Break Away: A Midwest Small Town Romance

by Vanessa Sheets

  He slides his arms behind my back and rolls over, pulling me onto his chest. I rest my head in the crook of his neck and relish in the feeling of our naked bodies pressed together as one. With his arms protectively wrapped around me, my mind begins to wander.

  This man, oh God this man. What have you gotten yourself into Sof?”

  “Brown Eyes, believe me when I say this, I will do whatever is needed to protect you.” He gently strokes my hair and runs his fingers softly up and down my naked back.

  “Noah, you don’t have anything to protect me from.” I lift my head off his chest and begin stroking the stubble on his face with the tips of my fingers.

  Oh, how I love his five o’clock shadow.

  “You have no idea what you got yourself into, Sofia. Please, just promise me that you will follow through with your part and understand me when I say, I will always be here to keep you from harm. I will never let anything happen to you.” He tightens his hold on me and kisses the top of my head.

  “I will try my very best, Sir.” I look up at him, mesmerized by the candlelight flickering on his gorgeous face. I can’t help but giggle at his seriousness, but I fall silent when I notice his expression. He isn’t laughing. His eyes are fixated on me, forbidden and fierce.

  What is stirring within this man? What is driving his desire to protect me? And from what?

  I rest my head on his chest, our bodies twisted together as one. For the first time in forever, I feel something that I haven’t felt since my Nonna died.

  Hope.

  Maybe Noah was exactly what Lorenzo and I needed. Maybe, just maybe, the hell that we have been living, will soon be nothing more than a chapter in our book.

  Unfortunately, if I want this to be, I will have no choice but to let the wall that I have built, crumble to the ground. I would have to let him in.

  I close my eyes and drift back to sleep in Noah’s arms, dreaming of a future where Lorenzo and I break away from our mother and build a life together. A life filled with promises never broken and endless nights just like this.

  She’s sitting next to me in my truck. We are driving towards Chicago and the closer we get to the Windy City, the more intently I watch as her eyes dart like mad from billboard to billboard. Her face lights up when the famous skyline comes into view.

  I try my damndest not to let her notice that I can’t stop looking at her. I could watch her all day long. Seeing her stare up at the buildings is making my heart skip a beat. I love that I am the one to introduce her to all of this. I want to introduce her to so much more. I want to show her the world.

  She starts asking questions about me. I have to laugh because she thinks that I’m old. The questions just keep coming. I try to hide how uncomfortable I am when she starts inquiring about my family and feel bad that I am getting agitated over her questions. I decide that I need to give her a bit of my history, but only enough to help ease her mind. I purposely leave Cami out of it. I am well aware that I can’t do that for long, due to the fact that her name is plastered on my chest. Dumb, emotional move on my part. But it was needed at the time. It was my closure, so I could leave her behind and move on with my life.

  But a life with Sofia? I was not looking for this, not at all. And now it takes everything that I have to fight the urge to protect her so nothing happens to her like what happened to Cami. It is a lot to ask, especially from a woman with such determination, but it is a deal breaker for me. I am who I am, and I can’t change that. If she can’t agree, this will never work.

  I relish the sight as she devours the meal I chose for her. She fights me on that, picking out her meal. I am not going to let her win this battle, though. I need her to hand over the control she so desperately clings to. I don’t blame her. It is the very reason that she has survived all these years. By letting go of even the smallest piece of it could possibly cause a crack in the foundation of the wall that she has built up. The wall that has protected her from the battles that have gone on inside that trailer. I need her to trust my intentions and know that I am here to protect her, from here on out. I will break that wall down if I have to with my own bare hands. Piece. By. Piece.

  Sofia agrees, somewhat, to what I am asking from her. I'm pretty sure, though, that she is agreeing so that I will give her what she wants. Me. I am all right with that, though, because once she has a sliver of what I have to offer her, she won’t know what hit her. I will admit, I know my way around a woman's body, thanks to the many women that have filled my nights over the years.

