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Rhea
The BIC pen in my hand shook violently as I tapped it on the legal pad I was scribbling on. I kept my eyes on the door, watching Chad play Halo sitting on the floor in the living room as I sit here in the spare bedroom at my old desk, scrawling out a letter I plan to stick in his pocket when I say goodbye to him Monday morning. I had already written down two pages worth, front and back, filling the margins with stupid mind-occupying doodles when I stopped to think of what to write next.
I was spilling my heart into this hand written letter. I was filling it with twenty years of heart-wrenching love and longing and two weeks’ worth of over flowing happiness. I hear Chad get up and I quickly shove the legal pad into the top drawer, pulling out the book I had to make it seem like I was reading just as his face peeks around the door frame.
"Hey baby," he smiles at me, his hair down and wavy, his blue eyes sparkling with the sun that came through the window.
"Hey," I say, returning his smile and setting the book aside, "what's up?" As he came into the room and leaned on the dresser, I couldn't help but let my eyes roam his body. He had on a form fitting thermal long sleeve tee, his dark jeans being snug enough to show off his butt and, well, you know. As he crossed his arms over his chest his muscles bulged, making my mouth water and I see a smirk on his lips as my eyes finally reach his.
"You wanna go get some lunch," he asked, reaching out and brushing his knuckles along my jaw and I lean into his warm touch nodding my head slowly as his thumb caresses my cheek. My heart ached with the amount of love I have for this man. "Alright hun," he smiles, leaning down to kiss my lips lightly, "Go get your sweatshirt and we'll get some lunch."
I lazily put on my fake Uggs, throwing my Virginia Tech sweatshirt on and headed out the door, locking up behind me as Chad pulls the truck from the garage. I don't ask where we're going, I just slide on in the truck, pushing up the center console to snuggle up to him, watching the road fly by as we head out of town.
We sing along to the radio, Chad belting out Randy Hauser's "Boots On" while I badly impersonate Reba McEntire's "Fancy". It feels good to just hang out with Chad this way. It feels right. It's a cloudy sort of day with the sun peeking out every once in a while as we go through a bunch of back roads, ending up in the nearby town of Waverly.
I smiled as soon as Chad pulled the truck into a small plaza. Boy did he love his Chinese food, I thought, spying the Golden King Chinese Buffet sign hanging over the entrance, lit up like a Christmas tree. I giggle out loud as he puts it in park and he just looks down at me, the arm around my shoulders shaking me a little, "What's so funny," he smirks.
"You," I say, poking him in the side before quickly sliding over and jumping from the cab of the truck before he can retaliate. He meets me at the front of the truck, wrapping his arms around my waist and spinning me around making me squeal with delight.
"I jus wanna eat as much comfort food as I can cuz in a couple of days I might be back on MRE's," he points his index finger at his open mouth, making a vomiting motion and it makes me laugh. The smells waft our way, making us both give an audible "mmmmm" sound making us laugh at each other as he holds the door open for me.
The buffet was pretty much empty of customers except for an elderly couple sitting near the window and I had to laugh at the way the woman kept peeking over her husband’s shoulder to look at Chad. It was so cute. The food at this restaurant was fantastic, Chad going up for plate after plate. I lost count after he came back with his possible fifth one, piled high plate with Lo Mein and General Tso's chicken.
Chad and I were deep inside a re-telling of a childhood story when I spied the elderly couple getting up and heading our way to leave, the woman's eyes on the back of Chad's head. She stopped at our table, pulling our attention to her, "May I say something dears," her sweet little Southern accent rolled over us and I see a genuinely sweet smile cross Chad's lips as he nods. "You two make an awful pretty couple," she cooed, patting her hand on Chad's shoulder.
"Why thank you ma'am," he said, his hand patting over hers and pausing there for a split second, sending a blush through the woman's pale skin. She smiled at me, scurrying away as her husband called for her from the register, turning to wave at us from the door. We both waved back and Chad returns his gaze to mine with a wicked smile on his bearded face.
"I'll never get tired of that," he says, shoving a forkful of noodles in his mouth, flashing his blue eyes up to me.
