by Louise, Tia
It’s late in the afternoon when I finally say goodbye, headed back to the dark and deteriorating mansion my dad never leaves. Mrs. Banks loaded me up with a container of dumplings and a big thermos of her warm soup for him. I wonder if he’ll even eat it.
My mind has been on Gray all day. It was hard to resist checking my phone every two minutes for a text from him. None ever came. I considered sneaking away to the restroom and texting him, but it made me feel too clingy.
He’s still holding back, and I have to do the same. I have to let him come to me now… like he did at the lake house. The lake house. Mmm…
I’m in the garage now, and I close my eyes remembering him standing outside my door in the rain, fire burning in his eyes, his chest heaving. I could see the lines of his muscles through the transparent, wet shirt he wore. He grabbed me in his arms, and he held me so tight. He was desperate, hungry, so sexy…
The memory gives me a shiver, and I can’t wait until tomorrow to make contact.
Walking quickly through the house, I check the kitchen before jogging up to the study where my dad always sits. I’m a little deflated to find him there, looking out the window. This time, at least, the empty tumbler is on the side table and not in his hand. Is it possible he drank a little less today?
“Hey, Dad. Mrs. Banks sent over some food for you. Hungry?”
He slowly turns to look at me, and when he sees the bag, he gives me the smallest smile. “Linda is one of the best cooks in town.”
My heart releases a little at his words. “She really is. You should try these sticky dumplings.”
I pull out the small container of the warm little morsels. He looks inside and takes one. It’s so good to see him eating. After my happy afternoon, thinking of him locked away in this moldering mansion makes me sad.
The only thing sadder is the thought of me trapped in here with him forever. We are like Estella and Miss Havisham. Dammit, Ralph Stern. I can’t let that happen.
“I drove the Jag to church this morning. It seems to be running fine. Just needs new tires, Gray said.”
His expression darkens a bit, but I quickly hand him a large soup spoon. “Try the soup. It’s so delicious. A little like egg drop. Yes?”
He allows me to race past the mention of Gray. I don’t know if it’s because he’s softening toward him or he’s just too tired to get all worked up. I suspect it’s the latter, but I’m not giving up hope.
As my father eats, I tell him about the sermon, how the new pastor seems a lot better to me than Pastor Stemple.
“Paul is an idiot. His sermons never made any damn sense,” my dad growls, which I take as a good sign, even if he’s talking about the preacher.
“I didn’t really get his analogies half the time myself.” I carefully take the container of soup he hands to me, replacing the lid and returning everything to the bag.
Dad exhales heavily, and his eyes go to the window. “Nothing anyone can say will bring back the dead. Nothing anyone can say will make it right. God’s plan…”
His voice is bitter, and I think about the sermon today on forgiveness. I think sometimes the person God needs to help us forgive is God.
I’m not sure how that works.
He pushes out of his chair, and I sit back on the footstool where I was serving him. “Can I get you anything else?”
I reach out to take his hand, but he moves it away. “I’m going to bed. I’ve had enough of this day.”
He slowly exits the room, and I look out the window again. At least I got him to eat something. Tomorrow, I’ll get him that prescription. Then I can only hope for the best.
In the meantime, I scoop up the leftover Korean food and make my way downstairs. My phone is hot in my hand, and my heart beats faster when I think of messaging Gray.
I’m not trapped in this mansion. I’ll do my best to save my dad, but either way, I’m getting out of this place.
Chapter 22
Gray
Note to Self: Next time you can’t sleep, don’t go back to the Red Cat and let Dagwood buy you whiskey all night.
My head is pounding like an anvil when I finally open my eyes. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, and the sun streaming through the blinds is like a laser cutting my brain in half.
“Jesus,” I groan, moving slowly to the kitchen.
I pop a few ibuprofen pills and grab the orange juice out of the fridge. Sipping slowly, I wait as the coffee drips. My phone sits on the counter silent, taunting me with thoughts of Drew.
