“Aidan, you look tired. Would you like some tea?” I offer.
His eyes flash at me because he knows what I’m doing. He’s always been a smart man. Now he whispers, “Why’d you leave me, Amelia? I loved you,” and he looks defeated.
I’m trying to stay calm and not cry, but it’s hard. This shit’s seriously terrifying.
But I watch as he cries, holding his head in his hand and he’s murmuring something but I don’t understand him. I slip off my silly house shoes and make a move toward my teacup thinking if it’s still hot I can throw it in his face and run, but at my movement, his head pops up and he glares at me so I stop.
“You’re supposed to love me. Why’d you leave?”
He wants to know the truth? I’ll give him the truth. “You’re married, Aidan.”
“Not anymore.” He starts crying harder. “She left me. I’m all alone. I’ve got nobody.”
“She’s probably taking some time. She’ll be back,” I offer.
“No!” he screams so loudly my ears ring. Ack! “She’s not coming back! She told me she hates me!”
“She doesn’t hate you, Aidan. She loves you. She’s just trying to figure some thi-”
He growls at me, cutting me off. And this isn’t a normal growl. It’s a Jack Nicholson in The Shining, I’m-going-to-chop-you-up-into-tiny-pieces-then-use-them-as-croutons-in-my-salad kind of growl.
My bottom lip starts quivering and I can’t keep the tears away anymore. “You’re scaring me,” I whisper as the tears slip down my cheeks.
I see the remorse in his eyes and I hope that maybe he’s coming back to himself. Then it’s gone. “I wanted you. Always wanted you. You meant more to me than Gem ever did. She’s never understood what I deal with on a daily basis. You did, Amelia. You did.” Agony flashes over his face again as he scrunches it up as if he’s in pain and he starts crying again and is back to his mumbling. And it’s then that I realize what he’s saying because he’s repeating over and over. “If I can’t have you, no one can.”
Oh, my God!
He suddenly makes a move toward me, lurching to grab me, but I make it to the counter and grab the platter, swinging it at him. I make contact with something, I don’t wait to see what, and I run. I’m almost to the mudroom when he grabs me by my hair, pulling me back and then his arms are wrapped around me, my back to his front.
“You loved me,” he hisses in my ear as he keeps backing us up toward the living room. “You’ll love me again.”
We make it into the living room and he pushes me face first into the couch and lays on top of me and I’m sobbing now not knowing what he’s going to do to me. I’m hoping he’s lost the cleaver but I’m not sure; therefore, I don’t make any move to get away because being split down the spine doesn’t sound like a good time.
“You’ll love me again, Amelia,” he says and starts yanking down the boxers I’m wearing then reaches his hand under me and fingers me.
Oh, God. I’m crying even harder now. He’s going to rape me. He’s going to rape me in Kade’s house. In my house. And I’ll never be able to live here and be happy. He’s taking away my entire future and I’ll live out the rest of my life an empty shell of the woman I’ll never be.
I hear his zipper come down and feel his penis rubbing against my bare butt.
“You’ll love me again…” he says as he starts to move to enter me.
And then he’s gone.
I’m crying so hard that I’m not sure what happened, but when I risk a move to look, I see that Kade’s got him and I swear, he’s holding Aidan with one hand by his shirt collar three feet off the floor.
Oh, my God.
The Look has developed into an entity of its own as Kade glares at him before he smashes his fist into Aidan’s face. I don’t know how many times he hits him, I don’t want to know, I only know I can’t watch. I sit up and pull the boxers back up, then bending my legs to my chest, wrap my arms around my knees putting my forehead atop them and sob.
~~~
I wake myself screaming then Kade’s there.
“Baby, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” he says quietly into my hair as he sits against the headboard in his bed holding me.
I clutch the t-shirt he’s wearing and cry against his chest. He pets my hair down my back as he whispers sweet things, telling me it’s going to be okay, he’s here.