  Tonight, I want—no, need—to make sure that everything is perfect for her. The dinner, the roses, how I will help her embrace everything that I have to offer. I want her to feel safe and secure.

  When I make love to her, it is like nothing I have ever experienced. I wasn't expecting or prepared for the heightened feelings that wrap my brain in a cloud of confusion. My heart feels as if it beats in unison with hers and our breathing becomes one.

  With others that I fucked, my mind was on the prize and I moved in a robotic way to speed up the process. I knew exactly how to get them to squeal. Once I heard them scream out in pleasure, it was my turn.

  Not with Sofia.

  With every single touch, I feel like I have lost my ever-loving mind. Her body in my arms, is the most unbelievable feeling. Like nothing I have ever felt before. I can’t get enough of her. Her noises, good God, those noises that she makes. The way her body moves with mine. How she resists me, when all I am trying to do is make her see what her beautiful body is capable of. I want her to let go of everything around her, to be selfish for once in her life. To relax and trust me with her deepest and darkest desires.

  The feel of her soft breasts grazing my chest makes it almost impossible for me not to lose it inside of her. My hardness fills her like a missing puzzle piece. I thrust the tip of my cock at her g spot, over and over, making sure to pay close attention to her swollen clit with every push. Sofia grabs a hold of my hair with both hands, burying her face in my neck as deep moans escape her mouth.

  She finally trusts me and relinquishes control.

  Only once she is satisfied do I let go of mine.

  I pull her naked body on top of me and hold her like I have never held another. In that very moment, I know. I would rather cut my right arm off than ever let anything happen to her. I would do what I swore I would never do again. I would kill for her.

  I wake to the sun rising over the towering buildings that surround us outside our hotel window. Growing up in a trailer park, this view is unlike nothing I have seen before. I can’t help but be overwhelmed with a feeling of contentment as I lay next to Noah, my leg draped over his.

  With my fingers, I make circular motions on his chest, mostly around that name. Cami. With a clearer mind than the night before, I can’t stop myself from wondering about her. Who is she? She must have meant something to him, for him to tattoo her name on his skin. I push these foreign feelings of jealousy out of my head and breathe in his beautiful smell. If only I could wake up to this feeling every morning. I know that I have to get back to Enzo, though, and just as quickly as it swept over me, the feeling of contentment slips away. Noah begins to stir next to me and slowly opens his eyes. He lets out a sexy morning groan and pulls me to him, cradling me in his arms.

  Oh, God, his arms feel amazing wrapped around me.

  “Good morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?” He grabs my hand, the one that was so focused on the tattoo, and brings it to his mouth. He covers it in soft, sensual kisses and smiles at me.

  “Ummm...how could I not, waking up next to you.” I push up on my arm and crawl over him so that I am straddling him. I run my fingers through my bed head hair and gather it so that I can drape it over my shoulder. I lean in for a kiss and God, does he feel so good pressed against my naked body. The kiss makes his morning hardness grow and I moan into his mouth, my body instantly responding to his.

  “Oh, Sofia, I think you started something that you are going to have to
finish.” I begin grinding against his cock as he tickles my back with the tips of his fingers.

  “I think that we have a little time to play, Noah Stine.” I raise my ass up so that I can grab onto his already hard dick and slowly slide it in. The feeling of it sliding in makes my body quiver.

  “Fuck, Noah...that feels so good.” He fills me and our naked bodies become one. He begins moving to my rhythm. The way that I would, had I been straddling my pillow in my bed. Within minutes I am screaming out as my wetness covers us both. Panting and out of breath, I drift back to sleep on top of him, wrapped in his soft embrace.

