She didn't look so hot. That was the first thought I had when she reached me. I didn't know you could get allergies in the winter, but hers have been acting up for some strange reason lately. If it didn't clear up soon I'm hauling her to the doctor, which I’ve been threatening to do for the last day or so.
"Talon, what in the world is going on?"
I took both of her hands in mine so I could look into her eyes, her eyes don't lie to me. "Who sent them?"
She looked at a loss at my question. "Who sent what?"
"The flowers Skylar."
"Flowers?" She knitted her brow in confusion.
"Yeah, Noah showed up for practice teasing me about buying out the flower shop for my girl. And since you're the only girl I have and I haven't sent you any flowers lately I thought he was off his nut, until he told me he handled the delivery personally and they were definitely for you."
"But I didn't get any flowers." We started walking into the building and towards her room.
"I know, your roommate signed for them. That doesn't negate the fact that someone sent you a shit load of roses; his words not mine." I held her hand and pulled her along behind me. They better be from her father, that's all I'm saying, barring that, a mistake or some shit. But if some other guy was sending her flowers there will be hell to pay, the poor fool better find a rock and fast.
The room was covered no joke; from wall to wall covered with red roses. They just became my least favorite flower in the world. I'm going to rip the motherfucker's head off after I deal with my girl.
"What in the world!" Skye looked around the room in amazement.
Just then Robyn Baldwin came out of the bathroom. She's another reason I wanted my girl out of here. Though I'd never slept with Robyn, it wasn't for lack of her trying; not to mention she was tight with Mackenzie, who couldn't seem to get it through her head that I never went back for seconds. If she was a pain in the ass before, she was an even bigger one now that Skye and I were together.
No time to think about that shit now, I had to get to the bottom of this flower shit.
"Oh hi Talon, hi Skye."
I’m sure she thinks I didn't notice that my greeting was sugary sweet, while my girl's was snide. Oh yeah I'm getting her out of here as soon as possible. Any excuse to farther my cause.
"So who's your new admirer Skye you sly thing?" She tried pulling that shit off as being playful but I could see the malice coming off her in waves. What she doesn't know is that I trust my girl implicitly, my anger isn't towards her, it's towards the situation and the motherfucker who didn't have long to live once I find out who the fuck he is.
“I have no idea.” Skylar walked over to look at the flowers but I held her back, I didn’t even want her touching the shits. I’d light the whole fucking lot of them in five minutes flat before I let that shit happen.
"There's a card." The twit was only too helpful in finding that shit among the mountain of flowers while my girl stood there looking confused and my blood boiled.
I took the card from her hand and tried not to slap the shit out of her smirking ass before I tore it open. Yeah I did that shit so sue me, what's hers is mine and vice versa.
Reading that shit almost made me postal, lucky for this asshole he was a thousand miles away. I showed her the card as my heart rate went all over the place.
"What the hell! I didn't know anything about this I swear." She looked up at me pleadingly.
"I know that." Now I did, when I didn't know who’d sent them I couldn't figure out the dynamics. I knew my girl was no cheat, I just couldn't figure out why someone would be sending her flowers. But now I knew who they were from I knew there was no way she’d had any idea about them.
"What the hell does your asshole ex want?"
Chapter 7
TALON
"Skylar I asked you a question."
"Talon I don't know what he's up to okay." She started sneezing again, that's it, I'm taking her stubborn ass to the doctor if that shit doesn't stop no matter what the hell she says. Who would've thought that my girl would be so hard headed? I've been telling her to go for the past few days but does she listen, no way. Now I'm putting my foot down, but first I have to deal with this bullshit.
"Has he been calling you or trying to contact you in some way?"
"Not that I know of." She looked pissed as hell, which helped to cool the fire burning under my skin.
I noticed her annoying ass roommate still hanging around listening to everything we said, probably needed gossip for her demented friend.
"Do you mind? We're having a private conversation here." I glared at her.
"Excuse me Mr. Big shot, but this is as much my room as hers I don't have to leave if I don't want to."
I don't have time for this shit, "That's it Skye, let's get your shit, you're coming with me now." I started to grab her shit, I knew I was acting like a prick but I didn't much care right now. I wanted her with me anyway and this was just the catalyst I needed. Fucking flowers and shit, what was next? I knew for damn sure that douche won't be sending any motherfucking flowers to my place. Not unless he wanted me to gut him with a rusty knife.
"Robyn could you please give us a minute alone, please? It'll only take a minute."
She huffed out of he room with attitude after Skye asked her nicely. Personally I couldn't give a shit; there was nothing more to be said. She wasn't staying here anymore and that was final. I mean what was the point? She was practically living with me already anyway so I didn’t see the big deal.
"Talon we have to talk about this."
"Nothing to talk about."
I kept clearing her side of the room, throwing shit haphazardly into her travel bags. I'd get the bigger shit later. "Go get your girly shit out of the bathroom."
She folded her arms and tapped her foot. "You do realize we've known each other a total of three weeks right? Twenty-one days Talon, people don't move in together after twenty-one days."
