***
I stopped at the market on the way home, picking up AJ’s two favorite kinds of ice creams. Was I attempting to soften her up before I broke the news of Harley? Yeah, maybe. But it was more than that. I found making her happy, reminding her that I knew her well, in turn made me happy.
I knew how much I’d fallen for AJ already, but seeing Harley only made it even more solidified. AJ was the first person I thought of when I woke up and the last person I’d see each time I closed eyes. Hell, her beautiful face even followed me through my dreams.
With the bag in one hand and my key in the other, I slid the key in the lock and turned the handle. Entering the area above the barn that I now called my home, I saw AJ curled up on the couch under a blanket.
I realized that she must have fallen asleep when the sounds of my arrival did nothing to stir her. I placed everything on the counter and quietly moved across the room toward her. I could see instantly that her eyes were reddened and puffy, which only meant she’d been upset. Immediately my heart sank as I thought that she’d already found out Harley was here, and in her mind, she’d thought the worst. When we first got together, one of her biggest fears was that she would never be what Harley was to me. But the truth was she’d become so much more.
I knelt at the side of the couch and reached out to push back the hair that had fallen over her face. My fingertips touched her cheek, and her lip twitched from the movement. Instead of moving my fingers away, I skimmed them over her cheek and along her jaw.
Suddenly her eyes fluttered open, and I watched her blink a few times as if to clear the haze. I expected her normal witty comments or her silly demeanor I’d grown to love, but instead her eyes filled with unshed tears. Tears that made my heart sink and my stomach ache almost as if I’d been kicked.
“Hi,” she whispered hoarsely.
I wanted to explain, only I wasn’t sure where to begin. The last thing I wanted was for her fears to return. Before I could find the words, she spoke again.
“I ran into my mom today at the diner.” AJ linked our fingers together and pulled our now joined hands in closer to her chest. “Am I wrong?” She looked up at me and I could see instantly how desperate she felt for answers. “I just keep thinking that I should let go of this anger I feel. I should forgive her and move on, accept that she made mistakes. Some of the things she said, the look in her eyes, I’ll admit each one made me feel like I was in the wrong.”
“Babe, you got the right to feel the way you do. You have a lot of frustrations built up over the years that aren’t just gonna disappear in a week or two, or hell, even a month. Even if you let it go, even if you choose to forgive her, the fear of it happening again, it’ll always be there.” I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple, allowing my lips to linger there for a few seconds. “You’re the only one who can make the choice to forgive or forget, but you should know that I’m here for you no matter what you choose.”
I could see her chest rise then slowly fall as she took one deep breath after another. Her eyes focused on our joined hands, and part of me wanted to tell her about Harley right then. Only I couldn’t, because she was already so upset about her mother, the last thing I wanted was to add more to her already shitty night.
“I got ice cream,” I told her and saw the faint resemblance of a smile tug at her lips. “We could take both containers, grab us a spoon, and go touch in bed and watch a movie.”
“I’d rather just go to bed, with you.” When she lifted her head and moved her upper body toward mine, I met her halfway. “I just wanna forget all the drama and get lost in us.”
The second her lips touched mine, all other thoughts were lost. Scooping her up from the couch, I carried her toward our room and lowered her to the bed. I say our bed because she’d been here lying beside me for so many nights that I felt like this was our place. It felt like home, and I knew that it was because of her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
AJ
“You are one lucky son of a bitch.” My body jerked in surprise as I curled in close to Rhett, using his body to shield my own.
“How the hell did you get in here?” Rhett wrapped his arms around me, and I allowed him to cover my body with his. The thin material of my t-shirt did nothing to hide my bare breasts beneath, and the last thing I wanted was for his cousin to have a clear shot of my tits.
“Door was unlocked,” he said. His voice was now somewhat muffled, almost as if he was talking with a mouth full. “
“Do you mind giving us some privacy?”
“Do I have too?” Mikey was taunting Rhett; I’d witnessed it a few times. In fact, it would seem every guy in his family loved to tease and press Rhett’s buttons, especially in regard to me—he’d get so worked up.
“Move,” Rhett practically growled, and I smiled against his chest where my face was currently pressed.
I
