Rival Hearts (Rival Love #2) (5 page)

The guy, I find out, is named Clyde and he’s in advertising. He and Susan have been married for eight years and are thinking about starting a family. That’s if, of course, the house doesn’t collapse on him. I tell him the reason I’m going to New York—the real reason—and he thinks it’s a good idea. He even gives me some helpful pointers, like picking up some flowers and waiting on her doorstep for her if she isn’t home. The last idea sounds a little stalkerish but hey, whatever. If it gets her to come home with me, that’s all I need.

Finally, we exit the plane and head to the baggage area, where Clyde gives me his card. “If you need me to call in a favor for your girlfriend, I will. Susan and I would be happy to help her out. Or if you need to crash somewhere later, give me a ring.”

“Thanks.” I smile and tuck his card into my pocket. We grab our bags and he asks if I want a lift. I shake my head and tell him he should probably get back to Susan.

Thirty minutes later, I’m at Skylar’s house. I ring the doorbell, but no one answers.

It’s almost eleven. Where the hell is everyone?

Chapter 8

Skylar

Malcom and I have been at this party since nine. It sucks. Mostly because Malcom ditched me within the first ten minutes of arriving. Strangers keep bumping against me, ramming into my shoulders, and, oh, let’s not forget the upchucker that I was standing beside while in line for the bathroom. I’m annoyed, bored, and have never wanted to be in the ugly yellow room at my dad’s brownstone so badly in all my life.

I scan the large crowd surrounding me for Malcom. I can’t find him and I don’t think anyone here is sober enough to pass messages along. Part of me also knows I’m not really looking hard enough for him, but he ditched me, so honestly I don’t really care if I do find him.

The sad part? These are the kinds of parties Sam and Mikia were always at when I was a Bulldog. But since my mom moved me into Bobcat territory, these types of scenes haven’t been my thing. Slipping through the front door, I sigh. Why can’t I just have fun? Like a normal person? As I make my way through the small lobby, I can’t help but notice how loud my shoes are.
Squeak squeak squeak.
It makes me feel so alone. Cold wind smacks my face and chills my insides as a gentleman opens the door for me.

After hailing down a cab, I tell the driver my father’s address. Ten minutes later, the taxi edges to the curb just across from the brownstone that is now my residence. I hand over a few bills and get out. As I make my way to the doorstep, I notice a figure bundled up and slumped against the railing. Approaching with caution, I blink a few times, not believing my own eyes. It can’t be.

Holy crap, someone spiked my drink. That has to be it because there is no way I’m seeing correctly.

“Caleb?” I ask in a shaky voice. I really hope it is him and not me forming hallucinations of some bum.

He doesn’t move. I hurry to him and shake his shoulder a little. “Caleb?”

He stirs slightly, snatching my wrist, and then lets go quickly. “Hi.” He extends his other arm, holding up a bouquet of roses.

I stare at the flowers and instead of taking them, I ask, “Why are you here?”

After the words leave my mouth, I instantly want to slap myself. He must think I hate him, or don’t want him here. I do want him here. But then again I don’t. Having him here, so close, so touchable, for me to kiss and melt into, is bad. I’m barely getting over my goodbye to him via letter, how can he expect me to do it face to face?

“I had to see you.” He stands and hands me the roses. “I got these for you.”

“But … I … ”

“Skylar!” I hear Malcom scream.

I turn and Caleb growls, “Who’s that?”

“That’s um … that’s Malcom.”

“Skylar, for Christ’s sake, you had me worried. You didn’t tell me you were leaving. I would have … Oh, you’ve got company,” Malcom says in a low tone.

This is so awkward. I can feel both guys glaring at each other. “This is Caleb. Caleb, that’s Malcom. He took me to a party. Caleb has … Why are you here again?”

“To surprise you. But it looks like I’m the one being surprised. I’m … outta here.”

He starts to walk away and Malcom tries to come closer to me. I push him aside and run after Caleb. “Wait. Wait. Where are you going? It’s the middle of the night and … ”

He throws up a hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Look, there’s nothing going on between Malcom and me. I swear.”

Caleb faces me. “You know what, Sky? I’m tired. I called you for a week and you couldn’t answer a single one of my calls. You told me you don’t want this, and I told you that was fine, but it’s not. It’s a lie. I’m not fine with this. You fucked my entire life up and left me. And when I come up here hoping to see your face, make you smile, kiss you, whatever, not once did I hope to see you with another dude.”

