Southern Heat

by Natasha Madison

  My eyes move as fast as my hand, the green cursor blinking the whole time I type. It takes me less than three minutes, and I have the system up and running. I look up at the big screen seeing it, and then I hear a voice behind me. I smile and fold my hands over my chest, seeing what I just did.

  The sound of the door clicking has me turning around. My hands start to shake when I see Casey standing there looking at me. His eyes go to me and then the screen. He does it two times before he whispers the three words I wanted no one to know. “It was you?”

  Chapter 31

  Quinn

  I pull open the door to the room when I hear my father talking. “It was you?” I walk into the room and stop moving.

  My father is standing by the door that leads outside and in the middle of the room right in front of the big desk. The tears are running down her face as her hands shake. “It was you all along, wasn’t it?” He puts down his coffee, and Willow looks at me.

  “I’m so, so sorry,” she says to me, making my heart speed up in my chest.

  “What the fuck is going on?” I shout, putting my hands on my hips, feeling Mayson walk to my side, looking at Willow and then my father.

  “It was me,” she says, trying to stand tall. “I was the reason that your father found you.” She looks over at Mayson. “He asked me to see if I could find you. He said that you were his long-lost child.” Her voice quivers. “That was when we first met. I found your name change a week later. I found you two days later, but I never told him. I pretended I couldn’t find you.” Her hands shake, and I want to walk over to her and put my hand around her, but I know she won’t want me. I know she doesn’t want me. “I never meant for any of this to happen. Never.”

  “The surveillance feed,” my father says, looking at her.

  “I hacked your firewall and replayed a loop of when the room was empty,” she admits. “But I left a trail.” She taps her hand on her leg, “I made the video jump at the end of the loop. I was hoping that you would see it.” She uses the same finger she was tapping on her leg to wipe the tear away when it escapes from her eye. “I was hoping that anyone watching the feed would know it was a recording. I never ever wanted anyone to get hurt,” she says and looks over at Mayson. “Through all this I just wanted it to end. I wanted you to find him, find us and end it.”

  “You had no choice,” Mayson says. “I can’t even imagine what he did to make you do it.”

  “Behind the computer I could be someone else,” she start to tell us. “It made me be invisible. It was just for fun at first but.” Willow looks down, and you can tell she has a hard time swallowing. “The minute he found out how good I was is the minute my life really became hell. He made me do things I hated doing. To the point where I never wanted to look at another computer again.” She looks down, avoiding my eyes. She’s avoided me ever since I walked into the room. She looks up at me. “I’ll be out of the house in an hour,” she says and then looks at Mayson. “I am so, so sorry for all the hurt and pain I caused you this whole time.” She looks at my father. “You had one extra space in the third row, and then in the fifth row, you needed a semicolon.” He just looks at her, and she makes a beeline for the door.

  “Can someone please tell me what the fuck just happened?” I look at my father and at Mayson.

  “She just confirmed to you that she is too good for you,” Mayson says. “That woman lived through a hell that we will never know.” He laughs. “And trust me, I know because I knew the type of person my father was. But her having that gift, he must have used her like a toy.” I look at my father, who is smirking as he looks at the screens.

  “You know that I work with some of the best hackers there are,” he says. “And you know that I’m the best.” He comes over to look at the script on his paper. “But what she did, we’ve been trying to do for four weeks.”

  “So what, she’s this computer genius,” I say. “She’s the reason that Chelsea got taken,” I point out to Mayson.

  “And the reason you found her almost dead is because she said no more,” Mayson points out. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and make sure she’s okay.” He runs out of the room, and I just stand here. I walk over to a chair and sit down. My head is spinning with all this information.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” My father looks at me. “Why are you not going after her?”

  I rub my hands on my face. “She doesn’t want me,” I say. “I’m not good enough for her.”

  I’m waiting for him to tell me otherwise. I’m waiting for him to give me advice, but instead, he looks at me and laughs. “Don’t be an idiot.” He shakes his head. “If Willow didn’t want to be here, she wouldn’t be here. All she needed was to take your computer, and she would have had a new ID and a brand-new credit card. She needed five minutes, and she would have everything she needed, but she didn’t.” He comes to me and slaps my shoulder. “If you let her leave, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”

  “What if this town is not enough for her.” I look at him. “I mean, clearly”—I point at the computer screen—“she’s brilliant.”

  “You don’t love her,” my father says and turns to walk away, and I jump up. “Because if you love her, the thought of her leaving would cut you off at the knees. So maybe it’s better you let her go.” He walks to his coffee. “Besides, a woman like that deserves someone who would die for her.”

  “The thought of not being with her crushes my chest so much I don’t think I can breathe,” I say, and he looks at me.

  “Son,” he says. “You’re wasting time. Go and get your woman. Jesus.” He shakes his head, and I run out of the barn toward my truck.

  I make it home in record time, running up the stairs, calling her name when I walk into the house. “Willow,” I call her name and rush to her bedroom. I stop in the middle of the room when I see the clothes on the bed. I walk toward it and stop breathing when I see the paychecks she’s collected since she’s been here with a note on them.

  This should pay for the clothes.

