Crushed

by Amity Hope

  “You shouldn’t have done that.” Her voice was a little too high.

  He knew he was just staring at her, dumbfounded. “You don’t want to have anything to do with me. But you have the right to tell me who I have to date?”

  She groaned. “It’s just, you shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Oh really?” he asked, feeling beyond defensive now. “Because also, she was cheating on me.”

  Her face folded into a scowl. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” he told her.

  She shook her head and glanced at Emma, who was still standing right there with them. Without warning, she took off, hobbling painfully away.

  He moved to follow her but Emma put her hand on his chest. “Not right now, Reece. Maybe later. But not now, okay?”

  This was not how he thought this scene would go.

  He had more questions now than ever before.

  He just didn’t dare push her anymore. But that didn’t mean he was giving up on it, or her, either.

  They were not done. Not even close.

  ***

  By the end of the day she was totally drained. She was so tired of the lies. She was so tired of the threats. She was so tired of always feeling like one wrong move and her world would cave in on her.

  She’d hated Reece being with Mia but at least it gave her a solid reason for needing to stay away from him. But she didn’t want to stay away from him. And he was making it clear he didn’t want to stay away from her, either. Aside from that, he knew something wasn’t right and she knew that he wasn’t going to let it go.

  When she slammed her locker door shut, Reece was standing there. And while the smart thing might have been for her to walk away…she was tired of doing that, too. She was tired of fighting this alone.

  Paul may have thought his outburst would scare her into compliance. It was having the opposite effect. What Paul had done last night…it was so much worse than anything before it. And last night, he’d come close to hitting Luci. That had never happened and Cleo was determined to make sure it stayed that way. That, that one thing, changed everything. She just wanted him out of her life. And maybe, just maybe Reece could help.

  “I want to drive you home,” he said.

  “Okay.” Paul would still be at work. There was no reason in the world he should be home yet.

  “Okay?” he asked, clearly surprised.

  She nodded and he took her backpack from her.

  “You doing alright?” he asked.

  She wasn’t. Not really. But she nodded anyway. She didn’t protest when his fingers slipped around hers.

  He gave her a small smile and looked at her like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. Her guess was because there were too many people around. She let him lead her through the crowded hall. They crossed the parking lot and he didn’t let go of her hand until he had to. Not until he opened her door for her.

  When he was settled inside he made small talk about Emma and Gavin until they were out of the lot. Then he turned to her.

  “Anything you want to tell me?”

  She shook her head.

  “I figured you’d say that. But you know I had to ask.” He was quiet for a few blocks before pulling over on a side street. “I saw the way Paul looked at me last night. Like he hates me all of a sudden? And now you’re a mess today. I’m not stupid Cleo. I’m not asking you to admit anything just because I’m so sure you won’t. So I’m telling you, I know. And you need to know that this is totally not okay. If something is happening with you, and it clearly is, I want to help.”

  She opened her mouth to protest but he put a finger over her lips to stop her.

  “There are a million things I want to say to you right now.” He was so mad he was almost shaking. Cleo knew he was trying to stay calm. Afraid she was going to shut down on him again. “And it’s absolutely killing me because I can see how close you are to pushing me away. The last thing I want to do is to bring you home. The thought of bringing you home is making me sick. I don’t believe you fell in the shower. And I don’t think you tripped over Luci’s shoes last year. And I am so damn mad at myself for not realizing it sooner.” He scrubbed his hand over his face and his voice turned hard. “If he did this, he should pay for it. I sure as hell can’t live with myself if I just bring you back there. I’ll help you in whatever way I can. Just tell me what you need.”

  “I’m not staying there,” she admitted.

  Reece looked at her like he wasn’t sure if he should believe her.

  “I’m not. Luci and I are staying with Emma for a few nights.” She’d been insistent upon it. Cleo hadn’t argued. “I’m just going to be home long enough for Luci to get home. And to get our bags packed. Emma was going to her house to talk to her mom. Then she’s coming back to get us.”

  He nodded slowly as his eyes scoured her face. This was the closest she’d ever come to admitting things were happening at her house that shouldn’t be happening.

  “Do you promise me? You’re not just saying that?”

  “I promise.”

  He nodded. “Okay. So you stay there for a few nights. Then what?”

  She looked away because she didn’t have an answer.

  “Cleo?” he asked as he squeezed her hand.

  “I don’t know,” she said as she turned back to face him.

  His eyes were drifting over her. She felt as though he were trying to see her bruising through her clothes. “I really want to put my arms around you right now. But I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t hurt me,” she said.

  She leaned over and slid her arms around his neck. He looped his around her carefully and she rested her head on his shoulder. He felt so warm and solid and safe. She felt his lips brush across her hairline. Then he carefully rested his cheek on her head.

  “So now what?” he asked quietly. “Where do we go from here?”

  “I don’t know that, either,” she told him. She really didn’t.

  “I need to know one thing,” he said as he buried his face in her hair.

