by Tiya Rayne
“So now the truth comes out. I thought you said that was behind us.”
Luke runs his hand through his hair roughly. “It is, but I won’t let you ruin our date because you’re angry that I moved on. I didn’t choose Melissa because she’s white, I chose her because she’s a good person that actually cared about me.”
“I’m sure her being white was just a bonus.”
“Ok, you want to go there, what race is Calvin?”
My mouth opens and then shuts. I had no answer. Not because he had proved his point about Calvin’s race, but I lost my response because Calvin wasn’t even mine.
“Just as I thought.” Luke says taking my silence for affirmation.
“You know what, it doesn’t matter. Just for future references, if some asshole is disrespecting me, don’t worry about it. I’m not your problem anymore.” This time I make it to the passenger side of the truck before Luke’s hand wraps around my arm and yanks me around to look at him.
“I don’t care whose girl you are, no one will ever disrespect you in front of me.”
“Oh really, and what will Melissa think about that?”
“Like you care what she thinks. You didn’t give her one thought when my hand was between your legs.”
Just the mention of how good he made my body feel that day in the barn had my legs shaking and my pussy tingling.
I snatch away from Luke and walk away from his truck. I needed to put space between us. We were both getting emotional and high emotions were not good for us. Especially with Luke having a fiancée.
“Where are you going?” He calls out to my retreating back.
“I’m calling an Uber.”
“Zora, get in the truck.”
“No!” I continue to walk away.
“Zora Henderson, get your little ass in this truck before I spank your stubborn ass.”
A groan slips from my lips. That is exactly the reason I will not be getting in that truck,
I lift my hand over my head and shoot Luke the bird. I hear his chuckle as I continue to walk away. This isn’t Luke’s and my first fight. Our relationship, though filled with love, wasn’t all roses and rainbows. We usually argued, I’d hit him with the silent treatment and he would do something that made me laugh, then we would spend hours having makeup sex. God, I missed the makeup sex. It was because I was fanaticizing about our past that I didn’t hear Luke sneak up behind me. He swooped me up in his arms and threw me over his shoulder in a fireman carry.
“Luke, put me down.” I squeal.
Luke smacks my ass just like he threatened to do. Damn I never thought I’d like something like that, but I’m nearly purring like a cat.
“Stop squirming or I’ll smack this luscious ass again.” This time Luke grabs a handful of one of my butt cheeks and squeezes.
We make it back to the truck where Luke slides me down his body, I don’t miss the erection that pokes my stomach. Clearly, Luke is having the same issues that I am. Those hazel eyes stare down at me with so much passion, I have to bite my lip to keep from blurting out stupid words like I love you.
Luke lifts his hand slowly to my face and remove my lip from between my teeth.
“I’m sorry if my words hurt you, Darlin’. I’m sorry if I gave you any idea that the time we had together was not the best time of my life. Shit was bad, Zora, but I wouldn’t change anything about it as long as I got to be with you.”
My heart stopped and restarted at his words. I wanted now more than ever to feel his lips on mine. Luke must have read my mind, because his eyes drop to my lips and his head lowers. I come up on my tip toes to meet him half way. The shorter the distance the faster I can feel his lips over mine. Just as the heat from his breath brushes over my awaiting lips, a voice from behind us breaks into our moment.
“Hey, aren’t you Luke Trent?”
We both turn to find a father and his two sons standing beside us. Both boys are in their early teens and are both wearing a number 14, San Diego Cougars jersey. Luke’s jersey. At some point in our argument, Luke had taken the glasses off.
“Uh, Yeah. Yes I am.” He smiles and politely offers the young boys his hand to shake. The boys are over excited about meeting their favorite player. The father, however, keeps eyeing me suspiciously. His eyes rake up and down my body before he turns up his nose at me in disgust.
“Can we have a picture with you, Mr. Trent?” One of the teens ask.
“Sure!” Luke is all smiles for the kids.
I can tell that he loves this type of stuff. He’s always been great with kids, so I know he would do anything for his young fans.
Both boys and the father jump in the picture. The older looking son hands me his phone. I was designated the photographer. I quickly snap the picture and hand it back to the happy teen.
The father turns to Luke and thanks him.
“You’re welcome.”
“And….umm…..How’s the model fiancée? You guys are getting ready to tie the knot soon right?” The father says while cutting his eyes to me.
I look away from his stare.
“She’s good and we are.” I can tell by Luke’s tone he was pissed at the guy for his apparent reminder of Melissa.
“Good,” The man says. “Well, we’ll let you get back to your night.” Another look to me with a shake of his head.
The three walk off leaving Luke and I behind.
“Zora, I…..”
“Take me home, Luke.” I simply reply before climbing into the cab of his truck.
Luke closes the door and walks around to the driver side. He stuffs the giant dog into the back seat before climbing in the driver seat. Our trip back home is a silent one. The entire ride I thought only about that missed kiss. One part of me hate that it didn’t happen. However, the sane part of me knew that it was for the best. A kiss would never be enough when it came to me and Luke.
