Crushing Misery

by Kinsey Taylor

  “Kennedy!”

  A smile crosses my face until I lay eyes on the man behind him. I start to shake and fall to my knees in pure shock. All I can do is stare at him. Running over to me, Corbin says, “What is it, Kennedy? Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Kennedy!” the man behind Corbin says.

  It can’t be him, no way. I haven’t seen him in eight years. I thought I would never see him again. Taking my eyes off him, I look over at Corbin. I plead for him to know. But how would he? Corbin never knew me in high school, other than being Jagger’s and Justeen’s sister.

  “He’s my dad, Corbin, the man I told you about,” I choke out.

  Corbin flinches his eyes distort dark as death morphed into the expressionless fighter. Turning he stands protectively in front of me.

  “Is this true, Carl? You’re the one who hurt her?”

  Nodding yes in response, regret crosses his face. The anger comes in a hot wave, making every morsel buzz from adrenaline. I get to my feet as I watch the tension roll off Corbin with the movement of his shoulder.

  I walk around Corbin, and I start to scream at Carl. I poke my finger into his chest as I yell. Everything pours out of me. All these years, I thought I would never see him or my mother again. But here I am, face to face with the very person who inflicted all my fears deep inside me, staring at the devil himself.

  “How could you? How could you do that to me, for all those years? You were my father, the one who was supposed to protect me, not the one to inflict pain on me. I fucking hate you. All those hateful words you spewed at me made me doubt myself, made me hate myself, made me the version of myself I am today.”

  I watch as the events unfold. Corbin takes two long steps towards my dad and punches him repeatedly, square in the face. I watch like it is an out of body experience. There is blood everywhere. The receptionist is screaming at Corbin, clawing at him trying to pull him off Carl. I snap leaping into action, pulling her off Corbin, and pushing her to the floor. I reach around and smack Corbin against his cheek, hoping it will get him to stop. The fury I witness, as he turns to look at me is scary as shit. The beast that lives inside Corbin is released, no longer held captive and I can see him lingering there with so much rage.

  “Enough! Please get me out of here, Corbin.” I shout at him.

  He blinks, and the rage is instantly gone. I look down at my father’s unconscious body; blood is oozing out everywhere. I don’t even recognize the man who walked out of the room only moments before. The job Corbin has done on him looks like a Mickey Rourke botched face job. He pulls out his phone, and I watch him start to text away.

  We get as far as his car when we hear police and ambulance sirens in the distance.

  “Here, take these and my car with you back to your house. I texted Riggs, and he’s on his way here now to pick up your car. I’m so sorry, Kennedy.”

  He won’t look at me.

  “Look at me, Corbin.”

  He looks up, and the fear etched in his eyes is painful to see.

  “I’m sorry, Kennedy. I couldn’t control it, I had to hurt him the way he hurt you. I know I don’t deserve it but please, stay in my life, don’t leave me again. The physical ache I’ve been feeling from your loss is too much for me to handle. Here you came back and now I’ve fucked it all up again.”

  I can’t speak; it’s as if someone reached in and ripped out my voice box. I drink in his amber eyes pleading with mine. I can hear everything he says, but the shock is deafening after a while. The cops pull up, and Corbin turns his back on me. He starts to walk away.

  “Stop!”

  He spins around facing me once again.

  “I came here for you, to get you back. I’m stupid for staying away. I know you didn’t cheat. I know you and know you wouldn’t do that to me. I believe you, but I want the whole story, to make things right between us. Corbin, I love you!”

  Falling to his knees in front of me, he crawls towards me, grabbing me around my legs, bringing me to him in the tightest embrace. It hurts, but I know he needs this. We are surrounded. I hold up my hands in surrender. Corbin looks up, the meaningful smile I observe is the most amazing sight.

  “I love you, Kennedy! It’s always been you. Only you!”

