Chapter 25
25
T here was no hiding the fact that I’d been crying when I returned from the bathroom to get my coffee. Worse still, when I’d tried to clean up my face I’d smudged the concealer off my bruised cheek, and it’d taken both Carly and I physically holding Heath to stop him running after Carter to kill him.
He hadn’t been willing to back down until I’d insisted that Carter hadn’t hurt me. At least not like that. The state of my heart was a private matter that I definitely wasn’t interested in discussing.
By the time I finished explaining what’d happened at dinner in Paris—with Carter being a massive asshole and me stupidly walking out on my own—and the subsequent mugger attack, we were all late for class.
I promised to explain the rest later—with no intention of ever doing so, when the rest involved me and Carter fucking like horny cats for twenty-four hours straight—and ran to my early Humanities class.
The professor gave me a hard glare when I tried to quietly sneak in and slid into my seat. Embarrassed, I kept my head down and forced myself to focus as much as I could under the circumstances.
My next class of the day was with Carly, thank fuck, but also with Jade and I really really didn’t want to risk a run-in with her. Not after the cuts Carter had left on my confidence.
Trouble was, Jade apparently wanted nothing more than a run-in with me . The moment she walked into the lecture hall, she searched me out then deliberately sat her happy ass down behind Carly and me.
“Go away, Jade,” I muttered, giving her a glare over my shoulder. “I’m too tired for your crap.”
She smirked back at me. “You don’t want to hear all about my weekend with your boyfriend?”
I inhaled, ready to put her in her place, but the professor chose that moment to start the class and announce a practice quiz. Total silence was required, which saved me and Carly both from enduring an hour of Jade’s bullshit.
Thankfully, I breezed through the quiz and handed my paper in while Jade was still frowning at her test like it’d personally offended her. I wasn’t hanging around for her to toss out silly high school insults and taunts, so I texted Carly that I would meet her at lunch.
I texted Heath next, letting him know where I was going, and he immediately called back.
“You’re going to the campus cafeteria?” he asked when I answered the call.
“Uh-huh,” I confirmed. What had Jade meant about her weekend with Heath? Her “date” with him was only Friday night…wasn’t it?
“I’m done for the day so I was heading home. Come with me? I’ll cook way better food than the cafeteria can serve.”
I slowed my pace, considering his offer. I wasn’t the biggest fan of cafeteria food and I wouldn’t hate hanging out with him off campus for once. But then again…
“No one else is home,” he added when I said nothing. “It’d just be us. Carter is in classes and workshops until late tonight, and I haven’t seen Nate or Royce in days.”
Maybe Nate had believed me after all?
“Okay, sure,” I agreed. “If you’re sure Carter isn’t there…”
“I’m sure,” he promised. “Meet me in the parking lot behind Essex Hall. I’ll drive.”
I was only a minute or so away from there, so ended the call and changed my direction to meet Heath.
He beat me there, which was good since I had no clue what kind of car he drove. Nate had abducted me in a F250 Shelby and Royce gave me a lift home in his Bugatti, while I’d only ever taken chauffeur cars with Carter but with Heath I wasn’t sure what to expect.
It sure as fuck wasn’t what I found him standing beside.
“I definitely wouldn’t have picked you as a bike guy,” I admitted, approaching with a grin.
He smiled back at me, stroking a hand over the leather seat of his Ducati Streetfighter. “No? What were you expecting then?”
I pursed my lips, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “I don’t really know…maybe a Prius?”
He gave a dramatic gasp. “Ouch. You wound me, Ash.”
I laughed. “Yeah right. So, uh, we’re taking this? My car is over on the dorm lot if you want me to drive.”
“Are you scared?” Heath quirked a brow, tilting his head with curiosity.
I licked my lips, eyeing the bike, then turning my gaze back to him. Damn it, that flutter of attraction was still alive and well even after everything Carter just put me through.
“I’m not… not scared,” I admitted. Then I bit my lip as another question crowded my brain, desperate to be asked. “Why did you leave me on read all weekend?”
Surprise flickered across his face, then quickly faded into a sheepish guilt. “That was a dick move, I’m sorry.”
I frowned. “It was, but why did you do it?”
His gaze skated away, and he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Um…would you believe me if I said I lost my phone?”
I shook my head. “Nope, you’re a horrible liar and you texted me back just fine last night.” And it would be way too coincidental if he also lost then found his phone the same weekend I did.
Heath puffed a sigh. “Yeah, fair call. Um…okay fuck. I found out that you and Carter won the duck challenge and I, uh, I got jealous. Everything I tried to say was coming out all wrong and I didn’t want you to know I was salty about it so I just…left you on read.”
“Jealous that we won?” Because you wanted to go to Paris with Jade? “Or…”
Heath rolled his eyes. “Or. I was jealous of Carter , Ash. Because he had just been handed this absolutely perfect, romantic adventure to go on with you and I fucking knew he wouldn’t let the opportunity slip through his fingers. And he didn’t, did he?” It was an accusation, because although I’d explained the mugging over coffee that morning, I’d omitted the part where Carter had thoroughly seduced me.
My face heated and I bit my lip. I couldn’t lie, so I just gave a small nod and dropped my gaze away from his. Fuck, now my eyes were heating with tears and I was feeling like an even bigger idiot than I had this morning when Carter rejected me.
“Hey, Ash baby, I’m sorry,” he crooned, stepping forward to cup my face in his hands. “I wasn’t—” he cut off with a sigh as he lifted my face and saw my eyes swimming with unshed tears. How could he not, one more blink and they’d spill.
