“I won’t let that happen.” He shakes his head. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He moves in and presses a kiss to my lips, softly. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?” I stand beside him and take the hand he offers me.
“We’re going to get your things.”
After Dane parks the car, we both walk to the front door. I let us both in, and we’re met by Ed. “You’re not allowed here. I suggest you make your way back outside that door,” he tells Dane.
Dane smiles and squares his shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere until she’s packed. She’s coming with me.”
Ed laughs. “I believe she’s under my care. So, she’s staying here until she’s eighteen, and I’m no longer being paid to take care of her ass.”
Dane takes a step closer to me. With his hand on my back, he urges me up the stairs. “Go get your things. I’ll handle him.”
I look between Dane and Ed, but Dane nods me on.
Quickly, I walk up the stairs and rush to my room.
Luckily, I don’t have many belongings. I grab the bag I showed up with and throw the few items of clothing I have into it. I’m back downstairs within two minutes, but Dane and Ed are nowhere to be found.
I push through the screen door and find them in the yard, taking turns throwing punches. Dane’s lip is busted, but that’s the extent of his injuries. Ed, on the other hand, looks like he’s been beaten by his own belt. His eye’s already swelling and turning black. His nose is bleeding. And both lips are busted and swelling.
When Dane sees me, he stops trying to fight. He looks at Ed and says, “If you’re smart, you’ll keep your mouth shut and just cash your checks.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder and walks me back to his car.
He slides behind the wheel and peels out of the driveway. I want to ask if he thinks Ed will report us, but I don’t. I don’t want my bubble busted and right now. I’m happy to be able to go with Dane and be the dirty little secret he keeps locked away in his bedroom.
I’ve been living with Dane for two days and so far, his dad hasn’t noticed. He’s only home early in the morning and late at night. Dane says he’s usually home on the weekends, but with the bar and grill being built, he’s been spending all his time overseeing the construction.
His little brother cooks dinner every night, and Dane sneaks me up a plate. In the mornings, I sneak out his window and walk down the road to where I leave my truck to drive myself to school. I find it strange nobody knows I’ve been staying there. Dane says he can’t get in to look at the house until this weekend.
I kind of like the idea of finding a place that’s dirty and broken. Something we can fix up and make our own. Slowly, piece by piece, Dane is fixing all the broken parts inside of me, just like he will with any house we find.
I haven’t heard anything from Ed or the police, so I guess whatever Dane said struck a chord with him. He’s just going to let me go and keep getting the checks for taking me, but I don’t care. I’m finally out of the foster care system. Something I’ve dreamt about my entire life.
I sit and wait in my truck in the school parking lot until his car pulls in. Then I get out and walk over to him just as Mason gets out and runs for the doors. Dane leans against his car the way he always does, looking so sure of himself. His eyes find me walking toward him, and his lips turn up into a grin like he hasn’t seen me in weeks even though we were just together.
He takes my hand and leads me into the school. He props up against the neighboring locker while I dig around, grabbing books for my morning classes.
“Hey, what are you two doing after school?” Sean asks, coming to stand in front of Dane.
“Hi, Sean,” I say, closing my locker and turning around to face him.
“Hey there, sweet stuff.” He grins suggestively at me.
I laugh and look at Dane, whose face is covered with an amused expression. He shakes his head and rubs his forehead. “I have to go over to the shop. Dad’s wanting to talk to me about something. What’s up?”
Sean shrugs. “Nothing, just wanted to spend a little time with my best friend is all.”
Dane wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Sorry, Sean. Not today.” He leads me down the hallway to my first class. He presses a quick kiss to my lips and leaves in the opposite direction.
I stand by the door, staring after him. As he walks down the hall, a blonde with boobs the size of a Buick flocks to his side. I can see her lips moving as she says something to him, and he leans in closer to hear her, placing his hand on her hip. He glances up, looking into her eyes and says something with a smile before they round the corner together.
Something churns in the pit of my stomach. It burns its way up to my heart. I know this feeling well.
Jealousy.
I’ve felt it my entire life. I’ve always been jealous of kids with parents and normal lives. But I’ve never let another girl make me jealous before, especially over a guy. But then again, a guy has never loved me before.
Spinning on my heels, I walk into the classroom. I take my seat and divert my eyes down to my clasped hands, resting on my desk.
Why am I feeling this way? I know Dane loves me. I know he’d never cheat on me. But seeing his hands on that other girl, it hurts a part of me that’s never hurt before.
It makes me realize how much I rely on him. What if the spell is suddenly broken for him? What if he regrets letting me stay with him? What if he’s changed his mind about living together, or just me in general?
The teacher comes into class and directs us to open our books, but I’m lost in my thoughts. I flip through the pages, not even sure what page he said.
I have something to lose now.
I’ve never had anything to lose before.
Already, it’s changing me.
Chapter Five
Dane
I leave Alissa at her class and walk down the hall to try and get to mine on time. Brittney, a girl I’ve known since kindergarten, comes up to my side. She says something to me, but the crowded hallways are so loud, I can’t make out what she’s saying.
