Just Me (29 page)

His mouth covered mine as his tongue swept my mouth to tangle with my own. His breathing turned hard and fast as he pulled his hands through my hair. He pressed his mouth to my neck and his tongue licked a trail down to my shoulder.
“
Yeah, let's do your idea. The house is empty, yes?” He
said in a voice that was low, husky and sexy as hell.

“
Yep.
”

In a blur of movement, he had me up over his shoulder seconds before he headed
for the stairs. He was acting like a caveman, but then, knowing exactly where we were going and what we were going to do, I really didn't have a problem with his methods.

“
Move faster, handsome.”

And he did until it was time to move slower and then he took his good, sweet time.

***

The Wrights were both working late, so Bastian suggested going to Alfonso's for dinner. Poppy and Caden joined us and as soon as we settled, Mr. Alfonso came over to take our order personally.

I stood to give him a hug.

“
It's good to see you. How have you been?” He
asked.

“
Good. I'm heading off to New England soon for that scholarship I told you about. I'm really excited about it. How are you?”

He knew I was asking about the Rosses, and his jaw tightened. “Things have settled. Whatever you want, it's on the house. No arguments.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to argue with his generous offer. “Thanks.”

We settled on a pizza with everything on it, for Poppy and me, and one with every kind of meat for the guys. We hadn't been there for more than ten minutes when Poppy and Caden started bickering.

“
Could you stop kicking the table?” I had never heard that tone from Poppy. She sounded so much like Dr. Wright when she struggled for patience.

Caden's reaction to her was just as bizarre; he mocked her like a kid would do. Intentionally goading her to get a rise out of her. What the hell?

“
You're such a child,” she said.

“
And you’re
an old woman.”

“
I'm younger than you, so that's a stupid comeback.” The look Poppy threw Caden should have smote him where he sat, but he held her stare with one of his own.

“
You're stupid.”

Their exchange was comical in its childishness, but I could see it was heading for disaster and fast. “Are you still working on that sweet Corvette, Caden?”

It took him a minute to stop glaring at Poppy and answer me. I only half-listened, because I was curious as hell as to what was going on with these two.

***

The following day Bastian went off in search of a trailer that we could hitch to the back of Baby, yes, I named my car after Dean Winchester's car, so we could bring his bike up North. Though it was Saturday, everybody was working but Poppy, so the two of us sat out back on the patio.

I had gotten my tattoo earlier and though it had hurt, it hadn't been as painful as I had feared. The look on Bastian's face when he saw it, his name on me, well, it was a look I'd remember forever.

I turned my thoughts to Poppy and Caden and their behavior at dinner the night before, hell, their behavior since Caden moved into the Wrights
’
house. I worried because they both meant so much to me and I hated that they didn't get along. I had thought perhaps it was just flirting, but after last night, I wasn't so sure.

“
Why are you and Caden going at each other all the time?
”

When she looked over at me, I was surprised to see guilt in her expression. “I like him.
”

“
Well, I'm relieved to hear that, because the thought of you two not getting along really upsets me.”

“
No, I mean I really like him.”

“
Huh?”

“
I know probably not a great idea, but I can't help it. An electric shock burned right through me the first time we shook hands. I haven't been able to get my reaction to him out of my head. It's what had me questioning my relationship with Shawn. How could I be so deeply in love with Shawn and have such a strong reaction to someone else?
”

“
We can't help who we like, Poppy.
”

“
I know.”
She reached over and touched my ring.
“
I like seeing you wearing his ring. So much for no happily-ever-after for you.
”

“
I don't want a happily-ever-after. That implies smooth sailing and princes rescuing damsels. Me, I want the bumps in the road and the challenges.
”

She fell silent for a moment as she worked her lower lip and when she did speak, her voice sounded very soft.
“
Lark, what would you think about Caden and me giving it a shot?
”

“
The idea of you and Caden finding what Bastian and I have makes me deliriously happy, because we'll all be together, always, one big happy family. I want that for you and Caden. I want him in our family. I want us all to be close always. With that being said, if it doesn't work between you, it's going to be awkward. You're my best friend and Caden is Bastian's which will make things rather uncomfortable.
”

I could tell she was mulling it over. I knew her so well that I knew she'd back off with Caden rather than risk screwing anything up, but then if Caden was her Bastian, I didn't want her to miss out on that.

“
Go for it, Poppy.”

“
Wait, what?”

“
Yeah, you owe it to yourself and Caden to see where it could lead. He could be your Bastian.”

Poppy didn't reply with words, but I saw her answer when her eyes lit up.

***

Later in the day while I packed, I replayed the conversation with Poppy in my head. I wanted her and Caden to work; I wanted them both to find what Bastian and I had.

I looked over at him as we packed up my room. He stood near my workstation individually bubble-wrapping my pots of paint. I stopped what I was doing to just watch him.

He wore those faded jeans I loved so much, so worn they almost looked white in spots, and an Aerosmith tee. The images on his arms looked as if they were dancing along his skin as his muscles flexed from his efforts. His hair was pulled back with a blue bandana and his face in profile was set in determination as he focused on his task.