"Me neither," I say quietly, my face blushing just like the old woman's had as I push my fork around in the food on my plate. I suddenly had too many butterflies in my stomach to eat anymore and I reached for the bill. I pulled money from my wristlet and slid out of the booth, popping a piece of chicken in my mouth from Chad's plate. The woman behind the counter smiled nicely at me, taking the money and giving me a receipt then telling me in broken English to 'stay right there' while she disappeared behind a swinging door into the kitchen.
I looked over the Chad who gave me a questioning look and I just shrugged my shoulders, turning back to see the woman approaching with a brown paper bag, setting it on the counter in front of me. "Tis fo you," she said, pushing the bag towards me with a smile. I pulled the bag from the counter, peering inside to see take-out containers of all shapes and sizes, labeled with black marker.
"But we didn't order…"I started to say but she waved her hand, stopping me.
"No, no," she said, looking over to Chad, "you husband like so much, you take home." Well paint me purple. Chad's appetite had earned us free food. Enough to last me a week and a half. I thanked her again and headed back to Chad, setting the bag on the table as he wiped his mouth.
I giggled and said, "She called you my husband." He just winked at me, tapping me on the butt lightly.
His eyes bulged as he looked inside the bag, pushing aside the containers to see more underneath. "Well god damn," he whistled, stretching his arms up as he stood like he always did when he was full. As we walked past the register counter, the woman was occupied tending to the food on the buffet, not paying attention as Chad laid a fifty dollar bill on the counter. He put his hand on the small of my back as he pushed the door open.
The truck ride home was pretty quiet, both of us too full to talk much so I just stared at Chad from the corner of my eyes. He had his Mossy Oak camo baseball cap on, making him look like a real redneck, and it was cute. His bottom lip bulged slightly with a Skoal pouch that I didn't mind, as long as he spit it out before kissing me on the lips.
He caught me, smiling and reaching his arm over the console, his fingers brushing at my elbow. I gave him my hand and his warm fingers laced into mine, bringing it up to his lips and kissing the back of my hand. I sighed, leaning my head on the back of the seat, just looking at him as he had his eyes on the road.
That letter I was writing, it wouldn't hold half of the feelings I had for him. I can't put some of my feelings down on paper and if I could find the words it would just sound corny. Even just sitting here, or even just lying in bed, I feel whole. I feel complete. For once in my life there isn't a gaping hole in my chest, waiting to be filled with someone special. Chad was always meant to be that special someone and I had finally had the chance to be with him, and he with me. From the late night conversations we've had, I know that he's felt the same way about me for a long time, the only thing holding him back being respect for my brother Randy. He had told me this morning that Randy had given him his blessing only a little while before his death and Chad had beaten himself up about it since his funeral. I had told him that it didn't matter how long he took to be mine, all that mattered was that he was mine now, and that I was his.
The annoying sound of a honking car horn breaks my slight day dream and I notice we are back in town, sitting at the red light in front of Muncy's and Duke's Dodge Ram is behind us, insistently honking his horn and flashing his lights.
"Ugh," I sigh, shifting in my seat, "just ignore him." I
look over at Chad and I can tell he's tense. His jaw is clenched, his eyes locked on the rearview mirror. "Baby," I whisper, running my fingers over his cheek, pulling his attention to me, "just head home," I plead and he nods, shaking his shoulders as if to try and ease some of the tension. The light turns green and Chad acts cool until Duke's truck roars up on my side, forcing Chad to slam on the brakes so Duke doesn't cause an accident.
"What the fuck," I yell, slapping my hands down onto my thighs, making a loud smacking sound fill the cab. Duke's truck weaves back and forth in front of us, turning each way that we need to go and finally screeching to a halt blocking the entrance to our street. Duke's door opens and he hops out, walking toward the truck and I grab Chad's hand, squeezing it. "No, stay here," I whisper, hoping that he'll see the plea in my eyes.
"Ray," he says, looking away from me and out the windshield, probably wishing Duke would burst into flames, "He's not gonna leave you alone. He's not gonna leave us alone till I beat the shit outta him." He opened his door, his hand going into my hair and pulling my forehead to his lips. "Stay here," he says and slams the door shut.
