Every Kiss (18 page)

Eve chuckles. “If we waited on him every time we sat down to
eat, I think we’d all starve to death.”

“Yeah, yeah . . . I’m here.” Wes strolls into the room,
looking like it’s the last place he wants to be. Like the jerk he is, he walks
around to the opposite side of the table and starts to drag one of the extra
chairs up to sit between his dad and Shane, completely ignoring the empty space
beside me.

“Wesley Baxter.” Eve’s eyes are about to pop right out of
her head. “We saved a seat for you right over here.” She points a long finger
at the chair next to me.

Shane and Makenna look at each other, fighting a smirk,
while both Eve and Robert glare at Wes. Meanwhile, I just want to melt into a
puddle underneath the table. He can’t even sit near me to eat. Nice.

“Sorry, Mom. I’m just used to sitting here. I wasn’t
thinking.” He moves the chair back and drops into the seat next to me without
even a glance in my direction.

Everyone is engaged in conversation as the dishes of food
are passed around. Everyone, that is, except Wes and me. The room is far from
quiet, but the silence from him is painful. It really pisses me off, and I
refuse to let him think he’s getting to me. Okay, he
is
getting to me,
but he doesn’t get the satisfaction of knowing it.

The platters have all been passed around, and I’m about to
take a sip of my orange juice when I catch Shane staring at my plate. “What?” I
ask before taking a drink.

“Just one tiny little sausage?” His eyes narrow as a devious
grin spreads across his lips. “I thought for sure you’d go for
four
.”

I immediately begin choking, setting my glass down so hard
that juice sloshes onto the tablecloth. I jerk my napkin from the table,
sending my silverware skittering into the floor, and I hold it to my mouth as I
fight for the coughing to stop. Orange juice and lungs don’t mix.

“Oh, honey, are you okay?” Eve jumps up from her seat and
pats me on the back.

I can barely see her through the tears welling in my eyes,
but I nod my head, finally able to take a full breath. “Yes,” I croak.

Shane and Makenna are suddenly really interested in their
food. They’re both snickering quietly while staring at their plates and
shoveling food into their big freaking mouths. After Eve grabs more silverware
from the china cabinet, she and Robert go back to discussing the flowers they
want to plant, like nothing had ever happened. And Wes stares at me. I can feel
it.

I flick a quick glance at him, and I can tell by the look on
his face, he knows exactly why Shane said what he did. Because
I
have a
big freaking mouth. This shouldn’t be anything new to him, though. He already
knows this about me, so he has no reason to be pissed. Besides, wasn’t it him
that said he wasn’t ashamed?

But fine, if he wants to be irritated at me, I should at
least get the satisfaction of earning it. “On second thought, Shane, could you
pass me that platter of sausage?” Everyone pauses to watch, suddenly interested
in what I’m saying. Using the little serving tongs, I move several of the
little sausage links aside to grab one of the bigger pieces of Italian sausage
and put it on my plate before handing it back to him. “You don’t need four if
you get a big enough one to begin with.”

This time, it’s Wes’ turn to choke.

AFTER EATING, EVERYONE retreats to
the den to watch a movie. I’m surprised to find out that Eve is a classic movie
buff, just like me. Now, I understand how Wes knew who Audrey Hepburn was. As
soon as the music begins, I know the movie. Top Hat has my favorite dance scene
of all time—well, next to Singin’ in the Rain— and Fred Astaire is one of my
absolute favorite leading men. The way he and Ginger Rogers sweep across the
floor in perfect, graceful synchronization while he sings
Cheek to Cheek . .
.
it makes me swoon every time.

I’m just settling into the couch by Makenna when Wes appears
in the doorway, looking at me and jerking his head back toward the kitchen.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell Makenna.

“Yeah, right,” she snickers, obviously thinking we’re
sneaking off for number five.

“Follow me,” Wes orders as soon as I exit the room. He leads
the way up the glossy wood stairs and into an office, motioning to an espresso
leather wingback chair facing the desk. “Sit.” Once I’m seated, he takes the
one at the desk, resting his chin over his folded hands. He looks tired, as I’m
sure he is. There are dark haunting shadows beneath each eye, and his mouth
forms a tight line. Tall, Dark, and Moody just collided with Sexy CEO, and no
matter how much I want to hate him, I have to force away the thoughts of
sitting naked on the desk in front of him.