  AFTER WAKING UP, NOAH and I take a shower together. The shower is something out of a magazine, all glass and literally the size of my bedroom. Tiny black and white hexagon tiles cover the floors and walls. Water rains down over our bodies, from a ginormous shower head. I had no idea they even made them this large. He lathers up a fancy sponge and washes me from head to toe. Goosebumps cover my body as he tenderly runs the sponge over my back and down my legs. I return the favor, purposely avoiding her name on his chest.

  Both wrapped up in towels, we brush our teeth and get dressed so I can get back home. I don’t want to leave any of what I have experienced behind. Noah, this hotel, the freeing feeling of having no responsibilities—but I have no choice. Enzo will be home soon, and I have to remember that even if I continue with this—whatever this is that’s happening between Noah and I—Enzo is my number one priority. So, I will do as I always do and set my needs aside to get back to my very fucked up reality.

  BEFORE WE HEAD OUT of Chicago, Noah takes me to the cutest little breakfast diner. It is called Claremont Diner and I feel like I have walked straight into the 50’s. Teal booths line the walls to our right and there is a white marble bar with stools to our left. It smells amazing and the light and airy atmosphere seems to instantly lift my mood. I have Belgium waffles drizzled with pralines, something that I had never heard of before, and fresh squeezed orange juice that is to die for. Noah orders biscuits and gravy and makes adorable groaning sounds that make me giggle as he devours the plate in front of him.

  “Sorry, biscuits and gravy are one of my weaknesses. My mom used to make them for me when I was a kid.” He takes a sip of his coffee and shovels another bite into his mouth.

  “Oh, no worries. I get it. My Nonna used to make the best Sugo, an Italian meat sauce. I haven’t had it since she passed but I can still smell it cooking on our stove. She would cook it for days, filling our trailer with aromas that would make your mouth water. Oh my gosh, I used to crawl up on our counter and dip bread in it when she wasn’t looking and when she would catch me, she’d yell at me that it wasn’t ready yet.” I laugh at the thought of her voice bellowing through our trailer. “That wonderful smell would drift out the kitchen window and our neighbors would come, begging through the screen for jars.” I take my knife and start to cut the other half of my waffle.

  “She sounds like she was a pretty special person. I would have loved to have known her.” I look up at him and smile.

  “Yes. She was. You could say she was the glue that held my family together. Once she died, my mother never was the same.” I take a sip of my orange juice and look away, feeling melancholy all of a sudden. I never like talking about my life before my Nonna passed. It always takes me down the rabbit hole of what ifs. What if she hadn’t died? Would my mother be the person that she is today? It is always just a distraction from the now and it hurts too damn much. So, I do what I do. I avoid so that I can cope with my reality and forge on.

  “Unfortunately, I know all too well how death can change a person. In more ways than one.” He shifts in the booth so that he can pull his wallet out to pay the bill. “So, what happened to your mom, to make her...how she is today?” I grab his empty plate and stack it on top of mine, gathering up napkins and silverware to place in a pile over what is left of my waffles. Cleaning always grounds me when I am uneasy or anxious. “Sofia, you don’t have to do that. They will clean the table when we leave.” He places his hand over mine and I stop, glancing up at his nurturing face.

  “Sorry. Habit I guess.” I drink the rest of my orange juice, set my empty glass down and rest my chin on my hands. “Before Nonna passed, my mother was never the perfect mother that one dreams of, but she was present. She always had a fleeting, restless spirit. She lived to have fun and go out on the weekends, but she always came home and was a part of our lives. I have

