Edge of Love

by E. L. Todd

  “Make me come, babe.”

  I rode him hard while he watched my tits bounce up and down. When he leaned his head back and moaned, I knew he was about to explode. He gripped my hips as he thrust into me, and he bit his lip as he started to come. His breathing was deep and haggard as his moment of bliss overcame him. Another moan escaped his lips as he finished releasing himself inside me. He took a moment to fall down from his high. When he was done, he sat up and licked the sweat away from my skin. It was so hot to watch.

  “I love you, Scar.”

  “I love you, too.”

  He pulled me to his chest and stroked my hair until I fell asleep.

  When I woke up the next morning, Sean had already packed our belongings. He had a dress sitting on the bed with shoes that didn’t match at all. The dress was red but the shoes were blue. I knew he was a guy, but Sean wasn’t that stupid. Instead of saying anything, I just let it be. I would open my suitcase and grab the correct ones.

  Sean saw me stretching across the bed. “Good morning, babe.”

  I yawned. “Morning.”

  “Ready to get the hell out of here?”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

  He laughed. “Get dressed.”

  I walked into the bathroom and did my business. I brushed my teeth and combed my hair, but I didn’t dress my face with makeup. I just didn’t care today. We were just traveling anyway. I walked back into the room, opened my suitcase, and then grabbed the correct pair of shoes.

  Sean watched me. “I already got you a pair.”

  I smiled. “Sean, those don’t match at all.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  I shook my head. “They are blue.”

  “So?”

  “They don’t match.”

  “You wear them all the time.”

  I ignored him and put on the correct sandals then stuffed the blues ones into my suitcase. I stood up and placed a bag over my shoulder.

  Sean reached out and yanked it from my arm. “I already told you my fiancé doesn’t carry anything.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m not fragile.”

  “That’s beside the point.” He stared at me for a long moment. “You look beautiful in the morning.”

  I blushed. “You’re just saying that. I’m not wearing makeup.”

  “Exactly,” he said. “You don’t need it.”

  I smiled. “So, you think I look hideous when I wear it?”

  He laughed. “No. But you look more real this way.” He stepped toward the door. “You ready?”

  “Get me out of here.”

  He laughed. “Let’s go.”

  I tried to grab the remaining bag but he gave me a look of death. He shouldered all of our belongings then walked down the stairs. When he reached the entrance way, he deposited our bags on the floor then called the cab agency and requested a car.

  Diane walked out of the kitchen. “Are you leaving already?” She wasn’t as buoyant as she normally was. The awkwardness from the evening before settled in the air. “It’s nine in the morning.”

  “Our flight leaves soon,” Sean said as he circled his arm around my waist.

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  Andrew appeared from the doorway, holding a cup of coffee. “Leaving so soon? Can you stay for breakfast?”

  Sean shook his head. “The cab will be here soon.”

  His father nodded. “Well, it was great seeing you.” He pulled his son into a hug. “I’m very happy for you.” He leaned closer to Sean’s ear then whispered, “And keep her around, kid. Fiery heathens like that are hard to fine.”

  Sean laughed then clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, dad.”

  Andrew turned to me. “Goodbye, my girl.”

  “Goodbye,” I said as I hugged him.

  “And make sure you call me dad.”

  My eyes started to bubble. “Okay, dad.”

  He pulled away and kissed me on the cheek. “Be safe.”

  I nodded. “Sean always takes care of me.”

  Diane hugged Sean and held him close for a long moment. When she embraced me, she leaned close to my ear. “Goodbye, Scarlet.”

  “Goodbye, Diane.”

  She pulled away and smiled at me. I waited for her to grant me permission to refer to her as my mother, but the offer never came. The awkwardness picked up in the room. I know everyone felt it.

  Andrew looked up the stairs. “I wonder where your brother is. He needs to come say goodbye.”

  “That’s unnecessary,” Sean said quickly. “He’s probably still asleep.”

  Andrew shook his head. “That’s nonsense.” He cupped his mouth with his hands and was about to yell to the other side of the house when a car horn sounded from outside.

  Sean moved for the door. “That’s our cue.” He grabbed the bags from the floor then walked outside. I followed and opened the trunk for him while he stuffed our belongings inside. When they were secure, Sean opened the backdoor for me.

  I waved before I got in and they waved back. Sean followed me inside then shut the door.

  “Take us to the airport,” he said quickly. “Move.”

  I laughed. “We’re safe, Sean.”

  He sighed. “I’m so glad that weekend is over. I’m so sorry that it was so shitty.”

  I placed my hand on his thigh. “It’s okay, babe.”

  He grabbed my face and kissed me. “Now let’s go home where we belong.”

  “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed tonight.”

  “And I can’t wait to have sex like normal again.”

  I looked at him. “We can’t have sex on the plane.”

  He grinned. “Is that a challenge?”

  “I think we learned our lesson.”

  “It usually takes me a few times until I get it right.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s not happening, Sean.”

  He rubbed his hands together. “This is going to be fun. You’re always challenging me, pushing me to be better. I love it.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not trying to challenge you. And you’re already amazing in that department.”

