Meadowlarks

by Ashley Christine

  “Blaine? Blaine! Baby, please wake up!” Someone is shaking me, warm hands on my face, and she's hysterical. “What did you give him?!”

  “I...I...I don't know! We were just having fun!”

  “Gwen, so help me, tell me what you gave him!”

  I can make out Jeremiah's voice.

  “Fuck, I don't know. I think it was E.”

  My shirt opens, and I feel warm skin against my chest and soft hands on me. Mmm. It feels good.

  “Oh, my God. Baby! Come back to me.” She sounds more controlled now, but I can feel her panic. “Get her out of here, Jeremiah!”

  I hear more commotion, then a door open and close, and now it's quiet.

  “Blaine, my love. Please wake up.”

  I groan and clear my throat. I hear Addison inhale quickly, and the fog starts to clear a little.

  “You.” I smile and peek out slightly with one eye. My body is tingling, and my head is full of pressure.

  “Sweetheart, you're okay. I'm here.” She hugs me; some of her hair falls on my face, and I breathe in her familiar scent. It's the smell of home, and I know I'm safe in her arms.

  “Can you get up?” she asks softly.

  “Mmm, no. Let's stay down here.” I grin and close my eyes, trying to pull her on top of me.

  “I think you need to go to the hospital. You were drugged.”

  Jeremiah comes back in the room, and I hear her tell him to call 9-1-1. What seems like only a few seconds go by, and two paramedics are at my side. They’re asking a bunch of questions, which I don't have the answers to, and flashing small lights in my eyes.

  “We'll take him in and pump his stomach,” one guy says, and I feel a tightness on my arm from what I assume is a blood pressure cuff.

  “Thank you, guys. Can I ride with him?”

  “Of course, ma'am.”

  I'm loaded into an ambulance. The interior lights are dimmed a little once we start driving, and when I adjust my eyes, I see Addison sitting on the bench beside the gurney I'm strapped to.

  “Hi, beautiful.”

  She has tears in her eyes; they pool at her lashes and start rolling down her cheeks. She begins to sob. “Blaine...I...I.”

  I try to reach to wipe her tears, but I can't move my arms. “Do you like your car?” I look at her, feel like I could cry, too, but nothing is coming out. I am full of emotion, but I can't express any of it.

  She laughs, and wipes her tears. “I love it. Thank you.”

  “I'm sorry I didn't text you back.”

  She shakes her head like she's dismissing my apology. “I'm just happy you're okay.” She brushes my hair off my forehead. “I love you so much.”

  I manage to mouth the words back to her before I close my eyes and fall into the dark again.

  “Mrs. Blackstock? Hi, I'm Doctor Sheldon,” a woman’s soft voice speaks.

  “I’m Addison. How much did he ingest?” I hear Addison answer.

  “Seems as if it was only one tablet, but he had a lot of alcohol in his system.”

  I open my eyes and swallow loudly. They both turn and look at me. Addison has wide, worried eyes, but she smiles. The last time I woke up in a hospital, I had no idea who she was, so I'm relieved when her beautiful face is the first thing I see. Her smile warms me.

  “Mr. Blackstock. You had quite a night, I heard. We had to pump your stomach, but you're going to be just fine. Luckily, you have a nurse to take you home and care for you.” She smiles and looks at her watch. “He can go home in a few hours; we just want to keep an eye on him since he just woke up.”

  “Thank you, Doctor Sheldon.”

  She smiles and leaves the room, closing the curtain behind her. Through Addison’s half-open hoodie, I can see she's wearing one of my John Deere t-shirts. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and she's wearing jogging pants. She looks beautifully unkempt, and I reach for her hand.

  “You're gorgeous, baby.” I smile.

  She sits down on the bed and takes my hand, holding it with both of hers. My hand tingles from her warm touch.

  “I'm sorry about what happened with Reid.”

  I stop smiling.

  “I thought he was a friend; I was wrong.” She looks away, and I try to sit up.

  I pull her closer to me; she almost hesitates but then leans in.

  “After you walked away and I was making sure you didn't break his face, he tried to kiss me.”

