Heath

by Nikki Ash

  “But you got Dad. I know you won. I know the story ends happily,” I argue.

  She swallows and looks off into the distance. “Our story may end happily, but the story isn’t over yet. You’ve seen chapters, but not all of them.”

  “Theo,” I hiss with disdain.

  “Theo was the least of our worries, honey.”

  My phone buzzes and I pick it up. Finn sent me a picture of the two of us. Last summer at the lake. We’re both eating popsicles and happy. Back then, I did foolishly wish for more than our friendship because at the lake in our swimsuits we weren’t two people on different rungs of the social ladder. We were equals. But all it took was drying off and getting in his expensive-ass car to grab some burgers to remind me we’re not equal at all. He goes to school with socialites and other rich kids.

  And me?

  I’m a normal girl who is seeing a normal guy. Porter is better matched for me. He’s my true equal. It’s who I should choose if I were smart.

  But…

  Apparently I’m being stupid. My heart is tugging me farther and farther away from Porter with each passing second. I’m not sure I’d ever even given it to him in the first place. A stubborn boy with blue eyes and a devilish grin, who just so happens to drive a Maserati, took it when I wasn’t looking and never let it go. I thought it wasn’t his to begin with, but he always does what he wants.

  “Finn is a good man,” Mom says, peering over my shoulder at the picture.

  I let out a huff, trying to bite back the smile. “He’s difficult.”

  “All the best ones are,” she says. “Do you think your dad was easy? He drove me insane most days.”

  “Not like Finn. Finn infuriates me. A rich dick.”

  A rich dick who smells good. Who makes a good pillow. The man who tells the stupidest jokes that somehow always make me laugh.

  My heart aches in my chest. The ache has been there for months while I’ve been trying this thing with Porter. I assumed it was because I wanted Porter to fall madly in love with me. Turns out, my heart ached because I missed my best friend.

  “Finn is also the only person I’ve ever seen to make you smile like that,” she says softly. “Regardless of how much money he has.”

  A pang slices through my chest and I tap out a reply to him.

  Me: Stop trying to butter me up. It’s not working.

  But it is working. It always works. He knows me better than anyone else and has always had the ability to make me happy with one of his handsome grins.

  My heart does another little flutter and I try to ignore it. I want him to respond. Finn may be spoiled rich and gets his way a lot, but he’s never once made me feel like I’m merely an option. He always puts me first. His interest in me never wavers. When I’m with Finn, we laugh and have fun. He doesn’t try to get in my pants or push me away when I try to know more about him. Finn gives and gives.

  What happens if I give back?

  Nervous energy thrums through me. My mind drifts to images of Finn and I watching a movie on the couch like usual. But instead of just cuddling, what if we kissed instead? What if we did more? Heat, fiery and intense, burns through me. It’s a foreign sensation and one I can’t get out of my head now that it’s been planted.

  I can see the dots moving, but I set my phone down. “Tell me the rest,” I tell my mother, taking her hand into mine. “Tell me what Heath did.”

  “You’re so sure it was Heath?”

  “Come on, Mom,” I say in exasperation. “The whole story was about him. You were simply a character in it.”

  Harrison

  Past…

  “I’M GOING TO GET YOU a ring,” I promise as we walk hand in hand from the barn to the house.

  She flashes me a wide smile, her green eyes shining with happiness. “I don’t need a ring.”

  “I know, but you deserve one,” I tell her. “One day I’ll be able to give you more and—”

  Her arms fling around my neck and she kisses me silent. I grab her ass and lift her. If we weren’t in the yard where anyone could see, I’d lay her in the grass and take her again. I’ll never get tired of taking this girl.

  When we’ve had our fill, she slides her legs down and pulls away to regard me with a tender expression. “I don’t want more. I want this,” she murmurs.

  I’m about to kiss her again when we hear yelling coming from inside. She frowns at me and when something crashes, she jerks from my grip to run into the house. I stalk after her and nearly run into her once we reach the source of the sounds in the living room. The house is wrecked from the party. Red Solo cups litter every surface. Drinks have been spilled. Furniture overturned. Decorations broken. Theo is sitting on his knees, cowering as Heath towers over him.

