My Only Regret (Twisted Fate Book 1) (29 page)

“Ten bucks says you miss,” challenged Nick, the one who had invited us over.

“You’re on,” I said, confidently.

“But if you miss you have to do a shot of tequila,” he smiled. He was kind of cute and had nice teeth.
 

“No problem, but if I make it you owe me ten and you have to do the shot.” I wasn't about to tell him that I wasn't drinking, but then again I didn't plan on losing. I bent over to line up my shot and struck the cue, sinking a striped ball in the corner pocket. “Drink up buddy boy.” He smiled a cocky smile and threw back the shot. He was cute, but definitely not my type.

This went on for a period of time as I continued to beat him at his own game. It was my shot, and the eight ball was the only one I had left to sink. He was pretty hammered, and before I could take my shot a fifty was placed on the table and Nick leaned down in front of me.

“New challenge. I’ll bet you fifty dollars that you can’t make that shot,” he came closer to my face and whispered in my ear. “If you miss, you lose. You’ll owe me fifty, and you'll have to kiss me on the lips.”

I swayed a little at the nauseating thought, but managed to throw my shoulders back and push my chest out. “No kissing.” I shook my head.

“Afraid so darlin’. See, if you don’t want to kiss me you have to sink the shot. It’s that simple.” His words slurred together as he smiled a cocky smile. His friend just nodded his head and laughed. Mel stared at me with gaping eyes.

“Eight ball, side pocket.” I declared, confidently, and bent over to take aim. I moved the stick slowly back and forth over the crook of my thumb then struck the cue. I watched with a heavy heart as the eight ball hit the backside of the pocket and bounced out.
Shit!

“Pay up gorgeous,” he came at me with his lips pressed out, ready for a kiss. I backed up slowly; there was no way in hell I was going to kiss this guy. He would get a knee to the groin before he would get my lips.

“I told you Nick, I’m not going to kiss you. I’m sorry, but there’s someone else.” I stammered, nervously. What the hell was it with men who wouldn’t take no for an answer?

“I don’t give a shit about someone else. A bet is a bet, and you lost, so pay up.” He grabbed at my hair, pulling me closer to his vile lips. From the corner of my eye I saw Mel make a move toward me, but his friend grabbed her, holding her back.

“Leave me the fuck alone!” I yelled, fighting against him. Apparently, no one else in the bar noticed, or even cared about the scene that was taking place. Or so I thought…

“I believe the lady said no,” came a familiar voice. I turned my head and couldn’t believe he was here. He looked so handsome, so perfect. I longed for him to hold me, yet I was angry for all that had taken place. He reached over and pulled me out of Nick’s grasp, moving me behind his body, then, without blinking, landed a right hook to Nick’s nose. He stood tall, ready to do it again, but Nick didn't retaliate. “Do you understand
now
, Nick?”
 

Nick scrambled backwards, holding his gushing nose.

“Son of a bitch!” he spat through blood soaked hands. David moved beside Jesse, ready to jump in if necessary. “You can have her buddy. Good luck, she’s a fucking cock tease.” He grabbed the fifty before he and his buddy made their way across the bar and out the door.

“Are you okay?” He cupped my face in his hand and ran a thumb over my cheek.
 

“Don’t touch me.” I pulled away from him and turned to walk away, pausing only to glare at Mel as David held her in an embrace. Her eyes grew larger, knowing that I was angry with her. “You called him, didn't you?” I grimaced, making my way down a darkened corridor with Jesse following closely behind.

“Where did you come from?” I asked, dumbfounded. Tears welled in my eyes and threatened to ruin the makeup I'd spent so much time on. I had dreamed of the moment I would see him again. Thoughts of what I wanted to say ran through my head and it took everything I had within me not to throw myself into his arms. I looked into his eyes and remembered the last time I'd seen him. This man was still my husband, and the father of my child, and I felt myself weaken. In one brief moment the relief that I felt toward seeing him turned to anger, and I snapped.
 

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Rhyann, it’s good to see you.” He stated calmly, ignoring my question, his voice sounded stiff and forced, his fists were held tightly at his sides.

