At a time when I thought the only place I would find love and peace was at the bottom of a whiskey bottle, he came into my life and took it over by storm.
***
Once we are out of the shower and dressed I start to cook supper. Trevor cuts the vegetables while I cut up the chicken. Chicken stir fry is one thing that I could eat each night of the week and it never grows old. It used to be what my mother would cook when Joslynn would come stay with us when her father was drinking. My mom would let us stand on chairs and cut veggies, while she stood close by of course.
She would tell us ‘that men love a woman who could cook and we needed to learn.’ ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, ladies, how you think I kept one for so long.’ We would both laugh. Feeling like grownups that we were allowed to cook and not told to go outside and play.
If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then I know I have Trevor’s lock and key. Once the chicken is cut and ready, I put it in the pan on the stove. When the smell hits my nose it feels like everything in my stomach is ready to leave me. I raise my hand and cover my nose running to the bathroom with Trevor hot on my heels.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
I barely make it to the toilet before everything I ate today comes rushing out of me. Trevor grabs my hair and holds it at the nape of my neck and places a cool rag under it. The feeling a welcome one. I close my eyes and fall to the floor trying to catch my breath and answer all of his questions.
“I don’t know, as soon as I smelled the chicken I got sick.” I grab the rag and wash my face off.
He grabs the rag from me and rinses it off handing it back. When I look into his eyes, I see the worry and the pain. As long as we have been together it feels like when I hurt he hurts and I can see it in his face now as I watch him try to process the scene around him.
“What did you eat today?” he asks.
“Just breakfast and what you brought for lunch,” I answer shrugging my shoulders.
“We need to make you a doctor appointment.” He turns to get his phone from the kitchen.
I shake my head and hold up my hand.
“There is no need for that, it is probably just a cold or something I ate. I feel fine now other than the fact I want more food.” I smile trying to take away some of the worry from his eyes.
He stares at me for a second and then nods his head and holds out his hand to help me off the floor. I throw the rag in the sink and follow.
“Here let me do the chicken and you finish up the peppers,” Trevor offers.
“Yes, sir.”
He pops me on the ass as I walk past him and finish up the last of the peppers. I don’t miss the feeling of being sick over a toilet. It reminds me of a life that I never want to go back to again. One where my only worry was where my next drink would come from. One where there was no Trevor and I could see the fear in my best friend’s eyes as she watched helplessly.
Chapter Five
When I wake the next morning to the sound of my alarm, I throw the covers over my head. I told Joslynn that I would meet her at Sunshine’s bright and early. Now I am regretting that idea. After we finished cooking and eating we spent most of the night in bed with Trevor showing me all the ways he could make me scream his name and beg for more. The food was amazing, and I made it the rest of the night without getting sick. Which only made my idea that it was something I ate a stronger opinion.
I sigh and slowly get out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. Trevor had to leave early and ride with Marshall to town for shop supplies. You would think with them having a tattoo shop and having weird hours he would be home more but they always seem to find ways to try to get more business. They are open more than any other shop in town.
Once I am out of the shower and ready for the day I walk to the kitchen and smile when I see coffee is ready and waiting. With a note sitting beside my cup.
Tay,
I love you today just as much as yesterday.
Never forget that. Every day my love gets
stronger than the day before. I’ll be at the
shop if you need me.
I love you
Trevor
I smile and fold the letter and put it into my pocket. It’s always something new each day, whether it’s a letter in the morning or flowers in the afternoon. My cell phone ringing brings me out of my thoughts and I have to run to the living room to get it before they hang up.
“Hello?”
“You’re up? Wow well that was easy,” Joslynn says laughing.
“Yeah I am fixing to walk out the door.”
“Well I have some good news.”
“Yeah?”
“Remember Kipper the guy from school?” she asks.
“Yeah, he was the only boy I knew who spent more time in ISS than in class and still managed to have good grades.”
“He was a smart troublemaker just not smart enough to stay out of trouble. Anyway he does construction now. I saw him in the coffee shop this morning and we started talking. He is trying to start his own company and is looking for jobs.”
“Really?”
“Yeah he wants to come by and see the place.”
“Wow that would be great! When?”
“Uh well he’s here now, he followed me. I am sorry, Tay, I just didn’t want to wait and have him change his mind or us not being able to find him again.”
“No sorry needed! I am on my way,” I tell her, grabbing my coffee and running out the door.
I feel excited again like maybe everything will be okay and this will all actually work out. My drive to the restaurant is quick as I finally pull in and jump out of the car. When I make it inside, Joslynn and Kipper are standing by the door. Kipper has a notepad in hand. He looks just the same as he did in school… mean. He was unusually popular with all the ladies. Maybe it was the bad boy persona or the fact that from what I could remember a smooth talker who could talk his way in to any girls panties.
Besides mine and Joslynn’s that is. He is tall with light brown hair and muscles that show years of hard work. He smiles when I walk in and shakes his head.
