Mended Hearts

by Tammi Lynn

  Jesse stands up. “Cade, man. Just let her breathe a second. What happened today anyway? She said her tires were slashed? Who the fuck would slash Mia’s tires?”

  Can’t he see I need her to breathe? “I don’t know guys, she thinks it was Nichoal, said there was a lipstick kiss on her window.”

  “That fucking bitch.” Roman pops up and stands too. “If you don’t say something to her Cade, I will.”

  “I’m meeting with her tomorrow to talk.”

  Jayson turns in his seat. “Good. Figure it all out. Don’t ruin this for us, Cade. We aren’t willing to give her up.”

  Nodding in their direction I head out the door and over to Mia’s. Opening the door with the key, I slip into the dark house and down to her room. I’m almost afraid the doors going to be locked. I know how to get it open when it is but still. I’m hoping she won’t completely shut me out.

  Her room is lit by the tv when I walk in silently and she’s snuggled under the covers with her back to me. I can see her back tense, her shoulders tightening, she knows I’m here. I start to undress, throwing my clothes in the hamper till I’m only in my boxer briefs. Drawing the covers back I see she’s only in a large t-shirt and underwear, before I slide in behind her. She still hasn’t relaxed and I’m hating the shirt between us, even though it does happen to be one of mine. Did she need to feel close to me too?

  “Sit up for a second.” She hesitates before slowly sitting up and I sit up with her, grabbing the bottom of the shirt to raise over her head. “Raise your arms Baby Girl, I need to feel you next to me.” I need to feel her skin to skin, the warmth of her body against mine.

  She stays quiet, but does as I ask and I remove her shirt. Running my hands up her back to her bra and then over her shoulders makes her shiver under my touch and I pull her back against me. I slide my arm under her pillow and bring her as close against me as I can, running my nose through her hair and inhaling.

  Raising the blankets to our shoulders her body finally relaxes against mine when I start running my fingers along her scalp and into her hair. It’s not until I can feel her breathing even out and her body go slack in sleep, that I stop and wrap my arm back around her. There’s no way I can lose her.

  ∞∞∞

  Mia is never an early riser but she’s already gone when I wake to the alarm on my phone. She’s probably trying to avoid me. Speaking of phones, I found hers on the underside of her pillow in the case and plugged it in for her so it’s charged when she gets home.

  Grabbing some clothes from her closet I head to leave for work but find Miklo in the kitchen eating breakfast. “Hey Lil Man, how was your trip?”

  “It was good.”

  “Where’s your mom? Did you want a ride to school? It’s cold out there.”

  “That’s okay, Killian’s mom is picking me up, and Jesse took her to pick up her truck so she can take it to work. I hope whoever did that to her tires doesn’t try it again.” He’s mad at me, I don’t know what he knows, but he knows something, or can at least sense it. And Fuck, he’s right, Jesse should just take her to work. I doubt she’d go for it though.

  “Okay, well I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Hey, Cade?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m not stupid, I know something is going on between you and mom. No one has said anything but I can tell. Don’t hurt her, Cade.” The concern in his eyes for his mom has my gut shredding from the inside, the guilt like razors.

  “That’s the last thing I would ever want to do to her.” I didn’t lie, I don’t want to hurt her even though I know I’ve hurt her already.

  “Good.”

  I leave then and get to work early. I hope this day goes by fast.

  ∞∞∞

  The day does go by fast. Hours turn to minutes and I’m closing up shop and out the door a little after five. Joker’s isn’t far and I’m pulling into the lot a few minutes later.

  I find Nichoal at the bar with a beer waiting for me, her blonde hair flowing straight and a little past her shoulders. She has black skinny leg jeans on with a red halter top that pushes her tits up and shows her cleavage. I used to think she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. My tastes must have gone brunette because I don’t find her as attractive now, and keeping my eyes on her face is no challenge.

  “Hey baby, glad you could make it. It’s about time you came back to me.” I try to look deeper into her face, to see if there is anything there, any old flame, or even spark that would make me unfaithful to my Baby Girl.

