by Claire Adams
"I love you, Mom," I grumbled and clasped my hands over my stomach as the darkness took me far away from my concerns. I had lots of them, but the top concern followed me deep into my dreams and plagued me without reprieve.
How am I going to let go of Val without hurting her?
You're not.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Two Days Later
Val
"Maybe something came up, Val." Amy reached over and rubbed my shoulders as she tried to comfort me.
"It's been two fucking days." I growled under my breath and tried to keep from letting my voice get too loud in the middle of the restaurant. "We slept together and then the fucker won't call me or text me or anything? Come on...really?"
"That is pretty shitty." Amy shrugged and tried to give me an apologetic look. "Is he worth all this drama? You'll find someone else, you know you will."
"I don't want someone else." My voice was far louder than I wanted, but I couldn't get a hold of myself. "I want him!"
"Okay. Shit. Then, let's go get him. Something happened. There's no way that he's not into you. After the sex you guys had? Any guy would be falling over himself to get to you. Three times in one night is super ho-"
"Thank you," I snapped at her, sounding more like my mother than I cared to admit. "I'm going by the shop today, I guess. He's not showed up for swim practice for two days either, from what Martin said. Where is he?"
"Probably working or dealing with something at home." She got up and gathered her trash. "Go figure out where he is, and if he's just being a stupid dick, then drop him. You don't need this drama in your life. You have enough of it already. Between your mom, dad, and Carolyn, it's a wonder you're sane at all."
"Thank you. Right?" I got up and gathered my stuff, too. I'd spend the last two days sick or crying over this sorry bastard, and he didn't even have the common courtesy to call or text me that we were over. "Over before we even started."
I had to work hard at not diving into the pity party that I wanted to throw for myself in high fashion. I'd learn to blow those things up thanks to my mother giving me plenty of chances to feel sorry for myself.
"You want me to go with you?" Amy opened the door for me and gave me a sad smile.
"No. Thank you, though." I turned to hug her before walking to my car and letting the anger that bubbled up inside of me coat my need to cry again. I wasn't going to let Tate know that I was hurting. He didn't deserve to know how much I'd come to like him in the short amount of time that we'd been together.
"Asshole." I got into my car and drove to the shop, noticing that his bike wasn't out front, which was odd. It was late in the day, so there was no way he had classes.
The bells rang above my head as I made my way into the small office beside the garage. The pretty redhead that had been so nice to me before glanced up. The way her eyes widened told me that something had for sure happened. Tate must have told everyone in the shop that he was over me, or sick of me, or never really interested. They had something on me – all of them – or so I let myself believe.
"Hi, there." She stood and gave me a sympathetic smile. "You looking for Tate?"
"Yes, ma'am. Just a concerned friend." I slipped my hands into my pockets and moved up to stand in front of her. "Is he here? I won't bother him for more than a few minutes."
"He's actually at the hospital. His mother was admitted a few days ago."
"Oh, no. Is she okay?" Worry raced over me, and I pulled out my phone and checked for the millionth time for a text from him.
"She is now. He's not here, though. You want me to tell him that you came by?" Her expression tightened a little, and even though I shouldn't have, I had to dig.
"No, please don't." I pulled my hands from my pockets and pressed them to the counter. "Do you have any idea why Tate isn't returning my calls? I'm not sure what I did wrong other than fall for him."
Dammit if tears didn't fill my eyes. I wasn't trying to work the poor woman in front of me, but the hard emotions ripping through my insides weren't going to stay hidden too much longer.
"Oh, honey." She reached up and placed her hands over mine. "He's just trying to do what's best for both of you."
I sniffled and reached for a tissue from the box on her desk. "I don't understand. Everything seemed to be going good for a little while there, and then all of a sudden… I don't hear anything. I understand him needing to take care of his mom, but I want to help out, too."
She tilted her head to the side and studied me. "He didn't tell you about his visitor the other day?"
"What? What visitor?" I blew my nose and apologized as I tried to think through who in the world could have stopped by that would have Tate pushing me away again.
My father.
"Oh, no. My dad didn't come in here, did he?"
She pursed her lips and nodded her head slowly. "Don't say anything to Tate. It was bad. Really bad."
Anger burned through me like a forest fire. "Bad how? What did he say to Tate?"
"He just warned him away, but his promises were pretty strong. He doesn't agree with you dating someone like Tate." She shrugged and let out a long sigh. "You gotta do what's best for you, honey, but I promise you something...if your dad has the power to do some of the things he promised to do to Tate and his family, I'd not be with you, either."
"What did he promise to do?" I felt like I might throw up.
"I'll let Tate tell you that. I've already said far too much." She dropped down in her chair. "If you're hell bent on making him yours, then show him the kind of love that that boy needs right now – the kind that leaves him believing that you have his back and would take on the world for him."
"I would do that without question." My vision started to blur again. Was my dad really such a monster that he would show up at Tate's shop and give him an ultimatum that included leaving me or meeting some horrible fate?
"Good, then you need to talk with your dad, too. He's a far bigger threat than I think you know, sweetie." She reached out and patted my arm. "Take care, and good luck. I hope you figure things out. Tate’s a good boy and a great man. I wish we had a million more like him."
