“Relax,” Wes soothed. “We did shit like that when we were sixteen. Remember all the parties we’d get drunk at?” he chuckled. “She’ll have a hangover from hell in the morning; that’s punishment enough. Leave ‘em alone.”
Cole shook his head in disgust as he shuffled back to his room. Wes just stood there grinning at me. “Spent the night with a bottle, huh, Angel?” his eyes scanned up and down my form and I flushed when I remembered I was standing there in only my white cotton panties and bra that were wet, no less.
I rolled my eyes as he snickered, “I’m sixteen…remember?” I sneered. “I’m too young,” I sassed as I turned and stomped into the room Ally had disappeared into.
That night was the first time I ever saw Wes look at me like he might see as me as something more than a kid sister. Too bad, I was so angry at the time that I didn’t care.
Chapter 6
Angela- Age 18
“I can’t believe your mom is letting you stay over there,” Ally gasped as she bounced on my bed. I was in the process of packing an overnight bag. The McKay’s were having their annual New Year’s Eve party, and Ally and I were staying the night.
“I used to stay over there all the time after Dad died. Trust me; she doesn’t care,” I grumbled. “Me being over there is one less thing she’s got to worry about. Besides,” I grinned, “I’m an adult now.”
“Still, your mom usually puts up more of a fight than that.” Ally flopped back and stared at the ceiling. “When’s Cole coming home?”
“He’ll be at the party,” I glanced at my watch. “He and Wes were making a booze run and picking up pizza for his mom.”
“Speaking of Wes,” Ally rolled to the side and grinned. “Have you seen him yet?”
“No,” I whispered. “I’ve been too busy. School is kicking my butt.” I’d graduated from high school back in the spring, and now I was just trying to keep afloat as I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I wasn’t sure what I’d major in. Communications was where I’d started, but after one semester, I was already thinking about a change.
“I bet he’s more beefed up now that he’s trying to get into fighting,” Ally mused.
“Probably,” I muttered. Wes and my brother had both graduated last year from BC. Cole was working at a small gym downtown, but Wes had decided to try to get into professional fighting. He’d trained in Judo, Karate, and a bunch of other stuff that I didn’t understand, but he had never mentioned using it professionally. Cole told me one day when they were working out that a guy approached Wes and asked him about joining the MMA circuit. Wes had laughed him off, stating he was a business major, and that Martial Arts were just a hobby. The guy left his card, and told him if he ever wanted to make a go of it to call him.
After a few months of not finding a steady job, Wes called the guy, and now he’s fighting at the amateur level. I haven’t seen him in over a year. After spilling my guts to him years ago, I dove head first into school. I wanted to be the best, and the harder I pushed myself, the better I felt. I also met someone. It’s nothing serious, but Brent and I have been seeing each other for a few months. He’s sweet and caring, and he seems to really like me.
“Does Brent know who you’re spending New Year’s with?” Ally grinned as she rolled onto her stomach and propped her chin on her fist.
“Sort of,” I mumbled as I began digging through one of my dresser drawers. “I told him I was hanging out with a friend,” I shrugged. “It’s the truth. He doesn’t need to know any more than that.”
“You are such a liar, Angela Walker,” Ally giggled. “Wes McKay is more than a friend, and you know it.” She pointed her finger at me and narrowed her eyes.
“He could’ve been, but not anymore,” I grabbed a t-shirt for sleeping and stuffed it in my bag. “You ready?” I zipped the backpack shut and tossed it up on my shoulder.
“Are you kidding?” she sighed. “I’ve been waiting all week for this. I get to see your brother, who is even yummier now that he works out every day, and I get to see your reunion with your childhood crush.”
“I hate to burst your bubble,” I shoved her as we made our way outside to my car, “but nothing’s going to happen. I’ve moved on, and so has he.”
“Riiiiight,” Ally rolled her eyes. “You keep telling yourself that. I see the way you look when we talk about him.”