“Why do I feel like I’m getting fired?” I joke, trying and
failing to lighten the heavy mood. “You know, there’s no need to have this
discussion. I know what you’re going to say.”

“I shouldn’t have ever let this happen, Callie. It’s my
fault.” He hangs his head and fists his hands in the top of his hair.

“I knew what I was getting into. Just like I also knew that
last night was all we’d have. You won. You finally got what you wanted, and now
it’s over. We really don’t have much more to say to each other.”

He jerks his head up, his gaze is sharp, boring into me. “I
won
?
Are you freaking serious?”

“Yes. Very.” I fold my arms over my chest, resolute to stand
firm. I won’t let him get to me. “Just like other women, I was a conquest. I
presented a challenge to you, so you pulled out all the stops until you got
exactly what you wanted from me. And I let you. I don’t know. Maybe there’s
some really sadistic part of me that wanted you to win, that wanted to be used
like that. I knew there was a definite risk, and I still took it. I agreed to
it. So there’s no need for hard feelings here.”

He stands but keeps his hands firmly planted on top of the
desk, leaning over it. “You don’t have a damn clue what you’re talking about,
Callie. You’re not part of some stupid game that I have to win. I’m not some
immature college kid who runs around, trying to nail every woman he meets.
Maybe after you get a little older, you’ll understand—”

I jump up from my seat, interrupting him. “Don’t treat me
like I’m a child! I’m a hell of a lot more mature than you are. I’ve been
completely honest with you from the very beginning, even when it wasn’t easy,
and that takes a lot of maturity. Unlike you, who keeps everything locked away,
covering everything up so no one will ever know the real you. So no one will
ever know what a real coward you are. That’s exactly what you are. A damn
coward.”

His face turns bright red as the blood boils just under his
skin. “Well, if that’s what you think, I guess we have nothing further to say.”

“You’re right. We don’t.”

He stares at me for a moment, his breath heaving in and out
of his chest. He’s furious, but I promise, that’s nothing compared to what I’m
feeling at the moment. I know the moment that I feel tears prick my eyes that
I’ve reached my boiling point. Whenever I’m absolutely livid beyond all
control, I cry. I’ve always hated it because it makes me look weak, when all I
want to do is rip someone’s eyes out.

Luckily, before he has the chance to see the tears welling
up in my eyes, he storms out without another word. Within a few seconds, I also
hear the front door slam and his jeep squealing out of the driveway. As I’m sure
everyone else in the house heard.

Before someone can see me crying my eyes out, I run down the
hall, finally finding a bathroom to duck into until I can calm down. He’s such
an asshole. I don’t know why I ever agreed to any of this. I knew he was seriously
temperamental, so I should’ve known he would be difficult to deal with.
Especially for me. Guys, as a general rule, hate the way I speak my mind, and
they certainly don’t like it when I’m not afraid to take their enormous egos
down a few notches. Wes, it seems, isn’t an exception to that rule.

I’m wiping away the mascara running down my cheek when
there’s a light peck at the door. “Callie? You in there?”

“Yeah. I’ll be out in just a sec.” I try to add some cheer
to my voice, but I know Makenna will see right through it.

“Why don’t you let me in and tell me what’s going on?”

I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. I hate being a
liar. I’m always the honest one, even if it has the potential to sting a
little. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I can’t let Makenna
know what I’ve allowed to happen. Shane will know. Their parents will know. It
will likely create a shit storm for both of us, and as pissed as I am at him
right now, I don’t want that for him. Or me.

I take one last glance in the mirror, making sure I look
halfway normal, and I open the door. “Oh not much. Just a stupid argument.
That’s what happens when two people are way too much alike. He gets a little
testy when I tell him exactly what I’m thinking, and I get irritated when he
refuses to listen to me. So things got a little heated, and he’s throwing a
childish temper tantrum. He’ll get over it.”

She studies me a little harder than necessary. “You look
like you’ve been crying, so I know he had to make you pretty mad. What were you
fighting about?”

“Oh, I called him a coward because he won’t open up and talk
about things with me. Needless to say, he didn’t appreciate it much. But it was
deserved.”

Makenna sits on the side of the tub and shakes her head.
“Callie, I know you mean well, but sometimes it’s all just too much. You don’t
think about how your words can affect people sometimes, even if it is the
truth. It hurts.”

“I’m just being honest.”

