Crashing Down

by Samantha Conley

  “I haven’t had pasta in forever. That sounds delicious.”

  “Good. Anything else you need to do or are you ready to go?”

  “I’m ready. I need to grab my purse.” Picking the brown bag up off the couch, he ushers me to the door. He leads me to the big silver truck sitting in the driveway. I eye the truck warily wondering how in the world I will get in without flashing the neighborhood. The running boards seem to be at my waist. The choice is taken out of my hands because as soon as he opens the door he places his hands on my hips. A little squeal escapes me as I'm lifted inside the dark interior.

  “Buckle up, sweets,” he orders shooting me a cocky grin before shutting the door.

  Traffic is lighter than I thought it would be for a Saturday night and it’s not long before we're pulling into a packed parking lot in front of a brick building. “Wow, this place is busy,” I note “I guess you weren’t lying when you say it's good.”

  “The best Italian food I’ve ever had including in Italy. And the owners are as Italian as you get, straight from a little village in Italy. Their meatballs are killer. And I don’t know what magic they put in their marinara sauce but damn it's good.”

  “You’ve been to Italy? I’ve always wanted to go.”

  “Yeah, we stopped at a few different places on our European tour,” he replies pulling into one of the parking spots.

  “European tour? A tour for what?” He looks at me in shock like you can’t believe that I asked that question.

  "You don’t know?” He chuckles. “Well damn, this might be a first.”

  “Okay, what am I missing?” I ask, bewildered.

  “I was on tour with my band."

  “I didn’t know that you’re in a band. Which one?”

  “The Silver Tongued Devils.”

  “Isn’t that the band that Kristen’s husband is in?”

  “Yeah, Derek is our bassist.”

  “And what do you play?”

  “I can play guitar, but for the band, I sing.”

  “Singer? Like the front man for the band?” He nods. “Wow, I guess that means you’re famous.” With a trembling hand, I push my hair back behind my ear. What have I gotten myself into?

  “I guess so. Come on let’s go eat and we can talk more." He climbs out of the truck and makes his way to my door, lowering me with ease to the ground. He grabs my hand as he leads me to the glass door. We pass a group of people milling around the outside. As we get closer, the whispers and speculation get louder and I realize how famous he is. Two women standing next to their dates eye him up and down, puffing out their chests, doing their damnedest to draw his attention.

  I’m way out of my freaking league.

  9

  Brett

  My mind reels with shock. How the hell does she not know who I am? Shaking my head at my arrogance, it makes me seem like a fucking prick. Not everyone will know who I am. Thankful she can’t read my thoughts, I lead her into the busy restaurant. Gino, the owner of the establishment, breaks into a grin when he spots me walking through the door.

  “Ciao, Brett! It’s good to see you. And who is this lovely lady?” His heavily accented voice booms across the noisy room. He rushes over to us and picks up Skylar’s hand before placing an exaggerated kiss on the back. “She’s beautiful, you lucky dog. Be careful that someone doesn’t steal her from you. Si?"

  “Thank you, Gino. I have no plans to let her out of my sight.”

  “For you, I have the best table in the house. Please follow me.” Menus in hand, we're led to a secluded table in the back corner overlooking a small courtyard lit up with white lights. In cooler weather, I enjoy sitting out there but it’s too damn hot in the summer. Maybe we’ll come back in the fall.

  “Tony will be your waiter. I’ll send over a nice bottle of red. Enjoy your meal.” With a lascivious wink, he hurries away to greet the next guests.

  “He’s an, um, interesting guy,” Skylar remarks, looking over the menu.

  “That’s one way to put it. It probably shocked him I showed up with a woman my age.” Her eyes bore into me over the top of the menu, one delicate brow arched.

  “Into older women, are you?” Amusement tinges her words before she goes back to studying the menu.