I gave her a weak smile, thanked her and walked out into the snowy afternoon. I wasn't sure what I was going to do about my father, but Tate wasn't getting away so easily. He was the first man I'd wanted to be with enough to fight against everything I knew to make it happen.
He was worth it. No, I was.
*
I'd just finished baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies and scrubbing the kitchen when the sound of Tate and his mother caught my attention. I wasn't sure how pissed he was going to be with me for being there uninvited and having basically broken in.
"You smell that?" Tate's voice had a hint of fear to it.
"It's me. Sorry. I got tired of waiting for the boy of my dreams to call me." I wiped my hands on a towel as I walked into the living room.
Tate stopped in his tracks, but his mother headed over and pulled me into a tight hug.
"Oh, Val. I'm so glad you're here. This boy hasn't shut up about you for two days." She moved back and touched my cheek. "You look wonderful, except for those dark circles under your eyes. Are you not sleeping?"
"Nope. Courtesy of being dumped by a frog who I thought was my prince." I smiled as she laughed.
We both turned and looked at Tate, and my heart broke in my chest. The look on his face was a mixture of pain and disappointment. He didn't say anything, and I got tired of standing there hoping that he would welcome me into his arms and explain everything.
"You want some cookies? I just got through making them for your homecoming." I looped my arm into hers and walked into the kitchen.
She sat down and started talking about what happened with Daniel and the hospital as I worked to get her a small plate of cookies and a glass of milk. I was too comfortable being in their house, but I guess some part of me just felt like I'd finally found a place where I fit in.
&nb
sp; "Val." Tate stood at the door. "Can we talk?"
"Yeah, sure." I patted his mom on the arm as I followed him out the front door and into the yard.
"You didn't have to do all of this." He turned to face me, and I could see that he hadn't been sleeping, either.
"Oh, I know I didn't. Kindness is free, remember? Or did you forget? Because the man that helped me out of a shitty situation not too many days ago just threw me headfirst into one after making love to me all fucking night." Anger burned deep inside of me as tears filled my eyes. I pushed at his chest hard, as my voice lifted. "I finally found someone that I felt good around, right with, and he doesn't want me anymore. I gave him access to my time, my body...my fucking heart."
"Valentine." He grabbed my hands, but I yanked them away.
"No. You lied to me." I was full on crying at this point. Ugly crying. "You left that shitty note that said you would call, but guess what? You didn't."
"My mother was in the hospital. What was I-"
I pushed my finger into his chest and got in his face. "No, you don't get to use that as an excuse. Tell me what really happened. Tell me why you decided to spend the night in my arms and make me believe that there was something better around the corner for me than the life I have. Tell me why you would walk away from us because of some pathetic old man's threats."
He moved back as shock registered on his handsome face. "You knew?"
"Not from you. That's for damn sure." I pulled my keys out of my pocket. "I wanted us so badly, but it wasn't meant to be. Coming over here that first night, meeting your mom, and standing in your tiny living room with you beside me just felt right. I'm supposed to be here. I belong here."
"Baby." He reached for me, but I swatted him away.
"No. You discarded me over some idle threat."
"They weren't idle, Val. Your father knew all about my shit. He threatened to take my mother's job and our house. He said that he would bail Daniel out of jail, and the fucker did it." He moved toward me, but I'd already started to walk to my car.
"He's a mining guy, Tate. He doesn't have the power to do any of those things." I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. "Why didn't you just tell me? I could have helped figure it out. I wasn't enough for you to fight for? You just throw in the towel and that's it, huh?"
"That's not it. You know I'm completely into you." He reached out again, but I turned and opened the door to my car.
"I wasn't sure what I would find when I got out here today; fuck, I'm not even sure what I was looking for, but somehow, I think the truth. You were right. The rich people of the world are selfish assholes who just want what they want and don't care who gets hurt in the process." I shrugged and got in my car. "Too bad all I wanted was you."
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tate
Decision time. What're you gonna do?
"Val." I held onto the door tightly as she tried to close it. I wasn't at all sure of what the right decision was, but I wasn't going watch her drive away from me. I knew that much for sure.
"No. You don't get to sweet talk me into staying here with you. You're the most wishy-washy man I've ever met. You want me one minute and ignore me the next. I'm done." She yanked on the door, and dammit if I didn't crack a smile. She was impossibly cute in her ranting.
I pulled the door back open and reached in, tugging her out and catching her when she half fell into my arms. "Stop it. I didn't know what your father was capable of. Look at it from my perspective for a minute."
After muscling her to the back of the car, I pressed her against it and gripped her wrists tightly by her side as I pressed my cheek to hers and rested my mouth just beside her ear.
"I was told to back off because I wasn't good enough, and it's true," I whispered softly as her tension started to melt a little. "I took you to the lake and then to bed, and I show up the next morning to find the house in shambles and my mother in the hospital. What was I to think?"
My heart broke when a sob left her. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt the beautiful girl in front of me. She was the culmination of everything I wanted in a woman and the kind of girl I needed in my life, though I'd never deserve her in a million years.
