Purple Rain (The Rain Series Book 2)

by TJWEST

  We cleaned ourselves up by taking a nice long, hot shower. Lots of steam. Lots of lovin’. Joey and Pop were gonna be back soon so we had to speed things up. We got dressed just in time when Pop came knockin’ at the front door.

  “Hello, we’re back!” Pop shouted. “Go ahead and put your bag over there, son.” He told Joey.

  Walkin’ in the livin’room together, Sandy welcomes them back. “Did you two have fun?”

  “Yep!” Joey exclaimed and ran straight for his room.

  Sandy chuckled. “Okay. I guess I don’t get any other information huh?”

  “Ha ha, I guess not. But he did love those reptiles.” Pop explained. He took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. “Boy, I’m beat! That sun is a kicker.”

  “Let me get you some water, Red.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart.” He responded by wipin’ his brow.

  I took a seat close to Pop. I noticed he looked pretty flushed from the heat. I didn’t think it was that hot outside. But I’m not the one who was at the zoo for four hours. Sandy brought him his water and sat on my lap, facing Pop. I held her around the waist, strokin’ her upper thigh. “Should we shoot for pizza tonight fella’s?” Sandy asked.

  I agreed, murmuring, “Sounds good, Shorty.”

  “Uh. Yeah. Yeah, sure.” Pop stammered.

  “Red? You okay? You still look overheated. Did you have enough water today?” Sandy asked, concerned. I was actually thinkin’ the same thing. He didn’t look well, even after the glass of water he just guzzled up.

  Pop grumbled, “Yeah, I had enough H2O today, so stop worrin’.”

  “Pop -” Sandy patted my hand before I had a chance to snap at him.

  “Okay, Red, okay. Maybe you would want to lie down awhile before the pizza arrives? You can take a nap in Joey’s room? I’ll just have him join us in here.”

  He nodded in agreement and wiped his brow again. “Alright. That’s a good idea.”

  “I’ll go tell Joey.” I volunteered. Joey was on his 3DS as I entered his room. “Hey bud, how about pizza tonight?”

  “Okay!” He excitedly said.

  “Why don’t you join me and your mom in the livingroom. Red needs a small nap and we told him to use your bed.”

  “Why do I have to leave? I’ll be quiet.”

  “Well, I don’t think he’ll want to hear you play your video game while he’s restin’. It’s better if you play outside the room. Besides, I wanna hear all about those reptiles Red said you loved. Alright?”

  “Okay.”

  We both strutt back to the livin’room while Pop makes his way to lay down. We order the pizza and get things cleaned up before it arrives. In the meantime, Sandy and I open a bottle of wine and sit out on the balcony while Joey stays engaged with his games. We saw a peak of the sunset settin’ over the apartment complex. I couldn’t wait to get her a house where she would be able to see the entire sunset without any fuckin’ buildings in the way.

  “Been thinkin’, Shorty, about sellin’ my bike business, my house.” I shared, unexpectedly.

  “Really? What made you think of this?”

  “You. Joey. Nothin’ else to it.”

  Sandy got up from her chair and seated her sweet ass on my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. “Quinn, you love your business. I can’t ask you to sell it for us.”

  “First of all, babe, you didn’t ask and second my life is here, in San Diego, with you and your boy. Nevada is not my home anymore. I can always start up another one here. For now, I’m thinkin’ of you and buildin’ a life with you. Makin’ a family with you and Joey.”

  She exhaled. “You always seem to surprise me; saying things like that to me.”

  “Because of you I see things differently now.”

  “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

  I smiled at her. “Not in the last couple hours, Shorty.” I stroke her cheek with the back of my fingers. “I love you too.” I gave her another kiss. This time a little deeper, until we hear the doorbell ring.

  Joey shouts, “Pizza!”

  “I’ll go pay.” I insisted, while she went to wake Pop. “Hey, bud, why don’t ya go wash up alright?” I told Joey. I was surprised he even heard me since he was so hooked on his game.

  As I was putting the pizza down on the table I hear Sandy shouting my name. What the hell is wrong? I wondered. I dash into Joey’s room and find Sandy shakin’ like a leaf. Her eyes were bugged out like she had seen a ghost. “Shorty, what? What’s wrong?”

