It was a vow. I meant every word. As soon as I spoke them, Shannon stiffened before relaxing next to me.
God, I hoped she believed me.
“We’ll talk later,” Patrick said, deepening his voice and looking at her.
I pushed her behind me until I was in front of her. Fuck that.
“You don’t get it,” I said, unable to stop myself from practically growling at the obnoxious dickhead. “She’s mine, and she’s not going back to you.”
“I can handle this, Oliver.”
“You can,” I said and turned to look at her, “but you won’t. You’ve dealt with enough shit lately and you’re not taking this on.”
A flutter of something softened her eyes, but I turned back to Patrick before I could read it.
“Go. And honest to God, I hear you’ve contacted her again and you’ll regret it.”
“You’re threatening me?” he said, pulling back. “Wonder what the media will say about that.”
“If you knew anything about me, you’d know I don’t give a shit what anyone says about me. Are you going to go, or do I need to help you out the door?”
“God, Patrick. Go.” Shannon’s annoyance rang thick and clear. “I mean, my God. You had me and treated me like shit. You took advantage of me, you killed any love I had for you long before you screwed Priscilla. Can’t you just do one decent freaking thing in your life and leave me alone?”
“I love you.”
She glared at him and then walked next to me. She was stiff and angry, and I saw it in her eyes, but I still fucking grinned when she slid her arms around my waist. “You don’t know what love is. If you did, you would have cherished me when you had me, not hung me out to dry and expected me to stay with you. You’re selfish and egotistical and you’re pissed you lost a toy. Now go, or Oliver will help you.”
He ground his teeth together before snarling at me. When he looked back at Shannon, his green eyes turned to ice. “You aren’t worth it anyway.”
A frustrated sound left her lips and her fingers dug into my waist. He left, the door slamming shut behind him, and as soon as he’d disappeared past the windows, she let me go and stepped away.
I reached for her, but she held up her hands, looking up at me with tears in her eyes.
Damn it. I’d done that. Patrick played a part, I was sure of it, but most of those tears were for me.
“Don’t,” she said, shaking her head. “I want you to go, too.”
I scowled at her. “No.”
“God, Oliver.” She paused and pressed her hands to her cheeks. “This is too much today. Too much this week. Please, I don’t know why you’re here or why you did all that, but you have to leave. I can’t do this right now.”
Tears dripped down her cheeks. I was frozen helpless—unable to reach for her, unable to soothe her.
“Everything I just said to him is true.”
“And yet you treated me the same.”
Fuck. It was true. Mostly. “I know, and I’m here to apologize. To beg your forgiveness.”
She took another step back. I was losing her in front of my eyes. Pain sliced my chest as more tears fell.
“Please, Shannon. Let me hold you. I’m so sorry for the hospital, for yesterday, for not chasing after you. I was a dick, and I know it. I didn’t mean it. I was angry and terrified. It was my dad, Shannon—the guy who taught me everything, and I was thinking the worst.” Emotion clogged my throat and I pulled in a breath. “I was fucking terrified and angry I wasn’t there for him. Was pissed he hadn’t listened to me and stayed home. So fucking pissed that they went to that game when he wasn’t feeling well. It wasn’t you—honest to God, it wasn’t you.”
“This was a mistake,” she said, her chin wobbling. God, I hated that I’d done this to her. “We…it was sex…and then, we just got swept away in all of it. But we don’t work…”
“We do.” Damn it like hell we didn’t. We worked better than anyone I knew. “Give me this chance. I didn’t fuck Bethany. I didn’t touch her, except when she helped me to my room. But I swear to God. I knew I had hurt you. I had so much in my head, I just…didn’t handle it right. I know that.”
“I know you didn’t do anything with her. I believed her.”
Not me. Her words made her point, punching me in the chest. “But not me. You wouldn’t have believed me.”
Shit.
Fuck.
