Learning to Live (16 page)

As I head into the club, I’m on the best high of my life, and it
feels fucking fantastic. The girl I’ve been obsessing over is waiting for
me and is willing to trust me. Even though my dick is still hard from
watching her come in my arms, I won’t push sex on her. I want more
than that, so I’m willing to wait.
I find my sister and David surrounded by a crowd. David sees me
approaching and separates himself. He comes up and slaps my
shoulder with a huge smile on his face. “Dude, this is probably the
only time I’ve ever been jealous of you when it comes to a girl, but
dammit, boy.” He laughs as we walk to the table. “That was so fucking
unreal people can’t stop talking about it.” I can only agree, still smiling
as we reach the table.
Jazz is jumping up and down with excitement all over her face.
“So, where is she?” She looks over my shoulder excitedly. When she
doesn’t see Tru she looks back in my direction.
“She’s in the Jeep. We’re about to head home. I wanted to see if
you two were ready.”
They give each other a knowing look and smile. “No, we’ll call a
cab or find a ride in a bit. You two go and have fun.” David grabs the
brunette from the beach by the waist and whispers something in her
ear that makes her giggle.
I look at him and tell him in a voice that needs no arguments to
make sure Jazz gets home safely. I’m sure he will because she’s like a
sister to him. I also know that he can sometimes think with his other
brain, so just to be on the safe side, I tell him again.
“Jax.” I look at Jazz as she stands on her tip toes and hugs me.
“Be careful with her, okay?” Then she hands me Tru’s shoes she left
earlier.
I take them and nod my head because I know how much she
means to Jazz. I turn around only to see Ginger, or as Tru called her
“the cougar” standing with her hand on her hip and an annoyed look
on her face. “You ready to get out of here?” She starts edging closer
and when she reaches me I once again push her to the side.
“Yeah, I am,” I say and watch her face light up with victory, but
then while walking away, I add, “just not with you.” I leave her pissed
off and don’t give a damn.
I practically run toward the Jeep, and when I get there I need to
kiss her again, so I lean over the center console and grab both of her
soft cheeks in my hands before my lips touch hers. Man, I have found
my addiction and know I’ll never want to stop kissing her. The
electricity in her touch always gets my heart rate up, and I feel as
though I can conquer the world.
Slowly pulling back, I watch her face while her eyes remain
closed. The street lights highlight her full, pink lips and long lashes
fanning her flushed cheeks. The bridge of her nose has a small dusting
of freckles that only make her features stand out more. I give her one
last kiss on her forehead then start the Jeep.
She opens her eyes and clears her throat before she speaks.
“Where’s Jazz?”
I hand her shoes back to her before we pull out on the highway
and head toward the marina. I don’t want to be interrupted tonight, so I
have the perfect place in mind. “Don’t you mean Jazz and David?”
“No, just Jazz. I’m sure David is keeping up his regular routine
and won’t make it back.” She sits back in her seat while watching the
scenery go by.
“Yeah, but he better be sure Jazz gets home first or he’s a dead
man.” I laugh even though I’m serious.
We grow silent and I have to ask what has been on my mind since
I saw her on that dance floor. She blew not only me away but everyone
in the building. “So Tru, where did you learn to dance like that? I
mean, you were incredible.” I glance in her direction and watch as the
street lights reflect off her features.
She smiles softly before she answers. “I’ve been dancing for as
long as I can remember.” Her smile falters and she shrugs her
shoulders. “In a way it was an escape from all the bad in my life.”
She looks out the window and becomes silent. When we finally
pull up to the marina, she looks my way and asks, “Where are we?”
“Well, you wanted some place quiet so we wouldn’t be bothered.
This is where I like to come when I need to be alone. It’s where we
keep our boat, and I can guarantee you we’ll have no interruptions.”
Plus we can stay the night comfortably if she wants. I get out and walk
around to open her door and help her out of the Jeep.
Her eyes get huge as she takes in the different yachts, sailboats,
and catamarans. “You have a yacht?” The breeze blows her long hair
everywhere, so she grabs it and does a quick braid to secure it.
