by C. A. Harms
Of all the times I’d been to Chloe’s, I’d never noticed such a mess or a smell.
A loud slam echoed through the hallways, and when I looked toward the left, it was just in time to see her walking around the corner, her head hung low, her shoulders sagging. Pushing myself off the tiled floor, I hurried to stand. The shuffle gained her attention, and she paused, leaving a good distance between us.
“I went by the office and didn’t see your truck.” Taking a step toward her, I waited and watched for any type of reaction. Only there was nothing more than a voided stare. Like she was so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t noticed anything. “Are you off today?”
“I’ve been granted a two-week leave.” Her voice was low, raspy, and withdrawn.
Moving in closer, I lifted my hand and lightly grazed over hers that hung at her side. Testing the waters, feeling out my limits. When she didn’t pull back, I felt a spark of hope. “What do you mean you were given a two-week leave?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Shying away, she moved around my body and began walking toward her door. I noticed the way her hand shook as she lifted her key and began placing it in the lock.
Unable to control the urge to touch her, I moved in behind her and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her body in close to mine. She came with ease; I could literally feel her give way and sag back against me.
“I still don’t understand why you felt you had to lie, but right now I don’t care.”
Lost, not sure of what to say or do, I went with my gut and spun her around to face me.
“Baby, listen to me. I know I should have just been honest and told you but,” I placed my finger beneath her chin to force her to meet my gaze, “I was trying to impress the girl I couldn’t stop thinking about. Somehow in my mind I’d convinced myself that telling you details would send you running. At the time I couldn’t risk that. But it was never more than the one night, that one attempt that had gone bad. It was interrupted, and in her eyes it was so much more. But to me, it was a moment of clarity. That guy calling out and breaking the moment, hell, if I could go back, I would have shook his hand and thanked him for bringing my stupid ass back to reality. Holly was and will never be more than a lapse in judgment. That I can promise you.”
Chloe closed her eyes tight, her lips pressed together in a very tight line. Almost like fighting off emotions she didn’t want to feel.
“Say something.” This couldn’t be what drove us apart. I wouldn’t allow it. What had been growing between us was far too great to just walk away. I meant what I said; I was in this, not just for now, but for the long haul. I wanted this, and I wanted it all with Chloe. “You are the only one I want.”
I love her. It was there on the tip of my tongue, lingering, fighting to be set free, but I held back.
“I just want to go inside and curl up in a blanket. I want to ignore the fact that your ex is ruining my life.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Please just—”
“I’m not leaving.” She would have to throw me out. “We’ll go inside, and you can get the biggest blanket you have and curl it around you so tight you feel invisible. But we will be talking about this.”
“Landon.” It was a plea. One that hit me hard in the chest. The idea of upsetting her, it was something that was unbearable. But knowing that until I got to the bottom of this I couldn’t make it right, that was the one thing that drove me forward.
***
It had been a few hours, me sitting at her side, her curled up at the opposite end of the couch. She was sleeping soundly in a blanket so big and fluffy that all I could see was the top of her head poking out. I wanted nothing more than to crawl beneath the blanket with her and hold her close, only I gave her space.
My temper was rising, my anger flaring as I thought of what she meant by Holly ruining her life. If I knew going to her and telling her off would help, I would have left long ago. Only Holly would manage to reverse it around and call it passion. The girl was fucking insane, certifiably, no doubt.
It was crazy, how it had gotten this far. It’s not like I gave her false hope; she was just seeing something that was never even there. The problem was she was threatened by Chloe. But Holly had nothing on my beautiful girl, nothing at all.
The rustle of the blankets as she stretched out from beneath them caught my attention, and my heart raced, hoping she was waking up. Nothing was worse than seeing her down and not knowing what I could do to fix it.
I loved her, I was in love with her, and honestly all I really wanted to do was protect her from any person or possible thing that could harm her.
A soft sigh, more of a purr, came from under the blankets, and even in the tension-filled space I had to smile.
Slipping off the couch cushions, I crawled across the floor and paused at her side. Gliding my hand over her, I found the space that allowed me to slip beneath and sought out her comfort. I just wanted to feel her, to know that she was there. I felt like she was slipping away. I had since the very second I’d seen the sadness in her eyes that day she was parked next to me. It was a feeling of being out of control, and it terrified me.
“I think I’m gonna be fired.” Her voice was muffled, but I heard it clearly.
Pulling the blanket back to expose her face, I stared at her sleep-filled eyes. Her face was puffy, her hair matted and going in all different directions. The blues of her eyes stood out against the white blanket around her.
“What possible reason could they have to fire you, Kitten?” My throat felt tight, the knowledge that I already knew what she was going to say eating at me. Holly, this had to be about her, and I felt murderous.
“Harassment of another employee.” Her lower lip trembled, and someone may as well have stabbed me right then; it would have hurt less than seeing her fall apart. “This is gonna kill my reputation. It’s not like there are a hundred different dentistries to work for in Brooklet. I could move, but this is home.”
“Harassment?” This had to be a fucking joke. Chloe was the gentlest person I knew.