“Well, you need to dial it back a little. Sometimes it’s to
the point where it’s no longer honesty . . . it’s just plain hurtful.”

I look at myself in the mirror at my red rimmed eyes. “But
withholding the truth hurts, too. A lot.”

“Callie,” she begins, standing to wrap an arm around my
shoulders, “haven’t you ever heard the old saying about how you catch more
flies with honey than with vinegar? It’s okay to sugarcoat the truth sometimes.
It’s a little easier to swallow that way.”

I force a sweet smile. “I know. You’re right about that.
Everything will be fine.”

“Good. You ready to get out of here? We really need to head
home, so we can get ready for classes tomorrow.”

I hug her, immediately getting tangled in her rusty brown
hair. “I thought you’d never ask. I could use some laundry therapy.”

She scrunches up her nose at me, also crinkling up her dark
brown eyes. “God, you’re so weird.”

Everyone is huddled in the kitchen when we come back
downstairs and their whispering stops as soon as they see us. Robert and Shane
immediately walk out the front door, and Eve leans her hip against the counter,
a look of concern marring her usually bright face.

“Is everything okay, dear?” she asks softly.

I hang my head slightly. “Yes, ma’am. Just a little
argument. I’m so sorry for causing a scene.”

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“Please don’t take offense to this, but if anything is said,
I think it should come from him.”

She nods and sighs. “No offense taken. But the offer always
stands.”

“Thank you.”

Makenna walks up to her and envelops her in a tight hug. “I
think we’re going to head home now. This weekend has been way too eventful for
me, and I’m exhausted. Maybe we can get together for lunch one day this week if
you come into Tuscaloosa?”

“That sounds fantastic. I’ll call you in a couple of days.”
She kisses Makenna’s cheek before turning to me. “And I’m glad you came today,
Callie. I hope to see you again soon. Just remember everything I told you,
okay?”

“I will. Thanks.”

Once we’re finally on the road, I think Shane and Makenna
know not to broach the subject of Wes with me right now. I curl up against the
door, willing myself to fall asleep, so I can forget how stupid I am for a
little while. How stupid Wes is. But sleep evades me. I keep going over all of
it in my mind, and I haven’t reached any new conclusions about anything, other
than the fact that I’m stupid. Oh, wait . . . I already knew that.

So much has happened in just a few short days, and I feel
like I’m caught up in some weird soap opera. The last five days have been
nothing but strange. Wes and I have gone from kinda being friends, to close
friends, to lovers, and now enemies. Our relationship clearly had a short life
cycle.

And if you throw in all the other drama about the secret
child, the biological mother, the stepmother. It’s all so much more than I want
to handle. He’s definitely not worth all of the disruptions he’s thrown into my
life. I mean, he can be a lot of fun when he lets loose and stops being so
broody. I also feel safe when I’m with him, protected by him. Like no one could
hurt me. Other than him.

I was right, though. I knew it would really suck, and it
does. I figured it would last a little longer before we got to this point, but
once I figured out it was all a game, I knew it would end before it ever really
started. I was pissed when Tanner used me without telling me, so I thought,
since I knew going in, it would be different this time. I thought I was in
control. But I was only fooling myself. I’m not mad about being used. It hurts.
It hurts because I actually thought he felt more for me than that.

When we’re finally home, Shane and Makenna decide to run out
and rent a movie, and I decline their offer to go with them, claiming I’m going
to shower and take a nap. As soon as they leave, I curl up in my bed, pull the
blankets over my head, and cry. And it really makes me mad that I let him get
to me. It wasn’t supposed to be complicated. I knew it would end like this, so
why am I lying here, bawling like a lunatic? Oh, God, Makenna is rubbing off on
me.

Determined to forget everything for a while, I turn on my
side and snuggle into my pillow, trying again to sleep. But it would be so much
easier if my hair didn’t smell like Wes’ shampoo. My eyes fall closed as I
breathe in the scent of him, and I think back to being with him last night. The
rise and fall of our one night relationship.

I imagine the feeling of his skin against mine. The way his
mouth devoured mine when he settled over me. The intensity in his gaze the very
first time he slowly inched into me. How his hands were always gentle, even
though he took full control of me. He claimed me. Never relenting. Never
releasing me, even when we finally lay down to sleep. Before I drifted off, he
kissed me one last time, slow and tender. Merciful. Making me believe there
just might be a tomorrow for us.

But his kisses are just as good at lying as he is.