Kris' eyes watered. She felt for Trey and wished she could heal his hurts.
"He likes you, Kris," Dylan continued. "But I don't know why he's avoiding you. I'd say he's afraid of how he feels. For all his self-confidence in other areas, he has a hard time dealing with emotional pain so he shuts himself out from the sources of it. You're pushing him out of his comfort zone."
She gave Dylan a grateful smile. "Thank you for telling me."
*******
"What do you plan to do?" Sam asked Kris as they took the longer route to the bus station.
"I don't know. I just want him to talk to me so we can sort things out. You do think he has feelings for me, don't you?"
"Well, it does look like it. But, Kris, the question is how much does he care? I'm glad he feels something for you, but what if his feelings are not as deep as you want them to be? I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's a very real possibility."
"You sure know how to lift up my spirits," she said dryly.
"Oh, Kris, you know I just don't want you to get your hopes up too high only to be disappointed. You'll be more crushed then."
Kris nodded, knowing Sam meant well. Sam had always been her voice of reason, the one who showed her all sides to the story when her impulsive nature only focused on what she wanted to see. But still, she could really use some supportive words right now. Trey meant so much to her—
They just turned a corner, and Kris froze. Her heart stopped for a beat before racing painfully in her chest. Even her lungs seemed to fail for she found it extremely hard to breathe.
There was Trey, hailing a taxi. A blonde in a tight-fitting red dress had both her arms around his neck while his was around her waist. She seemed to be whispering something in his ear. Either that, or she was plain kissing him.
He opened the passenger door, his hand lingering on the woman's lower back as she scooted inside the cab. Then he got in beside her and the taxi drove them away.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Trey looked out the window. The longer he sat at the back seat of the cab, with Connie rubbing herself against him like a cat, the more his gut wrenched.
It just didn't feel right.
He'd been fighting that sensation since he'd agreed to go home with Connie, and the closer they got to her place, the stronger it got.
Connie's hand started rubbing his thigh. "Is everything okay? You've been very quiet."
He gave her a smile. "Sure. Just thinking about something."
"Problem?"
"Yeah," he said with a sigh.
"Well, in my experience, the best way to solve a problem is to stop thinking about it for a while. Then you can revisit it from a different perspective. The best way to distract yourself from it is with some good, hot sex," she said seductively, placing soft kisses along his jaw.
He chuckled. He actually agreed with her. But again, the thought of having sex with Connie made his stomach twist in protest. Or was that his heart?
"We're here," Connie announced.
"I'll get this," he said, pulling his wallet from his back pocket.
"Okay, thank you," Connie said as she climbed out of the cab.
Trey pulled out some cash and gave it to the driver. "Can you wait here for me?" he asked. "I'll only be a couple of minutes."
"Sure," the cabbie said in surprise.
He joined Connie at the front porch of her apartment building. When she inserted the key in the lock, he stilled her hand.
"Connie, I'm sorry. But I'm afraid I can't go through with this."
Connie stared at him in surprise before smiling her understanding. "That's okay. It's a girl, right?" she asked.
He smiled at her. "Yeah."
She nodded. "Well, Trey, it's a shame. But I understand. Hope you sort it out."
"Thanks, Connie. Sorry for ruining your night."
She laughed. "Hey, you just actually made my day. I can still live in hope that a man like you is waiting for someone like me. You can't be the only one of your kind in existence."
"What kind is that?" he asked curiously.
"The ones who can only get their dicks hard for the woman they love."
He stared at her, more than a little shocked with her words. "I…um…"
Connie chuckled at his discomfiture. "Hey, whatever. Thanks for the drink, anyway. At least I had one Climax."
He grinned. "Thanks, Connie. Take care."
*******
Trey listlessly checked his phone as the taxi drove him back home. He had a missed call and a text from Dylan.
*Call me please. Important.*
He frowned with concern as he dialled Dylan's number.
"Hey, bro. Where are you?" Dylan asked when he answered the phone.
"In a taxi. What's wrong?"