Page 54 (1/1)

"My God," Emma whispered in surprise "She looked fine when I reed, "but it took her a couple of years and hitting rock bottoet to that point She has just recently finished a stint in a rehabilitation facility for drug abuse The doctor who helped her get treatment is also her fiancé She came to town to visit her parents and tell the with her They really didn’t know the level of her addiction or where she had been since leaving houess they didn’t take it well and were hter Her fiancé, Carter, was co old friends ere bad influences this soon after treatht before she left and after her parents turned her away, she didn’t feel that she had anywhere else to turn She wanted soroup I think she also feared relapsing if she was left on her own for too long"

Eh her hair in esture that Brant had used earlier His story explained why Alexia was staying with hi away frooing to want to hear Choosing her words carefully, she asked, "Is she still staying with you?"

"No, I asked her to leave before I ca happened while she was staying with me that I haven’t told you about"

She nodded her head for hih she wasn’t sure she wanted to know If he had slept with Alexia, she didn’t think she could get past itnot now

When he remained quiet, she prodded hi"

Clearing his throat, he said, "Reht I went out to dinner with her? I called you afterward I’m sure you noticed on the phone that I’d had too reed that she had, he continued on "Well, the nextto see if there were still ro a final commit about The only thing I reo back to school Ijust, fuck, I panicked When Gray needed someone to cover his travel for a while, I ju in love with you and there she was, s I realized after you left that the only thing I was really afraid of was loving and losing you I never felt about Alexia the way I feel about you She siht all ofa ain"

"That’s why you were pulling away fro sick was just an excuse too But did you sleep with her?"

"No! Hell no, I didn’t There really wasn’t anything physical involved The day she told s went, I left town Things with Alexia were never like they are between you and me She isn’t so"

Stiffening, E I’m all over you?"

"Shit, no, baby Well, I mean, yes, I want you all over me every moment of the day I can’t keep my hands off you I don’t feel like that toward her; I never did"

"I knew inwhen you avoided ue after you returned ho with her"

Brant took her hand before saying, "I didn’t sleep with Alexia I kno this looks, but I swear nothing happened between us other than what I’ve told you"

Ehed, partly relieved and partly hurt "I believe you; but damn it you’ve had ht we crossed into a new place in our relationship while you were away Our phone calls every night e Then you ca ht you wanted Alexia and were just afraid to ad on a date with so rong"

Brant pulled her into his ar her close "Oh, baby, I’ I know you weren’t co with me and I don’t blame you I’d have been a mess if the circumstances were reversed Hell, I al you hoht"

A little chuckle escaped Emma’s lips before reality returned "I justIt’s hard for et past the fact that you kept all of this from me I knoe hadn’t officially made any promises to each other, but you hurt er to his lips, stopping what she kneas coht now I need so I never want to look back and think that you said that to me for the first time under duress" She reached over and clicked off the laht, just take me away for a while"

Without coh she didn’t think it was possible, withinon herhers and his e to every inch of skin she exposed Where she would have rushed to co more waves of pleasure from her body No words of love were spoken, no promises made Instead, she felt Brant use his body to show her a love that took her breath away

Afterward, she lay spent across his chest, feeling their hearts hammer in tempo She drifted away as she felt his lips brush her forehead The first real sleep she had had in days clai, Brant’s side of the bed was already cold and she kneithout looking around the rooone On his pilloritten on a scrap piece of paper that he had obviously found in the roo back with Mark and the others thisyou the ti, baby Love, B" For the first tiun, she cried herself dry, to a point where there were no tears left She didn’t try to rief; she cried until it wasn’t possible to cry anymore