  “I’m sorry, Dad,” Theo mutters lamely. “I fell asleep and it must have gotten out of hand.”

  Like an animal getting a whiff of his prey, Heath’s head slowly turns to regard us. Unbridled rage burns in his brown eyes and the vein in his neck is throbbing wildly. His hands are fisted and he seems seconds from unleashing a beast.

  Hooking my arm around Cat’s waist, I pull her to me, keeping her as far from the motherfucker as possible. His eyes home in on the way I hold her to me and his lip curls up in disgust.

  “You,” he sneers as he takes a predatory step my way. “This is all your doing.”

  Cat flinches and sinks against me. Her body trembles in fear. I tense, my muscles coiled and ready for a fight. I will bash his fucking face in if he so much as thinks about touching my girl.

  “You’ve lost your damn mind,” I spit out, slowly moving Cat to where she’s standing behind me.

  Heath’s eyes narrow as he watches my movement. I’m slow as though anticipating him striking like the snake he is. Once she’s safely behind me, I fist my hands and square my shoulders, meeting him dead in the eye.

  A challenge.

  Fucking try me, old man.

  His head cocks to the side as he regards me, no doubt sizing up my ability to physically take him. When he rolls his neck and the bones crack, I’m sure he’s going to attack. But then, in true Heath fashion, he uses his most vicious weapon.

  His tongue.

  “I want you out of my house,” he snarls. “I kept you because you were a fucking tool to be used for my advantage. But now you’re useless. Nothing more than an uneducated orphan with nothing going for him aside from his ability to fuck. Your services are no longer needed, boy. I want you and your shit out of my house in fifteen minutes.”

  “Gladly,” I bite back. “Come on, Cat. Only grab what you need and then we’re out of here.”

  Theo whimpers. “Don’t let him take her.”

  Cat fists my shirt from behind, but I don’t dare turn my attention from the monster in front of me to comfort her.

  “We’re going,” I tell them both coolly.

  Theo stands and grabs onto Heath’s arm, but his father shakes him off and advances on me. When he’s close enough for me to feel his wrath rolling off him in waves, but not close enough for me to clock the crazy bastard, his brown eyes gleam with wickedness as he darts his attention to Cat.

  “She stays.” His words are clipped and final. No room for argument.

  “Over my dead fucking body,” I challenge.

  “If only that could be legally arranged,” Heath sneers. “She stays and your worthless ass goes.”

  “I won’t stay,” Cat says, her voice shaking only slightly as she peers around me. “We’re leaving. You’ve wreaked enough havoc on everyone’s lives.”

  Heath barks out a harsh, cruel laugh. “You dumb girl. It’s as though you forget who owns you. Who owns your father.”

  She tenses but shakes her head in protest. “I don’t care if you fire him. Dad is brilliant. He’ll find another job. My father only wants for me to be happy. Your blackmailing me won’t work.” She clutches my arm and gives me a squeeze. “I have everything I need right here.”

  Heath’s fury melts away a
s legitimate confusion passes over his features. “What?”

  “I’m leaving. Fire Dad if you must, but I’m not staying here any longer for you to try and control me.” She lifts her chin and stares defiantly at him. “You. Don’t. Own. Me.”

  Before Heath can argue, I grab Cat’s hand and jerk her with me to the stairs. We make quick work at packing the essentials into one backpack and then we’re rushing back down the stairs. Theo sits in a chair with his palms covering his face looking like shit while Heath paces the floor gripping at his hair in frustration. They’ve never looked so much alike as they do now.

  Pathetic.

  Ruined.

  Broken.

  “Let’s go,” I murmur to Cat as we head to the door.

  But then Heath launches into action, a furious roar escaping him. I release her hand in time to swing my fist. Hard and without much thought. Pain explodes across my knuckles the moment it makes impact with his jaw. His head snaps to the side and his palm instantly goes to the spot I hit him. He gapes at me in shock at first, as though he couldn’t believe I’d actually hit him, and then his features turn murderous.

