You Can't Go Home Again

by Aubrianna Hunter

  Once she poured a cup of coffee, she took two long drinks, feeling the slight burn in her throat. When she finally felt almost human, she risked a glance back at him.

  He was leaning against the opposite counter, sipping his coffee, and grinning at her like a fool. She squinted her eyes at him, giving him an evil look. This sparked full-on laughter.

  “You still drugged?” she asked.

  “Nope.” He grinned again. “Just remembering how cranky you are in the mornings. It’s kind of cute.”

  At that she rolled her eyes. Throwing one more glare, she said, “Towels?”

  “In the bathroom—there’s a cabinet behind the door. I’ll get you a shirt and see if I have any sweats that might stay on you.”

  “Sweats? I have my dress. I’ll just wear that home.”

  “Your dress is not safe on the back of my bike. You need pants.”

  “I’ll just call a cab, Jace. You don’t need to take me home. Besides, my car is at Jenn’s parents’ house.”

  “Well, then I’ll take you there.”

  She didn’t know why he was being nice, but it was making her nervous. She wondered if he remembered last night after all. Maybe she should ask? How could she ask without telling him it happened? What if he didn’t remember and she gave it away?

  She kept her mouth shut and headed to the bathroom. “Fine, I’ll just be a minute.”

  Chapter 26

  The warm spray felt terrific. She found herself lingering in the shower longer than she’d planned. She washed up right away, but couldn’t resist standing there a while. She remembered the pleasure of last night, even wished she could drag him in here with her and start it all over again. As her hands trailed over her breasts, rubbing the still-tender nipples, her body grew wet, aroused and aching.

  With a mental slap in the face, she realized that this would do no one any good. Apparently she had too much pent-up desire. When she got back to L.A. she was going to make time for a boyfriend.

  Even as she thought it, she knew that wasn’t the problem. It was Jace. Always had been, always would be. She would just suffer through the next week and a half and then get out of here. At least he seemed less angry this morning.

  When she heard his voice…in the bathroom…she squealed, turning her back to the frosted glass doors.

  “Hey, I was just bringing you some clothes. I have some jeans Nicole left here, and a shirt. I figured you could wear those until we get you home. Oh, and I talked to Bri. Your truck is at your house. They brought it home last night.”

  “Fine, thank you, now please leave.” Her tone was clipped, tight and nervous, and she knew it.

  She could hear the smirk in his voice when he answered. “I can’t see anything through those doors, not really, anyway. Besides,” he took another step farther into the bathroom, “If I recall, you were never shy. Plus…I’ve seen it all before.”

  At that he opened the shower door, staring at her firm round ass, her back, the sexy curve of her shoulder and neck. “From here, you look better than you did five years ago. What’s with the fake shyness? I seem to recall we showered together a few years back.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the flirtatious smile of years gone by. She couldn’t help but smile back as she slowly turned to face him. Vividly recalling their one and only shower together, the physical reaction he hadn’t been able to hide, she was sorely tempted to invite him in with her. But she would rather enjoy this teasing laughter than remind him that he hated her.

  So, with a wicked grin, she leaned back, rinsing her hair, letting the water sluice over her shoulders while he watched. She knew her nipples were taut, pouting. She could feel his eyes on them.

  * * * * *

  “Definitely better,” he growled out. When she reached back, shutting off the water, he groaned. She moved toward him, brushing against him as she stepped out. He watched her breasts rub against his chest, leaving a damp trail where she’d touched, wringing another groan from his lips.

  Knowing he either had to leave, or make love to her on the bathroom counter, he turned and fled the room, moving as fast as he could. He thought he heard her mumble “Chicken” just before he shut the door. He laughed in spite of his aching groin, thinking back again, remembering the past.

  They had been out at the lake, and had come home sticky and covered in sand. They’d been meeting Jenn and Bri in less than thirty minutes, and they’d both needed a shower. He had teased her, daring her to shower with him, calling her a chicken. It had been a ploy to see her naked, and she’d known it, but had played along anyway. They had washed each other, teasing, touching, arousing. Until she had put her hand just above his shaft. When her fingers had brushed his erection, he had grabbed her hand, stopping her before she could wrap her fingers around him. He’d known he would embarrass himself in mere seconds, letting on just how strongly she affected him. Instead, he’d gotten out of the shower first, as she had called out, “Now who’s the chicken?”

  He laughed again. He’d been so pissed off since she’d gotten here. Remembering only the bad stuff, remembering that she’d left him. He had blocked out so much. He’d forgotten the laughter, the fun. He’d forgotten her spirit, her energy. Basically, he’d forgotten all the things he’d loved about her in the first place. He wondered, if he set the anger aside, could they maybe have that again? Could they be friends? And more, could he control his desire and deal with the dreams?

  He didn’t know the answer, but it might be worth finding out.

  Chapter 27

  A few minutes later, she was dry and clean. She’d borrowed his comb, tugging the tangles out of her hair, then used some toothpaste and a finger to do some damage control on her mouth. She’d tugged her hair back, planning to ask Jace for a hat, when she’d noticed the red mark on her neck.

