His Unplanned Lesson

by Nickie Nalley Seidler

  “Jake, I don’t think you understand. This is my home. I don’t have anywhere else to go to. You can take me somewhere but I don’t have any money to stay anywhere else.” I started pacing around the house picking up things. When I got nervous, I tend to clean.

  Jake grabbed my arm lightly and stopped me from picking anything else up. His touch once again sent me over the top with sensation. I loved the way he touched me and the response my body made. Although, it was confusing. “Sadie, there’s a really bad storm. I’d like to take you to my place on the upside of town, away from the ocean. I have an extra bedroom and you can stay there until the storm lets up. But you’re not safe here. Please, pack a bag, I’m just trying to look out for you. I knew you were alone, I had to come here and do this. Please, just come with me. Luke’s helping the others evacuate town.” He begged.

  I looked at him and finally took a deep breath. “Ok.” I turned around and headed to my bedroom and got a suitcase out of the closet. It was a small one that could be used as a carry on. I grabbed some clothes and my make-up and tooth brush out of the bathroom. I also grabbed some photo albums that meant the most to me. I didn’t have much else, but my albums meant the world to me. They were the only memories I had left of my parents and Bobby.

  I zipped up the suitcase and rolled it out into the living room where Jake was sitting on the couch. He stood right away and reached for the bag.

  “Is that it?”

  “It’s all I got. Let me just make sure everything is locked up and unplugged.” I roamed the house, unplugging everything and hanging the cords up higher. I locked the windows and made sure the back door was closed. The view to the ocean was blurred and you couldn’t even see the water it was raining so hard. He was right, this was going to be some storm.

  “Usually women have more bags.” He chuckled.

  “I’m not your average woman. I’m different.” I eyed him back, with a slight smile across my face. I looked around at my cottage and took a good look at it. I had a bad feeling about this storm now.

  I looked up at him and he lifted my bag over his shoulder and signaled for me to leave. I followed him out the door, locking it behind me while I ran to his vehicle, which was now a truck. He must have had two vehicles. He ran around to my side and opened my door, while tossing my bag in the backseat. I grabbed the handle and boosted myself into the passenger seat while he closed the door. Once he got in the driver’s seat, I just started laughing.

  “What?” He looked over at me so seriously.

  “You don’t have a dry spot on your body.”

  “And you find that funny?” His voice trailed off.

  “Yes, oddly.” I giggled.

  He started the truck and backed out of the driveway. I noticed Luke’s truck was gone, so he must have been helping the others like Jake said. I saw a ton of cars backing out of their driveways and there was a pretty big line to get out of Potter Road. This storm was brewing by the minute and getting worse. We could barely see out the window from the rain pounding on the glass all around us. It was extremely hot and humid and everything was steaming, which made it even worse to see out.

  I realized once we started to get closer to the end of the road that I never changed my clothes or attempted to look decent. The things he must think of me. I pulled the visor down in front of me and I only confirmed what I thought. I looked hideous. My eyes had black under them from the little bit of makeup that didn’t come off last night. My hair was sticking up on all ends and the humidity wasn’t my friend. Then I peered down and noticed I was still in my t-shirt and sweatpants, but thanked the Lord I had a bra on.

  “Why do you women all do that? Look in the mirror and see all your faults. It’s written all over your face. If it’s worth anything, I think you’re beautiful.”

  I closed the visor and looked in his direction. “Thanks, but I just don’t see it.”

  “Well, I can see beyond your physical beauty.”

  The car went silent. It’s been a long time since I’ve been complimented by a male. I wasn’t sure what to say. My face flashed cherry red and it made me feel awkward. I didn’t know how to deal with these types of situations.

  Eventually we got out of the worst part of the area and the roads were smoother. I had no idea where we were going, but for some odd reason I trusted him. He had come all this way to save me from a storm, I put my faith in him.

  “You’re not like some axe murderer right? I shouldn’t be worried, wherever you’re taking me?”

