by Claire Adams
*****
A cloud of mixed feelings hung over me as we touched down in LA. It had been a while since I’d last been to Los Angeles, vowing not to return and feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders as I headed toward a new life in Florida.
And now, here I was, going back to the very place and very person I'd so badly wanted to get away from. Georgia had sent her limo and driver to pick me up from the airport, and she’d said she'd have a bottle of bubbly on ice waiting for us to enjoy when I got to her Hollywood mansion. It was all set up – it was all waiting.
Yet, somehow, with every step closer to the arrivals area that I took, I found myself questioning myself more and more.
Why was I doing this? What would it solve? Wouldn't this just create more problems?
I veered off the walkway as I saw a sign for a bathroom. I headed in, went into a stall, and closed the toilet seat, sat down on it, and locked the door.
It suddenly hit me, and hit me hard. What the hell was I doing? This wasn't what I wanted. This wasn't what I wanted at all! This was just going to stir up more problems for me, and send me even deeper into the downward spiral I’d been flailing down. A dark hole from which I wasn't sure I'd be able to extract myself.
I breathed in deeply to clear my head and held the air in my lungs. Thoughts of Eryn suddenly flooded my mind, and there was no way I could think about anything else.
Yes, we were apart – but why? Yeah, yeah, there were all those reasons, all the practicalities and problems that came with our situation with me being in Florida and her being here. But why the hell hadn't we had the courage to just try? Surely the love that existed between us deserved that much – at least a chance.
I pushed my hands hard through my hair as all sorts of thoughts raced through my head. I was scheduled to be in California for five days – five days that I'd planned to spend drinking, partying, and drowning my sorrows.
But was that really the right way to spend this time? Surely what existed between Eryn and I deserved more than that. I knew it did.
I took out my phone and looked up her number. My thumb hovered for a long time over the “call” button – but I just couldn't press it.
This was crazy. Here I was, sitting in a bathroom stall in LAX, having a crisis. I felt stuck, frozen, almost unable to move.
But I had to. I had to do something.
I breathed in deeply, got up from the toilet, and left the stall. With a new sense of purpose in my stride, I walked quickly down to the baggage pickup area and got my suitcase. As soon as I got my suitcase, I opened it up, dug around, and found a hat and some sunglasses. I put them on, turning up my collar, as well, so that I'd be as disguised as possible.
I then walked quickly to the arrivals area, and there, waiting for me, I saw a man who had to be Georgia's driver – he was holding a board with my name on it. I bent my head down, keeping the brim of the hat low over my face, and walked briskly past him. Luckily, he didn't even give me a second glance – he just kept staring into the crowd of people behind me.
I walked faster and faster, a sense of drive, purpose, and freedom speeding my steps and injecting fresh strength into me as I went. A smile began to spread across my face, and as I got out of the arrivals area, I took off the hat and sunglasses and let the California sun fall onto my face.
A taxi driver grinned at me and waved me over to him. “It's a beautiful day, sir,” he said with a smile. “You need a ride?”
“I sure do, my man,” I replied.
“Where to? This your first time in LA or what?”
I shook my head. “No, I used to live here actually.”
“Cool, cool, so you know your way around.”
“I do. Take me to Phil's Luxury Auto Rentals, please. You know where that is?”
“Yeah, that's the place near the Hollywood Bowl, right?”
I nodded and grinned. “That's the one.”
“I can get you there in no time, sir,” he said. “Let’s get you loaded up.”
He took my luggage and put it in the trunk of his cab while I climbed into the passenger seat. My phone started to ring, and I took it out of my pocket and saw that it was Georgia. I cut off the call, and then turned the phone off. I didn't need to speak to her now – or ever.
“So, what you gonna be renting from Phil's, sir?” the cab driver asked as we set off.
“Not sure. Depends on what he has. I like Beemers, and I've got a fair distance to travel today, so I'd prefer to do it in comfort.”
“Yeah, good choice. My cousin's got a Beemer; that thing drives like it's floating on a cloud. Real smooth, man, real smooth.”
I nodded. “Very much so.”
“Where you heading to?” he asked.
“Stanford.”
“Ah, nice area. Oh, hey, you're going to be there tonight?”
“I am, yes.”
“Man, you gotta go see this band from LA; they're playing up there. They've got a great sound, guaranteed to get you on your feet dancing. They have a vibe like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They're gonna be real big man, I just know it. I saw them a couple of weeks ago here.
“If ya need something to do tonight, you should go see 'em now while they're still playing the bar and club circuit. Next year, I'm sure they'll be playing stadiums, so this might be your last chance to see 'em before they hit the big time.”
“That sounds pretty cool actually. I love the Chili Peppers. Where in Stanford are they playing?”
“A place called The Fishbowl,” he replied.
“The Fishbowl, huh? Thanks for the tip. I might check them out.”
CHAPTER 29
Eryn
We got out to the parking lot and I hugged Leena as we said goodbye. I was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol; I wasn't wasted, but my speech felt a little slurred and my coordination was a bit off.
“Are you really sure that you don't want to come out to the club?” she asked. “I promise, it's gonna be so much fun.”
