Cherished (Wanted #4)(26)
Author: Kelly Elliott

I shook my head as I felt a tear roll down my face. I tried to talk between my sobs. “It’s your baby, Scott. I never…I never slept with Trey. I couldn’t do that because…because I love you, Scott. I’ve always loved you, and I’ll always love you. Even when I thought you had cheated with Chelsea…I couldn’t. I love you too much.”

I watched his face for any emotions of believing me. Oh god…please believe me.

“Is that why you called me? Because you found out you are pregnant?” Scott asked.

I watched the tears rolling down his face. Oh. My. God. His heart has been broken, and it’s all my fault because I ran away.

You left him. You killed him.

“No! I called you before I found out. I called you because it hit me all at once…I knew it wasn’t you with Chelsea. I was planning on coming home in a few days, but everything just kind of all clicked, and I had to talk to you. The second time I called you…” I thought about the two pregnancy tests that were still in my back pocket. I smiled and said, “I still didn’t know. I just needed to hear your voice…to tell you how sorry I was for leaving…to say I love you.”

Scott looked at me, confused. “When did you find out you’re pregnant?”

I smiled and peeked up at Scott’s friend. “Um…”

“Shit,” Scott said as he started to stand up.

He reached his hand down and helped me up. The moment his hand touched mine, I felt that familiar feeling zip through my body. I instantly wanted him. I just wanted him to hold me and then slowly make love to me.

“I’m sorry…Jessie, this is Lark Williams. He’s my best friend from college and the reason I was able to get here to you so fast,” Scott said as he introduced me to his friend.

I looked Lark up and down. He was a bit taller than Scott and had messy light brown hair. I smiled and held out my hand. He took it and kissed the back of it while giving me a smile I was sure melted many hearts.

“You’ve had my boy here in knots for the past month, darling.”

My smile faded, and I felt like I was going to throw up. I quickly looked at Scott. He was smiling at me with the goofiest smile on his face, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Well, I guess I have a lot of making up to do, don’t I?” I smiled at Scott, and then I turned to look at Lark.

When I glimpsed back at Scott, the look in his eyes caused my stomach to drop. He was looking at me with nothing but pure love…and his eyes were saying how much he wanted me.

Lark started laughing as he slapped Scott on the back. “I think you need to gather up your girl’s things and bring her back to the house.”

I looked between Scott and Lark. House? What house? Whose house?

Lark whispered something into Scott’s ear, and the smile that spread across Scott’s face made me weak in the knees.

“Baby, how fast can you pack up your stuff?”

I let out a chuckle. “Um…ten minutes? I have to check out though.”

“I’ll check out for you. Do you need help getting your stuff?”

I shook my head, and I felt my stomach dip when I thought about Trey. I needed to find him and say good-bye just in case I didn’t see him before I left. For some reason, the thought of leaving Trey made me feel sad. We’d grown close as friends, and I was going to miss him.

Scott reached up and ran his knuckles down the side of my face. My face was on fire where his hand touched, and the love just poured into my body.

“You want to stay in your cabana?” Scott asked.

The image of Trey lying on top of me in the bed flashed through my mind. “No. No…I want to go somewhere else. I don’t want to stay in there.”

Scott looked at me with a questioning look, but then he gave me a weak smile. “Okay, baby. We’ll meet you back here in ten minutes?”

I nodded. “Give me fifteen.”

I reached up and brushed my lips against Scott’s. He put his hand behind my neck and pulled me in closer as he deepened the kiss. I let out a small moan.

God, I’ve missed him so much.

Scott pulled back slightly and smiled against my lips. “God, I’ve missed you so damn much.”

He put his forehead against mine, and I felt the sting of tears building in my eyes again.

I pulled back and grinned. “I’ll go as fast as I can.”

I took a few steps back and turned. As I quickly made my way back to the cabana, my heart was pounding in my chest. I had to tell Scott about what had happened between Trey and me. I have to.

I lifted my fingers and gently rubbed them against my lips. They were still tingling from Scott’s kiss. I smiled as I thought about being with him, making love to him again after being away for so long.

I rounded a tree and saw Trey sitting on the steps to my cabana. He jumped up when he saw me.

“What happened?” he asked as he walked up to me.

He went to take me into his arms, but I put my hand up to stop him.

“Trey, please…I have to go pack up my things, but I’m so glad you’re here. I wanted to say thank you so much for being such an amazing friend and for helping me these last few weeks.”

Trey’s whole body slumped. “So, that’s it? He comes here, and you’re just going to leave with him? Just like that, and what we had stops?”

My whole body started shaking. “Yes! Trey, I love Scott. I’ve never been dishonest with you about my feelings, especially my feelings toward you.”

Trey ran his hand through his hair as he shook his head. “I see how you look at me, Jessie. You say you only want to be friends, but I know you care about me more than that.”

I felt heat move up into my face. “Trey—”

“No. I waited for you. You asked for time, and I gave you time. I stayed away from my family and waited. I waited for you to get over that prick, and then he just swoops in here and takes you from me.”

The anger I was feeling surprised me. “What? I didn’t ask you to stay here! I didn’t keep you away from anyone. I told you I love him, and yes…yes, he can swoop in here because we love each other, and we’re having a baby together. He isn’t taking me from you because I was never yours in the first place. I’ve always been his.”

Trey gave me a weak smile. “You got that right.” He turned and started to walk away.

I couldn’t let him leave like this. “Trey, wait, please.”

He kept walking.