“She’s been saying things at work, cornering me.” A single tear fell from her eye and trickled along her cheek. “Apparently I stand in the way of you and her. I’ve been the one harassing her because you have some lingering feelings for her.”
“Chloe.” Pulling away the blanket, exposing her more, I pulled her off the couch and into my lap. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have handled it.”
“It’ll just make it worse, like she feeds on the uncertainty of other people. So instead I tried to pretend nothing she’d said or done bothered me, but then…” She paused, and I knew I wasn’t going to like what she was about to add.
“She said all those things about the two of you the other day. About how you liked dirty and you were going to get tired of me.” Chloe wouldn’t look at me. “She gave the details of your night out in the alley and how you—” She stopped and my throat felt like something was lodged in it. “I thought about our night in the hotel after the wedding and the way you backed me up to the wall. It was pretty much the same description of your night with her, so I thought she must be right.”
What the hell?
“Look at me.” I didn’t mean for my words to sound angry, but at this point there wasn’t really a way to contain them. “Nothing about that night holds a candle to our time together. I can assure you that had I not been drunker than I should have been, I never would have touched her.” Her head was facing me, but her eyes were closed.
“Do you know that the first time I saw you, I couldn’t take my eyes off you?” Chloe’s lower lip trembled, but I kept going. “We were all at the lake and you and the girls were down on the dock. Laying out side by side, while we all sat on the tailgate of Mike’s and Rhett’s trucks. Your legs were propped up in the air, shifting from side to side. Gorgeous, that’s all I could think about.” Opening her eyes, she looked down at my chest. “I wasn’t ready for a relationshi
p and you.” One deep breath in…I tried not to fall apart. I had never in my life been so into a girl that her pain managed to be my own. It was like I could feel what she was feeling. “You were guarded by the guys, and I knew if I hurt you, it would trigger a war. A girl like you deserves so much more than a guy that’s only half in.”
“You don’t have to explain.”
“Yeah, I do.” I should have said all of these things long before now. “I wish I could go back and cut out all the in between, because I missed out, Chloe. I missed out on getting to know you sooner and falling for you sooner.” This managed to gain her attention, and her eyes locked on mine. “I’m falling for you, hell, I’ve already fallen, and I hate knowing that my past has caught up with me and is causing you pain. This is my problem, my mistake, and I will fix it. She isn’t going to ruin your future, and I refused to let her ruin us.”
I stared at her, hoping to see just a small fraction of relief. My heart ached, my chest feeling tighter with each passing second. Then just when I was about to lose hope, she lay her head on my shoulder and pressed a kiss along my jaw.
A rush of comfort soared through me, and I wrapped my arms around her a little tighter. I had to make this right, I had to.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chloe
“Put that one right over there.” Aunt Kori pointed to the one empty space that was left on the huge buffet table. So much food, such variety was laid out before us, and most people would think a feast of this magnitude was a bit of an overkill. But those people weren’t feeding an army such as ours. Men, big burly men with stomachs that were nothing less than bottomless pits. Every family get together, every single event we gathered for, was huge.
Thanksgiving, it was just like any other dinner we’d shared, only this one had a few more pies.
“Smells good in here.” Uncle Reed stepped up behind his wife and wrapped her in his arms. When she giggled then sighed, I had to look away. Something about all the older members of our families, they loved hard. Age didn’t slow them down; they were fierce, loyal, and had no problem showing anyone in their wake how much they adored their women. It carried on into the next generation as I looked to the other room to find both Rhett and Mike loving on their women. It was like a huge love fest, with the exception of Grace and Colt, each staring at the television, ignoring the sweetness all around them. Grace was unhappy actually, and again guilt hit me, knowing I’d added to her torture. I owed her, big time. I just had to figure out a way to do so.
The front door opened, and in walked my parents. Hand in hand, looking like two teenagers in love. It was adorable, really, and I hoped when I was their age I had a man who found me as irresistible as my father did my mother. They were still so cute, well, without the whole heavy breathing in the phone part. All that they could keep to themselves.
I felt a little sad that Landon wasn’t here, but he had his own family traditions. His mother, father, and grandparents all gathered across town. It would be wrong for him to miss that, just like it would be wrong for me to miss my own. Granted, I think that my family would behead me if I wasn’t here. Okay, so that’s a little harsh, but they took this family stuff seriously. You had better be on your death bed if you didn’t show up.
I’d yet to tell anyone about my leave at work. I didn’t want to trigger the firing squad. The women would be full of questions, and the men, they would be out for blood. The drama was too much, so for now, I chose to keep it all to myself. Plus Monday I’d go in and meet with them once more. This time I was going in prepared.
“Let’s eat,” Gran hollered, and we all knew not to drag our feet. One by one we shuffled in and took our places. Conversation, laughter, it all swarmed around me as I took in each and every one of them.
Prayer was shared, and dishes were passed around as each of us filled our plates. I felt the absence of Landon, though I was still so unsettled about where we would be this time next year I had hopes. Letting go of the idea of what had taken place between him and Holly, I told myself I had to move forward. Getting to me, placing doubt in my mind, it was what she wanted. I couldn’t let her win.
