Authors: Chloe Walsh
Not anymore.
She had me.
Chapter Twenty-nine
LEE
We sat on the porch swing in our pajamas sipping cocoa, with Bruno plonked down on the porch by our feet.
The night was calm and mild.
I loved the mildness of Louisiana winters.
Compared to Colorado, this was heaven.
“Wow,” Cam said as she blew her cocoa, “I can’t believe he apologized.”
Neither could I.
“I know, I’m still trying to get my head around the conversation. He was so different Cam, nothing like the way he used to be.”
Cam turned to me, “Do you think it’s an act, like to get you to move back home.”
I had thought that.
“I’m not sure. It’s a pretty convincing act.”
She sighed, “Yeah.”
The sound of Bruno barking drew my attention the lane leading up to our house.
Bruno rushed down the step towards the incoming headlights.
“Looks like we’ve got company,” Cam muttered as she stood up and walked over to the steps of the porch.
I watched the headlights pull up outside my house.
“No freaking way,” Cam squealed as she bounded down the steps of the porch.
The passenger side of the black truck opened first.
“Miss me much?” Derek asked, as Cam threw herself into his arms.
They quickly went from a friendly hug, to an X-rated make out session.
The driver’s door opened and my stomach dropped.
I closed my eyes.
I stayed sitting on the porch swing; my body locked up in anticipation.
I knew he was walking over to me, I could hear his footsteps on the on the gravel and then the porch steps.
I just did not know which version of Kyle I was going to get.
“Princess…”
The sound of his voice had me whipping my eyes open.
Kyle stood in front of me; hands in his jean pockets, his grey colored hoody covered his thick brown hair.
“You’re here.” I blurted out.
I didn’t know what else to say.
He tilted his head to the side, smiling softly. “Are you really surprised?”
No I wasn’t.
“It’s an awfully long drive, just to drop off Derek.” I said.
He reached out and snagged my hand.
“What if I came for you?” He said, pulling me up from the swing.
I hovered awkwardly.
“I told you, I’m not you’re friend anymore.”
The words sounded weak, even to my ears.
He smiled deeper, his lush dimple making me melt.
“Keep telling yourself that princess, see how long that lasts.”
I was about to protest, when Kyle pulled me into his arms.
His arms wrapped around me tightly; his thumb drawing slow circles on my lower back, his other hand cradling my head against his chest.
I tensed for a moment, and then softened into his embrace.
It felt so good to be back in his arms.
KYLE
I was fucking terrified Lee would turn me away.
She sure looked like she wanted to kick my ass when I showed up at her house.
Thank god, she caved in and let me hold her.
I needed to hold her like I needed to breathe, it wasn’t a requirement; it was a fucking necessity.
Cam and Derek went upstairs within ten minutes of us arriving, so I guessed they were back on track.
And I’d spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to win around the affections of Lee’s huge mother fucking dog Bruno.
The cranky shit growled at me every time I moved too close to her.
We were sitting on her old frayed couch in the open planned kitchen/lounge, with the smelly bastard sitting in between us.
Do not get me wrong, I liked dogs, but this particular one had it against me.
“Would you like some more cocoa?” Lee asked.
No, god no.
That stuff was like drinking lead, but the hopeful look on her face had me nodding, “Sure, I’d love some more.”
She smiled nervously as she walked over to the kitchen area.
Christ, I was pussy whipped.
I just wanted to keep her smiling, and if that meant drinking shit stain for the night, then I’d man up and do it.
I turned to look at Bruno, and he was eyeing me with that freaky dog stare.
“Dude, you’re killing me here. Isn’t there a nice bitch or bone you could go play with?” I said, low enough so Lee wouldn’t hear me.
He growled again and I jerked back.
Yep, I was definitely going to get my ass ripped up by that guy.
While Lee made more ‘cocoa’ I took the time to look around.
The room we were in was decent in size, but it wasn’t big in any stretch of the imagination, or modern.
It hurt my heart to think that Lee lived in this dump for eighteen years.
The house was clean, but it was run down and shoddy.
The furniture was old fashioned and worn, and I assumed from the look of the table and chairs, it was handmade.
The wooden staircase in the left corner of the room was neither carpeted nor varnished and looked worryingly weak; it had creaked loudly when Cam and Derek went upstairs earlier.
The house didn’t look like it had been renovated in decades.
“Sorry Kyle, we’re out of cocoa. It’s just coffee I’m afraid,” Lee apologized, as she handed me a cup of steaming black coffee.
Thank you, Jesus.
I inhaled to welcoming smell of steaming strong coffee.
“So are you going to tell me why you’re really here?” Lee asked, as she sat on the tarnished coffee table in front of me, her arms folded over her knees.
“Are you going to tell me why you are?” I retorted.
She frowned, “You know why. My dad…”
I interrupted her, “I know you’re dad had a heart attack, I’m asking you what you are doing here?”
