Between the Lines

by KD Williamson

Haley grinned. “There’re lightsabers under my bed too.”

  “You and Nate play with those when he comes over?”

  “Only if he comes alone.” Haley’s gaze went from her eyes to her lips and then to her chest. Where it stayed.

  Tonya hadn’t even noticed that the sheet had fallen away. Her nipples tingled and stiffened.

  “You need to put those away. They have way too much power over me.”

  “Mm.” Tonya’s body heated. There had been a time during the night when Haley’s mouth was on her breasts, sucking with such intensity that it led to an orgasm.

  Haley moved toward the bed, smiling the whole time. She crawled over Tonya and drew her into a kiss. The caress was slow, unhurried, nothing like the frenzied pace between them the first part of the night. Tonya curled her arms around Haley’s neck and tried to pull her down, but Haley groaned and wrenched away instead.

  “Don’t we need to talk…or somethin’?” Haley asked breathlessly.

  Tonya sighed. “About what?”

  “I don’t know, about us, I guess? I mean, are you okay with all this?

  Haley looked so concerned and so sincere. It was sweet. Something inside Tonya melted. “I’m more okay than I have been in a long time. That means we are too.”

  Haley’s smile was so big that Tonya couldn’t help but to smile back. “Was last night as good as that dream you were talking about?”

  “Eh.” Haley tilted her hand back and forth.

  Tonya glared.

  Haley dipped her head again, brushing Tonya’s lips with her own. “Are you sore? If the answer is yes, that’s all you need.”

  Tonya gasped. The answer was yes. She clenched her thighs together and felt her arousal go up a notch. Obviously, she wasn’t that tender. She took stock of her entire body. There were some other muscle aches, but overall she felt boneless and well taken care of. Still, she wanted more.

  “Don’t look at me like that, or breakfast is gonna get cold and we’re gonna be really fuckin’ late.”

  Tonya didn’t stop. She licked her lips and asked, “What time is it?”

  “It’s probably around six-thirty by now. I figured you had an alarm set on your phone, so I turned it off and let you sleep in since you’re not drivin’ in from Covington.”

  Tonya closed her eyes and sighed. She had to be good. “So you said something about breakfast?”

  Haley grinned. “It’s not much. I need to get groceries.” She eased back from Tonya’s embrace. Her grin widened when Tonya refused to let her go.

  Haley had to make two trips. One was with a plate full of scrambled eggs topped off by four biscuits. The second was to bring coffee and a jar of strawberry preserves. They sat back against the headboard close enough for their shoulders to touch. Tonya ate her first forkful and hummed at the taste. “What did you put in these? It’s really good.”

  “Half-and-half, dill, and cheese.”

  “Is that how you usually cook them?”

  “No, I didn’t have paprika, so—”

  “How’d you know it was going to taste good?”

  Haley shrugged. “It was either dill or tarragon. D comes first, and you usually can’t go wrong with herbs.”

  “If I lived alone, I’d be surviving on salads.”

  Haley chuckled. “Well, you know, my mom taught me, but I like adding my spin to things. Most of the time it works.”

  “Well, it’s definitely a hit this time.” Tonya broke off a piece of biscuit and dipped it in her cup.

  “Not that it matters, but I’m curious. How’d you get my address?”

  “You gave it to me, remember? You wanted me to come over after that other big fight between me and my father.”

  “I forgot about that. With all that’s goin’ on, I’m surprised you remembered.”

  “I listen,” Tonya said.

  “That you do.”

  They finished eating in silence. As Tonya drank the last of her coffee, she looked up to see Haley staring. Her expression was thoughtful and intense. “What?”

  “I like the way this feels. I thought I was gonna freak out at first because you spent the night. I don’t let that happen.”

  “But you didn’t freak out.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Me too,” Haley agreed.

  “So how does it feel?”

  “Like I could do it over and over again.” Haley reached out and curled a strand of Tonya’s hair around her finger.

  Tonya exhaled shakily. So could she. She covered Haley’s hand with her own and entwined their fingers. A slow smile spread across her face.