  Speaking of. “Did you slash Mia’s tires?” So many questions are in my head to ask, but any that don’t involve my Baby Girl seem as important anymore.

  A fake look of alarm crosses her face and she brings a hand to her chest. “Who? Me? Now why would I do something like that?” She’s lying and I can tell from the sly smirk on her face. She did do it.

  “What the fuck, Nichoal?” At that moment I turn and see the guys walk in with Mia and Miklo, finding a seat on the other side of the restaurant area.

  “Oh come on, it’s funny, and what do you care anyway? You’re going to come back to me anyway.” Placing her hand on my arm I shrug it off. I shouldn’t even be over here, I should be over there with my family.

  Her admission seals it and I don’t even want to look at her anymore, the conversation no longer necessary. “It’s not fucking funny and I care a whole lot. Get the fuck over yourself Nichoal, I’ll never be with you again. You fucking dissapeared. You crushed me and left me thinking you were abducted or dead. I’m glad you’re not, but you are dead to me. Stay away from me, and stay away from my real future wife. I’m not fucking around Nichoal, pull shit again like you did yesterday and It won’t be pretty.”

  Her face flushes red in anger and she stands up to block me when I try to walk away. “You haven’t asked her to marry you.”

  “Not yet I haven’t.” I don’t let her say anything else, she tries to grab my arm, but I walk around her and over to where my brothers are sitting with Miklo.

  “Hey Cade, I didn’t know you were coming. Who was that you were talking to?” The suspicion is clear in Miklo’s voice as he looks up at me.

  “That, is no longer a problem. The past being buried where it belongs.”

  “Thank fuck.” Jesse smiles at me and the rest follow.

  Mia is no longer sitting with them, so I look around for her. “Where’d Mia go? I saw her walk in with you.”

  “She was here for a second but said she wasn’t feeling good and wanted to go home. She met us here in her truck so we let her go. Shit, she saw you with Nichoal and that’s why she left, isn’t it?” She’s running again and I’m already headed towards the door before Roman finishes talking. Time to go catch my, Baby Girl.

  The drive home is a blur, I’m at her door and rushing inside. The whole house is dark. She’s not in the living room and I can’t find her in her room either. Peeking out the back arcadia window I find her sitting bundled in a blanket on the back porch swing. She bought and installed that thing herself. Said she needed a place she could go and relax, to read and get lost in the worlds others create. We would have helped her with it but she wouldn’t let us.

  She’s not reading now, just looking at the night sky, her face barely illuminated by the low back light on the house. Opening the door I slip outside, she doesn’t even look over at me but I see her take a big breath and hold it in a second. “Hey, Baby Girl, what are you doing out here? It’s freezing.”

  “Nothing, just thinking.”

  “What are you thinking about?” I sit next to her, kicking my legs out to get the swing going and she grabs my thigh to steady herself. Her hand feels like fire against my jeans, her touch burning through me.

  “How much it’s going to hurt when you leave me.” A single tear, just one, starts to pool in the corner of her eye. I don’t want her to cry. “That’s why you’re here right? I saw you there with her. Your going to take her back?”

  The pai
n in my chest from her even thinking that has me reaching out for her and pulling her sideways in my lap. That single tear decides to fall and I catch it with my finger and put it in my mouth. The saltiness of it tasting as bitter as the fact I'm the reason it fell. Her eyes widen and I lean in to kiss her lips softly. Just like the touch of her hand her lips burn against mine, the heat of her body in my lap making me grow hard from under her.

  I pull away and wipe a few strands of hair from her face. “No, Baby Girl, I’m here to tell you I’m all yours.” I take her hand and raise it to my chest, placing her palm over my beating heart. “This? It’s all yours.” Her head falls to my shoulder and her body starts to shake. I think she’s crying at first but when I lift her face to look in her eyes there’s no tears. “Baby, breathe.” She’s hyperventilating taking quick short breaths. “Fuck Mia. Stop.”

