Running Into Love - The Complete Box Set

by Annalisa Nicole

  We get to the zoo right at nine thirty when they open. I can’t believe all of the animals they have. They have elephants, gorillas, and giraffes, and my all-time favorite animal, the meerkat. I just love their cute, long bodies and the way they stand up on their back two legs. It’s cuteness overload! I wish I could stuff one, or maybe two, of them in my purse and take them home with me. Aiden walks with me from exhibit to exhibit; he holds my hand or has his arm around my shoulder the entire time. This is the first time I’ve been with a man that stayed by my side. Reno was always wandering off or he’d leave me standing somewhere by myself. If we were at a bar he’d disappear for, like, thirty minutes. It was, ‘Savvy, get me a beer,’ or, ‘bitch leave me alone.’ Aiden never once said this was dumb, or we need to go do something he wanted to do, saying I was a selfish bitch. Aiden seems like he really wants to be here with me. We get a few curious stares because of my black eye and the cut on my cheek, but Aiden never let it bother him. I feel a little guilty about him paying for my admission into the zoo and he paid for lunch, too. Reno always made me pay for everything.

  We’ve been here for hours and I know that we should get going. I really do have a ton of studying to do before we go to dinner. I just need to see the meerkats one more time.

  “Can we go see the meerkats one more time? Then we can go, I promise,” I ask him.

  “We can go anywhere you want. Today is all about what you want to do. We can even come back another day and spend more time if you like,” he says.

  If I like? Is the sky blue? I think I just fell in love. Who the hell am I kidding? Have you seen the Wellington women? They’re all prime rib and I’m a McDonald’s McRib. They’re Malibu mansion and I’m trailer park trash. It’s no wonder Aiden didn’t want to sleep with me this morning.

  “I’d like that,” I say shyly, which is not like me.

  I’m loud, proud, and usually annoy every person I come into contact with.

  We walk hand in hand back to the meerkat exhibit. I lean over the railing and watch all the meerkats run around playing with each other. There doesn’t seem to be a lower, middle, or upper-class society. They all just happily coexist. Oh, to be a meerkat. Their life seems so simple and they all seem to get along.

  After about ten minutes of enjoying the meerkats, I turn to tell Aiden we can go, but he’s not there. I frantically search the crowd; he has to be here, he just has to be. My heart sinks. I guess he isn’t that different from Reno after all. Maybe all men are just like Reno. I look to my left, then to my right one more time, and my heart breaks. I don’t see him anywhere. All the cartwheels, somersaults, and backflips just ended in a big old belly flop. A painful, stinging, belly flop.

  I guess I’ll just walk back to the car and wait for him, hopefully, it’s still there. This wouldn’t be the first time a man left me behind, either. I’ve had to call a cab or take a bus home, that’s nothing new. I walk through the crowd with my head hung. I look up to move out of the way of a child, then I see him. I see Aiden walking my way with his hands full and with a breathtaking, devastatingly handsome smile on his face. He stops in front of me with a stuffed meerkat and an ice cream cone. Now, I know I said if he bought me an ice cream cone, this would be one of my top five days ever. I lied. This is the best day ever. It’s so good, that I can’t control the tears that flow down my cheeks.

  “What’s wrong? Did something happen while I was gone? I knew I should have told you I’d be right back. You were so happy looking at the meerkats,” he says. He unwraps the napkin from around the ice cream cone, then dabs at my stitches. “You aren’t supposed to get these wet yet,” he says, dabbing gently. “There, all better,” he says, handing me the ice cream.

  I take the ice cream and give it a lick. Best ice cream ever. He hands me the meerkat and I snuggle it to my chest. He takes my other hand, then we walk back to his car as I finish my ice cream.

  Chapter 3

  Aiden

  I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with Savvy, but I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. I’m getting the feeling that she hasn’t been treated right by very many people in her life, especially by men. She said she’s never been to the zoo and I’m thinking there are a lot of places that she’s never been to. I find myself thinking of places that I want . . . no need, to take her to.