I lean in closer. “What?”
She says it again, but I must be almost deaf from all the shows I’ve done, because I still can’t hear her. I place my hand on her hip and pull her a little closer. “One more time,” I laugh.
“I said I caught your show this past weekend. You guys are awesome.”
“You haven’t seen a show before?” I ask as we round the corner. The hallways start to clear and quiet down. I move my hand from her side, no longer needing to keep her close in order to hear.
“No, I’m usually stuck in my bedroom, studying.”
“If you want to be valedictorian, you gotta study a lot,” I tease her.
“I’ve got to get to class before I’m late. Great show. I’ll try to catch the next one.” She walks away, leaving me to continue to class on my own.
My morning passes by slowly. When lunch rolls around, I find my way to Alissa’s locker. She isn’t here yet, but most people don’t run from class like I do. I rest against the locker next to hers and wait. She rounds the corner and comes to a dead stop when she sees me. After rolling her eyes, she pushes herself forward.
She puts in the combination and unlocks her locker, tossing her books inside. With a slam, the locker closes, and she turns to face me.
“Is something wrong?” I ask with amusement written all over my face.
She rolls her eyes again and says, “I saw you today.”
I laugh, I can’t help it. “You saw me doing what exactly?”
“I saw that girl come up to you in the hallway.”
“Okay. What about it?” I’m confused. What is she mad about?
“I saw you put your hand on her hip and pull her closer.”
Oh, I get it now. “That was completely innocent. I couldn’t hear her over everyone in the hallway.”
She crosses her arms and sinks against the lockers, keeping her eyes downcast.
I place my finger under her chin and force her to look at me. “There’s nothing going on.” I grin.
Her shoulders fall with relief. “Are you sure? If you don’t want to do this…” she motions between the two of us. “We don’t have to, you know?”
I shake my head before bending down and giving her a long kiss. “You’re all I want.”
Her eyes gloss over. She takes a long breath and looks up at me. “Really?”
“Really,” I assure her.
She nods. “I’m sorry.”
I take her hand and lead her toward the exit. “For what?”
“For being this jealous… freak. I’ve never been in a relationship like this before. I don’t know what to think.”
I lift her hand that’s in mine and press a kiss to the top. “It’s okay. I probably would’ve felt the same way. I’m sorry I touched her like that. I wasn’t even thinking about what it could’ve looked like. I’ve known her since I was five. There are no feelings like that between us.” We walk through the open doors, and I twirl her around to face me on the sidewalk. “It’s only ever going to be you. Understand?”
She offers up a sad smile before nodding.
I pull her against me for another lip crushing kiss.
School passes slowly, as it always does. But once the bell rings, I find Alissa, and we jump in the car to head over to the bar and grill. Dad wants to talk to me about something, and my nerves have been going crazy wondering what it is.
The entire building is up and looks damn near ready to open. We walk across the parking lot, and I open the glass door and allow her to walk in ahead of me.
I’m completely surprised when see the entire place is almost all set up. There are people I don’t know hanging pictures and tv’s. Others are behind the bar stocking the coolers and shelves with liquor.
Dad’s head pops up from behind the bar. “Hey, what do you two think?” He has a wide smile as he holds his arms out at his sides.
I nod. “It looks really good, Dad.” I spin and take in the place. My eyes land on a wooden stage in the front of the bar. “I didn’t know you were putting in a stage. That wasn’t in the plans I saw.”
Dad walks up beside me and pats me on the back. “I added that in last minute just for you.”
I turn to see his dark eyes twinkle. “Just for me?”
He nods with his smile still in place. “That’s right. I want your band on that stage every Saturday night.”
I can’t contain the grin taking over my face. “Really?”
He nods. “This Saturday is the grand opening, so you guys better get to practicing.”
I want to jump up and down I’m so excited. “Thanks, Dad. That’s really cool of you!” Leaning in, I give him a quick hug.
He returns the hug and slaps me on the back. “Alright, come over here and sit down, the both of ya. I want to talk to you about something.”
Suddenly, the excitement I was feeling dies down. He wants to talk to us about something? Is there a chance he knows that Alissa is staying in my bedroom?
We walk over to a small table, where Alissa and I take a seat across from him.
He places his hands on the table and leans in with his eyes on me. “I want you to know I hear you. I know you don’t like working at the shop. It’s just that until now, I didn’t have anything else for you to do. Other than the Saturday night gigs, I want you to be a waiter here.” He holds up his hands, palms facing me, preventing me from speaking the protest he thinks is on my lips. “I know, the job’s lame, but it pays just as much as what you make at the shop, plus you’ll make tips. When you get a little older, we can talk about you bartending and maybe even moving up to management.”
I quickly think it over. Hell yeah, I’ll take what he’s offering. I’d much rather be in the air conditioning than outside sweating my ass off in the sun while repairing something I have no business fixing.
“Thanks, Dad. That sounds awesome.”
He smiles and looks at Alissa. “And Alissa, I want you to waitress here, if you’d like. I don’t know how your parents feel about it, but it would give you some extra cash. And it would really help me out.”
