Seduced Read Online Free Page B

parents’ house. In college, when we were engaged, we made the trip home to have dinner there every few weeks.
    So, rationally , I know that his request is not off the wall, and the fact that his parents want to have me over for dinner is very sweet. I can’t explain it, but there’s something about the whole thing that makes me anxious and…resistant.
    “Cherry, what’s going on?” He pauses and grabs my arms, turning me to face him. “You don’t even want to talk about moving to California, and you change the topic anytime I bring it up. Now you’re acting like it’s weird that my parents want you over for dinner.”
    I know he’s right. I’ve been acting like a complete nutcase. In my defense, it’s only been a month since he came back into my life, and before that, we spent three years apart. I never imagined I would see him again, let alone considered the possibility that we would fall in love all over again and start a new relationship. The newness makes it all feel very fragile and almost dreamlike.
    When we’re alone, just hanging out, everything is good, and it feels comfortable and right. But then I start to think about how things are going to change, and that leads me to overanalyze the details to death, which in turn, causes me to freak out.
    It’s exhausting.
    “Brandon, I’m sorry. I really am. I know I’m driving you crazy. I’m driving me crazy! ” I say. “Things with us are good right now and I guess, in some weird way, I’m afraid that if we change things and start telling everyone we’re back together, and we go around all happy and smiley all the time, that we’ll jinx it somehow. This whole thing is so crazy and out of left field. I know I’m not handling it well, but I am terrified that any second it’ll all fall apart again. And that’s the thing I fear the most. Losing you. Again.”
    Brandon takes my face in his hands and tilts my chin up to look him in the eyes. “Cherry, you’re not going to lose me. I’m not going anywhere.”
    “How can you know that? I mean, think of all the possibilities! Let’s just say I go to California. You’ll be so busy with your movie that you won’t have much time, and I won’t have anything to do, so I’ll be home alone, and bored. And then, what if you start to resent having to entertain me? Or if I start resenting you for taking me away from my hometown and everyone I know?
    “On the other hand, if I don’t go, we’ll say that we won’t break up and that we’ll find a way to make it work long distance, but we both know that eventually we’ll drift apart. It happens all the time, especially in Hollywood! And so, I figure, if we just stay here, and don’t rock the boat, everything will be good and we’ll be okay…” I realize I’m rambling and my voice trails off.
    He smiles at me and strokes my cheek. “Baby, you’re overthinking this, big time! I had no idea you were this stressed out about everything. Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? We have to learn to work through it all together. You can’t keep the anxiety and doubt pent up; it’s not good for you and it’s certainly not good for us.”
    I wrinkle my nose. Why does he have to go and be all logical ?
    He kisses me before continuing. “I want you to come to California because I would miss you too much if you stayed here. And as much as it would kill me if you don’t come live with me, we would find a way to make it work. I promise.”
    I nod. I know he truly believes what he’s saying, but I also think that his brain spends a little too much time in “Hollywood dreamland.” He doesn’t always remember that life rarely works out as perfectly as it does in the movies. I’m not saying he’s stupid or simpleminded but, perhaps, a little overly optimistic.
    I start to tell him this, but decide against it and just lean into his embrace instead, pressing my face into his warm chest. He smells amazing, and I want to stay like this all day. I don’t know