Kelly's Quest (NYC LOVE Book 2) (16 page)

My spirits crumble down to the sidewalk. If my sister spreads her poisonous lies to him, it’ll all be over. He’ll tell everyone, and the secret I wanted to keep back in Wisconsin will have followed me here.

Glori smooths her dress down at her nearly non-existent waist, narrowing her eyes with suspicion. “I don’t see how it’s any of your business. Who are you?”

“I’m her boyfriend,” Erik answers swiftly, his hard stare on her unrelenting. “Who are
you
?”

What the
actual fuck
? I bite down on my bottom lip to keep my jaw from dropping.

Glori scoffs like she’s onto the farce. “
Boyfriend
? I’m her
sister
. She hasn’t mentioned a
boyfriend
to any of us.”

Erik reaches down to lace his fingers with mine. “From what I understand, she hasn’t really been in communication with any of you, so how would you know about me?”

This time my jaw
does
drop. How does he know I’m not talking to my family? I haven’t even told Jewels what happened. And
why
is he pretending to be my boyfriend?

If I weren’t so mad at my sister, I’d maybe feel sympathetic the way Erik’s eyes bore into her. “I want to know why you’re standing outside of our apartment, screaming at my girl.”

I’m quiet, still baffled by this new side of Erik. Where is it coming from?

“It’s a
family
matter,” Glori tells him, raising her chin. “I’m not going to stand on the sidewalk and air our dirty laundry with a stranger.”

“I’m not a stranger,” Erik insists. “And if you can’t treat Kelly with respect, you need to get the hell out of here.”

Glori looks Erik up and down, disbelief spreading across her expression. She finally looks back at me. “I don’t know what this is about, but you and I need to talk when your guard dog is off duty. I’m not leaving the city until we do, so call me.” She spins around, marching out into the street, her arm raised for a taxi.

I make it all the
way up into our apartment at Erik’s side until the pressure everything finally releases. I become a sobbing mess in Erik’s arms. His embrace is stiff, making me wonder if he’s ever held a girl like this. I’ve never broke down in a guy’s arms, so I don’t have a lot of experience in the matter either. I’m exhausted from finally letting myself feel all the emotions that have built up ever since I left home.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re blubbering about?” he asks in a cool tone after a few minutes have passed.

I wipe my face and let out a long sigh. “I just wanted to leave the lies back home.” My strained voice crackles.

“Considering your sister’s in the city, it seems the cat’s out of the bag whether you want to admit it or not.”

I look up at him, knowing he’s right. I could only avoid the truth for so long before it would bite me in the ass. I close my eyes for a moment, gathering courage.

“When I was a counselor this summer at my family’s camp, I’d go down to the local tavern for burgers on Friday nights with my three sisters and the other counselors. We’d usually end up closing the place down. One night my sisters were out of town so I went alone and met this older guy who I was attracted to right away. He was sweet and had a great sense of humor. I was intrigued when he told me he trained horses. The way he kept touching my shoulder and giving me these hot glances, I knew he was into me, too. When he asked if he could see me again, I made the decision to keep him a secret, figuring once my sisters Glori or Megan saw him, there’s no
way
I’d have a chance.

“Our first
date
was at the state park a few miles down the road from camp. I guess the fact that he didn’t want to meet somewhere public should’ve been my first warning sign that there was something off, but I just figured he was a nature kind of guy and wanted to take me for a picnic or whatever. Once we met up, we were all over each other like magnets. We ended up having sex right there in a grassy field. We met up a bunch of times after that, always in the same park. Our meeting time kept getting later and later at night. He claimed the strange hours were because he was putting in overtime at the factory he worked in. I was stupid enough to believe him.

“The sex was great, and we were really into each other. I considered him my first
real
boyfriend. If there were other red flags, I didn’t catch on to them until one night about a month and a half into our relationship when he showed up wearing a wedding ring. At first he was embarrassed that he forgot to take it off for our meeting, but then he got crazy mad at
me
. Like I had any fucking clue he was
married.
I was crushed because I was falling for him. I told him he was an asshole and I didn’t want to ever see him again. I wasn’t about to break up someone’s marriage.

