Free The Long Way Home by Tara Brown Page B

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and stood under the water. I backed up and sat on the floor again.
    He smiled, “It’s like an adult water park in here.”
    I laughed, “Why are you in here?”
    He shrugged, “I went and got bathing suits; I figured we
could go swimming. The personal shopper was back so I hoped you’d be back soon.
I wanted to catch you before your shower.” He grinned, “You look good in pink.”
    I snarled at him, “I don’t swim in hotel pools, you know
that.”
    “Yeah, well I was counting on some things being different.”
He sat on the opposite side of the shower, ignoring me, “You okay?”
    I shook my head, “No. I feel like an idiot. I don’t think I
even care that he screwed someone else. I expected that, if I’m honest with
myself. I mean, look at the world we live in. People like us are fucking
ridiculous. My parents are insane and his are worse. But I do care that he was
living out some sick, twisted fantasy in my bed. I mean come on, get a hotel
room and a hooker, just don’t let her wear my shoes. MY FUCKING SHOES! HIM
WEARING A FUCKING CAPE! WHAT IS THAT?”
    He didn’t say anything. I wasn’t making sense.
    I tilted my head back, letting the water
fall on the back of my head. “I don’t get why my bed, my shoes.” I was
on a roll and the pain in my chest didn’t stop me from saying it, “It’s like I
wasn’t enough. He needed more.”
    I closed my eyes and let my tears fall off my face with the
water from the rainfall showerhead.
    “You wanna know what I think?”
    I nodded. I didn’t know why, but I did.
    “I think you and him haven’t ever been honest with each
other. He’s probably into porn and other trashy shit. He’s probably a
borderline sex addict and never had a minute to be comfortable with the man he
is. He has to live up to the rules of your blue-blood bullshit too. The cape is
weird for me. I know you haven't told me the whole story yet, but the cape is
freaking me out.”
    Was he making excuses for Phil? Had that just happened? I
opened my eyes and looked at him with daggers until he opened his mouth again,
“And you, you’re so much bigger than the tiny box you’re supposed to fit in.
You act like you’re okay being that prissy girl, but I know if given the
chance, the girl I used to know is still in there. She’s a little booze-soaked
and tired out from the bullshit but she’s there.”
    I shook my head, “She’s not.”
    He scooted forward, towering over me. He tilted my chin,
“What are doing right now?”
    I shook my head, “I don’t have a clue.”
    He smiled, “You’re hiding. You need to let that girl out,
babe. I see what this all is. You knew you needed five days to make it home.
But you didn’t need those days to get the courage to say no to your family and
him. You did it to get a little break before you go back.” His smile faded and
his eyes burned.
    I nodded, “I have to go back, France. You know my dad.”
    He lifted me into his arms, “Then let’s make it a fun five
days.”
    I swallowed, “I can't.”
    He lowered his face onto mine, “I can.” He brushed his lips
against mine softly. It felt right, instantly. I pushed him back, “Fine, but
none of that, okay? I wasn’t kidding when I said I wasn’t complicating this all
with you and me. We are confused about what we are. Sex with another man isn’t
going to fix my engagement to Phil and his cape.”
    “I tore up some random dude’s number like two days ago. You
sleep at my house at least a couple times a year. Don’t tell me what you are. I
know what you are. It’s you that’s confused. Not me.” His face turned up into a
grin, “I need to have a drink when you tell me this cape story.”
    I laughed and shuddered, exhausted with my own shit, “Just
let me process all this, and the cape, and the being disowned and everything, and
then we can discuss kissing.”
    He smiled, “I’ll wait for you to ask me to kiss you again.”
    I laughed and slid back against the wall, “You do