  “The only woman I have ever brought here has been Vi, Kristen’s mother-in-law. Well, besides Kristen.” Movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention as Tony hurries over and pours us a glass of wine and takes our order. Her delicate fingers curl around the stem, lifting it to her lips. A small drop clings to her lower lip, and I watch as her pink tongue reaches out to collect the bead. I’ve never been envious of an object before but damn I want to be the drop. I shift in my seat to find relief as my shaft hardens behind my zipper.

  “I’m a little lost,” she states, setting the glass down. “Why would you be out with Kristen’s mother-in-law?”

  “She practically raised me after my parents died.” Emotions long dead and buried rush to the surface when I think of my parents. Memories flood in like the tide. My mother’s laughter ringing through the kitchen when Dad would return home from work, picking her and spinning her around before kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

  “It’s okay,” I swallow hard to clear the lump in my throat. “It was a long time ago. I was a sophomore in high school when they died in a car accident. My only other living relative was my Uncle Jake and he was in Alaska working at the time. They took me in and raised me like one of their own.”

  “That must mean you and Kristen’s husband are close,” she surmises, taking another drink.

  “Derek and I are like brothers. We’ve had our issues, but we’ve worked through them.” Tony reappears and places our shrimp crostini appetizer in the center of the table. Picking one up, I place it on her plate before snagging a couple for myself. As she bites into the crusty bread, her eyes close and a little moan escapes. My share remains forgotten as she eats with relish. Her eyes pop open wide when she feels my stare and a blush overtakes her cheeks.

  “He must trust you a lot to be accompanying his wife around,” she states taking one of the red cloth napkins and patting her mouth.

  “What do you mean?” I’m lost but I blame her for distracting me with the sexy noises.

  “You said you brought Kristen here, right?” she clarifies.

  “Yeah but that was when we were together.”

  “You and Kristen were together?” she gasps, taken aback. Motherfucker.

  “Um, yeah.” I hedge but am saved by Tony as he returns with our entrees, lasagna for me, spaghetti and meatballs for her. Steam rises from my dish flavoring the air with the aroma of tomatoes and garlic.

  “Was it serious?” she asks, voice soft as she cuts through a meatball. Oh shit. Knowing this would have come up in conversation eventually, I draw a blank at how to respond that won't make me sound like a heartless bastard because she will know what broke us up.

  “We were engaged.” I shrug like it’s not a big deal but inside my stomach tightens with tension.

  “To be married?” Her eyes widen in shock at my revelation, fork clattering to the table before she quickly picks it back up. “Oh wow.”

  “It was a couple of years ago. We’ve both moved on. We’re not harboring any unresolved feelings toward one another.” My tone doesn’t waver as I speak the truth. I’ll always love Kristen but I’m not in love with her anymore. It took a long time for me to come to terms with that.

  “I see,” she responds, biting her lip as she twirls her fork in her spaghetti.

  “Guess she’s never mentioned it, huh?” I ask, cutting into my dinner.

  “Besides Colby, you have never come up in conversation,” she admits.

  “Does it bother you?”

  “Truthfully? I don’t know. She’s one of my only friends. Is this,” she makes a circular motion with her fork, “going to interfere with that?”

  “This?”<
br />
  “Us. Dating or whatever.”

  “Skylar, I hate to break it to you but we’re not dating.”

  “Oh, um okay,” she whispers, pushing her hair behind her ear as she stares down at the table, shoulders slumped with dejection.

  “Sky, look at me.” She squares her shoulders and takes a deep breath before raising her eyes to mine. Too many emotions are swirling in the hazel depths.

  “When you ran into me at the grocery store, I felt something but before I even had a chance to decipher what it was you ran out of there like the devil was chasing you. Then fate brought us together again and when I touched you, I felt it all the way to the core. We’re not dating. What I want is more than that. I’m going to make you mine. You better prepare yourself. I will not give you up without a fight.”

  With each word spoken, her eyes grow wider, her petal soft lips gap open and her breathing becomes erratic. I’m not sure whether she’s scared or turned on. Reaching over, her hand trembles in mine and I give her a reassuring squeeze before rubbing my thumb on the inside of her wrist, feeling the fluttering of her pulse.