Earlier, I’d seen that Kade actually had beaten the shit out of Aidan because I caught a glimpse of his face when the paramedics put him on the gurney and he was barely recognizable. I remember feeling bad because I didn’t feel bad for him if that makes sense. After the ambulance took Aidan away, Dwight told us they’d take him to the hospital first then transfer him to a psychiatric center so he could be evaluated.
I’d held up pretty well at the time, telling Dwight everything that happened, and after everyone left, I remember telling Kade that I was fine.
But now I’m not so fine.
“I need you,” I whisper to him.
“Baby,” he whispers back.
“Kade.”
He pulls his head back and looks at me. He’s kept his bedside lamp on which I’d asked him to do when we’d gone to bed, and now I see his gray eyes filled with concern.
“Please,” I say, needing to feel him. Needing him to be real. Needing him to chase the demons of what occurred earlier away.
He slowly undresses me, watching to make sure I’m good with what he’s doing. Then he pulls his tee and sleep pants off and lies on me, cradled between my legs. He kisses me softly then touches his lips to each side of my mouth then moves up to kiss my forehead. He comes back and looks at me, still worried that I’m not okay. “You sure?”
I nod. He keeps his eyes on mine as he slides a hand down between us and runs his fingers over my folds and I stiffen under him.
“Mill…” He pulls his hand back up but I shake my head.
“No, I need to feel you. Touch me, Kade. I need you to take him away. Please,” I beg as I start to cry. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but if I have to live any longer with the feeling of Aidan’s fingers on me, I don’t know if I’ll ever get past it.
I can see the indecision on Kade’s face as he moves his hand back down, and he’s still watching me, taking in every little movement I make in case I freak out. I keep my eyes locked to his as the tears continue falling. He touches me, and I focus on how it feels, knowing it’s him, knowing he would never hurt me. When he slips his fingers inside, my back bows under him and I push off my feet trying to get more, wanting, greedy for more of him. All of him.
“Yes,” I breathe out. I reach down and take his hard length in my hand and guide him to my entrance. He’s still watching me carefully and I can tell he’s worried which only makes me love him more. “Make love to me, Kade.”
At this he slides inside slowly, still watching, making sure I’m okay. His movements are slow and steady as if he knows just what I need. I wrap my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck and pull him down on top of me, desperate to feel his weight on me.
He does everything I want but doesn’t push me. I don’t come and that’s fine. That’s not what this was about. When he comes, he pushes in deep and holds himself inside, still watching me, his face filled with so much love I can only hope mine reflects it to him.
Chapter 25
A month and a half later
After the initial ten days I was back in Serenity Point, things settled down. As in way down. No bricks were thrown, no jealous fights broke out and no whacko ex-boyfriends showed up to hold me hostage. All in all, it’s been nice.
Kade and I have been splitting our time between my apartment and his house which has worked out great. He hasn’t pressured me to move in. He says he’s just taking what he can get, and I love him for giving me the space I need to figure things out.
The garage is showing a profit and we’ve got three cars in that Jason and Chance are working on. Ada
m quit before he even got started, having found another job in a town closer to where he lived. I wished him luck but didn’t advertise the job again. My two mechanics are doing a fine job, so I think for now we’re good.
Clara and Bill have been godsends. When I’ve needed to take off, either or both of them are there at a moment’s notice. I’ve kept the hours the same since that seemed to work, so Kade and I are off at six each night and have that time to ourselves unless he’s working out of town. But he’s only had to go out a couple times, so it’s all good.
I’ve also had at least ten of the business owners in town along with several people approach me about helping them with their books or taxes. It just might work out that if I quit my job at the firm, I could open my own accounting business here, maybe even hire a couple people if I decide to stay. Who knows.