My heart is pounding so loud in my chest that my arms are shaking, pulling my cell from my wristlet and quickly trying to text. I send the same message to Harlan, Kendall and Chad's mom, Dana, "Chad fighting Duke end of our street, help plz", hoping one of them can talk some sense into Chad before he kills Duke.
I can hear Duke issuing insult after insult, pointing towards me and smirking, Chad getting in his face and I couldn't just sit here and let this happen. I shove the door open, jumping from the passenger seat and sprinting the short distance to wedge myself between the two of them, my eyes trying to plead with Chad to calm down, my hands going to his arms.
"Please Chad," I say, trying to talk over Duke's drunken slurring, "pleeaassee." I try and push him back towards the truck and he starts to go, his eyes still locked on Duke as I feel hands go around my waist. Duke's hands and they pulled me back to him, his lips brushing my ear as I let out a screeching protest, trying to pry his hands apart as they locked at my waist.
"You see Navy boy," he hissed, the rancid smell of whiskey and beer floating over me as Chad stalked towards us, "She likes it rough. Betcha she doesn't scream for ya like she did for…"
Duke's rant was cut short as Chad's fist connected with his mouth, the sound of bones cracking becoming audible. Duke stumbled back only to land on his ass just as I heard Harlan's truck roaring our way, coming up the street and stopping on the other side of Duke's Ram. Kendall hopped from the passenger side.
Chad pulled me behind him, but he didn't advance on Duke. He just waited, watching him intently and his demeanor scared me. This was his solider side, his protector side.
Harlan's tall figure came around the bed of the truck, sparing a glance at Duke as he jogged to Chad's side, "You alright man," he asked, looking from me to Chad. Kendall came up to my side, wrapping her arm around my waist as Chad let go, walking slowly to Duke.
"NO," I screamed, grabbing frantically at Chad's arm, but he just turned and the look on his face had softened.
"I'm not gonna hit him," he said, patting my hand, practically prying it from his arm. He walked over to hover over Duke as he wiped at his mouth, the blood trickling down his chin. Chad stood there for a second, his head cocking to the side as he took his hat off, running his fingers through his hair.
"Listen," he said tersely, his voice echoing in the silence of the graying late afternoon, "you're gonna leave Rhea alone. You're gonna leave us alone. Rhea is a woman, not an object and if you loved her like you say you do, you'd know that she loves me. She's loved me for a long time, just like I've loved her," he looked back at me, sincerity in his voice.
"You're gonna get up off your ass and move your piece-of-shit truck," Chad pointed at the Ram, "and if anyone tells me you're giving Rhea, or Kendall or hell even Harlan, a hard time," his voice turned menacing, "the next time I see you, I will kill you, and I'll make sure you suffer." Turning back to me I can see the fierceness on his face, his jaw set and his eyes narrowed as he puts his hat back on, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the truck.
"Come to the house Harlan," he says over his shoulder and he opens the driver’s door and I scoot in, "we'll have some beers." Slamming the door shut, he revs the engine, showing Duke he means business as we watch him climb into the cab, throw it in drive and speed off, leaving a patch of black on the road. Harlan throws his truck in reverse as we get close to him, driving backwards down the entire road as Kendall makes faces at me the entire time. He whips the truck to a perfect parallel park at the side of our driveway as Chad pulled into the garage, shutting the truck off and hopping out.
I was still stunned and I just sat there, staring blankly out the windshield into the garage. Chad comes to my door and opens it. The truthfulness of Chad's words to Duke rang in my ears, "I will kill you", and they frightened me knowing that Chad would do anything, even that to keep me safe.
"Hun," he said with an annoyed tone as if he had said it more than once. If he had I hadn't heard. "Come on," he said, holding his hand up to me and I took it, sliding from the truck and shutting the door behind me as he guided me to the side door of the house.
Stopping on the small set of steps, I pulled him from the first one wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him tight to me. I buried my face in his shirt, taking in his Old Spice scent and shutting my eyes tight. "Tell me you won't do that," I whisper, squeezing my arms tighter around his hips as his arms circled around my shoulders, his hands rubbing into my back and hair.
