“Because he’s your Sam?” Chad asks with a smile.
“Something like that.” I laugh. “Where’s my phone?”
Chad walks over to the dresser and brings me my bag. “It fell out of your pocket so I tossed it in here.”
Pulling my phone out, I prepare myself for the number of missed calls and texts, when it suddenly starts vibrating in my hand. Sawyer. This won’t be good. I swipe my phone and bring it up to my ear. Chad walks out of the room, giving me privacy.
“Hey friend.”
“Don’t you dare hey friend me! Are you all right? I have been worried sick and calling for hours!” I have to pull the phone away from my ear to protect my eardrums from Sawyer’s yelling.
“I am fine. My phone was on vibrate last night. I guess news travels fast.”
“I was awoken by Sam blowing up my phone, freaking out. When he gave me the rundown, I panicked. Preston had to take the phone and talk to him. Then we figured out it was Chad who Sam was prepared to murder. I felt a little better knowing you were in good hands, but still out of sorts thinking someone tried to harm you. Preston called the guys and he filled him in on what happened also. Are you sure you are okay? I was so worried, Cheyenne.” Sawyer finally stops to take a breath, giving me a chance to comment.
“Yes, I promise, other than a killer headache I am all right. But I do need to call Sam. I was just about to do that when you called.”
“Yeah, about that. My guess would be that Sam should be there any minute now. Preston gave him Chad’s address. We have been trying to reach both of you.”
“Shit. This could be bad. They got into a fight last night. I have to go. Bye Sawyer, love you.” I end the call before she can respond, drop my phone in the bag and go in search of Chad to warn him.
I have never seen Sam truly pissed off and out of control. Taking a second look at the bruises on Chad’s face, I would have to guess last night he was both of those things. Hopefully talking to Sawyer and Preston has helped to calm him down a bit.
Walking is a slight challenge for me. Still feeling the effects of being light-headed and dizzy, I catch myself on the walls and make my way toward the front door.
I should have had more of that water, but I am not retreating back to the room for it after making it this far. A loud pounding comes from the door just as I make it to the living area.
Chad gets to the door and opens it a crack using his body to block the entrance. His back goes rigid and his body takes on a defensive stance.
“Where is she?” I hear Sam demand from the other side of the door, the anger vibrating in his voice.
“Look man, you need to calm down. Cheyenne explained who you are, but at the time you have to know where I was coming from.”
Something pounds against the door. “I don’t give a fuck. Where is she?”
My body becomes alert at the tone and panic in his voice and I run to the door. Placing my hands on Chad’s back I lightly push him out of the way and he moves easily. The moment he sees me, Sam shoves the door open and rushes to close the space, wrapping him arms tightly around me. I can feel him take a deep breath of relief and I wrap my arms around his back, not wanting to let go.
“I’m okay,” I mutter into his shirt, where my face is pressed against his chest. Inhaling his scent, I feel safe and at home as all my emotions rush to the surface. Now is not the time and I know if Sam sees me in tears or upset it will only make this harder on him.
After a few moments of just holding me, Sam pulls back and his hands go to my face. His eyes search mine, as if making sure I am really here and not hurt. His eyes are bloodshot and his hair is a ruffled mess. Even on a bad night and mask of stress, he is still beautiful.
I run my fingers over the cut on his lip and my breath gets caught in my throat. Seeing Sam hurt and knowing it is because of me brings tears to my eyes, but I am able to force them down.
“I have never been so worried in my life. Watching you being taken away from me, not knowing what was wrong with you. I mean, you just collapsed.” Hearing the agony in his voice and seeing the pain written all over his face is my undoing. The tears roll warmly down my cheeks.
“I am all right.” My hands slide to his chest, where I can feel his heart beating rapidly. “I am perfectly fine. It’s okay now, Sam,” I reassure him. He wipes my tears before pulling me back into his arms, wrapping me tightly into his embrace.
“What happened? Your guys wouldn’t tell me anything.” Sam asks, gazing up over my head toward Chad.