  “I, uh, I’m not sure what to say,” she stutters out.

  “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know where I stand. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way. I fucked that up and I will not let history repeat itself. If this isn’t something you want, you need to let me know. Not that’ll make any difference in how I feel.”

  “That feels kinda stalkerish,” she replies, a smile lifting the corner of her mouth.

  “Okay I didn’t mean it that way,” a chuckle escapes me. “I will not be following you around and keeping tabs on you. It’s this feeling inside of me that says we’re supposed to be together. It sounds crazy as hell, believe me, I know, but it’s not going away. Not since the first time we touched. It’s only getting stronger.” She sucks her plump bottom lip in between her teeth as she looks at me.

  “Please tell me you feel it too, Skylar.” Desperation fills my voice.

  “You know this is nuts right? Completely irrational?” she breathes out.

  “Without a doubt,” I agree wholeheartedly.

  “Then lord help us because we’re both on the train.”

  “I’ll take the crazy train with you any day.” I raise my glass to toast and hers touches mine with a clink. The smile she bestows upon me lights up the room.

  The rest of dinner flew talking about her family mostly and my childhood antics with Derek. Pulling up to the curb in front of her duplex, I jump down to help her out. Her door is open wide and she’s facing the opening, waiting for me. My hands grip her hips as I lower her to the ground, her body rubbing along mine. When her feet touch the pavement, I take a step back before taking her hand in mine and leading us to the front door. My conscious wars with my desires as all I crave is to take her inside and strip her bare. Make love to her slowly in her soft bed or fast and hard against the wall. As she reaches for the doorknob, I pull her to a stop.

  “Don’t you want to come in?” she breathes out, fidgeting with the keys in her hand.

  “More than you fucking know. But I’m not going to.” Her mouth draws down in a frown. “There’s nothing I want more than to come inside with you. To touch you and make you call out my name.” No longer can I resist touching her, my hands travel up her arms, skimming the soft skin until I reach her throat. Wrapping my hands around the back of her neck, I trace her cheeks with my thumbs. “I don’t want you to think sex is all I want from you. You’re worth more than that to me. I want your heart, your body, and your soul. And when we make love we’re going to set the world on fire.” Tilting her head up, I press my lips to hers as she melts against me. Bright lights flash over us as a large black truck pulls into the drive, its loud engine breaking the mood. Her head rests on my chest as she takes a deep breath.

  “Give me your keys.” The lock clicks open with a near-silent sound and the door opens on well-oiled hinges. The only light burning inside is from the lamp of the hall table. Ushering her through the door, I stop at the threshold as she looks up at me imploringly. “Good night, Skylar. Dream of me.” I place a quick kiss on her forehead and walk back toward my ride. As I pass by the other truck, the door creaks open and Zane steps out, his face impassive.

  “Zane.”

  “Brett,” he growls out as I saunter past. “If you fucking hurt her, there will be hell to pay.”

  Ignoring the comment, I get in my truck and turn toward home.

  10

  Skylar

  “Hey Kris, you got a minute?” I ask, my heart pounding behind my rib cage. My palms are sweaty as I rub them down the side of my blue scrub pants.

  “Sure, what’s going on?” Her blonde brows draw down as she senses my nervousness. Long legs encased in black dress pants rush her over to the doorway, her leopard print flats silent on the hardwood floor. “You okay?”

  “Shit, I’m not sure how to start.” My words come out in a whisper. She frowns before leading me into an empty exam room, jumping up to sit on the padded table.

  “Sit,” she orders. “What’s going on Skylar? I’ve never seen you this fidgety.”

  “Um, I um, had a date on Saturday night.”

  “That’s great, Sky.” A wide smile stretches across her face, but it dims when she looks at me biting my nail. “Was it bad? First dates rarely go well. If you like him, give him another chance.” She rambles without taking a breath, never allowing me to intercede.

  “Kris.”