  I had never seen her like this before. “Quinn, somethings wrong with Red. He won’t wake up. You need to call 911. Now!” She started to choke up.

  “What?” I shockingly question. I hurried over to Pops side and studied his face. He was pale - ghostly pale. Holy Fuck. No. No, this can’t be for real. “Pop!” I shouted. “Pop!” I started shakin’ him, but his head was as limp as a wet rag. “For Godsake, wake up old man! Pop!” Whatever was bein’ said or done around me never snapped me out of whatever was happenin’ in front of me. “Pop, no! Pop, wake up!” I started doin’ CPR but even that wasn’t helpin’. “Fuck, Pop, wake up already!” I kept up the CPR, pumpin’ his chest, but I knew it was too late. I felt a hand on my shoulder, but flicked it off like it was a fuckin’ fly. I just sat next to my old man and stared at him in shock. I felt like someone had sucked me in a hole and I couldn’t dig myself out. I was in my very own nightmare - flesh and all. My body was not my own. Any minute now he was gonna wake up and then things would be okay; we would finally talk and try to mend things between us. He wasn’t actually there, lookin’ like a corpse. This was just a joke. A big fuckin’ joke. Right? Wrong. My Pop was dead. He was lyin’ there, stiff as can be. Dead.

  Chapter 19

  Sandy

  I don’t really remember the paramedics coming into my home. Everything happened so fast I didn’t have enough time to process the situation. All I truly remember was seeing Red, lying on my sons bed, gone; Dead. I’ll never get that picture out of my memory. Watching Quinn discover that his father had truly passed was the worst day of my life. I hurt for him. My heart was breaking for this man and there was nothing I could do to help him. I was aching to hold him, but he didn’t want the comfort of my arms. It was killing me to see him so shocked - so helpless. A big strong man like Quinn, breaking down over his fathers death, was not something I wanted to re-live.

  Joey was just as heart-broken as I was. I was really worried about him because he couldn’t stop crying. No little boy should witness anything like this. Ever. He was afraid that he would die in his bed as well, but I did everything I could to convince him that this wouldn’t happen to him. He is such a brilliant boy, but processing this tragic event was too much for him.

  While we were at the hospital I called Peta to come and get Joey. She was also distraught, but wouldn’t let Joey see how much. We gave each other a big, long hug, crying softly. I told her I would call. I needed to be there for Quinn so having Joey be with her for one night, was the right decision.

  I held Joey’s face in my hands and whispered, “I love you so very much, okay?”

  He nodded his head and whispered back, “I love you too.” Tears were still crowding his eyes and slowly dripping down his cheeks. I wanted to take his pain away. He was devastated. I gave him one more big hug and let him walk away with my best friend. She gave me a sad smile, held Joey’s hand and left.

  The doctor at the hospital told us Red may have suffered a major heart attack, but wouldn’t know for sure until the autopsy came back. Unfortunately, it would take days for the results to come through. He also informed us that he died peacefully in his sleep. I hid the fact that I was relieved Red hadn’t suffered, but I could tell Quinn was enraged; we knew something wasn’t right with him when he came home from the zoo. He looked out of breath and exhausted. That wasn’t normal when it concerned Red. He was always so energetic; gardening, fixing things, painting. He always went for his annual physicals and came ba
ck with healthy results. So for this to have happened was shocking and unreal.

  Eventually, we headed back to my place. The drive was very quiet; I kept glancing at Quinn to see if he was okay, but he looked straight ahead, arms crossed and didn’t move a muscle. I wanted to say something, anything to get him to talk to me, but to be honest I was afraid. It wasn’t the right time to open up. I decided to wait until we got home. Entering my apartment was an eerie feeling; furniture was still scattered to the side for when the paramedics came with the stretcher, the room was dark, the cold pizza was sitting on the table, uneaten, and knowing Red died in my sons bed made me sick. Literally. I threw down my purse, ran straight for my bathroom and retched up that nasty hospital coffee I drank two hours ago. I rinsed out my mouth with mouthwash, dried up and sat on the edge of my bed, staring at nothing. I didn’t know what step to take next. I was exhausted, hungry, but all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep off the awful night. I decided to change out of my clothes, into my pajamas, and check on Quinn. I found him sitting outside on the balcony; lost in whatever he was feeling.

