Love Tap

by M. N. Forgy

  “Look at that Tate, no scars.” Camden slides his hooded gaze from his hand to me. Fire licks up my limbs, and my cheeks feel like they’re ready to combust.

  “Hahaha! Fuck you,” I snarl before pushing away from the table, done with Camden’s games. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to strangle him so much before.

  “You can feel if you want,” Bimbo offers.

  Ignoring her, I grab my purse and head toward the car.

  Reaching outside, my chest constricts with the incredible urge to burn this fucking place to the ground in a fit of rage.

  Why in the hell did I come back here? Sure, I was miserable in LA, but at least I wasn’t feeling like this. Camden doesn’t want an apology, he wants to hurt me.

  Sprinkles of cold rain pelt my skin, cooling my flustered state.

  “Tate!” that low growl with an undertone of silk calls after me and I cringe.

  Ignoring him, my feet crunch into the gravel from the parking lot.

  Fingers wrap around my bicep and I’m turned around before I realize what is happening.

  “Why did you come back?” Camden is face to face with me, his chest heaving. I tear from his grip, staring at him with a vengeance.

  My lips part to answer him, and the skies open up allowing a harsh rain to fall. “Tell me! Why you are here, damn it. You at least owe me that much!”

  “I came back to mend things with my family and go pro, I told you that.”

  “Why do you want to go pro? Why here?”

  My eyes sting, my heart beating so fast I can barely catch my breath.

  “I came back because I was miserable, and I wanted… I wanted to come home.” The words come out as if I was a homesick child wanting their parents. “I wasn’t doing what I wanted, I was doing what I thought was the right thing to do.” I continue, hoping to come off a little more mature.

  Rain sticks to his lashes, his shirt outlining his chest perfectly.

  A commotion catches my attention behind him. His date is stumbling in her ridiculous heels, as she tries to cover her head with her tiny purse. Makeup running down her face like melted crayons.

  “She’s nothing like me.” The words fall from my mouth before I can stop them.

  He glances at me, his thumb rubbing his chin.

  “Exactly,” his reply comes quick, and hard.

  It’s a knife to the chest. Fuck I hate him!

  I blink rapidly, not sure if it’s tears or rain that are falling down my face. My head replaying moments of him and I as a kid, ones my heart won’t let go and make things like this much harder to get through.

  “You really are an asshole, you know that?”

  He scoffs at me, looking away.

  Turning, I jerk the car door open, just as Chloe reaches the driver side.

  Getting in, she stalls, her mouth opening and closing as she searches for the right thing to say.

  “Tate, he’s not doing anything to keep you his, so why are you hurting yourself trying to make him happy?”

  She’s right. I’ve been nothing but nice when he’s done nothing but been a jerk since I got back in town. He’s had his time to be angry about past events, but now it’s getting personal.

  “Let’s just get out of here.” I cross my arms, anger and hurt fueling my body like poison.

  Camden

  The taillights fade into the night’s rain. I’m feeling so many emotions I feel dizzy. It’s not from drinking though, I haven’t had a drop. Running my fingers through my wet hair I look at the ground wondering if the hate and longing for Tate will eventually sort itself out.

  “Baby?” a voice coos from behind me, her hand resting on my shoulder. I don’t even know her name. Cathy, Cindy? Fuck I can’t remember.

  Chase is standing by the door to the pub, a beer in his hand as he stares at me with a smirk. Is he toying with me?

  Marching toward him, my hand curls into a fist. My jaw locking from rage.

  “I told you,” I point at him, “stay away from her!”

  “What do you care?” His face smug. “Aren’t you more of a boobs than brains kind of guy? That girl there is hot, and way out of your league.”

  Before I can think about what I’m doing. My fist collides with his face. My knuckles splitting from the contact, the pain a fucking rush. All this pent up anger and conflict releasing on Chase.

  His beer falls to the ground breaking. His hands fisting my shirt and shoving me off him.

