by D. D. Larsen
Feeling brave from the wine, I respond, “I feel like we deserve a proper chance. We both know what we had before was not a relationship.”
He gives me a sideways look. “Jamie, did you just ask to be my girlfriend?”
“Who said I was asking?” I send him back a cocky smirk. God, alcohol can be great.
He chuckles and says, “All righty then, it’s official, you’re mine.” He is everything I ever hoped for. Why am I not more excited by his words?
Maybe I need this to build my confidence after how we ended things. For better or worse, I am going to give it a try. Liam is a good guy; he will treat me right and support me. Or the new Liam will at least. Sometimes I forget they are the same person with how differently he acts. I wonder again what brought on this change.
I can worry later, now is the time to enjoy my new relationship. I crawl over to straddle Liam. “Why don’t we make this official?” I run my fingers over the hard lines of his muscles under his shirt.
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
His mouth finds mine. Most people don’t get second chances, but I did, and I am going to make the best of it.
As I lay naked in bed next to Liam, I receive a text from Tollen asking what I am up to tonight. Not wanting to ignore my friend or Liam, I come up with a brilliant idea.
I want to show Tollen that I support her and Mark together, but I also don’t want to be too obvious about it. The situation still has some strange feelings surrounding it, and while I think they would be happy together, they need to come to that conclusion on their own.
Liam is sitting at his computer, stark naked. I toss a pillow at him. “Are you okay if we do something with my friends tonight?”
He has been happier than ever since I agreed to be his girlfriend. It makes me feel like we’re doing the right thing, even if part of me is still pulling in another direction. Sometimes you just have to do what is best for you, not what you want most. Anything with Wren is just going to turn into a disaster, I just know it. Liam is stable, nice, and reliable.
“Of course, babe, whatever you want to do.” Hearing him call me babe makes me smile. He never did that before.
As I turn back to my phone to text Tollen and Mark about meeting us in a few hours, I feel Liam shift on the bed. I feel his hand trail down my spine making me shiver. “How much time do we have before we meet up with them?”
“Long enough.” I roll over and take his mouth with mine. It feels good to be with Liam, again. He knows what he is doing; he makes me feel cherished. There isn’t the fiery desire I felt with Wren, but fire can be dangerous and is better left untouched.
Liam’s hands explore my body as I feel the desire growing within me. He makes me happy.
I feel loved as he moves and slips into me. Every one of his actions is to make me feel loved as he devours my body. I know he can be rougher and more intense, but he doesn’t seem to have any interest in coming together the way we used to.
Later in the day, we head into town to meet Mark and Tollen. I didn’t tell either of them that the other was going to be there. Tollen told me she took Toby to her parents for the night, so they are kid-free and ready to have a good time.
Both of them want to meet Liam. I mentioned to Tollen that we were officially in a relationship, but I didn’t tell her about him buying a house. It seems a little over the top and presumptive, but from when I worked for Liam, I have an idea of his finances and buying a house for him is like buying an expensive dress for me.
I told Liam to dress casually and he is in khaki shorts and a polo, about as casual as he gets. We pull up at the address I give him, and he looks at me with confusion. In front of us is a mini golf course, on the right is a huge rainbow slide, and on the left is a go-kart track. It is one of the two fun parks in town.
I give Liam a quick kiss on the mouth before I jump out of the car to join Tollen. “It will be fun!”
When I hug Tollen, she says, “I don’t think I have come here since we were in high school.” I know this is true for me. I wanted a fun environment for everyone to talk and hang out, and this came to mind. We will get food later, but there is only so much interacting to be had across a table in a restaurant.
Mark arrives last, eyes widening slightly when he sees Tollen, but hides any nervousness well. His smile is plastered on his face and he gives us both a hug. Tollen’s is slightly more awkward. Mark shakes Liam’s hand as I make introductions.
“I was thinking we could do a round of mini golf, followed by a few times down the slide, and maybe finish with the go-karts?” I tell them.
Everyone is shooting me skeptical looks, but they just nod.
I walk up to the counter and before I can move to pull out my wallet, Liam thrusts his credit card forward and pays for all of it. At least one thing never changes. He never used to let me pay for anything. I know I’m an independent woman and I should be fighting him for who’s paying, but it’s kind of nice to be taken care of.
Grabbing the golf clubs and balls, we head towards the green. This is going to be an interesting night.
Two hours later we are all laughing as Mark recollects the third round of go-karts we just finished. He won the first round and I the second; the third was to see who the overall champion would be. We were so busy trying to cut each other off that Tollen skirted around the edge and pulled ahead as the victor.
Liam seemed so out of his element when we started but is more relaxed now. I grab his hand and kiss his check. This is what I imagined when I thought about coming home, not the shitshow that everything has been up to this point.
Mark says to Liam, “Dude, you killed us at mini golf. Are you sure that is the first time you have played?”
He politely responds, “There wasn’t a lot of time for ‘fun’ growing up in my family. We had our sports, instruments, and languages to practice. My family wasn’t very big on doing outings together.” Just another reminder that Liam grew up in a very different world than us. I always thought that people with money had it all, but Liam seems to have missed out on so much.
