“God damn, Tara,” he grunted. “You look fucking incredible.”
His eyes trailed over my writhing body while he exploded inside of me. He collapsed against me, our bodies fused together with sweat and lust.
It took a few minutes for us to pry ourselves apart. When we did, my temples began to throb. Just like that, reality set in. Caleb disappeared. My love and lust for him were swallowed by the pain. The only thing that existed was my headache and the true meaning behind it.
Caleb held me against him chest and my headache worsened. I tried to convince myself to stay the night, but the pain was too much. I made up an excuse and left in a hurry, desperate to reach my own bed.
CHAPTER NINETEEN - CALEB
I was too exhausted to analyze Tara’s behavior. We had incredible sex. We were instantly connected to each other. Then, she left. She mumbled something about having to wake up early, but I could barely hear her. She threw on her clothes, kissed my lips, and then flew through the door without another word. I tried to get out of bed to follow her, but my leg wouldn’t let me move fast enough, and eventually, the exhaustion overwhelmed me.
After having sex, though, I knew my feelings for Tara were real. I’d been scared and questioning everything ever since I talked with my mother. I knew I wanted to make things work with Tara, but I wasn’t sure how to do that. When our bodies collided, I knew she was the only one for me. It wasn’t just about sex, it was about how much I needed her. No one had ever made me feel the way Tara did. She could overwhelm me, infuriate me, and comfort me all at the same time. Her mere presence was enough to make me feel at home.
I couldn’t let her go.
And yet, I did. I let her walk out the door without an explanation.
When I woke up the next morning, I hated myself for succumbing to sleep instead of calling her. I grabbed my phone off my nightstand and scrolled down to her contact.
I typed a quick text message. “Did you make it home okay?” I pressed send and stared at the screen until her response came through.
“Yeah. All good. Just woke up.”
I replied. “Me too. You wore me out.”
I stared at the screen, but nothing more came through. Frowning, I pushed myself out of bed and went to the bathroom. I showered and brushed my teeth, taking my time to ensure I would have a response from Tara when I was done.
Even after twenty minutes in the bathroom, the text message screen remained the same. Tara never answered. I was worried about her. She didn’t seem upset when she left last night. If anything, he just seemed sick. It was like she suddenly didn’t feel well and had to leave.
Just as I was about to type out another text to her, I heard a sharp tap on my front door. Thinking it was Tara, I threw on some clothes and hurried toward the door. My injured leg and crutches prevented me from running, but I wanted to. I couldn’t get to the door fast enough, and when I did, I was disappointed as hell to find my mother and Darren standing on my front porch.
“We brought breakfast!” Mom said. She stepped inside and kissed my cheek.
Darren nodded at me and followed his wife into the living room. My stomach felt like it was filled with lead. I didn’t want them in my apartment, not right then. I just wanted to talk to Tara.
“How’s your leg doing?” Mom asked. She set the food on the coffee table and turned to face me. I knew I wasn’t going to get rid of them anytime soon. I sighed and moved to sit down on the couch.
“It’s great,” I said. “Tara tried me on some weights at PT yesterday.”
“Really?” Mom asked. “Already?”
“Dr. McGee says he’s doing well,” Darren said. ‘Should be ready to go within the month.”
“Is that true?” Mom asked, her eyes wide.
I nodded. “That’s what they tell me.”
“That’s fantastic!” Mom gushed. “Oh, honey, that’s wonderful news!”
I smiled at her enthusiasm, but when my eyes turned to Darren, the smile immediately faded. He was staring just to the right of me, his eyes narrowed and his face contorted with rage. I glanced around, trying to see what had pissed him off.
“Is that Tara’s?” Darren finally asked.
“Is what Tara’s?” Mom asked, looking around in confusion.
Just then, I spotted Tara’s jacket thrown over the back of my couch. I grabbed it and held it up for my mom to see. With a sigh, I turned to Darren.
“Is she here?” he demanded.