  I broke the silence and saw a small curve to his cheek, signifying a smile I knew I could get out of him. He was acting so serious tonight.

  “Here’s my wallet, which has my license and the address to where we’re going. Here’s my cell phone. If I was going to murder you, those are the last things I’d want to give you. My name, address and a phone to call help while I’m driving a moving vehicle.” He placed the items down on the middle console and kept driving.

  “I was just kidding, relax.” His demeanor was so different from before. He was too serious. He was more laid back and polite and now he’s snippy and to the point. He needed to lighten up.

  “I know.” He continued driving forward.

  I looked around town out the windows and the rain had lightened up slightly, as we weren’t as close to the ocean now. I saw the really expensive places and kept watching as everything passed me by.

  A good twenty minutes later, he pulled up to a house that was breathtaking. He must have been one of the ones who came from wealth. Another thing I was so not familiar with. Another reason for me to wonder why he was so into me now. I mean, usually people who were wealthy didn’t come rushing after the poor girl in the cottage who might get washed away.

  He got out of the truck and grabbed my bag out of the backseat before coming around to the passenger side and opening my door. I slid down the seat and planted my feet on the ground. He closed the door and we headed inside through the garage. We entered through the kitchen and my jaw almost dropped. It was super clean and sleek. All dark wood cabinets and grey granite top. It was very masculine but beautiful. He dropped his keys down on the island and kept walking through the house. I followed him through the dining room and living room to the staircase, up to the second floor. He walked down the hallway and opened up a door and put my bag down.

  “You can stay in here.”

  “Thank you,” I said shyly. I walked in and took a look at the huge room. It had a four-poster king size bed and two dressers, one with a mirror on the top. There was a huge window that looked out at an amazing view, which was real hard to see being so dark out. Curtains were hung up above the window but it was a clear view. “It’s beautiful. You have a gorgeous house.”

  “Thanks. I figured you’d want to sleep some more and we can talk in the morning. If you’d like to shower, it’s down the hall, fresh towels in the linen closet.”

  “Perfect.”

  Who was this man? Seriously, this was a dream.

  “Do you have anyone you need to call?”

  I shook my head back and forth. I had nobody.

  He walked out of the room and I heard his boots making their way downstairs. I sat down on the bed for a minute, to just think of what was going on. I clicked the TV on from the nightstand and put the news channel on. Coverage of the storm was streaming live from Anderson, where I lived. It was pretty bad while they showed the evacuation going on. Strong hurricane winds mixed with severe downpours and thunderstorms. It’s like three different storms had come together earlier tonight and shifted our direction unexpectedly. It tore at my heart. It made me worry for my home’s sake. That was the only place I called home. A home that had more meaning to me than to most people. I shoved my suitcase away from the bed while I climbed in and wrapped myself in the covers. It was a comfortable bed, and for that I was grateful. I was exhausted. I left the TV streaming on the news in case I couldn’t sleep. Eventually, I fell asleep and woke up to a knock on the door.

 
; “Breakfast is almost ready, are you awake?” He yelled through the door, polite enough not to open it and look at me.

  “Yes, I’ll be down in a few,” I yelled back, pulling the covers all the way up, hoping he wasn’t going to open the door. I was not a very good morning person. My hair could agree.

  I grabbed my suitcase and pulled it up to the bed and opened it. I grabbed some jeans and a tank top and made up my mind that I needed to shower. I knew I needed it.

  I walked down the hallway and noticed all the closed doors except the door to the bathroom. I wandered in and grabbed a towel from the linen closet. I started the water and began to undress. The water pelting on my back relieved some stress for a few seconds. The steam kept me warm and I took my time enjoying my shower. I got out a short time later and got ready to go back downstairs for breakfast.

  “It’s ready,” he yelled up the stairs and I quickly headed down after brushing my wet hair out.

  Walking into the kitchen, I could smell the eggs and bacon. I’ve had quite a bit of take-out and minute meals living on my own, as cooking isn’t my forte. So, this was nice.

