Collin (A Forever Novel) Read online

“It’s going to be so cool. I can’t wait.”

  “Are you coming up tomorrow or Saturday?”

  “My mom said we can’t leave until Saturday because I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow after she gets off work.”

  “That’s okay. You see your doctor first. That’s more important. See ya Saturday, little buddy.”

  “That was Jacob. My dad invited him and Diana to the beach house.”

  “Cool. I can’t wait to finally meet them.” She smiled.

  I stared into her eyes and placed my hand on her cheek. “So, you’re my girlfriend?” I asked with a smile.

  She bit down on her bottom lip before answering me. “So, you’re my boyfriend?”

  I chuckled as I kissed her. “I am.”

  “Then I’m your girlfriend.” She smiled as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

  “So it’s official.”

  “It’s official,” she said.

  I wanted nothing more than to make love to her at that moment, but I knew she wasn’t ready yet and I was more than willing to wait until she was.

  “Since we’re leaving in the morning and you don’t have classes or clinicals, why don’t you spend the night at the penthouse and we can leave together.”

  “Really? Your mom and dad wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Maybe you better ask first.”

  I raised my eyebrow at her. “Seriously? You want me to ask?”

  “Yes. They’re your parents and it’s their penthouse. So, out of respect, it would be best to ask them.”

  “You’re right,” I said as I sent a text message to my mom.

  “Can Amelia spend the night in the guest room since we’re leaving in the morning?”

  “Great idea. She’s more than welcome to spend the night here.”

  I looked at her and showed her my phone. “See, I told you they wouldn’t care.”

  She smiled at me and got up to pack her bag for the weekend. “Can I help you with anything?” I asked.

  “No, it will only take me a minute. Oh, can you grab my charger out of the desk drawer?”

  I got up from the couch and, when I opened the drawer, there was a picture of her, her dad, and her sister in front of T-Rex Sue. I pulled it out and, as I was looking at it, she walked up behind me.

  “That’s Sue,” she said over my shoulder.

  “I know,” I said as I pulled out my phone and brought up the picture that I took at the Field Museum.

  “Hey, you have a picture of Sue too!” She smiled.

  “That’s one of my most favorite museums,” I said.

  “Mine too. My dad took us there about four years ago for the first time and I loved it.”

  “I’ll take you back there and we can get a picture of us in front of her.” I smiled.

  “I would love that,” she said as she kissed my lips.

  She was becoming more and more perfect to me and she was fitting perfectly into my world. I loved sharing the museum with Diana and Jacob, but to share it with someone I was falling in love with would be even more amazing. I pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and placed my finger under her chin.

  “You’re perfect.”

  “No, I’m not. Nobody’s perfect.”

  “Well, as true as that may be, you’re perfect to me.” I smiled.

  Our lips met once again and, this time, it was more than a small kiss. It was comforting and passionate. I inched her backwards until she was leaning against the wall. I placed my hand above her head while our lips moved together in sync. I kept my other hand firmly planted on her hip so it didn’t wander where it wanted to go. My tongue left her mouth and, as it softly explored her neck, she let out a moan that sent me over the edge.

  “We have to stop,” I said with bated breath.

  “I know,” she whispered.

  I sighed as I moved away from her and she looked at me. “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. I’ll wait for you for as long as it takes.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to have sex with you, Collin. I do. But I just feel like it’s not the right time.”

  I slightly smiled at her and placed my hands on each side of her face. “We’ll both know when the right time comes and it will be amazing.”

  “I have no doubt that it will be amazing. Just being with you makes me feel like that.”

  I placed my forehead on hers and we kissed one last time before heading to the penthouse.

  ****

  We stepped off the elevator and my mom came walking down the stairs with a smile.

  “Hi, Amelia. Welcome to our penthouse.”

  “Thanks, Ellery.”

  “Mom. She’s been here before.”

  “I know that, Collin. But she’s never stayed the night,” she said as she shot me a look and grabbed Amelia’s bag from me. “I’ll show her where the guest room is and you go talk to your dad. He’s in the living room.”

  Amelia looked at me and smiled as she followed my mom upstairs. I walked into the living room. My dad was sitting on the couch with his laptop.

  “Hi, son. How was your evening?”

  “It was good, Dad.”

  “How are things going with you and Amelia?”

  “Things are good. I really like her.” I smiled.

  “I think you should know that Hailey flew back to New York today.”

  “The last time I talked to her, she told me she was. We sort of got disconnected when she asked if I was happy that she was coming back.”

  “Ah.” He smiled. “I’ve pulled that a few times myself. It’s so unfortunate when that happens.”

  “Right? I learned from the best.” I smiled at him.

  Just as he was about to say something else about Hailey, my mom and Amelia walked into the room.

  “What are you two talking about?” my mom asked.

  “Just going over a few business things,” my dad replied.

  I got up and led Amelia to the kitchen. “Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?”

  “I’m fine, Collin.” She smiled as she wrapped her arms around me. “Your mom is amazing. She told me that if I ever needed to talk about anything, to come to her. She’s such a warm and caring person.”

