25. Storm
When we head to my apartment, I immediately call Ross, having a smoke at the back of the bar as I do. Not only am I bummed that I won’t have my weekly pizza night with Heath, but Ross won’t give me the night off, either. There’s an engagement party and the soon-to-be bride and groom are only in for the week so I gotta work. I knew about tonight, too. I just forgot because I wasn’t supposed to be here for it. And I hate that I’m here for it.
I haven’t told Auden yet; I’m not sure how she’s going to take it. I promised her I’d take the rest of the week off to spend time with her. I push off my Jeep and flick my cigarette, dreading going up to my apartment and disappointing her. I’m disappointed enough that I don’t have Heath tonight.
I close the back door behind me and climb the stairs to my apartment, hearing her laughter from my bedroom. I make my way to my room, eyeing a picture on the wall of Rick, Denny, and me as kids. I haven’t told her about his release yet. I haven’t really told her about him in general. But there’s a first for everything. And she will be the first woman I’d go to the ends of the Earth for. Keeping her safe is my number one priority.
She’s sitting cross-legged on my bed, laughing at someone on her phone. I think it’s Sean, the guy she’s always texting, but it’s a girl’s voice who chimes on the other end. I smile when I fall onto the bed, my anger and frustration should be melting away.
It doesn’t. The thought of Denny coming home has been eating away at me. I don’t want Auden to see it. I want to keep her happy. She’s breathtaking when she laughs. I can’t tell her now. No, I’ll wait until we’re lying in bed, naked and breathless to open my wounds to her.
“I miss you, woman,” her friend screams on the other end. “I can’t believe you’re not with me a week before my freaking wedding. Like you’re my maid of honor!”
Auden laughs, looking over at me and wrinkling her nose. “I’m sorry.”
“She’ll be home soon,” a male’s voice chimes in.
Nope, I was wrong. That’s probably Sean. Jealousy sickens me, but I can’t help it. Someone as gorgeous as my angel can be with anyone she wants. Yet she keeps coming back to me.
“Who’re you looking at?” the girl asks.
The guy snorts. “It’s him, isn’t it?”
Auden blushes, turning the screen on me. “This is Storm.”
“Hi, Storm,” her friend yells, jet-black hair tied in a knot on her head. “I’m Millie.”
The blonde guy salutes me. “Hey, man. Heard a lot about you.”
I smirk, looking at the screen. “Hey.”
“Well, goddamn. Fucking step up from Evan, eh?” Millie says, sticking her tongue between her teeth. “No offense, Sean.”
Sean rolls his eyes, leaning his head on his hand. “None taken.”
Millie tilts her head from side to side. “So…you coming to my wedding, too, Storm? Rehearsal is Friday, and wedding on Saturday.”
I smile, looking up at Auden, then back at the screen. “I wasn’t invited.”
“Well, Storm, I invite your sexy ass to my wedding as Charlotte’s date,” Millie says.
“Hey, I thought I was Char’s date,” Sean says, sucking his teeth with a laugh.
They don’t call her Auden; how come?
“Stop.” Auden rolls her eyes. “I’m sure he’s busy.”
Millie chuckles. “He’s not busy anymore because he’ll be at my wedding.”
Auden tilts her head to the side. “I’m hanging up now.”
“When’re you going to be home?” Millie asks.
Auden shrugs. “If I leave early enough Friday morning, I’ll be home by rehearsals.”
Friday? Shit. I only have two more days with her. How? No! No, no, no, no, no. It can’t be done already. No, it won’t be done already. I’ll get the call that I got the job. God will be on my side for this. I know He will.
Millie pouts. “Gah, I miss you so much. I need you home. I had to go shopping with Sean for a suit, you know how annoying he is when he shops? I didn’t.” She groans, then looks over at someone who walks into the room. “I’ll see you on Friday, then?”
Sean sucks his teeth again. “You can fuck right off. I picked a sexy suit for the guys.” He smirks, nibbling his lower lip. “You should see mine, Char. It’s like my prom suit. I look quite dapper.”
“Can’t wait to see it.” Auden looks down at me and smiles. “See you Friday.”
“Love you!” Millie’s shrill voice gets an octave louder, then hangs up.
Sean sputters his lips. “She is driving me insane, just so you know. I am not a good stand-in best friend for her.”
“I’ll be home soon,” Auden says again as if rubbing in my face that she’s leaving, then blows me a kiss.
“All right, all right. I can take a hint. I’ll call you tomorrow, kid. Have a good night, and nice to meet you, Storm.” Sean salutes the screen again and I do the same back at him, leaning my head on Auden’s arm. “Love you.”
She sticks her tongue out. “Love you, but not by choice.”
He laughs before she hangs up the phone and places it in front of her, tonguing her cheek when she returns her attention to me. “Sorry about that. That’s Sean and Millie. They’re my ride or dies.” She scrunches her nose, lifting a shoulder. “Um, you don’t have to come to the wedding.”
“What if I wanna come to the wedding?” I ask, kissing her knee. “I’m perfect arm candy.”
I get on my knees in front of her and grab her legs, pulling her down. Her laughter moves through my bedroom and it’s like music to my ears. I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve never brought a random woman to bed. Auden isn’t the type of girl you screw against a wall—even though we have—she’s the type of girl who deserves a bed.
She’s the type of girl you buy flowers for. Spoil, cherish. Love.
I feel so many things for this woman I’m overwhelmed with emotions I don’t know how to tell her I can’t leave her Friday. There’s no way I’ll ever let her go. I’ll get the job. I will make her fucking happy.
“What if I don’t want you to come to the wedding?” she says, teasingly biting her lip.
I pull her thong off and undo my pants. “Tell me how badly you don’t want me to come.”
She gasps as I enter her. “I don’t want you there.” I could’ve used a condom, I am in my apartment after all, but she deserves to feel all of me. I don’t care about the risks because she’s it for me. She’s my ending and my beginning. My middle, my everything.
We’re two broken people who have found each other in a time of need.
I grunt, pushing deeper within her. “What if I wanna be there?”
She screams, rolling her head back. “No!” There’s a little scar under her chin I never noticed before. So many mysteries I’ll soon be able to learn and discover.
I growl, holding her hips as I thrust into her on my knees. “I’m coming.”
“Don’t!”
“Yes!”
“No!”
I moan loudly, finishing much sooner than expected. “Fuck!”
She giggles. “Mm.” It bothers me how much I like her giggle because it means I’m falling for her. Is it okay that I fall for her so soon? I’ve never fallen this quickly before. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about anyone. What is she doing to me?
I don’t want to lie about my life. I want Auden to know me as well as she knows herself. And I think she already does because she’s studying me like she knows something is wrong. And there is. My brother is eating away at me. My night with my nephew is bothering me. The job that’s lingering might not be mine. I am spent.
“What’s that look on your face?” she asks out of breath.
I clear my throat, shaking my head. “Uh, I can’t get off work tonight,” I say, breathlessly. “We’re hosting an engagement party.”
She smiles, propping herself up on her elbows. “We’ll go on our first date tomorrow, then.” I’m still inside her, I love being inside her. “I don’t mind being of service tonight.”
I move in, then out of that tight pussy, and pull out, cleaning myself on a dirty t-shirt. “You don’t have to do that.”
She sits up and holds her knees. “It’s no problem.”
I smile, she always makes me smile. She’s making me feel things I’ve never felt before, and I just met her. I’m going fucking crazy; I have to be. “You’re something else,” I beam.
“I try,” she says, getting off my bed and taking her thong with her to the bathroom.
I can’t hold this in. It’ll ruin the next day and a half left with her.
This trip will not be our ending.
“Wait.” I sit back on my heels and sputter. “Um…I should tell you something.” Her face reddens, leaning on the doorframe, and gulps slowly. “Denny’s, uh, he’s being released from prison soon. And…I—fuck.” I wipe a hand down my face.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she says, nibbling her lower lip nervously. But what her face says is please trust me enough to tell me.
“I want to. I wanna tell you everything there is to know about me.” I clear my throat, wishing she would come closer to me. “Rick and I have an older brother, Denny, he’s, uh, he’s in prison and it’s my fault.”
She frowns. “How is it your fault?”
“I was seventeen, drinking like an idiot with Dee and Matt. I think it was the first time I got drunk. I thought it was a good idea to drive home. It wasn’t. But we did it anyway. Denny caught us when we got home and whooped my ass. Given that he’s ten years older than me, I pressed charges because he broke my nose, bruised the fuck outta my face, and fractured my wrist. Cops arrested him for the abuse of a minor. He would’ve been out a while ago, but he beat up a guard and then mouthed off to the warden. It’s been eight years…all because I’m a petty asshole.” I scoff, running my fingers through my hair.
“That’s crazy, Storm,” she says quietly.
I shrug. “I hate myself so much for it.”
“We all do stupid things when we’re young, but this isn’t your fault. There are other ways of getting your word across than violence.” She comes back to the bed, getting on her knees in front of me. “You were an idiot to drink and drive, and instead of beating you senseless, he should’ve just tossed you in your room and woke you up very early by banging a pot next to your hungover face.”
“That woulda been hell.” I laugh, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. “But I woke up fucked up regardless.”
She cups my face and kisses my lips so delicately that I feel her smile under her touch. “Thank you for telling me.”
“I want you to know everything about me.”
I’m happy I told her, but there’s this lingering fright that changes her demeanor. I scared her, I know it. But I’m scared myself because I have no idea what Denny will do to me once he gets out.
“He’ll be released when you’re in New York,” I say, then take my phone from my jeans. “And if all goes well, then I should be there with you. Everything will be fine, I promise.” I cup her face and smile, showing her the emails I sent out to jobs in the city. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“Did any of them call?”
I nod, locking my phone. “I had an interview during breakfast, but Heath interrupted me so…I don’t know. It’ll be fine. I’ll get a job easily, I swear it.”
She presses her lips on mine, then kisses the tip of my nose and wraps her arms around my neck. “I want you safe, Storm. That matters most to me, I hope you know that.”
How on earth did I get so fucking lucky?
I nod, kissing her lips delicately, and know that my biggest secret of all about the night we first met has to come out, too. If not, then my reason for being alive is meaningless.