Take it All (Blinded by Love) (8 page)

“And?”

“And,” she fidgeted in her seat, knowing Londyn was going to be disappointed in her, “we kinda went back to their place after last call and one thing led to another and, you know.”

“You had a one night stand that involved losing your V card, and didn’t even tell me?” Londyn hissed, leaning forward so you could hear and see the hurt in her eyes.

“Lond, I’m sorry.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” she bit out, her gaze switching from Lennox to Tatum and narrowing, pinning her to her chair. “It was bound to happen going out with you. I knew she’d end up a casualty of your damn sexcapades.”

“Londyn,” Lennox hissed.

“Yes, because I forced her to have sex with the guy. Please.”

“Maybe not, but I’m sure you had your part in drowning her in booze before you found two guys. She’s not you Tatum. You may be fine with whoring around with a different guy every day of the fucking week but Lennox isn’t like that, she’s not a mini you.”

Lennox sat there, stunned at Londyn for her outburst. She knew she didn’t like the path Tatum walked but she had never, not once, said anything like that to her in all the years they knew one another. They were always so close with barely any fights or arguments, but this, Lennox knew was going to turn into a war of words and there would be no winner, only two people walking away with wounds cut so deep, healing would be impossible.

“Fuck you, Londyn, little miss holier than all. You think you’re better than everyone, and always have. You sit there and look down at me, at us, because we didn’t save ourselves for our ‘one true love’; get real babe, it doesn’t exist, and you’ll find out when you and playboy Jeremy finally do the deed and he leaves your scrawny ass.”

“Would you two cut it out,” Lennox hissed, leaning forward, her head moving between the two of them, “Londyn, I’m sorry I kept it from you, really I am, but it was my choice and I knew what I was doing– for the most part anyways. And Tatum, lay off the whole Jeremy being a playboy crap.”

“Whatever,” Londyn huffed as she stood up, grabbing her coat.

“Lond…”

“Lennox, don’t worry about it, Jeremy’s probably here by now.” She grabbed her purse that was sitting on the chair next to her. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

With that Lennox watched as Londyn walked around the table and headed for the exit and she couldn’t help but feel guilty. Looking over at Tatum, she saw she was sitting in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest with a scowl on her face.

“Tate, was that really necessary?”

“She started it, she insulted me,” Tatum challenged, her scowl not wavering.

“How old are you?” Shaking her head, Lennox rose from her chair and grabbed her purse, “I’m getting another drink. I’ll be back.”

Lennox didn’t hear what Tatum said as she turned around and made her way up to the bar that no longer had a massive line up. Looking around the bar she noticed the place had emptied since they arrived a few hours before, with the only rowdy noise coming from the pool table area where two guys were celebrating a win over two other guys who didn’t look the least bit pleased.

“Hey sweet cheeks, what can I get started for you?” the man behind the bar asked when Lennox approached.

Lennox’s earlier statement of not drinking too much was tossed out when she looked at the bartender and said, “Double vodka and seven with a twist of lime.”

“You got it, sweet cheeks.”

She tossed down a ten as she rolled her eyes to herself then leaned against the bar and waited for her drink. As her eyes wandered around the bar, taking each person in and not knowing anyone, she heard Tatum’s familiar squeal come from the direction of the pool table area. Cringing, Lennox turned her head and found her sitting at a table watching two guys play. They were the two guys who Lennox heard cheering over their win on her way up. The night was about to get interesting, knowing she was more than likely going to be walking home alone later on or spending the rest of her time talking to some guy she would have no interest in while Tatum got cozy with his friend.

“Here ya go, sweets.” The bartender got her attention as he placed her drink down in front of her. “Got any plans later on?”

Annoyed and not in the mood, Lennox grabbed her drink and said, “Yeah, I’m with a friend, sorry.”

“Too bad, there’s a killer party in the city tonight. You and your friend should come,” he said, eyeing her up and down, a smirk pulling on the corners, “the King knows how to party, if you know what I mean.”