  What the fuck do I do? Leaning back into her I kiss her again to get her to stop gasping, to calm her. She starts to relax but the second I pull away she starts up again. Wrapping the blanket back around her I lift her and carry her to the door and go inside. I need to calm her down. Fuck, what did I do?

  I carry her all the way to her room and set her down to stand in the middle of the floor. “Don’t leave, please.” Her words are whispered in a breath.

  “I’m just shutting the door.” Closing it I turn back around to look at her. The cover has fallen from her shoulders to the floor and her body is trembling, her chest still rising and falling quickly.

  “I really thought you were going to leave me, that you were going to take her back.” Her chin falls to her chest and I walk up to her and lift it. I don’t want her to doubt me but I know everyday I will just have to prove what I am saying. How often did Dre say he would stop fucking around? No. I would not be that to her. It was one of the reasons why I could now give her an answer with such clarity, no confusion.

  “Never. You’re stuck with me now.” I run my hands up and down her arms, they’re so cold. She’s still in her work clothes, a black blouse with a dark grey knee length skirt. “How do I calm you down, Baby Girl? You need to relax. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Distract me.” It’s almost needy in the way she says it and there’s that fire again, but this time it starts in my chest and rushes through my body.

  Stepping closer I grab onto her shirt and pull it free from her skirt. Then I start to unbutton it from top to bottom, and it opens to a red satin bra that does nothing to hide her nipples hardening beneath the thin fabric. As I slide the shirt from her shoulders and down her arms I lean forward and grab her nipple through the fabric in my teeth. She cries out and holds her breath, her body tensing before starting to relax again. Kneeling down I unzip her skirt and pull it and her thong down her legs. Her shoes are already off and she steps free of it. This reminds me of the first night I saw her perfect body. I undressed her just the same, but that night I didn’t take her. Tonight there’ll be no stopping me. I run my hands up her legs and kiss her inner thighs making them quake before placing another one at her lower lips.

  When I stand back up I remove my own clothing and she watches every move, her eyes never leaving me. “Turn around and place your hands on the bed.” She does, her ass up in the air for me, and I step into her, my dick against her ass as I run my hands over her cheeks and up her back to unclasp her bra, letting it fall to the bed. My hands go around her sides to hold her breasts in them and I squeeze. Her back arches and she pushes back in to me with a wiggle. I stand back straight and gather her hair into one fist while I line myself up with her already soaking pussy. “Hold on Baby Girl, I’m going to fuck you hard and fast at first. I need to be inside you.” Her hands grip the covers and I thrust in hard with a groan. She feels amazing and I start thrusting into her, pulling her hair back a little and causing her to push back harder against me, meeting me pound for pound.

  Her whimpers and moans start driving me crazy. “Harder, Cade, faster.” She needs me as much as I need her right now.

  I pick up speed and her pussy immediately starts gripping me tight, her body falling forward, her head on the bed. She comes around me as her body pulses around mine, milking me. I don’t want to come just yet, I want this to last longer. I pull out and turn her around to wrap her legs around my waist. Lifting her up I then turn to sit at the edge of the bed.

  Her arms go around my neck and I thrust back into her, guiding her hips back and forth. “Ride me baby.” Her eyes close and she starts to go hard, her hands slipping from my neck and down to my shoulders. Her nails latch in and I can feel them start to break skin. “That’s it Baby Girl, make it hurt. Give all that pain I caused you back to me.” I can feel her start to tense around me again and I know I won’t last long. “Open your eyes and look at me baby, I want you to see your face when you come all over me.”

  Eyes flying open her back arches and her thighs squeeze mine. “Cade!” She cries out when her orgasm hits, our eyes never leaving each others.

  Pure love and lust flicker across her golden eyes and with one last upward move I’m jerking inside her and filling her up. “Fuck, Baby Girl.”

  “I love you, Cade.” I fall back and pull her down with me, wrapping myself around her.

  “I love you, Baby Girl. Loving you made me realize I never really loved Nichoal. Nothing can compare to this, to how I feel for you. You’re mine baby and I’m never going to let you go.”

