Because of Him

by Terri E. Laine

  My parents may have their problems, but I knew in my heart Dad would do anything for Mom and I wanted someone like that in my life.

  I wouldn’t live in fear. Making up my mind, I texted Tade.

  27

  TADE

  Rowing training had taken up much of my time. Weightlifting and regular practices on the water when the weather cooperated were required. The temperature continued to be great, which meant before school and after, my time was filled. Every time I’d been able to get to the café, Biscuit hadn’t been there.

  Yet I couldn’t get her out of my head. I found myself thinking about her constantly. I had trouble eating anything with strawberries because they reminded me of her. She was under my skin, and broke all my rules about not getting too close. I’d almost texted her a couple of times, but she’d made it clear that if we happened to see each other it was fine. But she hadn’t opened the doors for us to go out again.

  All of that came to a crashing halt on Friday. It was the first day in a while that coach had given us the afternoon off.

  Exhausted, I’d gone to my room and crashed. Between practice, classes and studying, it felt like I hadn’t slept during that whole time.

  Gavin graced my door with remote in hand. “Wanna play?”

  “You’re not tired after what coach put us through?”

  “I can’t sleep.”

  I couldn’t either. Swinging my legs over the side, I got up and headed to the living room, wanting a distraction.

  We were in the middle of a battle when my phone buzzed to life.

  “Who’s that? Reagan?”

  I picked up my phone as Gavin cursed about us dying in the game.

  “Dude, we have to redo the whole level.”

  He sounded irritated and I ignored it and read her text again. I wasn’t sure what had changed, but I was willing to find out.

  “What does she want?”

  “She wants to hang out tomorrow.”

  Though I was puzzled, he wasn’t. “That’s not a surprise.”

  “Why?”

  “Dude, you’re clueless sometimes. It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Of course she wants to hang out.”

  I did the fish speak thing before I finally closed my mouth, unsure of what to do next. Fuck.

  “If she’s anything like her crazy friend, you’re going to have to go big to get anything through her thick skull.”

  “Dude, you sound bitter. What the hell happened?”

  He waved me off. I let it be and texted Reagan back, Meet me at the dock tomorrow at seven before we restarted the game.

  Last we’d spoken, she’d wanted only to hang out with me on dry land. Asking her to meet me there might have been a test or maybe I wanted home field advantage. Though I wasn’t exactly confident she’d show up.

  At seven, I stood waiting at the docks. She didn’t flag me down this time. Gracefully, she walked toward my boat. Seeing her again confirmed why I hadn’t made a move on any other girl. There was just something about her that made waiting worth it.

  I held out my hand to help her on board. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

  “I don’t want to live in fear anymore.”

  She’d barely spoken; I wasn’t sure I was supposed to hear.

  “You’re afraid of me?”

  “Not you exactly.” She glanced away, the breeze making her hair float around her head. “Life in general.”

  I took that to mean her fear of the water.

  “Why don’t you hold the wheel steady for me while I prepare for launch?”

  Her smile was brighter than the sun. Silently, she planted herself behind the wheel. I stood behind her, enjoying the feel of her pressed against me until I was sure she was okay. Then I moved about to let up the sails and cast off the stern and bow lines. Once we were underway, I went to stand behind her again to help steer.

  “This is so cool,” she said with wonder.

  It amazed me that I would enjoy sharing my passion with someone other than my dad.

  When we found a quiet spot far out in the bay, I showed her how to drop anchor by reading the depth screen.

  Then I pulled out two fishing rods.

  “Have you ever fished?”

  “No, but it sounds fun.”

  Was she real? I’d expected her face to scrunch up, but it didn’t. We settled into two chairs I placed in the aft. I thought for sure when I pulled out the small bucket of worms she’d get a little squeamish. She didn’t. Like a trooper, she followed my direction.

  “It seems mean to kill the little guys.”

  “It’s for the greater good. Circle of life.”

  After helping her cast, she began firing off questions.

  “Do you fish often?”

  It had been a while. “No, not a lot.”

  “Favorite color?”

  “Green.” I turned a winning smile on her and added, “Although red and yellow are coming in a close second and third.” Red for her lips and yellow because she wore a yellow graphic shirt today. “You?”

  She gave me a flirty smile. “Yellow.”

  “I wouldn’t have guessed,” I joked, remembering the bikini she wore on our first boating trip and that dress she wore on our date.

  “Favorite food?”

  “I don’t really have one.” I shrugged. “You?”

  “Mexican.”

  I changed the direction of the questions. “Where is the one place you want to visit?”

  “Kenya.” She eyed me coyly. She must have caught my quizzical expression because she asked, “What?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t say a thing.” Although I’d anticipated she’d say Paris, Rome, or some place in the Caribbean.

  “It’s a beautiful country. I would love to go on safari,” she continued, defending her choice.

  As we sat waiting for a bite, the questions continued. It turned out she was more of a salty person than sweet, preferring chips to candy when she had the urge to snack.

  “Favorite movie?”

  She shrugged. “You’ll think I’m weird.”

  “No judgment,” I said.

