Unexpected Angel Page 8

  (Tasha)

  “What the fuck, Tasha?” Nick shouts as he reaches me. The large crowd had somehow separated us and he is angrier than I have seen him in a long time. The car is silent all the way home, which is a very bad thing. When he screams at me, I can deal with it. He is able to release his anger and be calm by the time we walk in the front door.

  Tonight, hatred fills his eyes every time he glances at me in the dark car. As soon as we park, I walk as quickly as possible without letting him see my fear, hoping I can lock myself in the bathroom until he is thinking clearly. Two more steps and I would have been in the clear.

  “Were you hoping I wouldn’t notice you ran off on me?” I can feel the spit from his mouth hitting the back of my neck as he presses against me. The feel of his fingers digging into my biceps is enough to cause tears to form in my eyes but I will not cry. I learned long ago that crying only made things worse.

  Nick spins me around, pressing me against the wall. “Answer me, you stupid bitch! How many times do I have to tell you to stay by me?” He’s been this way since shortly after we got married. It’s as if he views my wedding band as a title; he owns me now. Every time we go out in public, he insists that I stay right next to him, never straying. More recently, it has gotten so bad he even follows me to the bathroom, waiting for me to come out.

  “I’m sorry, Nick. I saw a friend from work and wanted to say hello,” I cry, no longer able to keep the tears at bay.

  “Are you fucking him?” Nick spits. I have never once given him a reason to doubt my fidelity, but he accuses me of sleeping with someone on a nearly weekly basis.

  “Tasha? Sweetheart?” Dylan’s comforting voice pulls me back into the present. “Hey, where did you just go on me?” Looking around, I notice most of the fans have left the grassy clearing.

  “Sorry, I was thinking,” I say sheepishly.

  “I got that much. I hope someday you’ll tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head when you drift away from me like that.” We stand in the middle of the sidewalk, Dylan’s arms holding me at my waist. I see Zeke sitting on a bench, giving us some privacy and wonder what he and Dylan were talking about a few minutes ago. The way Zeke watches us makes me realize he isn’t used to seeing this side of his friend.

  “Maybe someday,” I sigh. It’s the first time I think there is a possibility of having a real relationship at some point. No matter what happens with him, I will forever owe Dylan for showing me that not all men are verbally and emotionally abusive jerks. “Come on, I need to get my purse from Holly before she’s too drunk to remember where she is.”

  After saying goodbye to Zeke and thanking him for the tickets, we begin to make our way across campus toward Dylan’s place. I turn to look over my shoulder as we walk down University Avenue. Once again, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. I’m certain there’s someone following us. Just like earlier today, there’s no one there, at least no one who stands out in any way. I curl my body closer to Dylan, needing to feel the reassurance I feel every time we touch.

  “Are you okay, Precious?” Dylan asks, leaning down far enough that I can feel his breath against my neck. I wish the wet heat of his lips and his tongue exploring the sensitive flesh behind my ear followed that warm air. I swallow hard, needing to put that type of thought out of my head.

  “I’m fine,” I lie. No need for both of us to be paranoid.

  “What the fuck do you mean you spent the night at his place?” Holly doesn’t stop rummaging through her closet as she questions me. I understand that she’s getting ready for another night on the town, but it hurts that my best friend is acting like I’m not sitting cross-legged on her bed, needing to talk to her about everything racing through my mind.

  “Well, by the time we got done grabbing a bite to eat, it was late and we figured you were passed out. So, I went back to his place since my house keys were in your car.” Holly doesn’t need to know that I don’t actually remember agreeing to go to his place. For some reason, I get the feeling Holly doesn’t care much for Dylan.

  I trail behind Holly like a lost puppy into her bathroom, not sure why I’m hanging around at all. It is obvious her party for the night is more important than talking to me, not that I expect her to say anything supportive at this point. She has been encouraging me to move on from the moment I filed the divorce papers. Now that I am, it feels like she doesn’t approve of that decision either. I know in my heart that this weekend is a turning point in my life and I wish she would stop long enough to at least pretend to be happy for me. In less than twenty-four hours, I have gone to dinner, slept next to, and spent the entire day with someone I like and his name isn’t Nick Romero. She should be jumping for joy in her thigh-high boots.

