Something Real

by Allegra Johnson

  Just then, Ella’s phone chimed and she jumped off the stool. “It’s Rudy! I’m just gonna borrow your office for a bit, okay Tummy?” Ella laughed at the growl coming from Autumn.

  Taylyn turned to Autumn. “What’s going on there? Does she really think that long-distance thing is gonna work?”

  Autumn shrugged, watching Ella dance down the hallway. “She’s happy. They talk all the time, multiple times a day. Rudy is coming for a visit in a few weeks. I think if anyone can make it work, it’s Ella. She’s the most determined person I know.”

  “Maybe that’s the type of relationship I need. Then maybe my heart wouldn’t get broken over and over again,” Taylyn wondered out loud.

  “Oh, honey, you don’t mean that. Are you still taking a break from dating? You know, Declan is back in town. He’s always asking about you . . .”

  “No! I’m done with dating. I’m done with relationships. I’m not doing it again. I can’t. It hurts too much every time.”

  Taylyn felt the pain in her heart as another brick was laid in front of it. She’d continue building that wall until nothing could get around it. She was not doing that again. Ever. Especially for Declan Sullivan, the guy who could kiss like the devil, then push her away once his hands found her fat. A tear threatened to fall, but she blinked it away. No more tears. She was done with tears. She was done with love.

  “Tell Ella I said bye. I’m gonna head to the gym. Thanks for the coffee. Love ya.” Tay blew a kiss to Autumn, then gathered her things before heading for the door.

  “Tay, don't go. I won't bring it up again. I'm sorry. Stay, please.”

  “I'm not running away. I do need to hit the gym, it's a cardio day. And I've only got a month before Carly's wedding.” Taylyn gave Autumn her best I'm fine smile, then turned to leave again.

  “Call me later. I know you're not fine, and I'm here if you need to talk.”

  Taylyn nodded before she walked out the door. Autumn was right; she was not fine, not by a long shot.

  The chill of the morning had given way to a warm afternoon. Taylyn shed her sweater, tossing it on the back seat and opting for just her tee shirt. She started her old Blazer, the horrible squealing sound of the belts reminding her yet again that they needed to be replaced. She just hoped they lasted until she could afford the repairs.

  Taylyn backed out of the driveway and started down the street. Maybe she'd hit the bags today. That was one way to get her feelings out, and she didn't need a stupid anger management course to tell her that. Her therapist had suggested it long ago.

  Chapter 5

  Taylyn threw a punch at the bag, picturing her business professor and the failing grade he gave her latest assignment. She was still passing, barely, but the assignment was twenty percent of her grade. When she asked her professor for an extra credit assignment, he’d laughed at her. She tossed another punch to what would be Professor Crosby’s midsection if he was standing before her. The alarm on her phone told her the hour of cardio was up, but she didn’t stop. She had more emotions to punch through.

  Returning to the bag, she fired off a series of body shots, feeling all the frustrations and worries easing away with every impact.

  “Excuse me, are you almost done?”

  Taylyn froze for a second, then turned around to see a nice-looking guy standing off to the side, impatient.

  “Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you were waiting. Yah, I’ll just get out of your way. Sorry.” She could feel a blush spreading across her face and heat forming below the waist. This dude was seriously hot, and she hadn’t had sex since February. Maybe . . .

  No.

  “No problem. I’m on my lunch hour, and, well . . .” He broke off, looking Tay up and down. “You know what, I’ll just hit the speed bag instead. You looked like you were enjoying yourself. But can I ask, who were you picturing? Your boyfriend, perhaps? Did he stay out late with the guys last night or something?” he finished with a goofy grin.

  Oh my God, is he flirting with me? Tay stood silent for a moment before she gathered her senses. “Uh, no. Not my boyfriend. My professor, actually. I flunked my last assignment, and he wouldn’t let me make up the grade with extra credit,” she supplied with a half-hearted laugh.

  He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “So, the boyfriend knows a good thing when he sees one and doesn’t want to screw it up. Smart guy.” His tongue peeked out and licked his lips.

  “There’s no boyfriend.” She had no idea why she provided that little tidbit or why she was even continuing this conversation. She had a deal with herself—no more dating. No more love.

  The sexy nameless guy took another step closer, leaned in a bit, and lowered his voice just a little more. “No boyfriend? That seems like such a waste. Would you like one?” He held Taylyn’s hand as if he were afraid she might slip away before answering.

  “NO!” Taylyn ripped her hand away from his and took a step back. “No, I’m not interested in dating anyone. I’m kinda done with the relationship thing. It never seems to end well.” She had no idea why she was explaining herself to this stranger.

  “So, you don’t do relationships at all? None? It’s just you against the world, all alone? No friends? No family?”

  “I . . . Well, yah, I have friends. My family is a whole other story. I just don’t want another romantic relationship.” Why was she continuing this conversation? She should just leave. Maybe go hit the treadmill.

  “Friends, huh? I’d like to be friends. I’m Ben. And you are?” He held out his hand as if expecting her to shake it.