It’s a Friday night and I’m sitting in the swing on the wraparound porch of Kade’s house now watching the sun go down trying to figure out how I should approach him with wanting to help buy the house. He’s a proud man, no doubt, but if we’re going to live here together (hopefully) I need to do my part. I’m also a little apprehensive about it because this would mean I’ve tied myself to him, as in seriously tied myself to him and there really wouldn’t be any going back. I’ve got my foot up on the rail pushing off to swing myself when he drives up, going around to the back to park.
I hear the screen on the front door squeak when he opens it then he’s there.
“Hey, baby,” he says and bends to kiss me.
“Hi, honey,” I say, smiling up at him.
He leans back against the porch railing. “How’d today go?”
“Good,” I answer, shading my eyes with my palm as I look at him. “Remember Mrs. Greenbow? Our second grade teacher?” He nods. “She brought her new car in, not knowing how to turn the bright lights on. She said she kept clicking her left foot on the button but nothing happened.”
He grins. “She’s been driving that old Thunderbird for way too long.”
“Yeah. She finally gave in and got herself that Buick that she always talked about when we were out on the playground.”
He looks at me funny.
“Cassie and I loved her. She was so sweet. So when we went out to recess, we’d hang around her because she carried butterscotch candy and would slip us some when the other kids weren’t looking. We heard her talking to Mrs. Daniels once about how she wanted a Buick but Herb wouldn’t let her get it,” I explain the reason why I know what kind of car she wanted.
“Hm.”
“Also, Dean Brown came by asking if I’d sponsor his little league next spring. Of course, I said yes.”
He smirks. “I sponsor Winston Crown’s team. We’re mortal enemies now.”
I laugh. “I’ll bet two foot rubs and a back massage that my team beats yours.”
“You’re on.”
He’s smiling big now because he realizes that by sponsoring the team, I’m sticking around for a while.
“Gotta proposition for you,” I say now, hoping his good mood sticks.
“You can proposition me any time, babe.” He grins lasciviously.
I roll my eyes. “Now, you have to hear me out. You can’t just say no right off the bat. Okay?”
He narrows his eyes not liking this deal at all. “I’ll try.”
I let out a breath. “Well, you’ve seen my car, right?”
He huffs. “You know I have.”
“It’s worth a lot of money.”
“Know that too.”
“I’m going to sell it then get something half its price.”
He shrugs wondering why I think he’d say no to this.
“That means I’d have almost fifty grand left.”
He’s still watching me not getting where I’m going with this.
“I’ve got almost three hundred grand in savings.”
His eyes get big now. “Damn, Mill. Didn’t know I was fucking a rich chick.” And the smirk’s back.
I snort at this. “What I’m saying is… you promised you wouldn’t say no, right?” What I don’t tell him is I’ve got way more than that put away from Papaw and Meemaw’s insurance and I’m using it to pay a P.I. who’s looking for this Shannon woman who’s supposedly had Brody’s baby, but that can come later.
He nods again looking at me in amusement.
“It’s just that I hate the fact that with the house, you’re beholden to Peyton.”
“Beholden?”
“Obligated.”
“I know what it means. Kinda old fashioned, yeah?”
“It’s something Papaw would’ve said. You know I have weird words I use all the time.”
He smiles as he adjusts his position against the rail.
“Anyway, I’d like to pay off the house loan.” I cringe waiting for him to bark out a “No!” but it doesn’t come. Instead, he’s staring at the porch floor in thought.
Several minutes go by before he finally speaks. “That’d mean I’d be ‘beholden’ to you.” He grins.
“Yeah, it would,” I reply with a giggle. “But both our names would be on the title,though, so it wouldn’t be like I could kick you out if you got out of line.” I cut my eyes at him then laugh.
He chuckles then gets serious. “Be nice to get out from under her in one way.”
“So you’ll let me?”
He nods and I jump up from the swing then jump on him, wrapping my legs around his waist, kissing his face all over. He carries me inside and we make love on the soft flokati rug I bought him in front of the fireplace. Correction. Our fireplace.