I paused, trying to decide if I should go with her just so that I wasn’t left alone with Irving. But I shook my head.
“I'm done for the night, Lee. I just need some rest. But you go on and have yourself some fun.”
“All right then. I'll see you tomorrow.”
“Don't get too wasted now!” I said to her as she and the guys headed to Callum’s SUV.
As soon as they started walking away, Irving put his arm over my shoulder. I recoiled at his touch and my first instinct was to pull his arm off me, but I didn't want to make him angry and then get left in the parking lot without a ride home, so I gritted my teeth and said nothing.
“Did I mention you’re looking real hot, Eryn?” he said to me with a dirty smile on his face. “Yeah, real hot.”
“Uh, Irving, can you just take me home? I'm really tired and I need to just get some rest.”
“You don't wanna have some fun first?”
The way he said it sent a cold chill zipping down my spine. I was feeling more and more unsafe by the minute.
“No, I don't want to 'have some fun.' I just want to go, all right?”
The strange smile stayed on his face. “All right, all right, no need to get pissy about it. You should be a bit nicer to people who do you favors, though, you know? You're not sounding very appreciative of the fact that I'm giving you a ride.”
I’d had enough. My intuition was screaming at me. I pulled his arm off my shoulder and stepped away from him. “I'll just call a cab. You go on and do whatever you're planning to do,” I said coldly.
“Whoa, hold up, hold up. There's no need to be like that. All right, sorry, I was being a jerk. Come, on let's go. I'll stop being an ass.”
He reached out for my hand, and I don't know why, but I allowed him to take it. He led me through the parking lot and toward a dark alley.
“Uh, where's your car?” I asked, as red lights started flashing in my mind and warning bells started sounding their alarms inside my h
ead.
“My car is parked on the street down there,” he said, pointing to the end of the alley where it emerged onto another street. “The parking lot was full when I got here.”
“Can't we just walk around? It's dark and looks real sketchy down there,” I said.
“Come on, it's a shortcut. I’ll keep the boogeyman away.”
He pulled me, almost forcefully, into the alley. As soon as we were in the shadows, it seemed that a different light entered his eyes – menacing and malicious. An instinct inside me was screaming out for me to run, but somehow, I just couldn't.
“You know, you look so pretty, Eryn. So pretty,” he said with a slur in his voice, stopping halfway through the alley where it was darkest. “I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you all night.”
“I think you've got the wrong idea,” I said, my words tumbling from my mouth in a hasty panic. “I don't like you like that, all right? I just want to get home.”
He stepped close and pressed me against the wall, putting his hands on my sides, moving them up toward my breasts. Fear started pulsing through my veins.
“You're lying. I know you like me. I know you want me. We both want this. Stop denying it. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone,” he uttered.
I pushed him away from me forcefully, and he stumbled back, surprised at my strength.
“Get the hell away from me, you creep,” I hissed. “Leave me alone now and I won't report this to the cops. This is your last chance.”
He grinned savagely, malice glowing in his dark eyes. “My dad is chief of police,” he snarled. “You can tell 'em anything you want – nothing will happen to me.”
He darted in and grabbed my wrists. I tried to knee him in the groin, but he twisted sharply, and my knee crashed into the side of his hip. He grunted with pain, but it was no use; he was used to being hit by football players at least his size, and he was tremendously strong, as well.
“You'll enjoy this a lot more if you stop fighting,” he growled through clenched teeth.
“No!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Help! Somebody help-”
He crunched a powerful punch into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me and leaving me doubled over and gasping.
“Shut up, or the next one will break your damn jaw,” he growled.
“Touch her again and you'll leave this alley in a body bag,” a deep, male voice snarled from behind me.
Irving looked up in surprise, and so did I. As I saw the shadow of the man who had spoken the words making his way toward us, joy and relief surged through me.
“This is your last chance, kid, or you will not be leaving this alley on your own, free will,” he said to Irving.
That’s when it hit me. I knew that voice. Knew it as well as my own.
Wade.
“The only one leaving here in a body bag will be you, asshole,” Irving replied.
He darted forward and took a vicious swing at Wade, but Wade was able to duck under the attack. He dropped down and tackled Irving to the ground, and they started wrestling. Although Irving was bigger, Wade soon got the upper hand and got Irving pinned with some sort of arm lock. Even in the darkness of the alley, I could see the look of intense pain twisted in Irving's face.
“I only have to pull a little more, just like this,” Wade pulled just slightly up on the arm he had twisted behind Irving’s back, “and your arm will break, kid,” he growled. “And I promise you, if you struggle any harder, you'll break your arm yourself. Do you wanna walk around with your arm in a cast for the next two months? Lose all that muscle you’ve built up in the gym?”
“No,” Irving whimpered, who seemed almost on the point of tears. “Please let me go. Please.”
“I really don’t want to let you go, ya know? What I really want to do is snap every bone in your punk-ass body for what you tried to do to this girl – but I won't. I'll let the law take care of you. I don't give a shit who your dad is. I'll step in front of any judge and jury and tell them exactly what I saw you try to do to her.”
