Make It Last (9 page)

             
“Hi, Roni. I
t’s great to meet you. Would you like something to drink?” Briana offered, taking her arm and steering her towards the kitchen.

             
That left Kent and
Nicole
standing in the
hallway, her eyes on the floor
and his on the ceiling.

             
“Um, I’m going to go get a drink,”
Nicole
said softly, excusing herself and following the girls.

             
Kent gave himself a moment to
re
gain control, before turning and heading to join Pete and Kara in the living room.

             
Briana strolled
around her apartment, talking with pe
ople and sipping on a beer. Eventually,
she decided she’d ignored the
corner where Colin and Rich sat
deep in conversation, long enough.

             
She
couldn’t believe that it
had
only
been
a week
since she
first found
out that Colin was back in town. Now he was in her living room. W
eird.

             
There were a couple of empty beer cans next to their seats, and she heard them talking about college as she got closer.

             
“Hey guys,” s
he said when she got close enough to be heard over the noise of the room.

             
They both stood up. She walked stepped closer
to Ric
h to give him a hug. They embraced
each other
and murmured hello
before pullin
g away and smiling
.

             
When she turned away from Rich, she noticed Colin staring at them with a strange expression on his face.

             
“You g
uys never used to be that close
before. I mean, back in high school we all hung out, but you guys were never on a hugging basis. Anyone watching would think that you
were more than just friends,” h
e stated, looking guarded.

             
“She’s one
of my best friends.” Rich said
, trying not to make a big deal out of Colin’s observation.

             
“Hmm
. Okay, I guess.” Colin st
ill looked confused. “It’s just,
Bree only went to A & M for like, a ye
ar, right? And you’ve been gone
this whole time. When have you guys had time to get so close?”

             
“What’s your point, Colin?” Briana asked, starting to get frustrated with the way he was acting.

             
“All I’m saying is that it seems like there’s more to the story.” He took a deep breath, then asked, “Did you guys hook up or something?”

             
Briana and Rich looked at each other and then looked at him. Both silent, but with expressions of guilt and regret.

             
“Are you fucking serious?” Colin asked in a low voi
ce. “I was fishing!
Did something really happen between the two of you?”

             
“Bro…” Rich started.

             
“Don’t
Bro
, me, Rich.
Answer the fucking question.”

             
Briana stepped in between the two guys.
“It was just one time, Colin. It was never anything serious,” s
he said.

             
“That
’s. Just. Fucking. Great,” he managed
before turning and storming out of the apartment.

             
Briana turned to Rich, who had gone ashen with regret.

             
“Shit,” h
e said simply, before sitting back down in his chair.

             
Briana went to find Kara, Kent, or Pete, but ran into Roni first.

             
“Roni,” s
he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her over to Rich. “Can you keep an eye on him for me? Make sure he doesn’t leave this apartment, okay?”

             
“Sure,” Roni replied, looking anything but sure as she looked at the gorgeous guy sitting there like he’d just seen a ghost.

             
“Thanks
.
” Briana
ran to her room to grab the car keys.

             
“What’s up, Bree?” Kara asked from the kitchen. She followed Briana into her room, noting her friend’s frantic movement.

             
“W
ho does he think he is?” she
asked out lou
d. “He’s the one who dumped me!
He has no right to act all pissed off, like we did something terrible to him.”

             
“What are we talking about
?” Kara tried to get her attention, but she was scouring the room like a crazy person.

             
“Son of a b
itch
.
Where are the keys?”

             
“Probably in your purse. A
re you going somewhere?” Kara asked, picking up Briana’s purse and handing it to her.

             
“
Yeah.
I’m going to have it out with Colin, once and for all
.
”

Chapter Ten

             
Briana knew that Colin was staying at the apartment
s
behind The General Store from a conversation she’d had with Rich. She just hoped that that’s where he went after he left the party.
Then s
he pulled behind the store and saw his truck, so she parked behind it.

             
She stormed up the steps and pounded on the door.

             
It swung open as she raised her fist to knock again.

             
“Not now, Bree.” Colin said, swinging the door closed again.

