by Kari March
“I agree with Blake. You’re just in it for sex and Tess isn’t like that. I can’t believe you are still hung up on not getting her in bed,” Matt snorted and shook his head.
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to see,” Shane said, standing up to get another beer. “That girl is going to play right into my hands. Just wait.”
Matt and I just looked at each other dumbfounded. Within seconds, we were both hunched over laughing hysterically. Shane was good at some things, but women were not his specialty. Just to make sure, I made a mental note not to let them be alone again tonight.
A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened. Tess came walking through it and Palmer was right behind her. Palmer looked right at me. She winked and I knew Tess had agreed to be my date. How the hell did Palmer do that? She was such a manipulator—that girl could get anyone to do anything she wanted. Cole was so screwed.
Tess headed for the kitchen, so I got up and followed her. As soon as she shut the fridge from getting her beer, she rammed into my chest. She backed away looking all flustered. Color slowly crept into her cheeks as her eyes scanned the length of my body. Damn! She was hotter than I even remembered.
“Hey, baby girl. Can we talk?” I whispered in her ear.
“Sure, Blake. What’s up?”
“Not here. Come with me.” I grabbed her hand and led her out to the balcony. For some reason, I didn’t want an audience for this conversation.
Once we were outside I took her in my arms and gave her the biggest hug. I had wanted to do that since she walked in the door tonight. Fuck, she smelled just like the beach and her scent was enough to make me hard. I needed to talk before my dick got me in trouble. “Are you okay? You deserve so much better than that asshole,” I said softly into her ear.
She took a deep breath and started twirling her hair again. “I’ll be alright, Blake. Pretty sure I knew it was coming. It’s not like this is the first time he’s done this. I guess I was just stupid for thinking he really was sorry. I’m just so embarrassed. I mean, how stupid am I?”
“Tess, you’re not stupid. He’s the jackass that fucked up. If he couldn’t see how amazing you are, then that’s his loss. Please don’t think that about yourself. You are one of the smartest girls I know and you deserve someone that will treat you like a damn princess.”
With those words she threw herself into my arms and held onto me like she was drowning. She fit perfectly wrapped all around me and I couldn’t help but think back to that afternoon in my truck. I started to feel my pants getting tighter as the memories filled my mind. I pushed her back and held her at arm’s length. Her face fell a little at my gesture and I felt like an ass, but the last thing I wanted her to feel was my dick pressing against her.
I needed to say something fast so she didn’t think I was pushing her away. “So… I’m sure Palmer told you what we were talking about, huh?”
“Yeah, she told me. I would love to accompany you to the firefighter ball, Blake. That’s if you want me to,” she said, an irresistible grin on her face. That grin could make me do anything. Maybe I was as screwed as Cole.
“Of course I do!” I said, a little too eagerly. “I mean, we would just be going as friends. I never take actual dates to work functions. It just complicates things.”
“That sounds even better then. The last thing I need is more complications in my life right now.”
That’s when my heart broke just a little. She must really just want to be friends. That’s what we’re good at, though. Being friends with Tess was the easiest thing in my life, which also had me thinking just how fucking amazing it could be having her as more.
I spent a lot of the night taking shots and dancing like crazy with Lexi and Avery. They had been my best friends since high school. To be honest, it was harder to control the girls once they found out about Jared than it was the guys. Lexi was going ape shit crazy. She tried to leave the apartment three times before she finally gave up. She mumbled something about finding him later when I pulled her drunken ass out of the car the final time. God, I love her!
By the end of the night, I ended up where I always ended up at these drunken parties—talking to Blake. We were doing our usual flirting on the balcony when the party started to wind down.
“When did you get this tattoo?” I asked him, as I slid his t-shirt up his muscular arm. The tribal started half way up his bicep and continued up his shoulder—but it didn’t stop there. His shirt wouldn’t go any higher and I started to shake a bit as he slowly lifted his shirt up and over his head. My breath caught in my throat at his little strip tease. Dear lord, he had the most perfectly sculpted abs I had ever seen! And that deep ‘V’ that led into his pants made me weak in the knees. The tattoo was just as beautiful as the rest of his body, morphing into fire flames on his shoulder, running down his chest and wrapping around the side of his ribs.