  “Yeah, she is. She had a really rough childhood and both her parents died when she was young. She’s been through a lot, so she understands,” I said as I tucked her hair behind her ear and softly kissed her lips.

  “It’s getting late and we need to be up early in the morning. Maybe we should head upstairs,” she said.

  I led her upstairs and kissed her goodnight. I walked across the hall and back to my room. I got undressed, put on my black pajama bottoms, and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth. The door was closed, so I knocked.

  “Amelia, are you in there?”

  “Yeah, I was going to brush my teeth,” she said as she opened the door.

  “Me too. May I join you?” I smiled.

  “It’s your bathroom, silly.” She laughed. “Come on in.”

  I grabbed my toothbrush and stood in front of the sink next to her. I could see her eyeing me up and down as I was trying to avoid looking at how sexy she looked in her little shorts and tank top. I could feel myself starting to get hard. Oh God, not now. Once I was finished brushing, I rinsed off my toothbrush and put it away. I turned and looked at her as she brushed her beautiful blonde hair.

  “Okay, goodnight,” I said as I tried to get out of there as fast as I could.

  “Wait,” she said.

  I turned around and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m thinking that maybe you should give me one more kiss goodnight.”

  I stared at her with a small smile as I placed my hands on her hips. “Your wish is my command,” I said as I leaned in closer and kissed her.

  She brought up her hands to my bare chest and softly stroked it as our lips enjoyed each other. It was torture as f
ar as I was concerned because I wanted to be inside her so badly. I broke our soft kiss and we stared into each other’s eyes as I lifted her up and sat her on the counter. She took my hand and placed it underneath her tank top, up to her bare breast. I softly caressed her breast as I took her erect nipple between my fingers. She let out a soft moan and I immediately removed my hand.

  “You’re killing me, Amelia.”

  “I’m sorry. I just—”

  “I know,” I said as I took her face in my hands and kissed her lips. “Not here. Not in my bathroom, and certainly not in my house with my parents down the hall. Wrap your legs around me.” I smiled.

  She did as I asked and I lifted her from the counter and carried to her bed. I laid her down and kissed her forehead. “Get some sleep,” I said. As I got up from the bed, she grabbed my hand. I turned around and looked at her.

  “When I’m with you, I forget about everything bad that’s happened in my life.”

  “Me too.” I smiled.

  “Good night, Collin.”

  “Good night, Amelia.”

  I walked back to my room and climbed into bed. I couldn’t stop thinking about her and how, if I wouldn’t have stopped it, we could’ve had sex for the first time in my bathroom, with my parents down the hall. I couldn’t let that happen. With Amelia, things were different as far as sex was concerned. She wasn’t going to be a fly-by-night, wham-bam, thank-you-ma’am type of fuck. I was going to make sure that it would be magical and something she’d never forget. She deserved that and much more. I closed my eyes with the image of me making love to her in my mind and suddenly, I was awoken by her softly calling my name.

  “Collin, are you awake?”

  I opened my eyes and all I saw was her silhouette standing next to my bed. “What’s wrong?”

  “I had a nightmare about the accident,” she whispered.

  “Come here,” I said as I patted the other side of the bed and rolled over.

  She climbed under the covers and into my arms. Her face was wet with tears and she was shaking. “Shh. You’re okay. I’m here,” I said as I kissed her head. I lay there with her, sheltering her from the nightmare that brought her into my arms.

  Chapter 21

  I awoke and I was alone. I got up, walked to Amelia’s room, and lightly tapped on the door. When I didn’t get a response, I opened it. She wasn’t in there. I walked downstairs and found her in the kitchen with my mom, making breakfast.

  “Good morning, Collin,” my mom said as she walked over and kissed my cheek.

  “Morning, Mom.”

  Amelia smiled at me as I walked over and softly kissed her on the lips. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning.” She smiled back at me.

  “Where’s Dad?”

  “He’ll be down in a minute. He was getting dressed, which is something you should already be doing, mister,” my mom said as she pointed at me with a spatula.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower right now. I’ll be back in fifteen.”

  “Make it ten and hurry up. Breakfast is almost ready.”

  I dashed back up the stairs and hit the shower. As I was coming out of the bathroom, my dad was walking down the hall.

  “Morning, son,” he said.

  “Morning, Dad. You better hurry up and get down there for breakfast before Mom yells.”

  “I already got an earful when you were in the shower. Maybe if someone would’ve just gotten out of bed instead of—”

  I covered my ears. “La la la.”

  He chuckled and walked downstairs. I followed behind a few minutes later and sat at the table for the pancake and fruit breakfast my mom and Amelia made for us before heading to the beach house.

  Amelia and I climbed into my Range Rover while my mom and dad got into theirs. My dad suggested that we all drive together, but I liked to drive myself. You never know if and when you need to leave early. Amelia reached over and took hold of my hand. I looked over at her and smiled.

  “I haven’t had the chance to thank you for letting me sleep in your bed last night. I’m really sorry about that.”

  “There’s no need to apologize and you’re welcome. Believe me when I say it was my pleasure. Do you always have nightmares about the accident?”

  “Sometimes I do.”

