What The Heart Craves (Complete)

Chapter 7 - Part 1

Lacey

I was sitting in the living room watching TV when I heard the front door open. It would be my brother and Adonis, I'd prepared myself. Unfortunately Adonis wasn't some random guy that I could just ignore, he was a part of my life.

For the first day after our kiss I had heard nothing from him, but a day later he sent me a message.

We need to talk.

I had ignored him and a few hours without a response, he'd sent me another one.

We need to talk about what happened.

I didn't respond to that message either. After that he'd tried to call me twice, but I refused to answer. I would not let him off that easily. After what he'd put me through, he could sweat it out for a few days. Besides, ignoring him for the last two days had made me feel a little better. It was a little childish, but I couldn't help myself.

The moment he entered the room behind my brother, I felt the heat of his gaze on me. Stubbornly, I kept my eyes fixed on the TV screen in front of me, refusing to meet his. My parents were out for the night at a function for my father's work.

"What crap is this?" Alex dropped into the seat beside me and Adonis sat into the beside him.

"Entertaining crap." I shot back without batting an eyelid. There was no way I was going to change the channel. Alex was a pain. If I wasn't watching something he found interesting, he referred to as rubbish and whined until I gave in and changed the channel. But this time I would not give in.

I kind of felt like I gave in all the time to keep the peace, but that would not happen anymore. Like before, I would have pretended nothing had happened between Adonis and I. I would have just acted like normal, but that would not happen anymore.

I would not be a doormat. My brother had glared at me for a few minutes before he let out a frustrated sigh and got up.

"You want something to drink?" he asked his friend.

"No, I'm good." Adonis shook his head, and my brother stalked out the room to the kitchen.

An uncomfortable silence descended. Although I was staring at the TV, but I wasn't seeing anything. I was so aware of the asshole who'd kissed me and then apologized it was hard to concentrate, but I ignored him.

"Harp," he said my name so softly.

Finally, I faced him. He was looking at me with his soft blue eyes and it was hard not to get pulled in by them.

"Don't." I tried to remain calm even though my stomach flipped at the sight of him.

"We need to talk," he whispered. It was obvious he was trying to keep what happened from my brother. It was the first time I thought about how Alex would react if he found out.

"There's nothing to talk about." I shut him down straight away. It had been two days since the party and I'd had enough time to figure out what I would say to him when the time came.

He got a determined look in his eyes, but I would not let him get his way.

"You had your chance to explain, but you walked out," I said. He pressed his lips together. "I'm not some groupie that you can use when you feel like it."

"That's not-" Adonis said.

"-I don't want to hear it." I cut him off with a wave of my hand.

My brother's return stopped any further conversation between us, and I kept my eyes on the TV. Alex opened a can of soda as he sat down beside me.

The doorbell rang, and my brother looked at me with a questioning look.

"You expecting someone?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." I stood up and went to the front door.

"Hey," Aiden greeted me when I opened the door. He wore faded jeans and a black shirt. He was a good-looking guy, but it was only Adonis who made my heart race.

"Hi." I greeted him with a smile.

"I hope I'm not too early."

"No, it's fine." I stepped aside to let him inside. "I just want to let me brother know that I'm going out."

He followed me into the living room. Alex stood up and gave Aiden the once over brother glare. He always did that when I brought a guy home. It was like I needed his permission, which I didn't but he struggled to understand that.

I saw recognition in Adonis then anger when he saw Aiden. It was hard not to enjoy the smugness I felt at his visible reaction to seeing my friend.

This wasn't a date, we'd decided to just stay friends. Besides, it probably wasn't the best idea trying to jump into something with someone else when I still felt the way I did about Adonis. Somehow I had to work through those feelings first before I could hope to move on with someone else.

I introduced Aiden to my brother and Adonis. While my brother sized him up as he shook his hand, Adonis had an unreadable expression.

"I'm going out," I told my brother. "I'll be back later."

Adonis was stoic, unable to make a scene in front of my brother without having to explain why.

I hurried to get my jacket, not wanting to leave Aiden with the other two for too long.

"Where are you guys going?" Alex eyed out Aiden.

"None of your business." I took Aiden's hand. I didn't miss the slight clench of Adonis' jaw as his eyes took in the small action.

I led Aiden out of the living room and out of the house.

"Sorry about that. My brother is a little protective," I said as Aiden opened the passenger side of his car. I got into the seat before he closed the door and busied myself with the seatbelt.

"It's fine. I'm used to over protective brothers." He got into the driver's seat and put his seatbelt on. "What I'm not used to is the over protective brother's jealous best friend."

I shrugged. Before I would have analyzed everything to death hoping that it proved that he cared for me the way I wanted him to, but I refused to allow that to happen now.

"Has he tried to talk to you about what happened at the party?" He pulled out of my driveway.

"Yes, but I'm not interested in what he has to say." I crossed my arms. "He had his chance, and he left like a coward."

Aiden gave me a side glance before turning back to watch the road.

"He might have a good reason he acted the way he did," he said.

"Whose side are you on?" I glared at him playfully. I didn't want to think about Adonis, and I didn't want to spend our evening talking about him either.

"I have your back and you know it," he said.

"Good, because I don't want to talk about him. You promised me an evening of fun and I'm holding you to it," I said.

"How does miniature golf sound?" he asked.

"I probably should have told you I'm a deadly with a golf stick." A smile that spread across my lips.

"Really?"

I nodded my head.

"Once I connected with my brother's head because he was standing too close when I took a swing at the ball." I grinned. From that moment on, my brother had always ensured he was standing a safe distance away from me when I held a golf club.

"Thanks for the warning." He smiled.

I was already enjoying our evening; it was exactly what I needed.