"You've slept next to me every night of the past fourteen days. What the fuck do you think is going to happen if you move in with me? Have I tried to force you into anything, am I pressuring you to fuck?"
"Talon, there's more to it than that, it's not just about us sleeping together, and would you stop swearing at me?"
"No Skylar, fuck, I'm pissed way the fuck off, some fucktard is sending my woman fucking roses, this shit's gonna be all over campus by end of day. Fuck me."
"Calm down..."
"Skylar, Get, Your, Shit." She doesn't listen worth shit.
"I don't understand why you're acting like this, I didn't talk to Robert, I have no intentions on ever talking to that jerk again, okay!"
"Get your shit or we're leaving without it."
She rolled her eyes at me and sat on her bed, and then the fucking sneezing started again.
"Babe you sure that's just allergies? You've been sick for a while, fuck it I'm taking you to see the doc." I dropped her shit and went to pick her up but she fended me off with her stubborn ass.
"No baby it's fine I promise, they're just a little worse than usual but nothing to worry about." Yeah, I've been hearing that shit for days now. I studied her teary eyes and red nose with suspicion, I didn’t care who laughed at me, seeing her sick was not an option.
My boys thought I’d lost it but what the fuck did they know? How would they know how it felt to have someone so deep under your skin that you wanted to keep all the bad away? They were just a bunch of horny asses looking to get laid. For me this was the big stakes, the until death do you part shit that seemed designed to make men stupid, because I couldn’t see where she was losing her damn mind. She was all smooth sailing while I spent every waking moment thinking up ways to attach her to me so I can keep an eye on her twenty-four seven.
The last two weeks have been fucking amazing; apart from the strange fucking looks and the whispers everywhere we went things were going smoothly. I knew they were working out that way because I've been steamrolling over
her. I made a decision and carried it through. Like the decision to spend every night in the same bed, she hadn't been too sure about that either, but I didn't take no for an answer.
I knew I was moving too fast for convention ask me if I give two fucks. She's my girl and she'll be my girl when she's ninety. Nothing's gonna change that, why the fuck should I go slow, to impress who or abide by whose standards?
Life's too mother-fucking short for that shit, kill that noise. Of course my teammates joked behind my back that I was pussy whipped. First one of those assholes I hear saying that shit was gonna get a fist to the face. Not for making fun of me, but because it was disrespectful to my girl. My girl wasn't easy, she didn't give it up and surprisingly I didn't feel the need to rush her. Not that it was anybody's fucking business, but all the same I didn't want them thinking that shit let alone saying it.
I took her everywhere with me, even practice; I had her sitting in the stands while we went through our routines. My baby didn't know shit about the game but that didn't bother me, I don't need a cheerleader. She could sit there and read or play on her phone or some shit, as long as I could see her when I looked over there that's all I cared about. I didn't care about anyone else's opinion. All those people who swore they knew me and whispered that we wouldn't last, that I'd soon grow bored and pull an Avery as it was called around here; everyone seemed to be questioning my behavior. Just a good hard look usually had them shutting the fuck up.
I knew other girls were approaching her and giving her shit, she didn't tell me this of course, she didn't have to. There were more than enough people on campus that made it their business to keep me in the loop. None of them dared approach her in my presence, it would only make them look stupid since she knew all about them.
I told her everything, well I didn't go into detail, that's just fucking crass, but I told her who I’d fucked before, well the ones that were still here anyway. So none of them could try to throw that shit in her face. She knew too that I never hit the same skin twice, didn't want anyone getting ideas. I knew they were mad as fuck that I treated her differently after only just meeting her, when some of them had been trying for years to sneer me. I tell you one thing, I'm not into disrespecting women, I won't call any of my past conquests whores for sleeping with me after one night, what would that make me after all? But if they fucked with her I won't think twice about drop kicking one of their asses.
My sweetheart is a softy she's no fighter, that's what the fuck I'm here for. I've caught some of the looks thrown her way, but I'm just waiting for one of them to make the wrong move. My boys on the team kept me up on the gossip; they knew what the groupies were up to since that was their deal. Some of my cast offs thought that sleeping with the rest of the team after I refused them would make me come running back. How that was supposed to lure me in was a fucking mystery, I don't get it. Thank fuck I no longer have to, let the boys have their fun with my leavings, my girl was different.
Any of those greasy mother-fuckers even looks at her I'll knock their asses out cold. That brings us back to this shit right here.
Instead of arguing with her I went into the bathroom myself, I knew what her shit smelled like I'll just get it myself.
"Talon get out of there you nut, I'll do it sheesh, do you ever listen?" I gave her the lifted brow, she knew me well enough by now to know that if I didn't like the answer she gave me, I would go ahead and do my thing, that's just the way I am with her.
