Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
M y finger hovers over his name in my contacts. I have to do it. I don’t have any other choice.
Behind me, Wesley tugs on my pant leg. I turn toward him, and he’s sprawled out on the bench, using the armrest as a place to rest his head. He can’t be comfortable having his head at such an unnatural angle, but he’s not complaining so I’m going to leave him alone.
“Hey,” he whispers to me, tugging on my pant leg once more. When I lean in, he says, “You’re pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you have a boyfriend? You should totally get yourself one.” He giggles, then rips his glasses off his face and throws them onto the sidewalk.
I pick up his glasses and push Justin’s name on the screen before Wesley gets any bright ideas about removing his clothing. The phone rings twice, and then his voice is on the other line.
“Dahlia? Is that you?” he asks me.
“Yeah, it’s me. I’m sorry for calling you so late, but I’m in trouble and I need your help.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Wesley. He’s drunk, and I’m stuck on Bainbridge Island because I can’t drive his car.”
“Say no more.” He proceeds to ask me where I’m at and if I’m in a safe place. I give him the necessary details and tell him I’m fine. He promises to hurry, but it may take him a bit because of the ferry schedule. There’s some commotion on his end of the line. “I’m getting in my car now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thank you.”
Even if Justin gets on the ferry now, that’s still half an hour to make the crossing, so when you factor in the drive to the ferry and waiting to cross, I have at least an hour before help arrives. It’s not getting any warmer out here, and this was a hell of a time to not bring a coat. I turn around to check on Wesley and he’s sleeping, snoring softly with a few faint giggles mixed in.
There’s another bench next to the one Wesley is occupying, and I sit down on the cold wood, wishing that it was my couch back home. To keep myself warm while I wait, I tuck my legs into my chest, resting my feet on the edge of the bench, trying to make myself as small as possible. My phone is the only entertainment available since I can’t people watch at this time of night. At least I have decent cell service and can watch YouTube videos while I wait.
The minutes crawl by, but soon, a familiar car pulls up to the curb. I get up from my bench and meet Justin at his car.
“Thank you so much for coming. And I’m sorry I dragged you out of your house for this,” I say.
A smile crosses his lips. “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you called.”
He's dressed casually tonight, in a pair of sweatpants and a Kraken sweatshirt. His hair is disheveled, which makes me think that when he said he was getting in his car right now, he meant it. He steps toward me, then remembers his place and stops. The last time we saw each other I told him I’d moved on. It was a lie. I knew it then, and I know it now. Seeing him standing here, knowing that he dropped everything tonight to rescue me, shows me that Justin is the kind of guy I want in my life.
When he came into my workplace, it was his way of telling me that he wants to get back together. And now it’s my turn to show him what I want. I step toward him and wrap my arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. He hesitates for a second before encircling my waist with his arms. I close my eyes, immersing myself in a moment I thought I was never going to get again. I’ve missed his touch, his smell, everything about him.
“My gosh, you’re freezing,” he says, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. “Here, take my sweatshirt.” He strips off his sweatshirt, leaving himself in a long-sleeved shirt.
When I put on his sweatshirt, it’s like wrapping myself in the warmest, most comforting blanket ever. “Thank you. That’s so much better.”
“Now, what should we do about that one?” he says, pointing toward Wesley who’s still passed out.
“Can you drive a stick?”
Justin shakes his head. “Not well. And I don’t even know where he lives.”
“Okay, do you have plans for tomorrow?”
“Not yet,” he says with a grin.
“I had a lot of time to think while I was waiting, and I think we’re going to have to stay the night here. I figure that’s the safest bet, and then we can all go back in the morning. I have Wesley’s credit card,” I say, flashing it around. “I’m sure he won’t mind putting all of us up for the night.”
“All right. Let’s get him to my car.”
We walk over to Wesley and I gently nudge his shoulder in an attempt to get him to wake up. He doesn’t move.
“Wesley, it’s time to go,” I say, pushing on his shoulder a little harder.
One eyelid cracks open, then both once he sees that it’s me who’s waking him. “Oh, hi,” he says to me. “Have you ever seen a pickle tornado? I’d like to see one someday.”
I look at Justin who is doing his best to hold back his laughter. A laugh escapes my lips, and I start laughing even harder once I take in Wesley’s puzzled expression. He sits up, holding his head in his hands.
“Wesley, Justin is here to help you up. Are you able to stand?” I ask.
Wesley nods and says, “Everything is blurry.”
That could be because he’s drunk or because I still have his glasses, but I’m not about to give them to him just to have him rip them off his face again. “We’ll support you the whole way,” I say.
Justin steps forward and helps Wesley to his feet. The two stumble toward Justin’s car with Justin supporting most of Wesley’s weight.
“I’m sorry again for asking you to come out here,” I say.
“Don’t be. This is hilarious and much better than anything I had going on,” he says.