Trying to pull the topic away from his family, which seems like a sore subject, I announce, “I think we need to make this a weekly thing, what do you guys think?”
Everyone nods in agreement and I mentally pat myself on the back for the idea.
Starving now, we all agree on Roy’s, the local bar that also serves a mean burger. Mark offers to drive Tollen and a smile blooms across my face. They seem to be softening towards each other. I know the situation isn’t ideal, but I really think they should give it a shot. As the afternoon progressed, they seemed to be less nervous about showing affection towards each other. Baby steps.
When we were golfing and I had Tollen alone for a moment, I told her about how Mark and I had dinner and that he told me about their relationship. I try to convince her I am okay with them being together, but she easily gathers some of my hesitation I can’t seem to squash.
As I get into the front seat of Liam’s black BMW, I look across the river that divides the parking lot from the park and see someone standing there. Looking at me.
It’s Wren.
So, he’s just going to follow me everywhere? What a creepy stalker.
I grab Liam’s hand as he pulls away. I chose Liam so I need to forget about Wren.
As we drive towards the bar, though, I can’t stop thinking about him. Everything is good, so why don’t I feel happy? Will I ever be happy with what I have or will I always be wanting for something else?
Chapter 26:
A live band plays as I sit in the wood booth, drink in hand, leaning against Liam. Liam and Mark have really hit it off and are discussing something related to police forensics.
As the night has progressed, I’ve noticed Tollen moving closer and closer to Mark. He seems oblivious, but I can tell Tollen is trying to flirt with him.
A very upbeat song comes on. I finish the last little bit of my drink and grab Liam’s hand. “Let’s go
dance.” He looks uncertain but follows.
When we were together before, we always did what Liam wanted. Everything was structured and planned. Now, I have opened his eyes to a whole new list of activities today. He is doing better than I expected. I like how together he is, but sometimes you just need to let loose.
With his hand in mine, I get him to move to the music. He smiles and places a soft kiss on my lips. This is nice, there are so many things I missed about being home and now I have them, plus the guy.
I see Tollen has convinced Mark to get up and dance, too.
After a few fast songs, a slow one comes on and Liam pulls me into him. I am happy to see Mark and Tollen doing the same. Liam leans down and whispers, “This is really nice, Jamie. Thanks for giving me a second chance. I’m sorry for how I treated you before. It took you leaving for me to grow up and realize what I wanted.”
I lean into his chest and hold him close. I’m glad I did, too.
Too soon, the night is over. We stayed on the dance floor for over an hour and only took a break to refresh our drinks. Mark, who stopped drinking over an hour ago, is driving Tollen home. They seemed to be getting closer over the night and I hope what is developing between them continues to grow. It would be perfect.
It’s late and I expect Liam to take me back to his new house but am pleasantly surprised as we pull up in front of the hotel. It’s just a house; I will get over it, but maybe not tonight. Whatever this is between Liam and me, I don’t want something as silly as a house to cause a problem.
For tonight, I won’t worry about it. Just enjoy the warmth I feel being with Liam. He has been so comforting and the perfect guy since he returned.
As we enter the hotel room, I push away everything else as I grab Liam’s hand and lead him to the bedroom.
The next few days I am busy with work, but I continue to stay with Liam at the hotel. He can tell I am not ready to go back to the house yet and I appreciate him giving me the time I need. After stopping at my house for more clothes, I have been enjoying the luxuries of the hotel.
He says we wouldn’t want to be at the house anyway since they have been moving in all of his stuff. I still can’t believe he is moving here. I know he said it wasn’t for me, but a small part of me likes the idea that it may have been.
I have texted Tollen a few times asking her about Mark, but she keeps dodging my questions. I know I am being pushy, but I want them to get together, officially.
The week has felt like a fairytale and I am sad that last night was our last night at the hotel. Liam has hinted that I should move in with him, but even with how well everything is going, I know it is too soon. Staying with him at the hotel felt so much less personal than at his house. I still want to take things slow and it’s time I spent a few nights at my parents’ house. Eventually I need to investigate getting my own place, but I will need to get a full-time job to be able to afford it. I love working with Roberta, but I am not making enough to pay rent on my own place.
I know Liam wants me to work with him again, but I think that will only end in disaster. What we have is working. I don’t want to add working together into the mix. He makes me happy and I know it’s soon, but I could see myself being with him. He is what you would call perfect husband material: stable, hardworking, and he adores me. But something is still nagging me that I shouldn’t be with him.
Then there is Wren. I keep seeing him around, but he never tries to talk to me. It’s like he is just watching me. I feel like he is protecting me, but I don’t know what from. My dream from the night I got lost in the forest comes back to me and I remember the wolf howl that made my blood run cold. But if I was in danger, wouldn’t he tell me?
The forests have slowly started to reopen even though they can’t seem to track down what attacked the family. I keep having flashbacks to the night I found them. I’m not sure you are ever prepared to see a dead body, let alone one mauled by an animal.