  Wrapping my arm around his neck I put him into a chokehold, as my vision turns red.

  “Any woman in this town, you can have. But that one, I specifically said to stay away from!” My face burns from the adrenaline torpedoing through me, the urge to split this fucker’s head open is overwhelming.

  “Fucking get off!” Chase struggles and I shove him against the brick building, not nearly done with him.

  “You’re going to fucking regret that.” He roughly pushes the hair out of his face and I get a step up to him. “You better get out of my face,” he threatens.

  “Or what?” I taunt, hoping he does something to awaken the beast inside of me.

  “Guys!” Cindy states from the side, catching my attention. Fuck, maybe her name doesn’t even start with a C.

  I shake my head, and step away from Chase.

  “Who is that bitch?” Chase asks, wiping the rain from his face.

  “She’s nobody. Just stay away from her.”

  My jaw suddenly aches, and I realize I’m gritting my teeth to near cracking.

  His eyes widen, and an evil smile crosses his pretty boy face.

  “She’s that girl you were talking about awhile back isn’t she?” He nods knowingly and my chests constricts. I got drunk a few years back, and a girl that was at an after party looked just like Tate. Needless to say, she became the topic of conversation in my inebriated state.

  I was hoping I’d forget about Tate and I haven’t spoken about her since. When I stopped talking about her, I stopped thinking about her.

  “Just do what I fucking said, and stay away from her.”

  “Why?” he asks flatly.

  “Because you’re no good for her.” I don’t beat around the bush. Nobody is good enough for Tate. I sure as hell ain’t but I’m not about to watch her with someone else either.

  “Oh, is that right? And you think you are giving what you’ve done?”

  I step forward, ready for round two with him. “Go, while you’re still able to!” I threaten, my hand pointing to the parking lot. I don’t know what he thinks he knows about me, but I’m done with his shit.

  He holds his hands up, stopping me.

  “Just saying, don’t be so quick to judge. I’m going back inside to get a beer. Cici, you want one?” Chase asks. I glance at her, remembering her telling me her name now. Wow, I really am an asshole. She looks at me with makeup smearing down her face from the rain.

  She shoves past me and takes Chase’s hand. He smirks at me arrogantly, but I just throw my hands up at them.

  I couldn’t care less.

  I don’t want to be around anyone, especially a female right now.

  Turning I kick at the pavement, ball my fists and yell into the night.

  Chapter Six

  12 Years Old

  Tate

  Stepping outside, the summer sun blasts me in the face. Holding my arm up I shield my face until my eyes can adjust to its brightness.

  “Mom, I’m going out!” I holler through the screen door.

  “Oh good, make some friends, honey!” I can’t help but roll my eyes. She’s always pushing me to make friends. Friends are lame. I would go see Chloe, the new girl that moved in at the end of the school year, but her mom sent her to summer camp. What kind of mom does that? Summer camp. Summer is for being home and being lazy. Anyway, I like Chloe and she seems to like me. She’s sassy, and funny. She’s so funny I even overlook that she’s a big girly girl.

  “Where are you going?” Journey opens the screen door and p
ops her head out. Her blonde hair is braided, and she put on way too much of Mom’s makeup. She’s going to be in so much trouble.

  “Nowhere, stay here, Journey.” I point to the front porch. She’s younger than me, and is always following me around.

  “Whatever.” Rolling her eyes, she goes back inside, letting the screen door slam behind her.

  Glancing along the street I see a bunch of the neighborhood kids running into Felicia’s back yard.

  Jumping off my stoop in one big jump, because my Converses are kick ass, I dart off that way.

  I wonder what they’re doing.

  Almost out of breath, I find them all climbing into a makeshift treehouse I didn’t know that was there. Then again, why would I? Nobody invites me to play. Maybe it’s because I can beat them all up.