“Well, technically it’s my parents’, but I take it out more than they
do.” I notice she still has no shoes on, and I don’t want her small feet
getting a splinter from the pier, so I turn around and squat down. “Hop
on,” I tell her and wait.
“What? You want me to get on your back?” I look over my
shoulder in her direction, and I can see the excitement in her green
eyes as she smiles.
“Yeah! I’m going to give you a piggyback ride.”
She laughs when she gets on. I stand up with her on my back and
start walking toward the pier.
“This is unreal. I’ve never been on a boat before and definitely not
one like all this.”
I don’t want her to freak out about my parents’ money, and I have
a feeling she will if she thinks too long on it, so I quickly change the
subject. “So, you just started dancing one day and developed into this
phenomenon?” I ask, smiling, enjoying her arms and legs wrapped
around me. Even backwards she turns me on, and I can feel my dick
making my jeans tight.
We finally reach our destination, so I place her on her feet and
step on before I reach over and help her. I hold her hand as I open the
door and we walk into the cabin.
I turn on the lights and place my keys on the counter. It’s a smooth
redwood and runs along the whole right side. It has different
compartments with a flat screen TV that will come up with the push of
a button. On the opposite side are green cloth couches and chairs that
spin to face anywhere in the yacht. Large windows are on each side to
show the moon reflecting off the water and farther back is a set of
stairs that lead down to the only room and a small bathroom. Right of
the stairs sits the kitchen area with stainless steel appliances and a bar
area.
I love this place and would live here if it wasn’t for school, but
having her alone for the first time makes me love it more.
“Well, when I was eight the foster mom I had enrolled me in
summer dance camp because I was always dancing and watching all of
her old musicals.” She has a faraway look on her face as she speaks,
and I can tell she really loved this lady. “My favorite was
Seven Brides
for Seven Brothers
. I would always try to imitate the dance moves.”
She looks at me. “Have you ever seen it?”
I shake my head. “Musicals aren’t really my thing, but if there’s
dancing like what you did tonight, I’ll definitely start watching them.”
We both laugh and she playfully hits my arm. “Are you thirsty or
hungry?” I ask as I walk toward the back and grab a bottle of water
from the fridge. “We have anything you could ever want in here: wine,
water, cokes, and even beer, but I know you don’t care for that.”
She sits at one of the stools and starts to drum her fingers on the
granite counter. “Water would be great, thanks.”
I give her a water after I open it Then I walk over and spin her
stool around. She just took a drink and her lips are still wet, so I step
between her legs and place my arms on either side of her. I slowly
lower my lips to hers and begin to suck the moisture off her lower one.
She makes a sound that is so fucking sexy I feel my control starting to
slip. I would love a repeat of earlier, only naked. I know if I want her
to talk, I need to stop. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in
my life. “Let’s go sit on the couch.” I take her hand and start to lead
her over but she stops.
“What’s downstairs?” she asks shyly and looks at everything but
me.
I don’t want her to think we have to have sex tonight, so I lift her
chin with my finger so she has to look at me. “We don’t have to do
anything you don’t want to do. That’s not why I brought you here.”
She starts to giggle and I’m confused at first until she clarifies
why. “Actually, what I really want to do is use the ladies room, and
I’m hoping one is downstairs.”
I laugh then take her hand to lead her to the bedroom. The colors
are similar to the upstairs. A green comforter decorates the large,
redwood bed. It takes up most of the space so there’s not much room
to maneuver. The bathroom is before you reach the room, so I sit on
the large bed and wait for her to come out.
I’m deep in thought, resting my head in my hands, thinking of
everything that has happened in the last hour when I feel the bed dip.
She’s sitting beside me and I can tell she’s nervous because her back is
rigid and she’s biting her lip. I grab her hand and lace our fingers
together, trying to let her know I’m here no matter what she’s about to
tell me.
“I was abandoned right after my sixth birthday by my parents.
After a few weeks by myself, I was discovered and placed in foster
care, when I was able to start school for the first time.” She takes a
breath and I just sit and wait for her to continue. I already knew this,
but hearing it still pisses me off on her behalf.