  I drive back to my house and park in the driveway. I open the garage door and see her poor car; someone should take it to the pick-and-pull, and put it out of its misery. Luckily, one of the many gifts my dad gave his children was the gift of being self-sufficient. I may be a lawyer, wear designer suits, and drive a sports car, but I also know how to work on cars and do just about anything there is to do around the house. I used to get so annoyed with my dad on the weekends when he’d want to teach me something new. He’d drag us boys out to the garage and teach us electrical, plumbing, carpentry, cars, you name it we did it. Now I’d give just about anything to have him back, knocking on my bedroom door at six in the morning saying, ‘let’s hit it,’ and teaching me something else. As I became older, it wasn’t about him teaching me something. It was about spending that time with him. I miss spending time with my dad.

  “Come on inside and make yourself at home. We’ll get you settled, then I’ll take a look at your car,” I tell her, and take her bags from her.

  I put her bags on the floor by the couch, then go into my bedroom and change my clothes. I put on an old pair of faded jeans that are ripped at the knees and a ratty t-shirt that’s full of grease stains. When I come out, Savvy’s sitting Indian style on the couch with her books in her lap, and a pencil balancing between her upper lip and nose. I watch her for a minute, shake my head thinking she’s such a goof, then walk over to her. She looks up at me and the pencil falls from her lip into her lap, and she scrambles to grab it before it rolls onto the floor.

  “Do you need anything before I go in the garage?” I ask.

  Her eyes go from my face, to my chest, to my jeans, then back up.

  “No, sugar, I’m all set in here. You know you don’t have to look at my car. I can catch the bus to school,” she says.

  “It’s no trouble at all. If I can’t get it working, then you can borrow my car. I’ll take my motorcycle,” I tell her.

  “You have a motorcycle?” she asks, with wide eyes. “Oh, duh. I rode on the back of it for Max and Chloe’s wedding. Best six minutes of my life. I wonder what it would be like to go on a long ride?” she asks.

  “We’ll see if we can make that happen someday,” I tell her, and head out into the garage.

  I stop in front of her car and shake my head. This is going to be a nightmare. I open the hood and take a step back. Shit, this is a mess. I guess that’s what you get with a thirty-five-year-old car. After checking and cleaning a few things and topping off all the fluids, I determine that she probably needs a new battery. She could really use a new engine and a new frame. Better yet, a whole new car. I’ll hook the battery up to the battery charger and check it again after dinner. I tinker under the hood and add a few parts to my quickly growing list of things to buy when I’m at the parts store. I’m sure the charge won’t be enough and she’ll need a new battery. I can go tomorrow after work.

  I head back inside and wash my hands at the kitchen sink. Savvy is still sitting on the couch in the same position with her books open; her hand is going a mile a minute in a notebook next to her thigh.

  “How’s the studying going?” I ask.

  She jumps and her pen goes flying in the air. She quickly lifts her hands and catches it midair in her palms.

  “Oh my God, you scared me. I’m going to have to put a bell on you or something,” she says.

  “Sorry, I thought you heard me come in. How’s the studying going?” I ask again.

  “Alright. I should be done soon. I have about another two pages of notes to make. I find it easier to learn things if I write them down. I should buy stock in pens, I sure go through enough of them,” she says.

&nbs
p; “I think you need a new battery for your car. I’m charging it right now to see if that fixes it. I’ll check it after dinner, and if it still doesn’t work, I’ll go to the parts store tomorrow after work and get you a new one. You need a few other things, too. I’m going to jump in the shower again real quick, then we can head on over to my mom’s,” I tell her.

  She nods her head, then goes back to writing. With her left hand, she grabs a thick strand of hair and twirls it with her finger. Savvy really is a beautiful woman.