  “Hey guys,” I pant out of breath. Felicia stops mid climb and turns toward me. Her flowered dress is no match for my mesh shorts and tank top. She’s always dressed so pretty. I’ve tried to wear things like that, Momma even insists I do, I just don’t feel comfortable in them. I look like someone put a dress on an ape.

  “Look who it is, it’s Tater Tot Tate,” Felicia teases. I scowl, but choose to ignore it.

  “What are you guys doing?”

  “Felicia is marrying Camden, so we have to get everything ready for the ceremony,” Riley informs, poking her redhead out the club window. “They’re going to kiss!” She giggles.

  “It’s not a wedding,” Camden objects from inside the house. I hear him, but can’t see him.

  My chest does this weird thing knowing that Camden is playing with them and didn’t invite me. Even more so, my stomach twists in an uncomfortable knot thinking about him kissing Felicia.

  “Oh,” I whisper. Not sure of what I’m feeling.

  “You can’t play. Sorry.” Felicia shrugs smugly.

  “Why not?” She never lets me play with them, I don’t understand why.

  “Because, Camden can only marry one person. Duh.” She continues to climb.

  I kick at the dirt on the ground.

  “Well, I didn’t want to play your dumb game anyways.”

  Turning, I head back home.

  “Ah, she’s going to cry!” Riley giggles.

  “No I’m not!” I’m not going to cry. The sun’s just in my eyes.

  Reaching my house, I open the mailbox and find this month’s edition of Sports. Rolling it under my arm I head behind my house. There’s a tree that has a branch that swoops into a U shape. It may not be some fancy clubhouse, but it’s perfect for perching on.

  Climbing into my spot, I rub at my eyes and open it. I can’t focus on what it says though, all I can think about is Camden betraying me and playing with them. Kissing them. We always play together. He told me I was the only girl he’d ever play with. That was a couple years ago though. What if he likes Felicia, what if he wants to be her boyfriend? He’ll side with her, and hate me too! I’ll lose my only friend. I shake my head trying to focus on Boomer’s speech after his big win last week.

  “Hey.” Looking out of the corner of my eye I find Camden standing down below. He has on a dark blue ball cap that is backwards, a white shirt, and blue jeans.

  “Shouldn’t you be locking lips with Felicia?” My tone of voice laced with venom.

  He climbs up and sits next to me.

  “I told them if you couldn’t play, I wasn’t either. To be honest the only reason I agreed was because I was bored.”

  Every boy in school is crazy about Felicia. I’m sure he was more than willing to kiss her. He’s lying.

  “Whatever.”

  “You don’t believe me?” He pinches his bushy brows together.

  “I don’t.”

  “What ya reading?” He changes the subject.

  I can’t help but eye him suspiciously.

  “Oh, is that about Boomer’s win?” His eyes light up as he scoots closer. He smells good, like really good. Leaning in, I deliberately sniff him. It’s fresh, but kind of spicy too.

  “I watched his fight last week, he’s got a punch on him.”

  “I watched it too. It was amazing.”

  “I’m going to be the best MMA fighter there is when I grow up.”

  I smile.

  “I know you will.”

  He looks down, his face turning red.

  “I’ll get all famous and I’ll take you all over the world, Tate.”

  My heart flutters.

  “Not if I become famous first,” I tease. His eyes flick to mine, and I feel as if I was just pushed under water. Quickly I look back at the magazine. Things are getting weird between Camden and me lately. I wonder if that’s why he wants to play with someone else? I wish I knew what was happening between us though.

  “It says here that if you want to be a good fighter you need a good boxing buddy.”

  I point to the underlying text.

  He frowns in confusion.

  “What’s that? I mean, what does a boxing buddy do exactly?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I think it’s where you are just there for the other person. You know?”

  He nods, but he’s not looking at the magazine anymore. He’s looking at me.

  “Do you have a boxing buddy?” His voice cuts out and almost squeaks.

  My insides twist oddly. They’ve been doing that a lot lately, especially when I’m near Camden.

  “No, do you?”

  His pimpled cheeks flush.

  “No.”

