Hard to Resist (31 page)

“I love you, Bunny.”

“I love you, too,” I whisper before colliding with him again.

****

Jordan performed with a revamped version of the song that he’d sang on the first Open Mic that I’d attended. He had a drummer and a pianist playing along with him. It was amazing but I was mainly waiting on Nolan to play. He was the last on the list. I guess it’s true when they say save the best for last.

As soon as he steps on stage, I perk myself up and prepare to listen. He doesn’t even hesitate to lean forward and place his lips near the mic.

“What’s up every one!” he says with a broad smile. The people cheer, as if Nolan is some rock star and everyone knows him. I smile as he watches everyone clap. “I admit that I’ve been holding off on myself and my talent. I’ve been playing the guitar for fifteen years. My father taught me when I was only a kid and when he died, I promised that I would never give up on it. I play every day and night and the older I get, the better I am. The song that I’m about to sing not only goes to my dad, but to the girl that has caused a massive impact on my life. She’s made me a better person and I’m honestly glad that I met her because loving her comes second to none. The song is titled ‘
Grew on Her
’ and, Natalie, this is for you.”

My heart flutters as his grey eyes land directly on mine for a brief moment before he brings his leg up to sturdy his foot on the bar of his stool. He places his guitar on top of his thigh, hooks his arm around it, and begins his sweet melody.

“Oh my gosh!” Harper squeals in a whisper to me as she hugs my arm.

I turn to smile at her but then Nolan’s lyrics spill and my head whips to give him my undivided attention.

Verse 1:

Since I was just a boy

My father told me how to love

To love not only my toys

But all things above

But I ignored him

I thought nothing of it

I dismissed him

But now I hate that I did

Then there she was

Craving for a change

There she was

Causing me to change . . .

Chorus:

And I did

I moved on

Yeah, I did

I grew on her

There is love

I accepted it

Yeah, I did

I grew on her

Ohh . . .

Verse 2:

I don’t know what I would do

Without you

It tears me apart when

I can’t see you

It breaks my heart

To know what he did to you

Bridge:

I promised I would stay

I promised I wouldn’t leave

I’ll always take your breath away

I’ll always be here to please

Ohh . . .

Chorus:

Cause I did

I moved on

Yeah I did

I grew on her

There is love

I accepted it

Oh, I did

I grew on her

I grew on her

Hook:

And I won’t let her go

No, I won’t leave her alone

I’ll always be here

Please don’t shed anymore tears!

Yeah, I did

I moved on her

Yeah, I did

I grew on her

I’ve matured

Yeah I moved on

I love her

Yeah I know she’s the one.

Nolan’s eyes open slowly as he pulls back from the mic. I stand quickly and cheer as hard as I can while clapping, whistling, and chanting his name along with Dawson and Jordan. Nolan stands, scans the crowd, but when his eyes meet mine, he smiles. My heart beats heavily against my chest as I stare back at him.

“I love you,” I mouth. He flashes another bright smile before leaning into the mic again.

“Thank you all. The love is greatly appreciated.” The crowd continues to cheer madly, even when he’s stepping off stage and making his way towards us. A few women ogle him but his eyes are on me and not daring to look anywhere else. I love the fact that he only has eyes for me at the moment. That song was beautiful and it said a lot. We may have been together for only a few weeks but this feeling is something beyond that. The spark that I’m feeling right now isn’t just a simple love. We’re in love. And I love the fact that we are.

It surprises me that I’m not scared of falling anymore. His lyrics have proved that he will do nothing more than carry me in his arms. He’ll do nothing more than make me happy. So far, he’s been faithful to his word.

“Dude! I’ve never heard you sing like that before! You destroyed that stage!” Dawson says as soon as Nolan meets with us.

Nolan smiles heavily as he grasps the hand that Dawson is holding out and gives him a brotherly hug. “Thanks, man.”

They let go of each other but as he does, I spot tears forming at the rims of Nolan’s eyes. He’s going to miss this. He’s going to miss hanging with his best friend. That song was something fantastic for him. Saying my poem has made me feel completely different but for him, I know it must feel unreal.

Setting his guitar down, Nolan begins to make his way towards me but as he glances over my shoulder, his eyes widen. “Mills?” he calls.

I spin around quickly, only to spot the phenomenal Mills making his way through the tables and chairs. “You seriously thought I wasn’t coming, bro?” he asks as he meets up with us. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ve been waiting for you to get out of the box.” They hug one another but this time Nolan’s tears fall without hesitation. He squeezes his eyes shut over his brother’s shoulder as Mills rubs his back with nothing but love. “Proud of you, man. Never let these dreams slip. Dad would be proud of you, too.”

“I know. He’s why I did it.”

“And her,” Mills says as he pulls back to look at me. “She must really be the one. I promise all my tests are finished,” he jokes.