Chapter Fourteen
“Y ou really use to be a ballerina?” I can hear the laughter in my daughter’s question.
“Yes, I don’t know what’s so funny?” I ask, and Peyton starts to laugh from the
back seat.
“I can’t imagine you in a tutu dancing.” We both crack up laughing at the visual.
After taking Peyton out to a movies and for lunch, I decided to drive around town and show her all the places that had some significant value to me. It felt good being able to share this part of me with her. For so many years I treated my past like something I needed to avoid at all cost, it was refreshing to be able to talk about it. I also felt that it brought Peyton and I closer.
“Oh look, Peyton, over there is where I went to high school.”
I pointed to the huge brick building with the large gold and black R on the front of the building. Richland High School. The school has changed a lot since I attended. The front entrance has been entirely redone. There is also a brand new cafeteria and an upgraded football stadium. However, no matter the changes it is still my old high school. And for a while it was my personal hell.
“Isn’t that where you met my dad?”
I glance in the back seat, catching my daughter’s eyes. I can tell in her tone she was hesitant about asking that questions. A part of me dies a little. I was so busy battling with my own feelings for Luke that I made my daughter feel as if she couldn’t come to me about him. I admit, in the past I would quickly change the subject and sometimes would find myself in my bedroom crying after talking about Luke to Peyton. I guess seeing Luke again, and being back home has helped because for once, I answer her question without breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Actually, I met your father in elementary school.”
The smile that lights my daughter’s face will always be worth any pain and discomfort I may have.
“Really?! You knew him way back then.”
“Umm, first of all, it wasn’t that long ago.” I joke and Peyton laughs.
“What was he like?”
“Funny. Sweet. Kind. Shy. He was
a lot like you.” I watch through the mirror as she blushes.
“Were you guys in love?”
“Very much. I loved your father with all my heart, baby.” The car is quiet as we pull up to a red light. A police cruiser is to my left.
“So, I’m the one that ruined it?”
I turn in my seat to look back at my daughter. Gone was the smile on her face. She was looking down nervously at her hands.
“Peyton Rhyan Henderson, look at me.” I demand.
Peyton’s watery eyes look up at me.
“Baby, you were the best thing that could have happened to your father and I. The moment he found out I was pregnant he fell in love with you. He would have taken on the world for you.”
“Then why isn’t he here?” She swipes at the tears that stain her cheek.
“If he could be, I swear to you, he would be right by your side. But sometimes, just because we want something doesn’t mean we get to have it. Sometimes people have a greater purpose than what we want for them. Your father had a calling, a great gift, and it would have been selfish of me to keep him away from what he was meant to share with others. So I let him go. And I’m sorry that I made you feel like he didn’t want you or didn’t love you. That’s my fault. I want you to understand that no matter where he is in the world, he loves you with all his heart.”
Although my words don’t completely ease my daughter’s ache, I can see they bring her some comfort.
A horn goes off behind me and I turn to see the light has turned green. I turn right, down the long two lane road heading back towards my parent’s house. I make it only about a half a mile down the road when the red and blue lights go off behind me.
“Did we do something wrong, mommy?” Peyton asks from the back seat.
I ignore that trickle of fear that runs down my spine. I was back in the south, although I’d never had a bad run in with a police officer, that fear was present in my mind. We were on a back road where traffic wasn’t heavy.
“Everything is fine, Sweetheart.”
I pull over on the side of the road. Nothing but trees and woods run on either side of me. I turn off my car and wait.
The tap on my window startles me and I roll the window down.
“Well. Well. Well. If it isn’t Zora Henderson.”
I think my heart nearly stops in my chest as fear takes over my body. I will never forget that voice. The voice of Buck Mitchell.
“Can I help you, Officer?” I was proud of how clear my voice came out, with how much I was shaking with fear. Who the hell let Buck Mitchell become a weapon carrying police officer?
Buck ignores my question as his eyes bounce to the back seat. I want to throw up when that smile appears on his face after looking at Peyton.
“Well look a’ here. You done went and got you an ole’ mulatto baby. How you doing, beautiful?”
Him calling my daughter beautiful makes me want gauge his eyes out.
“What do you want, Officer?” I speak only to get his attention off Peyton and back on me.
Buck’s eyes drop down to my bare thighs in my t-shirt dress. He looks back at me with a smile.
“Can you step out of the car for me ma’am.” He asks taking a step back.
My mind told me stepping out of this car was a bad idea. I didn’t doubt that at all. But I knew staying in the car with Buck eyeballing my daughter was not an option either. I wanted his attention off of Peyton. The less he looked at her, the less time it gave him to connect her features to Luke.
“Peyton, baby! I’ll be back. Stay here, ok?”
“Yes ma’am” I can hear the fear laced in her voice.
“Do me a favor,” I say turning to her. “How about you give Uncle Lang a day in the life of Peyton.” I give my daughter a wink as I open the car door and step back.
“Walk back to my cruiser.” Buck grabs my forearm and pulls me to the cruiser.
“Can I ask why you pulled me over?”
He doesn’t reply as he pushes me up against the driver side door. My back is to him. I feel his disgusting heat and the smell of sweat that accompanies his closeness.
