Page 10 of Love, Second Chances and Other Nonsense
When he presses his thumb to my clit and shoves two of his fingers inside me, I come hard, gratefully crying out my pleasure. He continues to move his fingers in and out of me, watching me ride out the waves of my orgasm.
When I quiet, he slides up the bed, lowering himself over me. His eyes never leave mine as he pushes inside. When he’s deeply seated, he pauses, his lips brushing against mine, his hand cupping my face.
“I love you, Caitlin. Only you. Never forget that. Please.” The intensity of his gaze takes my breath away.
“I won’t. I love you too” I reach up and pull his head down to mine. Our lips meet. He begins to move inside me, slowly at first and then faster, his hips moving in a rhythm that soon has me writhing again.
“Gonna come again for me, baby?” Adam asks, staring down at me, his face almost savage with desire.
I moan again as the pressure builds, my body coiling tighter and tighter, right on the edge of release. And then Adam reaches between us to thumb my clit again and I shatter, my pussy clenching around Adam’s cock.
“Fuck yes, baby,” Adam moans, and then he’s following me, his body jerking as he spills himself deep inside me. He buries his face in my neck, his chest heaving. I wrap my arms around him, stroking his hair.
Finally, with a groan, Adam rolls to the side, pulling me against him. In that moment, with Adam’s warmth wrapped around me, his fingers stroking through my hair. I can almost believe everything will be okay.
The next morning I’m getting ready to serve breakfast, humming to myself, when Adam’s phone rings. He glances at the screen, and something in his expression shifts.
“Hey, Rhonda,” he says, and my stomach drops. “No, no, it’s fine. What’s wrong?”
I can’t hear what she’s saying, but I can see Adam’s face changing, his brow furrowing with concern.
“I’ll be right there,” he says, already standing up. “Give me fifteen minutes.”
He hangs up and looks at me, apology written all over his face. “Millie’s having a hard time. I guess she barely slept last night and is refusing breakfast. I need to go see her.”
I nod, trying to keep my expression neutral. “Will you be back for lunch?”
“I’m not sure,” he says, already pulling on his shoes. “I’ll text you.”
And just like that, he’s gone, leaving his coffee steaming on the table and me standing in our kitchen, holding a pan of scrambled eggs, watching the door close behind him.
3
Chapter 3
Caitlin
Adam’s been a ghost in our apartment since the funeral, gone more than he’s here. He spends most of his evenings with Millie, staying for dinner, coming home with red-rimmed eyes and collapsing into bed without a word. I get it. Grief isn’t tidy, and Millie needs support. But we’ve long crossed the line of compassion and support into something else. And with every day that passes with Adam gone more than he’s here, I feel more and more like I’ve been abandoned.
I try not to count the hours we’ve spent apart, but the math happens in my head. Mount Pella, feels like it’s closing in on me. I’m realizing I’m never going to belong here, not truly.
It’s not that I’m not trying to find my place. I go to the weekly dinner at Adam’s parents’ house. I join Adam when he hangs out with his friend group from high school. Which of course,includes Millie. While they haven’t been rude, they also haven’t exactly been welcoming.
Finding a job has been another challenge. I’ve put in applications at what feels like every restaurant in town, but no one has called back. Failing that, I’ve applied for any other job in my skill set that’s come up. But again, no one ever calls me back.
I can’t quite shake the feeling that everyone is hoping I’ll leave. That in the eyes of the people who have known and loved Adam and Millie their whole lives, I’m a temporary detour in their hometown love story.
Today I’m meeting Lauren for lunch, and I’m grateful for the invite. Grateful for anything that gets me out of our apartment, where I spend most of my days alone. But I can’t seem to concentrate on our conversation as I check my phone for the fifth time in as many minutes. No texts from Adam. Lauren watches me from across the table, her brown eyes, so like her brother’s, filled with concern. I force myself to put the phone down and smile, though it feels brittle on my face.
“Sorry,” I say, reaching for my water glass. “I’m not very good company today.”
Lauren waves away my apology. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to see you. I’ve been worried about you since the funeral.”
“I’m doing okay,” I reply. “It’s just…Adam is gone so much.” Lately, I’ve felt like an outsider in my own relationship.
“He’s still spending a lot of time with her?” Lauren asks, though it’s not really a question. She’s seen her brother’s behavior as clearly as I have.
I nod. “He’s at her house right now, actually. Rhonda wanted to go through some of Eric’s things to donate.”