“Not interested.”

With that, Lennox walked away shaking off the chill she felt, knowing the guy was watching her as she walked. She knew what he meant, and it wasn’t her scene, not in the least. When it came to anything but alcohol Lennox wasn’t interested, and she never would be. She didn’t mind people who smoked it, whether it was on a regular basis or only here and there; that was fine, but she wouldn’t be one to join them. It was her one rule and her one deal breaker. Even though it didn’t bother her with people she knew, she never wanted to be with someone who lived that lifestyle, it was just a matter of preference and that wasn’t one of them.

“Lenny, over here.”

She looked in the direction of Tatum’s voice to see her still sitting at the table, while everyone in that section had turned and was now looking at her as she walked towards Tatum with a forced smile, trying not to show her embarrassment.

“What are you doing over here?”

“I saw these two hot guys,” she motioned to the guys at the opposite end of the pool table, “and had to come introduce myself; hot aren’t they?”

Lennox turned her head in their direction and watched them. The one standing back, watching was okay and decent looking, but nothing compared to his friend bent over the table getting ready to shoot. He lifted his eyes just in time to catch her stare.

His eyes were pale blue, almost grey, and full of animation. He winked at her before dropping his eyes back to the table. Lennox watched as his toned arm pulled the cue back and released, sending the white ball flying across the table, breaking up every other one. She watched as his frame stood tall, his lips pulled into a smile as he watched the balls fly across the table, while some found the pockets on the sides and corners. His light blue long sleeved button up shirt was pulled across his chest, buttons ready to pop, and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His hair was a darker dirty blonde and slightly shaggy, like a surfer, and his face was smooth and clean shaven. He was hot just like Tatum said, and watching him stand there, talking, she could tell he was confident just by how he held himself.

Her eyes darted away from his as he turned his head, almost catching her staring at him. She turned her attention to Tatum who was sipping on a drink and watching the game in front of her. Movement from beside her caught her attention and she turned to see the guy she had just been staring at walking towards her, his lip twitching with a smile.

He held out his hand and said, “Must be Lenny.” His voice was rich, just not as deep as Caleb’s.

Placing her hand in his, she nodded, “Lennox, actually.”

“Nice to meet you, Lennox,” he smiled, “I’m Raine. Raine Hopkins.”

Lennox smiled as Raine’s grip tightened around her hand, and their eyes locked; just as thoughts of Caleb floated through her mind, creating a conflict deep inside.

“Lenny,” Tatum’s voice slurred in Lennox’s ear as she threw her arm around her shoulder. “I is... so siz alright... to go… ‘ome with Derek.”

Lennox wrapped her arm round her waist to help keep her balanced as she said, “I don’t think so, Tate, we’re going to get you home and to sleep– in your own bed.”

“You’re such a party pooper,” she blurted, as they stumbled towards the front door. Lennox pushed open the door and they were greeted by a burst of cool air that rushed in as they stepped out and into the night.

“Sure call me names when I’m about to drag
your
ass home,” she said, annoyed. “No, actually your
drunken ass
home.”

“Pfft, I’m not that drunk,” Tatum slurred, waving her hand in the air and losing her balance, almost falling on her face.

Lennox grabbed on to her, stopping her before she could fall, as her sarcastic voice said, “Oh yeah, sure, not drunk at all.”

“Lenny, puh-a-lease–”

“Need a hand?”

Lennox, with Tatum attached to her side, turned to see Raine standing behind them, looking just as hot as he did inside, and with his hands in his jean pockets. “No, I think we’re good, thanks though,” she said, with a tight smile, just wanting to get Tatum home so she could do the same.

“You sure it’s a good idea for two attractive women to walk home alone, at one thirty in the morning after a night of drinking?” His left brow arched, as he looked at Lennox, almost challenging her to give him a good excuse.