~~~
The last week of my vacation, I’m a wreck. I’ve got to go back to the firm in Richmond. I’ve already given my two-weeks’ notice, but I’m kind of terrified at the prospect of leaving. It’s been a good job. No, it’s been a great job and I’m afraid I might get either bored or overwhelmed with running my own firm. Kade tells me that’s normal and that if I wasn’t afraid, I wouldn’t be human which makes me feel better.
The garage is all lined out. Clara’s doing an awesome job as are the guys, so I feel comfortable leaving them. Kind of. Of course, Kade tells me he’ll keep an eye out until I get back.
I know I can do this, it’s just making it happen that’s the scary part. I decide to suck it up and forge ahead.
~~~
“Oh, God, Kade,” I cry out as I come. I’m on my knees holding onto the fence headboard of the bed in my garage apartment. He’s lying under me, his arms wrapped around my thighs holding me to his mouth.
He moves out from under me and knifes up quickly then turns and enters me from behind. His hands move from my waist to my hands on the headboard and he laces his fingers with mine.
“Two weeks,” he hisses in my ear, drilling up inside me.
It’s Sunday night and I leave for Richmond tomorrow. I’ll be back on the weekends but he’s been pretty agitated that I’ll be gone even the amount of time it takes to work a day job.
He continues pumping inside as he wraps an arm around my waist, the other crossing my chest, holding me under my armpit. “You’ll come back to me, Mill,” he grates roughly the slams up inside me.
“Yes,” I moan.
Of course I’m coming back. But I get that he knows Richmond’s been my home for five years. I’ve got ties there and he’s afraid I might reconsider once I go back. No matter how much I’ve tried convincing him that’s not going to happen, he doesn’t fully believe. I guess he’ll believe in two weeks when I return.
“Fuck you so hard you’ll want to come back,” he growls, grinding his cock up rough and deep.
“I will,” I breathe out. “I love you,” I whisper, hoping he knows it by now.
~~~
Being back is strange. I can’t believe I spent five years here and thought I liked it. The city, like any other large city, is so busy and everyone’s so focused on their own lives it makes me miss the si
mplicity of home. Makes me miss people saying hello to me on the street or Mags’ hollering out a greeting when I enter the diner. But mostly it makes me miss Kade.
When I go to my condo each night, the silence is deafening and I wonder why I even chose to live here. I’ve arranged to end my lease at the end of the month which is perfect timing.
I’m sitting at my table eating the takeout Chinese I brought home, hating that Cass won’t come bebopping in without any notice or Brody won’t stick his head in the door and tell me to come have a beer with him. Or Kade won’t come in smirking at me as if he knows a secret that I don’t. And I realize I’m crying.
God. Five years I lived this way and didn’t even know I was a dead woman walking. But if someone would’ve told me even three months ago that I’d want to move back to Serenity Point I would’ve laughed in their face. But now I know it’s home and it’s where I want to be.
~~~
I sneak into Kade’s store on the last Friday I was scheduled to work. I’d given several of my accounts over to different people who’d wanted them, Sydney included, and my replacement would pick up the ones I hadn’t. Just after lunch, Mr. Rawlins had come into my office to wish me well then told me to get the hell out of there. I’d smiled and given him a hug and thanked him for everything. Then I went by Sydney’s office to tell her goodbye. We’d promised to keep in touch and I really hoped we would. She’d been a good friend during the time I’d worked there and I didn’t want our friendship to end.
I’d left work then gone to my condo, grabbing up the few bags I had. I did another check around the place, looking in the dishwasher and washer and dryer, places where one tends to leave things when moving, then giving the place one last look, I’d closed the door and got in my car. I put my keys in an envelope addressed to the landlord and on the way out of town, dropped it in the mail.
The hour drive to Serenity Point seemed to take forever, but it was because I was excited to see Kade. Now I walk to the back of his store, putting a finger over my mouth to shush Mike when I see him, at which he grins, and find Kade working on the books in his office.
Bigger Than the Sky (Serenity Point) Page 21