Sign On The Dotted Line

Chapter 34

Beth

I watched Claire lay down back down, "yeah, ok thanks," she muttered.

I lingered in the doorway for a couple of seconds. I was confused, 2 hours before, she was pleading for me to take her back and now it was like she had given up. Granted I told her to leave, but how could her feelings change so drastically?

I walked back to the living room and pressed the button to the elevator. I couldn't get over how much of a mess Claire's apartment was. When Patrick first let me up to the penthouse and the elevator doors opened, I thought I was on the wrong floor but when I took a better look at the living room, I could make out some of the decor and furniture I was familiar with.

The elevator doors opened, making me snap out of my thoughts. If I stepped onto the elevator, I would ultimately be giving up any kind of relationship with Claire. I had every intention of talking things over with her tonight, even going as far as flipping my room upside down trying to find a shirt of hers I took and a hair tie that I grabbed from Charlie's room, Claire would never know that it wasn't hers and how I was grasping at straws just to see her.

I even asked Joe to leave after dropping me off because I was determined to apologize to her for the way I acted. Claire was a victim in this situation too, we were both pawns in Amy and Nathan's game.

The doors closed in front of me and I heard the elevator take the empty cart down, I looked behind me at the darkroom Claire was still in and I had never felt more scared or determined to get what I want. I had to force my legs to walk back to her.

When I opened the door a little wider, I could make out the silhouette of her body but my face fell when I heard her crying. Without any control of my body, I made my way to the bed and wrapped my arms around her, "shhh no more crying. I'm here baby," I whispered into her ear.

She turned around in my arms, her wet eyes wide with surprise, "y-you're still here?"

I wiped away her tears with the pads of my thumbs, "I shouldn't have ever left," I pulled her face closer to mine and kissed her softly. Her lips responded to mine almost immediately as she pressed her body flush against mine.

She pulled away suddenly and started crying uncontrollably, "I'm so sorry, Beth. I should've told you."

I hugged her close to my chest, "I'd like to believe that you did what you thought you had to do."

"I just didn't want anything to happen to you and your family so I did whatever they wanted," she sobbed.

"I know," I rubbed small circles on her back, "I just wish you would've told me so we could figure it out together."

She sat up and I followed her slowly, "Amy just seemed really determined to ruin your reputation that I was too scared to tell anyone in fear that she'd find out."

"Don't worry about my reputation," I shrugged, "it was never that great, to begin with," I joked.

"I'm serious, Beth," she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"And I'm seriously trying to seduce you," I climbed into her lap, "but it's posing to be a little harder than expected."

"Beth we have to figure this out," she said before I cut her off with a kiss.

"We'll talk after, I promise," I leaned into her in turn making us both tip over with me on top, "but I've gone too long without kissing you, let alone tasting you." I sucked on her neck, knowing that her sweet spot was right below her ear.

"Fuck it," her voice came out raspy. She reached up and ripped the button-up shirt I was wearing. I smirked when I heard the buttons hit the hardwood floor, "this was my favourite shirt."