“But he wouldn’t leave me alone. He started coming to see me at camp, begging for another chance. He told me he was going to leave his wife so we could be together. Glori, the sister you met just now, caught him trying to kiss me. I guess she knew the guy. She told the rest of my family about our ‘affair.’ That’s how I found out that not only was he married with two little kids, but his wife was in hospice care with fourth stage melanoma.”

Erik make a low, throaty sound, but doesn’t say anything.

“I didn’t believe my mom when she first told me all the sickening details, so one night I followed him from the bar to his house. I saw her lying in a hospital bed through the bay windows. She was incredibly frail, skeleton-like. I felt like the biggest dirtbag on the planet and spent half an hour puking my guts out. I swear to God, I
never
would’ve slept with the guy if I knew
any
of those things about him. That’s not my style.

“My family accused me of keeping the affair secret, saying I
knew
he was married and I
knew
his wife was dying. They’d never been especially proud of me in the past, but this was taking it too far. One of the counselors who hated me for reasons I’ll never understand overheard my sisters talking, and told everyone she knew about the affair. I became the town slut. Turns out the wife was one of the most beloved people around. She was a freaking
kindergarten
teacher. People started either avoiding me or treating me like I was scum of the earth. Hate emails started pouring in, and I eventually had to close my Facebook account. My car was vandalized. Some woman—I guess it was a sister-in-law—physically attacked me at the grocery store.

“I couldn’t tell Jewels what was going on because she was busy dealing with Adam’s surgery. I didn’t think it was fair to drag her into my mess. When I heard they were moving out here, I jumped at the excuse to get the hell out of town. I threw everything at camp into my suitcase and decided I was leaving for good.

“I’ve never been ashamed that I like to have sex, because I’m single and guys are always telling me I’m amazing in bed, so why should I hold back? I mean, there’s nothing like having a good looking guy look at you in a way that tells you he
wants
you. I’ll never get tired of that look. It’s good for a girl’s ego. But everyone was so quick to judge me after what happened with Brad that it made me stop and realize it’s time to reassess my priorities.”

Erik’s smug smirk is almost comforting for a change. “No judgments here. When we first met and you told me your life was a mess, I knew that look you gave me. I figured you were running from a pretty dark secret.”

“I just don’t know what to say to my family. I tried to explain my side a hundred times. They won’t listen. It’s a waste of breath.” I run my hands across my face. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with
you
. I should be telling Jewels.”

He spreads his arms across the back of the couch, looking so sure of himself. “You’re secretly worried she’s going to judge you. I get it.”

“Adam told me what happened between you two,” I blurt.

He stiffens and looks away, stretching his neck. “Obviously you’re not the only one with a dark past. I’ve done a lot of moronic things myself.”

“He says you never apologized.”

Erik looks back at me, the cold chill of anger crossing his gaze. “How could I? I was high on coke and tried to
kill
my brother. That’s not something you can just apologize for.”

“You could start by telling him you’re sorry.”

“And what if I’m not?”

My blood turns ice cold. I stare at him, waiting for him to take it back.

“My childhood sucked. I was the kid whose parents never came to anything. I was no different than one of the girls in my grade who was in foster care. I was always home alone, because my parents decided the hospital wasn’t a place for healthy young boys. I hated my brother for taking them away from me. It’s fucked up, I know. I don’t expect you to understand.”

“You’re right, I don’t. Not really.” I look down to pick at my fingernails. “At least not how you could want your brother dead.”

“I don’t anymore. I wouldn’t mind spending time with him, though, if such a thing is even possible.”

“I wish I could tell you that it is, but Adam seems to be holding a pretty big grudge against you.” I look at him, shrugging. “I’d say you just need to give him time. The fact that he came over last night, knowing it was possible he’d run into you must count for something.”

Erik leans forward, closing the distance between us. “Considering how incredibly wounded we both are by our own families, I’d say we’re well suited. Maybe it wasn’t nearly a coincidence that we crossed paths.”