  “This looks and smells wonderful.” A plate was set out for me at the island and one for him across from mine.

  “Eat up, got plenty.” He smiled. He finally looked at ease. “I have to confess to something

  I sat down at the island and gave him my attention. I picked up my fork and played with my eggs till I heard him speak.

  “I spoke with Luke last night at guy’s night. He thought he saw my car the other night and wanted to make sure everything was alright. We got to talking and he was talking about you. He told me about your parents. I’m really sorry, Sadie."

  I put my fork down suddenly, losing my appetite. I didn’t expect Luke to be so forward, although it sounded like they were pretty close.

  “Oh."

  “I knew after you told me how you were alone, that’s why I came by last night. I knew you didn’t have anywhere to go.

  I smiled and looked down at my plate. “So, I’m just your rescue? You feel pity for me, so you feel had to save me.” I threw up quotation marks with my hands.

  “No, that’s not…" "Save it. This was a bad idea. I can handle myself. I don’t need a man to do anything for me. Thank you, but no thank you. I don’t want to be someone’s pity story."

  I got up from the island and pushed my plate back. I started heading for the doorway.

  “Sadie, wait, please. You’re not my rescue, I don’t feel pity for you. Just stop, please!” He raised his voice.

  “Why? What’s it to you?” I turned around to face him.

  He stepped up towards me and he placed his hand gently to my face, sliding it down softly to my lips before he looked deeply into my eyes. “Maybe because I like you. Maybe because the second I saw you, I wanted to get to know you. Maybe because you’re beautiful and different and that’s what I like about you. Maybe I just wanted to be a friendly helping hand to someone I like. Maybe, chivalry isn’t dead,” he whispered and the words just rolled off his tongue.

  My jaw tensed with the touch of his hand. I couldn’t believe the words I was hearing. He liked me? Every bone in my body knew that I craved this man. This stranger that I had no clue anything about. This man that made me feel so alive. I trusted him enough with my life to leave my home. To drive me home on a dark night, not knowing who he was. There was something about him I couldn’t deny. The next second, I had a feeling would change my life forever.

  “Are you going to ruin my life forever?” I barely whispered as I looked into his brown eyes. I was mesmerized by them. My knees were shaking and my heart was beating erratically. I felt hot and bothered. I’ve felt this since day one meeting him.

  “I’m going to be the best thing that walked into it.”

  Then his lips touched mine and I sank my mouth to his in pure lust, pure want, and pure need. I never thought I could feel this way, so soon.

  Chapter 3

  “Whoa, what was that?” I backed away from Jake and had a mini freak-out moment. I fidgeted with my hair and backed up to the counter, needing my space.

  “That was a kiss.” He moved closer to me and I put my hand out, indicating for him to stop.

  “Jake, I’m not ready for this. I don’t even know you, you don’t even know me. I need to slow things down. I haven’t been in a relationship in three years,” I admitted straightforward. He needed to learn about me before I moved any closer to Jake.

  He looked at the living room, then back at me. He reached his hand out towards me. “Come.” He smiled.

  “What?”

  “Come,” he reiterated and I placed my hand in his.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Sit.” He plopped down on the plush sofa in the living room. I did the same but gave myself some distance from him. It was a beautiful brown suede sofa with reclining chairs on the ends. He sat directly in the middle and I sat closer to the end. I propped my leg underneath me and got comfortable. All I could think about was that kiss. How good it felt and how bad I wanted another one. But I knew I had to slow it down or things were going to end up in the bedroom before I even could blink. Ugh, there’s just something about this man!

  “I don’t know about you, but I have all day. So, tell me about your last relationship.” He crossed his arms comfortably, giving me his full attention. Which just made my nerves peak higher.

  I took a deep breath. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to talk about Bobby. Although, life seemed to be lighter whenever I did talk about him. My hands got sweaty, and my mouth went dry.

  “He was pretty great. I dated Bobby my freshman year of high school and we were together all throughout.”