“I have a boyfriend,” I scowled at her as we climbed into my car. “Whom I care about. I’ve grown up, Ally. He’s not as appealing as he used to be.”
“Sure, keep it up,” she giggled. “I know Wes, and I know he’s going to be looking hotter than ever. He’s older, more experienced, and has girls throwing themselves at him. He’s gonna be famous if he keeps doing what he’s doing. You’re legal now. You really think he’s going to ignore you?”
“It doesn’t matter what he’s gonna do. I’m gonna ignore him. He’s just a guy, Ally. I’ve seen him in his superman underoos. I’ve seen him cry at a sappy movie. I’ve seen him flirt with more than one girl at a time, and then take them into a room to do who knows what with them. Cole tells me all about his exploits.”
“Well, when the ball drops at midnight, I’m gonna make sure that after I kiss your brother, I catch you with Mr. Hottie as he presses his hard muscled body into yours,” she shivered as she closed her eyes letting the visual play out.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you,” we climbed out of the car and made our way up the snowy sidewalk to the McKay’s front door.
Before I could lift my hand to knock, the door flew open, “Angel!” He grinned down at me from the doorway, “So glad you could make it.”
“Hi, Wes,” I smiled softly and motioned to Ally. “You remember Ally, right?”
“Of course, come on in,” he stepped back, and when I moved past him I could smell his cologne. He smelled better than I remembered and was every bit the man I conjured up in my mind. “Let me take your coats,” he reached to help me peel mine off, and sucked in a breath when I let it slide from my shoulders.
I hadn’t dressed in anything too revealing tonight, but I was proud of myself. The dark skinny jeans clung to me, and the pale pink sweater was a perfect complement to my fair skin. I’d decided on a pair of Uggs since it was so cold still, and I’d left my chocolate hair hanging down my back in loose waves. Brent likes my hair down, and I’d gotten accustomed to wearing it that way.
Ally, on the other hand, had gone all out. She was dressed in a slinky red dress that barely covered her. Her ample breasts were pushed up on display, and the fuck me heels she was wearing looked as though she might tip over. She grinned when Wes scanned her body and then leaned into me. “I hope I get the same reaction from your brother.”
“Eww, gross,” I gagged as I turned to head toward the kitchen.
“Let me put these away, and then I’ll be right back,” Wes called as he headed up the stairs with our things.
ooooooooo
Wes- Age 23
“Fuck me, she’s hot,” I muttered under my breath as I carried their things up to my childhood bedroom.
When Cole said Angela was coming tonight, I wasn’t prepared for the vision that I found at my door. She stood there all innocent with her big doe eyes blinking up at me. Her lips curved into a soft smile as she re-introduced me to her best friend. Little did she know, I knew everything there was to know about Angela.
I don’t know how Cole hadn’t figured it out, but I’d been playing twenty questions with him about her for weeks. I’d wondered how she was doing, what she looked like, if she was dating anyone? She’d had a thing for me for so long, and now she was old enough that we could try it out. I’d told her years ago that if she was eighteen, I wouldn’t be able to stay away. I didn’t know back then how true that statement really was.
After placing the girl’s coats on my bed, I made my way back downstairs. When I rounded the corner to the kitchen, there she was, leaning against the bar. Her perky round ass swaying from sid
e-to-side as she shifted on her feet. Her friend was leaning up against Cole, and he didn’t look too happy, but I was so enthralled with Angel that it didn’t matter.
“So how have you been?” I leaned sideways beside her, and smiled as I took in her startled appearance.
“Busy,” she sipped her drink. “Schools been tough. I took on extra classes this semester.”
“What are you majoring in?” I chuckled after the question slipped out. I sounded like such a dork.
Angela smirked, “Communications, but I don’t know if that’s what I want to do anymore.”
“Second thoughts already,” I reached across the counter to grab a beer.
She shrugged, “I’m just not happy.” She lifted the cup again and took a sip, “I’m thinking about switching to business.”
“I can help with that if you need it,” I smiled at her. “You know that’s what I got my degree in.”