I left the Red Cat with good intentions of dropping off the Jag then coming back here and going to sleep. I didn’t expect to stand in the driveway, looking up at that house, and wanting to text her. Knowing she was so close, my fingers curled with the need to touch her. I wanted to hear her voice.
I told myself it was too late, but by the time I walked back to my place, I was too keyed up to sleep. So I went back and had more whiskey.
Like I could ever drink her away.
Dagwood spoke out loud all the thoughts I’d been holding inside. The only thing we didn’t say, the question bothering my mind since the accident, is why?
Why would Danny say he was my friend and react the way he did?
It made me feel like a tool in his revenge against his dad. Like our friendship had been a lie, and all he’d ever wanted was to piss his dad off… by being friends with me.
It’s a cynical view of the situation, and I know it’s wrong. I remember how close we were through the years. Still, it tormented me in a way nothing else could.
The coffee pot bubbles and groans, and I have to break this line of thinking. I remember the therapy. It only takes thirty seconds to change a thought pattern. I have to focus on something else.
Anyway, like Dag said, Danny is dead. Nothing’s going to change what he said to me, and holding onto it is just bringing me down. I have to let it go.
A fresh envelope is in the box. Inside are a set of car keys, ancient and easy to copy, and a torn-off sheet from a spiral-bound notebook. I peek out the window and see a shiny yellow land-barge in one of the spaces. A quick glance at the note tells me Taylor’s number and a list of what he’s done so far.
In a few minutes, I have it up on the lift, inspecting the insides, the lines and power train. These old cars are pretty basic, not like the hyper-technological insides you get in modern vehicles. It makes them easier to restore—if I can find the parts.
After an hour-long phone call, discussing what he wants, I spend most of the day making lists and fixing what I can on the old heap. Mack had a few telephone numbers and websites that helped me track down oil filters, hoses, and belts.
The timing belt is in decent condition. Must’ve been changed in the last hundred thousand miles. The radiator hose is also in pretty decent condition, which is a plus. Billy stops by for a few hours, and when he sees the old heap, he gets right under the hood with me. He tops off all the fluids, inspects the clutch, and checks the tires. They look fairly new.
Time passes quickly, and like the doc said, it distracts my mind from thinking too much about the past, things I can’t change. Blaming myself.
What never goes away is Drew.
I haven’t been thinking about bad things, but every time I slide my palm along the fender, I think of working on the Jag, which makes me think of Friday night, being alone with her in the lake house. Her body was so beautiful. We came together like nothing had changed. The truth hit me like a sledgehammer. I love her. I never stopped. But have I fallen in love with someone who can never be mine?
I’m hungry and tired when Billy leaves. My head stopped aching, but I’m sure I’ll crash before long. I dig around in the refrigerator and settle on some leftovers from the dinner Mrs. Banks sent last week.
I wonder what Drew did today. I’m sure she went to church. She was always good like that because of her grandmother and her mother. She said they would have wanted her to keep going. I thought she might have texted about the Jag.
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My phone buzzes in that moment, as if by force of will. I guess it’s Taylor wanting to know when he can stop by tomorrow. I’m wrong.
Drew: Spent the afternoon with Ruby and her mom. Learned you’re a horse, I’m a dog, and we’re a match made in heaven.
The surge in my chest travels all the way to my lips, and without even thinking, I’m smiling like an idiot.
Me: I’m pretty sure I haven’t smiled all day today.
I wait as the little gray dots float, thinking about her pretty fingers touching the screen.
Drew: Rough day?
Me: Not so bad. Spent it working on an old car. Fix up for one of Dag’s friends.
Drew: Dagwood smelled like a distillery in church.
Me: He was throwing them back last night.
Another pause of dots.
Drew: You went out last night? I’m not going to lie and say I’m not hurt.
Me: Don’t be. I wanted to be with you.
