Break Away: A Midwest Small Town Romance

by Vanessa Sheets

  Sweet Jesus girl, go put some fucking clothes on.

  Before I know it, she is kneeling in front of me, scraping the Hot Wheels into the basket of shit she’s collected. I hear more beer being popped open and look up in disgust at the two pieces of trash that disappear down the hall. A door slams shut, and I watch this vision of an angel jump as she stacks books into a pile.

  “Name’s Noah. What’s yours, Brown Eyes?” I know her name, but I want to hear her say it. She stares back at me and I hold her gaze for as long as she will let me. I could stare into those eyes for hours. Deep and dark. There is something in those eyes and whatever it is, it’s captivating.

  Before I know it, she’s up and in the kitchen grabbing a Coke, looking all sorts of irritated. She asks me what the hell is going on, breaking the trance that has taken over me. I tell her everything I know and watch as confusion and shock slowly takes over her. The sight of this breaks my heart and I have this primal urge to wrap my arms around her and protect her from this very fucked up life she is living.

  What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t need to be involving myself in this. I need to go.

  Now.

  Of course, instead of listening to the common sense rattling in my brain, I find myself leaning up against her fridge, trying to make the situation better.

  Instead of welcoming me, I see the fire that is her defense flare up. She doesn’t like the nickname that I gave her. Little does she know that by challenging me, she has awoken a monster. Oh woman, you have no idea what you have just done.

  And then I hear it. For the first time. Her name. Rolling off her lips and slowly teasing my ears, sending the hair on my arms standing up and goosebumps forming on the back of my neck. Shit, her voice has to be the sweetest sound that I have ever heard.

  Then, as quick as she came into my life, she leaves. But not before tripping over the backpack that is sitting on the floor. I instinctively jump to her rescue, grab her around her waist and pull her towards me. My skin touches hers, making me want to run my hand over every single part of her perfect body. We both stare into each other's eyes. A smile toys at my lips as I watch the fury that filled her just a few seconds ago start to soften. She must feel herself weakening because she instantly pushes away from me. I chuckle to myself as I watch Miss Sass struggling to pull herself together.

  I can’t stop my smile any longer as she flings her backpack over her shoulder in a huff. She tells me that she wants me to leave, and I know that I should, but I can’t fight the urge to stay.

  This urge is not like my usual urges. I mean, yes, I want to feel her body underneath me. I want her to dig her nails into my back as I slip all that I have to offer into her. But this is different.

  I quickly reel in the nasty thoughts that are making my dick twitch, when she mentions that she has a little brother.

  Shit. She has a little brother. Guaranteed she is playing mommy to that kid. Noah, this isn’t something that you need to busy yourself with.

  But as I push open the screen door, I can’t help but look back at her. I need one last vision to take with me.

  I let the door to her trailer slam shut and jump into my truck. An uneasy feeling starts to take over me. As I pull out of that piece of shit trailer park, I can't help but feel as if I have just hand delivered a wolf into that girl’s home. I pull over and grab my phone off the passenger seat.

  Stay the fuck away from that girl.

  Ting

  What girl?

  You know what fucking girl you piece of shit.

  Ting

  Oh you mean the girl that sleeps next to my new bedroom?

  I’m not fucking messing around Crew. Fuck the slut and leave Sofia alone.

  Ting

  I do as I fuckin please and I suggest you stay the fuck out of my business.

  I am making her my business so I would watch yourself.

  Ting

  I think you need to watch yourself Noah. One call to the cops and POOF. You're gone. And everything you worked for.

  This goddamn piece of fucking shit!

  He had me though. He’s had me since that night.

  The week seems to drag on. I feel like Friday night will never come. I busy myself with school and taking care of Enzo. I am happy that my mom’s new man has a job, because it means that I don't have to see much of him. And when he is home, he keeps my mom busy and out of our hair.

  Cameron and I don’t really talk a lot at school, but we have started texting each other quite a bit. It’s nice to have someone to talk to besides Ezra. He keeps me up late into the night with his texts. He is the last thing on my mind when I fall asleep and the first thing that I think of as soon as I wake up. I am starting to think that this whole dating someone might be just what I needed.

  Noah comes over in the mornings to pick up Crew for work and I can’t help but sneak a look here and there as I hurry around our trailer getting ready for school. He is breathtaking. Dark and mysteriously intriguing. He always leans up against the wall by the front door, waiting, looking down at his phone. I catch him looking up at me every once in a while, and my heart beats unsteadily.

  I know that he is off limits. He is much too old for me and completely out of my league because of his, well, everything that makes him who he is. His eyes, his body, his smile. He is perfect in ways that I didn’t even know existed. It is fun to take all of him in from a distance. But that is as far as it will ever go.

  On Thursday morning after I get Enzo off to school, I am standing at the kitchen sink singing and doing dishes. I am dripping with sweat. It is an extremely hot day for the beginning of May, and everyone is running their air and fans, causing the whole park to blow a breaker. This is the norm when you live in a trailer park. To keep cool I just have a T-shirt on that barely covers my ass.

