Page 63 of Make Us Yours
Even better.
I giggle and send them the address of where we are. This could be fun, seeing their reaction firsthand. Two minutes later, they tell me they’re out the door and on their way.
Brey and I finish up with the swimwear shortly after, where I ended up buying six different pieces and Aubrey bought two. Although I snuck one into my pile for her, as planned. We walk down the halls to the mall, slipping in and out of shops along the way.
“By the way, Gabe and Noah are joining us. They should be here soon.”
She gives me a surprised look, then smiles. “So… things are going well with you guys?”
I bite my lip and shrug. “I guess. It’s a little confusing, though.”
Her eyes stay focused on me as she watches my every expression. “Do you have feelings for them?”
I told her about what happened last week in detail instead of vaguely like I did with Emma, so she’s aware that things have somewhat escalated between us three. And I’m guessing the fact that they pick me up every work morning gives it away, too, since they refuse to let me take the subway over.
I know I could always just use my car, but I like leaving it for Aubrey. She’s the one who usually does our groceries and goes out more often. I honestly don’t even know why I have one. But since all our coupled friends live just on the other side of the Hudson River, it’s much easier to get there by car. So I guess it does come in handy at the end of the day. Aubrey and I, as well as Gabe and Noah, are the only ones still living in New York City.
“I don’t know, maybe? I do feel things around them, like these knots forming in my stomach, and I guess that’s what makes it confusing. Because I feel it for both, and that’s never happened.” I shrug.
“I’ve been with two men before, like in bed. But I’ve never had feelings for two guys at the same time.” I know I keep denying with the rest of our friends that anything is going on between me, Noah, and Gabe. But I can’t hide it from Aubrey.
“Yeah, I can understand that. Just having those feelings for one man is confusing to me. I can’t imagine two.” Her cheeks turn pink as she looks down at the ground. It’s in those subtle comments that she admits her attraction to Shane without even noticing.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Always.” She smiles at me.
“Why are you still a virgin?” She furrows her brows, but I grab her arm. “I don’t mean it as an insult, Brey. I’m just curious as to why you never gave it up. Because I know you’ve had opportunities. I just wonder what made you decide not to ever, you know, go for it?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. And it has nothing to do with waiting until marriage. It’s silly, and I probably sound crazy, but sometimes I get this little voice in my head telling me to wait. I’m not sure for what, but I think I’m supposed to.” She’s blushing as she talks, this conversation clearly making her uncomfortable.
Aubrey has never been in a rush to lose her virginity. But she’s already admitted to me once that she felt like something was wrong with her for not just doing it like the rest of us.
“You’re waiting for your‘one.’There’s nothing wrong with that, Brey. If that’s what your gut is telling you to do, then listen to it.” I smile reassuringly.
“But doesn’t that make me sound stupid? Some people don’t find their‘one’until they’re forty. Others never even find it. What if that happens to me? What if I never find my one and end up wasting all this time for something so stupid?”
I turn in front of her, stopping Aubrey in her tracks and grabbing both her arms. “There’s nothing stupid about that, Aubrey. This is your virginity, your body. Who you decide to give it to is important. Hell, even I wish I would have waited sometimes. And for what it’s worth, I think you’ve already met your one. Your story just hasn’t started yet.”
She turns a deep shade of red at my words because she knows exactly who I’m referring to. “Maybe…” She bites her lip and smiles.
“Come on, let’s find a lingerie store for when Noah and Gabe get here. I want to see them lose their mind in person.” She laughs as I pass my arm through hers and turn us toward the store I have in mind.
But the minute I’m facing the right way, my eyes catch on to someone. Someone I haven’t seen in years. Someone I wished never to see again.Victor.
I freeze in place, color draining from my face, my heart battling inside my chest, blood pounding in my ears as this sickening feeling takes over. I take a step back, nails digging into Aubrey’s arm as I pull her along with me. He’s staring straight at me, his venomous eyes on me, a satanic smirk on his lips as he watches the fear consume me.
“No… no, no, no. This can’t be happening…” I shake my head, gasping for air. My vision blurs.Oh God, I’m going to faint. I’m going to be sick.
“Ronnie? What’s going on? You’re scaring me,” Aubrey says in a worried voice, but she sounds distant, her voice muffled by the panic settling in.
“We… we need to go. We need to go. Now!” I take another step back, pulling her with me. I’m scared to turn around, scared to lose sight of him and not know where he goes.
Will he come for me? Will he keep following me until I’m alone? But I can’t stay here. I need to leave. I need to get away from him.
I turn around quickly, ready to run, but smack right into a big muscular chest. Their arms grab hold of me as I try to fight him off. “Vixen! Hey, it’s me! It’s me.”
My vision finally regains focus and falls onto Gabe’s gray orbs. My body loses the fight as the realization that I’m safe now grows. Tears begin to pour from my eyes as I cry out, my body falling against Gabriel’s.
