No woman worked me up like she did. Not even close.
I dipped my other hand under her shirt, sliding from her waist to a breast, swelling further at the lack of a bra, her chest bared for the taking. I kneaded one of the perfect mounds of flesh, loving the way she felt in my grip.
She squirmed at my touch, rolling her hips, rubbing herself against my cock.
For the first time in ages, I was dangerously close to exploding from foreplay, all because of her. She was the key to my downfall in so many ways.
“Fuck!” I groaned, jerking up against her. I’d risk splinters in my ass for it, ready to bury myself inside of her and forget about everything.
She pushed against my chest, breaking our kiss, probably thinking the same thing. I popped my eyes open to see the exact opposite of what I was expecting, the angel from my past broken, her face crumbling from desire to anguish.
“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching to cradle her face, to offer what comfort I could.
She shook her head, brushing my hands away as she struggled to stand. She would’ve toppled into the water if I hadn’t caught her hand, trying my best to steady her.
“Easy, Jos. Easy.”
A sob escaped as she stepped away, squirming out of my hold. “I can’t do this,” she squeaked, looking down at me while shaking her head. “I can’t do this.”
“Josie, wait!” I called, reaching out towards her, but she was already out of reach. “Just talk to me!”
“I have to go,” she choked out, stumbling backward and turning away from me one last time.
And just like that, she walked out of my life, running like she did the last time.
Josie
“Josie, are you okay?” Mom asked, studying me as I leaned against the barricade, a hand clutching her oversized sun hat as it flopped in the wind. “You look tired.”
Mom code for Josie, you look like shit.
“Yeah, you look terrible,” Olivia agreed, smirking before taking a bite of her red snowcone like a savage, decked out in head-to-toe patriotic gear. “Do you feel okay? Alex is a doctor, you know?” She gestured at her strapping fiancé at her side, our parents’ dream son-in-law.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, turning his attention from the parade to me, instantly putting his doctor hat back on, his green eyes sharp and attentive.
Doctor or not, he couldn’t help me. He was in residency to be an orthopedic surgeon, not a therapist.
“I’m fine,” I lied, turning my attention back to the parade, another cluster of flag twirlers making their way through a routine of tosses and spins. “Just tired.”
I barely slept once I got home after not-so-gracefully sprinting across the grass, sobbing for hours with a pillow pressed against my face.
“Maybe you should go to the house and lie down,” Mom suggested, lips a tight line of disapproval. “The spare key is in its usual spot.”
Beside her, Dad continued to ignore me like he had all day, Linc perched on his shoulders to watch the parade. His auburn hair blew in the breeze, bits of gray streaking through.
I was leaning towards taking Mom up on the offer, especially when I thought about driving home. I’d need to build up all the strength I could for the journey, knowing I’d have to battle Linc inside if he spied Luke out on the boat.
It wasn’t right to punish my son for my mistakes, but this one was different, one that could destroy the life I was trying to build for him. A mistake I was sick over.
“Alright,” I agreed, glancing behind me. The crowd packed in tight, but I’d be able to get back to their house a few blocks inland easily. “I’ll take a nap and meet you there.”
Mom looked me over, reaching out to rest a hand on my cheek. “Be careful and make some hot tea. Maybe you’re coming down with something.”
I shrugged, turning to weave through the crowd. I was no doubt down with something. I was lovesick. Lovesick for someone who I could never have. Not if I knew what was good for me.
* * *
Walking the few blocks to the house was easy in theory, but I hadn’t factored in that most people in Briar knew me; therefore, I was stopped countless times for hugs, life story swaps, and hellos.
Normally, I’d welcome adult chatter, but with exhaustion setting in, I was over it. I pulled my sunglasses over my eyes regardless of the sun hiding behind the clouds, hoping to make it back to the house without diversions.
People from around the county flocked to the parade, clogging up the narrow streets with cars.
Guilt tugged at my guts as I continued along, wishing I wasn’t exhausted so I could enjoy the parade with Linc. It was one of the many events I wanted to share with him and family — the main reason I came to Briar.
Sure, I was suffocating the whole time, choking down memories along with the salt air, but it was no excuse to taste trouble again.
“Hey you!” a voice called, startling me out of my head and pulling me into a hug from behind, my backside entirely pressed against their front — a man’s front judging by the bulge.
I pulled away frantically, ripping the arms from around my shoulders like vines. When I turned, I faced Pete Parvin in his usual creep attire, an open vest and jeans only somehow an outfit in his mind.
“You never reached out!” he exclaimed, a dramatic frown pulling at his face. Despite the mouth histrionics, his gray eyes remained lifeless, the beady pools always making me nervous.
“What?” I asked, taking a step back to put more space between us.
“I gave you my business card on Friday, remember? You didn’t email me!”
“Oh, I don’t work on weekends or holidays,” I lied, knowing damn well I spent more than enough working both. I’d thrown the card in the trash, no amount of money worth working
