Coming Home (Only Time Will Tell #1) (10 page)

“I’m fine with you asking, do you really want to know though?”

I shake my head and start to retreat from leaning over him, but again, he stops me and I can feel my willpower ebb away into a puddle, slowly joining the pieces of my heart on the floor. “Kyle, please don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’m not,” he croaks, shuffling from under me, he sits up and I lean back, hoping that this mood will vanish, but he leans forward and places one of his soft kisses against my lips.

Instantly, my body feels alive, awake and ignited. Stopping, he leans back, searching my face. I hope to God, it tells him that my head is saying “don’t do it,” but as he leans back in, I realize it tells him what my body wants, which is, “do it, for God’s sake, do it.”

His lips rejoin mine, and softly kisses me. I want to pull away, but I don’t, all at the same time. His pace becomes more eager and a tiny squeak leaves my throat. I feel him smile against my mouth and I can’t help lightly pushing his chest, leaving my hand there, feeling his heartbeat quicken under my fingertips, matching my own racing heart.

His hands, which have been resting against my hips, start to slowly move down to my outer thigh to my knees. He tries to persuade my legs from underneath me in my knelt position, so I comply, letting him position me however he wishes. He pulls my legs over his and around his waist, never removing his lips from mine. When he’s done posing me like a Barbie doll, his hands move to my ass and he pulls me closer so every part of me is pressed snugly against him. His hands start roaming up my spine, one stopping at the small of my back, the other stopping at the back of my head, again holding me to him so I can’t escape if my head finally wins the fight.

My lips part, allowing entry of his tongue which has started to sweep across my bottom lip. Our kiss becomes hungry, like we’re the oxygen the other one needs. I clutch to his tank, wanting to keep a hold of reality, scared once again that this is in my head, that this is another dream. My underwear isn’t a big enough barrier to stop anything happening, and I’m scared that I’d go against what I planned and would let him take this the whole way if he wanted to-especially now that I can feel him, as hard as a rock under his sweatpants.

With a shaky, uncontrollable hand, I start to feel his abs through his tank, and decide that that isn’t enough. I slip my hand under it and feel them, skin on skin. He lets loose a groan and deepens the kiss, even though I didn’t think it was possible.

His hands leave my back and head, clamping onto my hips, digging his fingertips into my skin and pulling me closer. My hips are automatically moving, rubbing against him, turning me on to the max, and feeling what I caused against me. Feeling something I never thought I would again.

I come up for actual air that I desperately need, my breathing erratic and unbelievably loud in the vast empty space.

Kyle’s lips latch against my neck, sucking, nibbling, biting the sensitive skin below my ear and my earlobe, spots that kill me and send me closer to the edge in this situation. “Oh God, Kyle,” I moan, feeling myself free fall, completely wanting this to go all the way.

He stops and looks at me, silently questioning me with his eyes. That look, snaps me out of it. If he’s questioning it, why the hell aren’t I? Do I really want to go down this road again? This will hurt twice as much if I let it. “We can’t do this.”

He looks at me wide eyed. “What?”

“I’m sorry. This is completely wrong, we can’t.”

“But you… I thought you…”

Getting up off the couch, almost kneeing him the face, I put distance between us. My cheeks are on fire and my limbs don’t even feel like they belong to me. I want to burst into tears on the spot.

Fanning my face with my hand, I try and calm myself down, blowing out a pent up breath as I try and figure out what's happening in my head. “Kyle. I don’t want to go back down this road, I can’t, not yet anyway. We have too much to talk about and this isn’t getting us anywhere.”

He gets up too, and walks over in my direction, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowing. If he gets too close I’ll lose it. I hold my hand up to him as I walk away, putting most of the apartment between us. “Don’t walk away from me, Cat,” he shouts. “You’re like Jekyll and Hyde. One minute you’re kissing me and happy to do it and then the next you look like I just killed a puppy. You can’t keep doing that either. If you have something to say, say It! If you think talking will help get you past whatever it is stopping you, then do it. Right now, Cat, you’re messing with my head. I want things back to how they were. I want to prove to you I still love you.”