  I went to him and prayed he would talk to me. “You need anything? Food perhaps?” I cautiously asked.

  He exhaled loudly and replied, “Can’t think about eatin’. I could use a drink though.” He suddenly got up, and pushed past me toward the front door.

  “Quinn, wait, where are you going?”

  “Gonna go out; grab a beer.” He mumbled. His hand was on the door knob, ready to turn.

  Desperate to keep him from leaving I swiftly walk up to him; put my hand on his arm and beg him to stay. “Quinn, please, I know you’re hurting, but I’m hurting too. I need you to be here with me. Let us heal each other.” I could feel his bicep stiffen. “I have beer, tequila, anything you need, I have it here. Don’t leave me alone. Please, Wolf.” I whispered, trembling. I was so afraid he was going to walk away from me, yet again. If he did I’m not sure I could handle it.

  He let the knob go. Oh thank God. I hesitantly took his hand into mine and just held it. I didn’t move until he did. I exhaled in relief and let him lead the way. He sat us down on the couch; hands still entwined, legs touching, and a brief pause before he started talking.

  “Tequila sounds good, Shorty.” He whispered, softly.

  I didn’t waste anytime; I grabbed two shot glasses, a fresh bottle of tequila and brought them over to the coffee table. No words were exchanged as we took shot after shot. The heat from the drink eased the tension that had built in my chest. I was able to relax and lean on Quinn’s shoulder for support. I think he had felt the same because he squeezed my upper thigh and let me continue leaning on him. I don’t remember anything after that. I fell asleep.

  *****

  I woke up feeling cold. Not because It was a chilly morning, but because the other half of the bed was empty. I craved for the warmth of Quinn’s body. Where was he?

  “Quinn?” I called out. I got out of bed, wandering into the living room, hoping he would be there. Still, no sign of him. I retrieved my purse, digging for my phone, checking for any messages. Yes. He left one. He was at Reds house. God, he shouldn’t be there alone. I wanted to be there for him, but was questioning if he’d rather I wasn’t by his side. I hated doubting, but he wouldn’t let me in; wouldn’t talk to me. Last night was the first time all evening he actually let me comfort him, even if it was the small touch of my head on his shoulder. I decided to go with my gut; going over to Reds was the right thing to do. Whether he knew it or not, he needed me by his side. First, I had to make a stop at Peta’s. She texted stating that Joey was missing me. I missed him too. My poor boy was hurting, grieving as much as we were and needed my reassurances.

  Before anything, I had to take some pain medicine. I had the worst headache; drinking all those shots last night had me feeling like shit. I quickly downed a bottle of water, ate a bowl of cereal and got dressed. Even though going into Joey’s room was the last place I wanted to be I had to gather a few of his items; I hadn’t been able to pack anything for him last night and I knew he needed a change of clothing. I stared at that bed; the image of Red was too fresh. I had to get out of there. I made up my mind earlier that replacing the bed would hopefully ease that image. But being anywhere in the apartment was a constant ache; a constant reminder that someone we loved passed away in our home. I wasn’t sure how Joey and I were going to cope living there. I had a lot of thinking to do, but for now I had to get going and see my son.

  Chapter 20

  Quinn

  I drank so much last night I was wishin’ I wouldn’t have woken up so fuckin’ early. Once Sandy passed out I carried her into her bed. She looked just as exhausted as I had been, but I knew It would take me another few shots to drown my sorrows and knock me out. If she hadn’t stopped me from leavin’ the apartment I’m not sure what I would have done. I’m used to dealin’ with shit on my own, drinkin’ until I can’t sit up straight, but hearin’ her cry and needing me crushed me. I couldn’t turn my back on her; she was in as much pain as I was.

  I didn’t want to leave her this morning; she looked so beautiful, so at peace. I wanted to drown more of my sorrows inside her body, but couldn’t wake her. It was a long ass night and she needed to sleep. I didn’t want to worry her so I left her a text message.

