My jaw worked double time then, as I clenched my teeth and stared at Cory taking an order at another table. Strike two, I’d been dumped. A second time in my life, it seemed, by the same damn woman. I wasn’t even going to begin to care how angry I must look. I could feel it. The blood that rang through my ears was nothing compared to the red that blurred my vision.
She’d fucking dumped me. Again.
I was done chasing her. Whatever had happened to her over the years hadn’t changed whom she really was. Whom I had finally known her to be but had been too blind and stupid to see it. Getting my heart crushed for a second time now, maybe it’d finally sink in that Cory was not whom I had created in my mind and heart.
I sat at a table seething, unsure what my next move should be. The thought of dragging her to the back room and yelling at her crossed my mind. But making a scene, especially with someone who wanted nothing to do with me, wasn’t my thing. Nor was being violent with a woman. I may have been fooled as to what kind of woman she was, but I still knew what kind of man I was raised to be.
Staring at her like a crazy person probably wasn’t helping matters either. When Cory finally noticed me, she dropped her pen while talking to a customer. I watched as she seemed to stammer and the customers gave her quizzical expressions. When she turned and hurried to the break room, I knew it was time to confront her. I, at least, deserved some answers.
Standing from my seat, I tried not to look like a raging asshole, but the anxiousness to speak with her was more than I could take. I wanted to try to figure out what to say to her, but I had no clue.
“Alex!” I heard a voice from across the room, but was so focused on getting to Cory, it didn’t register until I felt a hand on my arm. When I felt someone tugging on me, I looked down to see a sultry, auburn-haired beauty. Gracie beamed as if she had won first prize at a contest. She hugged me so tight, I wasn’t sure if she wanted to crush me or love me. For a moment I stood still, trying to figure out how to handle Gracie. She hadn’t really responded too well to any of my previous brush-offs. Now that I knew what that felt like, I wasn’t too anxious to hurt her.
Hoping for an answer, I looked up and noticed Cory walking out of the back room. She stopped the moment she saw Gracie’s arms around my waist. My eyes met Cory’s and if there was a way for a person to turn green with envy, she would have been the color of my eyes. Her face was as crimson as mine had been just moments before.
I watched her slam a drink on her tray, sloshing the liquid all over the counter before she looked down to notice what she had done. Quickly apologizing to Cassie standing next to her, she rushed to wipe it off and put it on her tray.
Cassie’s eyes met mine, and then I watched them widen as she saw Gracie hugging me.
“I called you earlier to see if you’d go out with me tonight!” She squeezed tighter, completely unaware of anything going on around her.
The teen boy inside of me, who had been stood up both that night and long ago by Cory, thought about revenge for all the pain she’d caused. Then there was the rational side of me, the one who really did care about Cory and what happened to her, listening to Pappy telling me that I needed to do the right thing.
Pulling Gracie’s arms from around my waist, I looked down at her. “Give me a second, would you? I need to talk to someone.”
Gracie’s smile faltered, but she kept her façade up. “Oh. Okay, then. I’ll be sitting right over there with Curtis and Jamie.”
I looked over to the table, realizing I hadn’t asked if she had come with anyone. Nodding at the guys from the gym, the same ones I kept encouraging Gracie to date, I looked back at her and said, “I might be leaving actually. I had some stuff to do tonight.”
I didn’t bother waiting for Gracie’s answer as I continued over to the counter where Cory was placing more glasses on her tray.
Nine
Cory
Waking up that morning, I had been convinced of what I needed to do. Calling and asking for a shift that night had been a bold move that I did impulsively—like a Band-aid being ripped off a wound. Get it over with and move on.
The problem was I knew the wound wouldn’t heal for Alex. I knew deep down that standing him up was a horrible decision. Changing my mind, I came into work thinking I could slip out and explain things to him. Maybe not everything, but how it’d been for me for so many years. Then it got busy and things got out of control. Even though I stared at the clock, I hoped I’d be able to find a lull to meet him, even if I was late.