“You really took a chance with this one,” he chuckles.
I smile and shake his hand and wait to hear how much money all of this is going to cost me.
“Yeah I am starting to think the same thing.”
“Well, like I was telling Joslynn, it is going to take at least a month to get this place up and running. But I don’t have any jobs going at the moment so call it luck,” he explains and winks.
“Or call me broke. How bad is this going to eat into my bank account?”
I wasn’t rich by a long shot and now just buying the place had taken a big chunk out of what I had saved up. Even when I was drunk I always made sure I had money in the bank, and it wasn’t bad that my mom thought to put money in it each month. She always hoped I would do something good with it other than drink I think.
“Well for labor and everything it’s going to need I’d say you’re looking at about twenty-five thousand dollars.”
As soon as the words leave his mouth my heart hits the floor. There is no way I can come up with that much money in a month, even if I cleaned out my bank and begged my mom for more. I shake my head and slide down the wall. This is starting to look like maybe I should have just stuck with working the front desk at the shop.
Joslynn motions for Kipper to give us a second and sits down beside me.
“He says we can do payments.”
“Jos, it would take me a lifetime to pay that back. Even if we do get it up and going it will be a while before we are making that much money.”
I move my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. Just when I am putting one sober foot in front of the other something has to come in and step in the way and mess it all up.
“I will help.” Jos smiles.
“You have little man and a husband. You didn’t ask for all of this,” I cry and motion my hands a
round the room.
“Tay…”
I shake my head and stand up. When Kipper sees me walking towards him he meets me halfway.
“I really appreciate you offering to help us and I hope that you find business around here to get you started, Kipper, but I just paid out a huge chunk for this shithole and I just don’t have that kind of money. I’m sorry.”
“I told Joslynn I don’t mind working out payments,” he offers.
I know this could be huge for both of us. I can see the hope in his eyes to help him make a name for himself around here too. A job this big could make or break him. Not many would let someone just starting up take on something this big and he and I both know that.
I shake my head and smile to try to take away the sting of what I am about to say.
“Like I told her, even if we did that it would be a while before we are dishing out that kind of money and I don’t want to be owing anyone that much.”
“I understand, well if you change your mind I gave Joslynn one of my business cards.”
I nod my head and watch him walk out the door feeling like all hope I had just walked out with him.
***
After Kipper left, Joslynn and I went through his list and did the things we could do ourselves and Joslynn called Marshall and gave him and Trevor a honey do list.
“We will get it done in no time, Tay... think positive.” Joslynn tries to reassure me as we lock up the doors that night.
Joslynn screams behind me and I turn to see Kipper standing behind us.
“Shit, Kipper, warn someone!” she says slapping his chest.
“Sorry, listen I sat and thought about the conversation that we had and I really want to get my name out there and the only way to do that is to get jobs. So what if I do this one as a starter job and you just let me eat for free for life or something?” he suggests.
I look from Kipper to Joslynn and back not sure what to say. When I look back to Joslynn she nods her head and smiles and the happy feeling that once left me is back again. I turn to Kipper and smile.
“Are you serious?” I ask.
“Yeah, I need this and so do you. So just call it a friend doing a favor for a friend. Just when people ask who made it look so good you tell them Kipper and Crew.”
“That would be AMAZING!” I exclaim and jump around like a school girl.
I feel Trevor behind me before I even turn around and I quickly gain my composure. When I turn to look at him he and Marshall are laughing.
“Are you okay there, sis?” Marshall asks.
I stick out my tongue and wrap my arms around Trevor.
“Trevor, this is Kipper. Kipper, this is my boyfriend, Trevor, and his brother Marshall.”
They shake hands and say their hellos.
“Dare I ask why another man has you dancing in the street?” Trevor inquires kissing me on top of the head.
“We went to school with Kipper,” I motion between Joslynn and me, “and he is just starting his own construction crew. He is going to be working on Sunshine’s for us!” I squeeze Trevor and bury my head in his chest to hide my cheeks that I am sure are turning red.
I know to others I probably look like a child dancing around but things are finally working out for me for once and I can’t help but to want to dance and sing.
“Wow, dude, thanks!” Marshall holds out his hand for Kipper to shake again.
“We can get started tomorrow if that works for y’all,” Kipper declares.
“That would be great thanks again. I can’t say it enough. Thank you,” I state.
“No problem.”
“Seems like it’s all falling into place,” Trevor comments as we start to walk towards his car.
I wave to Joslynn and Marshall over his shoulder and walk with him – a little more pep in my walk. The thing with my life is no matter how great my childhood was or how great my parents were I always thought I had a reason to be mad. A reason to rebel. I still remember the first time I drank. It was at a party one night with an old boyfriend. I had never drank before, and he thought by me taking a few shots with him it showed him that I loved him. At the time, I thought it was cool I could down all these drinks and not whine like some of the other girls that the burn hurt.