  The cop bends down cuffing Corbin’s arms behind his back. He’s helped to his feet, and I watch as they place him inside the police car. I’m questioned and asked to follow them down to the police station to give my formal statement. How do you tell someone the reason your boyfriend beat the shit out of your dad?

  I sit in the interrogation room where everything that’s happened to me over the years comes crashing down around me. I let everything come tumbling out - every last fear, every last detail of my battered past falls out that night. I can’t get the words out fast enough. It feels like for the first time, the boulders weighing me down are being tossed aside, one by one.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Corbin

  I can’t get out of jail fast enough. Carl Morgan refuses to press charges, but they keep me until they have no other choice but to let me go. I keep replaying her words in my head.

  “I came here for you, to get you back. I’m stupid for staying away. I know you didn’t cheat. I know you and know you wouldn’t do that to me. I believe you, but I want the whole story, to make things right between us. Corbin, I love you!”

  Kennedy is standing there with Coach, waiting for me. I walk past everyone, picking her up off the ground and head straight out the door.

  “What are you doing, boy?” Coach asks.

  “I’m taking my girl home and getting some rest. I’ll be ready, Coach, don’t you worry. I’m more than ready for this fight.”

  “Boy! You have training to do. We leave the day after tomorrow.”

  “I know, Coach, but I’m not training today. Today, I’m reconnecting with this beauty here, and I’m going to see my daughter. This isn’t up for negotiation. Tomorrow, Coach, I’ll be there with fucking bells on, but not today.”

  “Alright, boy! I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  We pull up in front of the Finley’s’ house as Bruce, Kennedy’s dad, is walking out the front door. He walks over to us and stands right in front of me.

  “Son! What you did...” he chokes out.

  “Mr. Finley, you don’t have to say another word. I owe it to her. I love her.”

  Nodding, he walks over to his car but not before he looks over in my direction one last time. As I walk through the front door, the exhaustion starts taking its toll.

  “I’m exhausted, Boss. Let’s go lie down in your room.”

  “Yes, I didn’t sleep a wink last night. Ashlynn’s probably in there napping, too.”

  We walk upstairs, and Ashlynn is lying there playing with her doll. I run over to her and pick her up.

  “Corbee! You here.”

  “I’m here, beauty.”

  “Let’s lie down together, the three of us, and take a nap.”

  The following evening, we spend every last minute we can together. The girls sit on my bed and watch me pack my bags. They are dropping me off at the Center the following morning. I think it is time Kennedy and I sit down to talk.

  Justeen shows up that evening to pick up Ashlynn. I texted her earlier on in the day asking if she could watch Ashlynn for the night. We need to talk and get things out in the open. I don’t want him to leave with so many things still unsaid.

  “Those pictures, as you now know, were taken against my will. I’m sure your sister explained what Riggs walked in on. You’ll never know how sorry I am you had to see that. I had no idea they were even taken or how she got your email, but I’m sorry I didn’t come to you right after I was released from the hospital. I owe you an explanation, and you deserve to hear it from me, not anyone else. No, let me finish,” I hold up my hand as she tries to interrupt.

  “I didn’t want to taint you, Kennedy. I didn’t want you falling into the pit of darknes
s I’ve spiraled into. I couldn’t corrupt your pure heart. Can you understand that?”

  “Well, that’s too bad. I’m not giving up on you the way others have, Corbin. If I want to go head on into the darkness with you in hopes I can bring you back with me into the light in the end, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  She walks towards me and grabs me by the front of my shirt and pulls me to her. I smile.

  “What are you doing, Kennedy?”

  “I am beauty, taking her beast.”

  Reaching up, she grabs ahold of my shirt pulling me towards her. She stands on her tiptoes, and she thrusts forward placing her soft pink lips to mine, basking in the electric sensation that always occurs, and keeps sinking deeper into this magical pull. The depressive state of mind I usually live in is lessened whenever she is near me. I pull away eyeing her swollen ruby red lips a small breath escapes. I brush my thumb over the tiny crease at the edge of her bottom lip and tease the seam. She opens sucking in the tender flesh of my thumb nibbling a tad teasing me.

