Embracing Everly (11 page)

I COULDN’T BELIEVE
I was doing this. But here I was walking from room to room looking for my so-called boyfriend who was nowhere to be found. I would love to prove Mick wrong and tell him I told him so, but there was something that had been sitting in my stomach, rotting when I thought back at his words and it made me think he was right. I’d wasted my time on a guy who never loved me. And who was I kidding anyway? Mick and I been going round and round acting like neither one was ready to make a move, but I could tell he was growing impatient, but at the same time was giving me enough room to figure that out on my own.

Mick was staying close, but not close enough for one of the brothers to pick up on. “Should I check the bedroom or basement?” I whispered to him as he slinked past me.

He held up two fingers, so I assumed he meant the second choice. The music was blasting some shit rap song, and the disco ball was lighting up all the faces even though the lights were out. Mick stayed in the doorway while I walked hesitantly down each step bringing me closer to finding the truth. I hadn’t even made it to the bottom step when I spotted him. I gasped loudly enough for some random girl who was right there to hear me, but the music strummed loud enough for no one else to notice me. He was wrapped around some slutty girl with hardly any clothes on and he was kissing her with his hand firmly planted down the back of her shorts, gripping her ass. The very same hand that was on my ass a few nights ago. My brain must have shorted out because I couldn’t remember how to move. I was momentarily stunned allowing myself to feel utterly betrayed. I was unable to look away from the man who told me he loved me, the man I thought I liked enough to allow in my bed.

I heard Mick’s voice behind me. “You’ve seen enough, Angel. Let’s roll.” His big, strong hand grasped my fingers until they were woven pulling me away with him and out the door, the truth still not completely registering.
Why the hell wasn’t I good enough?

I chanted, “Oh my God,” the entire way back to the apartment building. Mick didn’t say a word, just drove in silence while I cataloged everything I had just seen to memory, which I totally appreciated. The thought of him telling me ‘I told you so’s’ was not at the top of my list. “Go back.”

“What?”

“I said go back.”

“Ev, why do you want to go back?”

When he pulled to the side of the road, I turned to face him, and I knew he saw the need for revenge, the hurt evident in my eyes. “You have anything I can use in that big toolbox in the back your truck?”

He hesitated for a beat as he stared at me wondering what I was up to. “Yeah, I got stuff. Why?”

“Because his precious little piece of shit Mustang is going to pay the price.”

His hand rubbed at his temples like he had a headache, and he didn’t want to be here anymore. “You sure you want to do this?”

“Oh, I’m sure,” I fumed but saw the hesitation in his eyes. “I can go alone.” I offered.

“The fuck you are. All right, Angel, where does he park? You can’t be seen.”

“Mick,” I punched him in the arm as hard as I could, but he just laughed it off. “I said drive me back there now. If you respect me at all, you will do this for me and let me be the one to do it.”

Mick held up his hands like he was surrendering and eased back onto the street. “Calm down. I’ll take you.” It wasn’t long before we got back, and I jumped out of the truck before he came to a complete stop, causing him to curse me out. Since I saw only red and I was on a mission, I ignored him, which was probably for the best. I didn’t want to lash out at him for Charlie turning out to be an asshole. Using the tire as a step stool, I jumped in the back of his truck to open his toolbox. Keys hit the metal, making a clanging sound.

“It’s locked. Third key in will open it.”

Once opened, I rifled through blankets and tools until I came upon a beautiful Louisville slugger. My hand gripped it tightly as I took a practice swing.
This would do perfectly
. “Everly, what the fuck are you going to do with that?”

“He’s going to pay for cheating and lying to me. Fuck him.”

He laughed so loud at hearing me swear; I thought about hitting him with the bat.

“I curse.”

“I know. Just haven’t had the pleasure of hearing that particular word come out of that sumptuous mouth yet.”

“If you’re scared you can stay in the truck,” I challenged him.

“Number one, I’m not scared of shit. Number two, hell no. I’m watching this one go down and number three, you look fucking adorable when you’re angry.” I loved his number three, but I didn’t want to think about him or him and me just yet. I needed to get the crazy need to kick Charlie’s, well, his car’s ass, out of my system first.