  “Back the fuck away from us,” I growl before giving Cat a little push to the door.

  I help Cat put on the heavy backpack and then straddle my bike. She quickly puts on her helmet when Heath stands in the doorway watching us. I flip him the bird before gunning it out of there. We fishtail a bit and she grips me tightly. It’s not until we’re miles away that I begin to feel a giant weight lifted from me.

  We’re free.

  Free of Heath’s revenge and hate and games.

  Finally.

  “Ridiculous,” Elliot mutters as he sips his coffee. “He’s always been unpredictable and violent.” Elliot’s gaze falls to where the bag of peas sits on my knuckles.

  “I did what had to be done to protect her from him,” I say curtly, hoping he’s not insinuating that I’m violent too.

  Cat snuggles against my side and smiles up at me. “Thank you. I was so scared.”

  Leaning forward, I kiss her forehead. “I’ll always protect you.” Then, I turn my gaze back to Elliot. “I’m going to marry your daughter.” Not a question but a statement. I’m informing him of my intentions.

  “W-What?” he stutters out. “She’s barely eighteen.”

  “When did you know you loved Mom?” Cat challenges him.

  He deflates and sips his coffee again. “From the moment I saw her so full of fire, I knew I wanted her right then.”

  “And she was a teenager,” Cat probes.

  Elliot nods. “We both were.”

  “What I feel for Cat is more than words can describe. I want to marry her and make her happy,” I tell him, my gaze burning into him. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  Elliot’s gaze softens. “Love that intense can’t be ignored.” He rises from the sofa and disappears.

  “What now?” Cat asks.

  “We can’t stay here. I’m not sleeping on a damn sofa. We’ll get a room at a hotel tonight and then tomorrow we can look for apartments,” I tell her. “I have a good bit of savings and Damian will let me pick up more shifts. We’ll make it work, baby.”

  She beams at me. “I have no doubts.”

  Elliot returns and sits. “Cat, darling,” he says softly. “I’m sorry I haven’t been the best father.”

  “Dad, don’t,” she starts, but he waves her off.

  “It’s true. I wasn’t a good husband, but I always tried to be the best father I could. I love you more than words can describe. And I’m sorry that you are tangled up in this mess with Heath. He’s a monster and I never imagined his hate would bleed on decade after decade.” He sighs and regards his daughter sadly. “I loved her too. Maybe not the way he loved her, but I did. I’ll never apologize for pursuing and marrying your mother. But while it pains me to admit it, she never loved me like she did him. I wished for it to have been differently, but it was not. She died loving that man.”

  Cat sniffles. “Oh, Dad. I’m so sorry.”

  “We had you, though,” he says smiling. “Even if for a short while, I had your mother’s love and affection. That is when you were conceived. The moment she died, I promised you I’d love and protect you until my dying breath. The love she and I shared may have paled in comparison to that of her and Heath, but the love I have for you is undeniable. You’re my baby girl. I regret nothing.”

  Cat rises and rushes over to her dad. He pulls her to him and he hugs her tightly. Seeing them in such a loving embrace makes my heart ache. One day, I want to be like him. The dad I never had. I want to love and protect my child as he so clearly does his daughter.

  “I’d be a fool to intervene in an intense love storm again,” Elliot says, stroking Cat’s silky brown hair. “Which is why I’m going to go with it.”

  Cat pulls away and regards her dad with tears in her eyes. “You approve of our getting married? You don’t think we’re being foolish?”

  Elliot smirks. “I think you’re both blind idiots.” He grins and kisses her forehead. “Blind idiots hopelessly in love. I want you to embrace it and not deny yourself a second of it. You deserve all the love in the world, Cat. Just as she did. I’d been a selfish, jealous boy and didn’t care back then. It almost cost me everything. It nearly cost me my relationship with you—the most important part of my entire life. I’ll be damned if I try and stop something so powerful ever again.”

