Page 23 of Rescued
You don’t want kids. And even if you did, you probably wouldn’t want them with me.
He frowns. “I can help you with anything, Arlo. You just have to let me in.”
Well, I definitely can’t do that. “Why would you wanna help me anyway, huh? I’m just some guy you fuck a couple of times a week.”
Jasper stares at me like I’ve hit him, his hands falling away from my face as he takes a step back. “Is that what you think? Is that how you think I see you? Just some hole to stick my dick in a few times a week?”
I say nothing. It seems to be the easiest thing to do.
Hurt flashes in his eyes. “Let me clear something up for you.”
My throat convulses as I swallow.
“I fuck you a couple times a week because that’s all you let me have.” Jasper’s eyes harden. “You come knocking on my door, and I let you in, and I take you to my bed because I fuckingburnfor you, and that’s the only bit of you I’m allowed.”
My ears go fuzzy as my stomach swoops. He steps back into my space, so close that I’m forced to tilt my head to look at him.
“You’ve got me so fucked up inside that I don’t know which way is up, andtrust me,if I could stop feeling this way, I would. But I can’t. I’ve tried, and I just can’t. So don’t stand here and accuse me of only wanting you for sex whenyou’rethe reason that’s all we have.”
“That’s not fair,” I croak out. “I—”
He shakes his head, and I fall silent.
A pained expression crosses his face, and he squeezes his eyes closed. I can’t breathe. My lungs are damn near frozen in my chest, my heart pounding against my ribs.
When Jasper opens his eyes, there are so many emotions flying through them that I can’t pick any one out.
“Arlo.” My name on his lips in that pained voice nearly ends me right there. It’s not angry. It’s not loud. It’s just… wrecked. Heartbroken. And it breaks my heart too. “I’m in love with you.”
“No.” The word is out of my mouth before I can stop it. For a second, I genuinely think I might pass out. The world goes topsy-turvy, spinning and spinning as everything dims and blurs at the edges of my vision.
“No?” Jasper echoes. “What do you mean ‘no’?”
“No. You can’t love me. You weren’t supposed to say it. You weren’t supposed to make it real.” I can’t do this. I can’t. I absolutely cannot. “I have to go.”
“Arlo.” Jasper grabs my hand, but I jerk away from him. “Arlo, please.”
I shake my head, tears burning my eyes.Don’t let them fall. Don’t let them fall. Don’t let them fall.
I take a step back, and then another. Jasper goes blurry. “I can’t do this. I… I just can’t.”
I turn on my heel and bolt, sprinting out his door and running for my car. I’m not even wearing a shirt, but I don’t care. I just need to leave. I need to escape.
Jasper rushes out after me, but I’m already in my car. Thank fucking God I left the keys in here. He’s almost to the car when I peel out of the driveway like I’m trying to escape the hounds of hell.
My phone starts ringing. Jasper’s ringtone. I ignore it. I swipe at my face, wiping away tears when it stops ringing and starts right back up. I keep ignoring it. Keep letting it ring. I ignore the texts too. And when I pull into the driveway at home and make it inside to my bed, my knees nearly buckle with relief.
I collapse, sobs ripping from my chest.
Because I’m in love with the most beautiful, perfect man in existence, and he says he loves me back. And somehow, it’s still not enough.
Chapter 6
Jasper
Whatintheactualfuck just happened? Arlo tears out of my driveway, tires squealing, and I rush inside to grab my phone. I dial his number, waiting for him to answer, and when he doesn’t, I try again.
Maybe it’s a bit dramatic of me, but goddamn, I just told the man I loved him, and he’s running from me.
