Free Out of My Element by Taryn Plendl Page B

new?”
    “What are you saying, Trevor?”
    “I’m just going to lay it out for
you, Nick. Don't wait until you've lost a good woman to become a better man.”
    “Thanks, Trevor. I’ll talk to you
later.” I hung up and poured myself a cup of coffee. How had I fucked this up
so badly? My life had been lived by the seat of my pants—carefree and
happy—with no commitment to anything other than my friends and family.
    I hadn’t intended to get involved
or attached to anyone. I didn’t want anyone dictating how and with whom I spent
my time. It had worked for me; fun, happy Nick—making jokes and living life to
the fullest. I didn’t want to lose that part of me, but I couldn’t see myself
that way anymore without Chelsea by my side. I kept her at arm’s length,
careful to not let her get in too close, but it hadn’t worked. I wanted her
there— needed her there.
    I was going to find a way to make
this right. I needed to talk to her as soon as possible.
    ***
    Two days. I hadn’t seen or talked
to Chelsea in two days. How was that even possible when we lived together?
    Last night, she was asleep before I
got home from work. Damn end of the fiscal year was keeping me at work later
than usual, and I’d missed my chance to talk to her again. This morning, she
was up and gone before I’d even woken up.
    I hurried through my workday,
determined to make it home at a decent hour. It was Friday night, and I knew
Chelsea couldn’t avoid me all weekend. I pulled in and saw her car still in the
parking garage.
    I hurried up to our apartment,
barely closing the door before calling for her. “Chelsea?” I walked down the
hall to her bedroom and knocked. “Chelsea?”
    The door opened, and there she was,
looking more beautiful than I remembered. She was in a tight pair of jeans and
a violet V-neck sweater that made her creamy skin look flawless. She had her
hair pulled up loosely with pieces falling around her face. She was
breathtaking.
    “We need to talk,” I blurted out
before she could escape.
    “I can’t right now, Nick. I need to
go.” She was looking everywhere but at me as she spoke.
    “Where are you going?” I asked,
watching her turn back to her closet.
    “I have a date with Adam.” She
grabbed her shoes and slipped them on while she held onto the doorjamb.
    I took a step forward, closing the
space between us, and grabbed her face softly with my hands, forcing her eyes
up to mine. “Don’t go,” I whispered.
    “What?” She looked at me for the
first time.
    “Don’t go. Please ,” I
pleaded.
    “Why not, Nick?” She reached up and
placed her hands over mine.
    “Uh, I just don’t think Adam is
into you for the right reasons.” She pulled her hands away from mine and
stepped back.
    “Is that so? Well, Nick, it’s not
really your choice.” She stepped around me, grabbed her purse, and walked to
the door to leave.
    “Chelsea, wait.” I knew I could
stop her if I just told her how I felt, but I couldn’t seem to bring myself to
do that.
    “Why, Nick?” She put her hands on
her hips and waited for me to say something.
    I closed the distance between us,
taking her hands in mine. I placed my forehead against hers. “Please don’t go
out with him. He’s not right for you. You’re not his type.” The thought of him
putting his usual moves on her pissed me off. “Just stay here, okay?”
    “I can’t.” She paused for a minute
before opening the door and leaving.
    “Shit!” Why couldn’t I just tell
her that I didn’t want her to go—that I wanted her to be with me, not Adam? Why
was this so hard for me?

Chapter 15
     
    Chelsea
     
    If he had just said that he wanted
me to stay, I would have stayed. For just a moment, I had seen something more
in Nick’s eyes. He looked vulnerable, and I just wanted to hold him, and tell
him that it would all work out, but he couldn’t give me what I needed to hear.
He couldn’t make it about him; he had to make it about Adam.
    To be honest, I