When we reach Justin’s car, I open the backdoor because it seems safer to have Wesley in the back where he can’t push any buttons. It takes a lot of convincing on our part to get him into the backseat because Wesley now thinks that Justin and I are aliens taking him away to harvest his organs.
“Thank God we’re staying on this island tonight. If getting him in the car was this difficult, imagine taking the ferry with him,” I say as I get into the passenger seat.
“He’s so out of it, he might try to jump ship.”
“I’ve got directions taking us to the nearest hotel. I’ll go in and book the room while you keep an eye on him.”
“What if they want to see an ID since you’re using Wesley’s card?” Justin asks. It’s a valid question and one I hadn’t thought of.
“Then I guess you’ll have to come in and pretend to be Wesley. And if it goes any further than that, then we’ll have to drag his drunk ass inside so they can see that we’re not trying to use a stolen credit card.”
“I guess we don’t have any other choice,” Justin says with a shrug.
When we get to the hotel, it ends up being a motel where each room has its own outside entrance. It’s not the type of place I’d normally stay at, but for our needs tonight, it works out better. We can park near our room so Justin and I don’t have to try to maneuver Wesley through a hotel lobby.
Thankfully, the guy in the lobby is young and more concerned with what he’s watching on his phone. He doesn’t even take one look at my credit card. I just tap the card for the room, he hands me a keycard, and I’m on my way.
Our room is nothing special. It’s a ground-floor unit with the usual furnishings: two queen-sized beds, nightstands, a small dining table with a couple of chairs, a TV, and a microwave. I stand in the doorway, holding the door open while Justin helps Wesley out of the car and into the room. Wesley flops down on the bed as soon as he enters and starts wrapping the sheets around his body like a burrito.
“Do you think I should take his shoes off for him?” I ask Justin.
“I think you should move him as little as possible,” he replies.
Justin and I stand there and watch Wesley’s eyelids get heavier and heavier, until finally he’s out. Something tells me that we won’t hear anything out of him until morning.
“Did you get anything to eat?” Justin asks me. “I think I saw a fast-food place across the street. It might still be open.”
My stomach growls at the thought of having a greasy burger and fries. “I’d love some food. Technically I ate, but I don’t know that what I had could be considered food.”
“Do you have any requests or should I surprise you?”
My lips turn up in a smile. “Surprise me.”
While I wait for him to return, I send Fern a text telling her that I’m okay, and that I’ll be home in the morning and will explain everything to her then. I also send my friends a couple of apology texts and vow to make it up to them later.
Justin returns carrying two bags. One bag is obviously our food, but the other one I can’t discern because it’s nothing but a brown paper bag. He sets the bags down on the table and spreads out two identical meals.
“I got us burgers and fries, and then I couldn’t skip dessert, so I got us each an apple pie.”
“This is amazing. Thank you so much,” I say.
“I also thought we could use a few toiletries to get us through the night, so I went to the carryout store next door and picked up toothbrushes and toothpaste.”
The gesture is so sweet, I can’t stop myself from rising to the balls of my feet to give him a kiss on the cheek. His arm wraps around my waist, holding me in place, and his gaze locks onto mine. It’s been so long since the two of us kissed, and if he leans in right now, I’m not going to pull away.
“If you have any feelings for Wesley, I need to know. I don’t want to come between you two,” he says.
“Things with Wesley are done.”
Justin closes the gap between us and brings his mouth to mine. His kiss is soft and tender, but it’s like the contact of our lips opens up something in him, and he kisses me harder, with more intensity. His beard is rough against my face, but I will wear that redness like a badge of honor if it means I get to have him again. I graze my tongue against his bottom lip, and his tongue darts out seeking mine. I latch onto his waist and work my hands up under his shirt, wanting to feel his skin against mine.
“If only we didn’t have company,” I whisper against his lips, my hands still touching the hard planes of his stomach, not wanting to let go.
“I know,” he says, reluctantly pulling away from me. He plants one last small kiss against my lips before righting himself. “We should probably eat anyway. The food is getting cold.”
He pulls my chair out for me, then takes the seat across from me. I unwrap my burger and take a bite. A groan escapes my lips because it’s the best thing I’ve had all night. It tastes so good, I eat half of it before starting in on the fries.
“Do you realize this would be our first date?”
“No, that can’t be,” he says, shaking his head.
“Yeah, it is. We met at that bar, I went back to your place, and not long after, I saw you at the seminar.” I don’t mention what happened at the seminar because I’d like to forget it ever happened. And from the way Justin puts his head down, it seems he’d like to forget it too.
“I can’t let this be our first date. The next time we’re together, I’m taking you on a real date. No fast food, and no cheap motel with a passed-out drunk,” he says.
“Can we just cook together at your house for our next date? I’m kinda done with fancy restaurants for a while.”
He chuckles. “Deal.”