  In the shower, I think about the way her face lit up at the zoo. I think about the way her hair blew in the wind and the big smile on her face. The way she held my hand while we walked, it wasn’t loose like she’d rather be doing anything else than spending time with me. No, it was firm, and sometimes she’d grab it with her other hand and give it a squeeze. I didn’t like the fear in her eyes when she couldn’t find me, but the instant she did it was like a kid on Christmas morning. Every time I think about Savvy I get a raging hard on. I think about her sitting in the other room and wish she’d open my shower door and step in here with me. I rest my left hand on the shower wall while I take myself in my right hand. With every stroke, I see Savvy’s firm hold sliding up and down, and not my own.

  I’ve never felt so alive, being with her. She’s so innocent and giving, and says the craziest things. Her ass cheek flashes in my mind and her thumb caresses my lips, then her soft, warm lips are on mine. Her hot tongue slides in and I can picture burying myself deep inside her. The pressure builds with the thoughts of her and I come in the shower. I let the hot water pound on my head and try to slow my breathing. Savvy has gotten into my head and I don’t want to let it go.

  I get out of the shower and put on another pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Coming back out into the family room, I look at the clock.

  “We should get going. Grab your stuff, we don’t want to be late for dinner,” I tell her.

  She looks at me confused. “Grab my stuff?” she asks, knitting her eyebrows together, cocking one eye.

  “Yeah, grab your stuff. You’re not coming back here. You’ll go home with Max and Chloe after dinner. I’ll let you know when I get home about your car. If it runs, I’ll tell you the code to open the garage door. Maybe Max can drop you off in the morning and you can get it before school. If it’s not fixed, I’ll go to the parts store after work and we can figure out from there how to get you your car back. My offer still stands. You’re more than welcome to use the Tesla. If the battery isn’t the problem, it may take me a few days to pinpoint the problem and get it running again. I can take my motorcycle, or I can hitch a ride with Ava,” I tell her, grabbing my wallet and keys.

  She opens her mouth like she wants to say something, but closes it again. It must have hurt her black eye, or maybe even her stitches, because her eyes start to tear up. She holds my eyes, then quickly turns her head. Her hair cascades down her face so I can’t see her face anymore, then she starts shoving her things in her messenger bag.

  I walk over to the couch to take her bags, she stands and put’s them over her shoulder. I take the straps, but she takes them back.

  “I’ve got them,” she says.

  She follows me out to my car and she hasn’t said another word. Her mood seems to have changed. I walk her to the passenger side of my car and she gives her car a sad look. I open the door and her eyes come to mine. This isn’t the same woman I spent time with at the zoo. She looks out the window the entire drive to my mother’s house. I pull up to the curb and turn off the engine.

  “Are you alright?” I ask, concerned.

  “Sure, never better,” she answers, grabs her bags, and gets out of the car. I walk over to her and try to take her bags from her. “I’ve got them,” she says again.

  By the time we get to the front door, my mother already has the door open. She takes one look at Savvy’s face, then looks at me. She knows all about what Reno did last time and I’m sure one of my brothers or sisters has already told her about what happened at the bar. She takes Savvy’s hand and puts her bags down in the hallway, then leads her into the kitchen with her.

  I go into the family room where the rest of the family is and I’m immediately hit with a million questions.

  “How is she?” Amelia asks.

  “You know I thought she was doing better, but when we left to come here, I don’t know, it looked like she was upset about something,” I tell them.

  “What did you guys do today?” Ava asks.

  “She said that she had never been to the zoo, so I took her. Her car wouldn’t start this morning, so it’s still in my garage. I worked on it for a little bit while she did homework. Then we came here,” I tell her.

  “Did she talk any about Reno? How long has he been back in town? What exactly did he mean by he was coming back to get what is his?” Amelia asks.

  “Don’t worry about Reno. Levi and I took care of it,” Max says.

  “You said that last time,” I remind him.

  “Well, I wasn’t counting on him being as dumb as he looks. Trust me, he’s not coming back,” Max returns angry.

  “So, she was fine last night and this morning, and all day until you left to come here?” Willow says.

  “Yeah, it’s strange,” I tell her.

  “Call me crazy, but I think she’d rather go back home with you tonight, then go to Max and Chloe’s,” Willow says.