  She had loosened her grip on him but she was still resting against him. He still had his arms around her. She already knew what he was going to ask.

  “No,” she told him. “I didn’t mean what I said the other night.”

  He placed another kiss on the top of her head. Now that she was so close and not backing away, he just wanted to kiss her and not stop. But he didn’t dare do that yet. “I need to hear you say it.”

  “I still love you,” she assured him. She could feel the tension disappear from him.

  “Can we talk about what really happened?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet. I just need some time to figure some things out. Things are just…complicated.” She released her hold on him and slowly moved back into her own seat. His hands slid away slowly. He didn’t want to let her go.

  “Complicated how? Did…” he trailed off as he studied her face for a second. “Did Paul have anything to do with why you broke up with me? I’ve been wondering that all day. I was thinking about the other night, when I stopped by. You were so worried he’d show up. And then he did show up last night and he was obviously furious. And he never cared before if we were together. But he obviously cares now. Why is that? I just don’t get why he’d care.”

  She gave him a miserable look and shook her head. She wanted to tell him everything. But there would be consequences. And she wasn’t willing to pay them. And she hadn’t figured out a way around them. Not yet. “I just need a few days. You said you’d do what you could to help me. Can you do that? Can you just give me some time?”

  He nodded slowly. “I can do that. As long as I know you’re somewhere safe.”

  “I will be.” She glanced at the clock. “But I really need to get going. I want to be ready to go when Emma gets there. And Luci will be home soon. But you really need to be gone by then.”

  He drove her home and of course, walked her to the front door. Neve
r mind that it was still afternoon and therefore, plenty light out.

  “Thanks for letting me drive you home,” he said as she stuck her key in the door. “And thanks for finally talking to me.”

  “Thanks for listening,” she told him. She pushed the door open, ready to step inside.

  “Cleo? One more thing.”

  She turned back to face him. He leaned over and wrapped his arms gently around her. Her body melted at his touch. Her knees felt like they were dissolving even before his mouth was on hers. She didn’t resist. She parted her lips to accept his kiss, to take it and to return it. She didn’t mean to but she grabbed hold of the hem of his shirt, bunching it up in her fists as if she needed to hold on to him. Like she was desperate to keep him there. His kiss went on and on. It was full of questions and even more full of answers. The kiss explained things that words weren’t allowed to right then.

  When he finally pulled back, she was breathless. It took her a minute to open her eyes because she didn’t want to open her eyes. She didn’t want it to be over.

  “See you in the morning,” he whispered. Then he leaned in and settled another lingering kiss onto her cheek before she could move. She had barely let go of his shirt before he started to drift away from her.

  She was still standing there, on the front step watching him go when he reached his vehicle and turned around.

  He gave her a heart-stopping smile. “Just so we’re clear, I still love you, too,” he called.

  Chapter 19

  “See you at lunch,” Emma said as Cleo hopped out of her car.

  “Okay,” she said as she shut the door.

  They were running late because they’d had to drop Luci off at school.

  She could tell Emma was irritated—not about running late, though. She’d wanted to talk to Cleo last night. But Cleo had kept Luci by her side all evening. It hadn’t been hard to do. She’d still been upset and unusually clingy. It was unusual because Luci was eleven and never clingy. She knew Luci was worried about what her dad had said. So she’d more or less attached herself to Cleo’s side all night. When Luci had gone to bed, Cleo had followed. They had taken over Ethan’s room.

  She knew Emma knew she was avoiding her. And maybe she should’ve just talked to her and gotten everything out in the open. Instead, she’d tossed and turned for hours. That was especially frustrating because she probably could’ve slept well. She usually slept well at other peoples’ houses. But she’d been busy dreading the conversation that she knew they were going to have to have.

  Everything in her life seemed like it was unraveling. She didn’t know how much longer she had until everything came completely undone. She couldn’t stop thinking about it. Worrying about it and flat-out obsessing about it.

  After they’d dropped off Luci, Emma told Cleo she wanted to ask her mom if Cleo could stay with them. Indefinitely. She didn’t want her to do that. Not yet. Her biggest concern was not where she was going to stay; it was how she was going to manage to keep Luci with her.

  She had to try to make things right with Paul, as much as she despised the thought.

  Between her lack of sleep and her aching body, she felt like she was moving in slow motion. She edged her way onto the latest lawn they were cleaning up. She found Alan again and checked in.

  “Cleo!” Janna called. “Are you doing okay?” she asked as Cleo slowly made her way over. Janna instantly frowned as her eyes flew over her friend.

  She was stiff, sore and fatigued. “I’m fine,” she said as she pushed on a smile.

  “Okay,” she nodded but a slight frown had appeared. “Well, the extra rakes are stacked on the backside of that garden shed.” She pointed to the small gray building between the two houses they were working on this morning.

  “Thanks,” Cleo told her as she set off in search of one.

  When she reached the backside of the shed, a hand darted out, looped around her wrist and gently reeled her in. She found herself plastered against Reece’s chest.