The attack has been chalked up to a freak accident, but I know the park rangers are worried. My dad says that they have had no new signs of anything in that area and are just asking people to keep an eye out, stay aware. I hope this is the end of it, but I have a feeling that it’s just the beginning.
Everyone seems to be moving past all these attacks quickly. Maybe I’m just hung up on them because of my brother. An unsettled feeling sits heavy in my gut.
I’ve stayed out of the forests, but I am beginning to miss them. I want to recommend Liam and I invite Mark and Tollen for a hike. If there are more of us, one with a gun, then we should be fine, right?
What if there are more attacks? How can people just move on when something is out there killing people?
Chapter 27:
I walk out of the coffee shop and take a deep breath as the summer sun hits my face. I’ve tried to stop thinking about Wren, I really have, but when I see him lurking and watching me it sets me on edge. Doesn’t he have a job? How does he have time for it anyway?
A few days ago, I broke down and texted him, but I got no response. Yesterday I called, same. He is such a mystery.
I told Liam I needed to run an errand after I got off work today before I was going to meet him at his house, so I can track Wren down. Liam moved into his house a week ago. Once I am in the house it’s fine, but I still feel panicked every time I drive up.
Wren can’t keep ignoring me. I’m going to his house. I left work a few hours early since he seems to know my schedule. I asked my dad if he was working today and he isn’t, so I figured I have a good chance of catching him. Also, the part I don’t want to acknowledge is I miss him. We were becoming friends and then radio silence. Guys always complain that girls are moody, but I’ve never met anyone worse than Wren.
I pull out of the lot from the coffee shop and head towards his house. During the drive I try to think about what I want to say. What was the last thing we talked about? Why am I so nervous?
Before I know it, I am pulling into his driveway.
As I approach the house, I see his car and see it as a good sign that he is home. I put my car in park and take a deep breath. I want to pull down the mirror to check my makeup and hair. I resist. There is no reason for me to try to impress Wren, I’m with Liam.
Stepping out of the car, I head toward the front door. As I am about to knock, a branch cracks in the forest behind me. I spin around and investigate the trees but see nothing. Now hyper aware and on edge, I knock on the door, hard. I wait ten seconds, but it feels like an eternity. All the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up and everything is telling me I am in immediate danger. It reminds me of how I felt when I heard that wolf howl in my dream … or was that a memory?
I test the handle and find it unlocked. I push it open, stepping in and slamming the door behind me. I’m breathing heavy and sweat starts to bead on my neck. What the hell?
Before I can fully catch my breath, I hear footsteps and Wren appears. His hair is wet and all he is wearing is a black towel tied around his waist. My calming heart rate speeds up again and I feel longing fill me that goes so deep I can’t seem to stop it.
As if he feels the same, we rush towards each other, as if our bodies are being pulled together. Every cell in my body wants him. My breathing picks up again. I feel flushed and hot.
We end up face to face, only a few inches separating us. Since he is much taller than me, I am looking up at him. My body wants him so bad. Like two magnets being pulled together, neither of us seems to be able to resist. The vein twitches in Wren’s neck as he holds himself back.
Liam.
His face flashes in my mind and I know I must resist. What we have is working and nice. I chose him and I need to stay committed. I put my hand on Wren’s chest and immediately regret it as sparks shot through my body as if I am shocked by electricity. But instead of it hurting, it just increases the fire ready to explode inside of me.
I straighten my arm quickly, creating more room between us and then drop it quickly.
&nbs
p; I clear my throat and look at him, “We need to talk. Go put clothes on.”
The look I get in return tells me that putting on more clothes is the last thing he has on his mind. Whatever this attraction is between us is, it is not one-sided.
Without a word, he turns and heads in the direction of his room. I’m going to take that as a yes.
Remembering the layout of the house from the last time I was here, I walk toward the living room. As I spot the couch, the memories come flooding back about the night we were together. It may not have ended well, but it was magical until then.
Squashing that idea, I head to the kitchen, hoping to find a cold drink to cool me down. There is a bottle of soda water in the fridge and I down half of it in one gulp. I tell myself it helps, but I still feel the desire burning inside of me.
I debate stepping outside to get some air but decide against it. I know something was watching me and I was in danger before I came into Wren’s house.
That leaves the kitchen. I find a chair and sit down to wait for Wren.
I stare out the window and feel myself getting more nervous for Wren’s arrival. The whole reason I have stayed away is because of this uncontrollable attraction, but I need answers. Now that I am prepared, it will hopefully be better.
After fifteen minutes, I pull out my phone and start scrolling through social media.
What is taking him so long? I know he was in the middle of a shower when I arrived, but it has been almost an hour with no sign of him.
Part of my brain keeps telling me he wants me to go find him. Maybe his restraint at the front door was just a pretense to make me feel comfortable, get me to let me guard down before he pounces.
I won’t let him win.
I stay in the chair, about to text Liam that I am going to be later than I expected, when the front door opens. A few seconds later, Wren walks into the kitchen wearing his normal jeans, black shirt, and boots. Why was he outside?