  Taylyn grasped it lightly with a flimsy shake and introduced herself. “Nice to meet you, Ben. I’m Taylyn. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just get out of your way and you can use the equipment. Again, sorry I kept you waiting.” She dropped his hand and turned to collect her things from the bench, then felt Ben standing close behind her. She didn’t turn around as he began to speak.

  “Don’t run off so fast. We’re just getting to know each other.” He placed his hands on her hips, holding her in place.

  A shiver ran through her at his touch, causing a short gasp to sound out. She turned around to face Ben, but his hands kept their loose hold as she moved. “I thought you were on your lunch break? Shouldn’t you, ya know . . .” She nodded to the bag, losing her words in the intense stare of his blue eyes.

  “Forget the bag. I’d rather spend the time with a pretty girl like you.”

  Oh, shit. He is flirting with me! “I . . . I should go.” Taylyn started to break away, but Ben grabbed her hand, stopping her.

  “How about we meet for a drink later? After work? I get out at seven. Name the place.”

  “I really shouldn’t. I’m not looking for a relationship, and I wouldn’t want to give you the wrong idea.” There, that should do it. He’ll take the hint now.

  “I didn’t say anything about a relationship. Just a drink. And maybe we could be friends.”

  “What kind of friends?” Taylyn slapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn’t believe she said that. She only meant to think it! This man was turning her brain to mush. She needed to get away from him now, before her resistance faded and she agreed to meet this sexy as fuck man for a drink. And that one drink would lead to another drink, which would lead to . . .

  “Oh, I think we could be the best kind of friends.” Ben smiled, then winked. He stepped back, leaving her the room she needed to flee. “How about this—I’ll be at JD’s around seven-thirty. Maybe I’ll see you there, Taylyn.”

  “Um, maybe,” Taylyn squeaked out before taking a few side steps. “I really should be going now. It was nice to meet you, Ben.” With that, she walked away from the sexy guy that was making her think of very bad things that would lead to nothing but heartache. She was most definitely not meeting him for drinks tonight.

  Probably not.

  ♡

  A short while later Taylyn left the locker room, freshly showered and wearing jeans and a lightweight sweater. She w
as headed for her car when she heard her name called out from behind her. Turning, she saw Ben coming her way. He stopped a few feet in front of her.

  “Hey, I forgot that I have darts tonight. Could we meet at Lucky’s instead?”

  Oh, great—a perfect reason she couldn’t meet him, and it was the truth. “No, sorry, I can’t meet you there. I’m not allowed at Lucky’s. I’ve been trespassed from there.”

  His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head one way, then the other. Some kind of recognition must have registered because his eyes went wide and he took a step back. “Oh, you’re that chick. You laid out Trent in two punches a few months back, then went psycho bitch on his car. Damn, you’re crazy.” He spun around and jogged back to the gym.

  “Well, that’s nice. Even the new guy in town knows my business already,” she voiced her thoughts out loud before shaking her head and getting into the car. She needed to get some groceries before going home for an all-night study session.

  Chapter 6

  Declan parked his bike, wincing at the jolt of pain in his knee as he dismounted. With a slight limp, he headed into the store to get the few things he needed for the bar.

  Standing in front of the large bin of peaches, Declan started sorting through them, adding them to the plastic bag as he went. He needed to find a new produce supplier for the bar. Declan had cut ties with the supplier his family had used for years because they were becoming too unreliable. Every week there was something missing on delivery day. The product was either out of stock or had mysteriously disappeared from the order form Declan had submitted. Then Declan would find himself at the grocery store picking up the missing item. This week it was peaches.

  Declan had officially taken ownership of JD’s from his father in April. The tavern had been a family-owned and operated establishment for six generations. Declan intended to pass it on to his child someday. Of course, that would require him to find a wife and have children, a task that was proving difficult since the only person he was interested in had seemed to vanish from their small town. Declan had been back in Silverton for six months now and he hadn’t seen Taylyn once. When he questioned his cousin Autumn about Taylyn’s whereabouts, she would only say, “She’s around, probably busy with school and work”. Declan didn’t buy it; he knew for a fact that she was a regular at JD’s before he came back to town. So where was she?

  As if he could sense she was close by, he looked up and saw Taylyn standing a few feet away. An unbidden smile spread across his lips. Declan’s heart sped up a few beats at the sight of her.

  In high school, he’d watched her from afar as she dated this guy and then the next. Declan could never catch her between relationships, and it had killed him watching her with everyone that wasn’t him.

  She’s even prettier than she was in high school. Oh my God, those curves! I wonder if she’s still single?

  He rolled a peach around in his hand and absently brought it to his nose, breathing in the scent. Instantly, a memory began to form in his mind. Their first and only kiss, and just how hard it was to break off . . .