  “Well, it may be better the second time, all nerves have worked their way out. You'll be more comfortable with each other.”

  “Kris!”

  “What?” she asks innocently.

  “It wasn’t bad. Quite the opposite. I enjoyed myself. It's just that I found something out about him and I’m not sure if it’s worth…”

  “Great! Then you need to give him another chance.”

  “Kristen! Please, would you let me get this out?” I huff, exasperated.

  “Sorry, sorry. I’m just excited that you're getting out,” she starts up again.

  “It's your ex!” I blurt out before covering my mouth shocked that I threw it out there like that. And it was enough to stop the tirade before it begins anew.

  “My ex?” she asks, confusion written across her face. When understanding dawns, her brows rise high on her forehead. “Brett?!”

  “I didn’t know he was your ex-fiancé when we went out or I would have asked you first. And if this will make things awkward or ruin our friendship, I won’t see him again.” The words tumble out of my mouth, my body bracing for the scathing lecture about to bombard me. She doesn’t speak a word, and the tension in the room wrenches higher. The walls start close in. My chest tightens as the air locks in my chest, pulse pounding in my ears. A hand rubs gently up and down my back.

  “Breathe, Sky. In through your nose, out through your mouth,” she instructs, her voice calm but authoritative. After what feels like an eternity, my breathing regulates, and my heart slows.

  “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Mortification sets in that I broke down.

  “You're okay. Do you have panic attacks often?”

  “No, not at all. Well,” I amend, “I have had one a few years ago.”

  “Good to know. Look why don’t you come by the house tonight. I’ll kick Derek out for a little while and we can talk.”

  A lump forms in my throat, barely allowing me to force the word. “Okay.”

  “Just head over after work. You need to hear the truth from me before someone else, besides Brett, tells you our story.” At my nod, she leaves the room. The clicking of the door as it shuts echoes throughout the silent room. I slump against the exam table as the tension drains away.

  Later that day, my Mini Cooper cruises along the asphalt road toward Kristen’s house. Uncertainty fills me as my destination approaches. Pulling into the long drive, my breath hitches when I see Brett’s truck parked there. She wouldn’t
have invited him for this talk, would she?

  I park my car, my hand trembles when I reach for the keys. Deep breath, Skylar. Nothing to worry about. Get out of the car. Confidence raised, I open the door and get out. The first couple of steps are hard but I come to a complete standstill when the door to the main house opens as Derek and Brett walk out. Our gazes lock and my muscles freeze. That cocky ass grin kicks his lips up as he saunters in my direction.

  “Hey, doll, I didn’t expect to see you today.” Strong arms wrap around me drawing me close as his lips settle firmly on mine, the rest of the world fading into the background

  Until Derek clears his throat and Brett slowly disengages. His warm breath fans across my lips and I swipe my tongue across them for the taste of him.

  “I take it you two know each other,” Derek drawls.

  “She’s the one I was telling you about,” Brett responds.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” His tone varies between happiness and worry. More than likely it’s worry since his eyes are darting back and forth between myself and Brett.

  “Kris is in the house. Go on back, she’s expecting you. Brett and I are headed to the gym for a while.” Derek nods in my direction before heading to another truck.

  “You seem nervous. Everything okay?” Brett runs his thumb lightly down my jawline.

  “I hope so. I told Kris.” His brows furrow in confusion. “About us I mean.” His eyes harden at my confession.

  “I see.” He leans down, pressing his forehead to mine. “Please, when you’re done talking to her come to me before making any rash decisions. Please.” He begs as my heart pounds, mind spinning. What the hell is she going to tell me that is causing such a reaction from this man? “Promise me, Skylar.” He clutches my hands in his.

  “I promise,” the whisper leaves on a breath of air. Tenderly he presses his lips to mine, the gentle kiss full of emotion. With one last squeeze of my hands, he joins Derek in the truck and they pull out of the driveway, his face staring back out at me from the side mirror. I can’t help but give him a little wave of assurance as they disappear.