An hour later, we were all so full, it felt like I was on the verge of popping. Everyone sat around holding their stomachs with their pants unbuttoned to gain that extra relief from our tight waistbands. We were nothing more than a large group of engorged hillbillies; it was hilarious.
I chose the recliner in the corner and grabbed one of Gran’s big fluffy blankets. Everything in this house smelled so clean, with a resemblance of something baked. It was a place I always felt so at home in. My real grandparents, they were so distant that I was blessed to have Kori’s mom and dad. My father’s parents, they were always off traveling the world; there was very little time they took to stop and get to know me. My mother’s, her father died when I was two and her mother remarried, moving to Kansas, and only called on Christmas and my birthday. Gran and Gramps, they were and had always been my loving, doting grandparents. I was blessed to have them. You’d never know that I didn’t share the same bloodline as them. I wasn’t the only one, though. They were that way with all the kids. Grace and Rhett were the only two true grandchildren, but we were all equal to them.
Football played on the television, all the guys set in place to watch the game. The ladies, off in the kitchen talking about the men, I was sure, and us younger ones, finding our own peace throughout the house.
I felt my eyes growing heavy, my body giving in to the food coma that I’d been fighting. With the stress of the past two weeks and the emotional exhaustion, there truly was no hope I would be able to remain awake.
I fell asleep thinking of an amazing smile and a soothing voice.
I’m falling for you. Hell, I’ve already fallen.
They were words I often thought of since he’d said them that night in my apartment. Words I’d wished for from him, words I’d dreamt of. Gorgeous eyes that gave me such comfort and strong arms that made me feel safe, it was almost like I could smell him. That intoxicating cologne and all things Landon, it was like he was right there, lying next to me.
Something shifted at my side, and I jerked awake, finding a set of warm, inviting eyes staring back at me. For a second I thought I was still dreaming until he lifted his hand and pushed back the hair from my face.
“Hi, Kitten.” Leaning in, he kissed the corner of my mouth, and I heard a growl from my left. I didn’t have to look to know it was my father just being my father a few feet away. He was impossible, and I chose to ignore his level of crazy.
“I thought you had a family thing?”
“I did.” Hugging me a little tighter to him, I burrowed in and felt instantly at home. This was exactly where I wanted to be, not just now, but always.
“And work?” Not that I was complaining, but I knew he’d have to leave me soon.
“Tomorrow morning at seven, but I wanted to see you.” Leaning in, he buried his nose in my hair, and I could hear him breathe me in. It was sweet, really, and I found myself sighing at the gesture. “Today’s been a really long day, loud, crazy, and amazing. Only there was one thing missing.” Pulling back, he looked at me, and I swore to it I felt like my heart melted. “You.”
I didn’t care that everyone was most likely watching us. I didn’t care that my father was going to hate it. I encircled his neck with my arms and pulled him close. My lips sealing with his, I kissed him softly, and for the first time in more days than I could count, I felt completely at ease.
I was so in love with Landon Layne. I was head over feet, caught in the clouds in love. And I wanted him to know that.
***
“What time is it?” Looking to my left, trying not to get completely lost in the way he kissed along my jaw, I found the alarm clock.
“Almost five.” He lifted the weight of his body and crawled over mine. The instant he lowered himself, I felt him press to my center and knew what he was aiming for. “I have to leave in a little less than two hours and I
have to be away from you for twenty-four.”
“Mmhm.” His mouth, the things it could do to me, amazing.
“I can sleep when I’m at the station.” He shifted his hips, and the position he was in pressed perfectly to the one spot I needed him to be. “Right now, I need to feel you.”
There would be no arguments from me, none at all.
Parting my legs, I allowed him to position himself between them and gave in to the euphoric feeling he was providing. It was without a doubt the best morning I had had in a very long time.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Landon
My muscles ached, but I continued to push on. With Mike at one side and Terrance and Rhett at the other, I stared ahead. I think they all already knew I was in a mood. It had a lot to do with the visitor at the station last night.
I knew her game; she was only trying to weasel her way into my life, and she chose Nolan, the rookie, as her target. She wasn’t interested in him, it was obvious, but the guy was just as delusional as she was. He was an easy target, a way for her to get close and make it appear like she was there for him and not me.
Bringing him lunch, fawning over him like he was so masculine and appealing to her, while staring at me the entire time was a fucking joke. I hid out in the Captain’s office for the hour she was there, and when I emerged, they were all teasing me once again about Nolan. First he stole the innocence of Chloe and now he was dating my ex. It was all I heard about the rest of the night. Nolan looked smug, and the dick almost faced the anger that had been building inside of me for weeks. Anger over what Holly was putting Chloe through and anger that she was now showing up at my place of work.
This shit had to break; it had to end. I thought it would fade, but it would appear she was only getting more aggressive with her attempts.
I left the station and drove straight to the gym, where I continued to pound out weightlifting and anything else to burn off the irritation. Problem was nothing seemed to ease the ache inside of me. The aggression I felt was fueled by adrenaline, fed by the endorphins, and now I wanted nothing more than to make the crazy bitch suffer as much as Chloe had.