“Damn man, I don’t even know. I feel like shit. She hardly had anything to drink.” Chad pauses and I can hear him walking closer. “You didn’t get a drink from anyone else did you, Cheyenne?”
I shake my head into Sam’s chest. “No, I only drank at the bar with you.”
“Did you leave your drink unattended?” Sam asks, rubbing his hands up and down my back, soothingly.
“No.” I pause, thinking about what all I do remember. “ Wait, I did go to the bathroom to escape Sean. When I came back though, he was gone, but my drink was still on the bar and I finished it.”
Sam’s hands stop. He squeezes me tighter with one hand buried in my hair and kissed the top of my head. “Son of a bitch,” he curses and I can feel his heart beat pick back up again. “How did you not see what was going on?” He accuses Chad.
I place my hands on Sam’s waist and attempt to push away, but he only holds me tighter. This isn’t Chad’s fault, but before I can say as much Chad cuts me off.
“I ran into the back for just a few minutes. This shit never happens at Penny’s. Fuck, man. You don’t think I feel bad for this? I care about her too.”
I feel Sam flinch at Chad’s last comment. Thinking the worse, I imagine. I want to explain that it isn’t like that with Chad, but now is not the time.
“Who is this Sean guy?” Sam asks, pulling my head back so he can see my face. Closing my eyes, I shake my head back and forth not wanting to answer his question. He stops my movement and strokes my cheeks with his thumbs. “It’s okay. Just tell me.” He whispers.
Taking a step back, I suddenly felt the need to put some space between Sam and I. This is not something I was openly ready to talk about. My somewhat promiscuous behavior is beginning to haunt my existence.
Not agreeing with the newly created space, Sam wraps an arm around my waste and pulls me close to his side.
Inhaling and exhaling a deep breath I begin, keeping my sight engaged strictly on the beige carpet, avoiding all eye contact. “He is a guy I hooked up with once. Last week he approached Becka and I with a friend of his. I tried to politely blow him off and it wasn’t sinking in, so my friend Dave came over and the guys left. When he came up to me last night, I literally told him I wasn’t interested. Since he still wasn’t getting it, I got up and fled to the bathroom.” I look up from the floor and first glance to Chad, who is standing tall with arms crossed and looking equal parts pissed off and guilty. When I switch my gaze and look up to Sam’s face, his expression matches the tension I was feeling against my side. Ragged breaths were slowly seeping through his clenched jaw.
“When I get my hands on that asshole, I will destroy him.” The tone of Sam’s voice makes me nervous. Never, have I ever, seen him this way. The fist that isn’t ahold of me is clenched so tight his knuckles are turning pale.
“You and me both.” Chad states and Sam nods his head at him in understanding.
“We don’t even know for sure what happened, guys. Let’s not go overboard.” I shrink back a little at the glares of both the guys. Wrong thing to say, apparently.
Sam’s intense emerald stare sends bumps up my legs.
“Are you kidding me?” he asks.
“Cheyenne, I have witnessed you drink ten times that amount and be in more control of yourself than that. The only explanation would be someone spiking your drink. And now all signs point to that douche bag.” Chad adds.
“Fine, but can we drop it for now?! I am still tire
d and don’t feel quite right. I just want to go home and crawl into my bed. Hopefully I can sleep this shit away.” I bark at them, ready to end this conversation. As if I don’t feel bad enough, the thought of Sean doing this to me was bringing me to a new low.
Being in my own bed sounds amazing right now, and I just want to close my eyes and deal with all this mess with my head doesn’t feel like a bowling ball.
Could Sean really be the kind of guy who would do something like that? Of course, I never thought something along those lines would ever happen to me. Words spoken or at least thought of by the majority of the female population. If I hadn’t already planned on cleaning up my lifestyle, this was turning out to be quite the eye-opener.
“I’ll take you home so you can rest, but we will discuss this later.” Sam squeezes my hip and I nod my head.
I pull away from him and walk to the hallway to pick up my bag where I dropped it earlier.
“Again, man. I am sorry about everything.” Chad says and I turn to see the guys shake hands.