“Actually, I just got it. I got hired on with Southlands Fire back in March and I just finished my basic training.” I had to tear my eyes away from his perfect body and close my mouth, hoping the fact that I was nearly drooling wasn’t obvious. The sight of him with no shirt on was enough to make my panties combust. “Being a firefighter was always my dream. So when I finally got hired on after three years of test taking and candidate physical ability tests, I decided to get it,” he said, his voice laced with pride.
“I didn’t know you got hired on, Blake! That is amazing! Congratulations!” I squealed. I knew how much he had wanted to be a firefighter. He had been interviewing with departments since the moment we graduated high school. It was a tough job to get with all the competition. Plus, the departments usually only tested for rookies once or twice a year. At that moment, I felt a little sad that I was just finding out this information. Jared really kept me locked away from my friends since we had gotten back together.
“Thanks. I guess my father was wrong about me after all,” he said, his eyes shifting to the floor. There was a bit of pain in his voice when he said that and it cut me to the core.
“What do you mean, Blake? I thought you didn’t know your father?” I asked, with a puzzled look on my face.
“I don’t, actually. I was only five when my mother took Devin and me away, so I don’t remember much about him. Devin says that he used to always hit us and tell us that we would never amount to anything because of our bitch of a mother.” He looked down at the ground and my heart broke a little for him. He kicked at a pebble on the patio with his boot. This was obviously a topic he didn’t discuss a lot.
“I do remember that he drank a lot,” he began, still looking at the ground. “And he always got violent when he did. One night was particularly bad…” his voice trailed off. He took a breath before continuing. “One day my mom snapped— she had finally had enough. A couple of days later, we left. My mom sent divorce papers soon after and we were finally free of him.” He looked out into the night and I thought I had lost him for a minute. He moved his eyes back to the concrete before continuing.
“I was pretty young, but Devin was seven, almost eight, when we left. He’s pretty messed up from all of it. I’m just glad that Devin and I proved that bastard wrong,” he said quietly. Before he looked up, I saw him quickly wipe a small tear away from his eye and my heart broke a little more.
“I don’t even know what to say. I can’t believe that happened to you as a child. I could never imagine what that must have been like for you guys.” I said, as I placed my hand on his knee. “How any parent could ever treat their children like that is beyond me. And your poor mother…”
“My mother’s my hero,” he said adamantly, cutting me off. “She had enough courage and self respect to leave him, to take us away and start all over again. We had nothing when we first got to Phoenix. We stayed with my aunt for almost a year until my mother finally found an amazing nursing job here in Denver. She left us with my aunt for a few months while she came here and found a place to live. Once she was settled, she came back for us and we have been
with her ever since,” he explained. I could hear the pride in his voice and it made me smile.
“That’s so incredible,” I said, shaking my head. “I can’t imagine how scared she must’ve been. Your mom is a remarkable woman. And she raised you and Devin, so I have to give her credit there. I’m sure you two were quite the handful growing up,” I teased.
“We were perfect angels,” Blake said with a smirk.
“Yeah, right,” I said, rolling my eyes. I smacked him in the arm and he flinched.
“Ouch, baby girl! Careful—you are stronger than you think,” he chuckled. I couldn’t help but stare at him again. I knew so much more about him and I was in awe at what he had gone through in his life. And his shirt was still off, so that may have had something to do with it. I felt a strange connection to him from learning about his past. I couldn’t relate to it at all, though. Growing up with my family was a goddamn cake walk compared to what he had been through! But still, just knowing about his past made me feel that much closer to him. I had a sudden urge to hug him, so I reached out and did just that. I think I took him by surprise because he sucked in a breath as our bodies made contact. He let it out slowly and wrapped his arms around me. After about a minute of just holding each other, he slowly started to move.
