He pulled away and looked me right in the eyes. “We’ll be there, Izzy. You know we will.”

  Things got better after that moment. My parents stuck around for a short time after that and finally headed back to my aunt and uncles to go to bed. I knew neither of them would get much sleep, but at least they didn’t hate me like I’d feared.

  Since I knew my brothers would need to get in the house, I left it unlocked. Never in a million years would I think Rusty would have snuck over to see me, but as I sat up in my own bed seeing him standing over me, I knew it was true.

  “What are you doin’ here?” “I think you know the answer to that.” “If my family finds out they might hogtie and torture you.”

  There was no telling what Noah had imagined doing to him. “I’m not concerned about your family. I ain’t here for

  them.” “Why are you here? I thought I told you to stay away from

  me.” “That’s not going to happen, Iz. I can’t leave you alone, not

  anymore.” “This changed nothin’! You’re not even the father of this

  child. How could you stand up and make such a mockery of yourself. They’re goin’ to find out the truth. It’s only a matter of time.” I wasn’t trying to threaten him, or bring him pain. I just wanted him to feel bad for adding to my stress.

  “I don’t care if they find out the truth. By that time it won’t matter anyway.”

  I was intrigued. “Why is that?” “Because you’ll be in love with me.” His statement shocked me, especially coming out of his

  mouth. He was always so quiet, never cocky. “What did you just say?”

  “I said you’ll be in love with me.” It was freaking me out that he was just standing over me, so I sat up and backed my ass further on my bed. He crouched down and leaned forward so our faces were even. “Once you admit it, there’s no telling what we could be.”

  I used my feet to push him away. “You’re foolin’ yourself if you think that will happen.”

  “I know you feel somethin’.”

  “I know you’re crazy. Please go home Rusty. I’ve had enough drama for one night.” All I wanted to do was go to sleep, or at least try.

  “I’ll leave, but only if you let me say one more thing.” “Whatever. Say it and go.” I crossed my arms and waited. He pointed at me as he spoke. “You said something to me

  tonight that I can’t shake off. I realize that I came onto you because of how you reminded me of my girls, but never since that very moment I felt those sweet lips on mine, have I ever compared you to them, or tried to replace them with you. This thing between us is real and it’s new.”

  “Please leave.” I could feel that burning in my throat again, and didn’t want him seeing me emotional. If he stayed for another second I was going to beg him to be with me, and that couldn’t happen.

  “I’m telling you the truth.”

  “I don’t care,” I lied again. “Just go. I’m too pissed at you to ever consider hearing the words comin’ out of your mouth.”

  He tossed his hands high above him. “Fine. This is obviously hopeless.”

  I listened for him to exit out the back door before I let myself cry. My life was a mess, and I knew I had to get it figured out before my baby was born.

  Chapter 23

  Rusty

  She’d shut me down again. You’d think I’d be used to it and stop trying, but no, I was always glutton for a punishment.

  Halfway back to my trailer I saw headlights coming in my direction. Since I was trying to avoid the family at all costs I darted into the woods and crouched down. The last thing I needed was to be in some kind of brawl. I was a grown man with morals. Just because they all believed me to be a terrible person didn’t mean it was real.

  When I got back to my trailer I locked the door and just stood there with my hand on the knob. I leaned my head against it and closed my eyes. This was one of those times where I craved a drink. Even though I knew it wouldn’t solve anything, it would at least numb the pain and frustration that I was feeling.

  It took me a while to leave that spot and kick off my boots. All of my efforts to impress her family had failed. Not even my ridiculously expensive outfit was going to help my cause. Once I was down to my boxer shorts I headed for the bedroom. The night was ending, and I needed to calm down before I woke up and had to answer all of their burning questions and accusations.

  I don’t really know how long I’d been asleep, but when I peered at the clock I noticed it was nearly three in the morning. Something had woken me up, so I sat there, waiting to see if it was just a dream or maybe a critter underneath the trailer.

  Then I heard it again. A light knocking caused me to jump out of bed and cautiously make my way to the front door. Being that her family was out for blood, I grabbed my large flashlight and prepared to open the door. In just my underwear, I cracked the door, shaking and ready to attack.

  Isabella stood there, her hands crossed over her chest. “Can you take a walk with me?”

  “It’s the middle of the night. Come inside.”

  The light of the moon was the only thing allowing me to see her. She looked down and then shook her head from side to side. “I can’t come inside, because we both know what will happen if I do.”

  I have to admit that hearing her say that gave me some comfort. It meant that no matter how mad she was at my actions, she still knew she’d want me. “I need to put on some pants. Can you at least step in here while I do that?”

  Even though she was hesitant, I watched as she climbed the three steps and stood in the doorway. I headed back the bedroom, the whole time wondering if I was dreaming this whole thing. She’d obviously walked all the way to my place in the middle of the night. When I came back out she was sitting on the couch. I stood in front of her and reached out my hand. “It’s warmer inside. Are you sure you want to walk?”