Realization flooded her features, she paled.
“Who have you been talking to?”
Lie or tell the truth…
Fuck it.
“Derek mentioned that you and your dad had a rocky relationship.”
Smooth, but I carried on like a fucking idiot.
“He told me a few things that make me wonder, no serious fucking question your sanity for being here.”
Lee’s eyes filled with tears.
“That is none of your business, or Derek’s,” she sniffed, “I could kill Cam.”
I leaned forward, and grabbed her arms, “Lee, don’t pretend to me. I know something’s going on. I care about you for Christ’s sake. I want to help. Let me in.”
LEE
I couldn’t believe Kyle was bringing up my private life like this.
How dare he?
“You don’t care about me Kyle,” I snapped, “Don’t lie to my face by saying that you do. Oh god, you weren’t supposed to know, you were never supposed to find out.”
Kyle stood up, and ran his hand through his hair.
“You know I care baby.”
He marched around the room like someone jacked up on too much caffeine.
“I need to know, if it’s true, I need you to let me in,” he said.
His grabbed my cheek, looked straight into my eyes, “Let me in.”
The floodgates of tears and anger burst open.
“What do you want to know Kyle, about how my father used to beat the shit out of me?” I demanded, “Or how he locked me away from everything normal, and kept me stuck in this goddamn house for eighteen years? Took me out of school, and killed all my hopes and dreams?” I was on a roll now, “Will that somehow help you? Do you get a buzz from hearing about my fucked up life? Well there it is, turns out I’m just as messed up as you, probably more.”
I lost it then, pulling my top over my head.
“You wanna see huh?” I asked, “Would it make you feel better to see how badly he beat me for being a whore and easy. Well, looks like you both thought that about me, but the scars you left on me, you can’t see.”
I jerked my pajama bottoms down, stepped out of them, and turned around.
“Here take a good look. This is me, scarred and imperfect. I’m broken, nothing like Rachel.”
I heard Kyle take a sharp breath. “Jesus.”
I felt his hands skim my scars and I flinched.
“Don’t touch me” I warned.
He pulled me closer.
“I said don’t touch me.”
I struggled in his arms.
“Don’t fight me baby,” he whispered, as he arms wrapped around me tightly.
All the fight went out of my body.
Succumbing to the tears, I let Kyle hold me.
Chapter Thirty
KYLE
I held Lee for the best part of last night.
Jesus I had been afraid to let her out of my arms.
Those scars…
My stomach coiled thinking about the nasty welts across her back, her ass and thighs.
What kind of a monster did that to his kid?
I had a fucked up family, but they paled in comparison to Lee’s father.
I wanted to kill him, more than I had ever wanted to harm anyone in my life.
The only thing that had stopped me from driving straight to the hospital last night, was Lee.
She had been so small and fragile in my arms.
How had I not noticed those scars before?
I was in way over my head, but I couldn’t back out now, I was fucking hooked.
Walking away was not an option.
She had cried herself to sleep in my arms last night, and I had put her to bed.
I should have left her room, but I was a selfish bastard, and had curled up beside her.
I think I needed to keep her close last night, more for my sake than hers.
I wanted to protect this girl from all the cruel torturous blows she had been dealt.
I wanted to pack her up in my truck and take her far away from here, keep her with me.
She was gone when I woke up this morning, had left a note to say she was going to visit that bastard.
How she could show him any compassion was beyond me.
Her actions proved another point; Lee was an angel.
Christ she was the best person I knew.
I dressed her twin sized bed, went downstairs and made a cup of coffee.
I was anxious as shit, waiting on a phone call to give me the information I needed.
I had a fucking score to settle before I left this place.
Someone was going to pay…
I was sitting on the porch swing, trying to woo the fleabag himself when Derek joined me.
“Morning,” he said, sitting down beside me.
I nodded.
I couldn’t see anything good in this morning.
If I had my way; I would have Lee halfway back to Colorado by now.
“Where are the girls?” Derek asked, patting Bruno on the head.
“They’re at the hospital, visiting him.”
Derek stretched, yawning loudly.
“So, did you and Lee straighten everything out?”
I shrugged.
“I don’t know Derek; everything is still all messed up.”
He leaned forward, tickling Bruno behind his ear.
How was it the damn dog left Derek pet him, but when I went to touch him, he all but ate my arm off?
“Was it true?”
I knew what he meant.
“Yeah, all of it and more.”
He left out a whistle, and turned to face me.
“You’re gonna break her if you don’t choose. It’s going to end bad Kyle, and you’re not the only one invested anymore.”
I could hear the warning in those words.
I knew what I had to do, I had to phone Rachel.
LEE
“He knows?”
I nodded.
“Everything?”
I thought for a moment.
Kyle knew about Perry, and now he knew the worst part of me, the dirtiest corner of my secret life.
“Yes.”