  I brought her hand up to my mouth and pressed it against my lips. “I’ll do everything I can to prevent you from having them.”

  We arrived at the beach house and I pulled up beside my dad. I grabbed my and Amelia’s bags and headed upstairs to my room.

  “Julia and Jake will be staying across the hall in her room and you can stay in the guest room next to mine. It used to be my mom and dad’s room until my dad added an addition with bedrooms to the back of the house. It got to be really annoying when they would constantly have sex and I could hear them.”

  “Your mom and dad are so cool and so in love.” She laughed.

  “Yeah, well, sometimes they have a problem keeping their hands off each other, especially in front of people.”

  “I think it’s great.”

  I took her bags to the room next door and set them on the bed. “Jake and Julia should be here soon.”

  We walked downstairs. My mom and dad were in the kitchen, kissing. I rolled my eyes.

  “See, told you. Excuse me, parents. We have company and she’s not yet accustomed to your open sexual behavior, so could you please tone it down and not embarrass your son in front of his girlfriend?”

  They both stood there and looked at me. “Didn’t you warn Amelia about us?” my mom asked.

  “Yes, I did. But still.”

  “It’s okay. I think it’s wonderful.” Amelia smiled.

  “See, son. She doesn’t mind.” My dad chuckled.

  “Why did you tell them that?”

  She giggled as I grabbed her hand and led her down to the beach. I ran into the water until it was up to my knees, and when I turned around, I saw Amelia standing at the shoreline.

  “Come here,” I said as I held out my hand.

  “No. I’m fine right here.”

  “Amelia. What’s wrong?”

  She stared straight ahead at the water and then it hit me. The accident. The things she experienced in the water. She was scared. She was too scared to go in the water. I walked back up to the shore and wrapped my arms around her.

  “It’s okay. We can go another time.”

  “I don’t go in the water anymore, Collin. Not since the accident and that’s how it’s going to stay.”

  Just as I was about to say something, I heard Julia yell my name.

  “Collin, Amelia!” She waved from the house.

  “Come on; let’s go see Julia and Jake.” I smiled as I took her hand.

  We ran up to the house and I shook Jake’s hand and hugged my sister. “Whoa,” I said as I placed my hand on her belly. “It’s getting impossible to hug you anymore.”

  Julia laughed as she playfully hit me on my arm. She took Amelia inside and I stayed outside with Jake. A few moments later, my dad came walking out with a couple of beers. He handed one to me and then one to Jake.

  “Thanks, Dad.” I smiled as I sat down at the table.

  “I saw you and Amelia down by the water,” he said.

  “She won’t go in. The shoreline is as far as she’ll go. She said doesn’t go in the water anymore and that’s how it’s going to stay.”

  My dad looked at me and sighed. “Well, I can understand that, considering what happened to her, but is it going to pose a problem when we go out on the boat this evening?”

  “I don’t know, Dad. I’ll have to ask her.”

  “I feel really bad for her,” Jake said as he set down his beer.

  “Me too, bro.”

  The women came outside and Amelia sat down on my lap. She smiled as I kissed her cheek. I held my beer up to her lips and asked her if she wanted a sip. She nodded her head and I slightly tipped the bottle. She looked damn sexy drinking beer from a bott
le. I was nervous to ask her about going on the boat. If she wouldn’t go in the water, I was certain that she wouldn’t go on a boat.

  Julia, Jake, my mom, and my dad all went into town to do some shopping. They asked us to come along, but I just wanted to stay back and relax with Amelia. Plus, it gave me the chance to talk to her about going on the boat. We walked hand in hand down to the beach and sat in the sand.

  “My family is going out on the boat tonight.”

  “Oh,” she said as she looked down.

  “You don’t want to go?” I asked.

  “No. I can’t get on another boat.”

  I noticed that she started to shake. “Amelia, relax. You don’t have to go.”

  “I’ll just stay back at the house and wait for you.”

  “I’m not going if you don’t.”

  “This is your family. You have to.”

  “They’ll understand,” I said.

  She stood up and started to walk away. “Where are you going? Come back here.”

  “Maybe this was a mistake coming here this weekend.”

  I quickly got up and walked over to her. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because you and your family like to do the things I can’t and it’s not fair to you.”

  “You mean the things you won’t. Not ‘can’t.’”

  She turned away from me and didn’t say a word.

  “Amelia, look at me.”

  “It’s not up for discussion anymore, Collin. This is who I am, and nothing, especially you, is going to change that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to lie down for a little bit.”

  She walked back to the house and left me standing on the beach. She was upset and I could see the terror in her eyes when I mentioned the boat. I put my hands in my pockets and walked back to the house. I grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat outside. I wanted to go comfort her, but I could tell she wanted to be alone and I was going to respect that. Her fears were understandable, but she couldn’t stop living life because of the accident and I needed to make her see that. Maybe I was crossing the line, but I cared about her more than I ever cared about anyone in my life and I wasn’t about to sit back and watch her stop living.

  A while later, as I was sitting outside, Julia came and sat down next to me. “Where’s Amelia?” she asked.

  “She’s lying down.”