From Lies to Promises (18 page)

I will be at TJ’s tonight around 9. Maybe I will see you there.

 
I delete both messages without replying and walk away leaving my table in the kitchen. Lexi leaves shortly after five, and Lexi called to see if I wanted to meet her and some of her co-workers to get some supper. Sitting alone in this house now, I wished I would have. I have been up and down, left and right. Fighting myself on whether or not I should go to TJ’s just to hear what he has to say. That way I don’t have to wonder, I will know. Then I tell myself that I shouldn’t care, because obviously he doesn’t.

  Losing the struggle
, I change out of my comfy, fleece pajamas and put on clothes I don’t mind being seen in public wearing. No one needs to know about my obsession with Scooby Doo.

  My hands tremble as I pull on the door handle
to TJ’s.
Breath
. I look around and realize that Ryder hasn’t shown up yet, so I take a seat at the bar about the time TJ steps in behind the bar and pin points me.

  “You know better than to sit at the fucking bar, Kat.” TJ chastises.

  I lean on the bar close enough where TJ will be the only one to hear me and say, “It’s not going to make a damn bit of difference if I drink right here or in the back so shut up and pour me a shot.”

 
He pulls back, one eyebrow raised, “Drinking doesn’t solve your problems for you, ya know.” But he still pours my dang shot and puts it on the bar in front of me with a lime. “What happen? Prince charming piss you off or something.”

 
I take the shot and welcome the burn as it travels down my throat. Slamming the glass down, I pick up the lime and bite down. When I finish I realize that TJ is still standing there, waiting for an answer. “Let’s just say that I am here to listen to what he has to say, then leaving. Alone.”

 
“Damn. I’m sorry.” He places his hands on top of mine. “I have to get some work done in my office, I’ll let the ladies know to take care of you. If you need anything, if he won’t let well enough alone, come get me. Ok?”

 
I have always liked TJ. But looking at him now, I just can’t help but like him all the more. There is a softness to his face that shows you he is really just a big teddy bear, but there’s that edge, too. One that says he means harm to anyone that hurts the people he cares about. I nod and he walks to the nearest waitress and tells her something before disappearing to his office. I only bring my focus away from the direction of TJ’s office when another shot is set in front of me.

  A while later
I have basically spilled most of the reason I am here to the poor girl TJ talked to before he left for the safety of his office.

  “Is that your Ryder that just came in the door?” She ask, pointing behind me.

  Turning, I see Jake. Just the person that could make this whole week worse.
At least it isn’t Lyla.
He finds me at the bar and strides over to me with purpose.

  “Fancy meeting you here,
Kat
.” He spits my name like venom. He settles himself as close to me as he can. “And all by your lonesome, too. Seems tonight is my lucky night.”

  Gagging I push him back, “
You have high hopes and wishful thinking, if you think I will ever let you touch me.”

 
He grabs my wrist and squeezes until I can’t hold him back anymore and he steps back into me. Still holding my wrist in a death grip, he leans in next to my ear and tsk me. “Oh, but I will.” His hand runs through my hair pulling it to him and smelling it. “I will get you this time, no mistaking it.”

 
I grit my teeth to keep all the liquor down. “You are one sick and disgusting man. It’s sad really, having to force yourself on women. Can you not get anyone willing to fuck you, Jake?”

  “
I can have whoever I want and that just happens to be you.” He sneers in my face.

  “You’re the man, huh?”

  Leaving my hair to fall around my neck, his arm snakes around my lower back and pulls me in, “That’s right, sweetheart and don’t you forget it.”

  “What do you think is going to happen? I will not leave with you willingly and Ryder will walk through that door at any minute. He isn’t too keen on me being alone with you.” I tell him twisting to get out of his grip.

  Jake lets out this bitter, vile laugh that makes my skin crawl. “You are even more stupid than I thought. Ryder isn’t coming. I had the lovely Lyla send you those text.” He twist his face, which makes him look all the more evil, “You see she is in the same boat with him, that I am with you. She wants him, but you both are blinded by each other.”

  What.The.Hell
. I am starting to believe there is more to this whole him and Lyla than I thought. “What are you saying?”

  “Really, Katrina?
Fine I will spell it out for you. Lyla was really pissed after the first time her and Ryder slept together. You see she was a virgin, and afterwards he said he just didn’t want to be in a relationship with her. Ever since she gets him when he is done with his toys, and I get the toys.” He pulls back to see my reaction to the information he just handed over. “The first couple times it just happened that way, but then we made it into a game. Betting to see how long each girl would last. I throw my charm their way the whole time they date and when he dumps them like a sack of taters they come running to me for a shoulder to cry on, meanwhile Lyla just happens to arrive at Ryder’s.”

  I can’t believe what I am hearing. He uses
vulnerable women as fucking entertainment. It takes everything I have not to vomit all over him. I stand up and take a step away from him. He stares me down like I am his new plaything, ready to pounce. I reach into the inside pocket of my jacket to grab my knife. I keep it there during the winter because it takes longer to get through all the layers of clothes if it’s in my bra.

  “You never learn do you?” He steps back into me and pu
lls my hand out with the knife, pulling it from my tight clasp. “You can’t pull that same shit on me you did last time. I told you it wouldn’t save you next time.” He snickers.

  “It may not but I will!”

  Jake releases me so that he can turn and see who plans on stopping him. Still standing in front of me, blocking my view I stand on my tiptoes to look over Jake’s shoulder. TJ is standing their looking like a bull ready to charge.