“Tess…” he whispered in my ear. I didn’t want to let go so I just stayed still, pretending like I didn’t hear him. When I didn’t answer, he lifted my chin with his finger and stared into my eyes. I had never had so many emotions running through my body as I did in that moment. I stared back in his beautiful eyes and slowly he started to lean down towards my mouth.
Holy shit! My pulse started racing, my heart thumping loud in my chest.
He was so close; I could feel his breath on my lips. I closed my eyes in anticipation, just as the balcony door opened. “Tess, doll, you out here? We’re getting ready to head home… Oh! Uh, oops! Sorry, guys! Am I interrupting something?” Lexi stammered, stopping dead in her tracks. She put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at me. The look on her face was a mix of confusion and amusement. She had barged onto the balcony, looking for me and obviously wasn’t expecting what she found—Blake, shirtless and holding me in his arms, about to kiss me, I think. I hoped.
“Nope. Nothing going on here, Lexi. We were just about to come inside,” Blake said, letting me go and grabbing his shirt off the railing.
“Yeah… sure you were,” Lexi snickered, giving me an ‘oh my God! What are doing look?!’
I looked at her with desperation in my eyes. She gave me a wink as she started back inside. Her long blonde hair was the last thing I saw as she closed the door. Blake grabbed my hand and whispered in my ear, “It’s a shame we got interrupted. Things were just starting to get interesting.” My face turned bright red as he chuckled before pulling away.
We went inside and started saying goodbye to our friends that were sober enough to drive home.
Lexi was getting a ride home from Matt and I swear I saw her blush when he offered. When she gave me a hug goodbye, she whispered, “We are so talking about what I just saw tomorrow, bitch! I will be over in the afternoon to get all the details.” I just laughed at her. There was, unfortunately, nothing to say. If she would have just waited a few more minutes before she came barging outside, then maybe I’d have juicy details to tell her. Damn her anyway!
A very intoxicated Avery decided it would be best to just stay the night, especially after Devin ripped her car keys from her hand when she acted like she was going to leave. Avery was usually the good one out of our group, so the fact that she was so inebriated was a little worrisome. She rarely drank and she was a very level headed girl. She had relationships with guys, but they never got too serious—she always seemed to end them before they got that far. I think Devin liked her, but I wasn’t quite sure. They always flirted, but then again, Devin was a womanizer. He never had a girlfriend, but always had a woman, or two, by his side. But I saw the way he looked at Avery when he spoke to her. He had that goofy look in his eyes. Maybe there was something between them. I shook my head. Way too much had happened in the past 24 hours to be trying to figure out anything at this point.
Just like that, the party died down. It was late and my drunken ass could barely keep my eyes open. I started to say goodnight before I headed to bed. I always got dibs on the second bedroom when there was a party because I was Palmer’s sister and usually the only girl that ever stayed the night. There was no way I would ever drive home considering how much I drank at these parties. I contemplated sharing the room with Avery, but then decided against it. She passed out as soon as she hit the couch. I smiled when I saw Devin place a blanket over her and slide a pillow under her head as I made my way to the guest room. I changed into some shorts and a t-shirt that my sister had lent me and slid under the covers, the whole time thinking about Blake. I couldn’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if Lex hadn’t come outside. The thoughts didn’t last long, though. All the shit I had been through tonight and all the shots I had taken were heavy contributors to my weakened state. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I passed out.
The next morning, I woke up with a splitting head ache. My god, I had a lot to drink last night. I needed Advil and a Gatorade stat. I looked over at the night stand and, lord and behold, there was a bottle of Advil and a blue Gatorade just waiting for me. Blake. He was so sweet. I hoped I wasn’t snoring when he came in! I put the Advil in my mouth and downed the Gatorade.
