Sinfully Yours|18+

13

Celeste

Jared stood like he owned the placed which he did, he was dressed He was in dark pants and a simple, untucked white shirt. His hair was messy, like he’d been running his hands through it.

And his face… his face was a mask of cold, furious anger and his dark eyes were blazing.

“Get out please,” I choked out wiping frantically at my tear-streaked face I must have looked a mess. I didn’t care. “Please, Jared I’m not in the mood for any of this please just leave me alone.”

He stepped further into the room and kicked the door shut behind him with a finality that made my heart jump.

He didn’t yell.

His voice was low, deadly calm, and it was so much worse. “When,” he said each word clipped and sharp, “were you planning on telling me?”

I stared at him confused still hiccupping from my sobs. “Telling you what?”

“That Ethan was your ex-boyfriend,” he snarled. His calmness vanished, replaced by a simmering rage. “Huh? Are you sure you came here because of your father or because him?” He paused, “Sonyou knew each other. How did you know him, Celeste? How long were you together?”

The air left my lungs.

How did he know? Did Ethan say something?

“It’s none of your business” I shot back my own anger flaring to meet his as the hurt was turning into something hot and defensive. “My life before I came here is none of your business! And you have no right to say that.”

“It became my business the second you walked into my house!” he roared taking a step closer. I took a step back, hitting the edge of my bed.

“The second I became responsible for you, answer me Celeste… and don’t you dare lie to me” he warns

“I didn’t know he was your soon to be f*****g step son….What was I supposed to say?” I yelled throwing my hands up. “Hey Jared, the guy whose mom you’re marrying, the one who’s going to be your stepson? Yeah, he’s the one who cheated on me with my boss and called me poor and pathetic right before my dad died! Surprise! Would that have made things better? Would it?”

His jaw tightened so hard I thought it might crack. “All this time,” he said his voice dropping again laced with a disgust I couldn’t bear. “All this time you’ve been living here with him and you never thought to mention it to me? Were you hoping for a reunion? Is that what the club was about? Trying to make him jealous?”

The accusation was so unfair so vile it stole my breath. “You think… you think I want him?” My laugh was hysterical, broken by a sob. “After what he did? After what he said? You think that little of me?”

“I don’t know what to think!” he shouted losing the last of his control. He was right in front of me now his presence overwhelming the small room. “You play these games! You look at me with those eyes in the morning, you throw coffee in my face, you go to clubs and let men touch you… you are a a pain in the ass celeste! A dangerous infuriating pain in the ass !”

“Oh come on… I’m human Jared I have feelings” I screamed up at him, tears streaming down my face again. “I’m the same person you told to forget the best and worst night of my life! A person you shoved into a house with your perfect fiancée and my horrible ex! A person you look at with pity one minute and fury the next! I hate you! Do you hear me? I hate you for bringing me here… I hate this house! I hate every single person in it except Lisa! I hate that I have to see you every day and remember…”

I stopped, my chest heaving.

I’d said too much.

“Remember what?” he demanded his voice a harsh whisper. His eyes were locked on mine, demanding the truth. “Remember what Celeste?”

“That you were my first!” I sobbed the admission ripped from somewhere deep and broken. “That you made me feel things I’d never felt and then you told me it was a mistake…That it meant nothing! You left me with that and then you left me with him…You have no idea what my life has been…No idea! How I tried so hard to forget every memory of Jared and you stand there and judge me? You have no right!”

For a long terrible moment there was only the sound of my ragged breathing.

Saying all that I said to home felt like uplifting a whole load off my chest.

“You hate me?” he asked his voice so low it was almost a vibration breaking the silence

“Yes I do… and I wish I had other—” I whispered, the fight draining out of me, leaving only exhaustion and truth. “Other options than to be here ”

He didn’t say anything else.

He just moved.

One hand came up to cradle the back of my head. The other arm wrapped around my waist pulling me hard against him with no gentleness.

No question.

And then his mouth was on mine to a furious , desperate, and hot kiss. His lips were demanding, punishing almost, and I couldn’t think.

I couldn’t breathe.

All I could do was feel.

The shock lasted for a second.

Before I snapped trying to push him away but I wanted this, my hands which had been pushing against his chest, fisted in his shirt instead.

I kissed him back with everything I had with all my anger, my loneliness, my hurt, my want.

He groaned into my mouth the sound raw and his grip on me tightened, crushing me to him.