29. Storm
I’m wiping a glass, listening to Auden defend me for the second time in a matter of five minutes. She believes in me, sees my ability to grow and become something more than what this town says about me.
Auden walks off, a bothered look spread on her face. I want to go after Auden and kiss her, tell her how much she means to me. But the snake I used to be with knocks on the bartop and glares at me.
“You told her?” Leah snaps. I look up at her but don’t give her more than a glance. “Storm.”
I groan, tilting my head to the side. “I tell my girl everything.”
“Can we talk? In private?”
“I have nothing to say to you.” I pour shots for a couple of the guys, trying to get her to take a hint that I’m not interested in seeing her ugly face.
One of Dee’s friends takes the shot and looks at Auden. “Who’s the hottie?”
“She’s mine,” I tell him.
Matt chuckles. “You can’t claim someone.”
I smirk, eyeing her as she picks up glasses from a table and wrinkles her nose at someone. “I haven’t claimed her yet.”
“Or call dibs,” Dee’s friend adds, winking.
“I haven’t done either. She’s just my girl.” I laugh. “Ask her if you don’t believe me.”
Matt slides the shot glass to me for another. “Out of towner taking you off the market?”
I smile. “Yep.”
Fuck, she’s gorgeous tonight. But my train of thought on how lucky I am gets cut short because Leah grabs my arm and pulls me with her toward the kitchen.
I only agree because I haven’t had a smoke in three hours and if she wants to talk, she has the length of my cigarette to do so. I don’t know what she wants to talk about, I have nothing to say to her. She’s not Auden. No one can ever be Auden.
We’re outside and it’s disturbing being in her presence again. It doesn’t feel like it used to. Seeing her face after all these years proves that there’s nothing left between us. No love. No remorse. Just hatred and spite.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Leah barks, stomping her foot and clenching her fists at her aides. “How could you tell her? You don’t even know her.”
I light my cigarette blowing the smoke upwards. “We were together for four years, and after what you did, I feel like I don’t even know you.”
“Ugh, can you not do that now?!” Leah bleats.
I cackle and lean on the side of my Jeep, crossing one foot over the other at the ankles. Her blonde hair is longer than it used to be. Stick straight compared to her short, wavy bob. She looks older, weathered, and all that makeup caked to her face isn’t doing anything for her. She’s curvier, which is a plus. I always found her too thin. As much as I used to find her attractive, looking at her now scouring at me—she hasn’t repulsed me more.
I take another drag. “You have until the end of this to talk to me.”
She growls, letting out a little scream and stomping her feet like a child again. What the fuck did I ever see in her?
She scoffs. “I’m getting married and you aren’t bothered by it at all?”
“You seriously thought I’d be bothered? Is that why you threw the party here? To rub it in my face?” I let out an exasperated chuckle. “Fucking childish, even for you, Leah.”
She shakes her head and looks off at a couple of her friends who are also outside sharing a smoke. “Everyone says you’re the town’s player; chicks go to you when they need a release. Is that what she is? Another release?”
Fucking cunt.Man, I hate this woman.
She glances at her friends again after one of them calls out to her. I take this as an opportunity to text Auden to come outside.
ME: Get your sexy ass outside now! It’s a matter of life or death.
That’s when I see it; a new email from the bar in New York. I didn’t get the job, I just know it. Quickly, I open the email and it says nothing more than, Congrats, Storm. Give me a call when you get a chance. We need you to start ASAP. Look forward to hearing from you.
I got the job? I GOT THE FUCKING JOB! Oh, Auden is going to be so happy. I’m showing her our future. The start of it at least, because sooner or later, I’ll own my own bar and she’ll be so damn proud of me, it’ll bring tears to those pretty blue eyes that are all mine.
Leah turns back to me, clenching her jaw when she sees I’m on my phone. “I’m not a player.” I slide my phone into my pocket. “Have I had a couple of one-night stands? Yes. Have a dated a girl or two at the same time? Yes. But I’m not some guy whose dick is in everything that moves. My dick belongs to one girl from now on. Just like your damaged pussy belongs to—what’s his name? Brad? Fucking Brad who’s been flirting with your friends all damn night.”
“He has not!” Leah barks, right as Auden steps outside.
She sees Leah’s red face, then looks at me. I let out an annoyed breath and flick my cigarette. Auden definitely knows how to read a room. She winks at Leah and steps closer to me, taking a fist of my shirt and pulling me in for a kiss.
