The UN Series Complete Box Set (145 page)

I see her small frame stiffen at her name, but she doesn’t turn to face me.

“Is this your boyfriend?” I finally notice the guy sitting next to her. My eyes drop down to his hand resting on her exposed thigh. My jaw clenches. Women and their fucking dresses.

  “No,” she responds curtly. “Just a mistake.”

Jesus Christ!
A mistake.
I continue to tell myself that’s what it was but it didn’t feel that way.

The man gives her a sleazy smile getting my attention. “Buzz off,” he says to me but continues staring at her.

“Buzz off?” I repeat making sure he was speaking to me. The man is a tool.

He finally looks at me over his shoulder and his green eyes narrow.  “Yeah, buzz the fuck off. I bought her a drink. I’m going to let her finish, then she’s leaving with me. Go stick your dick somewhere else tonight.” She goes to speak to him but he holds his hand up quieting her. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it, baby,” he assures her with a smirk.

Baby?
I tighten my fist in hope to not punch his fucking lights out. 

         She turns to fully face him with her drink in her hand, and I watch her mouth

drops open. “Excuse me?” she snaps to him. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

His hand runs further up her exposed thigh and she pulls it away quickly. “Don’t touch me,” she snaps as she stands.

“Hey I bought you that drink.” He points to it as if that gave him rights to her body. 

“Thanks,” she says, and I can’t hold back my smirk as sarcasm drips from that one simple word. 

      She then throws it in his face and turns to storm off. He stands from his chair and goes to take a step after her. My hand shoots out and hits him in his chest, knocking him back into the bar. His face twists into rage and he swings his left arm to hit me, but I’m faster. I duck and then stand letting my fist connect with his jaw. His body falls into his bar stool before he and said chair are laying on the floor.

“Don’t ever fucking touch her again,” I say before I turn and walk out the bar.

I find her digging into her purse looking for her keys. “Missy?” I snap, feeling the rage continue building inside of me. How could she even put herself in that situation? “What in the fuck were you thinking?”

She continues to ignore me and I place my hand on her shoulder spinning her around. “Don’t touch me,” she screams furious.

“Missy?” I run a hand over my unshaven face. Stressed to the max. What do you say to someone who hates you? “Look, I’m just trying to help you…”

She takes a step back from me. “Don’t.” She lifts her hand cutting me off. “I don’t need anything from you,” she states yanking her keys out of her purse.

I take a step toward her not wanting her to drive away mad at me. Why does it bother me so much to know that she hates me? “What I said tonight…at your party...” I swallow thickly as she looks up at me and pins my stare with her blue eyes.

I expect her to get into her car and storm off but instead she straightens her back and crosses her arms over her chest daring me to say I’m sorry. “I get it, Tate. I do.” She sighs heavily. “I’m just tired of this game we are playing. You don’t have to lie to me,” she says as her eyes drop to the ground.

“I wasn’t lying to you…”

“Just leave me alone!” she shouts cutting me off. I stand there speechless as she turns away from me and gets in her car. I watch her little red car back up and drive off, hoping that she makes it home okay. I don’t know how much she has had to drink. I should have asked. I should have grabbed her keys out of her hand.

I go to turn around and walk to my truck. I’ll follow her. Make sure she makes it home alright when I hear sirens approaching. “Just fucking great,” I mutter under my breath.

I step back onto the curb and wait for whatever I’m about to get dealt. No doubt the bartender called the cops on me for hitting that guy. I smile though when I see Parker get out of his cop car with a smirk on his face as well. “Been getting into trouble tonight?” he asks approaching me.

“Something like that,” I respond. “The guy was fucking with Missy.”

His smirk widens into a big smile. “Well, then let’s go fuck with him.”

******

MISSY

“Help me?” I repeat his words in my mind. I angrily wipe the tears from my eyes. Why the hell am I crying on my birthday? IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

As soon as he left my party, I left as well. I told everyone I wasn’t feeling well. I’m pretty sure they all knew it was because of Tate. They all knew that he showed up and then just left without even saying goodbye. They also knew that I was the reason for him leaving. I needed out of there. I couldn’t continue to hang out with everyone looking at me with pity on their faces. I’m tired of them thinking that I can’t get over him—no matter how much it’s true. I should be able to fake it better.

Then the idiot has to show up at the bar? What the hell was that about? How did he even know I was there? He actually said he wanted to help me.

I give a loud laugh and smile. “Help me?” Has he lost his mind? I’m pretty sure I have. There’s only one person who can help me. One person who wraps their arms around me and tells me everything will be okay. Only one person who knows how deep my loss goes and I need to go to him.

I make my way to the house that I could find in my sleep. The house that I spent weeks at crying my eyes out. It was hell, yet a sanctuary. It hid me away from the world but not my nightmares. 

I come to a quick stop and step out of my car. I make my way up the long walkway and the door flies open.

“Missy?”

I let out a sob as I watch Braxton stand on his porch looking at me with only a pair of sweat pants on. It’s not fair to him. I shouldn’t use him but I need him. I need the safety he offers. The comforting that someone actually cares and wants to dry my eyes, not tell me one thing yet do something completely different.  

The tears sting my eyes before they spill over and run down my face. “How did I let my life get to this?” I cry out. And how do I stop it?

Braxton jumps down the stairs and wraps me in his arms the second he reaches me. My body shakes as I cling to him. “Shh.” He runs a hand down my back. “It’s okay.” He bends down and places his arm under my legs and picks me up before walking me into his house. I feel safe here. I even feel loved here. And that is what I need at the moment.