  I dreaded goin’ to Pops; my stomach was tied in knots, just thinkin’ about steppin’ inside his house. But it had to be done. Even though it’s been less than a day the house was stale of yesterday mornings breakfast. I rubbed my eyes and made my way to the guest room. I undressed and took a quick shower. I felt drained; pissed off from the fucked up, uneventful situation. How the hell did this happen? One minute my Pop was there talkin’, breathin’ and the next he was gone. I know we had a shitty relationship, but it was slowly mending. He’ll never know how he changed my life by forcing me to take over Reds. He’ll never know how much that turned my life around for the better. I met Sandy. If it weren’t for him, I would never had met her; fallen in love with her. I’ll always live with regret because I couldn’t thank him.

  I was laying on my bed, still wearin’ the towel wrapped around my waist when I hear, “Quinn?” Sweet Jesus I loved that soft, sexy voice, but I couldn’t for the life of me react to it. I felt like shit treatin’ her like she wasn’t even here; I had no clue how to dig my way out of the slump. The bed dipped from the shift of her body, climbing towards mine. She laid her head on my chest; arm around my waist. She smelled like sweet berries and coconut. I wanted to comfort her as she was doin’ for me, but my arms were useless; dead weight.

  She whispered. “Please hold me. I need you.” She lightly whimpered when my fingers finally touched base with the lower half of her back. I felt like I had woken up from a nightmare; the warmth of her trembling figure had me lusting to fuck her. I wanted to lose myself from within the body I needed most. I craved for this womans touch. She was my liquor; sultry, enduring, luscious, and intoxicating. She didn’t know what hit her when I pinned her to the bed, stripping her down to nothing. Her response was pure satisfaction. She ripped my towel away, grabbed my enlarged cock and stuck it inside her screaming wetness. I grunted with every fiber I had and fucked her like never before. It took every bit of strength to not let go, yet I couldn’t help myself. I combusted; bursted inside.

  Feeling humiliated and ashamed of myself, I rolled off Sandy; out of breath, covering my eyes with my arm. “Sorry. Fuck, I’m so sorry, Shorty.”

  “Whatever for?” She asked, breathless; placing her hand on my chest.

  I removed my arm and looked into her green, questionable eyes. “For not meetin’ your needs. For being a selfish bastard; takin’ you like I did.”

  I closed my eyes when the touch of her palm reached my face. “You were not selfish. I didn’t push you away did I? I don’t care If I didn’t come, Quinn. Just being with you was what I needed. Plus, you needed me and I was here to help. I love you so much.”

  I didn’t deserve this woman, but
held on tight while she brought her lips onto mine. The taste of her sweet, warm tongue melted my inner core. She fit into my soul like no other; I knew from this day on I couldn’t live a single day without her. She was meant to be mine. Always.

  I made some coffee while Sandy attended to herself in the bathroom. I looked all around the empty kitchen; imagining Pops sittin’ at the table, drinkin’ his coffee with the morning paper. I could feel him here even though I knew he wasn’t. His energy surrounded every crack of this house; it was so surreal, knowin’, he wasn’t going to be here anymore.

  “Coffee smells good.” Sandy said softly. She put her front to my back and wrapped me with her warm embrace. I handed her a mug and poured some for her. “Mmm. Thanks. Hit’s the spot.” She smiled that lit up my heart.

  I cupped one side of her face; she leaned into it and briefly shut her eyes. “Thanks for bein’ here.” I whispered.

  “No place I’d rather be.”

  “I seriously don’t deserve you, Shorty.”

  She frowned. “Yes, you do. Stop thinking that way or you’re gonna have one pissed off girlfriend.” She placed her mug on the counter and hugged me.

  I sighed from the amount of grief I was feelin’. “Okay. I don’t want to make my girlfriend pissed so you win; keep doin’ what you’re doin, cuz I need you.”

  “Good.” She smiled, stood up on her tippy toes and laid a good, wet kiss on me.

  We continued drinking our coffee. “I need to make plans for Pops service. Not sure where to start.”

  “We’ll talk about it today. Let’s go sit down and drink our coffee, okay?” She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the living room couch.

  We didn’t talk for a few minutes; just being close to each other was enough. “Can’t believe he’s gone.” I mumbled, lookin’ down into my coffee cup.

  Sandy’s hand went straight for my hair; strokin’ it with her fingers “I know.” She whispered.