  Damn him! He’d nipped her last night, during his “dream.” If he saw it, he’d know just how real that dream had been. She didn’t have any makeup with her, so she couldn’t cover it up. She decided to leave her hair down, and hope he didn’t see it. He hadn’t noticed it so far. Of course, she’d been naked, so he’d probably been looking elsewhere. He was a guy after all. And whether he liked her or not, he still seemed to want her physically.

  Maybe she could just ride home naked? Then he wouldn’t notice the bruise on her neck. She laughed out loud at the thought, and decided she’d just hope for the best.

  She put on her bra, wadded up her dress and panties, then slipped on Nicole’s jeans and T-shirt. She felt a small surge of guilt again. Maybe she could find out why Nicole broke up with Jace while he was in such a good mood. She had no idea how long it would last, or when she might get the chance to ask again. And, since she was wearing her clothes, it seemed like a good time to bring the topic up.

  As she buttoned the jeans, she realized that she was a little bigger than Nicole. Not a lot, not a whole size, but just enough that the jeans were a little snug across the butt. They also seemed a whole lot lower in the waist than she normally wore. Which made the T-shirt seem short. Nicole was bustier, but more petite, so the shirt was a little tight too.

  Dani yanked and tugged for a while, finally deciding that she was as covered as she was going to get, and it didn’t really matter anyway. She’d just flashed Jace the whole package. She wandered back out to the kitchen, feeling moderately gratified by the look on his face.

  “Mmm, I’m a little bigger than Nicole, I think.”

  Jace cleared his throat, trying to find his voice. “No, it, uh, it looks good.” She wandered over, grabbing a second cup of coffee. She wasn’t sure how to start the conversation, so she just dove right in.

  “Jace, what happened with you and Nicole? Jenn told me you guys broke up. Was it…was it because I kissed you?”

  * * * * *

  He’d actually been the one to kiss her, but he could tell she was trying not to start any fights. He thought about lying to her, then decided on the truth.

  “No, not reall
y. She doesn’t know about that.” He saw her shoulders sag with relief. She didn’t want to be responsible for the breakup. Well, too bad. “She found out that I’d lied to her, about the scars, and then she started wondering what else I’d lied about. After we talked awhile, I realized that I lied to her about damn near everything. Or, at least I didn’t tell her much. She realized it too.”

  “Why not? Why did you hide things?”

  Jace gave a half shrug, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not sure, really. She just seemed too fragile, I guess. My time in the Marines, the scars… Well, it wasn’t easy. I just didn’t think she could handle it.”

  Having seen, and felt, that, Dani could see why he wouldn’t want to talk about it. It definitely wasn’t for the faint of heart. “But, what about the rest of it? Why did you keep other things from her?”

  Because she wasn’t you was on the tip of his tongue. He bit it back, going with a glib response instead. “Apparently, I have commitment issues. Just ask Bri.”

  * * * * *

  Dani nodded, realizing the discussion was over. He’d always used sarcasm to deflect. “I see. I’ll have to tell Jenn she was right.”

  “What?”

  “Bri thought you guys were made for each other. Jenn didn’t see it, thought you were too phony around her. She thought that was why you didn’t do a little strip dance at the pool on the Fourth.”

  “Hmmm. Jenn’s a lot more observant than I give her credit for.”

  “Tell me about it,” Dani mumbled under her breath.

  Now that they could focus on her, Jace grinned. “What’d she call you out on?”

  Dani looked him straight in the eye, debating whether or not to bring it up. She really didn’t want to fight, and right now, somehow, they were getting along. After a brief pause, she decided now was not the time. “Nothing specific, just everything. Over the years. You know.”

  “Don’t lie to me, Dani—it doesn’t work.”

  She smiled, sort of soft and sad. “I know. But I don’t want to fight.”

  “She knows we made love.” He stated it as fact, not question.

  “No, but she knows there’s something. I told her about senior year, about spending so much time together. She thought we were dating, thought you were in love with me or something. She was hurt that we didn’t tell her. I explained that she was wrong, that it wasn’t like that, that we were just friends. I don’t think she believed me.”

  Dani had been looking at the wall, afraid to meet his eyes while she said all that. Afraid he might see the truth in her face. When she looked up again, Jace was standing directly in front of her, mere inches from touching.

  “She wasn’t wrong.”

  The words had come out deep and quiet, more whispered growl than actual speech. Dani felt her heart stop. After a minute, it thundered back to life, beating like she was running a marathon. “What?” she choked out.

  She saw him thinking, saw the quick wince after he’d said that. She didn’t really expect him to repeat the words, but she expected his next question even less.

  “Dani, why’d you leave?”

  She knew what he was actually asking, but didn’t know how to answer him. To buy some time, she pretended to misunderstand. “I had a job, in L.A.”

  “No, why’d you leave? That morning? Why’d you leave without saying goodbye?”

  “Jace… I don’t know what to say. What you want to hear. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you the truth.”

  He looked at her, his green eyes piercing, dragging the truth out of her. She pushed away, walking toward the sofa and sitting before she began speaking. Jace followed her and sat down next to her, at a slight angle, watching her.