Then seeing him come in and the anger on his face was even worse than I had thought it would be. I paced in the break room, knowing I’d made a huge mistake. Kicking myself for yet another one, I vowed I’d right it for him. I’d apologize and maybe even explain everything. The old Alex might be able to forgive me and understand why I did what I did, right?
After resolving that I had worked out the right words in my mind, I came out to see some woman wrapped around him like he was a movie star. The adoration in her eyes for him was more than I could bear. I knew it was wrong to feel such jealousy—I didn’t have any right to feel that—but he didn’t have to flaunt another woman in my face. That wasn’t the Alex I had known him to be.
It was better this way—me being the asshole who stood him up. I just needed a couple more paychecks and then I’d leave town. I had to endure seeing him for just a little longer—withstand the sight of him with another woman one last time. I shut my eyes trying to block out the vision—although it would be there regardless, since the stunning woman was seated in my section.
Briefly, I considered asking Cassie to switch sections with me, but she was so busy and I’d already flaked out on her so many other times. I couldn’t ask for another favor. She’d already been so nice to me. Kindness I didn’t deserve.
Picking up the tray, I turned and almost walked right into Alex. The tray of beers shook as he placed his hands on it to steady it and help me place it on the counter. With surprisingly very little spillage, I was saved from having to replace more glasses out of my paycheck. Exhaling, I let a faint grin appear.
“Not bad, huh?” Alex said, smiling also, although his was marred with sadness.
Nodding and looking down at the glasses, I replied, “Yeah. Thanks.” My mouth was so dry, I thought about grabbing the water tap and pouring some directly into my mouth. I was trying to think of something to say, but was coming up with nothing. “Umm, I…”
“What happened?” His voice had lost the sexy tone. He sounded like he just wanted the facts of why I’d flaked on him and didn’t show up. If only explaining the truth were that easy.
“Well,” I stammered and grabbed the dishrag, cleaning up the spill as if keeping occupied might help me figure out an answer. “I…didn’t have your number—”
“Cassie has it. She’d have given it to you.” His voice was clipped, but I could tell he was trying to be calm. It reminded me of how Pappy had given him the speech about reining in his temper and being a respectable man. I had just come back from the park and the other boys wouldn’t let me play, saying I was just a girl. Alex had just gotten home from being out with Granny and saw me slumped over, crying on my front porch. He had wanted to go beat the shit out of the boys, but Pappy taught him how to handle his anger better and reason with people instead of fighting.
I swallowed and felt his eyes on me. I pressed my lips together and closed my eyes, knowing how lame my excuse had been. “I…I know, but I was going to try to slip out—”
“You called her this morning asking to work. You didn’t have to work.”
“I needed the—”
“Money. Yeah, I know. I get it, but you should have come and talked to me first. Unless there’s another reason you didn’t want to see me?”
The noisy bar couldn’t hide the hurt in his voice. My eyes darted to his and I could see the pain too. I shook my head and swallowed as I tightened my grasp on the dishrag in my hand and fidgeted. “No. I wanted to see you.” My
voice shook and I couldn’t look him in the eye.
The strength in his hand, as he grabbed mine and tugged me toward the hallway, made me gasp. We passed a line of women waiting to use the ladies’ bathroom as he continued dragging me. One of the women singsonged, “Hey, Alex.” I rolled my eyes as the same feelings from earlier bubbled up.
Once inside the break room, he shut the door and turned.
“If you wanted to see me, what’s the real reason you didn’t come?”
I swallowed and my eyes stared at his black dress shoes. “Because I didn’t want to be hurt by you all over again.” I admitted part of the truth as I dug the left heel of my shoe into the floor.
“By me? Wh—Cory, you never wrote to me or called. Cory, you left—”
My eyes snapped to his as my hands flung out as I replayed his lie in my mind. “I did too! I wrote to you all the time,” I screeched.
