Wilted (18 page)

“Honestly, there is no rush. I’m just really glad your friend is going to be all right. How’s everyone holding up?”

“Good, thanks for asking. Now that Sebastian’s awake and improving, we’re all relieved. Hopefully once he’s discharged, things will be better for everyone. No one ever gets any rest in a hospital and Skylar refuses to leave him.”

“You’re a good friend. I know she appreciates it.”

“Someone has to make her eat and sleep. The girl is a mess, that’s for sure.”

“And who’s taking care of you?” Nik’s voice interrupts.

Just the sound sends shivers down through my soul. I can’t move. I can’t speak. All I can do is close my eyes and try to find the strength to face him right now.

Why hasn’t he left town yet? I can’t fall apart right now. Please go away. Please.

“Kylie?” Nik says.

God, I’ve missed the way he says my name. Every part of me wants to turn around and run to him. I want to tell him how sorry I am. I want to tell him how much I need him. That I don’t want him to leave. But, as much as I want to do all of that, I know, in the end, he’s never going to love me. Besides, he’s already moved on by fucking everything with a short skirt and long legs since the day he left me. Maybe he was fucking them even before that, for all I know.

“Listen, I’m going to go ahead and leave,” Evan says as he gives Nik a hard stare in return.

For fuck's
sake,
stop the pissing contest, please! I’m not in the mood for it.
Evan knows I’m not interested in him. I’ve already gone over this with him time and time again. He’s reluctantly agreed that it’s better we don’t jeopardize our working relationship by dating, so I don’t know why he’s aggravating the situation right now.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Leave,” Nik snarls.

“If you need anything else, just let me know.” Evan hugs me and Nik clenches his jaw.

Jealous much? Well, get the fuck over it. I’m not yours anymore, Thorne.

“What are you still doing here?” I snap, turning to face him. I know Sebastian is his family, but damn it! Sebastian’s doing much better, so why isn’t he going back to Texas like he said?

“I’m about to leave for the airport, but I was hoping I could talk to you.”

“There’s nothing to say, Nik. Have a safe flight.” I wave and turn to walk away.

“Kylie, wait,” he pleads.

Keep walking, Kylie. Put one foot in front of the other and move. Don’t you dare turn around! He broke your heart, remember?
I silently coach myself.

Those who know me know that I don’t just walk away from anyone or anything. I always want the last word. Even, if it kills me. God knows I have plenty of words for this fucker. Spinning around, I unleash all the built up anger and resentment I have at him.

“I don’t know what you want from me. Every single time I’m doing better, you have to waltz in and ruin it for me. I’m over it! Do you hear me? Go home and leave me the fuck alone!”

“Please, Kylie. I guess with everything that’s happened, it’s given me a different perspective of things. I have something that I’ve wanted to get off my chest for a while now.”

“Save it, all right? You’ve moved on. I’ve moved on. Whatever happened between us, fuck it. It doesn’t matter anymore.” Good grief, I don’t even believe the shit coming from my own mouth.

“Kylie, fucking hell! Stop,” he says, grabbing my arm and yanking me towards him.

“Get your damn hands off me, you asshole!” I growl through gritted teeth.

Right here and now, this fucker really doesn’t want to test me. When he pulls me against him, it only makes it worse.
Shit!
He’s so close that I can smell his delicious cologne. One touch of his skin against mine has my entire body on fire. I try to mask my reaction so that he doesn’t know he’s affecting me. He’s got no idea how much agony I’m in right now. Outwardly, I’m putting on a brave face, but inside I’m barely hanging on by a thread. The tight grip loosens as he stares me dead in the eyes. I know he’s searching for something, but he won’t find what he’s looking for this time. Today, just like every day, I fight like hell to hide it. I’ve got the act damn well perfected, actually. The very last thing I want or need is him seeing that I still love him.

“You hate me, don’t you?” he asks me while swallowing hard.

“Yes! I do hate you. Does that surprise you? Now, let me go!”

The fucker actually has the nerve to look devastated.

Really? What the hell?

“Fine,” he says exasperated at my antics.

I don’t blame him. Right now, I piss my own self off.

When he walks away, I feel like he takes another piece of my soul with him. Immediately, I regret everything I’d just said and done. After everything he’s put me through, I feel like I’m shattered inside.

How will I ever survive this?

How do I ever survive him?

NIKOLAS

“Welcome aboard, Mr. Thorne.” The bouncy young flight attendant greets me as I step onto the jet. When I snarl in her direction, her eyes grow big. Hopefully that just proved to her that I’m not in the mood for her perkiness. Throwing my messenger bag into the seat beside me, I crash into the tan leather seat. Thoughts of Kylie swirl through my brain as I torture myself with an instant replay of our earlier conversation.
Why did she shut me down before I could even explain myself?
Like most people I’ve trusted, she’s given up on me. No matter how hard I try to tell her the fucking truth, she shoves me further away.