“It’s forgotten. As long as my girl is safe, then none of that matters. I appreciate you looking out for her.”
Chad nods and it’s impossible to miss the smirk on his face when Sam calls me his girl. I walk over and hug Chad, thanking him again for everything he did for me.
Sam laces his fingers through mine and walks us out to his truck, carefully helping me inside the car before walking to the driver’s side. He takes my hand again and doesn’t let go the entire ride.
Safe. That is how he always makes me feel.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Reaching across my bed, my hand searches through empty sheets. This spot had recently been filled with a warm, sexy body but was now cold from his absence.
After arriving at my apartment, I asked Sam to come inside and lay with me. I wasn’t ready to sit alone and he was more than happy to oblige.
I didn’t have the energy to change out of my clothes, but rather just slip out of my jeans and crawl into the warm depths of my sheets. With my head against Sam’s chest, my eyes fluttered closed, but the thoughts of the past twenty-four hours were swarming. In that moment, feeling his heart beat on my cheek and listening to the silence of our breathing, it was as if I was watching the bricks of a wall fall one by one and my emotions came pouring from behind it. The tears flowed down my cheeks as quiet sobs began to escape. I was so scared and embarrassed that something like this could happen to me. I was a victim and it made me feel weak.
Sam began to tighten his grip and run his hand up and down my arm soothingly. He leaned in to kiss my head and whispered that it would all be okay. It only took a brief moment before my body drifted to sleep. Safe in the arms of Sam.
Remembering I am alone in my bed, I strain my ears to make out the muffled sounds I hear in the living room. His deep voice is unmistakable and my heart beat increases, happy that he is still here. Other than the slightly lingering headache, I feel ten times better after getting more sleep. However, I am still not ready to deal with what happened last night and would prefer to go on pretending it never actually happened. Which, technically…well, thankfully, nothing really did happen.
Feeling gross, I decide a shower will definitely help boost my energy and snap me out of this slumber. On my way to the bathroom, I stop at the dresser and grab a pair of boy-shorts panties and the top t-shirt from my drawers.
The near scalding hot water feels absolutely amazing as it cascades down my skin. I could stand here all day. But since that is not an option, I allow myself a few extra minutes after scrubbing the night away, just breathing in the steam. It is amazing how much better one can feel after a hot shower.
Squeezing my hair with the towel, I try to get most of the water out before fighting through the knots and tangles. With it finally tame and pulled into a high bun, I giggle as I pull the shirt over my head noticing it is the one that I stole from Sam. I hadn’t yet washed it, afraid of losing his scent. It was a masculine odor with hints of sandalwood and jasmine. Closing my eyes, I pulled the chest of the material up to my nose and inhaled deeply. It was intoxicating.
I let out a deep sigh and toss my towel into the hamper before walking back into my bedroom. The vision of Sam laying shirtless in my bed, hands behind his head and feet crossed at the ankle was even more intoxicating than his scent. I didn’t even hear him sneak back in.
“Hey, beauty, you feeling better?” Sam asks, repositioning so he is now sitting against the headboard.
I take a seat next to him, wanting to remain close. “Yeah, the sleep helped a lot and the shower was much needed. What time is it?”
“It is close to two-thirty,” he replied.
“Wow, really? I slept that late? Even for me, that’s impressive. How long have you been awake?” Though, looking at him, I can tell he didn’t actually get much sleep. The green of his eyes was a different shade and lacked his normal energy.
“I didn’t really sleep, I was kind of worried about you.” He says, rubbing the back of his head and then reaching over to grab my hand. “Nice shirt. I used to have one just like it.”
“Oh yeah? It’s one of my favorites.” I reply bumping my shoulder against his and a smile fills his face. “And please stop worrying about me. I am right here, and I am fine. I promise.”
Sam gives me look like I have lost my mind. “Cheyenne, we have no idea what that asshole could have given you. And don’t get mad, but I called my mom.”
My head snaps towards him as my eyes bulge nearly out of my head. “You what? Why would you do that?” I try to pull my hand from his, but Sam refuses to release it.
