Forbidden Love

Chapter 27

"Demi."

I grumbled.

"Demi, wake up." Meg urged in a panic.

"What?" I whined and pulled the blanket tighter around my body. This child has always seemed to have a bad tendency in waking me up too early.

Before I knew it, I was shoved off the warm, comfortable couch and greeted with the ice cold floor. Shocked, I sat up and glared at Megs worried expression. "Someone's trying to get in."

Rubbing my eyes, I heard the rattling of keys that Meg was so frightened about. "It's probably my dad."

I reluctantly got up and sat back down on the couch next to Meg who had calmed down.

The door slowly creaked open and Dylan quietly shut it behind him. Paralysed to my spot, I watched as he turned around and his eyes locked with mine. "Demi?"

Meg jolted up from the couch and flung herself at Dylan who was totally caught off guard. "Oh my gosh, you must be Dylan." She pulled back and smiled widely at Dylan who looked confused to hell and gone. "I'm Meg, Demi's best friend."

His eyes stayed glued to mine as he introduced himself to Meg. "Dylan."

"Demi has told me so much about you-"

"I'm so sorry Meg. But I would like to talk to Demi if you don't mind."

Heat crept up my neck as I realised I had just been sleeping and probably had the worst hair day of my life. "We'll be right back, Meg."

Meg smiled obliviously on purpose as I brushed past her, Dylan following behind. I glanced over my shoulder at Meg and she had that knowing look on her face.

Entering my room, Dylan shut the door behind him and sat down beside me. He drew one leg up and rested his arm on his knee cap. "Did you sleep with Aiden?" His calm demeanour took me by suprise. How was he not freaking out?

"I was drunk, Dylan." He got up and paced up and down the room.

"Fuck!" His fist pounded into the wall, tearing open his knuckles immediately. "That bastards going to die!" Never mind.

"It wasn't Aiden's fault, Dylan!"

"I left for two days and he couldn't keep his filthy hands off of you." He cursed. "I told him not to touch you."

"Excuse me?" I got up from my sitting position and pushed past Dylan. His palm wrapped around my wrist, spinning me back around to face him. "How dare you!"

"How dare I?" The heat radiated of his body that trapped me against the wall. "How dare you?!" I swallowed heavily as his eyes bore into mine. "How dare you sleep with my best friend."

"You don't own me." I dared to say. "We were never dating."

His hand beside my head slammed against the wall, frightening the living daylights out of me. "Shut up. You still had feelings for me." His hot breath hit my neck and goosebumps exploded over my torso. He'd never spoken to me like that. I knew I had to be the grown up one between the both of us and stop this bantering.

"I did." I admitted. "And I'm sorry. I should have never slept with Aiden." Dylan's face softened immediately and the creases between his eyebrows disappeared  "I'm tired, Dylan. I'm tired of us fighting." He glanced up at me with his bloodshot eyes that had black rings under them that I had only noticed now. "And I think you are too." His hand brushed through his hair as he nodded his head in response. "Meg's fiance, Cole, is coming over tonight. I think you might like him. Let's just try and get along for their sake."

°°°

I never would have suggested that restaurant if I had known how bad their service was going to be. I don't know how, but luckily we all survived the dinner without anyone throwing up.

"Well," Dylan begun as he dropped his car keys on the dinning room table. "Let's make a note to remind ourselves never to go there again."

We all laughed in agreement as we headed towards the lounge. Tonight was a breeze. Dylan and I managed to put our shit aside for once and focus on the present.

"We going to bed." Meg announced, practically dragging Cole up the stairs behind her. Meg and I exchanged glances, very aware that they were not going to sleep. And just to make it obvious, Meg leaned over the railing at the top of the stair case and said, "You may want to put on music or something."

My eyes widened as Cole laughed, trailing after her. "Wow," I said. "That was. . ."

"Awkward." Dylan finished for me. I glanced at the clock, it was later than I thought.

"You know what, I think I'm going to go to bed." I declared.

"Oh," Dylan replied with disappointment. "Okay."

Megs exuberant laughter carried down the stairs. I had completely forgotten that I had offered my bedroom to Meg and Cole for the night, big mistake.

"You could stay in my room if you'd like." Dylan offered.

"Are you sure?" I asked cautiously. "Where will you sleep?"

"On the floor." Without a reply, Dylan added, "I'll be right up."

I smiled and continued to the bathroom to prepare for bed. Dylan knocked lightly on the bathroom door while I was brushing my teeth. "I'm changing out here, so give me a minute before you come out."

"Okay," I responded, my voice garbled with a mouthful of toothpaste. And of course, the only thing I could think about was Dylan changing. I've missed the warm contact of Dylan's body agaisnt mine.

I rinsed my mouth and washed my face, patting it dry just as he knocked again. "You can come in." I announced.

Dylan opened the door, dressed in a pair of boxers and a worn out T-shirt. "Here." He handed me one of his shirts and suggested I wore that for the night.

I thanked him as I brushed past and started unchanging into the shirt. I got into bed and clicked on the bedside lamp. I could hear the water running as Dylan brushed his teeth and the only thought that kept crossing my mind was his wet lips.

I opened my book as Dylan emerged from the bathroom, setting my bookmark on the pillow next to me.

He threw a duvet out on the floor along with a pillow. "Would you like to talk about this afternoon."

Dylan stopped what he was doing and glanced at me. "I think we've discussed everything that needs to be discussed."

"Okay." I replied, softly. "Sit with me."

His eyes locked with mine and I anticipated what he was going to do next. He slowly made his way over to the bed and slipped under the covers on the far end, not far enough.

Dylan lay there silently as I read. I could feel the heat radiate from his body along my skin.

At one point he shifted, brushing his arm along mine. I closed my eyes, pushing away the desire to touch him as I placed the book on the bedside table.

"I shouldn't have told Aiden not to touch you." The firmness of his body against my side and his scent kept me captive, stopping me from moving a single muscle. I was afraid to lose his touch, his warmth. "Maybe I should go downstairs."

Just as he turned on his back, I uttered, "Don't go." He was suddenly very still. "Just. . . lie next to me."

He exhaled deeply. I realised he needed some distance, so I rolled on my side and shut off the light. A few minutes later, Dylan slid behind me and wrapped his arm firmly around my waist, pulling me back until I felt the warmth of his body against mine.

I felt for his hand around my waist and gripped it tightly in front of me. "I should never have spoken to you like that. I'm so sorry Demi." He whispered in my ear. My breath faltered.

"Don't be."