“Ross gave me a break,” Auden says. “Take me upstairs.”
“Mm,” I hum against her lips. “Babe, this is my ex, Leah, the one who killed my babies.”
“We’ve met.” Auden slides her hands around my neck and glances at Leah. “Briefly.”
I don’t hide it; I grab that sexy ass and squeeze. She’s wearing a thong, the tease.
Leah stomps her foot again. “We weren’t done talking!”
“Don’t let me interrupt your conversation,” Auden says, smirking. “But Storm has a life-or-death situation that I need to take care of.” She returns her attention to me. “I think I’m the only one who knows how to handle it.” She bites her lips and looks back at Leah. “You’re more than welcome to watch, though.”
I laugh, burying my face in her hair, she smells like a rose garden with a hint of honey.
My angel.
“Are you serious, Storm?” Leah squeals.
I groan, looking up at the sky with my girl still in my arms. “I don’t know what you expected to happen tonight, Leah. But I’ve moved on. You should, too, instead of trying to put me down and hurt me even more than you’ve already done.”
“We were twenty-two!” she yells.
“They were innocent babies!” I yell back.
“I didn’t want them,” she says, sternly.
I flare my nostrils and grit my teeth. “You should’ve told me before we saw them or heard their heartbeat.”
Auden touches my face, then my puffed-out chest, relaxing my tense body. She relaxes me with nothing more than a touch. No woman has ever relaxed me before.
Leah lets out an aggravated scream. “You will amount to nothing, just like before. This is the life you chose for yourself. Waking up at noon, hammered half the time, and working all night while flirting with girls for bigger tips. I got rid of those babies because I didn’t want this life. I wanted out of this fucking town and away from someone who has no future. And that’s exactly what you are, Storm, a worthless, childless man with no fucking future.”
Auden growls and steps forward, fist raised at her side but I pull her back, holding onto my girl as she readies herself to defend me again from the monster I once thought I loved. “You’re a fucking cunt who doesn’t see the potential this man has. You ruined him. He could have been perfect if it wasn’t for you. And you know what, he will be a beautiful man with an amazing future, no thanks to you. Storm is going places, just sit on your fucking ass and wait.”
I blink back the tears from the piercing words still circling my mind. Leah always knew how to drive a knife into my heart, and now is no different. But I have Auden at my side now, a brighter future than I’ve ever seen it. “I am going places, Leah. Big places. You see, my girl here is a Princeton graduate, we have a place in Central Park we’re moving into next week, and I got a job in New York City. I’m running a bar.” I smile, looking at Auden as her shoulders relax. “I’m going places, baby, all because of you.”
Auden smiles, placing her hands on my chest. “You got the job?”
I nod, chuckling slightly. “I did.”
She wraps her arms around my neck; the only person able to make me feel better is the flaming redhead kissing my neck and laughing excitedly in my arms. I give Leah the finger and she shrieks, charging at her friends, spitting stupidity about me under her breath. I never thought seeing her again after all these years would cause us to pick up where we left off. But it does. I don’t need her in my life. She’s nothing but a curse. A demonic possession that needs to be exorcised.
Auden’s thumb brushes my cheek. My angel, calming me down.
“You okay?” she asks me.
I inhale a rush of air, staring deeply into those blue eyes. “With you, everything’s okay.”
She smirks, tapping my chest. “I hope you know everything she said is a load of horse crap. You are worth a damn, Storm.”
I kiss her lightly, resting my forehead on hers. “Thank you.”
She giggles, nibbling her bottom lip. “Nuh-uh, don’t thank me. Thank the audience we have.” She winks. “Get in the Jeep, now.”
What is she doing? Auden isn’t a risky person like this. She’s more of a behind-the-doors type of girl. She’s stepping out of her comfort zone for me, I know it.
I whip open the front door and push her inside, getting in as well. She doesn’t hesitate, her thong is already at her knees by the time I’m seated in the front seat. God, she’s perfect. She helps me release. Knowing I don’t want to talk about this now. Knowing I just need to take her as roughly as she’ll let me so I can relieve some of this annoyance.
My angel.
