by Skye Turner
“But, no. Instead you throw a fucking tantrum and leave. You just left without telling me.
“You rejected me tonight, Ty.
“You’re supposed to love me and the fact is that things like this are a part of my world. Not the main part, but they matter. And having you there with me, matters. To me.
“You hurt me. You pissed me off, but more than that, you hurt me!”
I look at him as my chest heaves and my eyes fill with tears. “This isn’t going to work if you can’t support me like I support you. Yes, I’m rich and you’re not. I know you hate events like tonight, but when I have one and I ask you to come… to support me and be there for me… I need that.
“If you can’t give me that. This whole thing is pointless.”
He’s just staring at me as I rail at him. I’ve said what I needed to say. What happens next is up to him.
Either I’m leaving and this is well and truly over or he’s going to be the man I need him to be.
I feel a panic attack brewing as I wait… Taking deep breaths to calm my heart, I watch him.
His hands are opening and closing and he’s breathing deeply. Finally, he closes his eyes and sighs. “I’m sorry, AnnaBeth.” He opens them and ensnares me with his gaze. “I’m sorry.”
What is he sorry for?
Is he sorry for leaving or is he sorry because he’s saying he can’t do what I’m asking?
Why the hell is he sorry?
I blink as my chest heaves and I try to stem the tears. “Sorry for what?”
He crosses the room. I can’t look away as he gets closer to me. As he approaches me, he takes ahold of my hands and his thumbs rub across the tops of them. I look up at him. His eyes are creasing in the corners as he smiles at me.
“I’m sorry I’m a selfish asshole, princess. I was watching you talk and laugh with everyone in the room and all I could think about was the fact that those people were like you and I wasn’t. Instead of seeing it as you were doing your job, I saw it as a threat.”
He sighs. “All I could think about was that you were so comfortable in that room and I was so uncomfortable. I didn’t think about the fact that I was there for moral support. I just dwelled on the fact that while you entertained the rich people, I was the poor guy on the wall, hidden from sight.
“I let myself get the better of me. I can attend a few of those types of things. I can do that for you. If you ask me to and you need me to, I can suck it up and do it. For you.
“I’m sorry I ruined your night.”
He’s sorry for ruining my night.
He says he can handle events like that, but can he? Does he mean it? Or will this happen next time too?
He needs to understand he was there because I wanted him there. I needed him there.
I need him.
My hand cups his cheek, where my handprint is still perfectly visible. “You didn’t ruin my night, Ty. But do you mean it? You can’t do this again.
“If you support me, then you need to support me and that means that sometimes you’ll be bored. I’m sorry about that, but if you want to, next time I’ll drag you along with me and you can be bored to tears right alongside me.”
He turns his head and presses a kiss into my palm. “I mean it. I love you, princess.”
He hasn’t said he loves me to me… not ever. He said it to my parents a few weeks back, but he’s never said it to me.
He just told me he loves me.
I’m pretty sure he means it.
Leaning up on my tiptoes, I pull his head down to meet mine. “I love you too, Ty.”
I’m swept away into his kiss.
As we break apart, he leans his forehead against mine. “Should I send the limo home?”
With a laugh, I gather my dress. “No, I’m going home tonight, Ty.”
He groans as he tries to take me back in his arms. “What? No. You can stay here.”
With a firm shake of my head, I pull back. He frowns and I smooth the lines with my finger. “No. I’m going to my house. We’re spending the night apart.”
He asks, “Are you punishing me?”
With a laugh, I flip my hair. “Punishing you? No. I’m not. I just think we need to spend the night apart. It’ll make you miss me.”
He tries to grab me. “I miss you now!”
I laugh and dance away as I head for the door. “No. But, meet me for brunch at Chateau du Bellaforte tomorrow. 10AM.”
With a tortured groan, he mutters, “You are punishing me. But it’s ok. I’ll stay in ‘time-out’ for tonight.” He grins. “I’ll just take double tomorrow.”
With a laugh, I blow him a kiss and open the door. “Goodnight, Ty.”
He slumps onto the couch and calls out, “Night, princess. Sweet dreams.”
I think about him the whole ride back to Chateau du Bellaforte.
As I settle into bed, wearing his shirt… I hug the pillow to my chest and breathe in his scent as I fall asleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ty
Glancing at the flowers I grabbed this morning before I crossed the river, I sing along to Rascal Flatts on the radio. It’s not too hot for once, so I have the windows down. The summer air is wafting in. As I pass the Community Coffee plant, I inhale the rich aroma of the freshly brewed beans.
That smell is heaven. It’s my favorite scent.
Ok, well, maybe after the smell of AnnaBeth fresh from a shower, or after sex, or of her light perfume… Ok, coffee is my fourth favorite smell in the world.
Turning the radio up loud, I belt out every country song that comes on the radio. As I pass Cinclaire, I look at all the trucks and trailers in the lot. They must be filming another movie this weekend.
It’s a really popular spot for shooting now. The movie business is booming in Louisiana and I think it’s great that it’s spreading over into the little towns.