  Her eyes held mine before her smile turned shy. “It isn’t really a movie.”

  I curled my fingers, gesturing her to come out with it.

  “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

  When I didn’t say anything, she smiled, trying to coax me to say something.

  “You know, Charlie Brown.”

  “I think I might have seen it as a kid, but I wasn’t really into it.”

  Her face fell.

  “I’m not judging you. Tell me why you liked it.”

  She gave a half shrug. “My mom loves it; I guess she rubbed off on me.”

  I tipped up her chin. “Don’t stand behind your mom. Tell me why you love it.”

  She bit at her lip a few seconds before answering. “Linus is my favorite character of the crew. He doesn’t seem to care what people think about his quirks. He carries his baby blanket with no shame. And his faith in the Great Pumpkin, even when it doesn’t show up, doesn’t waver. He’s brave in so many ways.”

  Something about how she said it led me to believe she didn’t think she was.

  “You’re brave.”

  She tried to shake off my compliment, letting her hair spill to hide her face.

  I pushed it back behind her ear.

  “You are. You told me you were afraid of the water. Yet, here you are, sailing with me again.”

  Her smile turned spectacular, though she glanced out at the water.

  How weird was it that it was cool just talking to her? That didn’t mean I hadn’t thought about what was under her long-sleeved Bob Marley tee and jeans. But I hadn’t acted on it.

  Just when I was about to suggest calling it a day after no bites, her line went taut. She struggled with it. Not wanting to presume she needed help, I asked, “Do you have it?”

  “I think so.”

  She fought with the line, doing her
best not to be pulled in after the fish. I had to admire that she wasn’t a quitter. I scrambled to my feet after dropping my line and secured a hand around her waist after she stood up in order to hang on.

  I held her until she was steady, enjoying a little too much the feel of her in my arms. Unfortunately, I had to let go, needing both my hands to help her reel it in. Whatever was at the end of the hook was putting up a fight. The two of us hadn’t yet won the battle. How had she handled it before my help?

  After a concerted effort, we finally heaved in a Bluefish that had to be close to thirty inches long. Putting up a fight even at the end, I said, “Quick, grab your phone so you can take a selfie with it.” She snagged it from her back pocket and I held out her prize. “This is your catch.”

  She put her hands up in surrender and shook her head. “No way. It’s too big,” she squealed as the fish’s tail kicked back and forth.

  “Okay, take the picture fast,” I said, nodding to her.

  She snapped a few photos while I struggled to hold it still. After she was done, I swiftly tugged out the hook and tossed the fish back in.

  Her frown was heavy, with her brows knitted in confusion. “Why’d you do that?”

  I moved closer. Her pouty mouth was too much of a temptation.

  “One, because we aren’t going to eat it. Two, because it’s not exactly fishing season.” I shrugged.

  She held up her phone, shaking it slightly side to side, and gave me a wicked grin. “I guess that means I have blackmail material.”

  I lunged for her, eating up the tiny distance between us, and took her down. With her securely underneath me, I said, “And what is your demand?”

  With her hands over her head and in no position to overpower me, she commanded, “Kiss me.”

  Her boldness caught me off guard. I leaned in with painful slowness before I savored her sweet taste. I cupped her face then let my hand thread through her hair, angling her to deepen the kiss. Our connection was just as explosive as the first time. I branded her mouth like I owned it until she was breathless, leaving me hard to the point of pain.

  When my phone rang, I could have tossed it into the bay, not wanting an interruption. But when hers rang as well, there was no ignoring it.

  I rolled to the side, getting to my feet as I pulled mine out. I stepped farther to one side of the boat, not wanting to interrupt her call with my own.

  “What? Where are you?”

  Gavin’s voice sounded like it had tumbled over rocks. “Look man, just come get me from the emergency room. I’ll explain it all then.”

  The phone clicked off and I stared at it for a few long seconds before turning and saying, “I have to get back,” at the same time she said, “I need to get back.”

  We traded smiles before she asked, “Gavin?”

  I nodded. “Megan?”

  She bobbed her head.

  “What is up with those two?”

  She laughed. “She’s like a vault. She shuts down every time I mention his name.”

  I grumbled to myself how I was going to kick Gavin’s ass when I saw him for ruining my day with her as I moved around to change the heading of the sails to take us back.

  She’d moved to the wheel without me asking, calling out for instruction. I’d make her a sailor before she knew it.

  After I docked the boat, I flew to the cabin to get something.

  “I’d planned to give you these.”

  I held out the yellow roses, guessing right they were her favorite color.

  Her mouth formed a surprise O. “They’re so pretty, but what’s the occasion?”

  Because I would give you the world just to see your eyes dance in wonder. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”

  “Valentine’s Day, I didn’t remember. I should have gotten you something.”

  “You can give me this.” I leaned down, not caring where Gavin was. He could wait a few more minutes.

  She reached up, grazing her nails through my hair as I deepened the kiss.

  When she stepped back, I could sense her reluctance.

  “I should go,” she said.

  “Do you need a ride?”

  I wasn’t sure if Megan was at the hospital too.