“I didn’t know what else to do. You’re lucky I didn’t take you straight to a hospital and get you checked out. Though we both know you have never let me take you. So, I needed to know what to expect and what signs to look for. What if you would have reacted badly to whatever it was and it caused damage or harm to your body. I could never live with myself knowing I could have helped.”
“Sam, your mom is going to hate me now. Couldn’t have called some poison control number or something. Really, your mom?” I couldn’t believe he called his mom. She used to be a big fan of mine, and now I can only imagine what she thinks of me.
“Relax, she loves you Cheyenne and was just as worried as I was. This wasn’t your fault in anyway and I never want to hear you say that.”
I inhale a long breath and try to calm down. He was right. She was a saint and would pass judgment on the situation. “So what did she say?” I ask, looking to the ceiling, still pretending to be mad. I could be real stubborn when I wanted to.
“Without knowing what was used, she couldn’t tell me much. I explained what happened based on what little we knew and the timeline. She thought it was strange for you to lose consciousness so quickly, but with your small size it wasn’t impossible. I guess people are cooking up homemade shit these days, so it is hard to pinpoint what it was exactly. She said the best thing for you would be to sleep it off, like a bad hangover. So, I laid with most of the time, watching to make sure you were still breathing.” He pauses and I bring my eyes down from the ceiling to meet his. “I’m not a psycho, I promise. I just wanted to know you would be okay. Cheyenne, I couldn’t ever survive losing you.” His head dropped down and he broke our gaze.
The images of Sawyer crying in Sam’s arms filled my mind. Sam was a first hand witness, just as I was, of the deepest kind of loss.
Lifting his chin, I press my lips to his, applying light pressure cautious of his cut. With just one innocent kiss I feel the tension leaving his body and linger my lips for a moment then gently press a kiss to his injury before pulling away.
“What was that for?” Sam asks, smirking.
“I thought you might need a reminder that I am fine.”
“I think I may need more convincing.”
Before I get a chance to ask what he means, Sam’s hands grip my waist and slide around my backside gripping my cheeks. Swiftly, he lifts me in the ai
r and brings me down onto his lap leaving one leg on each of his sides. I brace myself with my hands on his shoulders as his hands settle on top of my thighs. We spend an intense moment with our eyes locked and I watch as his darken with desire. I have never wanted anyone as much as I want Sam.
His grip tightens on my thighs before he moves one hand to the back of my neck. My lips part and my chest rises and falls with each heavy breath, causing his gaze to fall to my heaving breasts that peek through the loose v-neck. The hand still on my thigh slides around to my back as he pulls me in close until we are pressed together chest to chest. I lean forward prepared to press my lips to his as he slowly pulls away, smiling. My brows furrow and I am on the verge of losing my mind, as Sam crashes his mouth to mine, demanding entrance. With my lips all ready parted, they naturally welcome his tongue.
My heart is beating wild, fast and out of control, completely opposite of his slow and calm kiss. I lower my hands to the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and breaking our kiss as I pull it over his head. I lower my gaze from the intense stare and take a moment to relish in the perfection of Sam’s bare torso.
He repeats my action and slowly lifts my shirt over my head and tosses it to the floor. Replacing his hands on my sides, he glides them over my skin exploring every inch of my upper body.
“You have the softest, most beautiful skin.” He says placing small kisses on the tops of my shoulders.
Bringing both hands to my lower back, he dips into the waistband of my panties giving my ass a tight squeeze as I naturally begin to move my hips into his lap. He returns one hand to the back of my neck, wrapping my still damp hair around his fingers and pulling my mouth to his. Sam’s warm, talented tongue devours my mouth, as his other hand slides around down to the front of my panties. He teases me, gliding his finger across the lace. My hips move at their own accord, dancing with his touch as he gracefully gets in motion with my body and slips his hand to the inside of the fabric. Our passionate kiss stifles the moan that threatens to escape as he grazes over my sensitive flesh.
Falling to Pieces Page 12