She flattens her hand against the center of my chest, breathlessly murmuring, “Mine too.”
“Come home with me.”
Her chin lifts with guidance of my hand. I run my thumb over the flush in her cheek.
“Home. O-Okay.” Her mouth lifts slightly. “To my aunt’s? Or . . .”
I breathe a laugh. Only Beth can shove me in a direction I didn’t know I was ready for.
“I like ‘or’ better.” I kiss her mouth quickly, then lean away, sighing, my hands refusing to leave her skin. “There’s still so much I want to say to you, but I don’t want to say it here, in this house. I don’t want my words to be mixed with his.”
After a slight hesitation, she nods, not questioning what I mean by that. She must understand that I know more than she’s told me. If not, it’ll be obvious the second she sees the state I’ve left Rocco in.
Fucker. He deserves worse, and he’ll get it if he ever tries anything.
We pack up her things, which takes no longer than two minutes. Beth never really unpacked much of anything yesterday, except a few items. She pulls her Kindle against her chest, hugging it, then sets it on the dresser.
“You’re not taking it?” I ask her, grabbing the duffle off the bed.
“It was from Rocco.” She purses her lips. “It was the only thing I had before that I loved. But I have you now, I don’t need it.”
Shit. She loves that thing. She just fucking hugged it goodbye.
Grabbing the back of her neck, I drop a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll buy you a new one.”
She smiles up at me, then lightly kisses my jaw.
I keep her against my side as we walk down the stairs. Rocco is sitting on the couch now, dressed, holding a bloody rag to his face. Ben and Luke standing in front of him like a pair of guard dogs on steroids. I take Beth immediately outside, expecting the questions to start, but she just snakes her arms around my waist and presses kisses to my chest.
She tries to lead me to her car.
“That’s staying here. We’ll get you another one.”
I’ve never seen her look more confused. Her nose crinkles as she gazes up at me. “But, it’s my car. I need a car.”
“You don’t need that car. I can’t stand looking at it and knowing you lived in that thing. It bothers me. I don’t want you driving it anymore.”
She puts a hand on her hip, fighting a smile. “Reed.”
“Forget it, woman. It stays here.”
She narrows her eyes, laughing. Her arms snake around my neck, pressing her body into mine as she whispers kisses against my throat. “You love me,” she murmurs.
“Mm.” I trace my finger down the side of her face, gazing down at her. “I am scared though, Beth. If you leave me again I don’t think . . .” I swallow hard. “No, I know, I know I won’t survive that. You can’t leave me, even when I fuck up, and I will fuck up. I’ve never done this. I might be bad at it.”
My words hang in the air between us, different from the first time I said them to her. Before it was “I haven’t done this in nine years.” Now she knows she’s my first.
“I’ve never done this either,” she says. Her hands lightly squeeze my hips. “I’m scared too.”
The front door opens. Ben and Luke walk down the stone steps.
“Let’s go home.” I wrap my arm around her waist, leading her to the truck.
I need to get my girl alone.
BETH CALLS HER AUNT ON the drive back. When Danny gets on the line and asks to speak to me, I hesitate bringing the phone up to my ear. It’s my fault Beth left. She never would’ve gone back to some guy who made her feel anything less than perfect if it wasn’t for me. I still don’t know what all words Rocco used to break her down. I’m not sure I want to know. What would stop me from driving back to Kentucky and making good on my promise?
Nothing, that’s fucking what.
Danny, to my surprise, doesn’t tear into me for being the catalyst in all this. He simply thanks me for getting Beth back, in his own I’m still going to give you shit for dating my niece way. His tone can’t be more critical. As always, I keep my reaction to his attitude silent.
I pull Beth into my arms after she disconnects the call, burying my face in her neck, letting my hands roam over her limbs, my fingers threading into her hair. I feel like I haven’t touched her in years, or maybe never. There’s a desperation to it I know she can feel.
Her warm hands cup my face. She brushes away the wetness brimming in my eyes. I don’t want to be an emotional wreck but fuck!
“I’m so in love with you I feel like I can’t breathe,” I whisper against her neck, trying to somehow explain the reason behind my sudden discomposure.