  “No, but I’ll call you later?”

  I agreed, watching her go before I got to my car using my phone for directions. When I pulled up at the emergency room, Gavin was just inside the hospital door holding the fort alone in a wheelchair.

  “What the fuck, man?” I asked, helping him into the car. I could have been more sympathetic since his arm was in a sling, a cast peeking out. He ignored me. Once we were both inside, I demanded answers. “What the hell happened?”

  “Nothing.” His denial wasn’t going to work this time.

  I shook my head and refused to move the car. “Screw that. You’re the eighth man on the crew. The season’s about to start and we don’t have a backup.” McClain wasn’t a large school. Until I came, they didn’t even have an eight-man rowing crew. As the unofficial leader of the crew, I’d recruited my ass off and gotten seven other decent guys to form one. “You owe me an explanation.”

  A heavy sigh preceded a wince of pain and I had a moment to feel sorry for him before it was replaced by my annoyance. “I was in a bar fight.”

  “A bar fight? It’s barely eleven in the morning. What bar is open now?”

  A car honked behind me. With Gavin finally talking, I fired up the engine and began the trek home.

  “It was last night. Then there were the cops to deal with before they finally let me go to the hospital.”

  “What does this have to do with Megan?” He was hiding something from me and it had to be big. In the last three—almost four—years he’d never had a problem telling me things about the chicks he banged.

  He shrugged and grimaced again. There was a second where I was happy he was in pain. If not for that, I might have punched him.

  “Dude, without you, we have no shot at the championship. You owe me the truth of what’s going on between you two.”

  He glanced away, staring out the window. His light brown hair looked darker in the shadows that clung to him.

  “I went to the bar with some of the crew.”

  He rattled of a few names of guys on our rowing team.

  “She was there wearing one of those tight numbers she likes to squeeze into. Her tits spilled out of her dress like she was trying to make me jealous.”

  “Were you?”

  “Jealous enough that after several drinks, I lost it when this guy put his hands on her.”

  “Hands on her how?”

  “Okay, so maybe he went to dance with her. But fuck that shit. Just think how you would feel if some guy tried to dance with Reagan in front of you.”

  The thought had me clenching my fist. Reagan belonged to me and no one else.

  “Exactly,” he said, eyeing my expression. “Anyway, next thing I knew, I was cuffed and in the backseat of a cruiser while the cops sorted out the situation.”

  I whistled. “At least you didn’t end up needing bail.”

  “There’s that.”

  I rubbed at my temple, trying to find calm and understanding. “Why don’t you tell her how you feel?”

  “She’s crazy.” After I gave him a knowing look, he added, “She’s under my skin like a bad ache.”

  “That sounds painful.”

  He huffed. “It is. She drives me insane.” He held curled fingers up to either side of his head like he was measuring just how much.”

  “You are as good as sunk.”

  He slumped in the chair. “I am. What about you? Have you claimed Reagan as your girl yet?”

  “No.”

  I hadn’t had a girlfriend for as long as I could remember. Though the idea of her with someone else brought a red haze over my vision.

  “Are you sure about that? You look ready to fight me for mentioning her name.”

  “A girlfriend was never in the plan.”

 
I folded my hands on top of my head.

  “Well, shit happens and you have to adjust.”

  I turned to glare at him. He shrugged.

  “Anyway,” he said. “I have nothing to offer her. You have everything, from the fancy car, right last name, and padded bank account. Have you told her who your dad was?”

  He was wrong about the name.

  “It hasn’t come up. Besides, I’d rather that she not find out.”

  He knew my reasons. If anyone formed an opinion about me, it shouldn’t be based on who my dad was.

  Later, when I thought I might text Reagan, Gavin knocked on my door.

  28

  REAGAN

  When I walked into our dorm room, Megan was pacing.

  “You’re finally here.” She caught me in a hug.

  “What was so important I had to get back here right away?” I asked, before finding a vase to put the flowers in.

  “Nice. He gets points for remembering what day it is.”

  I glared at her. “I would have had more fun on this day if you hadn’t demanded I come back. Now what’s up?”

  She licked her lips as if preparing for a long speech. “You wouldn’t believe what happened last night with Gavin.”

  “I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about him.”

  She glared at me. “We weren’t. But since you were too busy studying last night, I went out with Gigi and Jenny.”

  “Jenny?” I didn’t know they were friends.

  She waved me off. “People who want to go out are hard to come by these days. You’ve been busy studying or whatever. Almost everyone else is a couple. And besides, she isn’t into Tade anymore. I’m not sure what happened there.”

  Jealousy was an ugly thing. I didn’t want to know what was in that girl’s head about Tade. Things were good and I didn’t want anything to spoil it.

  “So what happened? How does Gavin fit into this story?” When she glared at me, I amended my words. “Okay, how does he who shall not be named fit into things?”

  “We got to the bar and to my surprise, I had a two-for-one special.” I just stared at her because I had no idea what she meant. “Derrick was there and so was the nameless guy.”

  Derrick was her long-term now ex-boyfriend. She started to pace as she explained what happened.