“It’s good to see you too,” my voice betrayed me, sounding weak and filled with shameless need. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes.

“I see it didn’t take you long to move on. Seemed a little young though, who was he?” My eyes popped open. I looked at his face and his jaw was clenched tight, his lips pressed in a thin line.

I stood there, calmly collecting my thoughts. “I haven’t moved on. He was someone that challenged us to a game. We just met tonight. It was nothing.”

“Please, the man had his hands all over you baby, it didn’t look like ‘nothing’ to me.” His eyes were dark and his voice still sounded gruff. Any other time I might have been afraid to push him, but right now I needed to stand my ground.

My nostrils flared and I took a deep breath. “How dare you. What right do you have asking me those questions? You haven’t spoken to me in more than a week. You hooked up with that bitch,” I grimaced. “Don’t you dare give me shit. I’m not a--” His lips crashed against mine, effectively cutting me off. I fought hard, trying to push him away, but when he cupped my face in his hands and pressed his body tight against mine I felt all of my defenses crumble. I had missed him terribly. My lips parted and began moving with his, raw hunger took over and I began tearing at his clothes.

“Not here,” he rasped, and moved us into the adjacent bathroom. I took a quick glance around and noted that we were in the men’s room. He guided me to the lone stall and closed the door behind us. He angled our bodies so my back was against the stall door and lifted my skirt before tearing my thong in half. I fumbled with the button on his jeans before he covered my hands with his and finished the job. Before I knew it, he lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered in my ear as he entered me roughly.
 

My body clung tightly to his as he moved within me. The whole scene played out quickly. One moment we were in the hallway arguing, and the next we were having crazy sex in the stall of a dingy bathroom. This was fast and hot, and seemed to be exactly what we both needed. With each powerful thrust my back rammed further into the hard metal divider. I felt the tip of him striking the furthest depths of my body. I was moaning loudly and panting hard. Jesse was transfixed, caught up in the moment, as he whispered sweet promises in my ear. He didn’t even break his rhythm when the exterior door opened and we heard voices beyond the divider. Their presence only served to make him move faster. I felt my stomach muscles tighten and then give way to my release, and I screamed out his name shamelessly as I came down, gasping for air.

“All right Jesse!” I heard one of the young men call out as they headed out the door. Just as they were leaving Jesse rolled his hips one last time and spilled into me.

“God, I’ve missed you so much,” he panted, covering my face in kisses. I planted my shaking legs back on the floor and pressed firmly against his abdomen, trying to put some distance between us. “No, don’t go. Not yet. I need this.” He kissed me once more before looking me in the eyes. I’m not sure what he saw, but it must not have been what he was hoping for. He dropped his hands to his sides and stepped back. “I thought you loved me.”

“I do, but whether you realize it or not you hurt me, and I know that I hurt you too, but I’m not sure we can get past that.” He looked at me with a pained expression. “I have spent the last two weeks crying over you. We need something more than sex between us.” I leaned over to him and placed my hand on his face. “We need trust, and I’m not sure I can offer you that, not after what I saw.” I stroked his cheek with my thumb and kissed him softly on the lips. Tears fell down my cheeks as I straightened my skirt then turned and walked away.

“Tell me what I need to do," he pleaded. "I can’t stand being at home without you.” He followed me out of the bar and into the adjacent parking lot.

“Please, I saw you with her. You haven’t been alone. I’ve been the one at home crying and regretting my decision while you were off with Amber." I shoved my palms against his chest, pushing him back. "You don’t get to act like you are the only one hurting here. I may have pushed you away, but I never ran into another man’s arms.”

“I saw you with Alex,” he started.

“Just stop,” I held up my hand. “You didn't see anything more than one friend comforting another. Listen, I need to tell you something, and I didn’t want it to happen this way, not in a parking lot, then again I wasn’t planning on having sex with you in a bathroom either, so maybe this is fitting.” My voice dripped with sarcasm as I looked over at Mel and she dropped her head in her hands, knowing what I was about to do. “I’m pregnant, Jesse, and I plan on keeping the baby and raising it on my own. I don’t need your money or your pity.” I cupped his cheek in my right hand, stroking my thumb over the stubble on his jaw.
 