Alissa smiles and nods. “Absolutely. I’ve been looking for a job. Thank you, Mr. Reynolds.”
I can tell how happy this place is making him already. The smile hasn’t left his face since the building started going up.
“Alright then, it’s all settled.” He smacks the table and stands. “Go on and get out of here. Training will start tomorrow night.” He walks away, leaving us sitting alone.
“I’m going to use the restroom, then we’ll head out,” I tell Alissa.
I quickly use the restroom, and when I return, I find my dad and Alissa looking at a picture hanging on the wall.
“What are you guys talking about?” I ask, coming to a stop behind them.
He motions toward a black and white picture on the wall. It’s considered art, but it’s only black circles against a white background. The picture is made to be some kind of illusion, making the picture look curved.
“What do you think of this picture?” Dad asks.
I study it for a minute. “I don’t really think it fits in the bar. It kind of gives me a headache.”
He looks at Alissa. “What do you think?”
She shrugs. “I don’t really like it.”
“Why not?” he asks.
She looks at both of us. “Because I like to see things how they are, not for what they’re trying to be.” She crosses her arms, something she does when she’s feeling insecure.
I lift an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
The corners of her mouth turn up. “It’s just that this picture is flat, but it looks like it’s trying to come out of the frame, like it’s trying to be a column or something. I don’t like being fooled. I like to see things for exactly what they are.”
My dad grins and motions toward her. “I think you got yourself a good one here.” He turns and walks away, yelling for someone to take that picture off the wall.
I hold out my hand, and she takes it, so I can lead her back out to the car.
We’re lying in the grass by the pond watching the sunset when I ask, “What were you talking about with that picture earlier?”
She giggles and rolls to her stomach, so she can look at me. “I don’t like illusions, Dane.”
“Why not?” I roll to my stomach the same way she did.
“Illusions aren’t real; they’re a lie.”
“How can a picture be a lie? It’s just art.”
“Not all illusions are pictures. You see illusions every day whether you notice it or not.”
I cock my head to the side. “Care to elaborate?”
She rolls her eyes like she can’t believe I’m not picking up on what she’s spelling out. “People create illusions all the time to make themselves look better. Girls wear makeup to give the illusion they’re better looking than they are. Guys buy crazy expensive cars to make themselves look cooler. People plaster on fake smiles and tell a lot of jokes to make people think they’re happy. I know because… I used to do the same thing.”
“You don’t wear makeup. And between you and me, you’re not that funny,” I joke.
She laughs and smacks my arm, but then settles on her back, looking at the sky. “It’s all just a trick of the eye, Dane. I used to live that way. I got good at making people see someone that wasn’t me.”
“So, what happened? When did you give up the facade?” I settle between her legs, so I can feel her under me and look into her beautiful, blue eyes.
“When I met you.” She smiles. “I didn’t have to pretend to be happy anymore because just being with you makes me happy.” She lifts her head until her lips are pressed against mine, making my entire body tingle.
The week passes by quickly, and before I know it, it’s Saturday night. Alissa will be waitressing while I’ll be on stage. I’m pumped that I get to play in the bar and
grill. The band has been practicing all week.
Before the place opens, we take our time setting up all the equipment. Mark and Zach are excited and bouncing off the walls. This is our first real gig. Sure, we’ve played hundreds of times and gotten paid for most of them. But this will be our first time playing in a business, not just some house party.
Dad unlocks the doors at seven P.M., but we don’t go on stage until nine, so we sit back drinking soda and eating whatever they’ll give us. The jukebox is loud while people drink, play pool, and have dinner. I keep an eye on Alissa to make sure nobody messes with her. The guys beg her to serve them beer, but she isn’t allowed to deliver drinks to anyone since she’s underage. My dad would freak out if he found underage kids in here drinking; he’s already told me not to even try it.
When nine o’clock rolls around, the jukebox is shut off, and Dad takes the stage. “Excuse me, everyone. I wanted to thank all of you for coming out tonight. This has been a dream of mine since before I started the shop. I’m not a man of many words, but the fact that you all came here to celebrate with me means the world to me.” He wipes an unshed tear from his eye. “Without further ado, please welcome the band that’ll be here every Saturday night, Empire of None!”
The whole place screams as we take the stage. Passing by my dad on the way up, he gives me this look that radiates pride. It makes this warm feeling spread through me. He’s proud of me. I’ve never felt this before.
I take my place behind the mic and introduce the band. Mark counts us down, and I start singing a hard rock version of “Here I Go Again”, by Whitesnake.
The crowd is mostly adult couples and friends of my dad, so the classic rock music is the perfect vibe for this crowd. Several ladies come up to the front of the stage, and they dance along with the music, swaying their bodies back and forth in front of me. My eyes automatically fall to watch them. Who doesn’t look when a big chested woman starts to dance in front of you? But as soon as my eyes land on a full rack, Alissa pops into my head and instead of watching the women, I search for my girl in the crowd.
Giving Up My Chance at Forever_Prequel Page 6
