Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Abyss
I was walking by the laundromat on my way to the diner when I saw Shelly inside.
Even though the tattoo shop is closed today, I came in to catch up with all the paperwork so I could give Nerd the spreadsheets he needs for quarterly tax reporting.
When I saw Marge hug her, I couldn’t wait outside any longer and had to be there for her.
“It’s okay, sunshine, get it out,” I whisper as she sobs in my arms. “I’ve got you.”
“Did she fall?” Buddy asks worriedly, walking up to us with a bag from the diner. “I told her the floor was wet.”
She pulls back slightly, wiping at the tears that are freely falling and says, “No, Buddy, I’m just sad.”
“I can tell you a joke if that would help,” Buddy offers.
“Buddy, she was telling me about her little girl,” Marge says, her voice soft.
Since she comes across as brash and slightly abrasive, in both her manner and tone of voice, this surprises me quite a bit. Still, I noticed how she treated him, almost like a mother would, and I realize there are a lot of facets to her personality.
“What’s her name?” Buddy asks.
“Her name was Amberlea,” Shelly whispers. “She was born sleeping, Buddy.”
I don’t know if he understands what that means, but Marge fills in the blanks and suddenly, Buddy wraps his arms around Shelly’s back and says, “I’m sorry, Shelly. I bet she was beautiful.”
“She was the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen,” Shelly says, her voice sounding stronger.
I swipe my finger across her tattoo and ask, “Is that why you have this?”
“Yeah, she is my reason why I chose not to join her and her daddy,” Shelly replies.
“I could’ve, it would have been so easy, but I wasn’t willing to do that to Uncle Mack and Marcella.
I couldn’t put them through that, not after they had to see me in a medically induced coma for a few days, with them not knowing if I’d even survive.
It would’ve broken the strongest man I’ve ever known, Abyss.
The semi-colon is to remind me that life can change on a dime and at every turn, we have a choice.
To give up or keep going. I choose to keep going, even though it’s the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. ”
Understanding rolls through me. That’s why she’s said no every time I’ve asked her out.
She’s afraid to reach for the proverbial brass ring because she already had a hold on it and it was ripped from her grasp, causing a loss of my own to resurface that my brain has a hard time contemplating.
I shut those memories down because right now, it’s about her, not me and my fucked-up past.
“Let’s eat before it gets cold,” Marge suggests, thankfully changing the subject. “Looks like Buddy grabbed an extra so let’s grab a few chairs and see what today’s special is.”
“Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, green beans, and apple cobbler,” Buddy states.
“Good to know,” Marge replies.
It may not have been a date in the typical sense but eating lunch with Shelly while her stuff dried wasn’t too bad, all things considered. I helped her get it out to her car and took a chance once again.
“Shelly, would you like to go for a ride with me?” I ask.
Wind therapy may not cure everything, but for me, it settles my mind even if it’s temporary, and I’m hoping it can do the same for her. Since I’ve got a mountain to climb, it’s better to take it one step at a time, so that’s what I’m gonna do.
“I can’t today,” she replies. “But I think I’d like to do that sometime soon. Do I need to get a helmet?”
“I’ll grab you a helmet, you just worry about dressing to protect your skin. What about tomorrow? We can grab something to eat afterward.”
I watch her look down and take a deep breath before she looks at me and states, “I’m a hot mess, Abyss, but I’d like to go. Just… can you be patient with me? Because I’m kind of scared right now.”
“Don’t need to be afraid of me, Shelly. We’ll take things nice and slow, okay? I know you haven’t told me everything, and that’s okay, whenever you’re ready. Just know that from the moment I met you, I was captivated, and that has only grown stronger.”
Wide eyes stare up at me as she whispers, “Really?”
“Really. Now, I’m sure you’ve got other things to do today since you’ve got a ball buster for a boss, so I’ll let you get on with it. Be careful driving and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Before I can think about it further, I lean in and kiss her forehead before I walk away.
Tonight’s gonna be a beer night, I can already tell. I don’t look back, but I imagine if I did, I’d see the shock on her face at my words and actions.
“You seem to be in a pretty good mood tonight,” BamBam says as he approaches the table I’m sitting at, a beer in front of me.
“Life’s looking up,” I admit. “Shop’s busy as hell, our other businesses are helping keep the coffers full, and outside the shit that Doc’s looking into so we can see what’s going on, all is well.”
“She finally said yes, didn’t she?” BamBam asks.
“Yeah, taking her for a ride tomorrow after work then getting some dinner. It’s gonna be a long road, brother, based on what little she’s shared so far, but I’m in it to win it,” I reply.
I don’t share about the news articles I found.
Truly, I feel kind of bad that I checked into her because it’s her story to tell, not mine to ferret out.
I also need to be mindful that her loss may have happened several years ago, but she’s had to live with that painful reminder every single day.
Still, despite that, she didn’t shy away from coming to the family barbecue where a ton of kids were running around.
“That’s good, brother. Livy really likes her, says they’ve got a lot in common,” BamBam says.
“I think she needs a few good friends and Livy’s one of the best women I know,” I tell him.
“Yeah, she is,” BamBam replies, grinning at me. “Don’t forget, we’ve got church on Friday.”
“Good, maybe we’ll hear more about the situation that Doc mentioned.” Thank fuck it’s not tomorrow since I’ve got a date with Shelly.
“Wanna play some cards?” BamBam asks, looking around to see who else can join us.
“Sure, why not?”
I grin as I reach my room, three hundred dollars in my pocket thanks to my brothers’ inattention. Gotta admit, I might not take advantage of the club girls, but when they got up on the little stage we have and started dancing on the pole, the only one besides me who didn’t pay attention was BamBam.
He’s got filet mignon waiting for him at home, and I’ve got one in my sights, so ground chuck is no longer on the menu.
Stripping down, I head in for a quick shower so I can rub one out to thoughts of the woman who I’m going to make mine. Once I’m done and have cleaned myself up, I hit the bed and as sleep claims me, I fall asleep with the beautiful green eyes of my woman on my mind.