House Of Obsidian: Flawed Love Part 17

"But you're not okay with it."

I shrug. "I don't get a choice."

"I was a little jealous, you know. I've never seen him with another woman, and even though I know he does it, seeing him looking at you? It did tug something inside me."

"No offence, Pippa and I mean that, but you are taken . . ."

She smiles warmly. "I know I am, but I do love Rainer. Not with the same intensity that I love Tyke, but . . . I love him, Mali. I do."

"I can see that."

"It bothers me that I get jealous sometimes, because I know it must be so hard for him to see me with Tyke, but Rainer and I have a bond unlike anything I've ever had in my life. Circ.u.mstances forced that upon us, but I don't regret it."

"Circ.u.mstances?"

Her eyes grow dark. "Rainer hasn't spoken to you about how we met?"

"Casual relations.h.i.+p, remember?"

She nods. "Well, it wasn't nice, but if he hasn't told you, it's not my place to do that for him. Sorry, Mali."

I nod. "I understand. I just . . . I can see so much in his eyes, so much pain."

"There's a lot there. Go easy on him. He's never had a relations.h.i.+p before."

"He hasn't?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. "Not even one?"

She shakes her head. "Well, not since I've known him."

Oh, Rainer.

"What about that tattoo on his chest?" I say, knowing I could be playing with fire here. "The girl's name?"

She shakes her head, confused. "I haven't seen it. He must have got it in the last few years."

She hasn't seen it . . . so it's recent. Why would he put that there, if he can't really remember me?

"Oh, right."

"What does it say?" she asks, studying me.

"Emy."

"Oh," she says. "Yeah, he told me about her. She was a friend he had from childhood."

"Oh, right."

"He said he doesn't really remember much, but he knows she was important. He struggled with memory loss after . . ."

I want to ask after what, but I know she won't tell me. "Did he not see her again?"

She shrugs. "I honestly don't know. I think he's just at a loss right now. He doesn't know what his life holds."

"I get that," I admit.

"Look, Mali, I know you care about him, I can see it. I just . . . please be careful with his heart. Rainer is a broken man, more than you could ever imagine. I know that you accept what he's offering, but if you can't and you feel like you need more, step away. Please. He'll only give what he can, and it's going to take a strong woman to accept that. You're a good woman, Mali, and you deserve love. He can't give that to you. If you're okay with that, then I won't stand in your way, but if you're not . . ."

"I get what you're saying, Pippa." I meet her eyes so she can see I'm sincere. "But you need to understand something about me-I believe in second chances. I believe anything can be fixed with the right kind of love. I won't hurt him, I promise you that, but I'm not going to give up, either."

She smiles. "I didn't think you would."

She would be right.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THEN a MALI

This is crazy!

We're at a beach party and it is absolutely packed. It's the last semester of school before we're all ready for college, and people are becoming more and more excited with every pa.s.sing day. We're all ready for the big, bad world. Rainer and I are planning on going to the same college, which is super, because I don't imagine I could be parted from him for long. It wouldn't be the same without him.

"Check out s.l.u.t-face glaring at you," Kenny says in my ear, pointing at Missy, who is sitting on a log beside some handsome guy, glaring at me.

I wave with a giant grin on my face, and I can nearly hear her huff of frustration from here.

"You're evil, and I love it." Kenny grins, thrusting a cup of beer into my hand.

"I can't help it. It's in my blood."

"Rocking new shoes. Did you buy them today?"

I look down at my new chucks that I've paired with skinny jeans and a black and white baseball s.h.i.+rt. It's my look, and I love it.

"Yeah, Mom got them for me. I think it was a 'happy you went out with a boy' gift."

"I'm surprised she would be seen buying shoes like that."

I laugh. "I can imagine her face when she entered that store. She would have been horrified."

We both chuckle.

"Come on, let's walk in the sand. Is Rainer here tonight?"

I shrug. "I think so."

"Missy has the s.h.i.+ts he isn't f.u.c.king her brains out anymore."