As fast as that thought formed, it happened. Heath frowned, his thumb swiping the fresh tear from my bruised cheek as he gazed into my eyes.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad. I just wish I had warned you or…I don’t know. Maybe if I’d been a little more honest last week, then things could have played out differently.” He gave me a sad smile, and I tried to choke back the nearly overwhelming emotions suddenly assaulting my mind.
“Honest about what?” I whispered. “I already knew Carter was a massive asshole, but that didn’t stop me being a fucking moron and falling for his bullshit.”
Heath gave a lopsided smile. “True. But maybe if I’d told you how I felt then it might have been us in Paris instead. Did you seriously place a duck on old man Lintan’s bare ass?”
I laughed, sniffing back my tears as he released my face. “Um, yeah. What do you mean, though, about how you felt?”
He ran a hand through his dark hair, messing it up in the sexiest kind of way. It reminded me of how disheveled he’d been after his massage, when he’d tried to pay me for a happy ending.
“I wanted to tell you that our fake relationship wasn’t working out,” he finally said, his voice a low murmur and his gaze lowered. “That I didn’t think we should fake date anymore.”
I took a step backward, stunned. “Oh. Um…sure, yeah, I guess that makes sense after all?—”
“Because I can’t fake date someone that I want to actually date,” he cut me off. “And I legitimately can’t get you out of my head, Ashley. Pretending I’m kissing you for appearances isn’t enough and to be frank, it’s fucking with my head.”
My lips parted to respond, but no words came out. I was speechless. And confused. Where did we stand now , knowing I’d fucked his best friend this weekend?
“So, um…” That was all I managed to get out before I fumbled my words again and pursed my lips.
“Ash?” Heath said in a soft voice, his palm raising to my cheek once more. “Can I please kiss you?”
Shock saw me blinking like a damn owl. “What about?—”
“I fucking hate that he hurt you, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you,” he told me, his hazel gaze so intense it was like he could see right into my soul. “So, can I?”
My heart was officially hammering so hard in my chest I worried I might suffer a cardiac event. My palms were slick with sweat, and my skin tingled…so I nodded.
A puff of relief escaped him as he leaned in, his lips meeting mine softly and slowly. I trembled slightly as I leaned into his touch, reciprocating his kiss with nervousness. It wasn’t our first time kissing, not by a long shot. But this was different. This didn’t have the baggage of selling a fake relationship or setting up a transaction to damn my reputation. This was a kiss purely because we wanted it.
Heath gave a small groan as I parted my lips, his hold on my face slipping into my hair and tightening as his tongue delved inside my mouth. The world around us blurred into nothingness as I lost myself in his kiss.
Lost myself in denial for the stinging heartache Carter had left me with.
That infuriatingly logical part of my brain whispered that maybe I was just using Heath for a rebound, knowing perfectly well that Carter would be furious. But I didn’t care.
“Incredible,” he groaned, reluctantly backing off some moments later. “Just like that first kiss…”
I grinned, remembering exactly what he meant. When I’d kissed him in my massage room, after he’d given me a six-grand tip.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.” He grabbed the black helmet from his bike’s handlebars and placed it on my head.
“What about you?” I protested as he adjusted the chinstrap. He only had one helmet, as far as I could see.
Heath shot me a sexy wink. “I’ll be fine.” He swung his leg over the bike and gave me a teasing smirk. “Hop on, babe, I’ll drive slow.”
I groaned, but awkwardly climbed onto the bike behind him nonetheless. It was totally foreign to me, and I thought for sure I would tip us both over, but he just grabbed my hands and placed them tighter around his body.
“Hold on, okay?”
That was all the warning I got before he kicked the engine over and the bike roared to life between our legs. Holy hell.
It took me half the drive to feel comfortable enough to release my white-knuckled grip on Heath’s shirt, but by the time we arrived at his apartment complex I was seriously enjoying myself. My legs shook when I hopped off, but I couldn’t stop smiling.
“That was amazing!” I exclaimed when Heath helped me out of the helmet. “How have I never been on a motorcycle before? Ugh, I’ve been missing out!”
He laughed, seemingly enjoying my enthusiasm, then grabbed my chin in his long fingers. “ You’re amazing,” he murmured, then kissed me again.
I could definitely get used to not so fake dating Heathcliff Briggs. Even if I did know, deep down, it was an awful idea. But we could enjoy the moment for now and discuss the more serious aspect later, surely.
“I’m sure you already know,” he said, linking our hands as we waited for the elevator, “Max bought this apartment for us when we started at Nevaeh.”
I hummed. “Right. Because Nate is too good to be in a dorm with the peasants.”
Heath grinned, shaking his head. “Cute, but there aren’t any peasants in Nevaeh. No, he actually got us the apartment because…” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck like he’d just reconsidered what he was going to say. “Because one of us was going through some stuff. It was just safer if we had our own space.”
That was intriguingly cryptic, but I had to assume it was about one of the other boys. That Heath had realized it wasn’t his place to share his friend’s secrets, so I wouldn’t push for more info.
“Oh shit,” he said as the elevator dinged on his floor and we stepped out. “I totally forgot. You’re not allergic to dogs, are you?”
I frowned as he led the way down the hall. “Uh…no, I’m not. You have a dog?”
Heath sighed, stopping at a door marked with an Essex nameplate rather than a number. He used his keys to unlock it. “I don’t, but Carter does. It’s the source of major fights with Nate right now, but he’s a stubborn fuck and refuses to take the mangy mutt back to the pound.”
My mouth went dry.
“Come on in,” Heath coaxed, opening the door. “ That is the dog. Lady.”
Sure enough, there she was, curled up on what could only be described as a doggy throne of the plushest fabric beside the leather sofa. It was the flea-ridden mutt Jade had left in my room.