Craving My Brother's Best Friend (Bailey and Kaleb) novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Baileys POV

When I opened my eyes, everything was hazy.

My head ached and my mouth was dry. I blinked against the light creeping through the blinds.

For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The sheets were strange, the ceiling was strange.

Then I turned my head and my heart nearly stopped.

A

vouchers

Kaleb lay beside me. His arm was draped around my waist, his chest rising and falling slowly as he slept.

I looked down at myself and my naked body pressed against him.

“Stupid bitch,” I groaned under my breath. I pressed my palms against my face.

“What the hell did I do?”

Last night came back to me in flashes. The party, Lila falling into the pool, me drinking. His arms carrying me away, The kiss in his car.

I had ended up in his bed again, even after swearing to myself I would never, ever get involved with him again.

“What the hell, Bailey,” I muttered. “What the actual hell?”

I sat up slowly, careful not to wake him. My heart pounded in my chest.

I spotted my clothes scattered across the floor. My dress near the chair.

My shoes under the bed and my bra tossed carelessly at the foot of it.

I climbed out of bed, my body trembling, and began gathering my things.

All I wanted was to sneak out, to disappear to my apartment before he woke up.

But just as I bent to pick up my dress, a strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back.

“Don’t go,” Kaleb’s voice murmured, deep and husky from sleep.

I froze.

His body pressed against mine, his breath warm against my neck.

What was happening?

The Kaleb I knew; the cold, nonchalant Kaleb would never act like this.

18:00 Mon, Dec 8

Chapter 59

He was always distant, always making me feel like I was the one chasing him.

But now… he was holding me and clinging to me.

I swallowed hard.

“Kaleb,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Let me go.

This was a mistake. Right? You made a mistake. Isn’t that what you always say?”

I waited for him to confirm it. To brush me off like before amd make me feel like I was just another moment

of weakness for him.

But he didn’t.

“No,” he said firmly. “It wasn’t a mistake.”

I twisted in his arms to look at him. His eyes were open now, dark and steady, staring straight into mine.

“What?” I scoffed.

“Come on, Kaleb. Don’t play games with me. We both know what this was a mistake from drinking too much.”

He shook his head, his jaw tight. “No, Bailey. I’m serious.

Last night wasn’t a mistake. I don’t want you to think that not anymore amd those other times weren’t mistakes either.”

I laughed bitterly. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You disappear for months and treat me like I don’t matter and now you want to act like this meant something?”

His hand slid up my arm, “Because it did mean something to me.”

I rolled my eyes and pulled away, standing to grab my dress.

“Save it, Kaleb. I’ve heard enough of your bullshit before.”

“Bailey, wait please don’t go.” He begged

I turned slowly. He was sitting on the bed now, the sheets pooling around his waist, his hair messy, his eyes

raw.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

I blinked. “What?”

“I said I’m sorry,” he repeated.

“For everything. For how I treated you amd for pushing you away when you only wanted me to let you in.”

I stared at him, stunned.

Mon, Dec &

Chapter 59

My lips parted, but no words came out.

He continued.

“I know I was cold and I hurt you but it wasn’t because I didn’t care.

It was because I cared too much and I didn’t know how to handle it.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Oh, so now you’re some tragic hero with excuses?”

“No,” he said firmly. “No excuses it’s the truth.”

I shook my head, about to leave again, when his next words stopped me dead in my tracks.

“I love you, Bailey.”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

I turned to him slowly. “What… what did you just say?”

He met my eyes, not flinching.

“I love you.

I’ve wanted to say it for so long but I didn’t because was a coward and I thought I would drag you down with

me.”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry.

“You…you can’t just say that like it’s nothing.

Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through?”

“Yes,” he whispered. “And I hate myself for it but I swear to you, I want to make it right.

I don’t want games anymore. I don’t want distance between us. I want you and I want us.”

Tears pricked my eyes, and I blinked them away angrily.

“Why now, Kaleb? Why all of a sudden?”

He hesitated for a moment.

“Because I’m done letting my father’s death control me,” he said finally.

“I want a real life and I want you in it.”

I couldn’t breathe.

His words hit me harder than I wanted to admit.

18:00 Mon, Dec 8

Chapter 59

He had never opened up like this. He had never looked at me with such raw honesty.

Vouchers

I had tried to leave him behind and told myself I didn’t love him anymore. That I was stronger without him and 1 didn’t need him.

But standing there, hearing him say those words… I felt my walls crumble.

“Fuck,” I whispered, pressing a hand to my face.

“I hate you for this.”

He stood slowly, walking toward me. “You don’t hate me.”

I dropped my hand, my eyes meeting his. “I tried. I really did.”

“And?” he asked softly.

My voice cracked. “And I can’t because ‘m still in love with you.”

Before I knew it, his lips were on mine.

The kiss was deep, desperate.

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close, and I melted against him.

All the anger all the hurt I felt I poured into that kiss.

My dress slipped from my hands and his fingers tangled in my hair, his mouth moving against mine with hunger and tenderness at once.

We stumbled back toward the bed, never breaking the kiss. When we fell onto the sheets, his body pressed against mine, I didn’t care about anything else.

“Bailey,” he whispered against my lips, his breath hot and shaky.

“Kaleb,” I gasped, my hands clutching his shoulders.

We kissed again, harder this time, like neither of us wanted to ever stop.

I should have left bug instead, I let myself fall back into him.

When I woke up again, the room was quiet. Kaleb was gone and for a moment I panicked.

I sat up quickly, clutching the sheet around me wondering if it was all a dream and he had abandoned me again.

I stepped out of his room.

The faint smell of coffee drifted toward me and my stomach growled softly.

I hadn’t eaten since before the party.

18:01 Mon, Dec 8

Chapter 59

When I entered the living room, I froze.

LS vouchers

On the dining table sat a small cake. White frosting, simple but perfect and beside it, a folded note with my name written on it in his handwriting.

My heart pounded as I walked closer. I picked up the note with trembling fingers and opened it.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify