“Lisa…you knew she probably wouldn’t get in the car with us.”
“A girl alone with a strange couple promising her more than she could ever hope for?” Cory’s voice strangled and I thought she might break down again. “I’m sure she’s been lied to one too many times.”
“Do you think she’ll call that number? She’ll go to the shelter?”
Cory turned her head to look back toward Lisa with a hopeful gaze in her eyes. “I hope so. I can’t make the choice for her. I couldn’t force her. It has to be done all on her own.”
I nodded and opened the passenger door for her so she could slip inside.
As I walked around to the driver’s side door, I looked up again to see Lisa for one last time. Hope welled within me as I watched her tugging on the door to a yellow cab.
Prayers were never really my strong suit, but I closed my eyes and silently begged for Lisa’s safety and a life full of happiness. If I couldn’t help Cory so long ago, I was thankful I had the means to help another girl.
Thirteen
Cory
Alex had asked if I’d given Lisa all of my money. How could he ever understand that I’d have given her so much more if I could just erase the torment I’d created for so many girls? Money didn’t matter to me right then. I resolved right at that moment, wherever my life took me, no matter what, I would try to help every teen I could. Lisa had helped me see that was what my future held for me.
Feeling the luxurious leather under my hands was such a complete contrast to the cold wooden bench I’d sat on with Lisa. A wave of guilt washed over me for having such an opportunity when her life was still undetermined.
As Alex slipped into the driver’s seat and turned the car on, I couldn’t help but stare out the window, wondering what Lisa was doing. Heat washed over me as I noticed he was pointing the vents in my direction. I turned to him and he gave me a sheepish smile.
As if he could read my thoughts, what he told me lifted my heart. “I watched her get in a cab. I hope she’s headed to the shelter.”
“I hope so, too,” I said quietly and let out a small sigh of relief. While I hadn’t wanted to leave her sitting on the bench alone, I knew she would never get into the car with us to take her over there, nor would I want her to. Trusting the wrong people could really hurt you.
Alex veered the car into traffic as my thoughts wandered back—back to when it had been me out on the streets after I’d left Alejandro’s office. It was nothing like when Remy and I had run away together. Remy had a car and knew we were headed to his uncle Alejandro’s place in San Diego. No, when I left his uncle’s office, I was terrified and had no plan. Both their gangs and the cops were watching the bus terminals. I had hitched my way to Las Vegas with a trucker who had expected the same type of payment Lisa had assumed Alex or I wanted.
My whole body shuddered at the thought and I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the memories.
“Do you need me to swing by your place to get your things?” His voice jarred me from my thoughts, and it took me a second to think about his question. I wasn’t sure if he was digging, because the last time he’d been at “my” place, I had stayed hidden while Jeanine lied to him.
I tried to keep my voice even and calm, although the butterflies were fluttering around in my stomach. “That’s not necessary.” I carried around a large purse that held a few essentials in case I needed to run. What if I were at work and one of Remy’s gang came walking in? Or the police? No, I had decided a long time ago that even though I didn’t have much, it was all I had. “I’ve got a change of clothes,” I added quickly but then realized how odd that sounded. Although maybe it didn’t, as I straightened out the skirt of my waitress uniform.
He nodded as I thought about his question more. Having Alex swing by Jeanine’s apartment definitely wasn’t something I wanted to do that night. Although Jeanine was a nice person, she wasn’t very trustworthy. I was sure she’d spill my secret to Alex of why I was really in town. That was something I wasn’t ready to share just yet, if at all. She definitely wasn’t the type of person I thought Alex might like to hang around very often. Her manners were crude at times, and well, she used to hang all over Remy. Not that I was too jealous about that, but she knew Remy had a thing for me regardless of if my feelings weren’t the same for him. No, Alex and Jeanine together wasn’t something I wanted to deal with that night—or probably ever.
“You okay?” Alex’s hand touched mine, and the thrill that shot through me was the same I’d always felt when I was a teenager. I smiled as I glanced over to him.
“Just thinking about how much time has passed between us.” I swallowed as that sentence hung in the air. “So much has happened—“
He squeezed my hand. “And I want to know everything. All that happened. When we get back to my place, we’ll talk more.” He pulled my hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss on my knuckles. Such a small move, but it made me smile and relax a little.
Until I thought about that statement a little more. How much should I really tell him about my past? Every detail I disclosed would create more questions in his mind. I quickly tried to come up with a plan about what exactly I would and wouldn’t tell him. Surely, the life I had led with Remy wasn’t too abnormal. Actually, living with Remy had been like a regular couple, for the most part. Well, unless you added in drug deals, odd knocks at the door by the police, and uninvited guests, then, well, maybe it wasn’t something Alex would consider normal. Things had been as ordinary as they could be until that horrible day when I really found out why they’d asked me to “help” other runaway girls.
Running my hand over the supple leather along the hand rest, I thought about what Alex’s living space might be like. Thinking about it made me nervous. I was sure he had a nice place. Hell, if I slept in his car, it’d feel like luxury compared to the lumpy couch I’d been sleeping on since Cisco had come back. Well, that or next to Jeanine. Thinking back to my past, I was positive Alex had never slept in a bus terminal or underneath a bridge with other homeless people. My heart sank thinking about our differences. Our worlds were a complete contrast.
Through the windshield, I watched the scene change to a parking garage. Alex pressed a button on his car, and the gate swiveled open while his car sat in idle. "Fancy place." I gave a small smile.
"Security. I like having that."
I grimaced. There was nothing secure in my world. Everything had seemed to be dangerous wherever I lived. Hell, even crashing at Jeanine’s apartment since Cisco came back, nothing was safe. Who knew what assholes he'd bring over? It was nice to be able to get away for just one night. Safe. That sounded nice.
An uncomfortable silence filled our space. Every step either of us took in the parking garage echoed off the walls. Not many cars were around, and for me it was the type of place you’d really have to watch your back in. Someone could easily jump out from in between two vehicles and jump you. Security gate or not, I never felt safe anywhere I went.
Alex’s keys jingled as we walked toward the elevator. The sound of his car alarm beeping added to our footsteps reverberating off the concrete. It was an eerie sound in my mind. Not to Alex. He was cool and casual. He obviously felt safe there—not that he shouldn’t have.
His hand slipped into mine, and the warmth ran through me like a hot cup of coffee, comforting me instantly. Leaning in, he gave me a small kiss to my temple. “You really don’t need to worry about anything here. It’s safe.” He added that word again, and something inside of me knew I could believe him. Especially now that I knew he really had come for me so long ago.
I nodded and gave a timid smile. There was no need to concern him with my background or why I was hesitant in a quiet garage. The elevator doors opened and I peeked inside, searching to make sure no one was lingering to the sides. It was habit to do that sort of thing.
The elevator was huge, and I wondered if it was actually the service elevator in a place like this. Alex motioned for me to step i
n first. I took a step and then turned to wait for him to enter and push the button. I watched as his finger pushed the button for the sixteenth floor. The blue numbers above the door illuminated our ascent.
The ping of the elevator seemed to resound through the elevator. Alex motioned for me to exit. He was being the perfect gentleman—opening car doors for me and making sure I entered a room first. I’d never had that. I’d always been several steps behind Remy. Always. In the beginning it was more comfortable, seeing as most rooms I didn’t want to enter into anyway. Remy’s gang were always large men with guns and knives. Their eyes always roamed over my body when Remy wasn’t looking.
Reluctance always filled my world, considering where I was being taken most of the time. Flashes of what was my final exit from Remy’s world blurred my vision and I quickly pushed them away. I was with Alex, probably for the last time before he finally found out what I’d done in the past and how I finally got out. There was no way I’d ever want a man like Alex finding out. He’d never look at me the same again.
“It’s to the right,” his deep voice directed me. The moment his fingers gently touched the small of my back, shivers shot down my spine, just as they had the first time I’d heard him speak. No, a man like Alex would never want to be with me again after he found out my past.
I walked slowly with Alex beside me. I wanted to smile. I wanted to allow myself to be excited about going to his home, but what were his real expectations? What else was there to say about our past?
Why was I nervous?
Because Alex was the man I’d always wanted. I knew what was at stake. Not that I’d ever have him again. It would be my one night. Maybe for that night I’d pretend I was his girlfriend. Just a nice night between two normal people. It was what I’d always wanted and never had.
Alex inserted his key to unlock the door and pushed it open, allowing me to walk in. I almost fell over when my eyes roamed the view from the foyer. Clean and crisp. Those were the only words I could think of to describe the place. I took a step further onto the plush, steel-gray carpet and peered in. A black leather sectional was situated diagonally, and I was sure that it was so that he could see both the view from his floor-to-ceiling windows and the large-screen TV that hung on the wall.
“Go on in. It’s okay.” Alex chuckled as he said that and shut the door. Taking a small step in, I peered into the room to my immediate right. The kitchen was open, and you could see from the countertop to the living room—probably so he could watch his huge TV.
“Still a sports fan?” I grinned as I nodded toward the direct line of sight to the TV.
He laughed. “Yeah. Anything and everything. I’d be playing if I—”
“Didn’t have two left feet and uncoordinated limbs.” I finished his sentence, laughing at our old saying. He’d had horrible coordination when it came to throwing anything. I’d always felt bad for him since he wanted to play so much, but he was usually the odd man out. He’d still made friends, but they were less eager to pick him for their team. It never really bothered Alex, or I had always assumed it hadn’t, since he’d always shrugged it off and still gave whatever game we were playing all he had. It was Alex. Everyone’s friend and always made them laugh. Even if he couldn’t play for shit.
“Yeah,” he agreed as he smiled at me.
I felt his gaze on me and tried my best to ignore it as I continued to venture in to his apartment.
Standing between the kitchen and living room, at the bar countertop, I noticed the doors down the hallway. The place was huge for an apartment, and immediately my insecurity of where I came from hit me hard. He was in a whole other game than I was. Mine was still at the playground, or really at the ditch near the street, while he seemed to have made it to the major leagues.
“Let me give you a tour,” he said, smiling as his hand touched my arm to guide me.