I want to throw the popcorn back up. I want to tell him everything but this is not the time. Too many emotions are flying around and none of them are good for an atomic bomb. I’d gladly let him show me he loves me, however, I can’t do anything when I can’t think clearly.

I’m trying to think of something to say to calm us both down when the elevator comes to life. Great. Josie. “I’m going to get dressed. I’ll talk to you when she’s out the way.”

“Cat!”

“I’m not going to jump out the window. I’d just rather not be standing here half naked having an argument with you when she comes in. She looked at me like shit the other day. Back then I was a nobody and fully dressed, now I’m not.”

He laughs and sighs as he rakes his hands through his hair. “Fine. But the sheets aren’t in there and we’re quite high up.”

With a quick roll of the eyes and shake of the head, I run back to his room and close the door.

I wander over to the bed and take a seat on the end, trying to think of what I’ll tell him when I walk back out there. The smell of him hits me as I remove his shirt. It hasn’t changed much, he’s still wearing whatever it was back then. Even after countless attempts of trying to find out what aftershave he wore, I couldn’t find it. I swear he stored it in a safe. I’ve not smelt it since I left and it has me beginning to wander down memory lane… remembering all the times that citrus, woody smell had me drooling. I loved that dork. I just don’t know if he’s still inside the new him.

Quickly getting re-dressed I make my way back down the hall, the atmosphere growing thicker as the kitchen comes into view along with the reason for the change in moods. Meeting eyes with her for the first time in eight years sends shards of ice down my spine. This is the woman who I believe ruined me, and who will contribute to me hurting her son. Her own flesh and blood. It means nothing to her.

“Catalina, what a lovely surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see you again.”

I’m sure.

“Mrs. Cooper.” I acknowledge, refusing to interact with her beyond being civil.

“How have you been?” she asks, her eyes never leaving mine and I catch a glimpse of hatred in them, along with a slight twitch of her eyebrow, which to me makes the question sound as if she’s gloating. Knowing my secret and knowing that she never told him. I could be completely misinterpreting it, but my gut tells me I’m right.

“Just fine, thanks. You?” I reply, coming to stand beside Kyle, a little message to her of unity. That me and him can still do this regardless of the past.

“Fantastic. You back for a vacation or have you and the family moved back?”

“No.
Just
me. This place is my home, everything I love is here. I couldn’t keep away.”
And, yes, that includes your son.
 

Her lips screw up into an unimpressed smile before she turns her attention towards Kyle, who has missed her displeasure in having me here by playing on the phone. Seriously.

They talk for a few moments about her day, telling him about her day with Josie, who I discover is also back and it makes me feel intimidated knowing that two people in this apartment hate me.

“Have you found a date for the charity ball yet, Kyle?” Mrs. Cooper asks, grabbing my attention. It’s a well placed question, I can feel it.

Kyle steps closer and places a hand on the bottom of my back. “Cat,” he replies in a “you’re dumb” tone.

Fire flashes in her eyes at that.

“Cat? I didn’t think that was your scene?”

My brain groans. “It’s not, which I why I’m not going. I told you this.” I say, looking up at Kyle slightly annoyed.

Kyle opens his mouth to protest, but
she
jumps the gun and starts with her happy voice at the news that the tramp isn’t going. “Great. It would be such a shame if you went alone, Kyle. We bumped into Penelope earlier, she’s not got a date, so you can go with her.”
 

Fell for that one, Cat.

“Mom, just because Cat isn’t going, doesn’t mean I have to get another date. In fact, if she isn’t going, I don’t think I will, either.”