“Put your hands on the roof and spread your legs.” He demands.
I do as he asks and he starts to pat me down. I quickly look over to Peyton. She’s turned around on her knees with her phone up to the back window.
“I saw you at the red light.” Buck starts to talk. His hands slowly move down my legs. “I should have known it was you in that fancy little car. You didn’t even look over at me. You were always so uppity. Thought you were better than everybody else.”
“It was all in your racist head.” I say over my shoulder.
He stands back up after checking to make sure my ankles weren’t concealing any weapons. His heat and smell still entirely too close.
“Still with that smart mouth of yours.” His hands stop on my hips and squeeze. I try to pull away from him, but he just pins me against the car with his fat belly and pelvis.
“Get off of me.”
“Now that we’re all grown up, I think I can admit,” His hands slide down to the hem of my dress. “I always did have a thing for you. I wanted to taste your little nigger pussy, that’s why I gave you so much hell.” I cringe when his hand starts to slide up under my dress.
I try to pull away from him again but he grabs my hair and pulls my head back against his shoulder. His other hand moves around the front of my thigh and cups between my legs. His breath reeks of cigarette smoke as he speaks in my face.
“If you gave it up to that dirt poor piece of shit, then I know you’ll give me a piece. How about we hop in my back seat and I let you swallow this cock.” He rubs his sad erection against my ass as his hand under my dress tries to rub my clit. He’s so far away from the damn thing he would need GPS to find it.
I fight his hold against me, but he only tightens his fist in my hair.
“Do you enjoy your job, Buck?”
He exhales, his hot breath burning my nose hair. “Absolutely!” he replies absent mindedly as he continues to rub my pelvis bone waiting to get me aroused.
“Too bad you won’t have it soon.”
He chuckles. “What makes you think that?” He purrs in my ear.
“Because at this very moment, my daughter has you on FaceTime with my brother, who is the leading prosecutor at Henderson and Russell law firm. He has been watching this entire scene play out. And I don’t think he will be too happy seeing a police officer with his hands under his sister’s dress.”
Buck lets me go and steps away from me so fast I stumble from the impact.
“Your brother is Langston Henderson?” he looks terrified.
Apparently my brother has made a name for himself.
“Yeah he is. And he just watched this entire thing.”
Buck steps even further away from me. His face scrunched up in displeasure.
“Well I know people too. I ain’t a fan of it, but I know men that will take a real liking to your pretty little girl in that back seat.”
His threat makes my skin prickle.
“Just keep that in mind for when that monkey lawyer starts coming for me.”
“If you or any of your disgusting friends come anywhere near my daughter I’ll…..”
“What? You threatening an officer of the law?”
I watch the delight play over his face. He knows he has me stuck.
“Be a shame if I have to take you in. I’d have to call some of those friends to watch over your little girl until someone comes and gets her. Could take hours before someone gets notified.”
He stares at me for a moment, daring me to say anything else. When he realizes that I wasn’t going to fight him anymore he smiles at me.
“Ya’ll have a nice day now. I’ll see you around, Zora Henderson.” He tips his head towards me and I walk towards my car hurriedly.
I couldn’t wait to be out of his sight and away from Buck Mitchell. I thought there was nothing else Buck could do to me af
ter he and his friends whipped and nearly killed me. Even his disgusting hands on my body did not put the fear in me like his threat to Peyton. I climb in the car and slam the door. My eye sight is blurry when I start the car.
“Mommy, Uncle Lang wants you.”
Peyton reaches her cellphone up to the front seat. I grab it without looking back at her. I didn’t want her to see me crying. My tears make the screen blurry, but I can make out my brother’s angry face.
“Are you alright?”
I nod my head unable to open my mouth and speak actual words.
“Go straight home. Don’t stop for anyone else. I’m on my way.”
Again I only nod my head as I place the phone at my side. I don’t speak as I pull back onto the road. My entire body shakes as I head towards my parents’ house.
I pull up in the yard and find my brother’s Lexus along with a Mercedes. As soon as I cut my car off, Langston is at my door. I climb out the driver side and he wraps me in his arms.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m good, Lang.” I allow only a moment for him to hold me, before I pull away from his arms.
“We need to get you to the hospital, and then go to the proper authorities to get this documented and on file.”
“No!”
“No?” My brother looks at me like I’m insane.
“Exactly. No, I’m not going to the police or to the hospital.”
“Gotdamnit, Zora!” He shouts stepping away from me. “This isn’t a fucking joke. That asshole violated you.”
“Yeah, I know. I was there.”
“Well you’re acting like you weren’t. Your daughter saw that. You should be outraged!” He shouts.
“Don’t tell me how I should feel!” My tone matches his. “You think this is new? You think it was the first time I had a run in with that asshole?” I laugh dryly. “What you just witnessed was my entire senior year of High school.”
For the first time Langston’s anger disappears. His brows lift in shock as realization hits him. Langston and Maya were away at school for most of mine and Luke’s relationship. They only heard whatever my parents told them. They had no idea the real shit I went through.