  “Seriously, is there something you know about him that I need to know?” I ask, promising myself to at least listen to what she has to say. “Last night, it was like you knew him or something. And now, when you should be elated that I’m heeding your advice and stepping into the dating pool, you’re acting like you did when I was with Nick. What gives?”

  Holly slams her makeup bag onto the counter. “I just think you’re jumping into things. You’re so excited to get out there in the world for a change that you slept with the first man you met on the first night you met him. How in the hell do you go from a fucking prude to some sort of whore in the blink of an eye?”

  If she had slapped me across the face, it would have hurt less than her words. Does she really think so little of me that she assumes I had wild, crazy monkey sex all night with a total stranger? Even with Nick, it took almost eight months before I handed him my virginity. That wasn’t because I was scared to have sex, it was because I never want anyone to think of me as cheap and easy.

  “For your information, we slept together, that’s it. I don’t know what type of guys you were hanging around with while I stayed holed up at home but not everyone demands sex right off the bat. And today, he took me to a football game and we hung out with his best friend. He didn’t ask me what I wanted to do, but somehow he managed to choose an activity that I tried to get Nick to do time and time again until I realized it was pointless to even try with him. Dang, Holly, I thought you’d be happy for me!”

  Leaning against the vanity, Holly takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Tash, it’s been a shit day around here. I’m still hung over as hell and last night didn’t go well after you left. Honestly, it’s probably for the best that you left when you did.”

  She looks up at me and I can see the worry all over her face. “I just…please don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t know what it’s like out there. You and Nick started dating when you were kids, got married young, and then you were always home waiting around for his next demand. Maybe this Dylan is a decent guy, but I’ve seen too many who seem great right up until the moment they’re not.”

  “You mean like Nick?” I can’t help but point out the obvious. When we first started dating, everyone loved Nick; he was one of the most popular kids in school. But then he changed. By the time we were in college, even I couldn’t see the sweet, funny boy I had fallen in love with but it was too late. I was in too deep and thought he’d go back to being his sweet, loving self once the pressures of business school were off his chest. So much for that dream, he somehow managed to get even worse until I couldn’t take it anymore.

  Holly huffs a stifled laugh. “Yeah, like him but worse.” She turns to me, reaching up to place her hands on my shoulders. “Look, I was a bitch and I’m sorry. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again by someone who isn’t what he seems to be.”

  I wrap my arms around my best friend, hugging her tight. “And that’s why I love you. But seriously, you have to start letting me live my life sometime. I swear, when you’re not playing the part of big sister getting me into all sorts of trouble, you’re trying to be my mother. If you’ve forgotten, I have one of those and she’s perfectly capable of trying to shelter me from the world.”

 
Walking out to the living room, I grab my purse off the end of the couch. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have an incredibly sexy man waiting out in his unbelievably sexy car for me,” I call out to her, wanting to escape before she can revert back into bitch mode. “Call me tomorrow, okay?”

  “Yeah, sure. Be careful with him, got it?” I roll my eyes at her continued warnings. Little does she realize that every time she tries to warn me off him, it makes me want to dig deeper, get to know him better and prove her wrong.

  “Yes, mom,” I yell back as I walk out the front door.

  When Dylan sees me walking out the door of Holly’s apartment building, he gets out of the car to open my door. “I was about two minutes from coming in after you,” he laughs as I slide into my seat. “Everything okay?”

  I sigh. Do I tell him that Holly told me repeatedly that he is going to hurt me, or do I lie to him? I don’t want to keep the truth from him because he made it abundantly clear he doesn’t like people lying to him, even if it seems inconsequential.

  “Yeah, she just kept making me promise to be careful. Since you’re the first guy I’ve spent time with besides my ex, she’s worried about me,” I admit.

  Dylan laughs, rubbing my knee as he reaches across me for my seat belt. “So, were there a long line of losers in your life or was he just so special that they don’t trust your judgment now?”

  I shake my head. If I manage to get through the weekend without my lack of experience scaring off Dylan, it will be a miracle. “I guess you could say he was a colossal jerk and they don’t trust me out on my own.”

  There, just enough truth to appease both of us.

  Dylan seems satisfied by my answer as he pulls out of the parking lot. “Do you know where you’re going?” I ask, knowing it was tricky to get to my place from Holly’s because of the way the roads wind between the lakes in town.

  (Dylan)

  As I drive to Tasha’s house, I try to figure out how to broach the subject of Holly with her. The fact that Holly had the audacity to warn Tasha to be careful around me would be hysterical if it didn’t piss me off so much. Her own list of transgressions is a mile long and I can’t help but think Tasha is in the dark since she doesn’t seem to be the type of girl who would be okay with her best friend being a paid escort…among other things.

  Today has been one of the best I can remember. Certainly the best day I’ve spent with a female in a long time. Still trying to delay the moment when I find out if this has been a fun weekend escape and nothing more for Tasha, I suggest that we stop for something to eat. When she agrees, I pull into the Co-op, an amazing little grocery store near the tattoo parlor. We pick out an assortment of finger foods and walk three blocks to a small park along the lakeshore.

  The day has taken a toll on Tasha’s ponytail. I’m pretty sure at least half of her hair is now blowing loose in the wind. The setting sun at her back gives her an angelic glow.

  Damn, I want this girl more than I should.

  We sit there eating cubes of cheese and pieces of cut fruit as if it’s a completely normal dinner for a Saturday night. Nothing would make me happier than to have this become our tradition, football during the day and picnicking at the lake as the sun goes down. The only thing better would be visiting one of the more secluded parks so I could make love to her under the stars once the park is empty.

  Something happened when Tasha went in to get her purse. She hasn’t said anything, but the carefree woman who walked inside was gone before Tasha climbed back into my car. This may be my opening to figure out how tight she and Holly really are. “You wanna talk about it?”

  “About what?” She turns to look at me curiously. I’ve pushed her more times than I can count in the day we’ve known each other and I can only imagine where her mind might be wandering.

  I reach for her, needing her closer to me. Needing her to feel the desire coursing through my veins. Wanting nothing more than for her to feel how much I want to help her and make her happy. “About what happened when you were at Holly’s. When you walked in, you were smiling and happy. When you came out, your smile was forced. It wasn’t even wide enough to show off those cute dimples you have.”

  As she settles herself between my legs, using my chest as a backrest, I reach up with one hand to tuck the loose hair behind her ears. It seems foolish to me, but it is the only thing I can think of to do so my hands touch her without giving her the wrong impression.

  We sit in silence, watching a windsurfer navigating the rolling waves, possibly for the last time this year. Just as I give up on expecting a response from her, she starts to talk. “She’s just… she’s different. I’m not sure what it is, but tonight was the first time I saw it. I can’t help but feel like the years I spent with my ex placed a wedge between us that I’m not sure how to remove.”

  I hate the sadness in her voice as she realizes one of her oldest friends is drifting away from her. Even more, I hate the fist pump I’m doing internally at the thought that Holly hasn’t corrupted her.

  “Precious,” I whisper softly. “It’s not pleasant, but it’s a fact that sometimes we grow and change. The people we thought would always be there for us aren’t. You’re just now at a place where you can start to be the person you should be. She’s a single woman who has had years to get to where she is. Maybe you were meant to be close as kids, but your paths as adults aren’t meant to cross.”

  Tasha runs her fingers against my jeans. “I can’t think like that. I can’t just give up on someone I’ve known almost my entire life. She’s my best friend. She’s my Zeke.”