  Apparently, that was enough for Haley, who grinned right back and leaned over for a kiss.

  Chapter 22

  Haley stretched and yawned. She reached for her phone and pressed one on speed dial. She was grinning by the time Tonya picked up.

  “Good mornin’.”

  “Hello again.” There was laughter in Tonya’s voice.

  “You’re always laughin’ at me.”

  “Well, yes, I can’t help it at the moment. I just saw you fifteen minutes ago.”

  “It’s a record. The past couple days I barely waited ten minutes to call. I’m learnin.’”

  “There is that. I’m proud of you.”

  Haley chuckled. “Know what I’m proud of? That my bed still smells like you.”

  Tonya’s sharp gasp was music to Haley’s ears.

  “Is that right?”

  “Mmm-hmm, I can still smell you all over me too.”

  Haley could have sworn she heard a whimper.

  “Are you trying to ruin me for the rest of the day?”

  “It’s only fair. Am I gonna see you tonight?”

  “I’ve stayed over three nights in a row already. You’re going to get tired of me.”

  “There’s no way I’m gettin’ tired of you. You can’t do what you did to me and not expect me to want it all the time.”

  “Oh yeah? What did I do?” Tonya’s tone was lower, breathier.

  “What is it we young folks say these days? You turned me out.”

  Tonya laughed. “I don’t think that’s used anymore.” She paused. “How do you do that?” Her voice was full of warmth and affection.

  “Do what?”

  “Get me so excited one minute and make me laugh the next.”

  Haley shrugged even though no one could see. “Talented, I guess, and if I didn’t spend some time makin’ you laugh, you’d never gotten outta this bed. There woulda been prunin’ and chaffin’.”

  Tonya laughed even harder.

  “Chaffin’ or not. Wouldn’t have made a difference. I still woulda kept on goin’, and I still want you like crazy.”

  “God, Haley,” Tonya whispered.

  “Was that a yes?”

  “It certainly was, but I’ll have to come over later tonight. I’ve only been home once the past few days. I wanted to give Daddy some space. I think I’ve given him enough.”

  Haley shifted gears. “You think he’ll talk to you?

  “I don’t know, but if he’s home, I have an idea on how to break the ice.”

  “Good. I hope things work out. I know how much you want this. I guess we both have our own crosses to bear tonight. Tang texted me not too long ago. He needs my help tonight and it won’t be pretty, I imagine.”

  “I don’t want to pry, but be careful. I’ll try to make it all better when I get there.”

  Haley chuckled. “Damn right you will.”

  “Turning you out wasn’t all that hard.”

  Haley laughed. “You have no idea. Look, I almost forgot since I’ve been so distracted. I’m doin’ Rock’n’bowl with Nate and Jen on Saturday. You wanna come? It’ll be the perfect time to meet them.”

  “I’m not sorry, and I’d love to meet your friends. Although, Stephanie is probably going to be a little upset with me cancelling on her.”

  “Just tell her to come with.”

&nb
sp; “You sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure,” Haley answered.

  “I have to be honest with you. I’m a little nervous. I can’t remember the last time I did the friends-and-family thing.”

  “Well, I’ve never done it, so it’ll be like the blind leadin’ the blind.”

  Tonya scoffed. “That’s not all that comforting.”

  “A little alcohol and none of us will care.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I just pulled into the doctors’ garage. I’ll see you later.”

  “Yeah, later.”

  Haley looked up at her ceiling. She was running late but just couldn’t bring herself to get up. Rolling over, she pressed her face into the pillow Tonya used. Haley groaned as her body responded to the smell of her. Reluctantly, she turned her thoughts to the day ahead. Milt was moving back home today. Transporting him was going to be some serious shit. Tang wasn’t going to be in a good mood. Did it make her selfish that all she wanted to do was come home and wrap herself around Tonya? The past few days had been…Jesus. He must be tired of her taking his name in vain so much, but Haley couldn’t help it. Waking up with Tonya sprawled all over her? No one had invented words to describe that yet. She laid there for a few more minutes, then dragged herself out of bed to get ready for work.