“I know,” she glanced away and frowned when she saw Cole with his arm around Ally. “She works fast,” she mumbled. It was so quiet that if I hadn’t been standing right beside her, I might have missed it.
“Ignore them,” I nudged her. “He’s had a few beers already.”
“It’s fine,” she sighed. “Ally’s been after him for years. Maybe I won’t have to hear about it now.” She finished off her drink and turned to face me, “So what have you been up to?”
“Not much,” I tossed my now empty bottle in the trash. “A lot of training. Hoping to be ready for a fight in February.”
“Oh,” her mouth formed a little O before she started to turn away from me. “Well, it was nice catching up, but I want to see who else is here.”
Seeing that my chance to be around her was slowly slipping away, I reached for her arm and blurted, “Wanna dance?”
Angela’s eyes widened as her head whipped around, “Uh,” she stammered as she looked at anything but me.
“Come on,” I grinned. “It’ll be fun.”
“Ok sure,” she shrugged, and I reached for her hand to guide her into the other room where we had an area set up for dancing.
ooooooooo
Angela- Age 18
From the moment he approached me in the kitchen I could feel it. The signals his body was sending to mine were loud and clear. The little tick in his jaw as he tried to act normal. It was cute, and gave me a small sense of power. When he asked me to dance, I knew it was a bad idea, but the chance to be wrapped in his arms after all these years was just too much to pass up.
When his fingers gripped mine, pulling me after him, I told myself I had a boyfriend. When he pulled me into his arms, I repeated Brent’s name over and over in my head, and when he leaned down to whisper in my ear, I told myself I was gonna regret the night, but I just couldn’t pull away from him.
We’d been in the center of the room moving to the quick beat of the stereo, our bodies heating with the rising temperatures in the room. The long sleeved t-shirt Wes was wearing was beginning to stick to his chest. He’d pushed the sleeves up his forearms, and I’d noticed a small amount of ink peeking out.
I grabbed his arm to take a better look, “You got a tattoo?”
He nodded. “I’ve got a couple. Maybe I’ll show you sometime.” He leaned closer so he was right beside my ear. “I have one that doesn’t see the sun.”
I shivered as he pulled back and winked at me. “I have a boyfriend,” I finally blurted out.
Wes’ forehead wrinkled, “Why didn’t he come with you tonight? If you were mine, you wouldn’t go anywhere without me. I’d be too worried that some asshole like me would steal you away.”
I swallowed as his words sunk in. “He’s with his family. We’ll see each other back at school next week.”
Wes’ arm moved to wrap around my waist as the music changed to something slower, “His loss,” he whispered as his lips skimmed across my cheek.
I sighed as nine years of longing for this man rose to the surface. Weston McKay had been the focus of all my fantasies for so long, but those were nothing compared to the real thing. Everyone around me melted into the background as I felt him tighten his hold on me. His head dipped down as he murmured, “Your brother is gonna kill me. The things I’m thinking right now should be illegal. Damn Angel, you grew up to be so fucking beautiful.”
My head tipped up to peer into his eyes, and I blinked a few times. He’d been slowly moving us as we danced to the music, and I hadn’t realized we were now off to the side, near a secluded corner. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me, do you?” he leaned in until our foreheads touched.
“I have a boyfriend,” I protested weakly. I knew it didn’t matter to either one of us at the moment, but I needed to remind myself. The next few seconds were going to destroy anything Brent and I had as a future. Wes paused for a moment, and then muttered something about going to hell before his mouth pressed against mine.
All common sense fled as he reached up to cup my face and control the kiss. His lips were soft but firm as they moved across mine. My hands flew to the front of his shirt, fisting it as I tugged him impossibly closer. He growled before slanting his head to the side, and running his tongue along the seam of my lips. I opened willingly, letting him in as I surrendered to him. I’d wanted this for so long, I didn’t care about anything except what was happening at that very moment. Wes McKay was ruining me for any man I’d ever know.