Quite unexpectedly, he asked,
“
Hey, Lark, how's your happy place?”
He glanced over at me when he asked this. “What?”
His smile cut the sharpness in his tone.

“
I like looking at you.
”

He placed the pot down and walked to me in that loose-limbed stride of his. “I like you looking.
”

“
My happy place is just overflowing.
”

He bent down so that our eyes were level.
“
I am so glad to hear that.
”

And then he was kissing me.

***

“
What do you want to do tonight, Lark?”
Poppy asked as we sat on the sofa watching a repeat of
Game of Thrones.

“
I don't know.”
It was my last weekend home and everyone but Bastian and Poppy had to work.

“
You're disappointed aren't you?”
She
asked.

“
I was really hoping to spend the weekend with everyone. I know that's kind of selfish.
”

“
That's not selfish, Lark,”
Poppy said with a smile.

“
Why don't we go to that Italian place you've been wanting to try? Isn’t
that the one that Mr. Alfonso’s
cousin opened?” Bastian asked before he draped his arm over my shoulders and kissed my head.

I forgot Mr. Alfonso had mentioned that.
“
Yeah, I can drown my disappointment in pasta and cheese.
”

On the way to Lombardi's, I couldn’t
shake the melancholy. Though good food always made me feel better, I was conflicted about my move to Maine. I wasn't going to be gone for that long and, thankfully, Bastian was coming with me, but this move felt like my first step into adulthood, and that was scary.

We opened the door to the restaurant with Poppy acting edgy. That should have been my clue that something was up. As soon as we walked inside, my feet just stopped moving. A banner hung from the ceiling:
Congratulations, Lark. We'll
Miss You
, and a huge cake sat on one of the tables. But it was the people, everyone I wanted to see, all standing around staring at me that had those blasted tears leaking from my eyes.

I walked to the Wrights and wrapped my arms around both of them. “Thank you.”
I whispered through my tears.

“
Did you really think we were going to let you go without a huge send-off?” Dr. Wright asked.

“
I did.
”

“
Silly girl
.
”
Mr. Wright chided.

I took a step away from them and wiped at my eyes.
“
I didn't need all of this, but thank you.
”

“
It wasn't just us, honey. You've made a lot of friends here and they wanted to wish you well,” Dr. Wright said with kindness.

“
You ready to party?”
This statement coming from the reserved Mr. Wright made me laugh.

“
I am, but only if you agree to dance with me later.”

“
You're on, kiddo.”

Poppy whisked me over to a table that had a mouthwatering spread: fried calamari, mozzarella sticks, toast rounds smeared with pesto, bruschetta, bowls of olives and blocks of cheese. We plated up a sampling and headed to where Bastian and Caden were chatting with their boss and his wife. Sophia appeared a short time later, moving in that endlessly exuberant way of hers, to pull me over to Shawn and Tyler who were in the midst of a debate on what was better, Coke or Pepsi. Ms. Whitney and I discussed my apprenticeship just before Mr. Wright found me for a dance.

Toward the end of the evening my uncle arrived with both Deena and Carol, and as soon as the girls saw me, they ran over.

“
We miss you,” Carol said as she hugged me hard. We spent a half an hour chatting before Poppy came over to offer them cake. I watched them go as my uncle stepped in front of me. Sadness lurked just behind his eyes.

“
Be safe, Lark, but have a good time.”

“
I will.”
I hesitated a moment, because I didn't want to bring up the subject of my aunt. Yet it didn't feel right to ignore it completely. “How are you doing?”

“
I'll be fine.”

I hugged him. “I'm sorry about Aunt Kim.”

He held me close, “I'm sorry for her too.”

Bastian came up to me later in the evening, while I chatted with Sophia and Tyler, and wrapped his arms around me. “Dance with me. Excuse us, guys.
”

He swept me away to a clearing and pulled me into his arms. He held me close, but I wouldn't call what we were doing dancing, because it was so much better than dancing.

Bastian brushed his lips over mine. “Are you having fun?
”

“
I am. You knew, didn't you?
”

“
Of cours
e.
”
He
teased. “Are you ready for Monday?”
He
asked.

“
I am, but only because you're coming with me.
”

Sincerity drifted into his expression.
“
You couldn't keep me away.
”

***

Bastian drove as I sat looking out the window thinking about the day after my going away party.

Mr. and Dr. Wright cornered me and handed me both a credit card and checkbook and insisted I use both as often as I needed. The roll of bills they slipped me had my eyes almost rolling into the back of my head. I was going to miss them, but they insisted I keep my room at their house “just in case.”

My farewell with Poppy and Sophia turned into a cry-fest, but I just had to remember I was going away for only a few months and not the rest of my life. Besides, they’d
be off to their own colleges soon enough.

I turned my head to see Bastian looking thoughtful and reached over to touch his thigh. “Are you okay?
”

He glanced over at me.
“
Yeah. I was just thinking that in a few weeks, I'm going to miss you like hell.
”