“Listen to me,” I said, reaching for her again as she stepped back. I took her hands in mine and held them, despite the urge to pull her to my chest, to wrap my arms around her so she couldn’t get away. “Fuck, I’m so sorry for hurting you. I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have said anything at the hospital. I should have hugged you and let you help me. I should have let you be there for me, but besides my parents I’m just so fucking used to not having someone in my corner—not really, not genuinely. I didn’t think, and I hate that I hurt you. Yesterday I had to get them home, and I was hungover and I wasn’t thinking clearly. I should have come after you. I should have dropped to my knees and begged your forgiveness. I’ll do it now, if you want.” I stopped and tried for a grin that failed.
“You hurt me,” she whispered. “Patrick always did and I always gave in.”
“I’m not him.” She had to know that, at least. “I’m not him. You know that. I’ve shown you I’m not that guy, but it doesn’t mean I’m perfect, either. We’ll hurt each other. Frequently. That’s the ugly truth of life, but it doesn’t mean we stop trying. It doesn’t mean we can’t use it to make us stronger instead of ripping us apart. Please. Give me a chance to make this better.”
She choked on a cry, and I stopped resisting. I pulled her to me until her head hit my chest and my hands wrapped around her lower back.
“God, I’m so sorry. I love you, Shannon, and I hate that I hurt you. It fucking kills me. Forgive me. At least give me the chance to earn it.”
I held her while she cried and sniffed.
I held her until she collapsed her weight into me.
I held her until a shiver rolled through her and she finally…fucking finally…wrapped her arms around me and held me back.
“Okay,” she whispered. She looked up at me, pressed her chin to my chest, and all the pain I was feeling evaporated when her eyes met mine. “Okay. I forgive you.”
“Don’t.” I pressed my hand to her cheek. Satisfaction and victory rolled through me when she melted into my touch. “Let me prove to you that I’ve earned it.”
“You have,” she said, her lips twitching. “You’re here.”
Fucking Christ. She slayed me.
A low groan bubbled from me and I pushed her back just enough so I could reach her lips with mine.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” I whispered, my nose brushing against hers. “And you’re going to fucking love it.”
She laughed softly and nodded. “Please.”
I took her mouth harshly. My need was too great, my desire to show her how much her trust and forgiveness and love meant to me. I slid my tongue into her mouth and devoured her, unable to stop my hands from roaming her sides, pulling her to me. The kiss was frantic and wild, like so much of what we were.
I lost myself in it, lost myself in the feel of her and her scent and her taste, and before I knew it I had her in my arms, my cock against the center of her, and I placed her on the top of a counter.
Her fingers dug into my shoulders, through my shirt. I relished the pain. I wanted her to hurt me, give me the pain I’d caused in her.
She whimpered as I held her against my hard dick, rocking against me.
I swallowed her cries as we lost ourselves in the moment, lost ourselves in each other, and it was only a humored throat clearing that pulled my attention away from her.
We were both panting when we turned our heads toward the sound.
“Fuck,” I whispered when I saw Melissa leaning against a wall, arms crossed over her chest, a very amused smile on her face.
“I forgot she was here,” Shannon whispered and then giggled.
Fucking giggled.
“Now that’s what I like to see,” Melissa said. “I very much like you making her laugh rather than making her cry.”
Melissa’s smile disappeared and I sobered.
“Me too.”
“See that you do it more often then.”
With fucking pleasure. “I will,” I promised Melissa. “Now can we get back to it?”
“Oliver!” Shannon smacked me against my chest, but it lacked any heat.
“Oh no,” Melissa said, lifting her hand in a wave. “I’ll let myself out. You two…” She paused and winked. “Well, you two just get back to whatever it was you were doing before.”
“I love you, Missy Pissy,” Shannon said.
I could have let her go to hug her friend, but I didn’t. She was in my arms, and I was going to keep her there until I was done with her. And I’d had days to plan out our make-up sex. I was stocked full of fantasies.
“I love you too, Shanna Banana.”
I laughed at their crazy nicknames and said goodbye to Melissa before she walked down the hallway.