by Kyra Lennon
His hands slid underneath my t-shirt and I shivered as he touched my bare skin. His touch was firm but gentle and he slowly lifted me off the ground, his lips not leaving mine for a second. As I wrapped my legs around his waist, he carried me out of the living room, and towards my bedroom.
.
Chapter 12: Last Night Was Wonderful, I Love You
My head was pounding.
As I opened my eyes, the light streaming in through the gap in the curtains made me squint at the brightness. After blinking several times, I glanced at the clock. Eight forty-two. I calculated that I’d only slept for about three and a half hours.
I squeezed my eyes closed again, trying to ease the banging in my skull, but it didn't work.
I wanted nothing more than to pull my duvet over my head and sleep for the rest of the day, and it was at precisely that moment I realised why it couldn't happen.
The ache in my temples had distracted me from the gentle breathing which originated, not from me, but from underneath me. For a second I couldn’t move.
I’d woken up after having spent a night sleeping on top of Radleigh McCoy.
His arms were still around me, one hand on my lower back, just underneath the t-shirt I’d hastily thrown back on – proving Brits truly are uptight about nudity.
After the things we’d done together, it was ridiculous that I felt the need to cover up.
He’d seen every part of me. Explored every part of me. Made my whole body tingle and shiver when his hands, his lips had travelled over my skin.
“Oh God.”
It was bad enough that I’d slept with him, but the fact it had been so damn good made the situation a million times worse.
Well, practice makes perfect.
I needed to move.
Carefully, I unwound Radleigh's arms from around me and slid off him, standing up. My head throbbed painfully as I made my way to the kitchen in search of something to drink.
After going to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water, I got a flashback to the night before. On the living room floor was Radleigh's duvet and the discarded packet of cookies, not to mention the pile of clothes he’d removed before I’d even got my hands on him.
With a groan, I slunk over to the sofa and collapsed on to the cushions. I took a long swig of water, hoping a drink would clear my head a little but it didn't work. I wasn't hungover. Just tired and ashamed.
Oh crap, I need him out of my room before Billy and Stacey wake up!
The thought shook me out of my slump. There was no way I wanted them to find out what happened between Radleigh and I, especially after I’d made such a big deal out of how much I hated him. Although, knowing them as well as I did, I realised they wouldn't surface until at least noon.
A muffled bleeping noise caught my attention. Missed call on my phone. It must have been going off all night. I dragged myself up from the sofa and into the hallway where I’d left my bag. Pulling out my mobile, I saw one missed call, and a text message from Miguel. My heart gave a jolt as I read his name.
Hi angel, hope you had a great time at the party. I love you. X
I love you.
My eyes remained fixed on those three little words with huge meaning. In all honesty, Miguel hadn't even crossed my mind once I got home from the wedding. I’d been too busy, first trying to keep McCoy out, then giving into the temptation I’d been fighting for so long.
Guilt began to fill me and I sank down on the floor in the hallway – too laden with remorse to move any further.
I could still smell McCoy on me, on my t-shirt, on my skin. What the hell had I been thinking? How could I have let myself give in?
You're so weak. Weak and stupid, just like when you were younger. You had a good thing with Miguel, and instead of sticking with him, a guy who adores you, you threw it away for a night of meaningless sex.
I ran a hand through my hair and with a sinking feeling, I was transported back to my days as a teenager. The days when I’d been led by my hormones instead of my brain. That was precisely what happened with Radleigh.
My head ached with regret, and my stomach twinged guiltily. How would I ever look Miguel in the eye after this?
And Taylor?
How could I be on her side when I’d literally slept with the enemy?
“Leah?”
Breaking my thoughts, Radleigh stepped out into the hallway. “What are you doing down there?”
For a second, I wanted to let him wrap me up in his arms and block out the confusion for a while. Stupid. All that would have done was make things worse.
Pull yourself together, lady!
“Leah, are you okay?”
“I've been better.”
He gave a sigh, like he’d been expecting that kind of reaction from me. “Before you start giving me a hard time about last night, just remember, I didn't force you.”
“What did you think I was going to say?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm, “‘Last night was wonderful, I love you?’”
He tilted his head to one side, a smirk taking over his face and I said, “Oh, go to hell.”
“Leah, talk to me,” he said, following me into the kitchen.
“I don't want to talk. I want to have a cup of coffee, and take a long shower.”
“That's it? You're not gonna tell me I had this whole weekend planned out, and that I knew exactly what I was doing when I came here?”
“Well, we both already know that’s the truth, so what would be the point in going over it?”
I wasn't sure what I’d been expecting when I looked into his eyes, but I hadn't anticipated seeing such annoyance.
Perhaps we’d both misjudged each other's reactions.
I changed my mind about the coffee. Instead, I wanted to hop straight into the shower to get away from him. When I attempted to walk past him again, he stood in front of me, blocking my way.
“Radleigh -”
“You can’t pretend last night didn't happen.”
