by N. L. Greene
But none of that was the worst of my problems. I was on the other side of town from where I lived. I was drunk, stoned, and tripping on acid, which was definitely not an ideal state for walking the streets late at night. Plus I had no cell phone, so I couldn’t even call home if I wanted to. For just a second I was irrationally pissed at my parents. I had to be the only seventeen year old without a phone! This was the exact reason why parents should make sure their kids had cell phones!
As I walked further away from the sounds of the sirens, my anger started to fade and fear began to take its place. The only light around me was from the street lamps, but they only illuminated a small circle beneath them. The space in between light circle to light circle was much darker, and infinitely creepier. A shiver worked its way up my spine; causing me to wrap my arms tighter around my stomach and pick up the pace. I glanced warily between each and every house as I passed them, making sure no one was hiding there getting ready to jump out and attack me. The silence was almost unbearable. Every few seconds I imagined the sound of foot-steps behind me, or saw the inky black shadows morph into sinister creatures. Part of it I’m sure was due to the drugs and alcohol, but most of it was due to my feelings of complete helplessness and vulnerability. If something happened to me right now, no one would ever know. My parents wouldn’t know where to look for me. They wouldn’t even know where to start.
After what had to have been about an hour of walking, I finally came to a gas station that had a pay phone. Whoever decided to get rid of pay phones was not my best friend at the moment. I almost sobbed in relief when I confirmed that it actually worked. I dug around in my purse for change, and thankfully found a few quarters in the bottom. I placed a quarter in the slot, and then paused. I wasn’t sure who I should call. My parents would kill me if they had to come pick me up from here. Not only was I not where I said I would be, but I was in no state to explain to them what had happened. Mel instantly came to mind.
She would have been the perfect person to call. She would have come to get me immediately. No, actually she would’ve been right here with me. Her parents would have been cool with where we were and what we’d been doing, although they probably would have scolded us for going alone and not telling them ahead of time. God, I hated her! This was all her fault! I stomped my foot before shaking my head. I wasn’t going down that mental road. This wasn’t the time. I knew I could still call Mel’s parents and either one of them would drop whatever they were doing and come to get me. But then I’d have to face her, and even this situation wasn’t bad enough for that. I’d rather face my parents.
I blew out an exasperated breath and closed my eyes; leaning my head against the dirty, cold metal of the booth. I felt dizzy, cold, and a little nauseous. I was starting to come down from my acid trip and my body was getting the jittery feeling it always got. A drink of water and a hot shower would go along way right now, but until I figured out who to call that would be willing to come rescue me, that wasn’t going to happen. I had to pull it together and focus.
An image of J.T. popped into my head and I sagged with relief. As much as I hated for him to see me like this, I trusted him and knew that he would help me. He had been trying to help me for months but I wouldn’t let him. Now I didn’t have a choice. I slipped the coin, followed by another into the slot, and then dialed his number.
There were a few clicking noises before I heard a ring on the other end. I stood on my tip toes and held my breath as the phone rang, then rang again…and again. I blew out my breath and slumped dejectedly again. He was probably asleep and couldn’t hear the phone ring. On the fourth ring I started to hang up, when the ring was cut off midway and I heard a groggy voice at the other end.
“Huh?”
“Oh God! J.T.?” I asked; my voice breaking as tears began to stream in torrents down my face.
“Hello? Who is this?” His voice was clearer now, more awake.
“I…It…It’s…” I couldn’t get the words out, I was crying so hard. I was relieved that he’d answered, and knew he would be there soon to help me. But I was even happier to hear his voice again. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him until he answered the phone.
“Nat? Is that you honey?” His voice was gentle, but I could hear the worry.
“Y…Ye…Yes. It…it…its…”
“Okay, honey. Just calm down, okay? Where are you?” He was trying to soothe me but it was only making me cry harder.