  * * *

  Haley sighed. She’d been talking to Tang off and on for what seemed like forever, and all he did in response was grunt. His mood was foul as fuck. Haley should’ve given him a pass, but she refused. Tang was vibrating with tension. She had to do something about it. “Can you use the actual words when I’m talkin’ to you instead of the language of backwoods Alabama?”

  Tang glared at her. A minute later he sighed too. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been shitty company.”

  “Well, don’t sit and stew. Let’s talk about somethin’ neutral like the Saints to keep things goin’.”

  “I’m not neutral on ’em. They suck, and the fact that they lost the first two games of the season is compellin’ evidence. People are gonna start wearin’ their brown paper bags soon.”

  “I’m reservin’ judgment. They’ve got a good chance to beat Kansas City,” Haley said.

  “Pffft, they lost almost every single game durin’ preseason too. Nothin’ to be hopeful about.”

  “Those don’t count!”

  “It’s like precum, it fuckin’ counts.” He slammed his fist against the steering wheel.

  Haley couldn’t help but stare at him. That was probably one of the most disgusting things she’d heard him say. She laughed loud and hard. It was good to see a glimpse of his old self.

  Tang glared again, but his eyes softened. He started to chuckle at first before going into full belly laughs. It took a while for them to settle down. Tang shook his head. “Thank you. I don’t know how you did it, but I needed that.”

  “I’m glad I could help. It’s probably not good for Milt to be around all that tension anyway. How is he today, so far?”

  “Agitated and mean. The people who really care about him at Crest Manor are sad to see him go.”

  “I’ll do my best to keep your mind off things.”

  “That’s probably a good idea.”

  “I agree. Let’s hit that wing place for lunch. My treat.”

  “Naw, Rook. I got it. Least I can do.”

  “You don’t have anythin’ to make up for. I’m just glad to get a rise outta you.”

  * * *

  As discreetly as she could, Haley looked at Tang. They’d been parked in front of Crest Manor for the last ten minutes. The radio was off, the only sounds the blast of the air conditioner and their breathing.

  “Don’t say it.”

  She looked at him straight on. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I have to.”

  He clenched his jaw and sighed. “I know.”

  “You gotta do this.”

  Tang closed his eyes and opened them again a second later. “Yeah.” He took a deep breath, turned off the ignition, and opened the car door. Haley followed close behind.

  The same woman from before, Mary, escorted them back. “You know what he’s like on days like this.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  They stopped outside Milt’s door.

  “I hate that you have to do this,” Mary said.

  Tang smiled tightly at her. “Yeah, me too.”

  Haley put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and the nurse opened the door. Milt stood in the middle of the room. He stared at the two duffle bags on the floor near his bed, looking confused, scared.

  “Uncle Milt?”

  He turned toward them and blinked. “How you just gone barge in my room? What kind of goddamn place is this?” Milt pointed at the bags with his cane. “Is somebody movin’ in here? Nobody asked me! Where the fuck he gone sleep?”

  “Nobody’s movin’ in,” Tang told him.

  “Good. Now who the fuck are ya?”

  Haley stood close enough to Tang for their shoulders to brush.

  “I’m Tim.”

  Milt waved a hand around. “Bullshit, and who is this slut with ya?”

  “We’re just here to help, Milt,” Tang said.

  “Help me do what? I know I was supposed ta do somethin’, but I can’t…” Milt shook his head. His gaze was desperate and lost.

  Haley glanced at Tang. So was his.

  “We came to…” Tang cleared his throat. “To move you back to ’Bama.”

  “’Bout damn time! Let’s go, then.”

  Haley thanked every god she could think of that Milt was going with them willingly. She was pretty sure Tang would break if things got ugly. She put Milt’s bags in the trunk, and just as Tang was opening the car door, Milt started to sob.

