Chapter 12 #2
“Yes.” His tone was ragged, and the word wrapped around her broken heart.
“But you were ashamed of me?”
“No,” he barked.
“At Alban’s you said ‘Get away from this life.’”
Somber green ice stared at her. God, how she loved his eyes. She’d gotten lost in them so many times. And she was lost in them again. “I’ve always wanted better for you. If we’d stayed together, I never would have let you continue.”
She pursed her lips.
“You know what I mean.”
“So you left because of your dad, but you stayed away because . . . ?”
A smile split his face. “You’re really not letting this die, are you?”
She stiffened. “I would have let it die had we not decided to have sex and open a can of worms.”
He blew out a long, low breath. “My dad always made things so difficult, you know? Everything was always about loyalty and respect—and all he cared about was his family respecting him. He didn’t give a shit about showing respect in return.
Being with you would have been the ultimate slap in the face.
He wants your uncle dead, and if he weren’t in jail, he’d probably carry it out.
” He lowered his gaze to the counter briefly and then looked at her.
“I felt like a coward after I broke things off with you, and I couldn’t bring myself to crawl back to you after that.
” A beat passed and he cocked his head. “Even though I missed you. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about you. ”
He rounded the counter. His palm landed on the crown of her head and slowly slid over her hair to her back. His gaze followed the motion.
“Seeing you at the bar the other night nearly killed me. Part of me was mad that I had to face you, the other part so fucking relieved to see you.”
His eyes shifted to her face, and he brushed his knuckle over her cheek. “I know it doesn’t take back what I did, but I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
The tears that had been inching closer and closer to her lashes let loose and brimmed around her vision.
She fought her lip, which wanted to push out in a pout, and dropped her head to his chest. The natural scent of his skin filled her nostrils, transporting her back to a simpler time, when one hug from Milo had taken away all her pain.
She’d spent so many years hating him . . . and loving him. “We should go,” she whispered. She gave a little cough to strengthen her voice. “Priss is waiting.”
Milo dialed Brock’s number as he pulled out of the driveway. “Hey, we’re on our way to Peyton’s. Did you get the address I sent you?”
“Yeah, sorry, I was asleep when you sent it. Just getting some things together. I should be there in about twenty minutes.”
They disconnected and Milo drove along the familiar winding asphalt of his subdivision. Thank god he drove this route every day because his concentration was on anything but the road. Serena crossed and uncrossed her legs, drawing his gaze to her black yoga pants.
Christ, he’d never get the image of those legs wrapped around him like a vise out of his head.
“Gum?” She held out a small bag and he opened his palm.
She shook out two pieces and he popped them in his mouth.
The sting of cinnamon hit his tongue and flooded his mouth.
After he’d apologized, things had gotten awkward.
Gone was the determined Serena he’d spent the last couple of days with.
Her movements were jerky and stiff. She was either upset with him or anxious about the heist. Both prospects were possible.
He rolled his tongue around the sweet wad in his mouth and couldn’t pull a word from his brain. After this was done, once they had Dani back, he’d push more.
But push for what? For forgiveness for his immature, adolescent actions?
Is that what he craved so much? Maybe if he had her forgiveness he could move on.
He could put aside the guilt that had flared up inside him with every thought of her sweet smile over the years.
Seeing her had transformed that flicker of remorse into a flame of torture.
No. Absolution wouldn’t cut it.
He turned into the parking lot behind Peyton’s building.
He didn’t have the time or the energy right now to explore exactly what it was he needed to hear from Serena so badly.
They climbed out of the vehicle and Milo moved close to her quickly advancing back.
Shadows of shrubs and vehicles darkened their path.
He stretched out his arm and pulled open the glass door to the lobby before she could grab it.
She punched in the code to Peyton’s suite and the door buzzed open.
He followed her into the elevator, where the silence nearly killed him.
“Are you going to say anything?” God, he sounded like a petulant teenager.
Wide blue eyes flew to his, and she tightened her arms around her ribs. “Sorry. I—I can’t get Dani off my mind.”
Christ, he was an ass. Here he was fretting over the exchange in his kitchen and it was the farthest thing from her mind. He rubbed the tip of his thumb over his eyebrow.
“Of course you can’t. I didn’t mean to be a . . .”
Her eyebrows lifted, waiting.
“A wimp, I guess.”