I reached for my phone next and saw that I already had seven missed calls from Jared. He had left one voicemail and sent a text message. Shit! I had completely forgot about Jared. Closing my eyes, I tried to remember the details from the night before. My mouth twisted into a huge smile as memories of Blake entered my mind. I looked back at my phone, checking the text message first.
When will u b home? We need 2 talk babe call me
I rolled my eyes and hit play on the voicemail. “Baby, please, answer your phone! We need to talk. I’m so sorry. Please, just give me a chance to explain. I don’t want to lose you. I love you, baby, call me. Please!”
Ugh! I was already dreading this day. I swung my legs off the bed to stand up, but I didn’t hit the floor
“Ouch! Shit, baby girl! What are you doing, trying to kill me?” Blake mumbled sleepily, rolling over beneath my feet.
“Oh crap! Sorry! I didn’t know you were down there,” I apologized, bringing my legs back up on the bed. “Wait—why are you sleeping on the floor?”
“I didn’t want to sleep in the living room with the others. They all snore and it keeps me awake.”
“Well, you didn’t have to sleep on the floor! This is a king bed—you could have just slept next to me,” I said with a giggle.
“You were already asleep when I came in and I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so peaceful lying there,” he said softly, his amazing smile lighting up his handsome face. He paused for a moment, his features darkening a bit. “I take it Jared already called you?”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“I heard your phone vibrating all morning. I almost answered it to tell him to fuck off, but I didn’t.”
I started laughing. “That, actually, would have been pretty funny. By the way, thanks so much for the Advil and Gatorade this morning. How did you know I would need it?”
“I saw how many Patron shots you did last night and I figured it was a safe bet,” Blake stated, winking at me.
“Thanks, Blake. That was sweet of you,” I said with a genuine smile. “Well, I better get up and get home so I can call Jared’s ass back. This is going to be fun.”
When I got home, I took a long shower and decided to make something to eat before calling Jared back. I reasoned that I was going to need all of the energy I could muster to get through that conversation. Really—I was just stalling. I didn’t want to call Jared back at all. I didn’t have much to say, except that he was an asshole. I also knew he could be persuasive when he wanted to be an
d, to be honest, I still loved him. I really wanted to have my head on straight before I returned his call.
An hour later, I got up the courage to call him back. I knew that if I didn’t, he would show up at my apartment and then I would really be screwed. I picked up the phone, found his name, and hit the green button. I was full of dread. I did not want to do this—now or ever.
He picked up immediately. “Baby, I am so sorry! Please, can I come up? I am outside. I’ve been sitting here for an hour waiting for you to call.” He sounded so worried. Just hearing his voice pleading like that—he was already breaking through my walls. I needed to stay strong.
“I don’t know if that is the best idea, Jared. I’m still really hurt and I just don’t think anything good could come from seeing you right now.” I started to cry. I couldn’t fight back the anger that was building up inside me. Images from the night before flashed vividly through my mind and my anger boiled over. “You fucked someone else! AGAIN! You know what—I can’t believe I called you back in the first place.”
“Babe, please I’m coming up. I have to see you. I need to explain,” he said in a rush. I heard him close his car door.
“No, Jared! I don’t want you coming up. I’m serious. Go away. We’re done,” I said, trying to sound strong. I didn’t so much as get it out of my mouth and there was a knock at my door. God, he got up here fast!
“Tessa, open the door. Even if you’re done with me, can I please just see you one last time so I can say goodbye? Please, babe,” he pleaded.
I hesitated for a minute. I didn’t want to open the door but, somehow, he always could get me to do things I didn’t want to do.
“Please, I’m begging you.”
I sat there for a few moments, debating if letting him in was a good idea or not. I knew he wouldn’t give up if I didn’t. He would stay out there all damn day, trapping me inside my apartment and I had things I needed to do. I finally gave in, figuring this conversation had to take place sooner or later and it was best just to get it over with. Hopefully, it would be fast and painless, like ripping off a bandage. When I opened the door, he was sitting on his knees with his head down. In his arms were a dozen long stem pink roses.