"I was just scaring him," he almost chuckled, "and besides, if I was gonna kill someone, I sure as hell wouldn't let them know beforehand." I snorted, looking up at his blue eyes as they smiled at me, his hands cupping my cheeks, "I didn't have months and months of stealth training for nothing," he smiled.
"Oh ha ha," I joke, pushing him back a little as he laughs heartily, bounding up the stairs and pulling me into the house with him. Through the small mud room, we meet Kendall and Harlan in the kitchen, beers sitting on the island waiting for us. I just smiled at my best friend as she wrapped her arm over my shoulders, her blonde ponytail swinging to brush on my neck.
I laughed at her expression as she waded through the bag of takeout from the Chinese buffet, snatching a carton of chop suey and rice, holding it up in an un-spoken question. "Yeah, you can have it." I tell her.
"Yesss," she says, grabbing a fork from the drawer and scooting up to sit on the counter. I took my beer off the island as Chad and Harlan vanished into the living room, talking away about something, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of my best friend.
She looked different. Not physically, but some other way. Physically she was the same tanned, blonde, five foot eight with her acrylic nails. She had on hip hugging jeggings with knee high, high heeled gray boots and a loose fitting sweatshirt, probably one of Harlan's. She looked up from her food, giving me a smirk she shrugs her shoulders, "What," she says with a mouth full.
"I don't know," I say, still looking at her. I squint my eyes and she does the same, scrunching her nose and sticking her tongue out at me. God damn, I scream in my head as I figure it out. "You're in love with Harlan," I say in a harsh whisper and her eyes go wide, her jaw slack enough to let me see the forkful of food she had just shoved in her mouth.
"How could you," she started to say and I laughed out loud, hysterically, slapping my thighs and taking a long swig from my beer bottle. I was still laughing so hard after swallowing that I slid down to the floor, my back against the island as the hardwood floor met my butt.
"I knew it," I said, winking at her, "I fuckin knew it all this time that deep down you had feelings for him." Her eyes told me that I was right and she just giggled along with me, sliding off the counter to sit facing me on the floor.
We sat there till our beers were gone and Kendall had finished the food I had given her, laughing and talking in whispered tones. She helped me put the
rest of the food in the fridge and I noticed that they really did give us enough to last me a week and a half as I handed her another beer, uncapping one for myself. We settled into the kitchen table, both shedding our shoes and crossing our legs up underneath us in our chairs, a few more unopened beers sitting at the ready in front of us.
By the time the guys rejoined us it was dark out and both Kendall and I had gone through six beers a piece, the empty bottles littering the table before us. We were giggling about a story she was telling as Harlan came up behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her shoulders making her squeal with delight. I couldn't help but smile at them as Chad's hands rub into my shoulders. Leaning my head back I look up at him and he smirks down at me, winking.
Saying goodbye to the two lovebirds, watching the tail lights of Harlan's truck turn into Kendall's family driveway down the road, I leaned my head on Chad's shoulder and sighed, my breath causing a slight fog on the glass door. "What's on your mind babe," he asks with his lips on my hair as he kisses my head.
I turned into his chest as he shut the door, burying my face into his warmth, liking that he had shed his thermal shirt for a regular t-shirt because it showed off his perfect chest making me want to run my hands over it again and again. Stretching up to my tip toes I press my lips lightly to his, lacing my fingers behind his neck and toying with his tiny ponytail, making a grin breakout on his face.
"Just thinkin' bout how much I'm gonna miss you when you’re away," I whisper, my lips tracing his stubble filled jaw line and I can feel his pulse speed up as I near his ear, kissing it lightly. He hugged me tight, picking me up off the floor and swinging me around lightly.
"I'm gonna miss you too babe," he whispers in my ear as he starts to go up the stairs. "Try not to think about it."
"I'm tryin, but it creeps up on me." I kissed his temple, wrapping my legs around his waist as he gets to the top, headed for the bedroom. Just as he pushes the door open I can feel his phone vibrate in his jeans pocket against my thigh, followed by the voice of Stewie Griffin. It was Dana, calling us at a most inconvenient time. We both sighed in frustration and he set me down on my feet, next to the bed, plucking his phone he swipes the screen and puts it to his ear.
Two Weeks With a SEAL (The Wakefield Romance Series) Page 17