Goddamn it! That woman pisses me off so damn much! I just want to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Does she not see how miserable I am without her? How the hell am I supposed to beg for her forgiveness when she won’t even give me a fucking chance?

I take out my frustration by kicking the seat on my plane, then I wave off the hired flight crew and turn up the Jack Daniels I’d requested when I boarded. Could I have stayed on in LA? Of course, I could’ve. But I didn’t want her to think I am desperate. If she’d given me a chance to explain, I would have told her how sorry I am for everything. If her job is so important to her, I’d move to LA to be with her in a heartbeat. That’s how fucking head over heels in love with her I am. This trip is definitely ending on a terrible note.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled my cousin is doing so well and that he and Skylar are going to be parents. Kids are something I never thought possible for him or myself. When he’d told me, it made my brain race. All the horrible things I’d said to Kylie haunt me every single minute of every single day. There’s no other woman that I’d rather spend the rest of my life with than her. She’s the one I want to hold every night in my arms and wake up to every morning. She is just…
the one.

A hospital isn’t a romantic scene, I get that. The thing is, at the time, I didn’t care. I was about to pour my heart out to her, and in turn, she throws daggers at it. I thought if I made her look me in the eyes that I’d see it. She can hide so much from the world but never how she really feels about someone. One thing’s for certain, Kylie could never lie to me. I could always see it in her eyes. The cold, hateful stare she’d given me earlier had gutted me. It told me everything I never wanted to know or admit.

She hates me. It’s too late. This is pointless.

I’m just glad I can get back to work when I’m back in Texas. Even though I stay busy to keep my mind off her, I have a feeling that Kylie Reynolds will be haunting my memory for a very long time to come.

Being back in Austin only makes things spiral more and more out of control for me. Honestly, the way I’m living these days, I don’t think I even eat anymore. My meals consist of nothing but alcohol. It’s the only thing that gets me through this pain.

Of course, when you party in a club, you draw attention. Most men would think I am fucking nuts to ignore the amount of pussy thrown at me. It’s easy to ignore what you don’t want. Well… let me rephrase that. It’s easy to ignore the wrong person who’s offering it.

“Want to head back up to my place?” Some girl whispers in my ear.

I don’t even know her name. I only know that, after drinking as much as I have, I no longer care about names. The way she’s rocking her ass against me drives me insane. I know I can make this easy on myself by closing my eyes and pretending, but my body won’t let me betray her. Like a balloon with a hole, my hard on deflates, leaving me frustrated and horny as fuck. Pushing her off me, I grab another bottle from the bar and pouring rounds for people standing by me.

“Aw, I thought we were going to fuck,” she whines.

God, how I hate whiny people!

“Not interested,” I reply, throwing a wad of cash at her.
Fuck, I don’t even know how much that was that I just gave her. Oh, who gives a shit? It’s only fucking money.
Alcohol makes me not give a damn. It’s also why Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, and I are all best friends.

Apparently, I’ve just treated this girl like she is a fucking street-walker but I could give two shits. She’s an easy lay, there’s no doubt about it. The old Nik Thorne would’ve had this girl bent over in a bathroom somewhere, or at least on her knees beneath the table sucking my cock. There had been a time that I tapped three or four females a night. Sometimes I’d bang those girls together, sometimes separate. Now, look at me. I’m hopeless. My body only craves one person… Kylie Reynolds.

KYLIE

“Is he well enough to travel home?” I ask while hugging my best friend tightly. Once Sebastian had been released from the hospital, I had insisted they stay with me until he was strong enough to fly home. Honestly, I’m not ready to say goodbye to Skylar. Since she came out here to stay with me, she’s been my saving grace, giving me sanity when I thought I’d lost the little I had left.

“He’s still really sore, but you know how men are. I think he’s just anxious about us getting back to Austin.”

I look over at a slow moving Sebastian and frown. “I hope his stubborn ass listens to the doctor and takes it easy.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he does. Besides, he has to listen to me now. It comes along with the package,” she says, patting her belly. I giggle and she places her hand on my face. The tears in her eyes set off my own.

“Are those tears I see, Kylie Reynolds?” she teases while wiping them off my cheek.

“Yes, bitch, they are. I could say the same for you though,” I return, laughing at her.

“Hey, I’m pregnant. I cry over everything, anyways.”

“God, I’m going to miss you!”

“I’ll see you in a month for dress fittings. Surely we can make it that long without losing it.”

“I love you, Kyles. Take care of yourself, you hear?”

“And I love you! You take care of that baby and the other baby over there.” I point towards Sebastian waiting by the car.

She throws her head back and laughs before pulling me in for another big hug. “Thank you again for everything! We can never say it enough for letting us stay with you.”

“You know you both are welcome anytime.”

I’ll call you when we land. Remember what I said! Take care of yourself. You’re gonna be all right, I promise.”

“I will,” I reply, kissing her on the cheek. As her hand slides out of mine, I feel more and more uncertain about things. She smiles and waves once more before stepping into the car. Sebastian smiles and eases in beside her. And as I watch them drive away, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so lonely in all of my life.