His tongue took tentative swipes at mine, but as soon as I actively sought his, he roared to life. One arm slid down my back to cup my rear. The other slid into my hair, tangling in the strands hanging down my back. His grip tightened as he bit my lower lip and sucked it into his mouth. I jerked back, panting and gasping as I tried to catch my breath. My world was tilted completely on its side, and the one man I’d all but given up on ever being with was kissing me like I was his last breath.
Wes’ eyes squeezed shut before he opened them to stare at me. “Tell your boyfriend I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I was just collecting the kiss you promised me on the beach.”
“Sorry?” I shook my head. I hadn’t come back out of the blissful haze he’d put me in and his apology was throwing me off.
“I’m not into being with someone that belongs to someone else. I’m only letting you know that I’m here, and you were right,” he closed his eyes again and took a step back. “I’ll be waiting.”
He turned and disappeared into the crowd as I stood there trying to process what just happened. He was sorry? What the hell did that mean? How could he go from devouring me like he was going to fuck me right there in the living room to backing away like I’d burned him?
I shook my head as I wiped at the lone tear that was trying to escape the corner of my eye. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. When I pulled it out, my heart sank.
Brent: Happy New Year. Sorry I’m not there to kiss you at midnight.
Me: You too.
I quickly pressed send as the guilt swept over me. I needed to stay away from Wes. I had a great guy who I was happy with, and Weston McKay was nothing but repeated heartache. Being with him would only bring pain.
Chapter 7
Angela- Age 18
“What are you doing out here?” I jumped when I heard his voice.
“Just getting some air,” I wiped at my eyes as I tried to hide the fact that I’d been crying. I was hoping that because it was freezing out, my brother wouldn’t question my red face.
“The ball’s getting ready to drop. Don’t you want to come see it? That was always your favorite part when we were little,” Cole leaned up against the deck railing.
After I’d escaped the living room, I’d made my way outside to call Brent. I was confused, and didn’t know what I wanted, but I knew I needed to talk to him. When he’d answered, I’d all but broken down into a sobbing mess. I was never good hiding things, and the fact that I felt so guilty wasn’t helping. At first, he didn’t say anything. Honestly? I thought he’d hung up on me, but then his voice came over the line
almost robot like. I can’t be with someone who wants someone else, he’d responded. I tried to tell him that it didn’t mean anything, but he hadn’t believed me. He said he’d always known that something was missing, and Wes was the reason our relationship hadn’t moved further along. I’d balked at that. I was still a virgin. I know, crazy right? When I was younger I’d always wanted Wes to be my first. After we’d had our talk on the beach, I didn’t think it would ever happen. Now, I was sure I’d remain a virgin for life. Wes had pushed me away, and Brent had just told me that we were through.
“I’m not a little kid anymore, Cole,” I turned to look up at him.
His face went from smiling to concern, “Why are you crying? Did someone say something to you?”
“No,” I turned away from him. “Brent and I broke up.” I didn’t tell him why. I didn’t want to go into details and add to my embarrassment by telling him what Wes had done. Besides, I really didn’t want to see those two go at it either.
“He’s a dumb ass,” Cole growled. “Come here,” he opened his arms and wrapped me in a tight hug just as we heard the crowd inside counting down. “Ten, nine, eight… three, two, one…Happy New Year!” they screamed and Cole pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“What was that for?” I sniffed.
“My sister needed a kiss to ring in the New Year,” he smirked. “Besides, your friend has been trying to corner me all night. She’s hot, but I’m not looking for anyone right now,” he chuckled.
“She’s not going to give up,” I giggled as I backed out of his arms. “She’s liked you forever.”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I figured as much.
“You better sleep in more than boxers tonight,” I grinned up at him as I thought about what Ally may try to do later. “She’s staying here with me.”
“Greeeaat,” Cole rolled his eyes. “Let’s go back inside. It’s freezing out here,” he motioned toward the door and waited for me to agree.
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My Broken Angel Page 5