MattJuly-Two Years AgoCara paced the beach under the pier in pouty strides, pure pissed off vibes shooting into the night.I watched her, determined not to give into her this time. Tomorrow, I'd be heading back home to Greensboro, and I wasn't leaving things like this between us. She was beginning to come down off her high, her hands shaking, and I braced myself for the sharp lash of her tongue.Slowly, I drew in salt-tinged air and struggled for patience. We'd been at this an hour already. "I'm willing to try if you meet me halfway."She rounded on me. "You're insane. This was a fucking hookup, nothing more.""Then why are you still here arguing with me?" My gaze wove over her too-thin frame, her short knotted black strands. "I'll tell you why. Because you want to try, too.""Bullshit," she muttered, but it was weak."Go to rehab. Get clean. Work this shit out of your body and I'll come back down to Myrtle. Or you can come up to Greensboro." I ran a hand down my face, not

MattMy folks were with Ian's parents in Charlestown and would be driving straight home to Greensboro afterward, since there was some ugly weather headed our way starting tomorrow. For the moment, the news reports just had it listed as a storm system coming in from the Gulf, yet that could change quickly on the coast. We were out of hurricane season, but that didn't mean the risk wasn't there. Alas, my house would be my own again this weekend. My plan was to have this day with Amber, kiss her at the end, and if there was nothing, I'd call things off. Jenny had been right on that account. I was doing the same thing with Amber that I'd done with Summer. There had to be some medium between falling batshit in lust over a woman and feeling nothing at all. Attraction deep enough to satisfy and shoot toward a future without losing myself in the process. Somehow, I'd find that place and grow roots.But Jenny and I were going to clear the air. Battle it out. I couldn't keep going on like

JennyOh God. God, God, God. No wonder. No wonder he'd freaked out and had chosen to be celibate. To him, her death was his fault, and that was directly tied to sex in his mind. Matt had such a deep, ingrained respect for women and a white knight syndrome to the nth degree. Guilt. Blame. Loathing. That's the result of stepping outside the box, the kind of guy he was-selfless, kind, compassionate. He'd spent the past two years punishing himself."Matt, she was an addict long before you met. You tried. You called a taxi after she refused your help." Setting the wine aside, I crawled across the couch and cupped his jaw. "What happened to her wasn't your fault. You'd never do anything to hurt anyone."He swallowed, the look in his eyes begging for forgiveness. "I didn't just hurt her. I'm responsible for her death."Tears formed in my eyes before I could get a grip. "Am I responsible for my mom's overdose?""What?" His eyes rounded. "No, of course not.""Even though I went to schoo

JennyI awoke slowly to a man's hot skin flush against my back and arms banded around me. It took me a moment to orientate, but Matt's familiar scent sifted through my sleepy haze. One of his thighs was wedged between mine, his fingers splayed between my breasts. He snored lightly, face buried in my hair. Smiling, I was unable to fight the giddy bubble of happy. After years of wanting him, we'd finally connected. The first time had been quick and explosive, the second just as desperate, but with more finesse. Yet even through the passion, he'd taken measures to ensure I not only joined him, but that he was careful. Subtle moves I doubt he even realized, like putting his forearm between my back and the wall so I didn't bruise while he'd thrust, or keeping his hands on the headboard so I didn't drift too far and smack my head while he'd taken me in bed. Being with him had been better than I'd dreamed about, and I'd thought about having him this way a lot.Yawning, I glanced at the ni

MattThe woman was killing me. Killing. Me. Dead.If it wasn't the strike-me-now bartender/musician side of her personality taking up all available retail space in my head, her sweater-wearing, endearing, generous side managed to complete the task. One minute she was my best friend, making me laugh until I required a respirator, the next she was taking me inside her body with reckless abandon and...making me require a respirator. For all intents and purposes, we were a normal couple. We shared meals, snuggled after mind-blowing sex, talked all the time. But none of this felt normal to me. I don't know if that was because it was Jenny or if the blame lay on the fact I hadn't truly had anything close to a real relationship before. There had been lovers, girlfriends, potentials, yet nothing in this kind of realm. Not like the balance Jenny and I had.And something was bothering her. She sat across my kitchen table from me, picking at her food. Despite her incredibly petite size, she