  “I’m not sure about anything. That’s why I’m here in the middle of the damn night. This is all so messed up. I don’t know what in the hell I’m doin’.” I kneeled down in front of her and placed my hand on her knees. “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  “You can’t touch me like that. You can’t touch me at all.” She stood up and pushed me to the side as she walked clear across the room. “This is the problem. I can’t be around you and not want somethin’ more. When you’re around it messes with my head.”

  “I’m not following you, Iz.”

  She took several steps toward me. While peering into my eyes she began to explain. “This thing between us has to be over, Rusty. I can’t keep fightin’ this.”

  I reached forward, grabbing the elastic to her pajama pants. She moved closer with ease, and her breath was hot against my face as I attempted to change her mind. “I can’t let you give up.”

  I watched her eyes close as I inched my lips to hers. My hand kept a firm hold on her pants, in fear that she’d try to pull away. Our first kiss was slow, and cautious. It wasn’t until I felt her hands touching my upper arms that I finally let go and wrapped my hands on her waist.

  Just as I was about to guide her back to my bedroom she pulled back. “No. I didn’t come here for this.”

  I wiped my mouth before speaking. “Then what? Did you walk all this way to tell me to go to Hell? These mood swings of yours are making my head spin, Iz. It’s like one second your right there with me and the next your somewhere else. I never know what to expect.”

  “Exactly!” She sat back down on the couch. “Don’t you get it? You make me crazy. It’s got to stop. All of this has to stop. That’s why I want you to stay away from me. I need to make good decisions. Please, if you care about me at all, you’ll let me do this.”

  I put my hands on my head unable to rationalize with her form of decision making. “This is ridiculous. I’m not some child you can send to the corner. I’m a grown man who wants to be with a grown woman. Why is that so hard for you to get? You say you’re confused, but all I’m seeing is you fighting yourself. You and I both know there’s something between us. Why can’t you admit it? Why is it so hard for you to look me in the eyes and tell me how you feel?”

  “You know why. I already told you. I’m not going to fill some void you have for your family. I don’t care how good you’d treat me.”

  “Isabella, don’t say that, especially when you know it ain’t the truth.”

  “The truth is a joke.” She began to sniffle like she was fighting tears. I pulled her to a standing position and forced her to look at me.

  “My feelings have nothing to do with who you may or may not look like. I want you because you make me feel alive again. I think about you all of the time because I can’t get your lips out of my head. I long to be with you because I’m falling in love with you.” My next words were almost a whisper. “Why can’t you believe that?”

  She looked away and started crying. “Because I can’t.” “You can’t, or you refuse to? Is this even about me?” She wouldn’t answer. “It’s not about me at all.” I let go of her arms and backed

  away. “It’s about the father of your child, isn’t it? After everything you’ve told me you still want to be with him?”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “How is it not like that? You either want to be with me, or you want to be with him. Don’t tell me that you don’t want your child to have a father, because one look at the bond you have with your own dad would prove that theory untrue.”

  I knew I was pushing the limits with her. If I knew anything I knew she was ready to break. It was never my intention to stress her out, but I certainly wasn’t okay with her walking away from me when I knew I was the better choice.

  “Rusty, please don’t make me answer. Just let me go back to my house.” Why was she avoiding it?

  “So that’s it? Does he know about the baby? Did you already call him, and that’s why you’re pissed at me? Did I ruin your plan to bring him back into the family?”

  “Stop it,” she pleaded.

  “No. I need to know. Is that it? Is that why you can’t let yourself fall in love with me?” Admittedly, saying that out loud brought up some feelings that I wasn’t prepared to experience. I wanted this woman, more than I even knew. The idea of her pushing me away for someone else hurt. It was like an oozing cut that was going to get infected and eventually cause me to lose a part of myself. I focused on my breathing as I spoke. “Please answer me.”

  “Yes, okay? It’s because of Tate. Are you happy now? Is this what you wanted, Rusty? Did you want me to come over tonight to hurt you? Does it make you feel better knowin’ that I don’t want to be with you?” Her words stabbed me in the heart, and for a few seconds I had to look away and clench my jaw to avoid showing her how her words were getting to me.

  “No,” I grabbed both of her arms and pulled her close to me. “I’m not happy, but I also know you’re lying about something. There’s no way that you don’t feel what’s between us. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me. TELL ME DAMN IT!” I raised my voice and watched her jump. Her glossed over eyes looked petrified.

  “I -.” She tried to speak, but couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  I knew what I had to do, and I wasn’t going to hold back this time. My lips smacked against hers, as my hand reached around and grabbed the back of her head. At first she tried to pull away from our kiss, but after only a few seconds she was being lifted in my arms and carried to my bed.

  There was nothing slow and passionate about this encounter. Clothes were ripped off as I prepared to claim her, to take what I knew was going to be mine. She wasn’t going to deny me what I already knew she wanted.

