Always & Forever (Nick & Bailey #2)

14. Bailey

He stands up straight, acting like he's ready to charge downstairs again. I put my hand on his chest to stop him. "No, Nick. He didn't do this."

"Well what happened?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

I see him running through the events of the fight in his mind until his eyes widen, knowingly.

"Oh my God, Bailey. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I grab both of his hands. "You're forgiven. I know you didn't mean to."

He pulls one hand away and runs it through his hair. "Fuck, Bailey. Why do I do this shit?"

"I don't know." I answer honestly and because I'm still a little angry about the whole thing. "But, in your defense, Justin was basically asking for it with all that shit he was saying to you."

He nods but isn't able to look at me. I glance in the mirror and see that my right cheek is definitely turning a bright red and may even be a little swollen. The sight gives me a sick feeling.

I turn away and stand in front of Nick. "And by the way," I whisper, leaning into his neck. "There's only one boy I've ever 'begged' for. And it wasn't him."

I place a light kiss on his skin and feel his body relax. He turns toward me, but as soon as he sees my face again, he lowers his eyes.

"I want you to hit me back," he says to the floor. "But I know you won't."

I place my hand on my chest. "You're right. I'm not going to do that."

He puts his hand over mine and tilts his eyes toward me, chin still tucked. "Please, Bailey. That's the only thing that will make me feel better."

"You didn't do it on purpose—"

"That doesn't matter! I hurt you. And I saw your face outside. You were scared of me." He places his hand back on my face, on the uninjured side this time. "I don't want you to ever be scared of anything—and the idea that it was me is killing me. And it turns out you had every right to be scared. God, I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I don't want to talk about it anymore, okay?" I could never say or do anything that would punish Nick more than he is punishing himself.

He nods but hesitates before laying his lips on mine. As soon as he makes contact, though, it's like a fire is lit within him. He becomes aggressive with his movements, wrapping his free hand around me and yanking me closer to him. I moan before reaching my hands into his hair.

He breaks the kiss, moving his mouth to my jaw and planting soft kisses. "Am I hurting you?" His voice is rough and the complete opposite of the tenderness I feel under his lips.

"No, baby."

I pull his hair, guiding his mouth back to mine, and he groans into it. He licks my mouth like he's trying to taste every inch of it as I try to match his intensity.  I push him back so he can sit on the sink counter before I climb on top of him.

"I love you so much, Bai—," he says quickly before I connect our lips once again.

God, I love him too. Being with him makes me forget about everything else. All the shitty looks that Ian gives me, all the shitty things that Justin said, everything in his past, and mine. It's all gone.