This time, Irving had nothing to say. Wade pulled Irving’s head up and slammed it into the ground once, then got off him and shoved him away.
“Get the hell out of here,” Wade said. “And go enjoy your last few sleeps in your own bed because you're gonna be sleeping in a prison cell soon enough. I'll make sure of that, I promise you.”
Irving stumbled away, whimpering in pain and gripping his shoulder as he fled. I ran into Wade's arms, hugging him as tightly as I possibly could. He returned the hug, holding me as close as was humanly possible.
“Oh my God, Wade. I don't know how you came to be here, but you just saved my life. You saved my life.”
“I'm just relieved I was in the right place at the right time,” he whispered in my ear.
“But...how? How did you come to be here?”
“I flew out to LA this afternoon, and then drove up here. I had to see you. I just couldn't go on without you any longer; it was driving me crazy.”
“But how…how did you know to come out here, to this bar?”
“I didn't. I was planning on calling you tomorrow. But this cab driver in LA recommended I come see the band playing here tonight, so I figured I'd do that, have a beer, get an early night, and then, yeah, get hold of you tomorrow. And then when I was watching the band, I just happened to spot you in the bar.
“I assumed this jerk whose ass I just kicked was your new boyfriend, but just to be sure, I followed you guys out to the parking lot. Your body language told me you weren’t comfortable around him, so I followed you both to this alley – and the rest is history.”
I still couldn't believe it was him – that he was really here. We both stared at each other for a while, and then I hugged him tightly again and he pressed a warm kiss to my forehead. A calm spread through me.
He took my hand in his, and it felt so good, so right.
“Come on,” he said, leading me out of the alley toward the parking lot. “Let's go. I'll drive you home.”
I leaned over and kissed him on his cheek.
“Thank you, again,” I whispered. “I'm so glad you came.”
“I am, too,” he whispered. “I am, too.”
*****
Back at my apartment, I sipped slowly on my coffee and stared into Wade's eyes, and in them I saw the same love I felt for him reflected right back at me. And at this moment, it felt stronger than it ever had. I reached out with my free hand across the table, and he placed his hand on mine, caressing it softly and gently.
“God, I can’t believe you’re here. I'm so glad you came,” I said to him. “I really am.”
“Me, too. I've missed you so much, Eryn – I really have. I was going crazy without you. I felt like I was lost – like everything was lost. I’ve just been miserable.”
“I've felt the same way. I mean, I love it here in terms of the volleyball and the education I'm getting, but without you, it all feels gray, like I’m going through the motions.”
We both stared into each other's eyes and smiled, and we held each other's gaze for a long time, passing unsaid words between us.
“How's the team doing, anyway?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“They're doing well enough. I was pretty much forced to put Tammy and Kelly back on the squad, which I was unhappy about to say the least. But I haven't put them on the starting lineup – they can't make me do that.”
I nodded. “I figured Tammy would use her father's clout to do something.”
“I'm gonna quit,” he said abruptly.
I looked up at him, startled. “You're gonna quit? But...why? Because of Tammy?”
He shook his head. “No. Because of you.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “You...wow, Wade, I could never, ever ask you to-”
He held up a hand to silence me.
“You didn't ask me to do anything. This is my choice entirely. I don't want to be on the other side of the country while you're out here. And, I do
n't want you to give up your dreams for me. You need to be here at Stanford, you need to take your abilities as far as they can go.
“So, that only leaves me with one choice, a choice I'll gladly take: I'm quitting my job at FSU and coming out here. I don't know what I'll do, but I'll find a job. I don't care what it is, as long as I get to be with you. That's the most important thing to me – you're the most important thing to me.
“It's taken me these last two months to realize this, but now I know it. I know that it's the truth. I love you, Eryn. I love you madly, deeply, and more than I have ever loved anyone else in my life. I don’t want to be without you.”
I couldn't speak for a moment; I was so overwhelmed with everything he'd just said. But what words couldn't say, actions could. I got up, walked over to him, and straddled his lap, wrapping my arms around him. I pressed my lips against his, finding his mouth warm and inviting.
A slow kiss morphed into one with a furious, mad passion that sent showers of sparks across my vision, and left us both breathless at the end of it.
“I love you, too, Wade. More than any number of words could ever try to tell you. And, I’ve missed you terribly.”
We kissed again, and desire grew with a burning heat inside me. His desire pressed against me with an increasing force as his manhood swelled. I took his hand, panting after the intensity of the kiss.
“Come...let's go to my bedroom,” I said, leading him there.
I opened the door, and then we were all over each other. All of that longing, pain and sadness that had been stewing inside each of us for the last two months, it all came out. We were both panting, gasping, and pawing at each other like wild animals.
He all but tore my clothes off me as I ripped his off of him. His hands immediately went to my bare breasts, squeezing and fondling them with an almost savage intensity as he slammed his lips onto mine and thrust his tongue into my mouth.
With his right hand, he kept on squeezing my breast, pinching my rapidly hardening nipple between his forefinger and thumb, which sent ripples of pleasure scuttling across my nerve endings. With his left hand, he pulled down my panties and reached for the slit between my legs, which was already hot with desire and dripping with wetness.