I make small circles on Whiskeys hard, defined belly. “I do…what about you?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“But we’re not going to give that to him, are we?”
“I told you we can’t right now, I wish I could, believe me.”
“Do you really?”
He stops stroking my hair. “Do you really think I’m just here for a good fuck, Heaven?”
“I don’t know what you’re here for.”
“I’m here because I care. Do you think I want to leave you? Do you think I want to walk away again?”
“I don’t know Whiskey, I thought you’d never walk away five years ago but you did.”
He stiffens and then shoves me off him gently so he can sit up. He stares down at me, his expression hurt.
“If I didn’t go, we would have all ended up hurt.”
“You and Jase never gave me a choice, you just assumed that it would end badly.”
“It would have. We wanted more. Even if you said you couldn’t have either of us, it would have hurt us. I was mad about you, so was he, it just couldn’t have worked. Jealously would have taken over and ruined the friendship.”
“You leaving ruined the friendship.”
“I wasn’t the only one who left, Nevaeh, Jase did too but you forgave him.”
I meet Whiskey’s gaze. “I wasn’t in love with him.”
Whiskey stares at me, his expression full of so many emotions I can’t read them. He turns his head away after a moment, looking at the wall.
“Did you love me, Whiskey?”
“Still fuckin’ do, never stopped.”
I make a strangled sound and sit up, running my fingers up his back. “Then don’t leave me.”
He turns to me, gripping my face. “I’m a bad man, do you understand? My life right now is dangerous for you.”
“So I’ll wait.”
“I can’t ask you to wait,” he snaps, angrily.
“You’re not asking me to wait, I’m offering to.”
“No, Heaven, you need to move on, find happiness.”
“You are my happiness, Jarrod Levanox.”
He closes his eyes and grips my face, pressing his forehead to mine. “You’re killin’ me sugar, you have to stop.”
“I don’t want to be alone, I’m drowning Whiskey, this is the first time I’ve been able to think for weeks.”
“I know sugar, believe me I know. I’ve been tryin’ to be so strong but I can’t be, not when my brother is gone and the girl I want is too far away, but it has to be this way for now, do you hear me? I need you to trust me on this.”
“Can you just…I don’t know…give me something to hang on to?”
“Look, I’m hoping to get out of the deal I’m in right now soon. Six months tops. After that, we’ll see ok?”
“I can wait six months.”
He pulls his head back and gives me a pained stare. “No longer than that though, ok?”
“Ok, deal.”
He gives me a half smile and then slides out of bed. “I gotta go, I can’t stay.”
I nod, swallowing and looking down. “Will you call?”
“As much as I can.”
“Will you ever tell me what has you so tangled up?”
He looks at me as he’s buttoning up his jeans. “No sugar, not unless I have to.”
I nod and slide out of bed, wrapping my arms around him and resting my cheek against his chest and breathing him in for just a moment. “I love you, Whiskey, god knows sometimes you drive me mad, but I do love you.”
“Yeah, sugar, I know.”
“You’ll be back, even if it’s just to say goodbye?”
“I promise you.”
Closing my eyes, I pray to god he keeps that promise. I don’t know if I can deal with anymore heart break and I certainly can’t deal with loosing another person I love.
~*~*~*~*
ONE WEEK LATER
“How are you dealing honey?” Tanya asks, leaning against her car as she drops me off after my shift.
“It’s been good going back to work, even if it is only my second shift.”
She smiles, nodding. “It must be hard being back after Jase passing.”
“You have no idea, but it’s the best thing I can be doing right now.”
“Yeah, I think so, too. Have you heard from, Whiskey?”
I shake my head, feeling my chest constrict. “No, not since he left.”
“Are you sure this is what you want to do honey?”
“He’s all I’ve got left Tan, if I lose him too, I honestly don’t know how I’ll pick myself back up.”
“I know, but is putting yourself in danger worth the risk?”
“I don’t think I’m in danger.”
“Are you sure honey?”
I shrug, not knowing how to answer that. “I don’t know.”
“You’ve been getting all those missed calls from that unknown number.”
I really shouldn’t have told her that, because now she’s gotten herself paranoid and is thinking up scary stories that are doing no good for her head or mine.
“It’s fine, Tan, I’m ok. Listen, I have to go, I’m meeting dad soon.”
She pulls me into her arms for a hug. “All right, but be careful.”
I smile. “Always.”
When she’s gone, I let out a long sigh and walk into my unit. Once I’m in, I lock the door and plod into the kitchen, staring at the dishes I really need to do. That’s when my phone rings, I stare down at the display. Unknown number again. Jacked with whoever is stalking me, I answer the phone. I’m tired of being pushed around by a bunch of people hiding behind dammed cell phones. Honestly. It’s childish.
“Hello?”
“What do you know about Whiskey?” A gruff male voice asks.
Oh great, another Whiskey fan. “I’m sorry, who is this?”
“I asked you a question.”
“I don’t know you, so I’m not answering that. What happens between Whiskey and I is none of your concern.”
“So you have been seeing him?”
I get a feeling I should lie right now. “No.”
“See, I know that’s not true, Nevaeh James. You should have listened when I said to stay out of it. I hope you have a good lock on your door, because you’re not safe.”
Then he hangs up. I realize the voice I just heard was the one that called me when I was originally looking for Whiskey. I put my phone down and rub my hands together, trying to get rid of the sick feeling in my stomach. Did I just get threatened? Am I safe? I feel sick and I know I should ring Whiskey, but I just need a moment to calm myself. I walk into the kitchen on wobbly legs and am just pouring my coffee into a mug when I hear a pounding on the door. Feeling my heart thud, I walk over and contemplate opening it.
“Who is it?” I call.
“It’s me, open the door, Heaven.”
I swing the door open to face a panting, sweaty Whiskey.
“Change of plans, you need to come with me.”
I stare at him, shocked. “I don’t understand.”
“Have you had any strange calls, emails or texts?”
“Yes, I just got a call and…”
“You need to come with me, now,” he barks, his eyes darting around the hall.
“Whiskey what…”
“Now Nevaeh, get what you need.”
“But…”
“Now!”
“Why?” I ask, picking up my purse.
“Heaven,” he murmurs, taking my hand and tugging me out of my unit. “You’re in serious danger.”
CONTINUE WHISKEY AND NEVAEH’S STORY IN TWO HEARTS ONE SOUL – RELEASED JUNE/JULY 2013.
le = " -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); -moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share
Three Hearts One Soul (The Soul Series #1) Page 15