  She looked at Tang. There were tears in his eyes, but they didn’t fall. He held his uncle’s elbow firmly and helped him into the car. By the time they made it to Tang’s house, Milt was screaming.

  Haley had seen a lot the past few months, but there was only one other time she’d felt this shaken. Somehow, Tang managed to get him inside. Haley had forgotten for a minute that he’d probably dealt with this situation many times before.

  Milton was back to sobbing when Haley brought his bags in. Maybe he’d recognized something and it brought him some comfort. Tang still had a hand on his elbow. They stood in the living room but started moving again when Haley closed the door.

  “Follow me and just put the bags outside the bedroom door.”

  “Okay.”

  As they walked, Tang’s hand moved from Milt’s elbow to his back. He rubbed it with long, slow strokes. “Almost there.”

  “I missed ’Bama.”

  “I know you did.”

  Haley set the bags on the floor like she was told and walked back into the living room, not wanting to intrude or aggravate the situation. Her heart was in her throat when Tang came out a few minutes later.

  He wiped a hand over his face. He looked so tired. His eyes were glassy, but there weren’t going to be any tears.

  “I can stay as long as you need me to,” Haley said softly.

  “No, I got it. I have to learn to deal with all this again. Might as well just throw myself into it.”

  Before she knew what was happening, Haley wrapped him in a tight hug. He didn’t return it at first, and then, suddenly, she couldn’t breathe he was squeezing so hard. “You’re not by yourself. Call me if you need me.”

  “Okay.” His voice was hoarse.

  Haley pulled away. She gave him another long glance and left, her need to be near Tonya tripled.

  * * *

  Tonya’s intentions were to finish her last two progress notes before leaving work. As she stared at the monitor, she suddenly realized that she was in the same spot she’d been in ten minutes ago. The cursor winked at her, making fun of her inactivity. Tonya rolled her eyes. “I see you.”

  Tonya looked up as her office door opened. Stephanie walked in. “I’ve been knocking and waving forever trying to get your a
ttention.”

  “Sorry. I was distracted.” Tonya smiled.

  “No shit.” Stephanie tilted her head to the side and stared like she was studying something under a microscope.

  It made Tonya a little uncomfortable. “What?”

  Stephanie shrugged. “I don’t know yet. You’ve been…” She shrugged again. “Anyway, are we on for tonight?”

  “Sorry, again. I have plans with Haley.”

  “No big. I’m not surprised. People lucky enough to be in relationships always have plans on Friday nights one way or another. Saturday?”

  Tonya looked away and started touching everything on her desk. She was fidgeting, and there was absolutely no reason for it. She wished her body knew that.

  “Hello?”

  “Um…”

  “Did you just um me? Don’t do that. I really don’t want to sit at home. That pint of ice cream I bought yesterday has been calling me. I’ll eat the whole thing. Everyone else I know has plans—”

  “Calm down. It’s a good um.”

  “There are no good ones.”

  “This one is. I’m going out with Haley and her friends. I want you to come.”

  “Ohh.”

  Tonya grinned. “Was that a good oh?”

  “Oh’s are universally good since they can double for sex sounds.” Stephanie’s answering grin was wicked.

  “So that means you’re coming?”

  Stephanie’s smile widened. “I wish.”

  Tonya’s thoughts took a dive into the gutter, reminding her that she’d come rather spectacularly this morning and for the last few days as well.

  “Okay, your eyes just glazed over. Where did you go?”

  Tonya waved her away. “I’m fine.”

  “All I said was…” Stephanie’s mouth dropped open. “Oh. My. God. You’ve had sex with her.” She lowered her voice to a whisper.

  Tonya didn’t say anything. She didn’t really know how to describe what they’d been doing.

  Stephanie rolled her eyes. She peered down at her watch and waited.

  “What are you doing?”

  “There’s two minutes until our shift officially ends.”

  “It wasn’t—”

  “Shhh.”

  “But we’ve been talking about her since you came in.”

  “Shhh.” Stephanie held up her hand. “Okay, now I want details.” She looked at Tonya hopefully.