  Her naked body welcomed me. I filled her with every bit of pent up emotion I had in me. She clung to my skin, digging those nails deep into the edges of my back. The harder she

  scratched, the more I got off on it. Our lips collided, vigorously meshing our tongues only to pull away and tease each other with them. Our pace never slowed, knocking the headboard of my bed loudly against the wall in the room. She reached back and held onto the top of it, allowing me to slam in and out of her. Her pussy, so wet, yet tight enough to make my dick feel smothered, fulfilled my lust for her. The second I felt those inner walls squeezing, I came hard, hovering over her while I gained some sense of stability. Finally, after opening my eyes to admit what we’d just done, I peered into hers, waiting for her to respond in some way. When she said nothing I leaned down and drug my lips overs hers. Her eyes closed again, and I watched as she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and moaned. “I don’t care what you say, Iz. I know exactly where you want to be.”

  Since I didn’t feel like arguing, I fell to her side and held her close. We laid there naked, and together, falling asleep in each other’s arms.

  Chapter 24

  Isabella

  I woke up to a ray of sun coming in the bedroom window. It took me a second to realize that I wasn’t in my own

  bed. Rusty’s arm was stuck to my chest, and I took my time lifting it and moving it so that I could get up. I had every intention of being gone before he opened his eyes. It was better this way. No matter what he’d tried to get me to admit last night, it wasn’t going to change anything. I knew what I had to do, and as much as I wished we could be something more, I knew it wasn’t going to happen.

  I’d given him one more night to say goodbye. Maybe I should have told him that’s what it was, but some things were better left unsaid. That’s why my plan was to get back to my house before he even noticed that I wasn’t in his bed.

  I made it to the edge of the bed when someone started beating on his bedroom window. It frightened me, causing me to jump and lose my balance. I fell back on the bed, putting my hand up to my heart. With the curtains closed I had no idea who was knocking, but I couldn’t stand the thought of getting caught naked. Rusty reached over and I turned to look at him. He seemed tired, probably because we’d stayed up arguing, and then had sex. I was so stressed that sleeping wasn’t happening anyway. “Who the hell is beating on the window?”

  “I don’t know. Help me find my pants.” I scanned the room, but didn’t spot them.

  Rusty paid no attention to me being naked. He climbed out of bed and walked over to the window. The curtain opened and he shut it quickly. It was hard to not notice that he was standing in front of me without any clothes on. His morning erection was at full attention. He reached down and grabbed it, while heading for the bathroom.

  I started to ask who was at the window when he made the announcement. “Your dad’s outside. You should probably go let him in.”

  This was devastating. I’d made such progress with them only to be caught naked in Rusty’s bed. “Are you jokin’?”

  He had already started peeing when he answered. “Nope. He’s out there pacing around. Take a look for yourself. I leaned over and opened the curtain enough to look out. His face was up against the glass. “I know you’re in there. Let me in damn it.”

  I closed the curtain quickly and started rushing around the room in panic. The mirror on the bedroom door scared me when I saw my reflection out of the corner of my eye. Seeing my naked silhouette was also depressing. For a second I stood there looking at the bump that seemed to be growing every day. Rusty came in and headed for his dresser. “What are you doing? He’s really outside, Iz.”

  “I just want to prolong gettin’ reamed out for a couple minutes. I’m fat as shit. Look at my stomach.”

  He leaned over and nestled his head up to my neck, kissing me softly as he spoke. “You’re pregnant and beautiful. There’s a life inside of you. You’re not fat.”

  “Ew, how can you say that? How can you want to be with me when I look like this? I’m just goin’ to get fatter.”

  My dad beat on the window again. “I know you’re in there, Isabella Mitchell.”

  Rusty dressed faster than me and headed out into the kitchen. I found him very brave to be able to invite my dad in when it was obvious that I’d spent the night. For a few seconds

  I felt like a teen again, who was about to be punished for months.

  After I gave up on my pajama pants, and settled for a pair of his boxers, I threw on my bra and a t-shirt and walked into the living room. Rusty was making coffee, standing in the kitchen, while my dad sat in a chair near the front door.

  I walked in and sat on the couch across from him, still contemplating what to say. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Your mom and I got up early to take you out to breakfast. When you weren’t in your room, I figured I’d find you here. So,” He scratch his head and looked toward Rusty, avoiding making eye contact with me. “did you want to go with us, Rusty?”

  I looked over at the man I’d spent the night with. His hair was sticking up, and his t-shirt was on backwards. He’d gotten dressed so fast that he hadn’t even noticed. My eyes were telling him to say ‘no’, so of course he said ‘yes’.

  “Great. I’m just going to wait over at your house until you both get dressed. Van’s making a big breakfast for everyone, but I already told her we were doing our own thing. See you in a few, guys.” My dad got up and left without looking at me one time. I couldn’t believe how disappointed I felt with myself.

  “Oh my God. My dad hates me.”

  “He does not. He’s trying to be supportive. It’s obvious that we’re together, so he wants to get to know me. If that’s what I have to do then...”

  “We’re not together, Rusty.”

  “I’m not doing this with you again. You say one thing when I know it’s the opposite. You wouldn’t have stayed with me if you didn’t want to.”

  I was tired of fighting with him. “I’m tellin’ my parents Tate is the father.” It was the only way to get him to stop pushing me.