Different Roads (15 page)

            I
grabbed my jacket, "I'm ready when you are," I told him, pressing my
mouth into a thin smile that didn't meet my eyes.

            His
jaw clenched and he nodded toward the door, "Let's go then." He
glanced briefly at Shelley who was at the table doing her nails. I knew he
wouldn't snap at me in front of her. He'd wait until we got outside.

            The
second I closed the pickup door he glared at me through hateful eyes,
"What the fuck are you wearing that for?" he asked nodding toward what
I assumed was the top I wore. I had no idea what it was about the royal blue
blouse that pissed him off so much.

            "I
thought you liked me in this top?" I said quietly.

            "Are
you really that fucking stupid?" he gunned the accelerator, chirping the
tires and leaving black marks in the street. "I'm not talking about the
top you stupid bitch. I'm talking about all that black shit you have around
your eyes."

            My
mouth dropped open and I leaned down to glance at myself in the mirror on the
outside of the door, "I'm sorry. I didn't think I had that much on."

            "It's
a birthday party for a three-year-old, Jaq. Not some fucking place to go pick
up men to take home and fuck," he growled through clenched teeth, quietly adding:
"Like you probably do whenever I'm not around."

            I
focused on some spot on the carpet by my feet and didn't say anything, which
only agitated him more. I didn't even see it coming, he jabbed his fist into my
ribs so fast and hard, I swore I heard one of them crack. I got lightheaded and
swallowed a few times to keep my lunch from reappearing in my lap. Knowing if
he was mad now, puking in his truck would just about seal my fate.

            By
the time we got to Happy's Pizza Parlor, crazy Damon had disappeared, leaving
teddy bear Damon in his place, "Awe baby, I'm sorry. You just make me
crazy sometimes. I had a rough day. Okay?" he spoke in the soft, sickening
sweet voice he used whenever he was apologizing for being a dick, which was
often these days.

            I
put on my best,
'It's okay but you’re a no good mother fucker
' smile and
nodded my head like an obedient little girl. "I'm sorry I made you mad
Damon."

            He
flung his arm over my shoulder and pulled me too his side. I tried not to
flinch from the pain it caused in, what I was sure was a cracked, maybe even broken,
rib. "Let's just have a good time. If you're a good girl, I might even let
you suck my dick later."

            I
tried not to flinch away from him, and thought to myself,
'believe me you
sonofabitch, you don't want my teeth anywhere near your dick right now
.'

"Where
are you and sexy pants going tonight?" Shelley asked as she leaned against
the door frame watching me work my hair into a french braid.

            "I
wish you'd stop calling him that ridiculous nickname," I said with a frown
creasing my forehead. "I'm not sure where
Damon's
taking me
tonight. He said it was a surprise and told me to look hot."

            Shelley
nodded and said, "Well have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

            "As
if," I called out while she walked away.

            I
never knew quite what to wear whenever Damon and I went anywhere. If I dressed
too casually he might get pissed and tell me I looked like a guy. If I wore
something too sexy and he was in one of his moods, there'd be hell to pay. It
was always a crap shoot where his moods were concerned. I must've tried on
everything in my closet, some things twice, before I settled on an off-white
linen skirt and a teal top. Since it was a hot day in mid-July, I decided to wear
something cool and comfortable.

            I
was relieved when Damon arrived on time and I met him at the front door. I bit
my bottom lip nervously and held my breath, as his steely gray eyes raked over
me from head to toe and back again. He didn't say anything, but when his face
lit up with a smile that played at the corners of his mouth, I knew I'd chosen
wisely for the night. I let out the breath I'd been holding and smiled at him.

            "Hey
baby, you look sexy as hell," he said. He wrapped his strong arms around
my waist and brushed his lips across mine. Relieved, the tension washed from my
body and I sagged against him for a brief instant.

            In
spite of him being an asshole most of the time, he still had plenty of panty
dampening charm when he wanted to. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth and
tried not to think about how my body reacted whenever he touched me in a
certain way or looked at me with lust in his eyes.

He had on a newish-looking pair of jeans
and instead of one of the usual ratty t-shirts he normally wore; he had on a
long-sleeved black Henley. When Damon bought a shirt that fit across his
muscular chest, it hung like a fat lady's mu-mu around his hips. If the shirt
fit his narrow hips, it looked like he'd snagged it out of the children's
department.  

"You look mighty fine yourself,"
I said, smiling appreciatively.

            He
held my hand as we walked toward his truck and surprised me when he walked
around to open the passenger door for me. I raised my eyebrows in surprise and thanked
him. He patted me on the butt as I stepped up inside the cab, "Have I ever
told you how much I like you in a skirt?"

            He
hadn't ever brought it up before, but maybe that was because I'd never worn one
when we were together. "No, I don't think you've mentioned it."

            He
leaned close enough for me to feel his breath in my hair, "Yeah, when you
wear a skirt, I fantasize about the easy access your skirt gives, and those
long legs of yours wrapped around my hips." He grinned when he saw the
color rise on my cheeks and gave me a quick kiss on the corner of my mouth.
"I hope you're not wearing panties."

            My
eyes went wide at his comment, and I figured two could play this game,
"Just that crotchless pair you like so well," I lied.

            His
eyes darkened seductively, "You're lucky we need to leave, or I'd bend you
over and fuck you hard right here while your neighbors all watch." He
feathered his fingers up my inner thigh before he pulled away and slammed the
truck door.
Thanks for painting that picture
, I thought as I watched him
walk around in front of the pickup to get in.

            "You're
insatiable, you know that?" I muttered.

