Page 67 of Come Back To Me

I felt hot. My skin was a little damp with sweat, and there was a body lying beneath mine. I registered the hard chest beneath my cheek first, and then the legs intertwined with mine. The next thing that registered was how naked I was. Not that there were degrees of naked — you’re either naked or not — and I was most definitely naked.

Oh God, I’m rambling.

To myself.

I inhaled deeply, and then realized what an epic mistake it was. Because Vaughan - yes, I knew it was him — smelled so good, like soap and sex. Really, really great sex. In fact, thinking about it only made me want to go another round, and as much as I would have liked that, after last nights revelations I needed to get out of here. Okay so it wasn’t so much a revelation as it was me eavesdropping on my brother’s conversation with Vaughan. I didn’t mean to, but I woke up after falling asleep on Vaughan’s bed and heard voices outside. I shouldn’t have listened, but as soon as the topic of conversation became about me I couldn’t stop myself. After what happened with my Dad I was a mess, and if I was honest, hearing Vaughan talking about me, about us, didn’t help me in any way at all.

Sure, I chided myself, that’s why you had sex with him.

I groaned a little too loudly, my head darting up to make sure I didn’t wake Vaughan. I needed him to stay the way he was so that I could leave without the awkwardness that accompanied the infamous morning after. Not that I had any clue about one-night-stand etiquette because apparently, Vaughan was my one and only. I think. I mean, that’s what I concluded after listening to him and Aiden. Somehow that made more sense, but it didn’t make it easier for me to piece this puzzle together, and after last night, there was most definitely a puzzle.

Me.

I was the puzzle.

And unfortunately, my family had been withholding some pretty important pieces, pieces that could have saved me a whole lot of anger and frustration if I’d had them. As much as I wanted to stay here, and stare at Vaughan - he was gorgeous, even in sleep which was ridiculous! - I had to go. My mind was all over the place, my heart even more so, and staying wasn’t going to allow me to put it all in perspective. I stared at Vaughan just a little longer, noting how his lashes fanned against his cheeks, the same color as the stubble covering his skin. His lips were drawn into a firm line, and I wanted to run my finger over the cupid’s bow forming his top lip. My eyes travelled down the thick column of his throat, over his collar bone, between the valley of his pecs, stopping at the ridges between his abs. He was so sculpted, so well defined, and when I recalled the feel of him all over me, heat made my skin flush. I propositioned him. Like a real fucking hussy. It was only in the light of day that I realized why having sex with Vaughan hadn’t been a good idea, for either of us.

With that, I slowly crawled from his bed, watching him the entire time, and started searching for my clothes. At some point the night before Vaughan must have folded them up because I found them on his desk chair in a neat pile. I padded across his hardwood floor, and then snuck into his bathroom.

Where I accosted him in the shower last night.

Damnit. I wasn’t thinking clearly and now that the storm of wayward emotions had passed I could see last night for what it was. A gross error in judgement. Guilt prickled down my spine, and I gave my reflection a derisive shake of my head. Vaughan didn’t deserve to be treated like a mistake. I was in the wrong here, not him and he deserved more than my dismissal after treating me with so much respect the night before. He was the perfect gentleman, so gentle and…and…familiar. And that was the crux of my problem wasn’t it? The fact that he felt familiar and until last night I’d had no clue why. Now that I knew though, I didn’t feel any better about things because I still couldn’t fucking remember.

“Same to you, man. Hurt my sister and I’ll kill you.”

“Your sister and I aren’t together.”

“Are you sure about that, King? Because from where I’m sitting, I can’t imagine a better man for my sister.”

“Thanks.” Pause. “But, we’re still not together and I’m not sure we ever will be. If she doesn’t get her memory back…”

“Why does it matter?” Pause. “You still lover her, right?” Aiden

“Of course.”

“Then,” pause. “I see no reason for you to give up.”

“You’re not making sense, Aiden.”

“Look, she may never get her memory back, and that sucks, but what if instead of trying to move on, you tried to get her back?”

“Okay,” laughed Vaughan, “being with Staci has made you a sap.”

“I’m serious Vaughan. What if the key to getting her back is starting from scratch? I mean, you do want her back don’t you?” Pause. “Good, that’s settled. You have my permission to date my sister.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Question is, what are you going to do about it?”

Angry tears sprung from my tired eyes, and suddenly I was overwhelmed with…everything. Running in on my Dad having dinner with another woman upset me more than anything else and it was something I’d put to the back of my mind until now. Now, I had to decide how I was going to deal with it.

A knock on the bathroom door startled me, and I realized I’d been standing there way too long.

“Kenzi? Everything okay?”

Hearing Vaughan’s voice, his gentle concern, made me cry harder, and I started to feel really stupid for reacting that way. The bathroom door opened slower than I expected, and rather than barge in like a caveman because I was crying, Vaughan stepped in as if he were approaching a caged animal.

I opened my mouth to tell him I was fine, but it wasn’t necessary because Vaughan unfolded my clothes, and helped me get dressed. He cleaned my face, passed me a new tooth brush, and left me alone. And cue the waterworks again because I didn’t understand any of this. And Vaughan didn’t appear to expect anything from me, which only added to my tearfulness.