  He waves me over to them. I stand, dropping the bag of peas on the table, and walk their way. He holds out his fist and I take what he offers.

  A ring.

  Brilliant and bright.

  Expensive as all hell.

  “It was your mother’s,” he explains to Cat. “And if this is what you really want, I want you to take it. Wear it every day as a reminder that love doesn’t pay the bills. You two will have to fight to keep this love and marriage afloat. If times get too tight, you can sell it. I’m sure it could buy a home with its value.” He strokes her hair gently. “But I’d love for you to work hard enough to find a way to keep it. It’s meaningful to me and I hope it is the same for you.”

  I kneel down in front of them and take Cat’s hand. “Will you wear this ring forever and fight for love with me?” I ask, running my thumb along her knuckles.

  “Every step of the way,” she breathes, grinning as tears glisten in her eyes.

  The ring slides on easily and glitters in the light.

  I stand and pull her into my arms, kissing her much too desperately in front of her father. I don’t care, though. I’m going to marry this girl and keep her forever.

  “Let’s go, mustang girl,” I tell her, smiling against her lips. “Seems we ought to celebrate.”

  We spend the next day looking at apartments. I take her to some nicer ones—ones that’ll wipe out my savings pretty quickly in order for us to move into, but she’s not interested in those. There’s one in the classified ad that she’s circled. I’m certain she’s circled it simply because it’s the cheapest rent. All the other places, she’s crossed off with an X, but she keeps running her thumb across the same one.

  “It’s an apartment over someone’s garage,” I tell her as I practically inhale my burger while we sit at a park bench.

  “But all bills are included in the rent,” she challenges, fire in her tone.

  I grin over at her. “You sure you’re not choosing it because it’s the cheapest? I can pick up three jobs if need be, Cat. We can live wherever you want.”

  She tosses her trash in the bag and shrugs. “I don’t care about living somewhere fancy. You know that. Something about this place just calls to me.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m not sure, but I think we should check it out.”

  Fifteen minutes later, we’re driving along a dirt road through a thicket of trees. We come to a clearing. A nice ranch-style home is situated on the property beside a sparkling lake. The garage detached from the house is a two-car garage and a set of st
airs along the side of it lead up to the garage apartment in question. We shut the engine off and an older woman with white hair shuffles out of the house.

  “Can I help you kids?” she calls out.

  Cat walks over to her and smiles. “Hi, I’m Cat and this is my fiancé, Harrison. We’re interested in the garage apartment.”

  The old woman looks us over. When she apparently senses our genuine interest, she nods. “The rent is so cheap because I need help around the house. I could use a strong fella to mow and keep the flowerbeds up. And I could use a young lady to dust and mop the floors a few times a week.” She lifts her chin in challenge.

  “It sounds negotiable,” Cat says. “Do you mind if we check out the space before we commit?”

  The old woman frowns. “I’m afraid I can’t climb those stairs anymore. It’s probably not in the best shape but nothing a little tender loving care can’t fix.”

  “It’s okay,” I tell her. “I like fixing stuff up.”

  “Good,” she says. “I’m Ethel Greene. When you’re done looking, come on inside the house for some pie. It’s been ages since I’ve had visitors.”

  She leaves to go back inside. Cat turns to look at me, her eyes wide with excitement.

  “I love it here,” she says breathily.

  My chest feels as though it’s expanding. “Me too. Come on. Let’s go check out the apartment.”

  Hand in hand, we climb the stairs. The door isn’t locked, so we step inside. Upon first inspection, the place is a dated shithole. Curtains from the seventies hang from the windows that overlook the lake. The brown shag carpet has seen better days. But it’s furnished, much to my surprise. Cat walks over to the couch and pulls away the sheet.

  “It’s hideous,” I remark.

  Cat giggles. “I think it’s kind of cute.”

  “The couch has pictures of lanterns on it, Cat. It’s not cute.”

  She simply grins as she peels away more sheets over the furniture in the living room. Then, I follow her into the tiny kitchenette. She fiddles with the stove and then the refrigerator. All are in working order.