  “Until you and Ashlynn came along, lighting everything up, setting my world on fire, I wasn’t used to these feelings. You and Ashlynn are the reason I want to come out of the darkness into your light. I’m not proud of the things I’ve done in my past, but I realized even back then I had feelings for you. For someone like me, who has hidden my feelings and never experienced love like this, it was confusing to say the least. Add in everything you went through with Troy, and all the things we’ve shared… I didn’t know the feelings I was having back then were love. The situation with Cammie came about because- the fear I felt took over. The weird thing is, the entire time I was screwing her it was you I saw when I closed my eyes. It was never supposed to be her, and it happened before we were together. It’s also the first time I’ve ever wanted to use my profession to protect someone. I’m not saying I won’t screw up again, but I won’t ever hurt you physically, Kennedy. I could never do that. I promise I won’t be with anyone other than you babe.”

  “Corbin, I looked through all those photographs. I know everything you just said is true. Now, erasing the images of the two of you together are going to take a little longer to forget. You’ve proven yourself to me. I know you are here to protect Ashlynn and me. I’ve never questioned that.”

  “I’m so sorry for the pain I caused you. I can never say enough how sorry I am. I didn’t want to cause you any more pain.”

  “Never keep things from me. If I didn’t doubt myself and felt I wasn’t deserving of your love this wouldn’t have even been an issue. Your eyes tell me what I need to know is real. It would have cleared up any doubts I had.”

  “I’ll never hide anything from you again! I swear it on Landry. You have my word on that.”

  “I know, Corbin, I trust you.”

  Reaching down, I brush the strands of hair away from her stunning face. Pulling her into me, I lift her in my arms as she wraps her legs around me squeezing tight. I release a moan in response and walk us down the hall and toss her onto the bed. Taking in the sight of her beauty is breathtaking; I watch her thighs squeeze together. The effect she has on me! I reach down and grab the edge of her skirt, and I watch her cobalt blue eyes glaze over, and her tongue dart out licking along her bottom lip.

  “I will never get tired of looking at you. You are seriously a vision of pure beauty, and you don’t even know how beautiful you truly are, Kennedy.”

  “You make me feel beautiful. I’m still not used to how your intense gaze affects me; you unlock a hidden place inside me I’ve had locked away. I love how it makes me feel, but it scares me, too.”

  Kennedy reaches down, slipping her lace panties along her slender legs. A growl escapes me, sounding almost animal-like. Slipping them over her feet, she tosses them at me, and I catch them mid-air and bring them up in front of my face, inhaling their musky scent. The anticipation is killing me, but I never break eye contact. I grab her ankles, pulling her down to the edge of the bed. Pushing her legs apart, I graze along the inside of her thigh, the tips of my fingers moving gently until I stop right above her clit.

  “Your skin is so soft, like silk against my fingertips. I could pet you all day. Look how pink and perfect your pussy is.”

  I rub my finger over her clit; she shivers as I move down against her folds. She’s so wet for me. I slip a finger inside her warm, juicy cunt and feel her tighten around me as I add another finger.

  “So wet and ready for me.”

  Pulling out, I watch her doe-eyed response as I slip my fingers into my mouth, sucking her juices off both fingers.

  “Mmm… so good.”

  I push my sweats down over my hips, and my cock springs free. My muscles flex and move as I grip my cock and stroke it. Crawling up her body, I watch the dreamy smile spread across her face.

  “Wait!” she blurts out loudly.

  “What? Did I do something wrong?” I say concerned.

  “No, it’s just,” she seems nervous. Sitting back on my knees, I straddle her legs.

  “I want you to make love to me, Corbin. I want you to let me feel everything you feel for me. All these weeks we’ve be forced to rush when we are together… the time constraint with both our schedules… and Ashlynn… I’m not saying I don’t…”

  Cutting her off, I press my finger over her mouth.

