Read Online Wanting Reed (Break Me) BOOK 2 by Antoinette Candela - Free Book Online Page B

across the counter. Reaching for it, he purposely touches my hand. I gasp as he smiles wryly. The last time we touched was the night at the track. His touch seems different to me now. It depresses me. Time and space are causing what I had for Cane to fade, and I wonder if this will be the same sensation that I’ll feel with Reed, too.
    Numbing cold courses through my veins as I stare down at my hands and think about what I’ve been through the last couple of months. I know there are worse things people go through, but this hurts since I’ve been so careful and trusting of others with my heart and emotions. Attempting to rebuild it all seems like a daunting task for me right now. I glance up at Cane as he gazes at me. After two years together, I know that look and what it means.
    “Do you want ice cream with your pie?” Karlie asks as she looks between us.
    “Oh...sure,” Cane stammers with a smile as he breaks my gaze. It’s like no one else existed in the room, like how it used to be between us.
    “Ice cream makes everything better.” Karlie laughs as she puts two scoops of vanilla ice cream onto his slice of pie. All I can think about are Reed and the night of the Fourth of July when I found out that vanilla ice cream is his favorite. Is that bad?
    “Most times,” Cane replies, catching my eye as he picks up his plate and heads out into the living room. We’re in the same room, same space but we are so far away from each other.
    I drop the fork and cover my face with my hands. I sense a tightening in my chest as the shell that once cracked around my heart now wraps itself tightly around it again. I hate feeling this way.
    Put on your damn big girl pants! You just moved into your own place.
    “Hey, are you all right?” Karlie speaks and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear as I drop my hands from my face.
    “Yep, just deciding how many scoops of ice cream I should have,” I murmur as I snatch the scooper from her hands and dump three heaping scoops of ice cream onto my slice of pie.
    Ice cream makes everything better. Then, I need to run.
     

     
    I thanked everyone for helping me, shoved my brother out the door and walked into the living room to relax on the couch.
    “What a day, huh?” Tyler moans as he walks out of the bathroom and wipes his hands on his shorts. He sits next to me, resting his feet on my new ottoman. It was a gift, along with the new deep brown couch and armchair with matching pillows, from my mom.
    “Watch it, boss.” I grimace as I push his legs off my ottoman. “Let me enjoy my new furniture before you go and destroy it.”
    “I would never think of it, little lady?” he jokes, throwing his arm behind me.
    “This is my place. Can you believe it?” I whisper, closing my eyes as I lean my head back on the couch. I can’t believe how tired I feel; it was such a long day.
    “You’re all grown up now,” Tyler replies.
    “It feels good,” I say under my breath, closing my eyes to relax for a few minutes. My body becomes rigid, when I feel his fingers trace my shoulder, his breath on my cheek. I hold my breath afraid to open my eyes. It’s pretty much been Tyler and me since everything transpired with both of my ill-fated relationships.
    “Elle?”
    The tone in his voice causes my stomach to do back flips while my heart gallops manically. My mind, my heart and my body are running parallel at this moment. It’s like they were violently pushed into each other, inescapable. No matter what, it was always going to end up here. It’s like pulling back a rubber band and never letting it go. If you don’t release it, there’s always tension and the risk of it snapping. It’s different now because I don’t want to hold back anymore.
    “What?” I breathe and timidly glance over to him. His eyes read just like my thoughts and urges well up inside me. I can’t deny that I’ve had these inklings for him before. I can’t feel this way for him, but everything about this moment