  “Motherfucker!” I roar out, turning around and looking for that fucking black bag. I take my phone out and call Mayson.

  “She’s at the barn,” he says when he answers. “I promised her ten minutes, and then I would drive her wherever she wanted to go,” he hisses out. “Don’t make me break my promise to her.”

  I rush out of the house and take the golf cart, my foot pressed all the way down. I pull up to the barn and see Mayson standing outside his truck, waiting for her. He looks at me and motions with his chin toward the barn, and I walk in, knowing exactly where she is going to be.

  I walk slowly down the cement walkway and hear her soft voice. “I’m sorry I have to go, Hope.” She sniffles, and my heart breaks. “I will never forget you, sweet girl.” I look into the stall and see her with her arms around Hope’s neck. “You were one of the things I’ve loved most about this place,” she says softly as I watch her. “You are going to help so many people, my beautiful Hope. You are gentle and kind, and anyone would be happy to have you.”

  She must sense I’m staring at her because Willow looks up. I can see the anguish on her face. “I was just leaving,” she says and bends her head to walk out of the stall. She stops in front of me. “You don’t have to forgive me,” she says, standing there in front of me. “Because I will never forgive myself. But you have to know that I’m sorry for everything.” She bends her head and takes two steps.

  “Was everything we shared a lie?” I ask her, and she stops walking. “Turn around and look at me.” She doesn’t move, but her shoulders shake. I walk to her and put my arms around her. “I love you, Willow,” I say finally. “Every single part of you was made for me.”

  “You don’t mean that,” she says in my arms. “You can’t mean that. Who would love someone like me? I’m a liar.” Her whole body shakes, and I turn her in my arms.

  “We are not doing this here,” I say. “We are going to do this at home.”
She looks up at me. “Will you come home with me?” I ask her, but the reality is that even if she says no, I’m going to drag her back to the house to listen to me.

  “What’s the point?” she says, looking at me. “It won’t change anything.” My heart hammers in my chest. “There is nothing more that needs to be said.”

  “There are things I need to say. Things that you need to hear,” I say, and she steps out of my arms. “Please,” I say, and she looks down.

  “Mayson is waiting for me,” she says.

  “Give me five minutes, and if you still want to go, I will drive you wherever you want to go.” The lie tastes like acid in my throat.

  I turn and walk out of the barn, seeing Mayson still there standing by the truck. He pushes off when he sees me. “I’ve got her,” I say, and he ignores me and looks over my shoulder.

  “You going to be okay?” he asks, and she looks at him. He walks to her and takes a phone out of his pocket. “If you need me, call Chelsea and I’ll be right there.”

  I glare at him when he walks past me to his truck. I take a deep inhale and then walk to her. “The golf cart is over there.” I point behind her, and she turns and walks toward it. She sits far away from me, and I hate it. My hands grip the steering wheel so tight I’m surprised it doesn’t break off.

  I park the golf cart and walk into the house with her following me instead of holding her hand. I turn once I’m in the living room and look at her. “I don’t know where you are going to be comfortable doing this.” I look at her and see that she is wiping away tears.

  “There is nowhere to do this,” she says. “Everything has been said. Just let me leave and—" I hold up my hand so she stops talking.

  “You think I’d let you leave?” I ask, the next word coming out in a whisper. “Never.”

  “Quinn, please,” she says, her voice cracking.

  “I may have been mad,” I say. “And stupid for leaving you. But you have to understand that I’ve never done this before.” She wrings her hands together, and my heart feels like someone just kicked it. “I’ve never been in love before.” She gasps out. “You have to know that’s how I feel.” I walk to her now, my feet not stopping until I’m in front of her. “I will fight for you.” My hand comes up and pushes her hair away from her face. “I will fight with you.” A sob rips through her. “And I will fight to be with you.”

  “Quinn,” she says, her voice breaking, and I need her to see me. I need her to look me in the eyes.

  “You are everything,” I say, and I don’t even wait for her to say anything before I press my lips to hers.

  Chapter 32

  Willow

  His lips press against mine, and it’s a good thing he’s holding me because I might have fallen to the floor. I take his kiss and then push away from him.

  “You don’t mean that,” I say, holding on to the couch as my knees shake. “You can’t mean that.”

  “I mean every single word,” he says, looking at me. “Every single fucking word.”

  “But the things I’ve done,” I say, shaking my head. When his father caught me, I knew that my secret would be exposed, the secret that I hoped would never come out. I stood there in front of them and told them that I helped make all of this happen. I stood there, hoping and praying that they wouldn’t look at me like I was the monster I was.

  “You have done nothing,” he says, and I shake my head. “Listen to me and listen to me good.” I look at him, putting my hand in front of my mouth right before I sob out. “You did what you needed to do to survive.”

  “But,” I start to say. “But.”

  “Do you want to stay here?” he asks, and my stomach shoots up to my heart.

