Forever and Always (23 page)

“
Why didn’t Sean tell
me?”

“
I asked him not to,” Ryan
explained. “He kept his word to me even though he could have used
it to get you back. He’s loyal, Scar. That’s another reason why he
deserves another chance. He did all this work knowing you would
never know he did it for you.”

I stared at the check in my hands and
realized Ryan was right. Sean must have worked so hard on securing
this money for me, and he never once mentioned it. Even if I didn’t
want to be with him, he still deserved my gratitude and
acknowledgment. I placed the check on the table and walked to the
door. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

Ryan smiled at me. “Take all the time
you need.”

When I arrived at Mega-Shake, I called
Sean with shaky hands. The phone rang a few times before he
answered it.

“
Hello?”

“
Hey,” I said.

Sean was silent for a moment, unsure
of what to say because he didn’t know why I was calling. “Are you
okay?”

“
I’m fine,” I said. “Can
you meet me at Mega-Shake?”

“
I’ll be there soon,” he
said. I hung up the phone and returned it to my pocket. I waited
for him in our usual booth by the window. My heart was hammering in
my chest as I watched for Sean through the window. Finally, I saw
him coming up the sidewalk and my heart nearly exploded at the
sight of him. He came into the restaurant and sat down across from
me. His face was somber and calm, but the lines of depression could
be seen around his eyes. His frame wasn’t as straight as it was
before, and I could tell he was reliving our last conversation
behind his eyes. It was obvious how much I hurt him. He was
uncomfortable just from sitting across me.

“
Hey,” I said.

Sean nodded, but didn’t speak. The
guilt started to course through me as I looked at him. I was
responsible for all of his pain.

“
I wanted to talk to
you.”

Sean still didn’t say
anything.

“
I wanted to thank you for
what you did for Ryan and I—researching my father’s will and
getting us that money. It means a lot to me that you did
that.”

“
I don’t know what you’re
talking about,” he said without looking at me.

“
Ryan already told me it
was you.”

Sean finally looked at me. “You aren’t
mad?”

“
No,” I said. “I’m—touched
that you did that for me. I was going to lose my company, and now I
finally have retribution against my mother for keeping my money for
all these years. Her greed cost her more than if she had just paid
me to begin with.”

“
That bitch got what she
deserved,” Sean said as he put his hands in his pockets and leaned
back against the seat. His eyes still looked at everything but
me.

“
Thank you,
Sean.”

“
You’re welcome,” he
whispered. We were silent for a moment and I couldn’t think of
anything else to say. I’d already told him how much I appreciated
what he did, and Sean was looking more uncomfortable by the minute.
I could tell that he wanted to get away from me as soon as
possible. “Are we done here?”

I thought for a moment. “Yes,” I
whispered.

Sean nodded and got up, leaving me
sitting alone in the restaurant as he walked out the door without
saying goodbye. I felt my heart fall as I watched him go, knowing
how much I still loved him and wanted him. As I watched him leave
my view from the windows, I realized that Sean had proven his love
for me many times, but I was so blindsided by the wrong things that
he did that I didn’t notice or value his deeds. The idea of dating
other men sounded repulsive when there was only one guy that I
wanted. Now Sean was absolutely in love with me and he was mine if
I wanted him. Perhaps I should give him another chance.

I got up from my seat and left the
restaurant. Sean was walking down the street when I got outside and
I shouted to him.

“
Sean!”

He stopped and turned around, seeing
me standing outside of Mega-Shake. After a moment of hesitation, he
walked back to me with his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
“What?” he asked when he stopped in front of me.

I stared at him for a moment. His eyes
looked dark in despair and his lips looked colorless and dead, like
the blood was draining from his body. I didn’t know what to say,
and I felt the words leave my mind.

“
What?” he asked
again.

“
I’m sorry about
everything.”

Sean sighed. “Please don’t
be.”

“
Does your offer still
stand?”

“
What offer?” he
asked.

“
That you would always be
there if I changed my mind?” I crossed my arms over my chest while
I looked at him. He was so cold and distant that I wasn’t sure if
he still wanted me. I had hurt him so viciously a few days earlier.
I didn’t blame him if he felt differently.

Sean dropped his hands to his side and
a smile stretched on his lips. He stepped towards me and pressed
his forehead against mine. I felt my heart quicken in my chest.
“Yes,” he said.

“
I’m sorry,” I
whispered.

“
I’m sorry too,” he said.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me to his chest. “Are
you giving me another chance?”

“
Forever and
Always.”

He smiled at me. “I promise it will
only take one.” Sean pressed his lips against mine and kissed me
gently. I felt the tears fall from my eyes as I wrapped my arms
around his neck and pulled him closer to me. Sean’s tears dripped
onto my face while we kissed. People were walking past us as they
moved up the street but we were oblivious to everything going on
around us. Sean pulled away from me.

“
I love you.”

“
I love you,
too.”

Sean sighed as he pressed his head
against mine. “I thought I lost you.”

“
No,” I said. “And you’ll
never have to worry about it.”

“
Thank you for giving me
another chance.”

“
A real
chance.”

“
I don’t deserve you,”
Sean said with a smile.

“
It’s okay. I don’t
deserve you either.”

Sean laughed. “So you are my hot piece
of ass girlfriend again?”

“
Yes, and I better stay
that way.”

“
We won’t have a problem
there.”

Sean grabbed my hand and we walked
back to the apartment at a slow pace. When we were in the elevator,
Sean kissed my cheek as he wrapped his arms around me, and when the
doors opened, an old couple was staring at us. We both ignored them
as we left the elevator and walked down the hallway to the
apartment.