  “If he was so great, why aren’t you still together?” He pried for more information. He was a straight to the point kind of guy.

  I noticed whenever I spoke of Bobby I always looked up towards the ceiling like I was admiring him in heaven.

  “Straight to the point, Jake, huh? Well he’s dead, that’s why.” Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew I wasn’t ready to talk about this. It always made me feel sad, even though three years has passed. I wondered if I’d ever get over Bobby.

  Jake moved slightly closer on the sofa and reached his hand out to touch my thigh. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have pressed. You don’t have to talk about it.”

  I looked down at his hand smoothing over my leg while I looked into those chocolate eyes again. “No, I’d rather talk about it and get it over with.” I slapped my hands down on the couch, almost angrily, and I was. I was still so mad that he left me. So mad that our future plans didn’t pan out. He left me alone. He left me. “Here’s the brutal truth. Bobby decided to kill himself. He hung himself in his basement under the staircase. He left me. He left me when we had plans to be together, to get married. He didn’t leave a note, he didn’t warn me, and I knew nothing. I don’t know why he left me and it tears apart my heart constantly. It was only recently that I’ve been able to try to move past it.” I wiped the tears that were falling from my eyes. I watched Jake intently as he just watched me. “I know you won’t understand the pain I went through, but if you’re going to get to know me, you’ll have to know that it’s one of my struggles I deal with. He was my first love, my first everything. It tore me to shreds.” My voice broke and I searched to end the pain I was feeling. I crossed my arms to hold onto my own shoulder to give myself comfort. This topic was never easy. My heart melted every time it was discussed.

  “I couldn’t even imagine the pain you must have gone through. I’m sorry for your loss.” He slid next to me and wrapped his arm around me. It was the sweet gesture that made me collapse into his chest and just cry. This was so embarrassing to me, crying over an ex on a guy who was interested in me now. I stayed there and cried till I couldn’t cry anymore. It was like my heart broke all over again rehashing the hard truth. I didn’t want to admit how upset I was. I knew this wasn’t just Bobby, though. I knew it was deeper. I
knew my parents had to do with this too.

  “Are you ok?” He whispered, petting my hair softly while he held me close to him. The smell of his cologne and freshly dried clothes smelled nice. I could probably sit there all day with him. Like he said, we had all day.

  “A year later, I lost my parents. As if losing Bobby wasn’t enough, now my parents were gone. I lost everyone in my life in a matter of a year.” I sighed. “My parents were killed in a car accident not long after Bobby died. They were on their way to take a vacation, just the two of them and a truck driver drove them off the road, killing them instantly upon impact. I was still mourning so heavily over Bobby that their deaths didn’t affect me as much. I miss them, though. More every day, as I wished I had a family.”

  “How did you get through it?”

  I guess he was pushing the buttons that he really wanted to know.

  “I spent a year in a psych ward. I admitted myself, and took myself out when I was ready. I had nowhere else to be. I didn’t have anywhere to go. I didn’t want to live with my uncle and aunt. I didn’t want to leave the state. I was confused, lost and everything between. It took me awhile to get back on my feet. Until I moved out here and started to work on the cottage and make it my forever home. I had to get a job to be able to maintain the upkeep on it. It’s paid off, but taxes on it and everything added up.” I sighed. “Now you’re probably going to run away. It’s not the ideal thing people go through. I’m sure men fear my mental state.”

  He lifted my hand and pressed his sweet lips to it. “I’m not going anywhere, Sadie, if you don’t want me to.” His eyes gave away his honesty.

  “So, you’re not freaking out right now that I was in the nut house?”

  “Did it help you?” he questioned, raising his brows.

  I shrugged my shoulders, “Yeah.”

  “Then that’s all that matters. Some people don’t give enough credit to those who have mental health issues. It’s a serious condition and those who get the help, more power to them. I give you a lot of credit for seeking help, Sadie. I’m glad that you took it and it helped you overcome such a great loss.”