Mick followed right along side of me as we looped through the plethora of cars on the street. After searching for several minutes it finally came to view under a lamppost directly under the bright lights, the black car gleaming like it had been freshly washed. A smug grin crossed my face. Mick stopped and glanced around the lot. He picked up a rock and chucked it up in the air, smashing the light all around Charlie’s car. With the spot now dark, Mick turned with a wicked smile and stepped back. “Go ahead, Angel. Do your thing.”

Slowly, I made my way to the front of his car, bat in hand wondering which place to smash first. Before I let myself think too hard, my arm swung back and came forward smashing out the right headlight. “That’s for lying.” I stepped forward and did the same to the left one. “That’s for making me doubt Mick.” I scanned the ground and found the rock he used to knock out the light. Without thinking I scooped it up and began to run it down the side of his car, hearing the harshness it was creating right along with the scratch marks. “That’s for cheating, asshole.”

I started to make my way to the rear, lifting the bat to smash the rear window when I heard the piercing of his scream break through. “What the fuck, Everly?” Charlie sprinted straight past Mick, but I knew he saw him. “What are you doing? My car?” He yelled.

“You bastard.” I slammed the bat as hard as I could; glass shattering inside his car. “I saw you with my own eyes.”

“The cops are on their way, Ev. Someone called it in and ran to tell me they saw someone busting it up. Get out of here, and I’ll tell them it was that asshole standing there with that smug grin on his face.”

“Leave him alone. He had nothing to do with this. This is all me, Charlie. You lied to me. You made me believe that you loved me.” I spat out each word as he just stood there listening like he wished he could be anyplace else but here, but then sneered and there was something chilling about it that made me shiver. I didn’t even know why I was pissed it wasn’t like I really loved him. He wasn’t that guy who rocked my world or made me want to give up my life or future for him. But, I never liked being shit on either, and that was reason enough for me.

He peered over his shoulder to glance once at Mick before he laughed in my face. “Love is just a word I use,” he paused again to smirk at Mick before swinging his gaze back to me. “That
all
men use to get laid. He’s no different.”

“Fucking very different from you, asshole. Don’t even lump me in the same category as a piece of shit like you. I don’t need to lie to get some.” Mick countered.

The sound of sirens blasting through the night as they made their way up the street put me on edge. It was most likely campus police, but still cops were cops. I dropped the bat to the ground not wanting to have it in my possession, but Mick lunged for it and held it in his hands. “What are you doing?” I asked, panicking, as the cops got closer knowing he was trying to take the blame for me.

“Saving your ass, Angel. Be quiet.”

“Hands up in the air.” I heard the clang of the wooden bat hit the cement just as we raised our hands over our heads.

“Officers these two assholes busted up my car.” He looked back at me for a heartbeat with regret but then turned his attention back to the cops. “I want them arrested,” Charlie spoke up as they began their approach, holding his hands over his head, too.

One cop went straight for Mick and the other for me. When they locked my hands in cuffs, I couldn’t help but laugh at what I got myself into. “Ma’am what happened? Did you do this?” He was looking at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was just a little right now.

“Officer he cheated on me and maybe I overreacted but… well,” I told him. “Do you have any daughters?” He gave me a ‘good try, but keep going look.’ “My friend was just the ride. He had nothing to do with this. It was all me. I swear.”

“How about a little ride down to the station to answer some questions?” They placed us both in one car while they finished speaking with Charlie. Mick sat close enough that our thighs rubbed against another, so I scooted even closer. When I looked sideways, he was grinning at me from ear to ear. “Mick?” Why the hell was he looking at me like he was ready to throw me down and show me exactly what I’ve been missing?

He turned and looked outside before swinging those green eyes of his back to me. I saw something different as he gazed into mine. He was really looking at me. I could see the passion in his eyes, making me wonder what he was thinking. Making me believe he was feeling something or maybe just wanted something from me. I leaned over and bumped him with my shoulder unsure if I was ready to bring feelings into this or not. “That was so much fun. I really needed that. Thanks for being there for me. I owe you one.”