“Don't tell me what I can't do,” I said, attempting to shove him out of the way. He grabbed my wrists to stop me and looked me dead in the eye until, with a sigh, I stopped struggling.
“I know we can't pretend nothing happened,” I said. “But that doesn't mean I don't regret it.”
“You don’t regret it. We both knew this would happen eventually.”
He was absolutely right. But the realisation only made me angrier. With him, and even more with myself. In a fit of temper, I flung his clothes across the room towards him. As I did so, his wallet and mobile phone fell from the pockets of his trousers and on to the floor.
His wallet.
The two of us dashed forwards to grab the item he claimed to have lost, but I got there first, flipping it open to reveal the key card to his hotel room tucked into one of the pockets.
I dropped the wallet back to the floor and sank on to the sofa, full of self-loathing. I’d fallen for his stupid lie, cheated on Miguel and jeopardised my career all in one night.
“I'm not sorry,” Radleigh said matter-of-factly. “Not at all.”
“I wish I could say the same.”
“Would it have made a difference?” he asked, “If I hadn't lied about losing my wallet, would you really have sent me back to the hotel?”
“I don't know.” I sighed. “Maybe. Maybe not. I was drunk, and …”
“And we were having a good time.”
“A good time? You mean, me insulting you?”
“You were different. You were honest. I was too.”
I turned my head to look at him. For all the crappy things he’d done, even he’d managed to give me some truthful answers last night. Didn’t he deserve the same?
“What do you want to hear? That last night, I wanted you? Well, it's true. I did, but today, knowing I gave in to you makes me feel like hell.”
“Why? Why is this such a big deal to you?”
I could have launched into the whole story of my teenage years, and told hi
m the very idea that I’d gone back to the way I used to be made me want to vomit. But that was far more than he needed to know.
‘You haven't reverted back to anything,' I told myself. 'It was a slip-up, the only one you’ve made in years.’
“I've never cheated on anyone before,” I said. “Never. I never thought I would. It makes me feel cheap, and-”
“I made you feel cheap? Thanks.”
“You’re so arrogant.” I sighed. “Radleigh, you didn't make me feel cheap. The situation made me feel that way. The fact that I cheated on Miguel made me feel that way. Granted, your smugness didn't help matters, but -”
“You thought I'd leave quietly, after you spent so long telling me you weren't interested in me?”
“I didn't think anything! That's how I ended up in bed with you.”
“Look on the bright side. At least the sex was good.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What?”
“Imagine how much worse it’d be if you cheated on Miguel and all you got was a lousy lay and a bad hangover.”
The corners of his mouth twitched but I refused to be amused by him when I was so angry with myself. Fantastic sex wouldn’t make up for everything I stood to lose if anyone ever found out.
****
I arrived back home a little after seven in the evening on Sunday to the unwelcome news that Richard wanted to see me first thing in the morning because he had something important to discuss. If I hadn’t extensively searched every newspaper and website, just in case someone had seen me and Radleigh together, I would have been paranoid. Instead of dwelling on whatever the problem might be, I said a quick goodnight to Freya, and curled up in bed for an early night.
When I arrived at work the next morning, I made my way straight to Richard’s office before even stopping off at my own. It was clear from the smile Richard gave me that I wasn't in any trouble, but his face grew serious again when he started to speak.
“I got a call from Taylor over the weekend. She called me, hysterical, at eight o’clock yesterday morning. She said she was staying at Jesse’s apartment while we were in Minnesota and that McCoy parked outside, watching her.”
I felt the colour drain from my face. Her claim was impossible.
“She didn’t know how long he’d been there,” Richard went on. “But she said he’d gone by nine-thirty. Obviously, I couldn’t check it out for myself, but I tried to call McCoy and his phone was turned off.”
Yes. Yes it was. It was also in Boston. Where he was with me. It had been almost nine when I woke up the morning before, and McCoy was underneath me, his hands resting on my back. My body betrayed me by giving a small shiver of pleasure at the memory.
“So … I guess you need to talk to McCoy.”
“Already did. He says he was at home alone. But I have it on good authority that his car wasn’t in his drive. I just need to verify that someone else noticed him outside Jesse’s apartment and we’ve got him.”
Every word Richard said hit me hard.
Taylor lied. She lied about Radleigh being outside Jesse’s apartment.
I was his alibi.
Radleigh hadn’t told the truth about his whereabouts.
Why?
Overwhelmed with confusion, I stood up. “Well, erm … thanks for keeping me updated. I need to get to work.”
“Leah, wait,” Richard said, his eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay? This must be difficult for you. I mean, it could have been you he was harassing.”
I shook my head and forced a smile. “I’m fine. I just have a lot to do this morning.”
I practically ran out of his office to my own, my brain working a million miles a minute.
Why hadn’t Radleigh dropped me in it?
I wasn't stupid enough to believe that just because he'd put so much effort into sleeping with me, he actually cared. Bedding me had been a challenge for him but once he'd got what he wanted, he could easily have put an end to my career, ready to make room for his next conquest.
“Leah?”