"He doesn't have that kind of power." She tugged her hands free and wiped at her eyes before wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her cheek to my chest.
I petted her long, dark hair and pressed my lips to the top of her head. "I didn't know that. Fuck, I still don't know that. It all played out a little too well."
"Then, let me get in my car, and you can be rid of me. Of all of this mess. I told you that I wasn't worth the hassle." She glanced up at me and searched my face.
"No. That's not possible, either, and you know it." I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers tightly as I shifted forward to feel more of her against me. "You're all I've thought about over the last two days. I'm not letting go. I'm just confused."
"Then, we figure it out together." Her fingers brushed by my sides just under my shirt, sending chill bumps down my spine. "You can't keep playing lone wolf and expect anyone to be okay with that."
"What are you saying? You wanna try this dating thing even though we both know for sure that your dad is completely against it?" I ran my hands down her side and wrapped my fingers around her hips as I rocked against her again. All I could think about was getting her naked all of a sudden. She'd look damn fine stretched across the back of her car while I ate her out.
"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. My sister’s wedding is coming up soon, and you're going with me or I'm not going. My parents are going to have to realize that I'm not a child anymore. I don't have to jump when they say jump." Her cheeks were growing pink as her eyes narrowed. I wasn't sure if it was the cold getting to her or the fact that she was waking up to who she had become under her mother's thumb.
"Baby, we'll figure this out later. It's freezing out here. Come inside with me and let's watch a movie or something. I'm sorry for pulling back. I'm not used to much more than a quick one-night-stand and then I'm back to being single." I brushed my hand down the side of her face and cupped her neck. "You're the first woman that's left me wanting something more."
"No talking about your past exploits. I'm not interested." She lifted to her toes and kissed me once more before I moved back.
"No? I could tell you some wild-"
"Not at all, in any way, whatsoever interested. Nope. Don't." She took my hand and gave me a warning glare.
I laughed and reached over to close her car door before we walked back to the house together.
"I'm not used to all this dating stuff, so be patient with me." I popped her ass as she walked up the stairs to the house. It wasn't going to be as simple as a quick kiss in the snow, but I would work to make it up to her for the rough start we'd had, no matter how long it took.
"I didn't see a TV in here. Where are we watching movies?" She walked into the house and turned to look over her shoulder at me.
"Mom's got one in her bedroom. I'll get it out of there. Make yourself comfortable on the couch." I ran my hand along the small of her back as my cock stiffened in my jeans. I'd never had a woman over to the house for more than a few minutes. The idea of snuggling up with the beautiful girl who was sure to steal my heart was invigorating.
I knocked on the door to my mother's bedroom and went in as she called out.
"Did Val leave?" She turned from her open closet door and lifted her eyebrow at me.
"No, but I barely caught her." I rubbed my chest and let out a long sigh. "Her father threatened me the other night that he would fuck our lives up good if I kept seeing her."
"Watch your language." She shook her head at me before walking over and touching the side of my face. "You can't believe everything you hear, right?"
"Yeah, but to have him say it and then come home to find you all beat up again and shit. And stuff." I moved away from her and went to work on the TV. "Can we borrow this?"
"Yes, of course."
She sat down on her bed while I worked to get the cables undone. "Tate, you know some people are more hot air than anything else. Daniel's brother got him out of jail, not Val's dad. They've put a lockdown on him getting out at all now. It's going to be fine. What else did Mr. Scott threaten you with?"
"It doesn't matter," I mumbled feeling all of twelve. "It's fine. I'll take care of it."
"Damn right you will. Sam's father is a lawyer. Go talk to him. He'd represent you any day in a civil suit against that bastard." My mother's voice rose significantly.
"Mom, it's all good. Don't get worked up, and don't let Val hear you. I just got her to calm down." I picked up the TV and walked to the door. "Don't come into the living room without warning me."
"Oh Lord." She rolled her eyes and opened the door for me. "I swear, I raised a heathen."
"Something like that." I chuckled and walked back down the hall. Valentine was sitting on the couch with an old photo album in her lap and a smile on her face. "You find something of interest?"
She glanced up. "Oh, yeah. You've known Sam for a really long time, haven't you?"
I put the TV down on the empty stand and started to work at getting it hooked up.
"All my life. He used to live down the street when we were in preschool, but the neighborhood was much better back then. After his folks finished up college, they got good jobs and moved to a better part of the city." I shrugged. "We never stopped seeing each other. We used to ride our bikes ten miles in the snow just to hang out."
The sound of her laugh warmed me. "I love it. I'm close to Amy, Katelyn, and Lucinda, but we knew each other from high school. I didn't have too many friends as a kid. My father was running for public office and kept us half-locked up just to make sure we didn't do or say anything that might hurt his chances."
"Yeah, no offense, but your father's a piece of work." I popped in an old black and white movie and moved to sit beside her on the couch.
"He's nothing compared to my mother. Had she come to see you, you likely would have shit yourself." She reached up and ran her hand over my back, pressing her fingers into the muscles.