My face falls into a sunken frown. “We’re just friends,” I whisper.

“Then kiss me.”

“What?”

He looks at me with a serious expression and says, “Kiss me.”

I can’t kiss him. Kissing Caleb would make this so much worse for me. I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to him if I did. I shake my head. “I … can’t.”

“Then I have my answer.”

I shake my head. “Don’t do this, Caleb.”

He walks away and I continue to shout after him, but when he doesn’t return, I sink to the sidewalk and start crying.

I hear footsteps approaching and I hope it’s Caleb. That he’s come back. “It’ll be okay,” Malcom says. The very last person I want around me. And when he tries to put his arm around me and pull me into a hug I grit my teeth.

Shoving him away from me, I snap, “Go away!”

He backs up and sighs. “I’m sorry. For ditching you, and then … yeah. I’m sorry.” Before I know it, he’s gone too, and I’m walking into my house, sobbing like a baby, with my bouquet of roses. A card is sticking out of them, and I yank it out and read, “I’d travel the world to be with you.”

I inhale the scent of the roses. “What have I done?”

Chapter 9

Caleb

A fucking dude comes running up to her house, screaming her name. His stupid jacket and scarf are flapping in the air as he tells her how mad he is at her for leaving. Leaving what? And why the hell was she with him in the first place? What were they doing?

I’m so pissed off. I feel like walking right back there and beating the crap out of that guy. But I can’t. If she’s happy with him, I can’t ruin that for her. Shit, if she reads that card in the roses, I’ll never be able to talk to her again. Not even as friends. I feel like a total idiot.

Pulling the small business card from my pocket, I hate myself for even needing to call, but I’ve got no other choice. About to punch in the last digit of Clyde’s number, I hear, “Caleb?” in a sugary sweet voice. I turn and see Lidia, Sky’s half sister, in the sluttiest outfit ever. I’m not complaining, it just leaves little for the imagination. I’m staring at her chest heaving up and down and then down at her long legs. Shit!

“What are you doing here?”

“I … uh … came to see … ”

She cuts me off. “Skylar.” She rolls her eyes and says, “Well, our house is that way. Come along. I should probably have an escort at this time of night anyway.”

I nod. I shouldn’t be walking her back to that house. There’s no way in hell I’m going inside and risk seeing Skylar getting it on with that fucking dude Malcom.

“It’s sweet you came all this way to see her.”

“Yeah.” I don’t even bother hiding my bitterness.

“Did you two have a fight?” she purrs as we get closer to her house.

I shake my head. I’m not going to tell this one anything.

“Too bad.” She stalks up the steps and pulls me along.

Even though I dig my heels in the entire way up to their house, Lidia’s vise-like grip wins.

The door opens and a tear-stained face greets me. Skylar looks at me, then over at Lidia. Her eyes widen and then narrow. “What’s going on?”

“Found him lost. You’re welcome.” Lidia marches inside and Skylar stares up at me.

“I was coming to find you,” she says.

I narrow my eyes. “By yourself? And how? By walking?”

She throws her arms around me and sobs. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you leave. I just … ”

I want to be mad. I should be. Instead, I hug her to me and whisper, “It’s okay. I was just … jealous.”

“I know.” Her lips touch my cheek, and I pull her back so I can kiss her mouth. But she shakes her head. “Don’t. Please, Caleb. This is hard enough.”

“I’m not allowed to kiss you? Is it because of him?”

She shakes her head. “No. Caleb, you’re leaving in a few days. And then we’ll be right back to square one. Well, at least I will, and my heart can’t break anymore. Please don’t do it to me.”

I nod. “Okay.” She pulls me into the house and starts to walk me upstairs.

“Hey, um … is this going to be okay? I have a room from Monday until the first.”

“Wait, you’re staying until New Year’s?”

I nod. “Yeah. Do you not want me to? I hear Times Square is the place to be for New Year’s.” The look on her face is unreadable. I want her to be happy, but she might be mad. Again, maybe this was a really bad idea.

She exhales and nods. “Sure. It’d be … fun.”

We enter her room and I fight the urge to wrap my arms around her waist and pull her toward me. I hold on to my luggage for a really long time and Skylar laughs. “You can set that … is that … did you bring my guitar here?” Tears form in her eyes and I can’t take it anymore. I drop my things and cross the room.