  I inhale deeply and clench my teeth so hard it almost hurts. Her eyes are wide and glossy, and she starts to cry again.

  “I told him to stop and that I didn't like him like that. I love you. I'm marrying you.” She sniffles, and I can reach up this time to wipe a tear.

  “I'm sorry I walked away. I'm even sorrier about everything that happened since then.” I trail off not wanting to talk about any of it, because I'm sickened at myself.

  “Alex told me; you didn't do anything. You were hurt and upset, I understand.”

  I shake my head; she's wrong. “Addy, I just wanted to...” I stop before I tell her how badly I wanted to drink myself into a stupor and fuck other women on a dance floor in a bar. “I wasn't me.” Or maybe I was. Maybe the person I was before she came into my life is the real me, and the person she got to know is all a facade.

  “No, we're not going to talk about it,” Addison says. “You're okay, and I'm here now. I just want to take you home.” She rolls up her sleeves and rubs her eyes with her hands. “That is if you want to come home with me.”

  “Where else would I want to be?” I'm starting to feel better now that all the toxins were either pumped out or have been absorbed. “I just want you.” I pull her closer until she's almost right on top of me.

  “Blaine!” She giggles. “Not here!”

  “Why else would they have these curtains?” I smile and hold her face in my hands. “I love you, Addison Cole. I love you so much.”

  We talk for another hour or so, and Doctor Sheldon comes back to release me. I thank her for everything.

  Addison drove her new car to Cody; it's in visitor's parking, glistening under the morning sun. She holds up the key fob and pushes a button to unlock the doors. I wince when I think about how it’s the same key that was in my hand yesterday before I threw it at her.

  Our drive home is quiet. I sleep off and on, and the clock on the dash reads almost ten when we drive under the Blackstock banner across the driveway.

  Rex and Luca get up from laying on the porch and run to greet us as we pull in to park beside my truck.

  “There's my boys.” I pet them both, and Luca does the big howling noise he makes when he's excited. “Missed you too, Luca.”

  “They slept at the foot of the bed last night.” She smiles, but it's a sad smile. “I think they wondered where you were.”

  “Well, my side of the bed won't be empty ever again.” I pull her into an embrace and kiss her neck. She moans softly and kisses my collarbone. “I want you,” I breathe.

  We shower together. The steam is invigorating, and I feel tired and recharged all at once. My mouth travels down her body, kissing and licking gently. She has one hand in my hair, pulling gently, and the other is against the glass. Her stomach heaves in and out when she climaxes, and I kiss between her legs and look up at her. Her head is thrown back and her mouth wide open; when she looks down at me, her eyes are so deep they're almost midnight blue. I suck and kiss inch by inch up her body until I'm standing, and I kiss her lips as hard as I can. Our tongues wrapped in each other, we don't even breathe.

  I pull one of her legs up, and hold it against my hip. She puts one hand on my shoulder, and my other caresses her breast, thumbing her nipple while she looks at me intensely. I almost orgasm right there on the spot, but I restrain myself and ease into her. Her body is heated and responds to me like it's been waiting eagerly. Our stare doesn't break, and I thrust deeper and harder, biting my bottom lip to keep myself from roaring.

  Over and over I push and pull, deeper until I can't go any furthe
r. She starts to unravel around me, and I push as far as I can. Her body is pulsating, and she screams out.

  “Baby! Oh! Please…Ahh!”

  The words are like a spark to dynamite, and I hold her against me as I shatter and grip her thigh tightly. My knees feel weak, I almost buckle before letting her leg go and pushing against the tile wall to steady myself.

  “You okay?” She breathes, her chest heaving and eyes still heated.

  “Mmm. I'm more than okay.” I grin, breathing heavily. “Ready for bed?”

  “I start night shifts tonight.” She pouts. “So, if we go to bed, you have to promise to let me sleep...eventually.” She narrows her eyes and smiles.

  “I promise.” I hold my hand over my heart, unsure if I'm going to keep my oath, and kiss her forehead. I break my promise, and once I have her on our bed, I pull her on top of me and guide myself into her again. Afterward, we lay in bed, panting. The bed feels so soft and warm against my skin.