  He smiled. “You have a point there.”

  The cab took us to the airport and dropped us off at the terminal. Our flight wasn’t for a few hours, so we had breakfast at a local restaurant while we waited for the boarding time. I opened my laptop and started to work on a manuscript while Sean blatantly stared at me.

  “Are you bored?” I asked.

  “A little.”

  “Play a game on your phone.”

  “I would rather just watch you.”

  “Well, it makes me uncomfortable.”

  “But it doesn’t make you uncomfortable when I watch you ride me like a bull?”

  “It’s not the same thing and you know it.”

  He smiled. “It’s definitely not. I wish it were.”

  I shook my head and ignored him. He looked at the screen hanging near the wall. “We should get going anyway. Our boarding time has arrived.”

  I closed the laptop with a sigh then returned it to my bag.

  “Did you call Ryan?”

  I sighed. “No, I forgot. I’ll call him now.” I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. He answered on the second ring.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, our plane is leaving soon. I just wanted to let you know.”

  He laughed. “You don’t have to tell me every little thing, Scar. And a text would suffice.”

  “I just want to talk to you, okay?”

  “Well, you have a fiancé for that now.”

  “Then how are you supposed to know when to pick us up?”

  “Like we already agreed on, Cortland is coming to get you, not me. He has a car. Remember?”

  “You’re coming too, right?”

  He sighed. “This dependent relationship is really creepy, you know that?”

  “Stop being an ass, Ryan.”

  “Well, you’re being a brat.”
>
  “Actually, I wasn’t.”

  “I guess you aren’t.” He was quiet for a moment. “I just don’t want to step on Sean’s toes, Scar. He can take care of you now. You don’t need me anymore.”

  “That isn’t true. I’ll always need you, Ryan. And Sean doesn’t care in the least. If anything, he’s relieved. If I turned to only him for every issue, his head would explode.”

  Sean nodded his head vigorously. “You have no idea.”

  Ryan laughed. “Alright. I’ll see you soon.”

  “So you’re going to be there?” I asked excitedly.

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m so happy. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too. Even though it’s only been two days.”

  “Three.”

  “It’s weird either way.”

  “Bye, Ryan.”

  “Bye.”

  I hung up the phone then returned it to my purse.

  Sean stared at me. “You two are so weird.”

  “You already knew that.”

  “And yet it still surprises me.”

  I rolled my eyes. “My brother is my best friend.”

  “I thought I was?”

  “You are.”

  He shook his head. “I think you’re just overcompensating.”

  “What?”

  “You’re afraid you are going to repeat the same mistake you made when you didn’t talk to him for a year. Your guilt makes you call him more than you already would. You think it reassures him, but it only reassures you.”

  I stared at him for a moment. “Maybe. But that isn’t why I call him. I really do just want to talk to him.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” he said. “But I also think you do it to prove you won’t leave him again.”

  “And what’s wrong with that?”

  “It’s just unnecessary. He already forgave you, Scar. It’s okay to move on from it. And we’re living in Seattle now. There’s nothing for him to worry about. Plus, he has Janice.”

  “Does it bother you that we live in Seattle?”

  “No.”

  “Really?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll give you whatever you need, Scar. And Seattle is very beautiful. It can be a little cold, but it makes you happy. When it comes to you, there’s no argument. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “Even if we live in Seattle for the rest of our lives? Raise our children?”

  “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care, Scar. And I like seeing Ryan and Cortland every day. I even like their girlfriends.”

  “I think Ryan is going to propose soon.”

  He leaned forward. “He said that?”

  “Sorta. Janice was in the room.”

  He smiled. “That’s great. I’m happy for him. This works out perfectly. Janice is your best friend. Who could be a better match?”

  “I know. And Janice treats him well. She respects him and loves him. Plus, she doesn’t seem to care about his immaculate number of sexual partners.”

  “You don’t care about mine.”

  “Well, I didn’t have a choice but to accept it. I was already in love with you.”

  “Does he have more than I do?”

  I nodded. “I think so.”

  He smiled. “That dog.”

  “Yes, you’re both pigs.”

  “And you both made us into honest men.”

  “Actually, Penelope was responsible for that.”

  Sean averted his gaze. “So, you’re still angry about that?”

  I sighed. “No, Sean. Sometimes I remember what happened and it makes me upset. But I’m not angry at you. I hate her for what she did to you, but at the same time, I’m glad it happened. I got you, after all.”

  He grabbed my hand and leaned across the table. “Scarlet, even if I could go back in time and be with Penelope in an alternate reality where she didn’t cheat on me, I would still rather be with you. You are the one, Scar. I know that’s hard to believe because you knew how in love with Penelope I was, but it’s true. I love you way more than I ever loved her. My love for you is different, unconditional.”

  I smiled. “Really?”

  He nodded. “Just like your love is. Even after what I did to you, you still came to New York and helped me get back on my feet. I didn’t deserve it, Scar. I still don’t. But I know you would do it again in a heartbeat.”