She takes a slow breath and licks her lips in an attempt to calm herself. “Kyle, we need you there. It would be rude not to go. Your Uncle appreciates your time and wouldn’t be happy if you start missing them now. Besides, Catalina’s a big girl, she knows how to survive on her own. She won’t leave the country just because you’re going on a date with someone else. You’ve had plenty before, one more won’t hurt. It’s for charity, not something worthless. You understand,
don’t
you Catalina.”
 

How many jabs can one woman get in during a conversation? “Of course I do.” I grit out through clenched teeth. “You go, I’ll come with you to another. I promise.” I say looking up at him to questioning brows. His eyes roam my face before his bottom lip vanishes between his teeth and he nods.

“Fine. But as soon as I’m not needed, I’m leaving.”

“Great,” she shrieks. “Now do your dear old Mum a favor and go and give her a call. Let her know the good news.”

His eyes do one final check over me before he leaves and heads towards his bedroom. Great. Just me and the she devil.

I stand there awkwardly, contemplating going just to piss her off, but I know I can trust him. He won’t do anything he doesn’t want to
if
he really cares about me. And Nadine will be there. I’m sure she’ll tell me if he does anything, not that it’s any of my business. We aren’t a couple, just friends, so what he does shouldn’t really be the top of my priority list. My top priority is finding a way of explaining the last eight years. That’s a tough one.
 

“Catalina.” She says quietly from over the kitchen island, bracing herself against the counter top, bringing herself closer to me. “I want you to stay away from my son. I didn’t like you then and time hasn’t changed how I feel about you. I only want what is best for him and you’re not it. I will make him see that eventually.”

I shake my head as I turn to look at her, snickering at the old words. “It’s your Son you need to be talking to then, because he’s the one showing up continuously in my life. Not that I don’t like it, but thanks to you, it makes me uncomfortable. You’re an evil bitch and if anyone should stay away from him, it’s you.”

Barking out a laugh, she replies, “Me? Evil? I just prefer my family to be of a better breed than some worthless, money grabbing whore. You only want to ruin him. You tried before and thankfully, thanks to me, you failed. I’m glad I did that too. I was right.”

“Right? How is, what you did, right? You-”

“I’ve called and arranged it with her.” Kyle interrupts as he walks down the hall and comes back over to us. As I watch him, my eyes begin to burn as the conversation replays in my head. I can’t believe she’s happy with this. I can’t believe that I have to hurt him because of her.

“Cat? Are you okay?” he asks as he stands in front of me and lifts my face so he can look at me closely. A tear breaks free and my heart crumbles.

“I’m fine. I have to go though. Can you let me out?” I ask making sure I have everything and heading for the elevator.

He doesn’t know what to do or say. I’d be confused too, if I left the room for two minutes and walked back in to find him close to breaking down.

He steps into the elevator and kisses me on the forehead, which releases a sob from me.

“Cat? Will you tell me why you’re being like this? Did I do something?”

I shake my head as I search for my voice. “No. It’s just me being stupid. Can you let me go though, I want to get this out my system.”

He looks at me bewildered as he steps out and punches the code in and it’s not until the doors close that I release everything that’s eating me up inside. I hate this.

I’m so glad that I’ve had a couple of days without seeing Kyle. Not that any of this is his fault, but I hate to look at him and be reminded of everything to do with his mother. Her words keep swinging ‘round and ‘round in my head and I hate that she has this emotional control over me. She knew the exact words to destroy me. Knew exactly what had happened to me, to us, and yet she could stand there and act like this whole thing was a candy wrapper, screwing it up and tossing it away. That woman clearly has no heart.

Wednesday night was eventful, trying to drink my thoughts away while Nod tried to keep them spurting out of my mouth. I managed not to delve too much into them. I told her what I could without going as far as blurting the whole damn thing, not without speaking to Kyle first. It’s still my number one priority. I just need to find the time and place to do it so that we aren’t both high on emotions or each other. I can cope, just about, with losing him but I need to know that I gave it my best shot and let him hear the whole story clearly before he makes that choice.