  memories of movies and popcorn, the county fair, and even going camping with her friends and their children. But that restless spirit of hers was never calmed for long. Then, when my Nonna died, I think that it was too much for her. Missing Nonna fiercely and finally having to care for me all the time…she began taking my Nonna’s leftover pain meds. She became addicted very quickly and was left but a shell of the mother I once knew. Once I got older, I tried to talk to her about it, but the rage that would build up inside her was nothing I could subdue. I even flushed her pills down the toilet once, wholeheartedly thinking that I was helping her. Well, let’s just say that I never did that again. She became enraged and trashed the entire trailer as she screamed bloody murder, demanding to know where they were. I finally told her what I had done so that she would stop breaking everything we owned, and she slammed me up against the wall, lifting me up off the ground by my neck. Enzo was one at the time and I swore to myself that I would rather watch her kill herself slowly with those little white pills than ever put him in harm's way again. Since then I haven’t said a word. I’ve even had to do runs for her when she couldn't bear to climb out of bed. Anything to keep her happy. Anything to calm her demons.” He stares back at me, his eyes growing sadder with every word that pours out of my mouth. He shakes his head in disgust and I start to feel uneasy. I learned the hard way not to give too much information out, for fear that Lorenzo would be taken away again. I curse myself for saying too much.

  “It’s all right. Like you said, what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. Right? We are lucky to have Mrs. Carlson in our lives. She helps me so much with Enzo and grocery runs. She’s our savior. Then there is my best friend, Ezra, who has been with me through everything. The good and the bad. I really don’t know what I would do without her. She’s leaving for college in the fall. It will be a change for sure, but I really couldn’t be happier for her.” The waitress clears the table and I thank her as I pull my phone out of my purse, welcoming the distraction.

  “I’m so sorry. I am beyond pissed off that you and Enz have to live like this. I don’t even want to take you back there.” He runs his fingers through his hair and sits back in the booth shaking his head.

  “Well, you really don’t have a choice.” I look down at my phone and notice that it’s set to silent. I hadn't turned my ringer on from the night before and the screen is full of missed calls from my mother. “Shit.” I start scrolling through dozens of missed texts.

  “What is it, Sofia?” I tune him out as I begin reading.

  Where are you?

  Hello

  ?????

  What the fuck you don’t answer me

  You better get your ass home

  Mrs Carlson was throwing up some flu thing and I had to leave work to get Enzo I need to get back and you need to get your fucking ass home right now

  Nice I pay for your phone and you can’t fucking answer I am shutting it off if you don’t come home right FUCKING now

  Fuck this bullshit you are done NO PHONE FOR YOU

  BULLSHIT THAT IS WHAT THIS IS MOTHERFUCKING BULLSHIT

  My heart beats faster with every text that I read. I frantically begin typing to let her know that we are on our way.

  “Sofia, you need to tell me right now what the fuck is going on.” His words are but a whisper for only me to hear. His demanding tone makes me glance up as I am hitting send.

  So sorry phone was on silent coming home now

  “We have to leave now.” I grab my purse and slide out of the booth, hightailin
g it for the door. He quickly follows me. As soon as my feet hit the sidewalk, I can feel his firm grip on the back of my arm. He pulls me to an alley next to the diner, swinging me around and pushing me up against the brick wall. It takes me by surprise, and I stare back at him in shock.

  “Listen to me right now. I meant every fucking word that I said at that restaurant last night. I am not going to have you keeping things from me. You are not in this alone anymore. You are going to tell me what the fuck is going on. Your whole demeanor changed when you picked up your phone. Now tell me why.” He grips both of my arms as his blazing eyes burn into mine.

  “My mother had to leave work last night because Mrs. Carlson got the flu. She needed me to come home last night so she could go back to work. My phone was on silent, so I didn’t know she was texting me. We have to leave now, Noah.” He brushes my hair back gently and drops his forehead to mine, letting out a sigh.

  “Let’s get you home, then.” He kisses my forehead and takes my hand in his as we run off to find his truck.

  The ride home feels longer than it was getting there. I watch as the buildings begin to spread farther and farther apart. I busy myself by reading all of the billboards that stand in the empty fields. More and more cornfields appear to the left and right of us as Noah races down I90. I am sad to say goodbye to our time in The Windy City. It isn’t that I don't love the country. It is home to me; it is all that I have ever known. But Noah introduced me to a whole other world that I never even knew existed. It feels good to experience something like that in the movies. Even if it is just for one night.