A deep voice uttered my name from somewhere behind me and I saw Bryce Warren peering out of the locker room, a rather serious look on his face.
“Leah, have you got a minute?”
“Sure,” I answered. “Do you want to come into the office?”
He’d never attempted to talk to me alone before. From the seriousness in his tone, I figured he wasn't about to ask me for a morning of debauchery, so really, it could only be about one thing.
We stepped into my office and closed the door, both of us standing awkwardly, unsure where to begin.
“You know, don't you?”
Bryce nodded and I let out a groan, burying my face in my hands.
“It's okay,” he said. “I won’t tell anyone. But … I think you need to tell Richard.”
“I know.” I sighed. “How much do you know?”
“Everything. The party, the sleeping arrangements. Including how they changed in the middle of the night.”
If Radleigh had told Bryce everything, I knew that would include details. Whether Bryce wanted to hear them or not, Radleigh wouldn't have been able to stop himself telling him … Oh God.
Quickly steering the conversation in a different direction to save me from complete embarrassment he said, “It might not be so bad. You don't need to tell Richard the full story. It’s fine if you exclude the sex.”
I hadn't really considered that as an option. Not a serious one, anyway. Faced with Richard's unfaltering stare, I’d cave in and confess everything.
“Why did Radleigh lie about it?” I asked. “Why didn't he tell Richard he was with me? He could easily have told him everything apart from us sleeping together. The fact that he didn't makes it look even more suspicious.”
I raised my head, waiting for Bryce's response.
“Simple,” he answered. “He didn't want to get you into trouble.”
“Oh come on! He’s already reported me for things I haven’t done. Are you telling me he's grown a conscience?”
“He didn’t know you then, and I know that’s no excuse, but maybe this is his way of making up for it.”
He didn’t know me then, and he doesn’t know me now. Was I really supposed to believe that he’d leave his career hanging in the balance for me?
“He’s not as bad as you think,” Bryce said. “It's obvious now that Taylor made the whole thing up and if you're on his side-”
“On his side?” I repeated. “But-”
“You don't still believe her?”
In all honesty, I hadn't even thought about Taylor's original accusation. I’d been too caught up in recent events. Of course the story she told over the weekend threw doubt over her, but I couldn't quite bring myself to believe she’d lied from the start.
“I don't know.” I sighed. “I wouldn't put it past him.”
“He didn't do it, Leah. I admit he can be a sleaze but if he’d done it, he would’ve told me.” I gave him a look loaded with scepticism and he went on, “I've known him a long time. He can't lie to me.”
“So, you're saying he always tells you when he's done something stupid?”
“No. I'm saying that if he told me he didn't do it, he didn't do it.”
Not knowing Bryce particularly well, it would have been easy to assume that he was covering up for his friend, but there was something about him I trusted.
Not good news for you.
If Taylor made up the whole story, I’d been well and truly fooled. All of her tears and conflict over doing the right thing was a con.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll talk to Richard, but I need to speak to Miguel first. I can’t lie to him.”
I didn’t want to lie to him, and I clutched my stomach as a stab of pain hit me. The thought of losing him was a thousand times worse than the prospect of being fired but he deserved someone who was a hell of a lot less messed up than me.
For the first time, the seriousness of what I'd done hit me full force. I’d thought about
it only in separate pieces. How I could lose my job, how I'd hurt Miguel, how my vendetta against McCoy had fuelled Taylor to make up a further lie, unwittingly putting me in a position where I was the only one who could get him out of trouble.
Potentially, I could lose everything.
I'd have to go home. Back to Cornwall. Back to reality.
If I’d been a weaker person, I would’ve cried at my own stupidity. But I’d brought the whole situation on myself, and wallowing in self-pity wouldn't change that.
I stood up. “Well, wish me luck.”
“Good luck, Leah. I hope everything works out.”
“Me too.”
.
Chapter 13: Don't Say A Word
I knew the earliest I would get to talk to Miguel would be during lunch, but there was no way I could confess at the training ground with so many people around. Instead, I went for a guilty bite to eat with him at noon and decided I’d tell him everything after work.
We planned to meet in the café across the street, ironically, the same café where Jesse said he first met Taylor. As the minutes slowly ticked by, my stomach wound itself into a tight knot of guilt and anxiousness. But I had to be honest with him and deal with whatever the consequences might be.
My gut flip-flopped with shame when Miguel greeted me with a huge smile. He was still slow on his feet after the beating he’d taken from McCoy, and my hatred for myself multiplied because I was about to strike him another painful blow. When I looked into his brown, puppy-dog eyes, my resolve to be truthful almost broke.
“Hey, angel,” he said, kissing me on the cheek. “You wanna order some food?”
I wanted to. Anything so I didn’t have to tell him. Instead of backing out, I took a deep breath.
“Miguel. There's something I need to talk to you about first.”
First. Like he’s going to stay once you’ve ripped out his heart.
Concern crossed his face as he sat down. “What’s wrong?”
“Last weekend in Boston, McCoy showed up. He said he wanted to talk to me about Taylor.”