“My parents' weren’t the best, but they were mine. I don’t
remember too much about them, only the fights and the parties they
always threw. Being in school was hard because I watched the
interactions between my classmates and their parents throughout the
years and knew that what I had was different. They liked their dope
and liked to drink, so more than anything I was an inconvenience.”
She lets out a bitter laugh and looks down at her hands that I’m still
holding. “Luckily, my mom had registered my fingerprints at some
point so DHR was able to find out my name.”
I don’t know what to say, so I just gather her in my arms and hold
her. Her childhood was so different than mine, and I can’t imagine
what she went through. “It’s kind of funny that my last name is the
only love I’ve ever known. Well, until Ms. Freeman came into my
life.” She pulls away and looks at me with a genuine smile. “She was
the sweetest lady and helped me to see that I was more than a
paycheck. She always encouraged me to be myself and told me I could
become anything I wanted. She never married or had children of her
own, so she fostered throughout her life instead.”
“What happened to her?” I ask, wanting to thank this woman for
teaching Tru how special she is.
I watch the happiness disappear as her eyes fill with tears. “The
summer I turned fourteen she was killed by a drunk driver on her way
to watch me dance.” I wipe away the tear that falls down her cheek.
“After that I was bounced from home to home until I turned eighteen
and was kicked out. Apparently, since I wasn’t worth a paycheck
anymore, I also wasn’t worth anyone’s time.”
When she doesn’t continue, I’m sure what she’s about to tell me is
the hardest part of her story. “What did you do then?”
“I moved in with my boyfriend Brad. I really didn’t have a choice
at the time because I was still in high school. We had only been dating
a few weeks at the time...well, if you can call hanging out at his
apartment dating.” She lets go of my hand and stands up to pace
around the cabin. “Sorry, I just have to move. I’ve never told anyone
this and it’s hard.”
She continues to pace for a few minutes to gain her thoughts, and
I sit patiently and wait. “I eventually became pregnant. I was so happy
and thought Brad would be to.” She looks at me and rubs her stomach,
and I picture her with a large round belly. “At first the abuse wasn’t
that bad. I mean it was similar to some of the foster homes I lived in. A
slap here, a push there, but nothing I wasn’t used to.” She stops and
looks at me for a second, and I see the pain resurfacing in her eyes.
“Then he started using more and more drugs with his friend Tony. The
higher and more drunk he got, the more violent he became.” She takes
a deep breath, and her eyes well up with tears. “I was still in my first
trimester one night when Tony asked if he could try me out. I didn’t
think Brad would let him, in fact I thought he’d be pissed off.” Red is
all I can see as I listen to her tell me of how this Tony guy rapes her
and Brad watches the whole time. I can’t help but get up and take her
in my arms because I need to do something with my hands before I
drive to Atlanta to beat that mother fucker’s ass. “I’m so sorry, Tru.
You didn’t deserve that. No one does.” I breathe deep to soften my
voice and ask her even though I dread the answer. “Was that the only
time?”
She shakes her head against my chest and clings to me with her
arms around my waist. I vow right here and now to never let her hurt
ever again and to make her smile every day even if it kills me.
She calms enough and pulls away to continue, but her voice is still
choked up. “I had received my scholarship and finally made the
decision to get out because I didn’t want my son growing up in that
lifestyle. I wanted better for him, but Brad found my letter one day
while I was at school.”
Her face collapses and she starts to break down. I catch her just as
her knees give out, then I slowly lower her to the floor while she
releases her grief. Between her sobs of anguish she continues. “I tried
to protect him, I did. I even fought back for the first time, but it just
made him angrier.” I cradle her in my arms and feel my own eyes start
to burn while hers soak through my shirt and her body convulses from
her cries.
Just seeing her in this torment is breaking my own heart. I can’t
imagine the suffering she’s going through and the heartbreak she feels.
I tighten my arms around her, waiting for her to continue.
Her voice is so grief stricken and angry I squeeze her tighter,
desperate to make it better.“I wanted him so bad and I still do. I was
going to
finally
have someone. Someone to love and love me in return,
but he was taken away and I was left alone again,” she screams and
bangs my chest with her fist, but I refuse to let go. If this is the only
way to help her, then I’ll take as many blows as she wants to give me.