  “That’s not going to happen. She’s coming home with us, end of story. I’m taking her to work with me tomorrow morning, too,” Max says.

  “You just gave your guarantee that Reno isn’t coming back? If he’s not coming back, then why is she going home with you, and why are you taking her to work with you?” Asher asks.

  “Reno isn’t coming back and I’m going back to my own house tonight,” Savvy says angrily behind us. “I have school tomorrow morning and I have a shift at the bar tomorrow night. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  “Honey, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t think you should be by yourself right now,” Chloe says.

  “I’m not by myself. Quinn is there and I’ll be just fine. I always am, one way or the other,” Savvy returns.

  “Actually, we’ve asked Quinn to stay with us for a little while until we’re sure Reno is long gone,” Jax says.

  “Reno is a lot of things, but he’s not that dumb to mess with the lot of you. I’m not worth it, I’m sure he’s long gone,” Savvy says.

  “Dinner is ready,” my mother says, walking into the room.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Wellington, I really can’t stay. I’m going to walk home, I could use the fresh air,” Savvy says, turning around looking at all of us.

  “Young lady, you’re staying for dinner. I know you only live a few miles from here, but after dinner, Aiden will drive you home,” my mom says, looking at me.

  Everyone walks into the dining room, leaving Savvy and me in the family room alone. She looks at her bags by the front door, then into the dining room at my mother.

  “Please stay for dinner, for me. I’ll take you home after, I promise,” I say to her.

  She nods her head, then walks into the dining room. I follow behind her and pull out a chair next to mine for her, and she takes a seat. I sit and take her hand under the table and give it a squeeze.

  Dinner is loud and crazy, just like normal family dinners. I see Savvy looking from couple to couple at the table and I look at what she sees. New parents, Adrian and Shay, are up every two seconds to look at their newborn son, Sammy, my father’s namesake. Mom is talking to Makayla and Micah with a smile. Newly married Ava and Jax are all over each other. Jax even tries to feed Ava something. She ducks out of the way and they both laugh. Willow cuts Aaron’s food and smiles lovingly at Abbey. Asher looks at all three of them beaming with pride. Every time he looks at his wife, I see the love he has for her. Something is off about Amelia and Kyle, I’m not sure what it is, though. But Kyle still has his arm draped over Amelia’s chair.
Next she looks at Max and Chloe. I’ve never seen an ounce of jealousy from Savvy. But as she looks around, I see it for the first time. She wants what they all have. Lord knows, I do too. I’ve watched each of my sisters and brothers fall in love and have these amazing weddings. Babies and children soon followed, and I don’t understand why I can’t have what they have.

  Savvy stands up and her chair scrapes on the wooden floor.

  Her eyes are again filled with tears when she says, “I’m not feeling well. Samantha, I’m so sorry to leave in the middle of dinner. I’ll see myself out.”

  She puts her napkin next to her plate, then hurries out of the room toward the front door.

  “Aiden,” my mother says, looking at me.

  “Excuse me,” I say to my family and go after her.

  I rush out of the house and find her on the porch with her hand over her mouth. Her eyes come to mine, then she turns around and walks down the steps.

  “Go away, Aiden,” she says.

  “I’ll take you home,” I say, gently pulling her arm to stop her.

  She turns around and looks at me with pain and tears in her eyes.

  “I don’t belong here. I’m not one of you. You can slap lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. Go back to your family,” she says and starts walking again.

  “What the hell does that even mean?” I ask.

  “Nothing, never mind,” she says.

  I catch up to her and stand in front of her.

  “Tell me what’s going on,” I say, stopping her again.

  “It doesn’t matter,” she says.

  “It doesn’t matter? Savvy, it matters to me,” I say, pointing at myself. She rolls her eyes upwards to try and stop the flow of tears. “Alright, I won’t force you to talk about it right now, but I’m not letting you walk home. I’m driving you,” I say and hold my arm out in the direction of my car.

  “You’re not letting me?” she asks in a high pitched voice.