  Turning the page there’s a picture of a guy in nothing but fighter shorts and boxing gloves holding a half-naked girl. They’re kissing, like really kissing. Something tingles in my abdomen, and I shift uncomfortably.

  Peering under my lashes at Camden, he smiles as he looks over the page.

  “What will your fancy wife think of you doing MMA?” I taunt, trying to break the awkward silence.

  He shakes his head.

  “I don’t want Felicia, I told you I was just bored.”

  I scoff, looking back down at the couple kissing. “Yeah right.”

  Suddenly my cheeks are squeezed and my head is turned. Camden smashes his lips against mine, and I melt into his hold.

  Slowly opening my eyes, Camden’s eyes open at the same time. I panic.

  “Ew!” I push him back, and he chuckles.

  “You didn’t like it?” He looks shocked.

  I look back down at the magazine. “I don’t know, kind of.” I glare at him. “But if you do that again, I’ll pummel you,” I threaten.

  “No you won’t ,Tate.” He presses his lips into mine once more, and I inhale a large breath through my nose. I don’t feel like I’m in this tree right now. I feel like I’m floating.

  Forgetting I’m in a tree I lose my balance and fall off the branch backwards.

  Landing on my arm I scream when my arm makes a loud snap on impact.

  “Oh fuck!” Camden jumps down from the tree. “Are you okay?”

  “Get my Mom,” I croak in pain.

  Two hours later I’m sitting in a hospital bed with my arm wrapped up like a gordita. At least I got to pick a blue cast instead of some ugly white one.

  “You sure you’re okay honey?” Mom asks, her face wrinkled with concern.

  “Yeah, I’m okay.” But my head keeps going back to that kiss. It was my first kiss, and it was amazing. It was just like the kind you see in the movies. Only not the falling out of a tree part.

  “I’m going to call your dad now and let him know what happened.”

  “You think he’ll be mad?” Worry flushes through me, but I’m more nervous my mom saw Camden kiss me and that she might tell Dad. When I fell she came flying out the door as if she was standing right there.

  “Nah, these things happen.” She winks before leaving.

  Just as I close my eyes Camden and his mom walk in.

  My stomach does that weird twisty thing again seeing him. His white shirt is covered in dirt from helping my mom pick me up off the ground
.

  “Hey, Tatum. Camden was really worried so he wanted to come see you. I hope that’s alright?” Camden’s mom smiles apologetically.

  “Yeah, that’s fine. I’m going home soon though.” I laugh.

  Kelly’s phone rings in her purse. Looking at the screen, she holds her finger up to me and steps outside.

  “How are you feeling?” Camden walks up to the bed. The tension is thick between us, and fear spins in my head that Camden’s and I friendship might be ruined.

  “I can’t really feel anything right now. The doctor gave me some medicine.”

  “It looks really cool.” He looks over my new blue cast.

  “Thanks.” My cheeks are warming. My eyes fall to his lips, and my body tingles. I wonder if I was his first kiss? Will he want to do more than kiss? I know Felicia has gone to second base with a kid from another school. Oh god, I’m not sure I’m ready for more.

  He gazes at the counter that holds cotton balls and gloves before turning. His mouth turning into a lazy grin. “Can I be your first?”

  My eyes pop out of my head. My mind going every which way with that question.

  “What?”

  Dimples form in his cheeks as he points to the cast.

  “Your cast…” He holds up a permanent marker. “I found it on the counter, can I sign your cast?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Wow, I need to pull my head from the clouds and slow down.

  Pulling the cap off with his teeth he draws on it.

  “I’m going to say I have no choice but to be your boxing buddy now.” His eyes focused on what he’s drawing, he doesn’t look up.

  “Why?”

  “Because I broke your arm.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to.” His blue eyes flick to mine, and butterflies hit my stomach so hard I feel them in my throat. I guess this means the kiss didn’t harm our friendship any. Placing the lid back on the pen, he tosses it on the counter.