  He had just arrived at the end-of-summer party down at Bear Lake when he saw Taylyn leaning against the bumper of a Chevy pickup, furiously tapping her phone. It was his senior year, and he’d be leaving for college in California the following week. His feet found their way to her before he knew they were moving. Standing in front of Tay, her light peach fragrance filled his senses, forever linking her to that scent. She looked up from her phone and smiled at him. It was a bright smile that reached all the way to her gorgeous powder-blue eyes. It was no coincidence that was also his favorite color. When he spoke, his voice cracked. He could feel his embarrassment spread across his face.

  “Hey, how’s it going?” He internally cringed as the words left his mouth. How’s it going? Really? That’s what you chose to lead with? He was pathetic, a “lovesick fool” as his gram would say.

  “Hi.”

  That’s all she said before looking back at her phone. He tried again. “So, why aren’t you at the party? Are you waiting for someone?”

  Seriously, he sounded like an idiot. Taylyn did that to him. Whenever she was around, he turned into a blundering idiot. And there was that million-dollar smile again. He could feel himself smiling back. Do it. Just kiss her. He was leaving next week for college; it was now or never. He took a few steps forward, and she straightened up, pulling away from the bumper. He placed a hand at the nape of her neck and . . .

  He kissed her, just a little peck at first. When she didn’t pull away, he did it again. After a few more pecks, she started to return his kiss. Taylyn’s hands moved to his waist, pulling him against her. She opened her lips to allow his tongue into her mouth, and he gave a low moan. Declan’s free hand rested on her shoulder, his other moving from her nape up to grasp a handful of her silky blonde hair. The kiss intensified as he unconsciously pushed her back against the truck, spreading her legs with his knee, his thigh applying a light pressure to her crotch. His hands began wandering down the sides of her body. His thumbs glided over the curve of her breasts, then slipped off her arms and paused at her waist, pulling them even closer together.

  He was so lost in this kiss, the one kiss he’d been dreaming of for so long. Her tongue danced with his, and that’s when it hit him. The taste of whiskey. She was drunk, or at least drinking. He had to stop. You don’t kiss drunk girls, you don’t take advantage of drunk girls. He argued with himself for a few moments more, then with a last tight squeeze on her hips, he pulled away on a moan and took a step back.

  Taylyn’s eyes sparkled like diamonds. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, and she looked bewildered. Then her eyes lost their sparkle, her lips turned down, and she gave a shuddering breath.

  “Whatever. I’m outta here anyway. Even if I have to walk home.” She spoke softly, but he could hear the hurt in her voice.

  Why is she hurt? I did a good thing. You don’t take advantage of a drunk girl. He was being respectful, dammit! “Tay, wait. What do you mean, if you have to walk home? What’s going on? Do you need a ride? I’ve got my car—”

  “I . . . No. It’s fine. Later.”

  Her voice broke his heart, she sounded so sad. “Tay, wait. Let me take you home. It’ll be dark soon, and you live way too far to walk.” He started in her direction, digging his keys out of his pocket.

  “You don’t have—” The sound of thunder in the distance and the quickly darkening sky seemed to change her mind. “Yah, sure. Thanks.”

  He drove her home, fighting to keep his hands to himself. She wasn’t slurring her words. She didn’t stagger at all. She wasn’t drunk then, right? No. He had tasted whiskey. That was his number one rule, you don’t take advantage of a girl in a vulnerable situation.

  When they arrived at her house twenty minutes later without a word spoken the whole way, Tay reached for the door handle, whispered “thanks,” and got out of the car. She didn't look back as she walked away. He sat in front of her house for at least ten minutes after she went inside. He should ask her out, just one date before he left for college. But no, one date would never be enough. Not when it came to Taylyn Carpenter.

  A moist stickiness pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked down to see he had squished a peach in his hand. He dropped it into the bag anyway, then wiped his hand on his jeans. When he looked back toward the apples, he saw Taylyn looking at him. He smiled and waved at her. A lovely shade of pink colored her cheeks before she cast him an annoyed look and turned to walk away. Declan started after her, but a cart full of groceries stood in his way. Mrs. Sidney had one hand resting on the cart’s handle while she talked with another lady. Did I just get cockblocked by a grocery cart? He stepped around it and looked for Taylyn again.

  Taylyn was gone. Shit! Where did she go? He caught a glimpse of her turning the corner, heading toward the deli. He dropped the bag of peaches into his basket and started off after her. He was not letting her get away, not without asking her out. He was h
ome now for good. No more college. He was back in Silverton and starting anew. Declan could think of no better start than to finally get that date with the girl he’d craved for the last decade.

  Chapter 7

  Taylyn’s heart was beating triple time. Declan fucking Sullivan. She knew it would only be a matter of time before they ran into each other. Silverton was a small town, you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing someone you knew. Shit. He was the last person she wanted to see. Declan with his caramel-colored eyes and his wavy dirty blond hair that she just wanted to run her fingers through. And that smile he flashed her— it was like he was happy to see her.

  Then she remembered that day at the summer’s end party. That kiss. That wonderful, earth-shattering, toe-curling kiss. He had initiated it. She had watched the emotions play across his face before he leaned in and kissed her.