  “I would.”

  “I know.”

  I sighed. “I just wished your mother liked me as much as she liked Penelope.”

  “She does like you, Scar.”

  “Then why doesn’t she want you to marry me?”

  “It’s not that—”

  “I heard her, Sean.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “You did?”

  I nodded. “I’m just a rebound.”

  “Well, you know that isn’t true.”

  “Actually, it is.” I smiled at him, letting him know I wasn’t angry about our one night stand.

  He nodded. “Yes, I suppose. But I wouldn’t have committed to you unless I wanted to be with you. Don’t ever worry about that. Now you’re stuck with me.”

  “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  He smiled. “We’ve been living together for over a month now. I’m surprised I haven’t scared you off.”

  “Yes, your obsession with folding your socks is a little odd.”

  He laughed. “Well, you have to have the bed made at all times even when we’re sleeping in it.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not true.”

  “Yes it is! The only exception is when we’re making love. You mind is somewhere else.”

  I smiled. “That’s true.”

  Sean rose from his chair then helped me to a stand. “We should get going.”

  “Okay.”

  He grabbed my purse from the ground and held it. It was a designer purse that was classic black. It was definitely a woman’s bag.

  “Babe, I can carry my purse.”

  “It has a laptop in it.”

  “So?”

  “It’s too heavy for you.”

  “Well, you look gay holding a purse.”

  He shrugged. “If they knew what I did to you every night they wouldn’t think twice about it.” He pulled me toward the gate. “It’s fine. Come on.”

  We handed the flight stewardess our tickets then boarded the plane. When we took our seats, Sean held my hand and caressed my engagement ring with his fingertip. Sometimes he looked at it more than I did. When the plane took off, the passengers quieted down. People put earphones over their ears to watch the movie playing on the screen. Others opened books and began to read. I knew what Sean was thinking before he looked at me. I was thinking the same thing too.

  He stared at me then rubbed his nose against mine. “Round two?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “Come on,” he said. “We’ll make it a tradition.”

  “I learned my lesson last time.”

  “Don’t let my parents’ neighbors get to you. They’re the most boring people I’ve ever met.”

  I smiled. “We can wait until we get home.”

  “That won’t be for hours.”

  “It will be fine.”

  “And then we’ll probably go to Ryan’s and stay there all night.”

  “Well, I miss him.”

  He shook his head. “We leave my family just to be stuck with yours.”

  “Well, at least my family is nice, easy-going, and fun.”

  “And what do you think my dad is?”

  “He’s the only exception.” I wrapped my arm through his then leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. I wasn’t tired, but I loved lying with him. We didn’t say anything for a long time and I eventually fell asleep.

  The jerk of the plane woke me up.

  Sean kissed my forehead. “We’re here.”

  I sat up and yawned. “Good.”

  Sean ran his fingers through my hair and made me feel drowsy again. “Aren�
�t you excited?”

  “Yes.”

  Sean rose from the seat then grabbed my purse. “Let’s go.”

  I followed him out of the plane until we reached the inside of the airport. Then we went to the luggage claim and gathered our bags. I insisted on carrying my own purse because there was so much luggage. Reluctantly, he agreed.

  We stood outside and waited for Cortland’s white car to pull up. The weather in Seattle was chilly like it always was. The sky was overcast with clouds and it looked like it might rain. I crossed my arms over my chest as we waited.

  Sean removed his jacket then placed it around my shoulders, keeping me warm in the fabric. He wrapped his arms around me and the chill dissipated. I still watched the road and waited for Cortland to appear.

  Sean sensed my excitement. “You’re never this happy to see me.”

  I laughed. “When you came back to Seattle I was. Before you broke up with me, at least.”

  He smiled. “Don’t greet your brother like that.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I won’t.”

  We stood on the pavement and waited for Cortland and my brother to make their appearance. I pressed my face into his neck to stay warm. The smell of his skin was intoxicating, and now I didn’t want to go my brother’s house.

  He rubbed his nose against mine. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “You get this look in your eye.”

  “You caught me.”

  He smiled. “Now it will have to wait.”

  I sighed. “A hot piece of ass like me shouldn’t have to wait.”

  He laughed. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “Good,” he said. “I was hoping you would.”

  10

  Sean

  I held Scarlet in my arms while we waited for Cortland and Ryan to arrive. She pressed her face against my chest and closed her eyes. I still couldn’t believe that something so beautiful belonged to me. She didn’t even have to wear makeup and she still looked gorgeous. Now I really didn’t want to go to Ryan’s house, but I knew it was unavoidable.

  This whole weekend was a complete mess. I wasn’t surprised Scarlet was irritated by the whole ordeal. In fact, I was surprised that she wasn’t livid by the experience. She even heard my mom say that our engagement was a mistake. It bothered me that my mother and Scarlet would never be close. Penelope was practically my mom’s best friend. I knew I shouldn’t compare the two relationships but it was hard not to. Maybe I should tell my mom the truth about Penelope? Scarlet shouldn’t have to be ridiculed for being the next girlfriend after Penelope.