for breakfast, but get out.” Corey’s jaw flitted under his skin; his eyes blazed with the fire igniting inside us both. He reached down and scooped up his jacket and keys again, stomping off towards the door.
I turned back to my plate; the door opened and slammed shut.
“God damnit, Danielle!” I spun around to see he hadn’t left after all. “I am so crazy about you, but I don’t know what to do!”
“What are you talking about now?” My arms were flailing around as the steam poured from my ears.
“How do you not see it? You are a brilliant woman but you can be really stupid sometimes.”
“Oh yeah—nice one, Corey. Pile on those compliments, baby.” I rolled my eyes.
“Did I hurt your feelings, honey? Shit, at least I didn’t call you after going out with another woman! When I dropped you off yesterday afternoon I spent the rest of the fucking day thinking about you. Hell, I spend most every day with you on my mind, but I have to fight like hell to even be a footnote in your goddamn day! What the hell do I have to do to get you to see how much you mean to me?” Tears streamed angrily down my cheeks; hands on my hips. My posture was stern but my body felt weak.
This was all wrong.
Corey was falling for me—I had a feeling deep down, but never did I believe it was as much as he apparently was. A part of me wanted to forget everything, jump into his arms and never let go. That didn’t change the past, nor did it change the fact that my time in Serenity Cove was limited.
“This wasn’t supposed to mean anything.” The argument felt pathetic, but it was all I had.
Corey shook his head, threw down his jacket and crossed the floor in a few steps. He grabbed hold of my face and pressed his mouth to mine. A moan of protest left me because I knew his lips on mine would be more intense than I could handle right now. Tears streamed out, fire raged inside and I forgot everything I fought against. With our mouths locked and moving together, I felt everything that he was feeling. This kiss was passionate, hungry and possessive but there was also the pain behind it—of everything I was putting the both of us through.
The only thing I knew was how right this moment felt.
“You’re telling me that doesn’t mean anything?” He asked, his eyes searched my face for hope.
There was nothing I wanted more, than to have the ability to tell him the depths of feelings I realized I had for him. But for now—I just couldn’t. My head shook a fraction of an inch, and that was enough for him.
“Thank you, Danielle.” “For what?” I asked; through the blur my tears created.
“For being the first woman to ever break my heart. You have fun on your next date with a dude that sure as shit doesn’t deserve you!” With that he yanked open the door again, closing it behind him with a house trembling slam. My knees gave way on the spot and I was left nothing more than a sobbing mess.
Why couldn’t Corey have come into my life before the other shit heads had a chance to taint my outlook on love? Because of the way every single one of them left me a big ol’ mess, made me wonder if there was a love that existed—outside of movies. Corey was supposed to be the fun, easy-going friend I occasionally had sex with—not the guy who ended up heartbroken by me.
A few years ago I would have ran after Corey then told him I wanted him, needed him, and couldn’t live without him. I wasn’t that girl anymore—I couldn’t be that girl anymore. This girl needed to stand on two feet without using a man’s shoulder to support me. Corey was amazing, and easily one of the best guys I have ever known, but that didn’t change anything.
I wasn’t looking for a serious commitment and apparently he was. This thing—whatever it was between us had to end—and now it did.
Prying Open the Wounds
Slumped down in the chair behind my desk, my nails drumming against the armrest; this was how I’d spent the first two hours of work. Between the massive headache and even bigger heartache, I felt like doing nothing. When people (mainly Bailey) asked about my zombie-like state, I said it was Monday; nobody wants