  Chapter Ten

  Bullies and Bowls

  Mia

  “So what are you guys doing for Super Bowl Sunday?” Cassie picks at her salad as we all eat lunch in the conference room. I actually told them before Christmas that I was seeing all the guys, we’ve gotten closer and I feel like I can trust them now. There was no judgement or anything although Cassie said she was jealous. We’ve had them over a few times, and I go out with them just us girls every once in awhile too. I still hold out on some more important news because let's face it, they gossip like crazy.

  “Big party at the big house. Oh wait! You guys have to come, it’s just going to be a bunch of guys and me.” It’s only been three days since me and Cade made up, but everything has gone back to how it was. In fact, if anything it has gotten better. I hated going through the situation but damn if it didn’t just make us realize how serious this was. How serious we were about one another.

  “Well I’m in.” You can always count on Cassie at the mention of guys.

  “I don’t know, football’s not really my thing.” Felicia says shyly.

  “Max will be there. Remember how I told you Cade said he’s had a crush on you forever?” I waggle my eyebrows at her and she flushes red.

  “Okay, I guess I can go.” Mmm hmm, knew that would convince her. Look at me playing matchmaker!

  “Yes, thank you guys. You can come anytime Sunday, but everyone else will be showing up around five.”

  “We’ll come early to help you set up.” The office phone starts ringing and Cassie reaches to the end of the table to answer it. “Empty Pockets, this is Cassie.” Her eyes widen a little and she hands the phone towards me. “It’s for you Mia.”

  Who’s calling me on the work phone? “Hello, This is Mia.”

  “Good afternoon Mrs. Davila, this is Principal Powers from your son Miklos’ school.

  “Its Evans, Ms. Evans.” What the hell? Why is the Principal calling? “How can I help you?”

  “I apologize, Ms. Evans. I have Miklo here in my office, he was involved in a fight in the middle of the cafeteria.” My baby was in a fight? He knows better than to throw the first punch, the second one he always has my full permission to return. “Now we don’t condone violence at our school so him and the other young man will be suspended for three days. We’re counting the remainder of today as day one, so he’ll be able to return on Wednesday of next week. You’re going to need to come pick him up.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can, I just have to tell my boss that I need to leave work.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Eva
ns.”

  The line drops and I start picking up my lunch mess. “Sorry guys, I’m going to have to take off.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Miklo got in a fight and suspended.”

  “Not my little boyfriend, he’s too sweet. I’m sure the kid deserved it.” Cassie loves picking on and teasing Miklo.

  “Stop it, I swear if you make my baby boy a cougar hunter I’ll never let you around him again.” Her and Felicia start laughing as I leave the room and pop my head into Jim’s office. “Hey Jim, something came up and I have to go pick Miklo up from school. Is it alright if I leave?”

  “Sure, Mia.” He waves his hand out at me as if to shoo me off. “Take the rest of the day off and we’ll see you Monday.” I swear this guy is always so happy and smiling. My aunt is a lucky woman.

  “See you, Jim.”

  Except for dropping off and picking up Miklo from the school, I hate when I have to enter the damn building. Freaks me the fuck out. He’s been in trouble a few times in the past at his old schools too, and I always walk in feeling like I’m the one in trouble. Luckily he’s waiting in some chairs out in the front office so I don’t have to go all the way into the Principals.

  His heads down when I walk in and I walk straight to the counter to sign him out.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Yeah.” He lifts his head and I want to cry. My baby boy has a black eye, deep purple starting to form to the side and beneath it.

  I want to ask him what happened but we don’t do that in public, we keep our business out of the ears of others. I’ll have to wait till we get into the truck before I can ask him. It feels like only months since I walked through a school hall with him as a kindergartner, his hand in mine. Now he towers over me and will never hold my hand to walk again.

  When we get in the truck he starts before I can even say anything. “I already know Mom, but he deserved it.”

  “I’m not mad yet, you’ll always get to tell me your side first. What happened?”