I liked the burn and it soon became one of my favorite things after that night. It would be one that I would never be able to forget and one that not many know about. I might have decided that I wanted to drink but I never ever wanted to be the life of the party. Or the life of what they thought was the party. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and look over to Trevor as he drives us home.
He is the one man who showed me that love wasn’t something to run from. It was something that I now wanted to run towards with arms and heart wide open.
When we pull up at home Trevor smiles and lays his hand on mine before I can unbuckle my seatbelt.
“Get out of the car and stand by the door, don’t move until I come get you,” he says and winks.
My heart starts to race as I step out of the car and shut the door behind me. He runs around the car and pulls me away from it. As he steps behind me he ties a blindfold around my eyes.
“Can you see anything?” he questions, his hands on my arms.
“No what is going on?”
“You’ll see. Walk.”
I take a deep breath and start to walk towards the house. He always finds ways to show me that he loves me but never anything to the point that I feel like my nerves are a live wire and he’s the one holding the other end of the wire. When I make it to the stairs, he tells me each time to step, and I wait at the door as he unlocks and opens it.
It’s crazy how when you can’t see all your other senses take over. As soon as I walk in the door, I smell flowers. It smells like there are so many kinds I can’t pick up on which one smells the best. We walk a few more steps and then stop. Trevor slowly unties the blindfold letting it fall to the floor in front of me.
As soon as my eyes focus and I can see again I raise my hand to my mouth and my breath catches in my throat. On each step going to the second floor of our home are flower petals from a different flower, each one a different color. I turn to Trevor and he nudges me up the stairs.
“What is this?” I ask once I can find my voice.
“It is a step for each month we have been together, and a different flower for each of the ways you have made me fall more and more in love with you.”
I feel the tears well up in my eyes as I turn back to the stairs. There are exactly seven stairs for the seven months that we have been together. The smell of the flowers surrounds me as I make my way upstairs. As soon as I am at the top the flower trail continues. I wait for Trevor as he walks up behind me and leans in kissing my cheek. The hallway to our room is covered in a mix of flower petals.
“The trail is the walk that we have taken together, during our seven months,” Trev adds.
I take yet another deep breath and make my way to our bedroom. Trevor steps in front of me and puts his hand on the doorknob.
“Take them off, Taylor.” He motions with his other hand to my clothes.
I can see in his eyes the meaning behind his words, and he is not taking no for an answer. The authority in his voice makes me wet as I slowly take off my work clothes and let them pool on the floor outside our bedroom. As soon as they are all off, he turns the knob and pushes the door open – stepping inside.
He walks to the bed and grabs a small box. If my heart wasn’t already racing it really was now. He walks back towards me and grabs my hand kneeling on one knee in front of me. I once again raise my hand over my mouth and hold my breath.
“Seven months to some might not be that long but to me it has been long enough to know that each day I fall more and more in love with you. You are the reason I wake up each day with a meaning. I am not just some tattooed, buff, totally hot guy,” he says and laughs. “I am yours and I want you to be mine. Please, Taylor, say that you will marry me and be mine until t
he day I die?”
“Yes,” I answer with tears running down my cheeks. “I would love nothing more than to be your wife.”
He opens the small box in his hand and pulls out a ring. The whole band of the ring is engraved with small diamonds and the center is a small square diamond. He places it on my finger and stands up wrapping his arms around me and pulls my feet up off the floor.
Before I know it, Trevor has me on the bed, and he is standing at the foot of it taking his clothes off and throwing them on the floor.
I watch as each article of clothing comes off revealing a tattoo or clean skin that has yet to see ink. His stomach is clean of any ink and shows off his abs that go on for miles. My eyes start from the top of his jeans and make their way over each ab until I am staring into his beautiful green eyes.
He finally gets his jeans off and climbs onto the bottom of the bed. Grabbing my left foot, he kisses and licks from the sole of it to my thigh and back down. I arch my ass off the bed begging him to make his way back up. As soon as he makes his way back to my foot he grabs my right and does the same.
When he makes it to my thigh again he nips and licks until he is right above my clit. His breath on me is enough to make my head roll side to side and I once again raise my hips. He leans in and wastes no time pulling my clit into his mouth and sucks.
He lets it go with a loud pop. He slides the rest of the way up my body and leans in kissing me. The taste of me and him mixing as he moves his tongue into my mouth. He slides into me and my whole body stiffens. His hands running along my body as he moves in and out of me has me on the edge of an orgasm in no time. And yet again I am begging it to stay away and let this feeling last as it fights its way to the top.
Trevor slows once he feels me tighten around him and leans back smiling. He knows my orgasm is close and wants it to last longer just as much as I do. He runs his hand from my neck to my breast circling his fingers all around my nipple causing my back to arch.
Revive Me (Say Something Book 3) Page 2