Losing track of time, I continue to sing along to the radio as I get lost in Lady Antebellum. I love this song. It’s so romantic. I’d love to dance with AnnaBeth in the headlights of my truck one night as it plays on the radio.
Damn, Ty.
You can be romantic. Go you.
Hell yes, I can. I owe AnnaBeth some romance.
Time to step up my game.
The song ends and I head into Plaquemine. Light traffic today has me making great time. I’m going to be early. Maybe I can convince AnnaBeth to make out with me before we head to the big house.
The church parking lot is full. People are getting their Jesus on. I’m not an overtly religious man, though I do believe in God. I pray. I just do it in private. I’ve never been one of those people who thought that you had to wear fancy clothes and sit near people you don’t really like every Sunday just to show people you’re a Christian. I figure God can hear me just as good at home or in my truck as he can at church.
Do I want to get married in a church?
Shit! Not that I’m ready for that.
I’m not. AnnaBeth and I aren’t there yet. Not even close.
Maybe one day. But not now. We’re still figuring shit out.
But I can see it in the future. I think I want that…
WAY down the line. Not now.
AnnaBeth in a white dress as she waits for me at a beautiful altar and prepares to take my name.
Would she take my name?
Her name is powerful. It’s money.
Mine is… well, not.
Stop that shit, Ty. This is what got your ass slapped last night.
Time to stop comparing me to the men in her world. Fact is, I’m in her world because she CHOSE me.
Damn right! Names and breeding be damned.
She chose ME!
The strange thoughts rolling through my brain take me through the gates of the estate. Glancing at the dashboard, I see that I’m really early. It’s only 9AM. We’re not meeting everyone at the main house until 10AM.
I bypass the house and head down the road to AnnaBeth’s. Grabbing my flo
wers, I hop out and run up the steps to knock on her door.
Within a minute, it opens and AnnaBeth smiles as she takes me in. My blue oxford is rolled to the elbow and I’m wearing my good jeans. She smirks at me and grabs the front of my shirt, pulling me into the house.
As the door closes, I grab her around the waist and pull her against me. Leaning down, I take her lips in a thorough kiss.
We break and she sighs. “Well, good morning to you too.” Looking down, she sees the flowers. “Aw, are those for me?”
I fake a frown and say, “Shit! I forgot to drop these off to my girlfriend. I guess you can have them.”
She smirks. “Your girlfriend, huh?”
Winking, I lean down to press my lips to hers once again. “Yeah, princess. My girlfriend. You like them?”
Bringing them to her nose, she inhales deeply. The deep pink roses had my truck cab full of their scent. She smiles as she smells them. “They’re beautiful. Thank you, Ty.”
Leaning up, she traces the remaining mark from her hand last night, before pressing a kiss to my cheek. Over the remnants of her hand. Her nose wrinkles. “I left a mark.”
I chuckle. “You always do, princess.”
She rolls her eyes and turns on her heel as she heads to her kitchen. I watch the sway of her hips under the white of the skirt she’s wearing. She calls back, “Stop staring at my ass and come help me get these in water.”
Laughing, I follow her into the kitchen. “Well, it’s a nice ass.”
She rolls her eyes again and giggles. After she takes out a vase, she hands me the scissors and says, “Cut the stems at an angle and then break the leaves off where they’ll be under the water.”
I look at the scissors like I’ve never seen them before. “You want me to do what?”
Shaking her head at my confounded expression, she takes my hands in hers and shows me what she means.
This is great. It’s so domestic. Almost like we’re playing house. I could get used to this.
Huh? Wait, on the way here I pass a church and start thinking about AnnaBeth in a white dress and now I’m thinking how nice it would be to live together.
What the hell? Where are all these crazy thoughts coming from?
I trim the roses and break the leaves off like she showed me and AnnaBeth arranges them in the white vase. When she inserts the last rose, she leans back and looks at it. She adjusts a few roses and inserts some white delicate looking tiny flowers and sighs as she turns to me. “What do you think?”
I have to admit, it’s pretty. She’s got a gift. Something else she’s good at. I nod. “That looks great. It looks like I bought them like that. You’re pretty good at this.”
She smiles at me. “Flowers are something I love. I used to play with the idea of opening a florist shop. But, I’m so busy with all the charity work and stuff… I just never really pursued it.”
I really look at her. Her eyes are sparkling and her cheeks are flushed. She really does love working with flowers. Reaching out to hug her to me, I rest my chin on her head. “You know it’s not too late to go after your dream, right?”
Turning her head, her blue eyes pierce my soul as she gazes at me. “You never know. I just might.”
Leaning down, I kiss the tip of her nose. “If flowers are your passion, princess, then you need to be surrounded by flowers.”
She sighs and reaches up. Her hands tangle in the hair at the nape of my neck as she pulls my head down to her level. Our eyes stay locked as she presses her lips to mine. As we explore every recess of each other’s mouths, we look into each other’s eyes.
I’m not sure how long we stay like that, but the ringing of a phone finally penetrates the haze and AnnaBeth pulls back with a dazed expression.
I blink and rub the back of my neck as I try to get my bearings.
What just happened!?
That was crazy intense.
It was like I opened my soul up to her and she did the same for me.