My body collapsed as my knees went weak, and I dropped to the floor and pulled myself into a tight ball. I was holding onto the phone with both hands, my fingers starting to hurt from the death grip I had on it. I listened to J.T.’s calming voice talking quietly in my ear and closed my eyes. I heard some rustling around and soft curses in the background, and I could tell he was getting dressed so he could come get me. I tried to focus on that. After a few minutes my sobs finally subsided enough to get actual words out.
I felt dizzy but brought my head up from my knees and wiped the wetness from my face. I could tell it was swollen and puffy, and when I pulled my hand away it was covered in black make-up. I knew my face probably looked worse than my hand, but it couldn’t be helped, so I just wiped my hand on my shorts and focused on J.T.’s voice.
“I’m at a gas station, at the pay phone,” I hiccupped out; my voice scratchy from crying so hard.
J.T. stopped talking and I think he stopped moving. He was quiet for a second before he took a deep breath. “Okay, honey. Where exactly? I need to come get you right now.”
“Yes, please.” I sighed and took a much needed deep breath. I was dizzy from crying, but looked around and tried to focus on finding names of places to give J.T. “There’s a McDonalds across the street and a grocery store behind it, maybe a Winn Dixie?” I squinted into the darkness but couldn’t see a street sign. I knew where I was, but I didn’t know the name of the streets and I was so upset and confused I knew I couldn’t explain to him how to get there. “I don’t know, J!” I started to cry again.
“Calm down, baby. It’s okay. Are you in a phone booth?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Okay, look at the phone and tell me the address on the phone. It should be up by where you put the money in.”
“Oh, okay.” I slowly got to my feet. My whole body was trembling, so I had to let go of the phone with one hand so I could hold onto the side of the booth for support. My fingers ached when I straightened them but I ignored the pain. I looked up at the phone and read the address off to J.
“Good girl.” He breathed out into the phone. “I’m on my way, Nat. Stay on the phone with me though, okay honey?”
“Okay J,” I said weakly, as I leaned back against the cold glass of the booth and slid back down to the dirty floor. I felt completely drained in that moment. Relief that J.T. was on his way swept everything else away, and only left behind the after effects of all the drinking and drugs I had done earlier in the night, as well as the adrenaline crash from the fear and worry I’d been feeling. I rested my forehead on my knees and closed my eyes as I listened to J.T. murmur words that didn’t quite make sense.
A few seconds later a voice spoke over J’s. “Please insert twenty-five cents or your call will be disconnected,” the automated voice told me. I scrambled to grab my purse; ripping it open and digging around for another quarter. I couldn’t find one.
“J, I don’t have any more money!” I was on the verge of hysterics again.
“What, Nat? What’s wrong?”
I guess he hadn’t heard the voice. “The phone said I need more money but I don’t have any!” I yelled.
“Okay, honey. It’s okay! I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Just sit tight and stay in the booth. Okay?” He was using his big brother voice, the one that demanded I listen.
“Okay, but I’m scared J. I don’t want to…” The phone clicked off in the middle of my sentence, leaving me in complete silence and all alone again. I dropped the phone from my cold fingers and wrapped my arm
s around my knees; burying my head in them. I took deep breaths, trying to stay calm, and told myself over and over that J.T. would be there soon. Everything would be okay. The phone started to make that irritating noise, telling you to hang it up, but I ignored it. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and waited.
Chapter 22
I was startled awake by a warm hand on my cold shoulder. I lashed out quickly, kicking and hitting. I may have been confused and sleepy, but I still knew I wasn’t safe and that I didn’t want anyone to take me.
“Shh, baby girl. It’s me. You’re safe.”
I instantly stilled at the sound of J.T.’s voice. “J?” I asked sleepily. My eyes blinked a few times, trying to clear the grit and grime from them so I could focus on the face in front of me.
“Yeah Nat, it’s me. Let’s get you out of here, okay?” He reached for me and scooped me up into his arms with no effort at all. I pulled my arms against my chest, feeling so safe in his strong arms. And warm, so warm. I shivered from the chilly night air and fought to keep my teeth from chattering; contentedly snuggling closer and groaning at the feel of the heat seeping into my body. J.T. chuckled. “You’re safe now, honey. Go back to sleep,” he said softly into my hair, and then tenderly kissed the top of my head.
