Chapter Twelve
“Tay, wake up baby you’re scaring me.”
I can hear his voice and but all I see is venom filled eyes.
“TAYLOR!”
I jump at the sound of my name and sit up in the bed wiping my eyes. When I look beside me Trevor has his hand on my arm.
“Sorry bad dream.”
“You scared the shit out of me are you okay?” he shouts.
I slide back down in the bed and lay my head on his chest. He wraps me in his arms and kisses my hair.
“I’m fine it was just a dream.”
I don’t want to tell him what I saw. I just want him to take it all away.
I pull back from his arms and climb on top of him. He looks surprised and I slip his shirt over my head and pull his hands up and place them on my breasts.
“Just love me,” I choke out and close my eyes as he leans up and pulls my nipple into his mouth.
His touch is just the thing I need to take it all away. I arch my back and push my breast into his mouth and reach my hand behind me finding him ready for just what I need. He takes over and takes it all away and soon I am once again wrapped in his arms and I know that anything that comes my way will never hurt me.
His words are what I need to hear. His moans and the feel of his hands. I let it take over my mind, body and soul.
***
The rest of the night is full of love. We sleep here and there and I finally find peaceful sleep once the sun starts to rise. It feels like as soon as I am asleep my phone rings and I reach to the side table groaning when I look at the screen and see Joslynn’s smiling face. Today is the day we open Sunshine’s.
“Hello…” I groan and pull the covers over my head.
Trevor rolls around beside me and laughs when he tries to pull the covers back and I ball them in my hands tighter.
“Where the hell are you? I have been up since the ass crack of dawn.”
“Why?”
“Taylor, if you don’t get your ass down here I will come drag you out by your toes! Why are you still in bed?”
“Trevor’s fault…” I mumble.
He succeeds in pulling the covers away from me and sticks out his tongue like a child.
“Up, Taylor, now! I don’t want to hear anymore other than you are up and walking out the door!”
“Fine, fine, fine.” And I hang up the phone.
Trevor laughs and get out of bed throwing on clothes.
“What are you so damn happy about?” I ask.
“Get your horn dog ass up, wench!”
I grab a pillow and throw it at his face. He ducks and it hits the dresser behind him and soon it’s flying back at the bed and hitting me.
“I don’t like you morning people.”
Trevor laughs and dodges another pillow. The morning feels normal and the way it should and I try hard to push what happened yesterday from my head. I take a little extra time to get ready curling my hair and putting on a little makeup. Once I am dressed and ready, I walk to the kitchen for coffee. Trevor is sitting at the table reading the paper waiting on me.
“We need to go, baby. If we don’t hurry up Joslynn will be frying my head as our first meal.”
Trevor lowers the paper and laughs.
“Well I for one know that would taste amazing.” He teases and rolls the paper up grabbing my hand and leading us towards the door.
“You would eat me?” I raise my hands to cover my mouth.
Trevor leans in and whispers in my ear like there is someone around who is going to hear what he is saying as we walk to our car.
“Baby, I would eat you any day of the week,” he comments and kisses my cheek.
His words make goosebumps raise along my skin and my knees go weak.
The closer we get to Sunshine’s, the more excited I start to feel. The worries of Kipper are soon gone when we pull up. Joslynn is running around the restaurant wiping tables and checking them to make sure they are spotless. I hope that working here doesn’t bring back the unwanted memories of Frank and Tank.
“Hey, Jos.”
She jumps and spins around to face me with her hands on her hips, her eyes looking between Trevor and me.
“You two picked the worst night in history to pull an all-night sex fest,” she tells us.
I can’t help but bust out laughing as she tries to look serious but I see her smile peeking out from behind her straight face and she is soon laughing with both of us.
“Where is my brother?” Trevor asks.
Joslynn rolls her eyes and points to the kitchen.
“He thinks he is cooking today.”
“Oh we can let Trevor do the bacon,” I offer.
He swats my ass and kisses my cheek and his hand rubs my stomach. I smile and watch as he walks to the kitchen with Marshall and Joslynn runs up to me and wraps her arms around me.
“Ready?” she asks dancing around the room after she pulls back from the hug.
I nod my head and rub my fingers together. Even if we only have one customer today I know that this is ours and no one can take that away from us. This is the new beginning to a long life of family and food something we all need more of.
Chapter Thirteen
“Have you seen Kipper? I thought after all of his hard work he would have wanted to be here today,” Joslynn inquires.
My breath catches in my throat as I think of what to say to her. She knows he was here yesterday with me when she left.
“Not since we left yesterday. Maybe he is just resting?” I turn my face away from her so she can’t see the panic in my eyes.
“Maybe. Hey did you put the help wanted sign out?”
“Shit no I left in a rush yesterday in the rain. I’ll do it now.”
I put out the sign and look around the room hoping we fill up fast.
The bell over the door dings and both Joslynn and I look up smiling. A woman walks in with her two children and looks around the room.
