Crazy Beautiful Love (The Martelli Brothers #1)(58)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“I love you, Maddie.” The words tripped out of my mouth and I saw her jaw drop as she looked at me uncertainly. “I love you.” I said the words again and laughed. “I didn’t think I’d ever say those words.”

“I don’t care.” She shook her head, but I could see her lips were trembling.

“Please, Maddie.” I reached down for her hands. “Can we just speak?”

“No,” her voice broke. “I can’t do this anymore, Logan.” She shook her head vehemently. “I knew it was going to be hard, getting to know you and trying to break through. But I can’t deal with this anymore. I can’t deal with you. You don’t trust me and you never will.”

“I didn’t see your invitation until the day after the party,” I interrupted her. “I didn’t know, Maddie. I thought you were just—”

“It doesn’t matter.” She pulled away from me and shouted. “It doesn’t matter when you saw the invitation. You should have had faith in me. You should have trusted me. You should have known me better than to think I was ashamed of you. You broke my heart, Logan. Not because you f**ked me and set me up so my father, my own father, would hear and see. But because you did it because you didn’t trust me.”

“I wasn’t thinking, Maddie. Please.” I looked at her with distraught eyes. “You have to understand, I was just so hurt, I couldn’t think straight. I messed up, I know. But I do trust you. I love you. I will never doubt you again.”

“I can’t just forgive you, Logan.” She shook her head and there were tears rolling down her face as she looked at me. “You betrayed me and my feelings.”

“Don’t you love me, Maddie?” I grabbed ahold of her and pulled her towards me. “Don’t you love me?” I crushed my lips down on hers and tried to kiss her. She pushed against me, but I continued, trying desperately for her to remember the connection we had. Our chemistry was unbeatable and I hoped that the feel and taste of me would awaken her from her numb state.

“Stop it.” She pushed me and broke her face away from me. “You can’t just kiss me. It’s over, Logan. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“You told me once that I was the man you were going to marry.”

“I got it wrong.”

“You told me that our story was like that of a movie.”

“So?”

“So the guy always gets the girl in movies.” I stared at her. “That much I know.”

“Well, maybe it’s a different guy who gets the girl.”

“No.” I shook my head. “When two people are fated for each other, no one can break them apart.”

“We aren’t fated for each other.” She shook her head. “It’s over, Logan.”

“You don’t mean that.” I ran my hands through my hair. “You can’t possibly mean that.”

“I’m just a silly, spoiled schoolgirl, Logan.” She sighed. “You knew that when you first met me. You were right. I’m fickle, I’m capricious. I don’t want you. I don’t need you. I don’t love you. I’m over you.”

“Liar.” I shook my head, refusing to believe it.

“I’m over you, Logan.” She shrugged carelessly. “I don’t care if you believe me. You need to go. This is not a good place for you to be.”

“I love you.” The words came out bitterly, and I laughed. “Ironic that now that I’ve met the love of my life, she doesn’t want me. Seems to be the story of my life. Once a loser, always a loser.”

“Get over yourself, Logan Martelli.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the front door. “You need to leave, and I need to go in, or my parents will wonder what’s going on.”

“Come talk with me in the car.”

“I have nothing to say.” She made to go in the door, and I grabbed her arms and held them up so she couldn’t move.

“I won’t let go until you come to talk with me in the car.”

“Let go of me, or I’ll scream.” Her eyes bore into mine.

“Scream then.”

“The police will come.”

“I don’t care.”

“You’ll get arrested.”

“I don’t care.”

“Fine.” She squirmed away from me. “Just let go of me. I’ll give you five minutes.” We walked to my car quickly, both of us breathing rapidly. My head was a flurry of emotions and I felt as if I was going to break down and shout. I had to get her to give me another chance or there was a real possibility that I was going to do something stupid. We got into the car in silence, and I turned to face her with a weak smile.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you.” She nodded without smiling.

“You’re dating Joey now?”

“No.” She shook her head and looked away. “Kind of.”

“I see. That was fast.” I couldn’t keep the hurt out of my voice.

“He asked me to dinner, and I said yes.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve known him all of my life, our dads are best friends, they always hoped we’d date. I figured it couldn’t hurt. I needed to figure out some stuff.”

“I’m glad you decided to date someone in your league,” I spat out bitterly.

“We’re not dating, and I don’t know what you’re talking about when you say ‘league.’” She sighed, and I watched as she played with her fingers.

“I don’t trust him.” I leaned towards her. “I don’t want you to date him.”

“Are you joking?” She laughed. “You don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t date. And trust me, I know who I can and can’t trust.” She rolled her eyes and said something under her breath.

“Maddie, I love you. I made a mistake. A big mistake, and I hurt you. Please give me another chance.” I leaned forward to kiss her again, and for a moment I felt I had gotten through to her. Her lips melted against mine, and she kissed me back. My tongue slid between her lips eagerly, anxious and happy to taste her again. I felt like I was inhaling manna from heaven, and I moved closer to her, so I could run my hands through her hair. I felt her fingers in my hair, tugging on the strands as she kissed me back. I slid my hand to her breast to caress it, and then she jumped back and broke the kiss. Her eyes looked at me feverishly and my heart dropped as she shook her head and grabbed my hands.