Resting my hands on each side of her face, I whisper, “Shhh … It’s okay. Don’t cry, babe. Please don’t.”

She looks up at me and sniffles. “You brought it with you. Why?”

“I’ve got to practice.” I kiss her forehead. Her breath hitches and her fingers wrap around my waist. Her touch feels so good. My need for her gets stronger the longer I stand here this close to her.

I want to kiss her mouth, but it’s probably not a good idea. She begged me not to. I stare at her. Skylar licks her lips and whispers, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Are you?”

She nods. Her pretty mouth quirks up into a smile, and I fight the urge to lean in and kiss the corners. She rests her head on my chest and sighs.

“So, do you want me on the floor?” I ask.

“In my bed.”

“Really?”

“What? Oh, um … uh … ”

I laugh. Apparently she didn’t mean to say that out loud and her fumbling around for words is really cute. I can’t say this to her, though. She’ll only freak out and I’ll be back on the streets calling Clyde again. “Sky, it’s fine. On the floor. If we share a bed, that’s fine too. I promise to stay on my side.”

She frowns. Did she not want me to stay on my side? Did she want me to touch her? She was confusing me.

“I sleep on the left.”

I nod. “Okay.” I start to pull off my coat, followed by my shirt. She gasps. I turn and face her. “What?”

“N-Nothing … I just … ” She catches her bottom lip between her teeth and I inhale. She looks so sexy right now. I’d give anything to kiss and suck on her lower lip. “Are you sleeping in just your boxers?”

“I can.” I wink at her. Her cheeks color to the brightest shade of red I’ve ever seen. I smile. “I won’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

She nods and drops her gaze away from my face. “It’s fine. If you’re more comfortable that way.”

Unbuttoning my jeans, I turn away from her. With the way she looks and is acting, I know I’m turned on. If I gave her a front view of what my jeans are hiding, she'd definitely regret her words. I’m not sure how physical she and her last boyfriend even got, but I do know no one has gone all the way with her. Which is another turn-on in itself, but I’m not about to freak her out by making her think I’m going to attack her while she’s sleeping. She doesn’t need to know the effect she has on me.

I walk over my bag and pull out a pair of pajama bottoms sporting the Denver Broncos logo all over them. “You never told me you liked the Broncos,” she says.

“I know.” I pull them up and adjust the band then turn to face her. “I know you do.”

She smiles. “Of course I do. Wes Welker is so gorgeous.”

I make a noise. “Really?”

She shrugs. “Does that bother you, Caleb?”

“Kind of.”

Her eyebrows quirk up. “Really?”

I close the distance between us, knowing damn well I shouldn’t. Knowing I need to keep my distance in order to not touch her. But there I am, playing with a strand of her loose hair, and bringing my forehead to hers. “It bothers me. I’m going to be selfish, but I need to say this. I don’t want you thinking about some other guy. I want you to think about me. Tonight, when that Malcom guy came up to you, talking about some party or whatever, I swear I wanted to kill him. No one has ever made me feel like this.”

Sky’s breath hitches a bit and she tilts her head back. “Caleb, I should probably admit something, too. When I saw you with Lidia, my thoughts went crazy. I thought at first … ”

“That I was into her? No.”

“I know. I mean, I know that now. About five times tonight, I’ve pinched myself and told myself you aren’t really here. But then, I keep thinking, ‘I hope he stays.’”

“Sky?”

Her eyes lock with mine. She smiles. “I want to kiss you. So much. But I can’t. When you leave to go back home, and all I have is memories, it will kill me. Not being with you kills me.”

I brush back the strands of hair that are falling into her eyes and then kiss her cheek. “I know, babe. Believe me, I know.”

It takes all my strength to pull away from her and settle into bed. My heart pounds like a drum inside my chest while my palms start to sweat. I’ve done a lot more things with girls than what Sky and I are about to do. So why is my body acting like this is my first time sleeping next to a girl?

If any of my boys were here, they’d call me a wussy. They’d tell me to man up and try to make a move on Skylar. And I should. I know I should. But if she rejects me again I won’t be able to handle it as well. She slips out of the room. About ten minutes pass before she’s climbing into bed showing off some short cotton shorts and a white tank top.