  Noah knocks on the door and I holler for him to come in. I am so busy trying to get the dishes dried and put away before school that I forget I am only wearing a t-shirt.

  “Holy shit, Brown Eyes, it’s hotter than hell in here!”

  “Yeah, the breaker blew, and we have no air. It should be fixed by the time I get out of school.” I reach up with a stack of plates to put them in the cabinet. As I slam the cabinet door, I yell towards my mom’s bedroom and let Crew know that Noah is here to pick him up.

  I turn around, lean up against the sink and begin drying my hands on a dish towel. Noah is waiting in his usual spot, leaning up against the wall, but he isn't on his phone this morning. He is staring at me with an intense look on his face.

  “You know, you really shouldn’t be walking around dressed like that.” His voice is deep and rough.

  I stop drying my hands and look down at my bare legs. I suddenly feel exposed, and my once relaxed face is now turning three shades of red.

  “With men around, you should really make sure you cover yourself a little more.” He says this with an authority in his voice that makes me instantly defensive. His phone starts ringing, and he pulls it out of his pocket. He holds his finger up to me, as if I care to continue this conversation once he is done with his call. Before he answers his phone, I respond to his ridiculous comment.

  “Well, the good news is that your opinion on how I dress, really doesn’t mean shit to me!”

  I fold the towel that I have been holding and throw it on the counter in a huff. Just as I storm out of the kitchen, Crew stops me dead in my tracks. He looks tired and hungover, like he does every morning. His eyes slowly make their way down my body and back up.

  “Mmm, would you just look at those legs, Noah. Now those are some fine ass legs.”

  Crew raises one eyebrow at me and smiles a crooked, creepy smile. As Crew walks towards him, I notice that Noah is not smiling. His face is stone, and his eyes look cold and angry. Crew slaps Noah on the side of his arm and laughs. Noah steps closer to him, just inches from his face and stares him down.

  “Crew, you're a piece of shit!” Before he storms out the door, he turns to me with a
serious face. “But like I was saying. You might want to put some pants on.” Crew winks at me as he trails behind Noah.

  I walk over to the living room window and watch him climb in the driver's seat and shut the door. He catches me staring at him and shakes his head as he throws his truck in reverse, tearing out of my driveway and leaving a trail of gravel dust behind him.

  What the fuck was that about? Who the hell does he think he is, telling me how to dress? And Crew? He is just like the others my mother has brought home. But I can handle those nasty comments. He isn’t the first of my mother’s fucks that has said things like that to me. But Noah acting like my father? I don’t like it and I am fuming inside.

  I go to my room and throw on a pair of my shortest, torn up jean shorts. I am not going to let anyone tell me what I can or can’t wear. I have made it this far in life on my own. I twist my hair up in a scrunchy and head off to school.

  THE DAY IS LONG. With no air in the school, it is hard to concentrate on anything. Ezra, Chase, Cameron, and I are sitting outside eating lunch. Ezra and Chase can’t keep their hands off each other, making the silence between me and Cam even more uncomfortable. Cam finally breaks the silence by suggesting places to eat for our date.

  “Mexican, Italian, Chinese?”

  I look up at him in between bites of my tuna sandwich and smile. “I don’t get out much and am not at all picky, so you can just surprise me.”

  His green eyes sparkle in the sun and his flirtatious smile makes me even more excited for our date.

  “Ok, leave it up to me. You know Sofia, I have been eyeing you since the first day of school. I am really looking forward to taking you out.”

  He reaches over and places his hand on my bare thigh, squeezing it gently. It instantly sends a jolt of electricity surging through my entire body. His touch feels good. It is soft and tender. Unlike the way my mother’s past fucks have come on to me. My mother never believed me, so I was the only one that could stop it from going too far. When you welcome the touch, though, it just feels different.

  We finish up lunch and go back in to finish the day. It drags on and all I can think about is Cam and his hand on my thigh. Occasionally, my mind drifts back to this morning and what Noah said to me, making me instantly irritated and pissed off. I think about venting to Ezra about it but decide not to bring it up. I have a habit of over thinking things and she would be sure to point that out.

  The feel of the hot sun on the walk home feels amazing, making me long even more for the summer that is quickly approaching. This winter has been long and brutal, and I was over it months ago. I have only been walking for a few minutes when out of nowhere it begins pouring. I start to pick up my pace, but there is no avoiding it. My t-shirt is soaked within minutes and clings to me. I hear the undeniable sound of a hemi coming down the road and see Noah slowly pass by me and pull over.

  What the hell is he doing?

  When I catch up with him, he rolls the passenger window down.

  “Need a ride? It’s pouring out!” He smiles, showing off those sinful dimples. My pulse starts racing.

  Damn him. I’m supposed to be mad at him.

  “No, I’m good.” I don't stop walking, trying to make my point that I can handle the rain that is slamming down around me. He starts to creep up next to me, apparently not getting the hint.

  “Come on, don’t be like that. Get in; it’s nasty out.”

  “I’m already drenched.” I roll my eyes at him and with my head down, continue ahead. He is still creeping when I stop to adjust my backpack. He is not taking no for an answer.

