by t. h. snyder
“Don’t you fucking think for a minute that any of this is your fault, you dumbass. Yeah, you were driving. Yeah, there were four of you in the car that got smashed by some low life drunk driver, but you are not the one that was behind that wheel of that truck. It could have been Linc’s car that got hit. Let’s just say you four were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Never…ever did I truly blame you for this.”
Etty’s entire body is trembling as she points her finger in Steve’s face. The sight itself is quite hilarious, but I’m trying my best not to bust out in laughter…it’s not the time.
Chapter 13
My mouth is hanging wide open at the scene playing out right in front of me. Holy fucking shit, insert foot into mouth. Damn this chick is crazy and apparently me blaming myself for the accident was the wrong thing to say. Hell, I’m just beginning to get through my own issues and now this little thing is ripping me a new asshole.
The look on Etty’s face right now is of pure fury. She’s breathing heavily and her chest is heaving, good lord what the fuck?
“Okay, Etty, calm down. The accident shook us all really hard. What Steve is trying to say is that since he was driving, he wished he could’ve prevented the accident. Like I’ve told you before, the plan will work. Did Linc say more when you talked to him?”
Plopping herself back down on the coffee table, she looks to me with regret and sorrow. Whoa, she really needs to stay put for a few minutes, between her sudden movements and her change of personality, I’m about to get whiplash.
“I’m sorry for lashing out at you just now, there are just a lot of emotions running through me and sometimes I just let go. I miss him so much and will do just about anything to have him back here with me, with us. As for Linc and Jo, they asked if we could all meet them at their house tonight. I was trying to call and text you guys all day about it, but apparently y’all were busy.”
I look to Ash, who now has a big smile across her face.
“Yeah, I’m not about to apologize for that, Etty. It’s been months since I held my girl in my arms.”
We all start to laugh as I wrap my arms around Ash, falling into her body on the couch.
“Okay you two love sick teenagers, let’s get a move on…lots to discuss with Linc and Jo.”
Trying, but not wanting her to push me off of her, Ashley sits up on the couch attempting to comb through the tangled web of hair falling in her face.
“Well, you have our attention now. Let’s head over there and get this plan underway,” Ash replies getting up off the couch and pulling her pink locks into a messy bun on top of her head.
My eyes scan her body and instantly my mind goes back to last night and this morning. Trying to will my raging hard on to go down, I reposition myself in my now tight ass jeans. This woman does things to me just from her mere presence and thoughts of the passion we shared…damn it, Steve, focus.
Turning my gaze from her, I blink a few times attempting to regain my composure.
Still completely unsure of this plan, I follow the girls through the living room as they both grab their purses and head out the apartment door.
I haven’t seen or spoken to Linc since before he and Jo left for South Carolina. I was in a depressed state of mind, unwilling to listen to one of my best friends. I turned my back on him when I needed him the most. We were all going through a rough patch and instead of leaning on one another; we chose to go our separate ways.
Things are different now and I have a new perspective on how I want to handle the way in which I live my life. It just sucks that the last moments spent with them I was in a bad place.
As I pull the car in behind Etty’s along the sidewalk, an aching feeling begins to grow in the pit of my stomach. Ashley looks at me as I sit completely still in the driver’s seat. The air in the car is thick and my heart is beating so loudly I feel as if she can hear the rapid sounds over the music playing through the speakers.
Resting her hand on mine, she squeezes it and gives me a tender smile. The setting sun casts a glow around her heart shaped face, the dim light beaming off her hazel eyes. She appears as an angel sitting in front of me…she’s my angel, my savior.
Captivated by her appearance, I can’t help but stare into her eyes. Even though Linc is like a brother to me, I’m still nervous as shit to face him after what I’ve done. Regardless if he blames me, Etty blames me or I blame myself…I’m still not comfortable with the fact that I was the driver and now Dault is gone.
Ashley clears her throat and her sweet voice pulls my attention back to the here and now.
“We got this, babe. It’s all going to be okay. Linc loves you like a brother and I can guarantee he will be ecstatic to see you again.”
I look to her with shock spread across my face. My brows are scrunched up as she leans in and places a kiss to my lips. The taste of her sweetness turns my senses back to reality as I pull away.
“It’s like you were reading my fucking mind, Ash,” I say rubbing circles on the top of her hand with my thumb.
She winks back at me and turns to face forward.
“It’s kinda how I roll, Steve. I’ve known you for far too long. It’s easy for me to pick up on your emotions without you saying a word.”
“I love you, Ashley. Thank you for being here with me through all of this.”
Her beautiful face turns over to look into my eyes.
“I love you, too. Always and forever, Steve, I’m never letting us go again.”
With a smile, I lean in to kiss her on the forehead.
She’s right, we got this.
Turning off the engine, I hop out and round the front of the car, moving toward Ashley’s door. As I open it, she steps out and Etty comes alongside, walking between the two of us.
“Thanks again, you two, I know this is a bit chaotic. Hopefully after we talk things through with all of you, I’ll have a better sense of what I’ll need to do to get him back home.”