The alcohol from my last shot has my lips going numb, and my eyes are getting heavy. “You’re okay,” he whispers as he lays me on the bed and starts to remove my heels.

I lift my heavy arms and dry my cheeks with the back of my hands as he tries to remove my dress.

Once he succeeds, he lies down beside me. I cuddle up to him as he wraps his arms around me. He pushes hair back from my face as he looks down at me. His eyes drop to my lips and I lick them. Although I don’t feel them, I know they’re there.

“Tell me why you’re here,” he asks softly as his brown eyes roam my face.

“Because I need you.” It feels like it takes forever to get the words out. But as soon as I do his soft lips are on mine.

******

I wake up in the plush bed that I have woke in so many times before. The walls are a soft brown and the carpet is a creamy beige. The soft silk sheets are wrapped around me as the sunlight filters in letting me know it’s morning already. And my pounding headache reminds me that I drank too much last night.

“Good morning.” 

I look up to see Braxton lying in his bed beside me. “Morning,” I say softly.

He lifts a cup of coffee and offers it to me. I shake my head. “No, thank you,” I say softly. I roll over onto my side to face him as he just stares down at me with a frown on his face. I let my eyes roam over his perfect skin covering his small chest. I know he works out often but he’s not big by any means. 

“Missy?” he asks getting my attention. I look up at him and he speaks. “What happened last night?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” I say.

He lets out a sigh before he places his coffee on his nightstand. “I should go,” I say before I throw the covers off and get out of his bed. 

“No,” he says firmly and it makes me pause. I stare at him and he points to the bed. “Sit.”

I slowly walk back to the bed and sit on it facing him. “What?” I ask reluctantly, not wanting to have this conversation.

He’s silent for a few seconds before he speaks. “What happened last night? I spoke with Slade and he said that you had left your party even though they tried to get you to stay.” I continue to stare at him and I can see his dark eyes start to darken more. “Where did you go? When you got here you smelled like you came from a bar.”

I look down to his thick bedspread and start to pick an imaginary piece of lint. “I did,” I admit quietly.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he snaps, making me look up at him. Braxton is never hateful. He is the most calm, understanding guy I’ve ever met. “Why were you out drinking and driving?” he asks as his voice continues to rise.

“I wasn’t drunk,” I say defensively. Although he knows that’s a lie. “I just wanted to get away. Tate had shown up at the party…”
“Ahh,” he says interrupting me. “
He
showed up,” he hisses. “I knew he would.” He jumps out of the bed and starts to pace. “The guy is Sam’s brother. He’s always everywhere.” He rambles on as if he’s talking to himself. “I knew I should have gone to the party with you. Every time you see him, he leaves you in tears.”

“I’m sorry,” I say trying to swallow the lump in my throat. “I shouldn’t have come over last night.” 

I go to get up but he’s on the bed in front of me before I know it. His hands gently hold my face as his dark brown eyes search mine. “Why does it take him showing up for you to run into my arms?” he asks and his brows crease. “Seriously? Why didn’t you come here after the party?”

“I just wanted to be alone.”

“At a bar?” he asks not believing me.

He sighs heavily when I don’t respond. “I’m trying to understand what you’re going through. Truly I am,” he says softly before he pulls away. “But how long are you going to allow him to have this hold over you?”

I ask myself that same question every day. “He doesn’t…”

“Yes he does,” he interrupts me and gets out of bed once again.

“It’s not his fault.” I defend Tate and his brown eyes widen in shock. “He doesn’t know everything,” I say looking away from him. But Braxton knows as much as I do that Tate knowing wouldn’t change anything.

He lets out a rough laugh. “When did you become one of those stupid girls?” he asks.

My head snaps up at him and my mouth goes slack. “What?” I ask quietly.

“When did you become one of those girls who defends the man who hurt them? Seriously. Do you have no self-respect?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer before he turns away and walks to his bathroom, slamming the door shut.

I wipe away the single tear that rolls down my face and then get out of his bed. I quickly get dressed and then leave while he remains in the bathroom. I’ve never seen this side of Braxton and I sure as hell don’t want to stick around to see any more of it.

******

I sit on my couch in my little, yet quiet, apartment as I think about my day. After I left Braxton’s, I went to lunch with the girls. They had all blown up my phone last night after I left Sam and Slade’s house. They were worried about me, I get that, but can’t a girl just want to be alone?

I look down to my lap when my phone vibrates signaling a message.

Kat:
Hey girl. The boyfriend and I are going out of town in a few weeks. Can you come over and feed Boner? Please. I’ll leave him dry food outside but we are going to be gone for six days. I don’t think it will last him that long. If you could just come over on the third day and give him more, that would be great.

Me:
Sure. I can do that. Just send me your address. Have fun.

My phone vibrates at the same time that my doorbell rings. So I place it on the couch and get up to answer it hoping it’s not the girls wanting to give me a Tate intervention or anything like that.

I sigh when I see it’s Braxton on the other side. I open the door just enough for him to see me. “Yes?” I ask.

He lets out a long breath. “I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you this morning. That was uncalled for. I know you’re going through some hard times.” He pauses. “I want to be a friend that you can lean on. Talk to. Please tell me that you forgive me.”

I hate that I keep pushing friends away. “I’m sorry,” I say opening up the door all the way and wrapping my arms around him.

He hugs me tightly before letting me go. “I have a present for you,” he says bending down to pick a box up off the ground next to my door.

“A present?” I ask surprised.

He nods. “That is if you are still planning on coming to my father’s party with me tonight?”

Crap. I had forgotten that was tonight. “Of course.” I had told him a while back that I would go. I won’t back out now.