             
She put her foot in the doorway and pushed the door as hard as she could,
shoving
past him and walking in, before turning to look at him with her hands on her hips.

             
“Yes,
now
, Colin,” s
he countered.

             
He slammed the door shut and looked down at her small angry form.

             
“Fine, you wanna go?” h
e yelled, storming past her,
his arms emphasizing his words.
“Let’s go.”

             
“No,” she turned on him, standing up  on tip toe so she could get in his face. “You don’t get to be mad here, Colin. You left me, not the other way around, and I doubt you’ve been celibate for the last four years. Tell me, are you still a
virgin
, Colin?”

             
“That’s not the point,
Briana,
I don’t care that you’re not a virgin. I didn’t expe
ct you to stay a virgin forever.
The po
int is that you slept with Rich -
my best friend. Or should I say, my former best
friend.”
             
“Oh, give me a break.
Rich i
s still your
best friend.
You
a
re
n’t going to let one night three years ago ruin the friendship you’ve had your whole life
.
”

             
Colin turned from her to walk over to the window.

             
“Colin, listen,” she
pleaded, her voice softening at the look on his face.
“We were both away from home for the first time. I was upset because I was still missing you and I’d heard you had started seeing someone. He was upset because he’d been riding the bench all year. We were hanging out and drinking, and it just happened. It was only once, and it was really awkward afterwards. We agreed that we only wanted to be friends, and have been ever since. Don’t be mad at him.”

             
Colin looked at her, his heart heavy and jealous
y
coursing through his veins.
“What about you, should I be mad at you?”

             
She felt her blood start to rise again, angry that he was trying to make her feel guilty
when she had no reason to be.

             
“I don’t care if you’re mad at me or not, but it would sure be hypocritical of you, now
wouldn’t it?
”

             
He
sighed loudly.
“What did you come here for, Bree? Go back to your boyfriend and leave me be.”

             
“I don’t have a boyfriend,
”
she
retorted. “I haven’t had the stomach for one since you left.”

             
Colin took a step closer. “That Kent guy isn’t your boyfriend?”

             
“No,” she
responded. “Look, I came here because I was pissed that you got mad at us. You have no reason to be mad. I don’t get why
you are
.
You’re
the one who left. You didn’t want me then, so why do you care now?”

             
With that she whirled towards the door.
She only made it a couple steps before Colin grabbed her arm and whirled her back. He walked her quickly backwards until she was stopped by the door.

             
Before she could register what was happening, she was flat
against the door. H
is mouth was on hers.

             
She didn’t think, she just reacted.

             
Her han
ds came up around his neck. H
is fastened under her bottom and lifter her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, to get stabilized, then met his hot, hungry mouth with her own.

             
They kissed frantically, as if they had been starved for the contact. When his mouth left hers to trail kisses down her throat, her head fell back to allow him better access. As he licked his way back up to her mouth, she groaned loudl
y
and he paused to look at her.

             
“Wanti
ng you was never the problem,” h
e stated, eyes black
with need. T
hen
he
dove back in and began to drive her slowly crazy.

             
Her whole body
thrummed with need and desire. S
he rocked against him, reveling in the fact that his body responded to her in a way that it never had before.

             
Suddenly, the door
was no longer at her back as he
turned and carried her through the rooms to his bed, his mouth never leaving hers.
Once they got to his bed, he laid her down and stayed on top of her in one swift motion.

             
P
rone on the bed, she had the ability to use her trembling hands to explore his rock hard body. She quick
ly drew his shirt over his head, but wh
e
n
he
inhaled deeply and reached for her shirt
, she put her hand on top of his to stop him from undressing her.

             
“I’m not ready for this.
” Briana looked up at him from beneath full lashes, trying to catch her breath as she spoke.

             
Colin kneeled back on the bed, running his hands over his face and through his hair. He closed his eyes and nodded, then opened them with a smile.

             
“Okay.” He moved around on the bed so he could lie next to her, picking up her hand and lacing his fingers through hers. “We’ll do this on your terms, Bree.”

             
He laid back and patted his
chest. She scooted over and placed her head over his racing heart and smiled. He traced his fingers over her shoulder and arm. She dozed off reveling in the smell and feel of him.