“What’s the matter, Kate? Afraid I’m going to hurt your boyfriend?” Darren snarls and snaps at my face.
“No. I’m afraid he’ll kill you.” I regret my words as soon as they leave my mouth.
“Wow!” Darren runs his hands through his hair. “That’s probably the most fucked up thing you could say to me.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I shout through tears. If he knew the truth about us, he’d understand that naturally Ian has the upper hand in a fight.
“Fuck it, I’m out. Have fun.” Darren runs out of my apartment and down the hall. I notice several neighbors are now in the hallway watching the scene unfold.
“Let him go,” Ian whispers in my ear, cupping my shoulders and bringing my body close to his.
“No Ian. This stops now!” I spin and face him. “I ran away from my home because of you. The fear of running into you has prevented me from seeing my family for over two and a half years. I ran far away to free me from the chains that bind me to you.” The crowd outside my door grows, but I don’t care. He needs to hear this. “You broke my heart every time you stuck your dick into another woman. I gave you my life, my love, and my virginity.” I wipe the tears from my eyes. “You were my world since I was fourteen. You caused me physical pain with every woman you screwed. I was suffering because of you.” I poke him in the chest. “You made promises you couldn’t keep. In the end, you couldn’t control your dick, so I rejected you and fled the fucking state, Ian. Now two... almost three years later, you waltz back into my life, confusing the shit out of me and flipping my world upside down. You need to go. I don’t want to see you anymore.” I shove him towards the door, then collapse to the floor in a crying mess.
“Fuck…” I hear him say before he walks away, slamming the door behind him.
I sit on the floor and sob. What have I done? I was finally ready to move on, to allow someone to love me like I deserve. Now? Now everything is a colossal mess, all because of my selfish feelings and cravings. I’ve hurt Darren in a way I never wanted to hurt anyone, causing him to feel the same pain I did. I’ve messed up my life. It’s my fault. Worst of all, this time I’m the cheater.
Chapter six
I Don’t Want To See You
**March 2004**
Ian
“Ian,packanovernightbag. We’re leaving for New York in an hour.” Kelsey says while I wipe the sweat from my face.
Today I trained extra hard, first with weights, then combat training with Zane. I’m over working my body and I know it. I can’t help it; my body has been so numb lately since the spontaneous heartburn began three months ago. I’m not positive, but I think it’s related to Kate finding someone else after all these years. I feel her getting closer to someone else. I don’t think sex is involved because it’s not the same pain she described to me. Knowing that there is someone else is driving me insane.
“What? Why are we going to New York?” I question, looking between Zane and Kelsey.
“Do you know what today is?” Kelsey hands Zane and me water.
Do I know what today is?Of course, I do. How could I forget Kate’s birthday? How could I forget Kate? She consumes my thoughts and my dreams. She is the one that I drove away with my actions.
“Yeah man, Kate’s birthday.” I put my head down in defeat.
“Her friend, Melissa, is throwing her a surprise party, and I got an invite.” Kelsey crosses his arms and smiles at Zane.
“YOU… you got the invite, not me.” I shake my head. Kate has made it abundantly clear she wants nothing to do with me.
“Hey man, I think it’s time you and Kate have a conversation. The heartburn is getting more frequent. Somehow, someway, you and Kate are still bound together. She’ll feel it if you’re in the same room together. Show her how much you’ve changed since she’s been gone.” Zane’s words and tone are softer than the future Alpha normally is. Maybe he is right, maybe I just need to go talk to her.
“You coming?” I ask Zane.
“Sorry bro, Kelsey is your wingman on this mission. In-laws are coming into town.” Zane pats my back.
Kelsey, Sonia, and I arrive in New York City to surprise Kate for her twenty-first birthday, since she won’t come home to celebrate it with us. I might look calm and put together on the outside, but on the inside I’m a ball of fucking nerves. Her friend Melissa contacted Kelsey a few weeks ago and invited him to a surprise birthday party for Kate. Apparently, Kate gave Kelsey’s name as an emergency contact when she enrolled at the university, and Melissa was able to get his information from a friend of a friend, as she put it. Kelsey told Melissa he wouldn’t miss his baby sister’s birthday for the world, and that we wouldn’t be there in time for dinner, so we’d meet them in the bar upstairs from the restaurant.
We arrive earlier than expected and decide to head to the bar and order food there. Actually, Ian’s mate, Sonia, was starving and decided for us. She’s normally very sweet and quiet until she gets hungry and if she isn’t fed immediately, she turns into a raging, screaming banshee. It’s funny, watching Kelsey cater to his mate; hungry or otherwise. He has changed so much in the year they have been together. Watching him and Zane with their mates makes me wish I hadn’t royally fucked things up so badly with Kate.
“Man, that Kate of yours is a fine piece of ass. I bet she rocks your socks off in the bed.” I overhear one man say to the other while Kelsey and I wait at the bar for a table while Sonia visits the lady’s room.
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve had to work extra hard for it.” The second man laughs.
“You mean you two haven’t?” The first man makes some sort of hand gesture out of my line of sight.
“Nope… get this. She’s still a virgin. Comes from a very conservative family down south. She’s saving herself for marriage.” At first, I don’t think they are talking about Kate, but my gut is telling me otherwise.Why would she say she’s a virgin?