  “Oh my gosh! You scared me!” she loudly whispered as she looked around. It seemed fairly private on the backside of this lawn.

  “I didn’t mean to,” he said with a grin. She wasn’t so sure she believed him. “I needed to talk to you for a second.”

  “Janna—”

  “Was more than happy to help,” Reece said with a small laugh.

  He was still holding her to him. She didn’t make any move to get away. Instead, she just leaned in. He made a little sound of contentment as she rested against him. Her head was on his chest and her arms looped around his waist.

  “I’m not even going to ask if you’re okay,” he said quietly. “Because I know you’re not. I just want you to tell me what to do to make it better.”

  “Just this,” she said as he ran a hand over her hair. Simply being close to Reece was making her feel better than she had in months. “Just being with you.”

  “Yesterday, you asked me to give you some time.” She nodded. “Did you mean you needed me to give you some time before you start answering my questions? Because I don’t like that but I could live with it. Or did you mean you needed some time before we could be together? Because I hate that idea and I’m not sure I want to agree to it.”

  She had, actually, meant…both. She opened her mouth to tell him that but he leaned down and silenced her. Her kiss gave him the opposite response of what her brain had been planning. His hands rested on the small of her back. He pulled her in closer and she inadvertently inhaled sharply as pain radiated out from her bruised stomach.

  He instantly let go of her.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said as he cringed, as if it hurt him more than her. It probably had, hurt his conscience anyway. “Are you okay?” His gaze was scouring over her again, looking for what he couldn’t see.

  “It’s fine,” she assured him but his expression became tense.

  “I want to kill Paul. You get that don’t you? And I’m not real happy with you either,” he said carefully, “for keeping this from me.”

  “Reece…” she started. She made a move to back away. But then his arms were around her again. They were gentle but firm this time.

  “No,” he said. “Don’t do this. Don’t push me away. I’m supposed to be going to the football game tonight with Adam. I want to cancel.”

  “I don’t want you to cancel your plans for me,” she protested. Though it was more than that.

  “My parents are gone,” he told her.

  “Visiting Amanda and the girls?” If that was the case, they typically made a weekend of the trip.

  He shook his head. “No, they went there last weekend. This weekend they’re visiting Chelsey. She helped organize an exhibit at an art gallery. Or something like that. I don’t really know. Anyhow, it’s for one of her classes and a huge part of her grade. She asked my parents to come check it out. It’s not until Saturday night. But they’re leaving this afternoon so Mom can take Chels shopping all day tomorrow. They want to get a head start on Christmas shopping.”

  “It’s September!” she pointed out.

  He shrugged. “It’s my mom.” As if that explained everything. And really, from what Cleo knew of Beth Hildenbrandt, it did.

  “You can come over. We can talk,” he continued.

  There was a glaring problem to that plan. As much as she wanted to spend time with Reece, she wasn’t ready to talk. He wanted answers and he deserved them. She wasn’t ready to give them. She shook her head.

  “I can’t come over. I’m not even supposed to be kissing you,” she muttered.

  “Says who?” he demanded. He pushed her back, still carefully holding her waist, but didn’t let her go. “I know something is going on, Cleo. This never felt right. It never made sense. And after the last few days…I love you. And I know you love me, too. Even if you are all over the place about it. There’s no way you can tell me this is about you wanting to see someone else.” His voice hardened at the last part and he pulled her back in again.<
br />
  “There is more,” she said, finally going for honesty. She had let too much slip to deny it. Truthfully, she just couldn’t do it anymore. Emma had thought from the start she needed to tell Reece everything. She still wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do. But she knew very soon, she was going to have to find out.

  He was getting ready to shower her with questions when Janna appeared.

  She grinned hugely at the sight of Reece and Cleo together. Him leaning against the shed, his feet firmly planted on either side of her body and her tangled up in his arms.

  “I hate to interrupt,” she said as she winked at Cleo, “but Mr. Jessen just got here. He’s checking in. I thought I better let you know.”

  Janna disappeared again and Reece reluctantly let her go.

  “This isn’t over,” he said.

  “No, it’s not,” she agreed. He instantly looked relieved. She was sure he thought she was going to argue.

  He gave her a small nod. “Okay then. But I’m driving you back to school today, not Janna.”

  He gave her a relieved smile when she didn’t argue.

  ***

  “Cleo?” Patty said as she met Emma and Cleo at the door. “Paul called earlier. I was at the grocery store but he left a message.” The look on her face showed her surprise. He had never called their house before, as far as Cleo knew. “He said he wants Luci home immediately. But isn’t she gone for the weekend?”

  Cleo’s heart somersaulted. She was certain she knew exactly why Paul wanted Luci home. It had nothing to do with him wanting to see her. It had everything to do with letting Cleo know that he wasn’t going to allow her to have her sister.

  “She went with Jill’s family,” Cleo told Patty. “She asked him.” Actually, she’d simply told him because she’d gotten permission from Cleo, and that’s typically the way they did things. “But he probably forgot. I’ll let him know.”