I instantly obeyed.
Knowing that I was finally safe and with someone I trusted, I allowed myself to slip completely and dreamlessly away. I didn’t feel J put me in the car, I didn’t hear him start the car, and I didn’t hear him make a whispered phone call. In fact, I didn’t even stir until the next morning, or afternoon, when I woke up in a warm, comfy bed.
I pulled the blanket up tighter around my shoulders, burying my face further into my pillow. The memories of the night before bombarded me, causing a deep shiver to wrack my entire body. I used the blanket and pillow to warm me and to reassure me that I was okay. I inhaled deeply, expecting to smell J.T., but took another whiff when his trademark crisp scent wasn’t what I smelled. Instead I was greeted with the earthy, masculine smell that, although I’d only had the pleasure of smelling it a few times, was one I would never forget. “Damn it!” I mumbled to myself. I was going to kill J.T.
“’Damn it’ is just about right!” came a soft growl from a few feet behind me.
I closed my eyes and grumbled before rolling over and looking at the irate man standing in the doorway, watching me with hooded eyes.
Miguel was sexier than I had remembered, even with the dark look on his face. He was standing in the door-way; one shoulder propped on the door-frame as he leaned on it and watched me. I took a moment to take him all in, starting at the bottom. His feet were bare and crossed at the ankles; the frayed denim of his jeans lying on top. Those jeans were loose, but I knew they were hiding muscular legs and thighs, if his tapered waist and six–pack abs were any indication. And I was definitely getting a good look at both, since his jeans were riding so low on his hips I wondered what I would see if they fell just an inch or two. I swallowed at the thought, but pushed my gaze up. His chest was bare, his skin tan and smooth, and he didn’t have any tattoos or piercings marring his perfectly sculpted chest and arms. His shoulders were broad, and with his arms crossed the way they were, I could make out every line of every muscle. His neck was even hot! A guy’s Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed wasn’t something I’d ever thought would be considered sexy, but for some reason even that was on Miguel.
Then I moved the rest of the way up. I let my eyes trace the planes and lines of his perfect face. He had a long, narrow nose, sharp cheek-bones and piercing blue eyes that were surrounded by eyelashes so long they made me jealous. With his beautiful, thick black hair and perfectly tanned skin added to it, he looked like a model. I let my eyes roam over all of him one more time before I finally met his dark stare.
His eyes were still hooded and his hair was rumpled, giving him a sleepy, almost lazy look, but I knew better. I could see that the muscles in his arms were corded tightly, and that the one in his jaw ticked every now and then from the strain of holding back. He was pissed. And so was I! How could J.T. bring me here? I’d trusted him to take care of me, and instead he dropped me off on someone else’s door step. As much as I had secretly missed Miguel, this was not how I wanted to see him again. Dirty, desperate, and broken.
I closed my eyes and bit my lip to stem the threatening flow of tears. I was not going to cry again! No, I was going to keep my shit together as I got up, calmly and coolly, and got the hell out of there. I did a quick mental assessment of my state of dress, confirming that I still had all my clothes on, and then opened my eyes and pushed the blanket off me. As I threw my feet over the side of the bed, I scanned the floor for my shoes.
“Just where in the hell do you think you’re going?” Miguel asked me coolly. He did a way better job of that then I did.
I didn’t meet his eyes when I answered. “Home.”
“Like that?” I was really starting to dislike just how easily he did that.
“Yes.” I spotted my shoes right by his feet and my stomach plummeted. I looked up at him then, and he raised one perfectly arched eyebrow.
Shit! I didn’t want to get that close to him. I just wanted to get out of there! I knew by his question that I looked like shit, and I could really have done without him staring at me while I looked my worst. And I had other, more pressing things to sort through… like if Shana and Chaos were okay, and if her friend was even still alive. Then I needed to figure out how to not end up like her. Because like I said before, I wasn’t stupid, and after last night…well, I knew I was well on my way there.