“Yeah, before your dad died. After you moved, you never wrote back to me or answered my calls. I left messages for you—”
“What messages? I never got any…“ My eyes darted around the room as my heart sank, and at the same time the hatred for my stepdad and my mom bubbled up again. Had both of them lied to me so blatantly? Why would my mom do that? I shut my eyes as I began to pace, remembering all the times I’d asked if there had been any calls for me. How many times I’d sifted through the letters, asking if any had come for me. All of my questions had been answered with a resounding “no.” Other times, my step dad would sneer, “Who the hell would write to you?” Every time he raped me, he’d tell me that no one would ever want me or come to my rescue.
I slumped into a seat, my chest feeling like it was caving in. All of it finally made sense, because deep down, I had always thought that Alex would write back to me. He’d always promised he would. Why would he have stopped so quickly?
My chin trembled, as did my lips. I tried to fight it, but the sobs came too quickly. Tears poured out of me like a dam had burst, scaring me how much the realization hurt.
Alex dropped to his knees and pulled me to him, and I melted into his chest. The moment he told me, “I drove to get you,” I lost it even worse. My body shook uncontrollably. He rocked me back and forth gently as his hands smoothed over my hair.
“You…?” I couldn’t even ask the question as Alex tried to pull back to look at my face.
“Cory, I hadn’t heard from you in months. I stole Pappy’s car and drove to see you.” Alex attempted to wipe the tears away, but it seemed impossible. The shoulder of his shirt was soaked with my tears.
I sniffled and tried to decipher what he had just told me. “What?”
“Your stepdad told me you left the week before with some boy.” The pain of what he told me stabbed at my heart. Heaving sobs tore from my throat as I fell forward and Alex held me tightly against his chest.
If he’d told me someone had died, it might have hurt less. All my years of pain, sorrow, and torture could have been avoided if I had waited one more week for Alex. If I had just trusted that he would come for me like he had always promised.
Between the sobs, I could only offer a few soft words. “I’m sorry, Alex. I should have trusted you would come for me.”
He pulled me tighter into his protective arms once again and let me release every tear and emotion I’d been holding since that night I left with Remy.
Ten
Alex
Cory sniffled, her eyes red from crying, and all I could do was think how amazing it felt to have her back in my arms. Now that I knew the real reason she hadn’t responded to my letters and all the times her stepdad had lied to me, telling me she wasn’t home but that he’d give her my message, all the anger I felt earlier dissipated.
Cory was that sweet girl I used to know. She was still inside somewhere, and now I knew we really could try again. All my emotions had just come full circle, and oddly enough I wanted to start planning our future. All of it was just a misunderstanding. After being angry with her for so long, I could see how she would have thought the same of me. But there was still one question.
“So, this boy…Had you…Did you feel the same for him?” As you did me? I didn’t finish with my real question, but that nagging feeling in my gut scared me that she might still have feelings for that guy.
Cory looked away and my heart sank. Being jealous over a guy from many years ago was something I thought I’d come to terms with. Obviously not.
She swiped at the tears still glistening on her cheek. “You have to understand, Alex. I needed to get out of my…situation. Jeanine was running away and R—” She took a breath as if she couldn’t even say the guy’s name, which made me wonder what the hell he’d done to her. “He was going to a relative’s house. Since Jeanine didn’t have a plan, it seemed wiser and less dangerous to go with him.”
Her eyes widened and glistened with tears again.
“I wanted to be with you. When you didn’t call or write anymore, I figured you moved on. I thought you found someone else.” She looked down at her hands and played with a small band around her thumb. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now I worried about something else and my chest tightened.
“Are you…? Did you marry that guy?”
Her coffee-colored eyes widened as she practically screamed, “No!” She shook her head as she looked back down to the ring on her thumb. “This was Dad’s.” She exhaled and I pulled her back to me.