"Poor Spastic Plastic. She never could keep a man."

Kenny snorts and we make our way down to the soft sand. There are people everywhere, so it's hard to tell person from person. I do recognize one face, though. I see Jack. He's standing with a gorgeous blond girl, his arms around her, lips on her neck. I stop dead. I didn't expect Jack to keep perusing me after our last encounter, but . . . I mean, we dated . . . he asked me to be his girlfriend, and he never even tried to tell me it wasn't working out.

I might have forgiven Rainer, but I was still interested in Jack, so seeing him like this hurts. A lot. I thought he was just taking time, maybe figuring out his head, but I did expect him to have the decency to let me know he wasn't interested anymore.

"s.h.i.+t," Kenny says, figuring out what I've just seen.

"He . . . I thought . . ."

"He's a d.i.c.k," Kenny says, grabbing my arm. "Don't let it upset you."

"He never broke it off with me. I mean, I know he was p.i.s.sed over what Rainer did but . . ."

"He's a d.i.c.k," Kenny repeats. "You're worth more."

"No," I say softly. "I'm not. I never will be."

"Emalie," he says, but I hand him my beer.

"I'm done."

I turn and walk up towards the cars, hurt and confused. I get things were a bit tense between Jack and I, but I thought we had a bond. I thought something was happening between us. Obviously I was wrong. Like always, everything I think is right isn't. Stupid, angry tears burn under my eyelids and I want to scream and tear my own hair out with frustration.

"Emalie?"

I stiffen at the sound of Jack's voice.

I keep walking. I go past the car and up into the thick trees separating the beach from the road. It's a park, but it's dark right now so I can't see where I'm going.

"Wait!" he yells.

Kenny must have gone and said something to him. I don't need his pity. I keep moving, but Jack catches up quickly, taking my hand and spinning me around. I slap at him, but he doesn't let me go.

"I didn't know you were here," he says.

"Oh, so you didn't mean to get busted with another girl?"

"No offence, but we're not even together."

"You asked me to be your girlfriend," I cry.

"Yeah, and you let that pig of a friend ruin that."

"It was a bad night. I was confused, but I was always going to come back to you, Jack."

He shrugs. "Well, I didn't know that, did I?"

"Obviously I was wrong about you, and that's fine."

He doesn't let me go. "You can't expect a man to wait around when you're interested in your best friend."

"I wasn't interested in him. I was interested in you. Jesus, to think I was considering sleeping with you."

I jerk my arm from his but he doesn't get out of my s.p.a.ce. "What?"

"Never mind."

"Emalie, wait." He catches me again, pulling me into his arms. "I didn't know. I'm sorry. Give me a second chance."

I fight a little, but stop when he cups my jaw in his hand. "I'm sorry, I read it wrong. Let me make it up to you."

"You were kissing another girl."

"But I wanted to be kissing you."

"Y-y-y-you did?" I whisper.

"Yeah. In fact, I think it's about time I kissed you again."

He leans down before I can protest and presses his lips against mine. I allow this, because I want to believe him. I want to believe that he's telling the truth, that he just read it wrong, that he really wants me, but something feels off. I realize what that something is when his hand cups my a.s.s. I allow this, too, because I'm so desperate to be accepted. To be wanted. To be needed.

"You're beautiful," he murmurs, pressing my body against his.

He thinks I'm beautiful? My heart swells.

His hand moves around and cups my breast, and it's such a shock I jerk back. An a.s.s squeeze is one thing, but the breast is taking it too far. "Jack," I say, squirming. "I'm not ready."

"You just said you were going to sleep with me."

Oh. My. G.o.d.

"Not here," I protest, but he keeps squeezing my breast.

"Why not here? If it was Rainer, I'm sure you'd be giving in."

"Stop it," I plead, hitting his hand.

His other one curls around my a.s.s again and he holds me tight, fingers grinding into my flesh. He moves his hand from my breast down to my pants and cups my s.e.x. I want to vomit.