized what he meant. As he stepped forward, brought a hand to my waist, and tugged me in, I figured it all out. This, as in the foundation we lived on. The reason we'd met in the first place.

The guilt.

The shame.

The bad.

The good that felt so horribly wrong.

He watched me with intense brown eyes. My bottom lip trembled, and when he noticed, he reached up, pressing the pad of his forefinger on the center of my mouth to stop it. Then, before I knew it, his face inched forward, and his mouth found mine. A groan rumbled deep in his throat as his lips collided with mine.

My body reacted way differently than it should have. Instead of fighting-instead of protesting and shoving him away-I sank into his arms, and he picked me up. My legs hooked around his waist, hands cupping his smooth cheek. The scruff on his unshaven face rubbed across the smoothness of my palms, his damp lips consuming me. He stumbled into the shade. My back b.u.mped against a tree, but his mouth didn't dare pull away from mine.

His c.o.c.k grinded between my legs, his arousal making me crave every solid inch of him all over again. I moaned, my mind begging me to tell him to stop but my body refusing, falling deep into this l.u.s.t. Into his clutches.

In that moment, I felt like we couldn't be stopped, like years of avoidance and disregard had finally caught up to us-like life was telling us we would never forget about each other. But then, in just the same amount of time, I remembered last night and the pain I felt when I saw him walk into that house with the girl.

”Stop, Theo.” I shoved his face away.

His head traveled down, lips pressing on the crook of my neck. ”I don't know what it is about this f.u.c.king park,” he growled. ”Maybe it's the way the sunlight bounces off your skin when you run through the trail.” His head lifted, gaze matching mine. ”Or maybe it's because when it comes to this place, we aren't restrained. And no one can see. No one cares. It's our place...” His finger came to my chin, tilting it up. His lips then landed on my cheek, and he kissed me tenderly, blinking slowly before his eyes dropped. He then placed my feet on the ground, running his fingers through his damp, raven hair.

I felt like I'd been ripped right away from him. I wanted him to stop, to listen, but I didn't want him away from me. I moved forward, placing my hand on his chest. ”Why didn't you text me?” I whispered. He struggled with words, eyes avoiding mine. I caught his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. ”Why?”

”You know why, Chloe.”

”You thought of Izzy?”