“You’re pregnant?" His body visibly jerked back in shock and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "How long have you known?”

“I’ve known for a couple of weeks. I couldn’t tell you because you didn’t want anything to do with me. You made your choice, and now I’ve made mine. No matter how much it hurts, we both have to move on.”

“No," He grabbed my wrist. "Don’t do this baby," he pleaded. "I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, things just spiraled out of control. I was too fucking proud to crawl back to you. I didn’t want to appear weak.”

“That’s too bad, because I wouldn’t have seen it as weakness. I would have seen it as an act of love.” I turned and walked away, each step I took pounding painfully in my ears.

I heard a loud wailing behind me, and I tried walking faster, willing myself to not look back. Then, I remembered being eight years old and watching my father pull away, pleading silently with him to turn around and see me as I stared out after him, crying. I knew immediately that I couldn't keep going, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

I stopped, turning to face him one more time, and gasped in horror at the sight of Jesse on his knees, tears pouring down his sculpted cheeks, begging me to come back. “Don’t you dare fucking leave me again. I need you. I love you. I can’t live my life without you.” Tears drowned his eyes and his lips trembled as he continued to beg. “You are my wife, and the only thing that matters to me. This baby is a part of us. We should be raising our child together. Please, I’m begging you Rhyann, give us another chance. I'm lost without you.”
 

My stomach clenched tightly as my heart thumped loudly in my chest. All of my resolve crumbled as I ran to him, falling to the ground and scrapping my knees on the asphalt as I scrambled to reach him. Everything that had happened between us seemed to fall away, all I needed to do was hold him and everything would be okay. I covered him with my body, wrapping my arms around him and smothering him with kisses. No matter how strong I wanted to be, or how scared I was of the unknown, I couldn’t escape the fact that I loved him with all my heart, and I couldn’t allow him to live with that much pain, it wouldn’t have been right. We were a family, and we needed each other, in all of our brokenness. As shattered as we were, we completed one another. We remained on the ground with Mel and David surrounding us, me holding him, and him holding onto me, rocking together as we professed our love, and promised to trust.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

J
esse woke me early the next morning when he reached for my hand and planted a kiss on my palm. I peered at him out of one eye and found him staring at me.
 

“Hi,” I said, softly. “Is everything okay?” He buried his hands in my hair, combing it out with his fingers.

“I’m just wondering when I’m going to wake up and find this is all a dream and you aren’t really here.”
 

Last night, when we finally got up off the ground, David drove us home and we crawled into bed and just held each other. He told me over and over how much he loved me, and how sorry he was for allowing Amber to get that close. After hours of talking we fell asleep out of sheer emotional exhaustion.

“If I wasn't here could I do this?” I ran my fingers through his hair. “Or this?” I placed a soft kiss on his lips. A smile spread across his face as I worked to prove my existence.

He laced his fingers with mine. “I guess not.” He chewed on his bottom lip as he watched me closely. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I never meant for any of that to happen.”

“I know, baby, I’m sorry too. I was a complete bitch. For years I have allowed my mother’s words to imprison me. I was so scared of never finding true love and when it was right in front of me I didn’t see it for what it really was. I loved everything that we shared before Vegas, but I honestly believed that one day you would wake up and realize that you could have done better. Then, when I saw that stupid text, and the two of you on television, I allowed myself to shut down. I panicked.”

“I’ve spent a lot of time talking with Tyler and Stefani. Before I met you I wasn’t sure I could have handled being married. It all happened so fast between us. I didn’t really know what would be expected from me once I was your husband. Hell, I know it was a spur of the moment decision to get married, but I've never regretted it. Honest I haven’t. I’ve seen what marriage means. I’ve watched the love between my parents, and Tyler and Stefani. I know what it entails, and I knew that I wanted to be able to give that same kind of devotion to you. I won’t lie, it hurt me pretty badly to know that you couldn’t trust me.” He placed a strong hand protectively over my belly. “If I hadn’t come running after you last night would you be here right now?”