She sighs heavy-heartedly. “Ella, when are you going to realize that you two belong together? Everyone who lays eyes on you can see it and is envious of it because that kind of love isn’t supposed to exist.”
I wipe some water from my face. “What kind of love are you talking about?”
“The kind of love that owns you.” She gets up, gives a quick look in the mirror, and combs her fingers through her damp hair. “The kind where you know the other person inside and out. Where you can go through hell and back and still make it out okay.” She leaves me alone with her heavy words echoing in my head.
I shut off the water and climb out of the shower. After I’m dressed, I exit the bathroom with my hands crossed over my chest, because I forgot to grab a clean bra.
Micha is leaning against the headboard with his shirt and shoes off, and the remote pointed at the television. His eyes connect with mine and a smile curls at his lips.
“Why are you crossing your arms like that, pretty girl,” he says with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
I lie flat on my stomach on the bed next to his. “Where’re Lila and Ethan?”
“They went to raid the vending machine.” His eyes roam across my body and my skin tingles as my breath catches. “So it’s just you and me.”
I press my lip together to hide the sound of my erratic breathing. “So it is.”
He slides his legs off the bed and he studies me momentarily. “I should probably take a shower.” He has a look on his face like he’s enjoying himself. Without saying another word, he gets some clothes out of his bag on the floor and struts off to the bathroom, doing that sexy walk he does when he knows someone is watching him.
I end up passing out and when I wake up, the room is dark and soundless. The blankets are pulled over me and someone’s warm breath is dusting my cheeks. I was under the impression that I’d be sharing a bed with Lila, but I hope the warm body sleeping very close to me isn’t hers.
“Are you awake?” Micha whispers and his breath tickles my cheek.
I let my eyes adjust to the dark and make out the outline of his face. “Kind of.”
I hear him sucking on his lip ring. “I can’t sleep. I have too much pent-up energy.”
“Over what?” I utter quietly.
“Over you,” he says in a low voice. “And the fact that you’re sleeping only inches away without a bra on and all I want to do is touch you. It’s driving me crazy.”
“How can you want to touch me after what I did?”
“How can I ever not want to touch you?”
His words confuse me in the strangest way, but I crave his touch, so slowly, I hitch my leg over his hip. His breathing hitches and then the palm of his hand slides up my bare leg, leaving a trail of heat along my skin. He doesn’t say a word as his hand sneaks up the side of my shorts, scoots my panties to the side, and seconds later his fingers are inside me.
My teeth clamp down on my lip as he starts to feel me thoroughly. It’s like we’re doing something forbidden in the dark room with Ethan and Lila only a few feet away. His mouth fumbles against my lips as his warm tongue urges them apart. He keeps moving his fingers inside me as he nips at my lip and feels my br**sts with his free hand, rubbing his thumb along my nipple, driving my body crazy.
“Micha…” I groan.
“Shh…” he murmurs against my lips.
He continues to suffocate me with his kisses until he pushes me over the edge. Clutching onto him, my head tips back and I try to breathe through it quietly.
When I recompose myself, he kisses my forehead and slips his finger out of me. “Now I can sleep,” he whispers, and within minutes, his breathing becomes calm.
I’m left wide-awake and I have a feeling he did it on purpose.
Chapter 8
Micha
I wake up feeling good. The sun is shining through the window and my mind is calm and relaxed. I know it was a dirty move to get back at her, but it wasn’t like it was a punishment for her either. I just left her wide awake, hot and bothered, a feeling I’m becoming very familiar with.
I sit up, rub my eyes, and realize Ella and Lila are missing from the room.
“Well, good morning, princess,” Ethan says from the table. He’s eating a doughnut and has an energy drink in his hand. “Did you have a good night’s rest?”
“Where is everyone?” I climb out of bed and slip on a black T-shirt.
He stuffs the rest of the doughnut into his mouth and dusts the crumbs off his hands on the front of his jeans. “The alarm didn’t go off so they ran out of here about ten minutes ago, freaking out about not having enough time to get their hair done. Or at least that’s what Lila was saying… Ella seemed a little distracted.”
I eye him over as I search through my bag for my watch. “Are you insinuating something? Because you have this stupid look on your face and it’s getting on my nerves.”
He sips his drink and pushes up from the chair. “Only that the next time you two fool around in the dark with other people in the room, you might want to try being a little bit quieter.”
“Do me a favor,” I say, “don’t say anything to Ella. You’re gonna make things weird.”
“Weirder than you two already made them?” He crushes the can and shoots it into the trashcan in the corner. “Because those noises from last night are going to haunt my nightmares for a long time.”
I change the subject, clipping my watch onto my wrist. “What the heck are we supposed to wear to a wedding?”