I giggle as Mills opens his arms to me. I step in and hug him briefly before pulling away to hug Nolan. “You did good. I loved it.”

“You swear? I was nervous about it.”

Pushing him back by his shoulders, I stare into his wet grey eyes. “Loved it, Nolan.”

He grins. “Thanks, Bunny.”

Mills clears his throat as he looks us over. “How about celebrating over some wings, beer, and an intense soccer game. It’s still early enough to catch a few seats at Buffalo Wild Wings.” Mills looks over Nolan’s shoulder to see everyone else. “We all could chill together,” he offers.

“Dude, some honey-barbecue wings with beer sounds like the shit right now!” Dawson says before his eyes meet Harpers. “Right, babe?”

“Yeah,” Harp says with a wide grin as Dawson pulls her against his chest.

“I could go for some beer and wings,” Jordan says with a shrug. “Britt and I are free for the rest of the night.”

“Cool,” Mill says with a small smile before turning around. “Let’s make it happen.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Dinner with everyone was fun. I seriously didn’t want it to end, but of course it had to. We couldn’t stay there all night. During dinner, I was still lingering on Nolan and his song. I still can’t believe that it was about me. I can’t believe he actually put in time to write a song about us. It fit so well, there were no flaws at all to me.

As soon as we’re inside the condo, Nolan pulls me in against him by my waist. “Did you have fun tonight?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I murmur as he places his lips against my ear. My skin is screaming for more of his touch right now. “Thank you.”

His head tilts back to look me over. “For what?”

“For stepping out of your box with me and singing it. For pushing me to see my dreams come true.”

“Don’t thank me for that, Natalie. It was bound to happen one day, whether I was around or not. But you did good. I could feel the emotion, the pain, the heartache.” He reaches a hand up to push my hair behind my ear. He then grabs for my hand to lead me to the bedroom.

The door clicks shut behind us and it isn’t too long before his hands are cupping my jawline. He strokes me cheeks and the flesh behind my ears. I breathe him in, wanting nothing more than to hold on. As he pulls back, his grey eyes stare down at me. “I have to tell you something.”

“What?” I ask.

“I have to leave tomorrow.”

My heart practically stops as I stare at him. I want to jerk away from him and slap him but I can’t. I’m stuck. He takes my hand so we both can sit on the edge of the bed. “Tomorrow?” I repeat. “But why?”

“My mom is sicker than we thought. She can’t even move and she has no one to take care of her. She doesn’t have enough money to pay for a nurse so Mills and I have to leave. He already bought us tickets.”

“Is that why Mills wanted to celebrate tonight?”

“Yeah,” he says through a dry chuckle. “He wanted to celebrate for Open Mic but he also wanted me to enjoy my last night with you. He told me before we all departed from Buffalo Wild Wings.”

“Wow.” I shake my head, my eyes still wide and my face still struck with what is most likely terror. “Tomorrow—Nolan that’s too soon. I can’t stomach the thought of you leaving yet. I thought I’d at least have time to cope with the idea of it.”

“I know, Natalie. I’m sorry. I seriously just want you to come with me and stay with me over there but you have to start fresh here. I want you to go to school, work your ass off, and keep writing. When you miss me, write. When you’re thinking about me, write. When you’re lonely, write and then call me.” He smiles softly before leaning in to kiss my forehead.

My eyes burn but I shut them to allow them to cool. “How long do you have to stay?”

“I don’t know but I promise to visit. There won’t be a day that goes by that I’m not thinking about you.”

As I choke, I realize that I’m crying. The tears pour heavily as I bury my face into his chest. He clutches me in his arms as he strokes my back. “I love you, Natalie. You’re my world and I didn’t even know it until now. I’ll never let this go.” He pushes me against my shoulders to get a look into my eyes. “Do you hear me?” he asks. “I’m never letting
this
go.”

His stern eyes search my face and although I don’t know what he’s searching for, I know that he’s found his answer because his lips crush against mine. He lays me on my back, pushes his way between my legs, and begins to trail kisses from my lips to my cheek, and then down to my collar bone. One of his hands sneaks its way down to grab my thigh gently while the other strokes my cheek continuously.

“It’s only temporary, Bunny,” he says against my lips.

I nod with my lips pulled in. I try my hardest to control my tears but at this moment, it’s impossible. I’m going to miss him more than anything. It almost feels as if we’re letting one another go. It almost feels as if we’re breaking up but unlike the break up with Bryson, this one is worse.

But it’s odd because we’re not. He’s always going to be here for me. Bryson couldn’t say that. After a few seconds, my dress has disappeared. His eyes stare and scan every bare inch on my body. As I lie before him in just a light blue bra and lace panties, I can tell that he wants nothing more than to make me his. He dips down, kisses me, and I reach down to unbutton his pants. He pulls back again to tug his shirt over his head and as soon as his pants and boxers fall, he slides into me.