  “Shh… that’s enough talking.”

  Pulling her up to me, I slowly lower my head gently sweeping my tongue along her bottom lip. She breaths out against my mouth, opening for me.

  Lowering myself against her body, I nudge her legs wider, my iron-hard bulge hits against her opening, and I move forward easing in slowly, stretching and filling her. Pulling out, I thrust my hips gently forward feeling her tight pussy massaging my cock while she takes in all of me. Her eyes turn misty, yet still hold so much desire.

  “I love you, Kennedy,” I say reassuring her.

  Her hips come up in response, and I notice her lip tremble. That is my undoing. I keep a slow pace, but I can’t help but pick up the pace a little. We lie there after for what seemed to be hours, tangled up, holding one another; no words are spoken as I brush away the tears she still shedding. I will always remember this moment when I pulled every emotion out of her, making sure I expressed every feeling I carry for her. There is no going back from this magical moment in our relationship we just shared together. I want her, all of her forever, and I’m determined to make up for every mistake I have ever made that has hurt her.

  The morning comes way too fast. She drives me to the Center. The silence is killing me. I need to say something to her.

  “I’ll be on pay-per-view tomorrow night if you want to watch the fight. Ugh! I’m sorry that was so lame to say. It’s too quiet, and I don’t know what to say. I hate leaving you like this.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t know what to say either, except how much I’m going to miss you. Ashlynn’s going to be so upset she didn’t get to say goodbye to you.”

  “Go! Hurry! Let’s stop by your parent’s house and pick her up.”

  “What? You really want me to?”

  “Of course! Why wouldn’t I want to? She’s mine, even if I’m not her biological father. I’m more her dad than that prick who fathered her ever was. I love her, Kennedy. Are you afraid I’ll change my mind on this package deal? Not a chance in hell you’re getting away from me now.”

  “Alright! She’s going to want to come with us, just so you know.”

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way, babe.”

  Reaching over, I place my hand in hers giving it a gentle squeeze.

  Ashlynn is thrilled to see us, and just as Kennedy had predicted, she wants to ride with us. I pick her up, placing her in the car seat I had bought right before this whole fiasco. We ride, singing songs from the radio. The ride to the center is much better with both my girls, but as we get closer, I notice the tears Kennedy is trying to hide. Reaching over, I wipe several away and watch as more fall. The loss I’m feeling
is starting to magnify.

  We pull up in front of the center, and a few of the guys are standing outside. I spot Riggs and Justeen.

  “Hey, your sister’s here.” I point over in their direction.

  “Oh great, I’m going to get all kinds of grief for being a sappy Susan.”

  “Look at me.” My finger meets the edge of her chin, and I bring her face up to look at me. “I’m going to miss you just as much, Boss. It’s only for a few days, and then I’ll be back to spend every second I can with you and Ashlynn. Don’t worry. It will go by fast.”

  “I know. This is so silly. I’m sorry.”

  “Babe, it’s not silly if you’re feeling sad. I’m feeling the same way. Come here.”

  I pull her over into my lap.

  “I want out,” Ashlynn says from behind us.

  Laughing, Kennedy moves and reaches over the seat to unbuckle her. I slap her ass getting a yelp in response. She helps Ashlynn climb over and places her in her lap. I reach underneath Kennedy’s ass, pick her up and place her back into my lap.

  “That’s better. Now I have both my girls.”

  They both engulf me in a hug. As I kiss Kennedy and Ashlynn goodbye, the feelings swarming through me are extremely confusing. I’m sad for leaving them but happy that I have them back in my life. I missed them when they were away in California, but this time feels different. I don’t like the gripping ache inside my heart. A tear falls down my face. I look at Kennedy, and surprise is written on her face.

  “Corbin Nash, is that a tear I see?”

  “I know, I need to return my man car right?”