Reject Me (Kin #5)(37)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“Jamey, don’t. We shouldn’t talk.”

She wanted me to stay, and I hated myself for agreeing to it, because we both knew that it wasn’t going to get better. Peyton and I had our chance at being together, and obviously she wasn’t the one to screw it up. “I need to say this. I may never get another chance to tell you.”

“Spit it out then.”

I looked down at the sheets on the bed, and then back up to her, knowing that if I was going to do it I had to be respectable. “I love you, Peyton. I think I’ve loved you for a long time, and just been too stubborn to admit it. I wanted -.” She didn’t let me finish. Her lips found mine and I felt her arms clenching to my shoulders.

Then she started to tremble, causing me to open my eyes and see what was happening. Peyton was crying. Tears streamed down her face and a pair of glossed over eyes stared back at me. I took my thumbs and wiped her cheeks. She turned away and then smiled. “I’ve waited so long for you to say that.”

“I know, baby. Trust me, I know.” I pulled her against my chest and held her tight as she continued to be emotional. My confession was bittersweet. Even though I knew it was important, I’d also turned a special moment into a tear-fest. She cried in my arms for the longest time, unable to say much of anything. Finally her sniffles became less, and she looked up to respond.

“I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I don’t know how to not love you, Jamey. The harder I try to get you out of my head the more I need you to stay. I’m so confused about all of this. I know I shouldn’t trust you, and that you’ll probably end up breakin’ my heart over and over again.”

“I know you feel that way, but you don’t know that for sure. What if I’m ready to be that guy you need? You won’t know unless you try, right?”

She nodded, but I could tell she wasn’t buying it. “I feel like I’m on this road that never ends. We keep drivin’ it, but we never really get anywhere. Honestly, Jamey, I don’t know whether to veer off and go a different direction, or refill my gas tank and force myself to keep goin’.”

I took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head, taking in the scent of her shampoo as I did it. “I won’t give up on us, even if you decide that’s what you want to do. I promise to not bother you, but I will find a way to change your mind, no matter how long it takes. You’re worth it.”

Peyton sniffled again with her head still buried in my chest. Neither of us had paid much attention to not being clothed. We’d come to a point of comfort, where little things such as clothing no longer mattered. “I’m glad you’re here.” It was music to my ears.

“I love you, Peyton. It’s not goin’ to change.”

We finally got back under the covers and held each other again. “Just stay the night, Jamey. We can talk in the mornin’.” I could hear it in her voice that she was falling asleep, and honestly I was just as tired. Feeling content with being so close to her I closed my eyes and finally found rest.

It wasn’t the sunshine coming in through the window that woke us up. It certainly wasn’t the sound of birds singing out in the trees. It was having someone grab my ankles and rip me out of the bed. Peyton grabbed the sheet and began screaming as Shayne yanked me off the mattress. Luckily in the middle of the night we’d been smart enough to put our underwear back on, not that it made a good bit of difference. Shayne saw me in his sister’s bed and he was out for blood. While Peyton screamed and begged her brother to stop, I tried to figure a way to flip us around so that I was the one throwing the punches on top of him.

In only a bra and panties, I watched her jump on Shayne’s back trying to defend me. Knowing that her brother would never hurt her he finally backed off. I moved away from him and held up my hand to hold him off. “Just calm down. Let’s be rational about this.”

“Rational?” He yelled back. “I just caught you in bed with my sister. We’ve been through this shit before, Jamey. I told you to stay the hell away from her.”

“She’s a big girl who can decide what she wants for herself,” I defended.

“You think she wants you? You’re nothin’ but a piece of shit. Do us all a favor and get the hell out of here. Leave my sister alone so she can move on.”

Peyton was already in a nervous wreck. I could see her crying as she fought to get Shayne’s attention. “Please stop it. I asked him to stay with me. This ain’t his fault.”

Shayne pointed at me. “Do you have any idea what you’ve put her through?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I do. I’m tryin’ to fix things, man. I’m tryin’ to make it right.”

“Make it right?” He let out a obnoxious laugh. “There’s no way to make this right. You two can’t be together. It ain’t happenin’.”

“It’s her decision, not yours.” I could see the hate brewing in his eyes. If Peyton hadn’t been holding his arms he would have pounced on me again. “Shayne, I love her, dude.”

“You love her? You don’t know the first damn thing about love.”

“Stay out of this, Shayne!” Peyton came to my defense.

“Put some clothes on and leave us alone.”

Peyton shook her head. “No. I’m not leavin’ you two alone. Please don’t fight, Shayne. You’re makin’ it worse for me.”

“I’m helpin’ you, Pey. This is for your own good. I won’t let this joker drag you down anymore. How many times are you goin’ to let him treat you like shit?”

“Fuck you.” I’d had it. This was between me and Peyton.

Shayne came at me. We wrestled to the ground and I felt him getting the first blow in to my face. I aimed for his side and nailed him with my fist. We both tried to be the first recover, but Peyton had something else in mind. While screaming at both of us she jumped between our bodies. Her fear was apparent and I backed off immediately, holding my hands up as if I surrendered.

“I’ll leave,” I announced, after seeing how upset she’d become.

After grabbing my clothes, and making sure Shayne didn’t follow me, I walked out onto the porch to get dressed. It wasn’t like he was willing to let Peyton and I talk things out. Her family wasn’t ever going to accept me, we both knew it.

Once I had my shorts back on I started walking away from the house. It wasn’t until I was about a block away that I heard her screaming my name. “Jamey, wait up.”