When we were inside, Janice and Ryan
were sitting on the couch with their backs to us. Sean cleared his
throat, and Ryan turned his head at the sound. His mouth stretched
into a smile when he saw our joined hands. He got up and started
clapping loudly and Janice did the same.

“
About fucking time,” Ryan
said as he came over to us. He shook hands with Sean and nodded to
him. “Don’t fuck this up again,” he said. “You have no idea how
many times I had to argue with this brat for you.”

Sean laughed. “I’m sorry about that,”
he said. “I know how annoying she can be. And don’t worry—I got
this.”

“
So, you are already
making fun of me with my brother?” I asked incredulously. “That
didn’t last long.”

Sean kissed my head. “Get over
it.”

I rolled my eyes.

“
Thank you for everything,
Sean,” Ryan said. “You saved our asses.”

Sean nodded. “That’s what family is
for,” he said with a shrug.

“
Let’s go back to your
apartment,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled
him close, rubbing my nose against his.

“
I’m standing right here,”
Ryan said sarcastically.

“
What’s your point?” I
said as I started kissing Sean.

“
That’s gross,” he
said.

“
I hear you and Janice in
the middle of the night,” I snapped.

“
That’s
different.”

“
No, it isn’t.”

“
Yes, I’m your older
brother—I’m a man.”

“
You are such a sexist
pig,” I said as I grabbed Sean’s hand and pulled him towards the
door. “I’m going to Sean’s. I probably won’t be home for several
days.” We walked out the door and took a cab to Sean’s apartment up
the street.

When we got inside the apartment, I
looked around at all the new furniture and decorations in his
place. I assumed he let Penelope keep all of his old stuff in his
apartment in New York.

“
You have a nice place,” I
said as I looked around.

“
Thank you,” he said as he
came up behind me. I turned around and started kissing him in the
living room, running my hands through his hair and down to his
chest. I started to unbutton his shirt when he grabbed my hands and
stopped me.

“
Just because we’re in my
apartment doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with you.”

“
You’ve got to be kidding
me,” I said. “We’ve already slept together. I don’t want to
wait.”

“
I’m sorry.” He sighed.
“But it’s not going to happen.”

“
You are killing
me.”

“
I know.” He sighed. “I’m
anxious too.”

“
Do you not want me?” I
asked sadly.

“
That’s a stupid question
and you know it,” he said. “Our sex was amazing. Of course I want
to do it again.”

“
Why are you being such a
prude? That isn’t who you are. I bet you can’t even count the
number of girls you’ve slept with.”

“
You’re right,” he said.
“And that’s because they didn’t mean anything.”

My eyes softened at his
words.

I know how frustrated you were last
time, but I have to do this. I want you to trust me before I make
love to you. Even though you took me back, I know you’re still
hurting.”

I sighed. “Sean, let’s move
on.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I have
to do this. I don’t feel like I deserve to make love to you. Let me
prove myself.”

“
You are so annoying,” I
said as I shook my head.

He smiled. “I know.”

“
Can we do other
stuff?”

He sighed. “I don’t think so,” he
said. “It will be too hard for me to stop.”

“
I seriously want to kill
you,” I said.

Sean laughed. “You really want
me.”

“
I think that’s obvious.”
I smiled. “I practically had to rape you last time. And it was
amazing, so amazing that haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I
want to do it again.”

“
We can only kiss—with our
clothes on.”

“
I hate you.”

Sean kissed me. “I love you,” he said.
“Now let me show you something.” He grabbed my hand and took me
down the hallway to a doorway. When he opened it, he let me walk
inside first. There was a large wooden desk in the middle of the
room with bookshelves on the walls. There were pictures of us on
the desk, along with a filing cabinet for my
manuscripts.

“
I thought this could be
your office,” he said.

I stared at the room then looked back
at him. “It’s amazing,” I said.

“
Now let me show you
this,” he said as he walked into his bedroom. He opened his walk-in
closet and showed me the empty part of the storage area, which took
up over half of the closet. “I know how much crap you have.” He
smiled. Then, he walked over to one of the dressers and pulled open
the drawers. “This is all for you.”

“
Do you want me to move
in?” I asked.

“
Whenever you’re ready,”
he said.

I walked over to him and wrapped my
arms around him. “I love it,” I said as I kissed him.

“
Good,” he said as he
kissed me back. I pushed him on top of the bed and climbed on top
of him, kissing him passionately as I ran my hands through his
hair. Sean moaned when I slipped my tongue in his mouth then he
rolled over on top of me, running his hand down my legs. After a
moment, he pulled away. “It isn’t going to work, Scarlet, but nice
try.”

I pulled off my shirt then tossed it
on the ground. “I want you.”

He sighed. “I know.”

I unbuttoned my pants and slipped them
off. “Please.”

He leaned over me then removed my
underwear and bra. I was so happy that I wore down his defenses and
won. I reached for his shirt but he wouldn’t let me remove it. He
pulled me to the edge of the bed then kneeled on the floor. I knew
what he was going to do.

“
I want to make love,
Sean.”

“
No.”

“
Then fuck me.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat.
“I can’t do that either. But I want to please you. Don’t worry,
I’ll still make you come every night.” As soon as his tongue licked
my clit, I was lost to him. I wanted to say no, that it wasn’t fair
to him, but my hormones won the battle of logical thought. He
rubbed my clit then he inserted his fingers within me and made me
experience a new realm of pleasure. He kissed my thighs as he
swirled his fingers around me. I gripped his hair as he made me
shake. He rose to a stand and leaned over me, still fingering me. I
opened my legs further apart, so he could maneuver
deeper.