Safe (25 page)

Me: We’re just friends.

Macy: Yeah right … whatever. What does he do for a living?

Me: Works.

Macy: Ha Ha …

Me: Look I’ve gotta go. I’m really tired and need some sleep, okay?

Macy: I miss you.

Me: I miss you too. We’ll talk soon.

Macy: Later.

Me: Later.

Closing up the laptop, I threw my pajamas on and climbed into bed. I really missed Macy. She had been there for me through everything—college, boyfriends, my dad, everything. Even though she didn’t know the ‘real’ Rob, she knew as much as much as most people.

Macy had a hard life growing up. She lived with her grandma. Both her parents were killed in a car crash when she was five. She didn’t remember them at all. At least I had lots of memories of my dad. I couldn’t imagine not remembering anything.

We were in Kindergarten when it happened, and I really didn’t understand what was going on. My mom told me about those days. She said the main thing that I didn’t understand was why Macy wasn’t at school.

Which, for a five year old, would be the most important thing.

I do remember Macy crying a lot. Like all the time. Looking back, I got it. But at the time, I didn’t understand.

Macy went all through grade school with a good attitude, even though I knew it killed her to not have her mom and dad. She always had a smile on her face and would cheer me up when I needed it.

I admired how strong she was to get through all of that. I was honored to call her my best friend.

I really hoped this whole mess with Rob ended soon so I could be with Macy again. At least let her know where I was. I didn’t want her to think I was ever ditching her.

I wished I could have talked to her about Rob. I wished I could have talked to anyone about Rob, but it just wasn’t possible.

Trying to get out of my head, I grabbed my iPod and plugged it in my ears, hoping the music would pull me out of these thoughts.

After a while, I must have drifted off to sleep.

When Landon snuck into bed, I curled up next to him and fell back asleep.

The next few weeks flew, and I really was starting to settle into life in Georgia. The conversations with Mom were very much focused on me. She would tell me how she was doing, but never once mentioned Rob, even when I asked about him.

Landon and I continued spending every moment we could together.

I began working at Aunt Maggie’s shop in downtown Williamsfield. The small boutique sold hair bows for children and some fun hair accessories for us older women. I really enjoyed the job. I loved seeing all the little kids come in and playing around with them.

I also liked meeting the people in town. Well, most of them. Word was spreading through the town that Landon and I were exclusively seeing each other, and I had a short visit from that bitch, Meg.

Needless to say, she was none too happy about this new turn of events and let me know it.

Meg didn’t threaten me in the least just wanted to drive home the point that Landon would always run back to her. I had enough on my plate that I didn’t need to deal with her, so I never even told Landon about it. I just let it ride.

Landon was absolutely wonderful. I not only learned something new about him every day, but I found myself opening up to him more and more. Don’t get me wrong, there was no way in hell I wanted to talk about Rob, but I did tell him about what I called ‘previous relationships.’

In these chats, I talked about Rob, even though I didn’t use his name. I only talked vaguely, though, and never about anything physical.

I found that talking to Landon about me came easily. I enjoyed it.

Landon had taken me back to ‘our spot,’ which is the beautiful tree by his lake, several times. I thought it was my most favorite spot on this Earth. Nothing touched me there.

Well, nothing but Landon, but he’d never gone any further than kissing and touching.

There had been several times where I would try to touch him, but he just kept kissing me.

At first, I thought he was repulsed by me. I knew it stupid thinking, but Rob seemed to feel that way a lot.

But then Landon explained it to me.

“Sadie, I want to be with you more than you could possibly know. But before I do, I want you to know and be confident that you’re not a just anyone. I want you to know how I feel about you. I want you to feel me.”

I was in heaven. It was my fear that Landon would get what he wanted from me and then take off. I couldn’t cope with that. My feelings for him were growing way too strong, and I knew I couldn’t deal.

When he laid it all out for me, I melted. He wiped any fears from me and entered my heart in a much deeper way.

I, of course, didn’t tell him this because I couldn’t give him that power. Hell no! But it was there.

After this time with him, I no longer felt as if I would be a notch for him. I knew he honestly cared about me. This really just took me opening my eyes and stop from being so damn stubbornly stupid.

It was all there, right in front of my face; I was just pushing it away.