I started down the hallway I’d been eyeing and came to the first room on the left.
“My office.” He walked in and pointed to the huge wall bookcase. “That turns into a bed.” He swallowed and then cleared this throat.
Walking out of the room, he continued his tour. “Down here is a bathroom.”
Peeking in, I wanted to laugh. I’d have considered it to be a master bathroom in my world—not to mention how clean it was compared to anything I’d lived with.
“And finally, my bedroom.”
The room was huge, and I had to force myself to keep my mouth closed. An enormous, ornate bed sat on the opposite side of the room and was the most luxurious thing I’d ever laid eyes on. The red, decorative pillow really added a nice pop against the black comforter. It matched the red chaise in the corner by the window. I fantasized about how cozy it would be, curling up with a good book.
“Wow,” I couldn’t stop myself from saying as he chuckled. His room was decorated tastefully in the same gray and black tones that were throughout the apartment. His bed could have been from a catalog—one I could never afford to buy from.
“I wasn’t sure about all the gray and black, but when my brother started dating this woman who swore she loved to decorate, I took a chance.”
I nodded, exhaling a small thanks that it hadn’t been an ex-girlfriend who’d designed it. Why was I wondering that if I wasn’t going to stay in town? Or was I? I brushed the thought away as I decided to overstep my boundary and glance into his bathroom and…holy hell, I wasn’t prepared for how huge it was. Or how luxurious. Double sinks and a shower big enough to be a bathroom in itself. The tub, if you could call it that, looked like a spa that could fit at least four people. My stomach twisted, wondering if he’d tried that already. Where was this jealousy coming from? When he found out all that I’d had to do just to survive, he’d hate me.
We were definitely from two separate worlds. I questioned what I was doing in his and didn’t think I really wanted to find out. My internal instinct kicked in and I realized it was the opposite of what I usually ran from. He wasn’t a scum by any means, but the fear of him finding out what I really was made me crumble inside. My hands shook and I turned quickly.
“I…shouldn’t be here. I’m sorry. I really should be go…”
“Cory, what are you talking about?” Alex stepped his huge frame in my way. He was towering over me, but not in a scary kind of way. That I knew, because I’d been there. The concern on his face made me feel guilty for wanting to leave, but at the same time, I wasn’t that girl he used to know.
“I…You think I’m still that same person and I’m not.”
“What are you talking about?”
I waved my arm around. “All of this. I don’t belong here. We’ve definitely grown up and went in different directions.”
“I know that. I wasn’t expecting anything.” He glanced at his bed and his eyes widened. “Hell, I just wanted to talk to you.” Alex slid his hands to both sides of my face and his thumb skimmed over my bottom lip. “I’m not expecting anything.” He closed his eyes and I thought he was going to kiss me, but when he opened his eyes he whispered, “You’re still the same girl I used to know. Even with all this…” His eyes glanced around the room quickly before returning to mine. “…I’m still the same Alex you used to know.” He tilted his head. “I swear to you I’m that same boy who promised to love and protect you.” I shut my eyes as he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.
All my doubts and fears seemed to dissipate when he sealed his promise with a sweet kiss—an assurance I should have believed so many years ago. Now with all the problems I had created, could I really trust that he could help or keep me safe?
Alex had helped Lisa—looked up a safe place she could go, even when she wasn’t certain of his intentions. How many men who’d never lived on the street would know just what she needed and give it to her? Between that and knowing he really had come for me all those years ago, deep down I had more faith in his abilities. The problems that still lingered were all the ones that awaited me. The cops still had a warrant out for my
arrest, Remy’s gang had almost found me in Texas, and the possibility that Tito was still wanting more payment for the stupid fake passport and driver’s license all made me think that this was not something Alex would be able to protect me from.
Yet I had made that same mistake of not believing he would actually come for me. I wanted so much to believe he really could help me. I wasn’t so sure he would want to after he found out all the trouble I was really in.
Fourteen
Cory
Alex pulled back slightly and smiled. He tugged my hand and led me down the hallway, back to the living room. I glanced at all the framed pictures carefully hung on the walls. Pictures of his family, vacations with friends, and one in particular I couldn’t help but stop and stare at. It was a collage with many other pictures, people I didn’t recognize at all. Except for one. One picture stood out from all the others. Maybe it was the faded colors—it was a really old picture—but I recognized the scenery so much it hurt. My chest tightened as I stared at the backyard at my old house. The photo must have been taken from one of our summer barbecues with Granny and Pappy. Alex had his hand slung over my shoulder, grinning like a goof, while I stood confident, holding his arm in my hand and jutting my other hip out like a model.
“Granny found that a long time ago. She, actually, put all the photos in there. I wished she’d have found one where I didn’t have zits all over my face,” he joked as he tapped the glass.
I stared at him in disbelief that he would have that photo hanging up when he'd been so mad at me. “I thought you hated me.”
Alex turned red. “Yeah, well, just because I was angry with you didn’t mean I stopped thinking about you. Or what we had.” Alex stared at the photo while I gazed at him, wondering how hard it had been to come rescue me and I had already left with some other guy.
Trust Me Forever (Forever Happens Series Book 2) Page 8