            He
reached over and traced his thumb along my lower lip, leaned in and kissed me
hard then shook his head, "Damn, baby." He tugged at the crotch of
his pants and squirmed in his seat. "See what you do to me? I think a
little road head sounds good right about now."

            "Um
yeah. That would be a
no
," I shook my head and stared out the
passenger side window, trying to suppress the naughty things my inner slut
wanted to do with him.

            The
warm sound of his laughter filled the cab, "Just fuckin' with ya Jaq,"
he said and smacked his hand onto my bare thigh hard enough for it to sting. He
started the truck and headed out toward the highway.

"So, where are we going?" I
asked.

His face opened up into a wide grin,
"Wedding reception at the Hills."

I gave him a sidelong glance, "Friend
of yours get married today?"

"You might say that," he
chuckled. "Though I think he was a
closer
friend of
yours
."

"A friend of
mine
?" I
narrowed my eyes in confusion and stared sideways at him. "I wasn't aware
any of my friends got married today."

"Yeah, I don't suppose you were on
Seth's invitation list," he said. The sick, sadistic grin that snaked its
way across his face made me want to throw up. He obviously loved every minute
of the discomfort this was causing me.

The color instantly drained from my face
and I tried several times to swallow down the grapefruit-sized lump wedged at
the back of my throat. "You're taking me to Seth's wedding
reception?" I asked, my voice raising a couple octaves higher than normal.

"What's the matter baby?" he
asked with syrupy, sweet fake concern in his voice. "Don't you want one
last dance for old time sake? Give him your blessing and all? Oh I know, maybe you
can give the new bride some pointers on how to keep her man happy. No wait. On
second thought, that didn't work out so good for you, did it?" He tipped
his head back and laughed at his own twisted sense of humor.

I clamped my lips into a thin line of
silence; no way would I give him the satisfaction of knowing that I'd rather
glue my eyelashes together than be within five-hundred miles of Seth's wedding
reception. Damon obviously got a kick out of knowing this would be the worst
possible night of my life. I was determined to do everything within my power not
to let him see just how much it hurt.
If you can pull that off Jaq, it will
be an Oscar-worthy performance
.

Damon latched on to my hand possessively
as soon as we walked into the reception hall, he leaned in close and breathed,
"Stick close baby. I don't want you to run off with the new groom."

I tensed and fought the urge to smash a
chair across his pearly whites, "Wouldn't think of it
baby
," I
muttered.

We stood at the edge of the dance floor
while people ran forward waving dollar bills in their hands for the infamous
dollar dance. Damon slapped a dollar bill into my hand. I narrowed my eyes and
shot him a hateful glower. "Awe, why you gotta be that way Jaq? Why don't
you go rub up against the groom, remind him what he's missing out on now that
he's a married man," Damon patted me on the butt and nudged me toward the
line that was already forming to dance with Seth.

Make it look convincing, Jaq
,
I thought. I painted on a plastic smile to try and hide the shitload of emotions
that were stirring inside of me. I knew as soon as his hands connected with
mine and our eyes locked, I would be lucky not to pass out, or puke, or both. I
was capable of a lot of things, but to convince everyone who watched that my
dancing with the groom was nothing more than a dollar dance that meant nothing
to me, would be a bigger miracle than the second coming.

The song changed right as I reached the
front of the line. Seth looked up, seeking out his next dance partner. Imagine
his shock when saw me standing there. For a split-second, I thought I saw
something flash in his blue eyes. Regret maybe?

"Jaq? How are you?" he asked
quietly.

Fantastic? So happy to be here? Couldn't
be happier for you and the new Mrs.? Thanks so much for ripping my heart out of
my chest and stomping on it?
I thought, but said,
"I've been better, but thanks for asking."

He pulled me closer than was strictly
necessary. I melted a little inside as I breathed in his familiar musky scent. I
swore I felt his chest pounding through the layers of clothing between us. I
only hoped he wasn't able to feel mine as well. He leaned back and searched my
eyes while I tried to look everywhere but his face.

"I'm a little surprised to see you
here," he said softly against hair.

"That makes two of us," I
admitted.

"I'm sorry I hurt you Jaq," he
said and I heard his voice crack a little. He took a deep breath, "You deserve
to be happy. I don't think I could have given you that. You are happy, right?"

I blinked a few times and nodded before
getting brave enough to ask him the same thing, "What about you Seth? Are
you
happy?"

He looked somewhere over my head, as
though the answer was written just out of grasp. He kissed the side of my face,
"For now."

For now?
What the fuck was that supposed to mean?
I wanted to scream. But it was
too late. Our dance was over. The next girl in line cut in for her dance with the
groom. I held my head up high, determined he would not know how much I was
dying inside. I put on a wide smile and made my way to the nearest bathroom so
I could throw up.

As soon as was sequestered in the
bathroom stall, I leaned my back against the cold metal door and stared up at
the ceiling tiles. I tried to clear the confusion from my brain by counting to
one-hundred. My hands squeezed into fists of rage and I wanted to scream my
lungs out. It was all I could do to refrain from having a full-blown meltdown. My
body was wracked with sobs and the tears would not stop coming.

I'm not sure how long I stood there
before I felt some semblance of sanity return. I took a few deep, calming
breaths and stepped out of the tiny stall. When I looked into the mirror I resembled
Alice Cooper with the way my makeup was streaked all around my eyes. I splashed
some water on my face and tried as best as I could to make it look like I
hadn't just lost my sanity inside a three by six filthy bathroom stall.

Afterwards, I found Damon leaning against
the bar; his jaw was clenched when I walked up beside him and ordered a shot of
Cuervo with a slice of lime. "Enjoy your dance with Romeo?" Damon
sneered.