Drew: You missed my butt?
My breath is shallow. How can a simple question make me feel so good?
Me: I’m more of a breast man.
Drew: Oh. My breasts aren’t very big. (sad emoji)
Me: Your breasts are perfect handfuls.
Drew: Perfect for you?
Me: Yes.
She has no idea.
Drew: Can you still feel them?
Me: Yes.
Drew: I can still feel your hands on them. I can still feel your tongue touching me.
The fly of my pants tightens. I can still taste her on my tongue. Shit, I’m getting a semi just texting with her.
Me: Are you getting ready for bed?
Drew: Yes, but I need some help. I’m lying on my stomach with my back arched. My ass is bare and lifted, and I need you behind me… pushing inside, deep.
My mouth goes dry. I can see what she’s describing in my mind, and it focuses my brain. I want her.
Now.
A quick glance out the window tells me the sun has set. It’s dark. Quiet.
Drew: Gray?
Me: I’ll help you with that. I’m trying to figure out how.
Drew: Come over. I’m waiting for you.
Me: But your dad.
Drew: Please come. I need you.
Shit. I’m doing this.
Me: Five minutes.
Drew: I’m in the pool house.
Five minutes. What was I thinking? What the fuck am I going to do with my truck? With all the energy surging in my veins, I could run to her house, but the semi in my pants makes it difficult. Instead, I drive quickly and park around the corner in what I hope is a discreet location.
Dagwood made me pretty sure the entire town will be whispering about us tomorrow, but it won’t stop me. I’m too focused to worry about small minds.
The back door to the cottage behind the pool is unlocked. It’s dim-lit as I pick my way through it. It’s not a big place, and a small lamp sitting on an end table seems bright in the darkness.
“Drew?” My voice is quiet. My eyes strain for her.
Her soft voice tightens my stomach. “I think that was more than five minutes.”
“Where are you?”
“Behind the sofa.”
I walk around to where the shadows are longer. The light doesn’t quite reach this part of the room. There, in front of the windows facing the pool, I see her in silhouette. It stops me in my tracks.
The ripples on the water create wavy lights in the blackness, but I can see her, sitting in profile on what looks like a fluffy white palette on the floor. Her back is arched and the lace bra she’s wearing pushes her perfect breasts into swells that catch the light.
I can just see the tops of her dark areolas teasing me from inside the cups, and my dick hardens to a steel rod in my pants.
“You’re beautiful,” I whisper.
“You like what you see?” It’s a sexy purr.
“Very much.”
She pushes a lock of her long hair over her shoulder. She lifts her chin, and traces a finger down to her bra strap helping it to fall off her smooth shoulder.
“Will you help me?” With a sigh, she dives forward on the blankets, arching her back, so the light from outside casts her round ass in silver.
My shirt is over my head in a blink, and I’m unfastening my jeans, heeling off my boots, and shoving them down fast. Her eyes are fixed on my cock, and when it springs free, they widen. Her lips curl into a hungry smile. Fuck me.
I reach down and grasp my shaft, giving it a stroke. It’s already weeping for her, but I give it a little wag. I can tease, too.
“What do you want, princess?”
She pulls her full bottom lip between her teeth and pushes up on her elbows. “I want you to take me hard.”
“You want it hard?” I walk slowly to where she’s lying, back arched, her beautiful breasts in full view.
My cock aches. I can’t get any harder until she blows my mind.
Her voice is a velvet whisper. “I want your thick, fat, cock slamming into my soft, warm cunt over and over until I beg for more.”
With that, I kneel behind her, catching her by the hips. “Get ready.”
I slide my tip along the seam of her pussy, and she whimpers a yes.
“You’re dripping.” My voice is strained. I can’t wait another breath.
She pushes up to meet me, and with one hard thrust, I sink, balls deep into her core.
“Fuck…” I groan, my voice broken.