I've never felt this all-consuming need to protect, hover, fucking own a woman in my life. With Skye all the rules were broken, made me wonder who owned who. She fucking took over every aspect of my life, that loving only one woman thing was some serious shit. No one told me it would turn me into a raving tyrannical lunatic though. Then again when I spoke to my dad and brother about it they'd laughed their asses off. According to them that shit never changed, in fact as time went on it could get even worst, which meant Skye was in for some life. I hope she could put up with my shit because if this thing got any worst she wouldn't be allowed out of my sight.
She came out of the bathroom just as her roommate was returning. I didn't even spare that bitch a second thought, just grabbed my girl and left. Now I could breathe easier, I was finally getting her where I wanted her; it had only taken me two damn weeks, which had felt like years. I don't know why it was so important to me to have her in my place permanently. It's not like her dorm was hours away, I just know I needed her there, her shit mixed in with mine, her face next to mine every morning, I wouldn't rest easy until I made it so.
Chapter 8
TALON
So yeah, I've got my girl settled in our place, that sounds so good, our place. It's been two days and I'm finally making good on my threat. Last night she kept me up all night sneezing and coughing. It's only this morning when she started wheezing and running a fever that I lost my shit, so I'm dragging her to the doc. She didn't even argue that's how I knew we were in trouble my baby hates doctors.
The blonde behind the desk smiled at me like she thought I was on some special menu, I kept my face hard as I approached. "I need the doc like right now."
"He'll be free in less than five, but you can take a seat right over there if you'd like." Did women still do that shit with their eyes? I guess she didn't hear me, or she didn't see my girl back there fighting to breathe. No fucking way.
"Now." I looked back at my girl who looked like she was turning blue.
"Sir I said five minutes." She was getting huffy because she’d just realized my girl and I were together. I'll deal with getting her ass fired later right now Skye needed help.
I picked Skylar up and headed down the hallway that led to the examination rooms. "Sir, you can't..." She ran after us and tried pulling me around totally crazy; all the while Skye’s breathing like it’s her last.
"The name's Avery..." I growled the words at her I didn’t have time for this shit. I saw her eyes widen in recognition as she took a deep swallow and a step back.
"Look it up, in fact you don't have to look too far, see the plaque behind you? Yeah, grandpa appreciates it."
I barged into the first examination room I came to, scaring the shit out of doc who seemed to be writing something on a chart.
"Talon..."
"No time doc, my girl's sick, I need you to fix it." I laid her down on the table; thankfully no one had been in with the doc or who knows what I would've done to the poor soul.
"What seems to be the problem?" He started fumbling with the shit around his neck and looking over his glasses at her.
"She says it's allergies but I don't know, she's been sneezing for the better part of two weeks. This morning she started wheezing and she's running a fever, what do you think?"
"Well I have to look at her first son."
"Yeah, okay." What the fuck’s he waiting for, he’s just standing there staring at me with this stupid half grin on his face. I started to say something but he beat me to it.
"I can't get to her if you don't move out of the way son."
"Oh." I stepped back but not too far, she might need me.
"Talon?"
"Yeah baby?"
"Calm down."
"Uh huh, I'll get right on that."
He drew blood and listened to her heart and her lungs. I could still hear her fighting to breathe and I wanted to hit something. "Uh Talon, I think we need to get her to the hospital, I'm not sure but I think she might be having a severe reaction to something. We'll know more when we get the blood work back, but since this isn't my field of expertise I'd feel better if she went to emergency."
I was halfway out the door before he was finished. I fucking knew it, why didn't I just follow my instincts? No time for that now, next time I'll just make sure she listens to me. I ran all the way to my truck and buckled her in, pushing the seat back so she could lie down. Doc had yelled something about calling the hospital so they’d know we were coming as I floored it out of there. I probably should’ve taken his adv
ice and waited for an ambulance but those fucks take forever sometimes, no, no one will take care of her like I can.
We were there for fucking ever, and I was freaking the fuck out. I mean why would they be keeping her here this long if there wasn't something seriously wrong? They tried getting me out of the room but good luck with that. My baby was stressing, she was finally grasping how serious this shit was and it was scaring her. That shit only sent me into a tailspin, I couldn’t stand to see the fear in her eyes. The way she looked at me as if pleading with me to do something and I couldn’t do shit.
All I could do was hold her hand and whisper to her reassuringly. There’s no way she can be taken from me now, that’s what I kept telling myself. I tried to remember if I’d ever done anything so horrible that would cause me to suffer such a loss. I think I prayed, begged, threatened and a whole host of other things while I listened to her fight to breathe. For some reason she seemed to have gotten worst since we got here. I swore then and there that I would love and protect her al my life if she would only pull through.
When they started talking CAT scans and shit, let's just say they're lucky the building's still standing. I called my dad to see who he knew in the area that would be of help. He didn't even beat around the bush, didn’t ask me a million questions. He put me on hold for five minutes before he came back on the line. "Colliers is on his way, you know him, you've seen him at some of the ceremonial dinners and he's been to the house a time or two. I'll try to get ahold of the administrator and let him know he'll be having a visiting doctor. In the meantime do you need your mom and I to come out?"
Talon's Heart Page 3