Skirt raised to her waist, she propped herself up on her elbows on the cold dirty floor. Mouth open ready to say something, I left not waiting for her reply. I needed Kelly more. At the main door, the sound of a car engine being cranked reached my ears.
Kelly. Why wouldn’t she let me explain?
Hoping to stop her, to make her see reason, I ran outside, halting at what was in front of me. Kelly sat in her car, pulling out of the driveway she glanced in her rearview mirror at me, tears coursing down her face. She didn’t stop. She headed straight for the hill. Not stopping.
Her car leaving the parking lot made my heart ache worse than Camille ever had. Never did I think I’d feel like this. I guess this is what it really meant to care for someone. Because I’d never hurt this bad, watching her go. Watching her leave. I turned heading back to the office, trying to decide what to do. Should I follow her? And then what? There was a reason I didn’t do relationships. I wasn’t good at it. Plain and simple. If I could just call her and let her tell me what she wanted, I’d do that. But something told me, that wouldn’t work either. The crank of a second car roared in my ear as I shut the front door, locking it. Camille. Good fucking riddance. Somehow she had again managed to fuck up something good. Whatever happiness lately I’d had, just left in that Mustang because of her. Back to my desk, I pulled my phone out of the drawer, to see what other damage Camille had done. I flicked my finger across the screen, to see Kelly had left a message.
Christ, Camille had texted her.
Meet at the garage in an hour.
Son of a Bitch. The whole damn thing. Coming here, taking my phone, getting in my lap….
I needed to text the guys and tell them before they saw Kelly. Camille has ruined everything.
And by everything, I meant the one thing I cared about.
Damon: We’ve got a problem
Dean: Hey, just picked up Chinese on way.
Kasper: What’s up, I was gonna head to Kelly’s in a while and help go over some school stuff.
I shook my head as I ran my fingers through my hair tugging painfully, letting the pain seep through. Because I deserved it, and anything the guys threw at me when they found out what happened.
Damon
Kelly just came by the garage
* * *
Dean
Sweet! She still there? I’ll share my general tso’s with her.
* * *
Kasper
Do I need to stop by there first?
* * *
Damon
She’s not here now, she’s pretty upset
* * *
Kasper
What’d you do?
* * *
Dean
I knew you’d do something.
The sound of Dean’s truck told me he was here. I waited to text until he came into the office. Office doors slamming, he came in red faced and pissed. “What the hell did you do douche bag?”
Before I could answer and remind him who he was talking to, both our phones buzzed.
Kasper
I’m on my way, be there in fifteen minutes.
Dean still pissed, tossed his phone on the desk glaring at me. “Alright dick hole tell me what you did.”
“You wanna wait for Kasper? Get this all out in the open at once. You know so I don’t have to repeat it over.”
He ran his fingers through his short hair, pacing the small office. I guess realizing what he was doing he grabbed a chair from the corner of the office pulling it out to sit on. “Alright fine, but this doesn’t mean I’m not still pissed at you.” Head in his hands, he looked down at the floor. I knew what he was feeling. Except it was my fault we were in this mess.
Dean blew out a breath and glanced up at me. “Just tell me how upset is she? Did you just totally screw this up for us?”
How did I answer that and not get the ass kicking I deserved?
I sat forward in my chair looking at my brother. “Honestly, I don’t know. I might’ve, she looked upset, and I didn’t get to talk to her.”
Messed up about what happened, I decided to put it all on the table cause desperate times and shit. “Dean, I screwed up. I really cared for Kelly and now it’s all fucked. And I don’t know what to do.”
He leaned back in his chair, staring at me. “Look I’m pissed, so let’s just wait on Kasper, and we can talk this out. At least he can probably be semi level headed. Cause right now, I still want to deck you.”
I blew out the breath I had been holding. I didn’t usually do the whole confessing shit, but I was relieved my brother had not totally gave up on me.
“Alright, do you want to talk about something while we wait on Kasper to get here?” I said as I looked at my watch.
His face scrunched up much like mine usually did, reminded me how much we looked alike. “And what would we talk about? Because I’m pretty sure, if we talk about anything to do with Kelly you’re gonna tell me something I don’t wanna hear.”
I wheeled my chair up to him. “Well I need to talk about something...anything. Or I’m going to go crazy. Because after the shit that just happened I think she’s gonna be done. There’s just some things chicks don’t forgive.”
Sadness and frustration etched across his face. “It’s that bad? She’s not gonna want to see us again? Dude what the fuck did you do?”
I leaned back putting some distance between us, and simply told the truth, “Yeah, it’s that bad.”
The sound of a monstrous truck pulling up and slinging gravel rattled the windows in the office. Man, those needed replacing too.
Truck door slamming, I knew who it was. Even though it’d only been ten minutes. Kasper had to have driven fast as hell to get here. Which meant that he was pissed. His footsteps reverberated through the halls as he made his way to us. Nothing left to do, Dean and I simply waited for him to get to the office.
The door flew open as it banged against the wall threatening to break the small mirror behind the door. Kasper looking unhinged narrowed his eyes on me. I was right, he was pissed.
