Bless the Broken Road that Lead Me Straight to You

Chapter 12

Jay kept his arms tightly wrapped around Erin when he rolled off of her, bringing her body to lay pressed on top of his. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck, and ran her fingers lazily up and down his chest as they both basked in the silent afterglow of their lovemaking.

He pressed his face into her hair and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent that was quickly become one his favorites, a mix of lavender and something innately Erin. He held her tight, and gently caressed her back until it erupted with goosebumps. Her breathing slowed slightly, and soon it began to even out. Before she had a chance to fully succumb to sleep, he whispered in her ear. "Tell me something."

The feel of his breath against her ear tantalized her, and she was awake once again.

Before when Jay had asked her the question, he had wanted her to open up about her childhood, about her history and relationship with Hank. But this time he didn't have an agenda. He just wanted to get to know her. He wanted to learn as much as he could, to take in as many details of Erin Lindsay as she would let him.

She burrowed her face into his neck and kissed it softly, and then she laughed. That deep, sultry laugh that he loved so much. "Like what?"

"Anything." Everything. "Tell me about your day."

She was all prepared to brush off the question, to tell him that her day was fine. It was the type of dismissive answer she would have given to Hank, Olivia, or Ben, or any of her other friends that might have posed a similar question. But instead, she found herself answering honestly, "It kind of sucked actually." She kissed his neck again, this time to show appreciation for his turning her day around. "I was having a really terrible day until you invited me for dinner."

He shifted until he could look into her face, "Wanna tell me about it?"

She was shocked at how much she really did. "It's kind of a long story."

She looked up at him, and there he was, sporting that trademark grin of his. The one that made her fall in equal parts love and lust. "I've got time," he said, and then he reached down and placed his palm over her thigh, pulling it closer to him.

So, laying completely naked, her head on his chest, her leg pulled across his, she laid out the whole sordid tale of Ben and Olivia.

Jay listened intently, but couldn't help the tightness that built up in his chest. "So this all happened last week?" Please don't tell me I'm just a rebound.

When she spoke further, she instantly put them to rest.

"Yeah," she sighed. "And the thing is, I really miss my friend. I don't care about Ben, he was..." she searched for a word that didn't make her seem completely heartless. "We dated for four months, but I wasn't in love with him. I never felt for him the way I already feel about you." It was the truth, as corny as it sounded. She hoped he believed her. "But Olivia," tears pooled in her eyes. "We've been best friends for more than five years. And when I saw her today... I don't know. I'm past the anger, but how do I get past the hurt?"

Jay hadn't registered that she had even asked him a question. I never felt for him the way I already feel about you. She just brushed past the words, as if it was just a part of her story, a part of her stream of consciousness. But he wanted to circle back to those words, he wanted to hear them again.

He wanted to make sure he hadn't imagined the whole thing.

"Jay?" Her voice broke through his thoughts, and he tried and failed to recall the question she had just asked him.

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling embarrassed. He asked her to tell him about her day, the least he could do was listen when she obliged. "I think I missed the last part."