“How the hell should I know?” He glances down at his long-sleeve black shirt pulled over a gray T-shirt and his dark jeans. “I was going to go like this.”
Grabbing a black pinstriped shirt and a pair of my nicest jeans, I head off to the bathroom.
“Has she admitted she was lying?” Ethan flips on the television and flops down on one of the beds, crossing his feet.
I halt in the doorway and glance over my shoulder at him. “No… As usual, she’s being stubborn.”
“Here’s a thought.” He drops the remote on the nightstand. “You could always tell her you know and save yourself all the drama.”
“It’s not that simple,” I explain. “I don’t like to push her into doing things… because…” I trail off, knowing I can’t tell him about the bridge or how she looked on that bathroom floor when she told me.
When she’s ready, she’ll tell… at least I hope. But what if she doesn’t? What if I’ve spent my life chasing a ghost?
“Okay, so I’m severely disappointed in the bridesmaid lineup,” Ethan comments, eyeballing the bridesmaids standing just outside the canopy entrance.
We are sitting in the back row waiting for this little shindig to start while people scurry back and forth through the tent. The front of the area is decorated with purple flowers and the main aisle is lined with black and purple ribbons.
“I think they’re all married,” I tell him, resting my foot up on my knee. “And about ten years older than you.”
He sighs and leans back into the fold-up chair. “What am I supposed to do then? This thing doesn’t start for another hour and I’m getting bored.”
“I’m sure you’ll survive…” My attention drifts to Ella as she walks beneath the canopy and up to Caroline, who’s talking to a short guy in a gray suit, waving her hands animatedly. Ella has on a short, black velvet dress that shows of her long legs and bare shoulders. There’s a red ribbon around the middle and a red flower in her hair.
She’s f**king beautiful. That’s all there is to it.
“Dude, wipe the drool off your chin.” Ethan slaps the back of my head.
I shove him and he pushes me back. Letting out a deep breath, my eyes reconnect to Ella. She says something to Caroline and hands the glass of champagne to her. Caroline downs it and gives the glass back to Ella before rushing away, holding the front of her dress.
Ella sets the glass on a chair and presses her fingers to the bridge of her nose as her gaze finds me. Her eyes silently plead for me to follow her as she ducks out of the tent.
“I’ll be right back,” I say, rising to my feet. “And try not to get into any trouble while I’m gone.”
I weave through the aisles and duck outside into the sunshine and cool air. A forest encloses the house and Ella strolls down the grassy hill until she vanishes into the trees crisped with autumn.
“What is she doing?” I mutter as I follow her.
When I step into the forest, she’s leaning against a tree and the thick forest obscures every aspect of the wedding, except for the muffled noise of voices. It’s like we’re in our own private little world.
I walk slowly toward her. “What are you doing out here?”
Her hands are tucked behind her back and she’s chewing on her bottom lip anxiously. “I didn’t cheat on you. I lied about it.”
I reduce the gap between us so we’re within reaching distance. “I know you didn’t.”
Her eyebrows dip together. “How did you know?”
“Lila told Ethan.” I inch closer to her, and my gaze skims down to the cl**vage popping out of the dress. “And Ethan told me.”
Her shoulders slump as she exhales, relieved. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I figure you had some reason why you weren’t telling me.” My fingers itch to touch her, long to run along her body and feel inside her.
“I’m sorry. It was the only thing I could think of that would make you let me go. You deserve better than what I can give you.”
“I don’t understand why you don’t think you’re good enough for me.”
“Because I’m not.” She shrugs nonchalantly. “Because eventually you’ll hate me… It’s inevitable.”
“I could never hate you.” I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and let my fingers stroke the side of her neck before I pull away. “I couldn’t even hate you when I thought you cheated. Yeah, I was furious, but I still loved you.”
“That day I said that—those days I couldn’t get out of bed, I was having a nervous breakdown. My therapist put me on some stuff for anxiety and depression.” Her eyes turn watery like she might cry. “Micha, you don’t want this, trust me. I watched my mother’s problems eat away at my dad… I’ll drag you into that dark hole with me. You just need to go. Walk away. Please walk away.”
With the pad of my thumb, I wipe a tear that escapes her eye. “I hate to say this Ella, but your father is f**king weak. He can’t blame what he does on anyone but himself. And I’m not him and you’re not your mom. Just because their story ended badly doesn’t mean our will.”
She turns her head away to avoid my gaze. “I don’t want this for you.”
I hook my finger under her chin and force her to look at me as I brace a hand on the tree beside her. “I’m sorry, pretty girl, but you really don’t get to choose what I want, what I do, or who I get to be with. So unless you want me to leave you because you don’t love me anymore, I’m not going anywhere.”