  “Only if you don’t start telling me what to wear.” I give him a smart ass look and he shakes his head at me and laughs.

  “Just get in the truck; stubborn doesn’t suit you.”

  I stand there staring at him as he leans over the seat, smirking back at me through the passenger window. He raises his eyebrows, revealing three lines on his forehead. Even those are sexy.

  Oh, this man is really irritating me!

  How can someone be so perfect? That sun-kissed skin, the color of his hair, his cool and collected mannerisms. And that smile.

  I am actually relieved that he made my blood boil this morning or I would want to climb more than just his truck.

  I open the door and throw my backpack on the floorboard. His truck is so high that it's a struggle to get up into it. I’m sure I look anything but graceful as I try to climb in. After a few attempts, I finally make it up and slam the door. I am soaked and chilled from the air conditioner blowing, so I adjust the vents away from me. He smiles as he messes with the temperature control and with one hand on the steering wheel, he puts his truck in drive and tears off down the road.

  I look out the passenger window, watching the huge drops of rain slide down the glass. The radio plays country music, while the wipers slide back and forth across the windshield.

  My heart starts racing. I try not to look at him, but I suddenly become very alert to the sensation of being pulled towards him. I look down at my bare legs and feel my pulse start to race.

  Pull it together, Sof. It’s just a ride home. Nothing else.

  “That rain came out of nowhere. We needed it though. Crazy weather we have been having.” He glances at me as he turns onto my road.

  “Yeah, it should help cool things down a bit.” The awkward idle chat makes me even more uncomfortable.

  Oh, my God. Are we seriously talking about the weather?

  I grab my bag and set it on my lap because we will be pulling into my trailer park any second. It also helps me cover up my extremely short “don’t tell me what to wear shorts.”

  He pulls into my drive and puts the truck in park, sits back in his seat and rubs the back of his neck. He turns and looks at me.

  “You know, I wasn’t trying to upset you this morning.” I can feel his gaze on me and begin fiddling with the strap on my bag.

  “I just don’t want you to be taken advantage of, especially by that guy living with you. He isn’t a good guy.” He sounds genuinely concerned and I turn towards him.

  Those eyes.

  They are soft and caring, boring deep into the damaged part of me.

  “I don’t understand why you care?”

  He shakes his head and lets out a sigh. “I just know him, how he is. I feel like I need to tell you to be careful.”

  I turn away from him and gaze out the passenger window. “You know, I don’t need anyone looking out for me. I've been doing just fine all these years, figuring it out myself.” I look back at him with squinty eyes.

  “I can see that, Brown Eyes.” He lets out a little laugh and smiles. “But sometimes you need more than just figuring it out on your own. Sometimes you need someone to show you something that you can’t see. Especially if it could hurt you. Just keep your guard up with him.”

  Why is he concerning himself with what is going on in my life?

  “Well, thanks for the heads up. I know the company my mother keeps, so I'm not surprised this one comes with a warning label. I have a question for you, now. I mean, since we are getting all deep into each other’s lives. Why are you here? You just come out of nowhere to a town that doesn’t have much to offer a man like you, driving a truck like this?”

  He drapes his arm over the steering wheel and smiles.

  Those fucking dimples.

  “Fair. I’m a storm chaser. I actually own the company. Staying at the Courtyard in Rockford while I work in the area. I'm here because of those bad hailstorms last month.”

  “I see. So where are you from?”

  “Louisiana originally. I pretty much live out of my suitcase now.”

  “Huh, sounds kind of lonely.” I pull my rubber band out of my wet hair and run my fingers through it before twisting it back up into a messy bun.

  “It can be, but there is nothing like traveling the states and seeing all the beauty this country has to offer. Plus, I get to help people piece their lives back together after so
me of them lost it all. I lived through Katrina. I was eleven at the time and our home was completely leveled. I saw all of the hope that the volunteers brought with them as they poured in by the thousands. I knew then, that's what I wanted to do with my life.” His voice trails off and he stares off into the distance.

  “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.” I don't remember much about Katrina; I was only four at the time. I had learned enough at school though, to know that the category five hurricane had brought catastrophic damage to all that was in her path.

  “Listen, I just want you to know, if you ever need anything, I'm just a phone call away.” He reaches into the middle console and pulls out a card. He holds it out to me. Reluctantly, I take it out of his hand.

  “What is this?” I give the card a quick glance and slowly pull my eyes up to his serious face.

  “It’s my business card; it has my number on it. If you need anything, anything at all, just call me.”

  I open the door, giving him a look of confusion as I get out.

  “Well, I am sure that it won’t come to that, but thanks for the ride.” I shut the door and start walking away. As I get to my porch, he rolls the window down.

  “You have it if you need it. I mean it.”

  I look back at him over my shoulder as I open my front door and let myself in. I throw my bag on the kitchen table and grab a Coke out of the fridge. As I sip on it, I watch him through the front window as he pulls away.

  What is with this guy?

  I look down at the black card that he gave me and run my fingers over the gold embossed lettering. NES Construction, INC. His name Noah E. Stine is written in scrolled font with his contact information.