No words are exchanged, I like it better this way. I don’t need to relive that painful encounter with the witch I used to call my girlfriend. The witch who was almost the mother of my kids. I have nothing left to give her. Nothing left over to say that I miss her. Everything I have belongs to Auden. All my love, all my wants, and desires. Everything. She has no idea what she does to me. My savior.
Auden straddles me and I know damn well that Leah and her friends can see us, which I fucking love. Just having someone watch us has gotten me hard faster than staring at Auden get out of those panties.
Auden’s lips press on mine and as if she couldn’t get any sexier, she takes my dick and helps it inside her. I let out a moan instantly, and grab her hips, letting her movement take over. She definitely knows what she’s doing, and man, she’s good at it. Our moans start to seep out of the Jeep and I hear the slam of the backdoor; Ross is standing there with his hands on his hips as Leah’s arms are folded behind him. Fucking bitch is telling on us. I smirk at Ross and let my seat fall back so Auden and I are hidden.
We’re quick. The audience is helping with that. I roll my head back, grunting and filling her with everything that belongs to her. She giggles, looking down at me with those succulent lips. I can’t believe she’s mine. She’s not leaving me come Friday. We will find a way to make this work.
Ross knocks on the window and rolls his eyes when he sees what Auden and I are doing, but that doesn’t stop him from knocking on the window harder so we stop what we’re doing. But it’s too late, I’m already done.
“I’ve never gotten caught before,” Auden admits, innocently, and rolls down my window.
“You’re on a break, Auden.” Ross shifts his gaze at me. “You are not.”
I chuckle and thrust upward before she taps my stomach. “I was having a smoke and then she fell.”
“Back inside,” he orders, then starts laughing.
“That’s it? They were fornicating out in the open,” Leah whines.
“He lives here, he can do what he wants in his parking spot.” Ross retreats through the back door, leaving Leah to stare at us.
Auden’s still sitting on me and I’m still inside her when she says this to Leah. “You should go back inside. It is your party after all. So smile.”
Leah rolls her eyes and scoffs, going inside reluctantly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Leah as mad as I’ve seen her then. All thanks to this beauty that’s smiling down at me. I move Auden’s hair over her shoulder and cup the side of her gorgeous face. Every curve is so thought out, every muscle is beautifully crafted, those tits are perky, and her pussy has just the right amount of hair that’s coiffed so nicely. It’s exquisite.
The words form on my tongue. I want to stop them, to hold them back because of our agreement. But I can’t. She’s perfection. We’re perfect. She’s given me a reason again. She’s made me want out of this town. A need for a better life. A wanted life. A life with her by my side.
“I like you, Auden. More than I care to admit.”
“You shouldn’t,” she whispers.
“Give me one reason and I’ll stop.”
I can’t stop; my feelings started the night I saw her soaked body move through the bar.
“We live two different lives in two different states—”
“I got a job, remember? We’ll be one life in one state.” My thumbs massage her hips. “I have nothing tying me here aside from Heath.” The way she’s looking at me, she can’t think of a reason as to why we can’t work anymore. I slowly lift a shoulder, letting the words flow from my mouth as I study her gaze. “I’m fine with moving. I’ve never seen the Big Apple before.”
“What if we don’t work out?” she whispers.
“We will. I’ll make sure we will.”
She bites her cheek. “I don’t want kids.”
“It’s okay…but as soon as you’re settled into your job and we start our life, we’ll have the kids talk again. I’m willing to wait for you.” I pinch her chin, bringing her closer to me. “We can do this, babe. I know we can.”
“I’m scared,” she whispers, furrowing her brows. She’s not one to be spontaneous at making a decision as big as moving to a new city with a guy she barely knows. It’s a lot to take in and consider. “Do I have to decide now?”
“Nope.” I kiss her and lift her off me. “I will expect an answer by the time I’m inside you again.” I chuckle, fixing myself in my pants, and kiss her quickly.
She laughs nervously. “No pressure.”
I arch a brow, watching the thinking process in the works as she nibbles her bottom lip and stares at the door handle. “You told me you liked me, too, didn’t you?” She nods, returning her attention to me, and I smile, getting out of the Jeep and blowing her a kiss. “I’ll see you soon, baby. Don’t take too long of a break, I like watching you work the room,” I add and wink.
She giggles as she puts her underwear on, but those giggles get drowned out as soon as I open the backdoor. She smiles at me and that smile stays in my head especially when I close my eyes.
For the first time in years, I feel complete.