Pure Passion by M. T. Stone, Megan Hershenson Read Free Book Online Page B

from behind. 
    “I’m sorry Celeste, but I can’t even look at you after what
happened the other night,” I replied, keeping my back toward her.  “How did you
think this was going to play out?  You thought I wouldn’t mind if I had to
share you with my dad?  Jesus! Just go home, Celeste.”
    “I’m not giving up on you that easily, Max,” she said as I
felt her arms drop away from me.  “We’re soul mates, you’ve told me that a
million times.”
    She was right.  I used to say it all the time.  I may have
been confused about what a soul mate was though.  It was true that I loved most
things about Celeste: her looks, her body, how she moved in bed.  However, a
soul mate should also make you feel good about yourself, something she hadn’t
done in a long, long time.  That’s what I found most attractive about Lara. 
She made me feel good.
    “Good night, Celeste.  I’m going to sleep on my little
futon.”  Just go away. Honestly, it’s all I want from you.
    “You don’t need to stay here. Come home, Max!” she pleaded
irrationally.
    “Home?  That’s not home, Celeste.  Just walking through that
door again would make me hurl!  We’re done, so please just leave me alone.  I
don’t want to see you around anymore!”
    After closing the door, I gazed out the window as she walked
slowly down the sidewalk muttering to herself.  Nine years was a long time.  Even
if I could manage to forgive her, things would never be the same between us.  It
could never be the same.
    Lara
    Driving home, I couldn’t help wondering what was happening
between Max and Celeste.  Damn. Why did she have to show up?  We were having
such a great time together.  There’s no way Max would take her back.  Would he?
    Almost home, I decided to turn back and drive by Max’ workshop
again, just to see if Celeste was still there.  If she was, I wasn’t sure what
I would do about it anyway; if she was gone, then at least I would have slept
better .  I hated not knowing .  Within two or three blocks of his
place, my phone buzzed. It was Max.
    “Hi, Max!”  Ok, that was a little over-the-top excited.
    “Hi, Lara. Sorry our night got cut short,” he said, sounding
exasperated.
    “That’s alright. How did everything go?”
    “Fine.  She’s delusional if she thinks I’m ever taking her
back.  I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”
    Yes!
    “Is that what you told her?”
    “Pretty much. I don’t remember exactly how it went down, but
I couldn’t even look at her.  She finally left after I went inside.”
    “Do you want me to stop by and talk?”  Please say yes.
Please say yes.
    “No, just stay home and get some rest.  You have to work
tomorrow.”
    “That’s true, I’ll touch base with you after work,” I
replied, hoping he wouldn’t notice my disappointment or the fact that I was
still driving around.  Then I would have had to make up a story, like I stopped
at the grocery store at 2:20 a.m.  Luckily, he didn’t notice the background
noise.
    When I finally got home and went to bed, I was too excited
to sleep.  Not only was Max interested in me, but now we would be living under
the same roof.  Yum!  This is going to be great!
    ~~~
    Driving to work on Saturday, I thought out my dilemma with
Max and Brea.  Somehow, I had to tell Derek not to let Brea know that I was
living under the same roof as Max.  If he mentioned it to her, she would
probably show up on our doorstep the next day hoping to “talk me down.”  At the
same time, I didn’t want Derek to know how obsessed I was with Max in my
younger days.  Both Mom and Brea had made me feel as if I were a crazy person,
and I didn’t want Max to ever see me that way.  Besides, I needed to play it
cool since guys tend to run when a girl is overly obsessed with them.
    I decided the easiest way out would be telling a little
white lie that Brea had a huge crush on Max in high school.  She lived almost
seven hours away, so it