“Oh come on,
Lennox,
” Tatum said, putting extra emphasis on her name before continuing, “A big strong guy, offering to walk us home is a fantasmic idea.”

“See, even boozy here,” he nodded with his head to Tatum, “thinks it’s a fantasmic idea. I don’t know what it means but I kinda like it.”

Lennox chuckled to herself at hearing him call her boozy, it was fitting, even more so at the moment as she jerked to the side, losing her balance.

“Screw you pretty boy,” Tatum said, straightening up to look at Raine, “Are you going to walk us home or not?”

Lennox hissed, “Tatum.”

He smiled at her, “Well, since you asked so nicely,” Raine said sarcastically.

Raine walked to Tatum’s side and wrapped his arm around her waist, taking on most of her weight. “Raine, you really don’t need to walk us home, we can manage,” Lennox said, sliding both hers and Tatum’s purse up her arm.

“It’s no trouble, really. I’m walking home anyways,” he said as he started to walk in the direction the girls were going. “So, where’s home for boozy?”

“Stop calling me that!”

“She’s on Erie Street, at the top of the hill,” Lennox’s said with a chuckle.

“And you?”

“I’m over on Dover Lane.”

Raine nodded his head, “Perfect, I’m on Fairfax, not far from you guys. Can drop her off then walk you home,” he said, looking at her from the side, smiling.

Her eyes lingered on him a moment then quickly darted away, focusing on nothing in front of her as they began their walk in silence. Lennox had spent the last hour sitting with Raine at a table talking about nothing, while Tatum, ever so shamefully, threw herself at his friend Derek, who by the end of the night had no further interest in her when she could no longer stand on her own two feet. After Derek left, Tatum got upset that she was going home alone, and threw up in the hallway on the way out of the bathroom. Any feelings Lennox might of had for Raine was completely gone, and Lennox got stuck having to clean up Tatum’s mess for half an hour, while she sat at a table with her head in a bucket while the bartender told her she needed to eat something and offered her a bag of chips.

By then Raine had been long gone, or at least that’s what Lennox had thought. They had spent an hour together talking about his job in construction and how long he had lived in Spruce Hill. Before they could get into anything else Tatum had wandered over, angry, and cursing about his friend who had blown her off and left with someone else. Raine apologized and excused himself, leaving Lennox alone with Tatum and her fury. Like Lennox had suspected, the night did become interesting when Raine came into the picture. There was something about him. Something that made it easy for Lennox to push Caleb out of her mind and enjoy the moment with him; he made her laugh, more than anyone had in a long time. He was older than her, by almost four years, and he hadn’t been drinking. That was one thing she found the most interesting about him, that he was out with his friend who was drinking and he had just been drinking ice water all night; she knew when he told her that she was getting the real Raine, a genuine Raine, and not someone who would wake up in the morning with nothing but a fuzzy picture of her face from the night before. But like most nights spent at the bar with Tatum, she would either drink too much and leave with a random bar patron or not be able to leave with anyone but who she came with; because they would have to carry her home like Lennox and Raine were doing.

The walk back to Tatum’s, on a regular night would be no longer than half an hour, but on a night where she can barely walk, and is constantly asking to stop and sit down, it was going to take a lot longer.

“This happen a lot?” Raine asked, as he looked from Tatum sitting on the steps of the church they stopped at, to Lennox who was standing at his side.

Lennox looked from him to Tatum, whose head was bent forward, and hair was sticking up all over the place. “Sometimes, not always though. Most times she leaves with someone.”

“And then you’re left alone and have to beat all the guys away?”

Lennox looked at him to see he had a soft smile playing on his lips, and she couldn’t help but compare it to Caleb’s. She had gone the whole night talking to Raine, without thinking of Caleb or even checking her phone to see if he had called, but for some reason he popped into her mind at that moment when she saw his smile. It was a nice smile, almost perfect, but nothing compared to Caleb’s and his soft dimples.