Trying to be supportive and empathetic of her feelings, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her into my embrace for a hug.
“We got this, Etty. It’ll all work out.”
Looking up to me, her face beams with hope.
As we get to the front porch, Etty walks in the front door announcing that we are here. Jo comes running out to the front room grabbing both girls in a tight hug.
“Oh ,Ash, it’s so good to see you and Steve,” she says pausing for a minute. “You look so good…it’s so good to see you here.”
Pulling herself away from the girls, she moves to me, her arms spread wide open. Stepping closer to her, I allow her to give me the bear hug I know very well she wants to share. With her arms squeezing the life out of me, I laugh and pry her limbs away from my waist.
“Whoa there, tiger, I can’t breathe when you’re sucking the life out of me.”
She giggles and backs away looking me over from head to toe.
“Really, Steve, you look so much better. I’m glad you guys came. Linc is just getting out of the shower and should be down soon. Can I get y’all a soda or something else to drink?”
Etty and Ashley follow Jo into the kitchen while I remain in the living room. I’d like to talk with Linc when he comes down, before we get into the logistics of Etty’s plan.
Looking around the living room, I can see that a lot has changed in this place. No longer is it a bachelor pad. Jo has added a few things to make it really look like a home, it looks great.
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs pulls my attention to the other side of the room. My eyes fall onto Linc as he walks down taking the last step into the room.
“Steve,” he says with shock in his voice.
“Hey, man,” I reply taking a few steps in his direction.
He pulls me into a hug and smacks me on the back a few times. This is going a lot better than I imagined, not like I thought Linc would want to throw punches at me or anything, but I thought…well, I guess I assumed it would be more aw
kward.
“It’s great to see you, brother. You doing alright?”
Nodding, I take a step back.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
He looks to me with a raised brow.
“You sure? You sorta look like you’re about to shit your pants.”
I laugh while running my hand over the stubble growing on top of my head. Do I really look that nervous?
“It’s been a rough few weeks, to say the least, but I’m ready to move on. I know I may not have handled the accident as I should have. I walked away and hid behind a wall I swore I’d never put up again. I’m not going down that path again, Linc. I swear it. There’s so much more out there for me to allow myself to drown in my sorrows all over again. I have a crew who is my family and an amazing girl by my side. What more could I ever want? Ashley and I’ve spent last night and today talking some things through and I’m feeling better about where I want my life to go.”
With a smirk on his face, he stands tall and crosses his arms across his chest.
“Talking, eh?”
A laugh followed by a puff of air pulls from my lungs as I watch the expression on his face change to one of amusement. Is that all he got out of what I just said? Way to pay attention to detail, asshole.
“Yeah, we talked. She’s really it for me, Linc, and I won’t fuck it up again. If she’s willing to stand by me and help me conquer my issues then I want to make things right for her. I won’t lose her again.”
“That’s good news, man. It’s good to have you back with us. Now to get our final missing link back and the crew will be solid as a rock again.”
“Etty started to tell us her plan, but we never got to the actual part where we get him back here. Do you think she can really do it?”
“I know Etty probably better than any of us. Even in the short time she’s been a part of our lives, I’ve realized that our little blue haired spit fire can get whatever it is that she aims herself for.”
The front door swings open and through my peripheral vision I see Cliff walk into the room.
“Alright, hellions, let’s get our shit together and get that asshat back to Birmingham.”
The girls come walking back into the living room and circle around Cliff, each of them giving him a hug.
“Now our crew is almost complete. Let’s get this plan out and moving so we can bring Dault home once and for all,” Linc says clapping Cliff on the back and gesturing for us all to move into the kitchen.
Chapter 14
Three Days Later
My heart is pounding through my chest and my eyes are glazed over. As Linc’s sister, Mimi, pulls into her driveway, I feel as though I’m about to pass out.
Linc reaches his arm around me as Steve grabs onto my hand for support. The more and more I think this plan through, the harder it seems to be. We’ve discussed the various scenarios over and over a million times, but the fear of what may actually happen scares me to death.
In just a few short hours, I’ll be seeing him again for the first time in months. We’ve flown to South Carolina in hopes to bring Dault back with us. It’s a crazy ass plan, but one that I have to see through. I can’t bear to live my life without him, he means too much to me. Selfish reasons may be why I want him back in Alabama, but I know I’m not the only one that needs him back in my life. The crew misses him too and if we want to bring Cursed Magic back to life, all of the brothers need to be there to make it happen.
Before leaving this morning, I made sure to call Christian and let him know that I’d be gone for a few days. Through all of this, he has been extremely supportive and understanding. He’s accepted that Dault is the man I love and is pulling for this plan to work.
While talking to him, he had some news of his own that apparently he’s been keeping hush hush. It brought a smile to my face knowing he has finally found someone to return his love. He’s been seeing Jenn, a girl he met a few months back and after all this time they’ve decided to move in together. I’m happy for him…and her. I just wish I could’ve been there for him as he was for me. I know it’s crazy to think we all could be friends again; the crew would probably have my head. Christian really is an amazing guy and deserves to find himself surrounded by people that care about him. Who knows? In time, anything is possible. Until then, I have a mission to partake in and I refuse to leave for home without the man I love.