Her dad was a man I looked up to. Or had, really. Until I found out he had gambled away all their money. The loan sharks shot him after he was exposed for what he was, and seeing Cory and her mom in such distress, I swore to myself I’d never do that to my family.
Cory had her dad on a pedestal. I did too, until I found out—accidentally—what he’d done to his family. Cory’s mom was explaining to Granny everything that had happened—the loan sharks that had come around wanting the money to pay off her dad’s debts. Granny wanted to call the police, but Mrs. Whyte had insisted she’d handle it herself. Cory’s future stepdad moved in not too long after, and I had assumed her way of handling things was to marry a guy for money. But then they lost everything and moved away after the wedding.
Cory was still staring down at the ring, twirling it around slowly. “I thought I was going to pawn it at some point, but I could never part with it. It sounds so stupid now, but it’s the only thing I have to remind me of him.”
I reached up, skimming my fingers along her chin, and tilted her head so I could see her beautiful eyes. “It’s not stupid, Cory. He was your dad, no matter what.” It was something I kept reminding myself of whenever mine annoyed me.
Her lips trembled, and even though it wasn’t the right time, I couldn’t resist trying to take some of the pain away. Slowly I bent down and placed my lips on hers. My hand slid up to cup her face as I felt her lean in toward me. Tasting her after all those years brought me back to our first kiss together.
A sporadic, torrential rainstorm had appeared out of nowhere while we were practicing hitting. We took off running and sought shelter under the bridge of Old Ford Road. It hadn’t been planned, although kissing her had been on my mind every day. We were stuck under that bridge with nowhere else to go, our clothes completely drenched and the sound of the rain pouring loudly all around us. I’d barely heard her whisper, “Looks like the perfect moment to make your move.” Her dark eyes sparkled and I remembered watching a droplet making its way down the side of her face. Cory had always been the bold one, but even though she had given me permission, my heart still pounded as loud as the rain coming down all around us.
Kissing her again, after all those years, I had that same nervous surge shoot through me. She parted her lips and let me taste her. The warmth of her mouth disintegrated any nervousness I had, and the excitement of finding her again reenergized me. Cory was back in my life and I was never letting her go again.
The sound of the door popping open and allowing all the noise from the bar to infiltrate our quiet bubble startled b
oth Cory and me.
“Oh! Oh! I’m so sorry,” Cassie stammered as she examined the situation. “I came in here to…I’ll just get my…I’m gonna…” Cassie hitched her thumb and began to leave.
“No! Please don’t go. I’m sorry I flaked out on you again. I’m sure it’s slammed out there.”
“Oh gosh! You’re crying,” Cassie exclaimed as she took a step inside. She quickly threw a glare my way, as if I were the one who had done that to her. Actually, I guess I had.
“I’m okay.” Cory wiped her eyes and straightened her dress as she stood and turned back to me. “I’m going to get back to work. Will you—”
“Wait for you?” I finished her sentence. “I’m not going anywhere.” I smiled as I gave her a quick kiss before she nodded and went back to work.
“Seems like things are good?” Cassie bent slightly to interrupt my view of where Cory had just been.
I nodded. “Things are perfect, Cassie. They couldn’t be better.” I paused for a moment before asking, “Is there any way possible that Co—” I stopped myself and remembered the name Cassie knew her as. I’d hash out the reason why with Cory later. “—Sarah’s weekend shifts could be cleared?”
“I can, but when she asked to be put on all shifts so that she could make more money, she sounded desperate,” Cassie told me.
I nodded. “Let me worry about her money problems.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “You can’t buy people, Alex.”
“Who said anything about buying her? I just need to be able to talk to her.” I inhaled and decided to let Cassie in on our little secret. “Remember when I told you way back when on one of our drunk nights that I fell in love once?”
Cassie nodded and then looked toward the door. “You mean…?”
Trust Me Forever (Forever Happens Series Book 2) Page 6