His smoldering gaze stirs the fire inside of me that won’t stay out. A small breath falls across my lips. He reaches out to run his finger down my arm. My breathing hitches, and my body responds to his touch with quivering appeal.

“No, Erik. I can’t do this,” I whisper.

He brushes his lips under my jawline, tasting me with the flick of his tongue. “Why not?” His finger continues to trail its way across my exposed skin, leaving a blazing trail in its place.

I hold back a moan. My body wants him so badly. I close my eyes and swallow. “When I moved here, I promised myself that I’d be done with flings. I want to actually fall in love for once. You managed to break my resolve in record time.”

“Who’s to say I’m not capable of love?” he asks, his lips brushing my ear.

Finding my resolve, I push him back with all I’ve got. “Basically you, ten seconds ago. You said you can’t apologize to your brother for trying to
murder
him.” I rise from the couch on unsteady feet. “I may be fucked up, but I never purposely tried to hurt anyone. I was right, I should’ve told Jewels what happened instead of you. This kind act is just another way for you to manipulate me into fucking you again, isn’t it? After everything I told you, you’re ready to take advantage of me!”

“Always delusional.” He leans back, huffing with a roll of his eyes. “If I only wanted a warm body in my bed, I wouldn’t have to try so hard with you. I have the numbers of dozens of women who’d beg me to fuck them.”

“Then give them a call! These games you like to play with me are psychotic!” I start toward the front door, shaking my head. Then I turn back to him. “Do yourself a favor and get some professional help!”

Pulling a typical Kelly Cavenaugh, I run from my problems.

The untouched glass of Jameson
sitting on the worn, wooden bar sweats into a little puddle. Annoying 80s music blasts from the speakers, dulling the conversations of the other patrons in the darkly-lit bar filled with cherry wood and dark green accents. The stench of stale peanuts nearly gags me. Even though it seems the AC in the pub may be on full blast, the ice in my drink has already melted, and I’m sweaty. I’m starting to understand why Chloe is so anxious for fall to arrive. The stifling city air gets old, fast. It’s making me physically exhausted on top of being mentally anguished.

Hearing just how messed up Erik is
almost
made me feel better about my own problems, until I remembered that Glori’s in the city, ready to convince me to come back home. I can’t deal with her, or anyone else from my family. And there’s no way in hell I’ll return to Wisconsin, no matter how hard she begs. Why should I feel sorry for putting my parents through anything when they weren’t willing to give me the benefit of doubt? I should’ve known that I wouldn’t be allowed a fresh start, pretending I’m not the slut everyone thinks I’ve become. Who am I kidding? I can’t even dance with a guy without giving in to him, or at least masturbating. Jewels thinks she knows me. Would she still see me the same way if she knew what I was doing while they were in the next room?

Theo has tried calling several times, and sent half a dozen texts, begging me to talk to him. As much as I want things between us to work out, it still infuriates me that he wanted to “take care of me” without thinking how it would appear to others. And how do I know he wasn’t just buttering me up so I could be his golden ticket to a hit show? I know it sounds conceited to think such a thing, but it all seems so suspiciously convenient that I can’t help but wonder.

The bartender who looks around my age stops to hover in front of me, setting one hand on the bar, outreaching the other my way. He’s stout and considerably good-looking with dark brown hair, mischievous hazel eyes, and two-day old stubble lining his jaw. The trail end of a colorful tattoo on one bicep peeks out beneath his t-shirt sporting the name of the bar. “Hiya, I’m Mick.” Agh, cute
and
an Irish accent.

I take his extended hand. “Kelly.”

“How long are ya in the city for, sweetheart?” He releases my hand.

“What? I don’t look like a local?” I tease, sitting taller. “I just moved here, actually. Guess I don’t exactly fit in yet.”

Mick flips a towel over his shoulder, grinning. “The big city attitude will come with time, I suppose. You’ve got an open kindness to you, like someone from the Midwest.”

I let my shoulders slump. So much for fitting in. “It’s that obvious?”