Dault means the world to me. The short period of time we had together was truly some of the best moments of my life. He’s shown me what a man will do for the one woman he loves.
He changed his ways, for me.
He showed that he wanted to be a better man, for me.
He made promises that no one thought were possible, for me.
His perfect features are etched in my memory forever, yet I’m so afraid that same blank stare will meet me head on when our eyes connect.
“You okay, Etty?” Linc asks pulling me into him.
Shaking my head, I lean my head into his shoulder.
“We will be with you the entire time, Etty. This isn’t going to be easy for any of us,” Steve remarks before opening the car door.”
“I’m so worried, Linc. What if he doesn’t ever remember us? What if all the memories we’ve shared are gone forever? What if I’ve lost him for good?”
Tears begin to fall down my cheeks as Linc presses his forehead into mine.
“Etty, those are a lot of ‘what ifs’ and there’s nothing we can do but try. Dault loves you with everything he is, he just needs to see you, feel you and he’ll remember you.”
Sitting myself back against the seat, I close my eyes for a brief moment. Yeah, there are a lot of “what ifs” and if coming here was a bad idea, I’ll have no one to blame but myself.
“Come on, girl. Let’s get ourselves situated in the house. After we clean up and get something to eat, we’ll make our way into town.”
Opening my eyes, I reach for my purse and follow Linc out of the car.
For the next few hours, Linc, Steve, and I relax around Mimi’s house waiting for the moment it’s time to leave. I’ve paced the living for so long, that eventually Linc came over to pick me up and plant me on the couch in front of the TV. With his leg placed firmly on top of mine, so I can’t get up, he dials someone’s number and hands me the phone.
“Talk to the girls, get your mind off of things here for a bit,” he says with a wink.
Taking the phone from him, I place it to my ear and wait for an answer.
“Hey, baby,” Jo purrs into the receiver.
With a laugh, I shake my head looking to Linc.
“Hey, Jo, it’s me. Apparently Linc thought I should get some distraction so he called you for me.”
“Haha, what a dork. Sorry about the baby comment, had I known it was you I would have amped up my sweet talk.”
“Yeah, okay, crazy woman. So how are things back home?”
“Good, good, really good. Ashley, Cliff and I are going over to the shop later this afternoon to start cleaning house. We want it all to look brand, spanking new for when you guys get back.”
“Sweet. Thanks so much for doing all of this while we’re gone. I really appreciate it.”
“Shut your mouth, girl. We’re happy to do it. So how are you feeling otherwise? You ready for this?”
I can feel my heart starting to do flip flops in my chest. Am I ready for this…hell no.
“Well, as far as how I’m feeling…your fiancé has me strapped down to the couch. Apparently I was annoying him by pacing through the house so he decided to lock me down,” I retort giving Linc a wicked glare.
“Umm well, you’re lucky I love you and Linc loves you like a sister. There is no way in hell I’d be comfortable hearing that my man has some chick strapped down to a couch…now, come on.”
“Hahaha, please it’s me…and Linc.”
“Exactly, like I said, you’re lucky I love you. Any who, talk to me about what your mind is going through right now. Mine would be r
acing like a hamster on a caged wheel. I don’t know how you’re so brave, Etty… not like I’m making this any easier. But damn, girl, you have some serious balls and we are all behind you.”
“Ugh, I know. My mind is going a million miles a minute with thoughts on how this is going to play out. His aunt said she’s more than willing to help in any way she can, but this has to be done just him and I. I don’t know if I can bear getting back on that plane without him.”
Tears prick the back of my eyes as I squeeze them shut.
“You got this, girl, just be you. Remind him of everything you’ve shared and he’ll come back to you. He loves you, Etty. We all could see it long before you both did. Dault’s been my best friend forever; he’s never been the way he is with you, not with any other woman. You’re special to him and he’ll remember it, just give him time.”
Her words and encouragement mean the world to me—I just hope she’s right.
Linc lifts his leg from mine and Steve moves to stand.
“It’s time, Etty,” they say in unison.
“Oh God, Jo, it’s time to go…pray for me.”
“I love you, Etty. Call me later tonight if you can.”
“Will do, Jo. Thank you.”
I disconnect the call and hand the phone to Linc.
“You ready for this?” He asks bringing his arms across his chest.
No.
Yes.
No.
Yes.
Fuck me…am I ready for this?
Taking in deep breath, I release the air in my lungs.
“As ready as I’ll ever be…let’s do this.”
Linc drives us over to Kellie’s house in his sister’s SUV. Too many images and thoughts are playing through my mind that I lose track of time staring out the window.
I feel the motion of the car and turn to see the guys getting out. Unable to move, I sit completely still and wait. Hell, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to walk to the door.
The car door opens and Linc extends his hand out to mine. Come on, Etty, you have to do this…get those legs moving and go get your man.