“Wow this place looks great!” she says.
“Welcome to Sunshine’s have a seat anywhere,” I greet her and motion to the empty tables.
She smiles and nods her head. When I look to Joslynn she is dancing around and trying to not squeal with joy at our first customer. My hands are shaking as I walk to their table to take their order.
“What can I get y’all to drink?”
“Three orange juices please,” she politely orders.
She looks to be in her early thirties. Her hair is pulled in to a bun on the back of her head and her makeup is on point with looking as if she took hours to get ready. I walk to the kitchen and dance as soon as the doors shut behind me.
“We, my boys, have our first customers!” I shout.
Both Trevor and Marshall laugh as I dance around the room making their drinks and compose myself before I walk out the door.
“Here you go.” I set each drink down in front of them.
Her boys look to be twins and about ten years old, both of them with blond hair and blue eyes. They smile and take a sip of their drinks.
“Have you decided what you would like to eat or do you need a little more time?”
“I think we will have the Sunny Morning omelet with a side of bacon and syrup.”
I write down their order and pin it to the board between the kitchen and dining area. Joslynn is talking with a teenager in the far corner and food is cooking in the back. I take a deep breath and let it go as I smile to myself and try not to dance in front of everyone. I have never been so excited about anything other than Trevor and our baby. But this… we did it. We finally did it.
Throughout the day we have more customers than I would have thought we would have on opening day and with each one I do a little dance. Joslynn spends most of the day talking with potential employees. Around lunch things slow down and Joslynn helps me wipe down the tables.
“Wow it’s only lunch and this is going really good,” Joslynn says.
“I know!” I giggle.
“Hey, stranger, where have you been?” Joslynn goes up to him.
“Sorry long night. Can I talk to you?” he says and looks to me.
I shake my head and turn back towards the kitchen while Joslynn looks between the two of us. I see Kipper nod his head as I turn to walk in the kitchen and run into the hard chest that I know all too well.
“Whoa, Sunshine, where you going?” Trevor quizzes me.
“Uh just looking for you,” I answer.
Trevor looks behind me and sees Kipper. I know he is going to want to go talk to him and offer him his free meal. I don’t want to stand around and hear them talk about how wonderful a job he did on the place. I look around the kitchen and spot the dishes.
“I’m going to wash those while it’s slow out there.” I lean in to kiss Trevor on the cheek.
He kisses me on the head and walks out of the kitchen. I know that avoiding Kipper may make the others ask questions but a simple sorry isn’t something you can say after the things he tried to do the night before – I don’t want his sorry.
I look around the kitchen and shake off the nerves of seeing Kipper and turn to do the dishes. My life has always been a rebound of what I have put myself through never what someone else has done or tried to do to me. I always went through Joslynn’s ups and downs with her but never had to deal with major ones on my own.
I had a good childhood with a loving mother who stuck by me even when I was a slobbering drunk and a hard working father who never gave up on his baby girl no matter what I did. I drank because it was my way of saying fuck you to the world. Not that I had reasons but that I thought I did. I could always find a reason to drink – it didn’t take much. Oh my hair looked bad… that’s okay nothing a glass of my best friend Mr. JD couldn’t take care of.
But seeing a man who just the day before had his hands all over me trying to do things to me that I didn’t ask for? That never happened growing up. I should be pissed and yelling from the rooftops what he did to me as he sits in a jail cell and rots. But that would mean making my life complicated on purpose and that is something I am not used to.
I finally have things that are mine. Things that despite the fact I did all I could to keep them away are mine and I just want to live in my bubble of happiness where nothing can touch me. It has worked so far.
Chapter Fourteen
“Wow what a first day!” Joslynn admits, sitting down in the chair across from me.
I pass her a glass of tea and laugh. We did great, many customers and people needing a job.
“I know! It was amazing!” I agree.
“I think we are going to be just fine. I heard many say how nice the place was.”
“Another early one tomorrow?” I take another sip of my tea.
“You know it, no more all-nighters please,” she jokes.
“Yeah yeah.”
The topic of my sex life isn’t something I want to dish about. Even if she is my best friend.
“Hey what was that with Kipper today?”
“What was what?” I ask and look out the window.
“Taylor, come on you know what. What happened?”
“Nothing, Jos, I just wanted to get the dishes washed.” I look from the window to my wrist and see a faint bruise.
Nothing as bad as what I thought it would be but it’s enough to leave the memory and remind me that it wasn’t a dream.
“You and I both know that isn’t the truth.”
“Jos, don’t do this please? I told you it was nothing. Just let it be nothing.”
“Look at me.” She waits to talk again until I raise my eyes to hers. “I am your best friend and I know that something is wrong.”
The tears I didn’t want her to see start to ease their way down my cheeks. Marshall and Trevor both left hours before and left Joslynn and me to enjoy the first night of our dream coming true together.
“He… He tried to… He tried to force himself on me, Jos, okay? Now will you leave it alone?”