I finish up my burger, then polish off the fries. Justin and I each have dessert, and by the time we finish it’s late. I’m not tired yet, but we’re limited as to what we can do because we can’t make a lot of noise. That rules out turning on the TV, and we can’t leave the room to find something to do because what if Wesley wakes up while we’re gone? Besides, we’re on a tiny island that doesn’t have any nightlife options.
I stand up from my seat, collect our trash and put it in the trash can. “Thanks again for everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t taken my call.”
Justin gets up from his place at the table and stands next to me. “I’m really glad you called. After I went to your workplace and you turned me down, I was worried that I’d never see you again.” He places a finger under my chin and tilts my face up so our eyes meet. “I don’t know if you feel the same, but it feels like we’re getting a second chance here.”
My heart warms hearing his words, and a grin spreads across my face. “I feel the same way.”
Behind us, a loud moan comes from Wesley as he turns himself over in bed, wrapping himself further into his bedsheet burrito. Justin and I turn our heads toward the noise, then break out into a fit of giggles.
“It’s not too late to start recording him,” I suggest. “You might get some pretty useful blackmail material.”
Justin shakes his head. “I wouldn’t feel right. But if he does anything to piss me off later, I can lie and say that I have a video of him.”
“Okay, well I’m at least taking a picture. I want to have something to show my sister tomorrow when she asks me what I did all night.” I get out my phone and snap a picture of Wesley all wrapped up in the sheets.
“Should we get ready for bed? If he’s already making this much noise, it might be a long night,” Justin says.
“I think that’s a good idea. What color toothbrush do you want?” I ask, fanning out the options in front of him.
“You choose first,” he says.
Out of green, blue, and a pastel pink color, I choose the green one. I note Justin’s raised brow at my choice and elaborate. “Green is my favorite color.”
“Any specific shade of green?”
“All the different shades. I love them all. You’ve got the dark, moody forest green, the bright mint green, and even the almost blue, seafoam green. Maybe growing up in this environment has influenced my decision.” Washington isn’t called the Evergreen State for no reason. I’m surrounded by green. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Blue. Just blue,” he says with a laugh. “No specific shade attached.”
“Then I’m glad I left you that color.”
Justin and I take turns brushing our teeth, and then we both stand at the foot of the only unoccupied bed.
“I guess we’re sharing this one.”
“Unless you’d rather sleep with that,” he says, nodding toward Wesley.
“No, I definitely don’t want that.” I’m still wearing Justin’s sweatshirt, but I look down at my dress pants, realizing that they’re not going to be the most comfortable thing to sleep in. “I didn’t exactly bring a change of clothes though.”
“You don’t have to wear clothes,” he says with a wink.
“You’ve already seen everything, but I’m not about to let Wesley see me like that.”
Justin’s eyes narrow and his gaze changes from playful to possessive in an instant. “No, I don’t want him to see you like that either.” He strips off his long-sleeved shirt and tosses it to me. “You can change into that, and that should be enough to cover you.”
“What about you? Aren’t you going to get cold?”
His gaze travels the length of my body. “I’ll have your body up against me which should be enough to keep me warm.”
“Aren’t you sure of yourself,” I say, then head to the bathroom to change. I come out wearing only my underwear and Justin’s shirt which comes to about mid-thigh on me. Wearing his shirt makes me feel sexy, like I’m his. Justin is sitting up in the bed watching me, his eyes never straying from my body. I don’t go over to my side of the bed yet, and instead walk over to where he is and straddle him, placing my hands on either side of his head on the headboard. I’ve got him locked in now, not that I thought he was going anywhere.
Our mouths meet, and he doesn’t bother with little tender kisses this time. He kisses me hard and firmly, like he’s making up for all that time we lost. It sends shockwaves to my core, and my body becomes all tingly with warmth. His hands are everywhere: on my legs, on my backside, and under my shirt. His mouth latches onto my bottom lip and pulls it between his teeth.
“I said the next time we were together I was going to take my time with you,” he whispers to me in between kisses. His voice is rough and gravelly, and I fully expect him to take me here on this bed, audience be damned.
“Yeah? Is that time now?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to risk waking Wesley up. But I need to have you—right now—if you’re okay with it.”
At this point, I’m so turned on that Wesley being in the room doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, it makes it all the more exciting since we’ll have to be quick and quiet so we don’t wake him up. I nod, and Justin grabs a condom from the nightstand drawer.
“Those were just in there the whole time?” I ask. “What kind of motel is this?”
He chuckles. “I bought them from the carryout store and put them in there while you were changing. I was feeling optimistic,” he says with a grin.
Justin slides the condom on and wastes no time entering me. The sex is hard, and fast, and deliciously wonderful. We finish together, the only noise between us being a few soft moans.
Afterwards, we lie down in the bed, Justin’s arm firmly around my waist. It’s almost like he’s afraid that if he lets go, he might lose me again.