His eyes drifted to my lips as he leaned down to the side, and I knew he was thinking the same thing as I was. Stunned, I waited with breathless anticipation with my heart in my damn throat. His lips caressed mine so softly it felt like a feather gliding across my mouth. I immediately felt the change in the air. The change in us as he parted my lips with his tongue. He broke the gentle kiss too soon, his mouth hovered lightly over mine, and I wanted him to kiss me again. His eyes held mine, neither one of us tearing away from the spell he seemed to have cast. He looked at me the way all girls wanted to be looked at. If he was trying to hide any emotions, well, he blew it right there. After a few heated minutes of gazing fixedly into my eyes, he looked away and out the window like nothing had happened.

“Anytime, Angel.”

Only one cop jumped in the car; he stole a look through his rear view mirror, shaking his head in disapproval. I remained silent for the ride trying to decipher what his sweet kiss meant for us, or if perhaps it meant nothing at all. Wishing he intended to do that more often. A lot more often. Mick not only kept his mouth quiet, but he also kept his eyes trained out the window watching the cars pass, making me believe he regretted it. Maybe he thought I was a two-timing slut kissing Charlie two days ago and him tonight? But there was something so eerily comfortable with our friendship from the get-go and I’d honestly never felt so happy or at ease with a guy before. I knew maybe that kiss was too fast, too early in our relationship, and my feelings were coming on too strong, but I decided not to worry about all the what-ifs. It would be like me questioning why Milton Hershey one-day mixed chocolate and peanut butter. They just went together like Mick and I did.

Charlie and the rent-a-cops still remained in a heated discussion once we got to the station. Mick kept flicking his eyes between the door and me once we were seated in a holding room. Campus security didn’t have a real cell, just a boring, sterile, white room with a few chairs and a table that took up the small space.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, pulling me from my trance.

“I’ll get you out of here. I’ll tell them the truth that you were my ride, my rock to help me through this shitty situation. I don’t want to see you get in trouble.” We were sitting across from one another exactly where they left us twenty minutes ago, and this was the first time we’d spoken since the car. Since that kiss and I hated how it made me feel so dismayed. How he wasn’t bringing it up, asking for more, or explaining how he felt or why he did it. Because I felt like I was in sensory overload and he barely even touched me.

He shook his head, pulling my hand into his. He stared down and sighed before his fingers caressed the red circles the cuffs had left. “Not a chance. Let me take the hit for this. I want it.”

I pushed his hand away, frustrated but appreciative. “No, Mick, I did this. He deserved more than a few broken lights and some scratches. I won’t be able to sleep tonight with you in here on my conscience.”

The door unlocked and in walks one of the cops who brought us in. “Moore, you’re free to go. Mr. O’Malley he’s pressing charges against you for vandalism. I’ll need to bring you to the local police to take care of that.”

“What? No,” I stood, hollering. “It was me who did it. I told you. Mick had nothing to do with this. Please, listen to me?”

“Ma’am, it doesn’t matter what you say at this point. Mr. O’Malley was the one seen with the bat at the scene of the crime. Mr. Charlie Hayes has filed against him and only him.”

I turned to Mick, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes. “I’ll bail you out. I have some money saved. I’ll be back.”

Mick studied my face for a heated second and then looked at the cop. “Can I get one minute alone with her?”

The cop flicked his gaze from him to me. “Thirty-seconds.”

We both watched and waited for him to walk out and leave us alone. “Hey, stop with the tears. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ll be out within a few hours. Go home, and I’ll meet you there.”

“How?”

“Don’t worry about how.” He lifted his hands to cup my face, swiping the few tears away with his thumb. “I’ll be fine. Wait up for me.”

The door flung open too quickly. I wanted desperately to talk to him, to hold him in my arms. “Let’s go O’Malley.”

He started to follow the cop, but stopped and turned. “Wait up, okay. I have something important to tell you.”

I had no words as I saw them place him back in handcuffs, hauling him out to the lobby. I followed feeling numb as I watched him disappear from my vision.

“You’re welcome.” I turned abruptly to see Charlie behind me, with a smug grin on his face.