“I’m not sure if I feel comfortable here without you.” Zoey crinkled her brow.
“Fuck, Zoey. Fine. I’m late. If you don’t feel comfortable here, go.”
“Ty—” I heard her call after me as I shut the door and headed outside for my workout, but I kept going without responding. I was pissed at myself for acting out at her, but I was also terrified of being hurt again.
Especially, if she was just going to leave me again.
Chapter 15
ZOEY
Staring at the door as it basically slammed in my face, my first reaction was utter shock. Twelve hours ago, I was nervously getting ready to go to the show, and the thought that Ty and I would potentially be back together romantically was ludicrous. Since then, he’d serenaded me with a new song declaring his love, my lips were tender from the hundreds of kisses we’d shared, his hands had explored every inch of my body, and his fingers, lips, and cock had made me come more times last night than I had in years.
Oh, and we had two dreadful misunderstandings, when we had never even had a disagreement before.
I started gathering my things to go home because, clearly, this wasn’t going to work. Part of me was absolutely devastated. Until my stupid comments after our erotic shower, I was beginning to believe we had a chance to repair things. We had talked through some tough subjects; the sex was off the chain. I loved him with all my heart. I wanted it to be perfect. Not just perfect but meant-to-be perfect.
As strong and confident as Ty had come across these past several months, evidently, he had not gotten past our history. Maybe I hadn’t either. It made things crunchy when it had been so easy before. Honestly, the images of Ty with so many other women weighed on me, and my flippant remark cut Ty to the core. My own insecurities could very well be at fault for destroying anything beautiful we were building again.
But he was also behaving erratically, and it bugged me too.
Needing some backup, I picked up my phone and texted SOS to Alex.
“Hey, red alert,” I said, answering the phone when she called.
“Okay, start at the top,” Alex encouraged.
After explaining what had happened over the past twelve hours, including Ty leaving to go to the gym, I was met with silence for a minute.
“Okay, Zoey I’m going to give you some tough love,” Alex warned. “Two things, and this is not meant to shame you in any way, but what in the fuck did you expect when you brought up other women after you had what sounds like the hottest sex I’ve ever heard of?”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“No. Stop it,” Alex demanded. “I love you, Z, but I am so fucking sick of the drama.”
“What are you talking about?” I was stunned.
Alex gave it to me hard. “It’s like you both bring it on yourself, this angst. Make all the excuses you want, but that man has never thought of anyone else but you. He has wanted you, and only you, since he was twenty-one years old.
“But Carter—”
“No!” Alex said sharply. “Look, I get it, but it was you who didn’t even talk to him, give him a chance. Maybe it would have worked, maybe it wouldn’t have, but you’ll never know, will you?”
“Ohmygod.” My heart fell to the floor. She was right.
“Zoey, you need to think long and hard about what you want. Do not play with this man’s heart again. You’re a grown woman, a fucking amazing lawyer, and the smartest person I know—but if you want him—fight for him, show him you won’t leave him again.”
“He doesn’t want me here, Alex. He told me to leave.”
Alex’s voice softened. “Of course he wants you there. It’s all he’s ever wanted.”
“I’m so scared, I don’t know what I’m doing, Alex.” I hyperventilated just a bit. “I’m completely over my head.”
“No one does. Just stop getting in your own way.”
“How do I get all of these women out of my head without making him feel bad? I’m scared that he’s built me up into something I’m not, and when he finds out he’ll realize he’s wasted so much time pining over a girl who only knows how to bury my nose in books.”
“I’ve never heard you talk this way, snap the fuck out of it. Ty has never stopped loving you for exactly who you are. He fucked around to forget you,” Alex lectured. “But you dumped him. You’re not allowed to judge him, you need to support him. And if it means anything, Jace says that it wasn’t remotely as bad as the press made it seem.”
“C’mon spill. Are you, um, with Jace?” It seemed like every conversation I had with Alex lately involved Jace in some way.
Alex deflected. “We’re not talking about me. Now, buckaroo, you’re going to give it your all and see where the chips fall. Because whether you end up together or you don’t, make sure that you have given everything you have to him. Then you will never have any more regrets.
“Okay. I will, I love him so much, Alex. I knew there was a reason you were my best friend.” I sighed into the phone. “I’m petrified, but I’ll do it.”
“Duh! Get your shit together, I’m hanging up.”
Exhausted from the emotional torrent of the past couple hours and the lack of sleep from our activities last night, I crawled back into Ty’s bed, pulled up the covers, and read for a while. After a couple of hours, Ty wasn’t home, so I texted him.
Zoey: I’m so sorry for everything, Ty. I’m here waiting for U whenever U get back.
An hour went by with no reply.
Zoey: I’m worried about you, are you coming back?
Nothing. A half-hour later I tried again, now