  “What do you want for your birthday?” I ask.

  She smiles and closes her eyes. “Just you.”

  “Wish granted.” I kiss her cheek softly, and she drifts off to sleep.

  My phone vibrates on the nightstand beside the bed and I carefully roll over to look at it.

  Hey buddy. I want to talk to you, I hope u are OK. It's from Jeremiah.

  Come over, we'll talk. I reply.

  I need to hear from Jeremiah about what exactly happened and why I ended up in a hospital. I draw the blinds, and the room darkens. I dress quietly and close the bedroom door behind me so she's not disturbed.

  Fifteen minutes later, while I'm sitting on the tailgate of my truck, drinking coffee out of the biggest mug I could find, Jeremiah pulls in and parks behind me.

  “Hey, man.” He walks up slowly, looking like a kid who just broke a window and is scared of what his dad is going say to him. “How are ya feeling?”

  “I'm good, actually. Feeling much better.” I take a sip from the mug. “Coffee?”

  “No thanks, I've had like, ten this morning already.” He laughs nervously. “Shit, man. I'm sorry about everything.”

  “It's not your fault, and I don't blame you for any of it.” I feel awful that he blames himself. “You did everything I wanted to do.”

  “Pfft. Gwen.” He hops up and sits beside me on the tailgate. “She's nuts, man. I finally got it outta her that she bought pills from a bouncer there. That's what she gave you.”

  I laugh and shake my head. That woman is a fucking trip.

  “I guess 'cause you had so much to drink, it hit you hard. It just turned her into a bigger lunatic.” He chuckles and rubs his face with his hand.

  “How did I get to the hotel?”

  “We left the bar and took a cab to the hotel. I already had reservations there but only ever planned for the three of us guys.”

  “Oh, right. The blondes.”

  “Yeah, well, once we got you into the room, you blacked out and we didn't know what do to. Alex called his sister. But we should have just called an ambulance first.”

  I already knew the rest. Addison told me while I was still in the hospital. Alex called and woke her up; she drove to Cody and rushed to the hotel.

  “Did Addison tell you what she did to Gwen?” He smirks.

  My blank look tells him that she didn't.

  “After the paramedics loaded you into the elevator, there wasn't enough room for her too. So, she was going to take the stairs. Gwen was standing in the hallway, and Addison walked up to her and slapped her across the face.” He bursts with laughter.

  “What!” I'm stunned, and I can't help but laugh, too. “What did Gwen do?”

  “She didn't say anything, just stood here holding her cheek.”

  “I'm sorry I missed it.” I finish my coffee and set the mug on the bed of the truck. The thought of Addison so aggressive and defensive makes me a little hot.

  “Addison stood right in her face and told her to stay away from you. Let me tell you—it was a very quiet drive home.”

  We sat in silence for a few moments.

  “So, hey, she likes the car.” I smile.

  “Good; I'm glad. And if she didn't, I'm sure her brother would happily take it off your hands.” He laughs.

  “Her birthday is in a few weeks. Riley and her other friends from Maine are coming.”

  “Oh yeah, Alex is excited about that one.”

  We decide to take the rest of today off and work a little longer tomorrow to get the fencing finally finished. When he leaves, I make myself another coffee and check on Addison. She's still sleeping. I decide to do something I haven't done in months; I'm going to go for a ride today. Hard to believe I haven't in so long, but I don't feel like I have the time these days.

  Mischief comes right over to the gate when he sees me standing there with his saddle and bridle. He opens his mouth, and I put the steel bit in and the leather straps up and over his ears, pulling his forelock out and smoothing it down. After I synch the girth, I grab the leather horn and pull myself up on to his back.

  “Let's go, boy.” I pat his neck, and my legs give him a squeeze. We walk along the finished portion of the new fence line. Meadowlarks fly out of the grass in the distance, and I remember my first night with Addison.

  She was so beautiful, riding high and free; even when she ended up on the ground, she was still smiling and happy. When I think about everything I've put her through since then, I feel sick. How is this woman still with me? How has she agreed to stand at my side and become my wife?

  Here and now in this field, I make a vow to myself to never let anything happen to jeopardize our love again, as long as I have a breath in my body.