  She breathed deeply, trying to figure out what to say, where to start. Trying to find a way for it to make sense. One more deep breath. Okay. “The other night, when Jenn screamed at you?”

  * * * * *

  Jace nodded. It had been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not one he was likely to forget. “She said you saved her life.”

  Dani nodded then shrugged a little. “I think she was being a bit extreme. It was more like I saved her from a whole lot of broken bones.”

  When she didn’t continue right away, Jace was hard pressed not to shake her and make her get to the point. He had no idea what this had to do with them.

  “Right after she moved, when we were around twelve, there was a tree house in her new backyard. It was only a few years old, had to be since the house was only a few years old. The tree house should have stood for twenty years. Instead, within a few months it crashed, falling to the ground one afternoon over summer. I got her out of it before it fell.”

  He was still confused. “So, you had good timing. I don’t get what this has to do with us, Dani. Why’d you leave?”

  She could hear the frustration in his voice already. She could only imagine the anger, the disbelief that was coming when she told him the rest.

  “It wasn’t luck, Jason. I saw it happen. Before she even climbed up, I saw the tree house fall down. I saw Jenn fall out of it. She was lying on the ground, still, her leg and shoulder bending the wrong way.”

  Nothing…he said nothing. After several long minutes, during which Dani held her breath, he finally blinked.

  “So, you see things…before they happen? You’re telling me you’re psychic?”

  She nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat.

  He nodded back, clearly thinking she was lying. “So, let’s say I buy this… What does that have to do with five years ago? Why’d you run?”

  “Never mind. You obviously don’t believe me, so what does it matter?” She stood up, heading for the door. She didn’t know why she was angry, it was no less than she’d expected. But, damn it, it hurt.

  He stood, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him. “Tell me why you left.” His anger was rising. She thought she could walk away again?

  “Because I saw you, the next morning! You were sitting there, head in your hands, scrubbing at your face the way you do when you’re pissed!” She ripped her arm out of his hands, pulling away. The startled look on his face made her feel a little bit better. A small, sad smile crossed her lips when she delivered the rest. “You were thinking that was the worst mistake you’d ever made.”

  * * * * *

  When she saw him pale, she knew she’d been right. She smiled again, even as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Why would I want to stick around for that, Jace? I was just sparing you the trouble of explaining yourself. Now…don’t bother taking me home. I’ll call a cab.”

  She pulled her cell out of her pocket and started dialing before she was even out the door.

  Chapter 28

  By the time Dani got home, most of the anger had subsided. She hadn’t really expected him to believe her. No one ever did right away. Except Jenn, but she’d been a kid and had seen it firsthand. Adults…well, they were a little more skeptical.

  She thought back to the first vision she ever remembered having. She’d been six years old. It had been something small: her mom was going to back down the driveway and hit the trashcan. Dani had yelled at her to stop the car, then jumped out and moved the can. Even her mom had thought she was making up stories. Had explained that she’d simply remembered seeing the trashcan there earlier in the day.

  It had taken a few months before they’d started to believe her. Little things, like bringing her mom ointment before she burned her hand, or telling her mom not to burn the cookies before she’d even made cookie dough. After enough little things, her parents had believed her. And cautioned her not to tell anyone else.

  She’d always held to that. The only people who knew were Jenn and Nina. And now, of course, Jace.

  She glanced at the clock, realizing it was time to get ready. Tonight was Jenn’s bachelorette party! They were going to a martini bar, with a live band. And the waiters were all scantily clad men! It was supposed to be fun. So Dani got dre
ssed, putting on an appropriately skimpy red dress. She put on some makeup, a dab of perfume, and her happy face.

  All the way to Jenn’s, one comment kept replaying in her head. “She wasn’t wrong.” A thought she hadn’t even known was there finally surfaced, making itself known. Was it possible that she had made her own vision come true?

  As she pulled into Jenn’s drive, she saw a few other cars already out front. She cleared her head, plastered on the smile she would wear the rest of the night, and headed into the house.

  * * * * *

  Jace turned into the parking lot, running a few minutes later than he’d wanted to. He’d needed the ride to clear his head. When he’d watched Dani walk out that morning, he’d snapped out of his shock, jumping headlong back into anger. It had taken several hours, and a ride long enough to make his ass go numb, to get his head wrapped around this.

  He didn’t know whether or not he believed she was psychic, but she’d been dead on the money. He had been sitting there that morning, thinking he’d made the worst mistake of his life. Whether or not his head was in his hands, he didn’t remember, but her knowing his thoughts, thoughts he’d never shared with anyone, not even Bri… Well, that was creepy enough.

  He pictured her walking out again, phone in hand, and tried to understand her expression. She’d been hurt. Before she could cover it with calm, he’d seen the flash in her eyes. It hadn’t registered right away; nothing had, really. But unless he was completely off base, she’d been hurt that he hadn’t believed her.

  As he walked into the bar, he saw the guys already there, on their first round of beers. This was bachelor party night. They were heading out to the local Hooters before landing back here. He was closing the bar at eleven tonight and bringing the guys back here for a private party. He’d hired a stripper—although Bri had tried to talk him out of it, the rest of the guys were single, so… Anyway, she was due at a quarter after.