He pointed his finger at me, further into the room. This was not going to go well, at least for me. I knew what was coming so the only thing I could do was take it. Standing from my chair I came around the desk, trying to meet him halfway. “Kasper, listen I didn’t ... Son of a Bitch!”
Kasper’s fist connected with my jaw, which I knew was coming, but it still hurt like a bitch. I actually didn’t know Kasper had it in him.
I never had a reason to find out.
Dean still sitting, watched as Kasper shook out his hand still glaring at me. Son of a Bitch’s hand probably hurt just like my jaw.
Except, it probably hurt worse, the dick never wanted to learn to punch right. “Alright, now I feel slightly better. What did you do asshole?”
I was getting tired of being called an asshole.
I continued to rub my jaw as I eyed Kasper. “Better?”
“Yeah.”
I rolled my eyes. “Good, and it wasn’t me it was that bitch.”
Kasper looked back at Dean. “Who's the bitch?”
I coughed to gain their attention. “It was Camille, she set me up.”
Dean who sat behind me, coughed saying, “Still your fault.”
I turned, frustrated with him, Kasper, and the situation. “What?”
Dean who hadn’t moved from his stool narrowed his eyes at me. “Well she’s your ex, and none of this would have happened if you would have just set her straight to begin with. Dickhead.”
“Stop calling me asshole and dickhead. It’s pissing me off.”
Dean rolled his eyes. “Yeah you screwed up, so until you fix it, we get to call you whatever we want.”
All this talk did was frustrate me more. “How did you want me to set her straight? What would you do? Enlighten me, I didn’t know what to tell her.”
“How about you tell us what happened and we can see if our relationship is salvageable.”
Kasper, the voice of
reason speaks.
“Alright fine.”
I grabbed my chair flipped it around, straddled it, and told them the story that Kelly didn’t stay around for.
After I finished the story, I waited.
Kasper seeing that I was done stood up and stretched then leaned against the wall. “Okay I get it but answer me one thing. Do you want Kelly, because if we try to get back with her you are gonna have to tell her. No more roller coaster Damon. You need to be fully in.” He huffed, “I guess what I’m saying is, are you gonna help me and Dean get her back?”
I looked between my brother and best friend. They didn’t know how much Kelly meant to me. No one did. And that was my screw up. No wonder Kelly left. And I was going to do what it took to show her that I was in. “I’m in, so what now?”
Kasper pushed off the wall, smiling. “I think I’ve got a plan.”
Three
Kelly
Present day
1. What kind of book club did I get myself into, and is it bad to be excited about that?
2. I think I liked those leopard print shoes more than I cared to admit.
3. Kickboxing was definitely helping with my aggression.
Hitting on Ben felt good.
Okay, well maybe not that kind of hitting on, but kicking him right in the gluteus maximus, definitely helped with my frustration levels.
“Hey!” Turning around and rubbing where I had just kicked him, Ben gave me his meanest glare. A month ago, that look might had bothered me. A foot and a half taller than me and lord knew how much he weighed, but I’d grown used to Ben and come to the realization that he was much like a certain Pooh Bear that I knew. Both were big softies.
In fact, since I hadn’t been around the guys for our regular movie night, I’d added an additional kickboxing class to my schedule. Kickboxing on a Friday night, man how my love life has gone down the gutter. I went from having three possible love interests to zippo.
Nada.
Zilch.
That was just depressing. Still looking at Ben and his hardened muscles, I smiled. At least the picture in front of me was pretty.
“What are you smiling about? Get that look off your face. When I said hit harder, I didn’t mean in my ass.”
Walking closer to him I tapped him on his massive chest, as I said, “But it’s such a nice ass.”
Smiling he took my hand and kissed it lightly. “Aww, and what would grumpy Mr. Pooh Bear think about you saying I had a nice ass?”
I can’t believe I told him Damon’s nickname.
What was I thinking?
I knew exactly what I was thinking, that I had no friends, except Ben. He had become the big brother that I wish Moss had been. Not the noogie-giver, wedgie-puller, that I had gotten.
But still. I had one friend. A good one.
But still kind of sad for someone of almost thirty.
Yes, I was counting the years till I was thirty.
I jerked my hand out of his grasp rubbing it down my shirt as I glared at my only friend. My best friend. “Don’t mention Mr. You Know Who to me, Ben Danvers. I told you what he did, and how much it hurt.”
Not deterred he crossed his arms and stood there like we hadn’t just spent an hour training. I swear it wasn’t fair, how men looked hotter the sweatier they got. Or at least all the men I knew. I just knew I didn’t even want to know what I looked like. Maybe a drowned rat?
It most certainly wasn’t hotter.
Maybe slicker but not hotter.
“Did you listen to his side of the story? Cause I’ve gotten to know you pretty well this last month and you don’t seem like the type to sit down and talk calmly. Give attitude yes, talk calmly no.”
I hated that my new best friend was blunt and that he’d hit the nail on the head. I think I need a girl best friend who will just get me drunk. Not talk rational. Who needed rational.
Though not wanting to argue with the truth or my only friend I did the next best thing.
I collapsed falling upon the gym mat, arms spread wide, yelling for all to hear, “Take me Ben, right here right now! Do It!” I pulled my head up slightly, and wiggled my eyebrows at him and grinned.