My mind blanks. She is so hot and wet and tight. I’m trying to catch my bearings when she starts rocking her hips against my pelvis, pulling me in and out on her own.
“Shit, Drew, you feel so damn good.”
She makes a little noise of pleasure, and it registers straight to my dick. My hands fumble around her waist, and I slide my fingers along her spread pussy. I’m stretching her good, hitting her hard, but I manage to find that rigid bud. When I touch it, she shudders.
“Yes, Gray… That’s it.”
I circle fast, doing my best to get her coming, while she bucks against me. I thrust right back, going so deep… impossibly deep.
“Yes… yes…” Her elbows bend, and my chest is to her back.
I can feel her breathing fast, feel the shuddering in her shoulders. I keep pumping, right there on that razor’s edge of orgasm. All the energy surges below my navel. My ass tightens, and my balls constrict. This one’s going to blow my mind I can feel it.
“Gray…” She moans my name.
Shit. It’s like a stroke of lightning. I slide my hand over her creamy, round skin, tapping my thumb on that pink pucker arching up at me. Maybe one of these times I’ll use more than a finger. For now… I sink the tip of my thumb inside, and it’s so tight. She moans loudly, and her elbows collapse. I pump it gently, feeling the pull of her body on me.
My cock can’t hold out much more. One more stroke, and she breaks into a cascade of orgasm. She comes so hard, she pulls me right along with her. I pulse deep into her swollen pussy while her cute little ass sucks my thumb.
Holding on, I close my eyes as her body blooms for me. I pulse, filling her, and she draws me in completely. For a minute, I leave this planet, my only anchor is her gorgeous body.
I want nothing but her.
As long as I live.
We slowly come down, and I slip my thumb out, moving my palm to her flat stomach. I gently hold her to me, and we roll to the side on the soft blankets. Her head rests on my bicep, and I hold her beautiful shoulders. My other arm is secure around her waist, holding her to me. Our cheeks touch. Her body fits so perfectly against mine.
I give her another little thrust, and she exhales a soft noise. She does another buck against my pelvis, and it’s another little charge.
“You feel like heaven,” I murmur, kissing the side of her jaw, moving up behind her ear. She makes a little squeal and shivers in my arms. It makes me laugh.
“I never want to let you go.” I take a slow inhal
e of her scent, warmth, flowers, soap.
Her hand slides over mine on her stomach. “Then don’t.”
I won’t… She might ultimately tell me to go, but I’ll never willingly leave Drew Harris.
Her fingers trace lightly along the lines of my forearm, and I pull a crochet blanket off the back of the couch over our bodies. She snuggles deeper into my arms when I do.
“What’s this business about horses and dogs?” I ask, kissing the top of her shoulder.
She exhales a happy hum. “Chinese astrology. We’re a wonderful pair. Our score was ninety percent compatible.”
“I didn’t need Ruby to tell me that.”
Her body moves with a soft laugh. “It’s not Ruby. It’s Chinese.”
“So I’m a horse and you’re a dog? How does that work? Those animals don’t go together.”
“Horses are clever and sensitive. Ruby said it’s very attractive to the female dog.” Sleep enters her tone, and I don’t make the joke on the tip of my tongue.
I feel her relaxing, and I want her to sleep. I want to hold her in my arms all night like before.
“Again, I don’t need Ruby to tell me that.”
Her last words are carried on a whisper. “It’s in the stars.”
Sometime in the night, we’ve moved out of each other’s arms. Cold creeps across the floor, and I try to find the blanket. I try to get closer to Drew, but I can’t move. It feels like I’m being held down against my will. I try to fight it off and fail. Panic seizes my chest. I can’t get whatever this is off me.
A loud popping noise, like the sound of gunfire is in my ears. In that instant, I’m plunged into chaos just like before. The bomb explodes under the truck. Everything goes from peaceful and calm, to flying in the air, crashing to the ground. My head slams against glass, and our whole world is blown apart.