  “No, she’s not. Zeke and I didn’t meet until college. Our paths crossed because once we knew who we were, the paths led to the same place.”

  “But how do I let that go? I don’t want to, but if it comes down to it, how am I supposed to let go of such a huge part of my life?”

  “With your head held high, precious angel,” I say so quietly I’m not sure if she hears me over a group of pre-teens playing soccer nearby.

  The sun dips below the horizon and we stand to head back to my car. I silently wish for many more days like today with Tasha. Before we leave, Tasha checks her phone. Seeing her brow furrow as she reads the newest message, I try to look over her shoulder to see what caused that reaction. Yes, that makes me just a bit of a creeper, but I don’t like the look in her eyes. Unfortunately, she stashes the phone back in her pocket before I can see.

  When I pull into Tasha’s driveway, I kill the engine and quickly make my way around to her door. With every step, I say a prayer that I’ll find a way to keep our time together going. Sharing the same physical space with another person is something I normally try to avoid but I want that with Tasha.

  “So, I was thinking maybe you could grab some clothes and we could head back to my place,” I say casually as we walk up the front sidewalk. My hand grazes against hers and I interlace her fingers in mine.

  “I’m still not sleeping with you, Dylan.” She doesn’t look at me and it’s hard to see her facial expression in the dim light.

  “You already slept with me,” I point out, hoping to keep the mood light. “But no, I’m not trying to get you back to my condo for wild, kinky sex. I was just hoping we might be able to talk more and maybe watch some cheesy movies or something.”

  “I don’t know,” she sighs. I can tell she wants to but she is trying to talk herself out of it.

  Turning to face her, I pull her body to mine. “Why do you keep doing that?” I ask gruffly.

  “Doing what?” She looks confused for a moment before dropping her eyes to the ground. “I swear that wasn’t a lie. I don’t know if I should go back with you. I have to get caught up on some work and I’m supposed to go to my mom’s tomorrow for brunch.”

  Seeing her in these moments when she let her guard down strengthens the feelings I have for her that are anything but sexual. Tasha is so sweet and I can tell she has a kind heart just from watching her and seeing the look on her face when she me
ntions going to see her mom. If I were truly a good man, I would say goodbye at the door and never look back. Of course, no one has ever accused me of being a good man.

  She opens the front door and flips a switch to illuminate the living room. Her house is a hodgepodge of thrift store finds, no piece matching another. “So, this is it,” she sighs, waving her hand around the room. “Home sweet home.” There is a sadness in her voice as her eyes follow mine.

  “It’s cute,” I assure her, wrapping my arms around her, hoping to get rid of whatever makes her feel sad when she walks in here. Home should be the place where she feels the most content, not a place that fills her with somber memories. “Now, grab your things and let’s go.”

  “Dylan, I already told you, I have too much to do here and tomorrow’s a busy day for me.” She presses her lips together in a thin line. I’m not sure if she is starting to get irritated or if she is trying to hide a smile. Either way, it’s cute as hell.

  In a bold move, I make my way to her entertainment center. One way or another, I am going to spend more time getting to know her. I have to fly to Pensacola on Monday and I want her thinking of me the entire time I am gone, waiting for me to come back so we can continue seeing where things lead.

  “Fine, then we’ll pick a movie and hang out here for a bit.” I look over my shoulder to see her staring at me with wide eyes. When she doesn’t immediately shoot down the idea, I continue, “If you want me to go home when the movie’s done, I will. Otherwise, we can curl up in your bed for the night and in the morning discuss whose bed is more comfortable.”

  She shakes her head. “You’re something else, you know that? Fine, you pick out a movie while I go change. And having already slept in both beds, I assure you, you don’t want to sleep in mine tonight.” I watch her walk down the long hallway of her modest ranch home before turning my attention back to her impressive DVD collection. Just about the time I realize there is definitely something unique about this girl with her eclectic taste in entertainment and a surprising lack of chick flicks, a shrill scream from the room at the end of the hall sends me running.