  Mischief starts to get antsy. I know exactly what he wants, and I know I need it, too. I turn him so we're facing the house; it's a small dot in the distance, so we've got a nice long stretch to go. I give him a squeeze and click with the side of my mouth. His body responds, and we lift off the ground. The only sounds I hear are the wind whipping by my body and his galloping hooves rhythmically thumping on the ground. He's running so fast that I'm barely moving in my saddle at all.

  I pull his reigns to slow him to a canter as we start to approach the fence. The other horses hear him and start to whinny; he starts to get excited and jumps around, snorting feverishly.

  “Heyyyyyy. Easy, boy.” I pull the reigns and try to calm him down, but he's still anxious when we get close to the gate. I jump down and pull his saddle off. When I open the gate, I take his bridle off and give his behind a slap. He whinnies to the other horses and takes off toward them, kicking his back legs up. I haven't seen him like that in a long time, so I stand and watch, leaning my arms on the steel gate and resting my chin on top of them.

  “Hey, handsome.” I feel her hands on my back before I hear her voice. “That was quite a show.”

  I turn around so my back is against the gate, and she wraps her arms around my waist to hug me. She inhales deeply and sighs. “I woke up and looked outside. I saw you coming up the field; I couldn't believe how fast you were going!”

  “What can I say?” I smirk and kiss her forehead. “I’m not too bad.”

  She touches my neck softly and gently traces her finger down my chest, opening two buttons. She leans in to kiss me.

  “Addy,” I breathe.

  “You are the most beautiful man I've ever seen,” she says to me. “I still get butterflies when I see you. Do you know that?” She blushes and kisses my chest again.

  I tip her face up with my fingers under her chin and brush my lips against hers. Quickly, I grab her behind and pull her up so her legs are wrapped around my waist, her arms around my neck. I sit down on the top of the picnic table and she puts her hands on my face to kiss me deeply. Slipping my hands up the back of her shirt, I feel her warm skin and pull her closer, kissing deeper and tasting her sweetness. She pulls her lips off mine, our foreheads and noses still against each other, only letting enough space between our mouths to let the
breeze cool our warm breath.

  “I want to feel you inside of me,” she whispers and kisses me again, not giving me a moment to respond, even though I probably can't even speak right now. “Baby, please.”

  She breaks our kiss again and pulls her shirt off her body in one swift move. She's not wearing a bra, and she pulls my head down to her perfect breasts, moaning softly while I kiss and suck on each of them. I kiss back up her chest and neck with fast and deep laps of my tongue and lips. Lifting her up, I stand and almost fall when I try to lay her down on the grass. We both laugh.

  “You okay?” she asks and kisses my chin.

  Leaning back on my knees I quickly undo my jeans and pull my t-shirt off my head—not as stylishly as she did, but just as fast. I lean down and kiss her stomach, running my tongue along her waist from hip to hip just above the elastic of her pajama shorts. I pull them down slowly, and she lifts up for me to take them off. Her long hair is spread on the grass all around her head, the sky reflecting down off her big blue eyes, and she almost doesn't look real, with her glowing perfect skin.

  At just the sight of her laying there I can't stand it. I lower my body on to hers, and she moans softly when I ease myself into her. She gasps and closes her eyes. I kiss her neck and softly bite her shoulder.

  “Mmm...Faster baby, harder.”

  I do just that, faster and harder, like early this morning when we were in the shower. I dig my nails into the grass beside her head, holding on as much as I can, as I slam in and out of her as hard as I can. I pull out, leaving just my tip inside, and she moans while running her hands through her red hair. She looks up, biting her bottom lip; I slowly move back in and thrust hard at the last moment. Her eyes widen and blaze and her mouth forms a perfect O.

  Out there, on the grass, in the middle of my yard with no one around, I have the most raw and passionate sex of my life with the most beautiful creature on the planet. She comes undone like a canister of confetti being shot off by a gun, and her squeezing and pulsing grips my insides. I release, digging deeper into the earth.

  “See that one?” She giggles and points up to a cloud formation.

  “Yeah?”

  “It looks like Luca!”