  “Before all of this,” I say the truth because he deserves to know the truth. He needs to know no matter what the future holds, I need to tell him. “Before all of this happened,” I start again, shaking the nerves from my hands. “I decided that I was going to tell you that I chose you,” I say, my heart feeling the pressure in my chest. “I had picked you. This is where I wanted to be. You are who I wanted to be with. I don’t know what love is. I have never felt it before. But just the thought of not being with you. Just the thought of not seeing you every single day, it was a feeling I’ve never felt before. I was so scared.” I swallow. “So scared that one day you would wake up and see that I wasn’t worthy of you.”

  “I’m the one that isn’t worthy of you,” he says. “I’m the one who left you instead of fighting for you. But when I saw that bag. I had this dread that washed over me that you would leave me, and the thought was too much to bear. I just couldn’t.” His hands go back to my face. “I can’t picture life without you.”

  The tears roll down my cheeks and over his hands. “That is why I came looking for you,” I say. “To tell you that I don’t want to leave and that I was going to throw the bag out.” I put my hands on his wrists. “But then.”

  “You don’t have to relive it,” he says, kissing me softly.

  “If I’m going to stay here,” I say. “I have to come clean with Chelsea. I don’t want to keep this from her.” I look into his beautiful blue eyes. “Will you come with me to tell her?”

  “I’ll go to the end of the earth for you,” he says. “Do you want to go now?”

  “I do,” I say. “I want to go and speak with your dad also.”

  He looks at me. “You don’t have to do all of this today.”

  “You’re wrong. I do. For me and for them,” I say, and he nods his head. He holds my hand walking out of the house, as we make our way over to their house. I look out the window as I try to think about what I’m going to tell Chelsea. I know I told Quinn I couldn’t live without him, but I know that I can’t come between his family. I won’t.

  We pull up to the house, and he kisses my lips. “No matter what happens, we will get through this,” he says, and I know that I have no right to feel sorry for myself. I have no right to feel anything.

  He holds my hand, and when Chelsea answers the door, her smile quickly fades when she sees me, and my heart sinks. She knows is the only thing that goes through my mind. “Come in,” she says and quickly puts her arms around my shoulders. “Is everything okay? What happened?”

  “Um,” I start to say, but I stop when Mayson comes into the room. He looks at me and then at Quinn.

  “I was wondering if I can have a couple of minutes of your time?” I look at Chelsea and then turn back to look at Mayson. “There are things I need to tell you.”

  “Of course,” Chelsea says as we walk into the house. I sit on the couch with Quinn beside me. Both of my hands are holding one of his. Mayson sits next to Chelsea. “What is going on?” She looks at everyone and then back at me. “I’m getting scared.”

  “I have a confession to make,” I say. “And I want you to know that I never ever wanted anything to happen to you.” I look down at my hands and then up at her. “It was me,” I say. “I’m the reason he was able to kidnap you.”

  “It was not you,” Mayson says. “It was not you.”

  “Oh, Willow,” Chelsea says, getting up and coming over to my side. “Mayson told me the story, and you have to know I would never blame you. You were a victim, just like everyone else. The only one responsible for this is Benjamin and Benjamin alone.”

  “But.” I shake my head. “But I didn’t stop him.”

  “He would have found a way to get to me regardless if you didn’t help him. He was a sick man and he is rotting in hell,” Chelsea tells me. “Now this man has had enough of my tears. He’s had enough of your tears and we know that he’s had enough of Mayson’s tears.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” I answer honestly. “I’ve never had this kind of support before.”

  “Well,” Chelsea says, laughing while wiping away her tears. “I’d get used to it. You’re one of us now.” She puts her arm around me again and pulls me to her.

  We leave here with me promising that I won’t blame myself. I get
into the truck, knowing I have another big stop to make. My hands shake the whole time we walk back into the barn. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “I really hope so,” I say, not sure at this moment. He pulls open the door, and I see Casey sitting behind a big wooden desk with five computer screens in front of him. He looks up and sees Quinn and then me. He gets up, and I’m expecting him to kick me out of his office. I’m expecting him to tell me not to step foot in here again.

  “Well, I can see you took your head out of your ass,” he tells Quinn, coming around the desk and smiling at me. “Willow, it’s good to see you again.”

  “Um,” I say, confused by his whole demeanor.

  “I’m happy you came by,” he says, grabbing me in a hug, and I just look at Quinn. He lets me go and leans back, folding his arms over his chest. “I’m assuming you aren’t leaving town.”

  “I,” I start to say when Quinn says, “She’s staying.”

  “Good, I want to be the first one to offer you a job,” he says, and I open my mouth.

  “Now, hold on just a minute,” Quinn says. “She has a job.”

  Casey laughs and looks at me. “It can be part time, but I think that your skills can help us out.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” I answer honestly, looking at Casey and then at Quinn. “I didn’t ever think …”

  “Why don’t you come by on Monday and we can see what we can do?” Casey tells me, and all I can do is nod. Quinn takes me in his arms ’cause he knows I’m two seconds away from sobbing and blubbering in his father’s office.

  “These are happy tears,” I tell Quinn and then look at Casey. “I’ve never had happy tears before.”

  “I’m taking her home,” Quinn says. “And we aren’t coming out for the next two days,” he says, and I look down, feeling my cheeks heat.

  Quinn puts me in the truck and then looks at me. “We just had our first-ever fight, so we have to make sure we get the making-up part perfect.”