Ben rolled his eyes, like this was a regular occurrence and used to my outbursts, and he probably was, he came over and sat beside my collapsed form.
Tears built behind my eyelids, as I blinked furiously. Ben was pushing, and I needed to talk to someone. Beside my dog that is. So I vented.
“They wouldn’t stop calling or trying to come see me for two weeks. I swear my phone was blowing up nonstop. Even Damon was texting me, and you know Damon.”
Pulling myself into a sitting position, I wrapped my arms around my legs and turned my head towards Ben.
“Last week they just stopped. No calls, no trying to come over. Just silence. Which worried me. Then this week, every morning when I woke up I’ve had a gift on my front porch. The first day, it was doughnuts, which I know was Damon. Then the next it was a card with a poem in it, which I know has got to be Kasper. Then today, I got a voodoo doll that looked pretty close to Damon. Which I figured would be from Dean. I don’t know what any of this means. Men are so confusing.”
He ignored my jab about men, instead staring at me curiously.
“Wait, they got you a voodoo doll?”
“Yeah, I mean that’s kind of sweet, right?”
I thought it was in a weird Dean way, I mean.
Ben patted my head sweetly. “I’m just glad I’m not dating you. Voodoo dolls sweet? Most women want roses. Remind me to never piss you off.”
Since he ignored my jab about men, I chose to ignore his about me, stretching my legs out in front of me, and putting my head on Ben's shoulder asking, “What do I do, Ben? You’re my unofficial big brother, so give me some brotherly advice. Oh, wise one.”
He knocked me over onto my side as he stood up.
Butt demon.
Hand outstretched he waited for me to accept the help up. I rolled my eyes at his sudden quietness, and took his hand so he could pull me up. His giant arm draped around my shoulders as he walked me to my gym bag.
What was he up too?
With his stoic expression still in place, he reached for my gym bag, handing it to me.
“Kelly, I don’t know anything about this love stuff. In fact, I’m terrible at it. It’s why I’m still single. The only advice I’ve got worthy of listening to is this... listen to Damon’s side of the story. You can’t condemn a man if you don’t know everything. And any gifts they give you, keep them.”
I dropped the gym bag to the floor, slinging his arm off in the process, feeling incredulous I shouted, “That’s it, you’re supposed to be my Obi-Wan Kenobi and that’s it? I feel gypped.”
He ignored my immature outburst, and it was immature. But it was all I had at the moment and dammit I needed advice.
Good advice.
Not advice that I didn’t want to hear. Not rational advice. Picking up my gym bag again he tossed it back to me and smiled as he turned to head back to the mats. “Baby girl, I’m not a Jedi, if you want Jedi, go watch Star Wars. If you want to hit out your frustrations on me, you come here. Now, go see that boy, and get his story.”
I couldn’t believe he left me at the door to think about what he said. Did he just tell me to watch Star Wars, for wisdom?
Yes, yes he did.
Who the hell watched Star Wars for wisdom?
Hans Solo sure. Princess Leia and the gold bikini most definitely.
Not wisdom. I swear I’m never asking Ben Danvers for love advice again. He really was horrible at it.
Home from kickboxing with Ben, I opened the front door to find Duchess had found the trash.
Again.
“Duchess!” My gym bag rolled down my arm, hitting the floor with a loud bang. Hmm, I guess it was a little heavy. Who knew? Maybe this kickboxing was actually helping not only my frustration but my body. Go figure. Workouts helped. Though it’d probably help more i
f I laid off the doughnuts.
Where was that dog?
I really didn’t want to go dog hunting, but I figured I couldn’t hold off the inevitable, plus there was only so many places a big dog like her could hide. So, I started my search for the garbage nabber herself.
I heard somewhere that they could be hard animals to find, those garbage nabbers kind of dogs. Vanishing without a trace, until food was put out.
“Duchess, where are you? Mama needs a shower, and now I’ve gotta pick up your mess. Come here doggy doggy? Where are you?”
They did come to doggy doggy, right?
I needed to brush up on Doggy 101.
I used my killer detective skills as I snuck and crept ninja style throughout the house following the trail of coffee grounds, banana peels. and other things that I wasn’t sure of what it had once been.
I found the culprit.
In my room.
Sprawled on the top of my bed with last night’s pepperoni pizza. She was munching away, like it was caviar.
God, there wasn’t enough liquor in the house for this. I knew because I checked before I left for kickboxing.
Not knowing how to handle this situation, like I said, I didn’t take Doggy 101. So I did what I did to my kids; I waved my finger at her trying to sound mean. That always worked on the kids at school. “Duchess, that’s not nice. We do not get in the trash.”
Apparently, teacher voices did not work on dogs.
Who knew?
I tried for an incognito approach as I half-crouched and walked over closer to the bed. Duchess followed my strange movements with a half-eaten pizza still held in her mouth. Quickly before she realized what was happening I jumped, grabbing the comforter, attempting to pull it out from underneath the giant mammoth. “Get off my bed with that pizza! Argh!”
Road to Them: The Road Series Book Two Page 3