Jesus, that was freaky.
*
AnnaBeth
Ty and I are looking into each other’s eyes as our tongues glide against each other before they retreat to memorize every hidden corner of the other’s mouth.
My heart is pounding in tune with his.
It’s almost like we’re two parts of one whole.
I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’ve never been so… open… so vulnerable with another person.
I’m more comfortable with Ty than I ever would have imagined possible.
I love him. But more than me loving him… I need him.
I don’t know when, why, or how, but somewhere along the way, Ty Boudreaux became the most important person in my life.
I don’t feel like me when he’s not with me.
I’m not certain what to do about that.
Having another person have that kind of impact on me… that kind of hold on my very existence… it terrifies me.
Yet, the thought of not having him… of losing him… of losing us… that scares me even more.
The phone rings on the counter and it jolts me out of… whatever is going on.
Pulling back, I need to grab onto the counter to hold myself upright. I take a deep breath and grab the phone as it rings again. “H—Hello?”
It’s my father.
We’re late.
Shit, how long were Ty and I kissing?
“Yes, Sir. We didn’t realize the time. Be there in a few minutes.”
Hanging up, I turn and glance at Ty. He’s lounging against my counter just watching me. He grins. “I think we’re late, princess. Are we in trouble?”
Throwing my head back, I laugh. “No, we’re not in trouble. Yet. But if we’re not at the house in five minutes, one of us may get the switch.”
His eyebrows rise and he smirks. “Well, that could get interesting.”
I blush from my head to my toes as I sputter, “Oh my God. Shut up. Come on. Brunch is supposed to be at 10AM and it’s quarter after.”
A look of shock crosses his face as he mutters under his breath, “Jesus, how long did we kiss for?”
Giggling, I take his hand and drag him to the door. “A long time.” Smiling up at him, I lean up and kiss his chin. He stops and stares at me.
I feel my face scrunch up as he stares at me so intently, I feel like he’s looking through my skin. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Shaking his head, he shrugs. “You just surprise me, that’s all.”
I frown. “Is that a bad thing?”
He laughs. “No, it’s not a bad thing, princess. It’s just unexpected. I thought I had you pegged, yet every day you show me another side. I’m not sure I’ll ever know you inside and out.”
Ty knowing me inside and out…
If anyone was ever going to have that chance, I want it to be him.
Grinning again, I yank his hand. “You never know. Come on. We’re going to be late. Well, later than we already are.”
With a laugh, he helps me into his truck. As he lifts me onto the seat, he stops. Cradling both sides of my face, he slants his lips to mine. I taste mint and coffee. Sighing, I open my mouth and once again, I’m lost in the man that is Ty Boudreaux.
When he pulls back, he smirks at me. I ask, “What was that for?”
After rounding the truck, he hops in and starts the engine. Looking over at me before putting it in drive, he replies, “If we’re doing brunch, it’s going to be a few hours until I can kiss you again. I wanted to make sure you remembered me the whole time.”
Oh my.
That’s so romantic.
Who knew Ty was such a Renaissance man?!
As if I needed to fall any harder.
Sweet Jesus…
I seem to think that a lot with Ty.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face as he drives to the main house. After we park at the house and he helps me out, Mrs. Dolores opens the front door with a huge smile and says, “Left terrace. They
’re just bringing everything out.”
We nod and head across the house to meet with my family.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ty
Brunch was pleasant. I would have never imagined that I’d be welcome at the Bellaforte brunch. Senator Bellaforte even gave me some good natured ribbing for making his usually punctual daughter late for the first time ever.
That caused me to laugh uncomfortably which caused Grandma Clarabelle to crack up. When she started laughing, Mrs. Bellaforte followed, and then everyone was laughing.
It was a sight I never imagined I’d see. The wait-staff was even cracking smiles.
Brunch ended a bit ago and AnnaBeth went off with Mrs. Bellaforte. Senator Bellaforte headed to his study and I said I’d keep Grandma company. It’s not sweltering today, so she asked me to take her for a walk in the gardens.
She’s quiet as we walk. I’m fine with the quiet. It lets me think.
Grandma Clarabelle had high hopes for Tif and me, until we let her know in no uncertain terms that was not happening. I met her not long after Tif and I became partners, about three years ago. I’d accompanied Tif to some event or another out here. I was often her “date” to them. It kept her parents off her back about dating the stuffed shirts they kept tossing at her and it allowed me to catch glimpses of AnnaBeth, not that I realized I was even doing that. The food and free alcohol were also appreciated.
Grandma sighs as we reach a pond. Looking down at her, I ask, “Do you want to stop here, Grandma?”
She nods. “Yes, let’s sit. My old bones are protesting this walking, though I rarely get to come out to the garden anymore. I miss it. This used to be my sanctuary.”
I help her over to a covered bench and get her situated before I join her. We look over the water and watch the ducks dive. It’s so beautiful out here. It’s serene and peaceful.
I gaze at the water and my thoughts wander.
Sometime later, she gets my attention. “So, you and AnnaBeth… things are good?”
Turning to her, I smirk. “I was wondering how long you could hold out.”
