The Bedrock Series

Chapter Three-2

“What are you doing? That’s it? All you have to say is ok?” he asked pulling her closer.

Addison wanted to run but she also wanted to stay. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her cry and she knew she needed to make a quick getaway. It was clear that Patrick had made up his mind, and she didn’t want to make it any harder for him.

“Come on. Don’t run. Please. Let me explain.”

Addison felt like a fist was lodged in her throat. “What is there to explain?” she choked out.

Patrick kissed her forehead and then brushed her hair away from her face. Then he leaned in and hugged her so tightly she was afraid she might suffocate. Her mind raced, yet she was numb all at the same time, until it suddenly became clear to her exactly what she had to do.

“You’re right and we both know it.” She said flatly, pulling back.

Patrick reached for her hand. She looked toward the bedroom. “You don’t have to go now,” he said, smiling weakly. It was the dimples that made her do it, that’s what she’d tell Jessica.

He made love to her gently, as if she might break, as if they both might break. Afterward, he kissed her face and searched her eyes, whispering, “I love you and I’m so sorry,” over and over. It tore her apart, literally ripped her heart in two. Still, she didn’t respond; instead, she showed him everything she couldn’t say without words. When they were both sweaty and emotionally and physically depleted, Patrick curled up next to her, placing his head on her stomach. They lay there staring at the ceiling for hours, neither of them willing to break the silence. Once she was sure Patrick had fallen asleep and she was certain that he was in a deep sleep, Addison got up and silently dressed. After she gathered her things, she stood for a moment watching him sleep. Then she turned and quietly tiptoed out of his apartment and straight out of his life.

* * *

The next few months were a blur as Addison dated a flurry of men. On the inside, she was devastated. Not only had she lost her boyfriend and lover but her best friend. Her future. On the outside, however, it never showed. “I like my freedom,” she’d tell anyone who would listen. “It feels like I’m finally living.”

Thankfully, she never ran into Patrick. This wasn’t so hard considering she avoided all the places they had gone, places where she thought he might be. In the first few weeks after they split, Addison had received dozens of emails and several phone calls from him. She never answered, deleting the voicemails. It was mostly by mistake she read the first email at all. She’d been drunk, her defenses down. In the email, Patrick explained that he loved her but that his parents had threatened to cut off their financial support if he continued seeing her. He apologized, saying that he would do anything if she would just talk to him. He told her how much he missed her and their friendship. f**k him. She had enough friends. She deleted it without responding. Once, when she was out, Patrick stopped by hoping to see her. Apparently, Jess gave him a piece of her mind in such a way that Patrick finally stopped trying.

Fuck him. She had enough friends.During that time, she threw herself into her schoolwork and spent all of her free time bouncing from party to party. It was only after the party that the truth would show, and usually it was Jessica who had to clean up the mess.

After about the twelfth or so guy Addison casually “dated,” she met Carter. Carter: rugby player, a typical jock. He was well-known for keeping his life commitment free and Addison wanted nothing more. They met at his fraternity’s kegger and had a one-night stand, of which she remembered very little. Afterwards, he called incessantly, but Addison wanted nothing to do with him. Her heart was broken, and she wasn’t looking to date, especially not someone like Carter. Hell, in the daylight, she didn’t even like him. But Carter was relentless and she was lonely, and before long the two of them wound up spending a lot of time together, mostly in bed. Or wherever, really. Carter was ‘Mr. Fun’ ‘Mr. Help Her Forget.’ He was gorgeous and crazy about her. Which was too bad because Addison knew she would never, could never, love him.

About three months in to “dating” Carter, they bumped into Patrick at a party. He waltzed right up to her and Carter, interrupted their conversation and introduced his date, Shelly. Some nerve.

Some nerve.The four of them made awkward small talk until Addison excused herself to the ladies’ room. Unbeknownst to her, Patrick followed. He pushed open the stall door and found her leaning against the wall, panting, trying to catch her breath.

She rolled her eyes and attempted to close the door, pushing against it to no avail. Patrick was stronger than she was by a long shot. “What the f**k?” she asked. “You can’t be in here.”

Not budging, Patrick glared at her, his eyes dark. “Are you happy with him?”

“Ha! How about nice to see you. How have you been? But no. This is where you want to start?”

This“Addison, answer me. Are you happy?”

youShe crossed her arms, glaring at him before finally speaking. “What f*****g business is it of yours?”

Patrick laughed.

She stared at the floor, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. He pushed his way further into the stall, locking the door behind him. For a moment they just stood there staring at one another, and before Addison could say anything, Patrick grabbed both sides of her face and fell into her, kissing her deeply. He tasted like beer and peppermint and regret. Soon, hands were everywhere. Patrick pushed her skirt up, lifting her slightly, forcing her back up against the wall as he slammed into her. They were drunk and it was sloppy when he pushed into her hard and fast. She dug her nails into his back, which only made him push harder. When he was finished, he slowly pulled away.

Breathless, he bent down and kissed the top of her head. “f**k, Addison. I’ve missed you so much.”

She smoothed her skirt, trying to gain composure. She refused to let herself get hurt again. “Look, this . . .this was a mistake.”

Patrick searched her eyes. “Are you drunk?”

She lied. “No. Why?”

“Let’s go.”

“Go? Where?”

Patrick unlocked the stall. “Out of here.”

She stepped out as Patrick grabbed her by the arm. “We need to go out the back way. I don’t want to deal with Carter.”

She frowned, rubbing her arm. “What about Shelly?”

“Who?” he asked with a chuckle.

She punched his forearm. “Your date, asshole.”

Patrick took her by the hand, intertwining her fingers in his, and ushered her toward the exit. “Oh her. She’ll be fine.”

her.* * *

The next morning, Addison woke up alone in Patrick’s bed, angry with herself. The sharp pain of regret hit her right in the solar plexus. After all she had been through only to wind up back here.

She checked her phone. Six missed calls and two voicemails, all from Carter. s**t.

Shit.“Good morning, sunshine.” Patrick called, pushing the bedroom door open with his foot, interrupting her thoughts in the process. “Coffee?” he asked, thrusting a tray in her direction. He sat down beside her.

“Thanks,” she said, sliding upwards into a sitting position, taking the cup from his hands.

As she lifted the mug to her lips, Addison noticed something in Patrick’s face change: a thought, a look, something she couldn’t place. She took another sip of her coffee as he slid off the bed slowly.

She picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite before realizing what it was he was doing.

Seeing him there, kneeling on one knee, holding the little blue box caused Addison to choke. She tried taking another sip of coffee. Finally, clearing her throat, she laughed and waved him off, but Patrick didn’t budge.

“Addison, will you marry me?”

She blinked to make sure she was seeing what she was seeing and then pinched herself for good measure.

Patrick pinched her, too.

“Ouch.”

“You’re awake,” he said smiling. “And— I asked you a question.”

Her hands flew to her mouth then. “You’re serious?”

“Of course, I’m serious. I was dumb enough to lose you once and I’m sorry for that. But I’m smart enough to know that I don’t want it to ever happen again. So… what do you say? Will you marry me?”

So many things ran through her mind in that moment: the how, when, and where, but most of all, the what-ifs. Still, she knew she couldn’t let him go, not again. He loved her, he wanted her, and that was everything.

wanted“Yes,” she replied as hot tears spilled out, stinging her cheeks. “I’ll marry you.” The rest they would figure out. They had to.