I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be connected to him. I wanted it more than anything.

Every night, Landon held me while I slept, and every morning, he kissed me when I woke. His kisses were even more powerful now that my feelings for him had grown.

Every time it was like an electrical current running through my body, and I craved the shock. I craved him.

Rob was never far from my mind, but I pushed it down deep. I’d been super careful to not leave any traces of me anywhere. No credit cards, no phone with my name on it, and Aunt Maggie paid me cash, so no paper trail. I was being as careful as I possibly could and starting to relax into this new life.

I missed my mom, but talking to her regularly helped. I also missed Macy, but I had been briefly talking to her on IM, which helped ease the guilt and missing her. I still hadn’t heard a word from Seth. I just kept praying he was okay.

This brought us to today. Landon went home to grab a few things and asked me to get ready. He said he wanted to take me out. I loved when he took me places.

“Sadie.” I jumped and then smiled at Landon’s voice.

“Yeah, in the bathroom, almost done. Where are we going today?”

“It’s a surprise. Come here.” His outstretched arms welcomed me.

I fell right into his warmth, slipping my arms around this waist. Breathing in deep, his smell of outdoors and sexy man nearly brought me to my knees.

I looked up at him and smiled, watching the spark flare in his eyes. Landon bent down to my lips, barely brushing against them. I wanted more. Instantly, my hand entwined in his hair, pulling him closer to me. Chest to chest, I deepened the kiss. It didn’t take him long to fully reciprocate, his mouth opening while sliding his tongue inside.

I couldn’t help the small moan that escaped my throat. My entire body was on fire from head to toe, as he was sucking the air right out of me. I could feel him everywhere. I wanted to feel him everywhere.

Landon had always been so careful not to touch me, as if he knew it would bother me. He had touched my face, neck, and hugged me before, but this was different. His hands were on my stomach, and they were inching their way higher to my breast.

When his finger brushed the underside of it, I gasped and continued to devour his mouth. That must have been enough of an invitation for him as he then began to lightly brush against my nipple.

Electricity shot through my body. I had never in my life felt this. I almost thought I was burning, but I wouldn’t change a second of it.

“Don’t mind me.” Lauryn’s words made me instantly pull away from Landon. Taking my thumb and rubbing it over my bottom lip, I could feel the tingle he left behind.

“Hey, Lauryn,” Landon said with a sheepish smile on his face.

“Hey ... don’t let me stop ya. That looked pretty hot,” Lauryn said, smiling.

I felt my entire face blush—why I didn’t know. I was a grown ass woman; so what if I was kissing a guy.

Landon grabbed my hand, entwined our fingers, and pulled me into him, wrapping his other arm around me. “This is far from over,” he whispered in my ear.

“You think so?” I said, smiling, looking up at him.

He returned the smile. “We’re gonna get out of here. I’ve got a busy day planned.”

“Have fun!” The look on Lauryn’s face was one of ‘we are so gonna talk when you get back.’

I just smiled and followed Landon to the truck.

Holy shit! There was no fucking way I was gonna be able to keep my hands off her today. Did she even realize what the hell she was doing to me right now? She was beautiful—absolutely breathtaking. Those long legs in those shorts … damn, I loved those shorts.

Fuck! How in the hell was I supposed to show her that I wanted to be with her and only her when all I wanted to do is devour her? Last night, I kept thinking about what
more
was. I told her that was what I wanted, so I had to figure out what the hell that meant. I already knew I wanted to have sex with her ... I mean, who the hell wouldn’t? She’s fucking hot. A man would have to be a total fucking moron to not want that.

But that wasn’t all I wanted. I wanted to be with her, to hold her, maybe even love her. I was already in deep, like just being around her sealed that. I wasn’t saying I wanted to marry her today and whisk her away … well, I would like to whisk her away, maybe to a private island in a bikini.

“Where are we going?” Sadie’s beautiful voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“It’s a surprise.” I turned and smiled at her.

“A surprise, huh? Can I have a hint?”

A hint. What could I tell her that she wouldn’t really know, considering we’d been here many times. “It’ll be hot.”

“Hot! It’s Georgia; of course it’s hot,” she said, smiling.

I had my mom and Lainey help with today. Since it was such short notice, I needed help putting it all together. When I told them of my plan, they were all in.