I glanced at the clock and saw that it was noon, just like I’d suspected. I was due home now. I decided to use that to get out of there. “Look, I gotta go. I’m already going to be late and my parents are going to worry.”
“Ash already covered for you. She called your parents and told them you had in school suspension today until 3. They won’t be expecting you until around 3:30.”
“What?!” I yelled at him as I shot to my feet. “My parents are going to kill me!” I couldn’t believe they did that! I was going to be in soooo much trouble.
He raised that one sexy eyebrow again. “Um, well,” he said with a sort of snotty attitude. “Would you rather be grounded for a week because of I.S.S.P., or for the rest of your life if they found out about last night?”
All my anger dissipated. He was right. “Okay, sorry.” I sank back down onto the edge of the bed. “Thanks, I guess.”
I heard him sigh as he unfolded himself from the door frame and came to stand in front of me. I couldn’t look at him. He reached down and took my hands in his, then tugged me to my feet. “Look at me,” he said. His voice was soft but commanding.
I took just a second to savor the feel of his warm hands holding my much smaller ones and the heat of his body so close to mine, before I complied with his order. I looked up into his deep, dark beautiful eyes. They were no longer hooded; they were bright and reflected uncharted depths of emotion.
“I am so happy that you’re okay.” He pulled me to him; my cheek landing on his chest and his arms wrapping tightly around me. “You have no idea how scared I was.”
I froze for a second before wrapping my arms tightly around his middle, my hands splaying across his broad back. My fingers flexed and dug into his skin, trying to pull him closer to me. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled against his chest.
“Shh. It’s okay,” He said as he kissed the top of my head. “It’s all okay now.” Then he pulled back, way sooner than I wanted him to, and looked down at me. “Look at me, baby.” My stomach did a little flip when he called me ‘baby’ and my eyes became misty at how softly he spoke to me, which made me feel nervous for a host of other reasons, yet I looked up like he’d asked. “Go take a shower and then we need to talk. Okay?” He was still telling me what to do, but he was doing it in a way that made me want to do it.
“Okay,” I said instantly, but then hesitated. “Um, I don’t have anything…�
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He moved his hand up, placing his hand along my cheek and jaw and his thumb over my lips to keep me from talking. He rubbed his thumb back and forth, making me shiver as I leaned into his hand just a bit. I couldn’t help it! “Don’t worry. I’ve got something for you. Just go get a shower and I’ll leave it on the counter for you. Everything else you need should be in there. Take your time and come back here when you’re done. Then we’ll talk.”
I nodded and let him lead me to the closed door, opposite the one he had been standing in. It opened up to a large master bathroom. There was a main area with sinks, counters, a large mirror and a sitting area, and then there were two other open doors. One led into a much smaller room with a toilet, and the other one led to the shower. Both offered the ability to use each room with privacy from the main area of the bathroom.
“Here’s the shower room. You can close this door while you shower, but I want you to leave the main door open. That way if you need me, you can call and I’ll hear you. When you come out, your clothes will be on the chair. If you need anything, you yell for me and I’ll be right there. Okay Nat?”
“Okay,” I said softly.
He looked at me for a couple seconds and then cupped the side of my face again; pulling me up toward him. He kissed me softly on the forehead and then left me alone.
Without the distraction of Miguel’s touch, I was able to focus on myself again. I looked into the mirror and gasped in horror. I looked awful! My clothes were dirty and even torn in a few places. My legs and arms had scrapes and bruises on them that I didn’t even recall getting. My feet and hands were absolutely filthy. There was dirt in all the cracks and crevices, and a few of my nails were even broken. My hair was a ratty mess; half down and half up in a ponytail. And my face. It was still swollen from all the crying I had done. My eyes were blood-shot, and there was dark make-up smeared all over my face. I looked like I had been living on the streets for weeks.