She stands up so fast the chair flips backwards and skids across the floor hitting the wall behind it. Her hands slam on the table, and I jump.
“What the fuck did you just say? And he was in here taking praises? Trevor didn’t beat his ass? Taylor?”
I shake my head and watch her pace the room. This is why I didn’t want to tell her. I didn’t want to be the victim. I didn’t want the look of her feeling sorry for me.
“Taylor, did you tell him?”
“No.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Why the hell not?”
“This is why, Joslynn, this right here is why!” I yell and motion my hands to her still pacing the room.
She stops and looks at me confused.
“What are you talking about?”
“Can you just leave it alone?”
“Maybe if you give me a good enough reason to!”
She grabs the chair from the floor and sits back down in front of me. I can see her legs shaking under the table in front of me along with the rest of her body.
“I don’t want to be a fucking victim, Joslynn! I have a new business with my best friend, a baby on the way and I am fixing to marry the love of my life”
“None of those work for me,” she interjects.
“Joslynn, do you remember when you came to me the first time your dad put his hands on you and you begged me not to say anything? Remember that feeling after others found out? The looks you got? I don’t want that!”
She takes a deep breath crossing her arms across her chest – tears now matching mine streaming down her face.
“Fine, I get it, okay. But he is not allowed back here – ever! His free meals can come from home. The first time he walks in here and even looks your way I will tell Marshall and Trevor so fast both of your heads will spin, do you hear me?” she clarifies.
I nod my head and stand from the table, she meets me on the other side and wraps her arms around me. I know that she understands my reasons while others might not. That is another one of the reasons she is my best friend.
“Ready to go home? I want to see my son,” she concludes smiling and wiping her eyes.
“Yeah, thank you, Jos.”
“I love you, Tay.”
“I love you too.”
We hug again and I climb in my car. It is dark by the time we finally leave. The street lights line the road and not many cars are out. I wave as Joslynn passes me honking her horn. When I drive at night I always blare the radio and sing at the top of my lungs. Even though I probably look like a crazy lady, I take a small comfort in knowing that no one can see me.
A car pulls out behind me with their bright lights on. My stomach feels like it’s in knots so I take a deep breath and try to ignore the annoying lights shining in my face. I make it to my turn and the car behind me turns as well, which does nothing to calm my nerves. They are following pretty close behind me. My hands get sweaty on the steering wheel and I take yet another deep breath. Feels like I have been taking a lot of those the last few days. I scream when the car behind me slams into mine. My car moves from side to side. I get the car back on the road and speed up trying to get as far away as I can. I hear a horn honking and look beside me, the car catches up to me and rams the side of my car.
I can feel the scream rising from my stomach and it’s like it all happens in slow motion. My car slides off the side of the road and I know I am flipping into the field beside me. My screams and breaking glass are the only thing I can hear before it all goes black. My whole world goes silent.
Chapter Fifteen
Every inch of my body hurts from my head to my toes. My throat feels like someone shoved a hot iron down my throat. I want to open my eyes and look around me but nothing wants to move – it all hurts too much.
Someone touches my arm and I groan sliding my eyes open
slowly.
“Stupid bitch, should have kept your mouth shut and accepted the sorry for what it was supposed to be. Instead you had to tell your best friend. And if she sees me she’ll tell Marshall and Trevor so fast my head will spin. Ha! Right!” He kicks the side of my car and I close my eyes again.
It feels like this is the end. This is where I will die. I will lose all I worked hard for, all that I have ever wanted on the side of the road in my crumbled up car. I hear sirens behind me and yelling.
“Ma’am, can you hear me?”
I groan as the world once again goes black and nothing else exists.
***
“Taylor?”
“Jos…?” I groan and look beside me. She smiles when I open my eyes. Her eyes are red and puffy, her hand holding mine. I turn my head to look around the room and see that it is only her and me. It feels like déjà vu as I look around for Trevor and my heart starts to race.
“He didn’t…” I say.
“No he went to take a shower,” she reassures me.
She reaches towards the table beside the bed and hands me a glass of water. It is a welcoming comfort to the pain in my throat.
“The baby?” I say.
“Tay… I…”
“Joslynn, is my baby okay?” I yell as loud as my throat will let me.
My heart starts to race and the machines around me start to beep. My body won’t move the way I want it to. I want the IVs out. I want to go home to Trevor.
The door opens behind Joslynn and a doctor runs in. He sees that I’m awake and pushes Joslynn out of the – hitting buttons on the machines and asking me questions I don’t want to answer. My eyes never leave Joslynn as she watches – tears running down her face – and I know the answer to the question I asked her. I want someone to say it. I want to hear the words.
I look to the man beside me. He is bald with big frame glasses resting on the end of his nose. He puts a needle in the end of my IV and looks towards me.
“You can’t be doing that now. How do you feel?”
Revive Me (Say Something Book 3) Page 6