  “Who the hell are you?” Jake dares to ask.

  TJ doesn’t waste any time talking, he marches right up to Jake and gets in his face. “You don’t want to find that out. But you are about too if you don’t back the fuck up from Kat.”

 
“Does it bother you?”

  TJ backs down a bit, then replies, “Does what bother me?”

  “That she loves someone else. The fact that it will never be you in her bed, or her arms?” Jake bites out.

  TJ’s doesn’t say or do anything. I watch as his chest expands and deflates several times with ragged breaths, when he finally responds, “
Listen to me mother fucker, and listen good. Don’t come near Kat again. If I catch you anywhere near her, or you so much as think about her, I will make sure no one is able to find your body.” 

 
“Fuck you, man.”

  A
loud HA comes from TJ just before his fist makes contact with Jake’s jaw. The bone crunching noise it makes echoes throughout the bar. Everyone has already been watching it play out, but as Jake lands on the floor, they all freeze. It feels like slow motion as I get scooped up into TJ’s arms and carried back to his office. He lays me down on the couch and brushes the hair out of my face.

  “Are you ok? Did that asshole hurt you when he was grabbing at you?” He ask in a panic.

  When I don’t answer fast enough he tells me not to move and rushes out of the room. I curl up on the couch holding my knees to my chest and slowly drift to sleep. Safe. Alone.

             
My short nap is interrupted by shouting. Peeling one eye open at a time I scan the room to see where all that noise is coming from. When I don’t find anyone in TJ’s office with me I sit up and get scared shitless by the door slamming open and hitting the wall so hard drywall takes to the air. When I bring my focus back to why the door flew open my heart stops. In front of me with a look of despair on his face is Ryder. I don’t get the chance to ask him why he is even here before TJ stands in front of Ryder.

  “I told you to leave. She was supposed to meet you here and instead got violated by your friend. She doesn’t need that shit.” TJ punctuates it my poking a finger in Ryder’s chest.

  Ryder straightens his back up, “And I told you that I didn’t know shit about that. I saw the text on my phone and came down here as soon as I did.”

 
They are both in one another’s face, waiting on the other to back down. Backs rigid, necks tense.

  “Enough! Both of you calm the fuck down.” I yell, getting to my feet.

  TJ turns to me, softening a tad, “Why? He is the reason for everything you have been through tonight.” His eyes go to the floor before continuing, “After everything that has happened to you, the last situation you need to be put in is a guy forcing himself on you.”

 
“Wait, you told him about your past and I had to find out by accident.” Ryder questions. I can see the hurt on his face.

  There is only one way TJ could have known about me. I turn my attention on TJ and state, “Lexi told you?”

  “She wanted me to keep an eye on you tonight. I didn’t know until tonight. Please don’t be mad at her, you was never supposed to find out that I knew.” He pleads to me.

  “I can’t be mad at her for looking out for me.” I pause and tell myself to breath. “Ryder isn’t lying to you. He really didn’t know about us meeting here. Jake told me that much, before you came out.” I take a step towards TJ, “Could you give us a minute. I really need to talk to him.”

  He grabs my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “I really don’t want to, but I will. If you need me I will be right outside in the hall.”

  “Ok.”

  On his way past Ryder, TJ makes sure his shoulder bumps his and eyes him till the door comes in contact with the frame in a final click. Neither of us say anything for several moments, we just stand there. I have no idea what to say to him, this is the first time I have seen him in a week. This time seven days ago he was holding me in his arms, telling me that he loved me.

  “I’m sorry.” His voice cracks as he says those two small words.
I want to run to him and bury myself in all that is Ryder. Forget that he wouldn’t talk to me, let me be there for him like he was me. Instead he just locked himself away. With Lyla.

 
“That is all you have to say for yourself? Really? I’m fucking sorry.” I run my hands through my hair and out of nerves I start to pace. “I tell you my history, about how I came clean and everyone just turned their backs on me and that is exactly what you did, too. You didn’t even have the decency to face me, you crawled from my bed in the middle of the night while I was fast asleep and just left.”

 
I can tell that he is looking for the right thing to say, but in all honesty I don’t know if there is anything he could say to make me feel better about that. His hands rub over his couple day old scruff on his chin. “Katrina, I don’t know how to explain it. I lost Bethany and she was like a grandmother to me. I deal with things opposite as most people. Instead of surrounding myself with others, I hide away by myself.”

 
“You call being with Lyla by yourself?”

  “
She wasn’t there the whole week. Hell she just showed up the other night to check on me. Lyla had known Bethany since she was little, too.” He tries explaining, but all I hear are lies.

  “You are telling me she came over to give her condolences? That when she answered the door all disheveled it wasn’t because the two of you had gotten
frisky like old times?” I say snarky.

  His eyes go round, but slowly turn to anger. “I didn’t tell you about my transgressions with her for you to throw them in my face later.”

  “Ugh. That’s not what I am trying to do, but do you do deny it?”
Please, do. Deny it, say that you didn’t give into her this time.
Time stops as I wait for him to give me an answer, along with my heart.

  “Emotions got high. We were both grieving and…”

  I hold my hand up and turn away. “I take it back I don’t want to know. I was just hoping that she and Jake didn’t get their way this time.” I say weakly, shaking my head.

  “I didn’t sleep with her, Katrina. She kissed me and tried, but I pushed her away. Her answering the door when you came by, that was her leaving. I told her that we would never be anything and made her leave. I didn’t k
now you had come by till this morning when she came by to apologize about throwing herself at me.” He exclaims taking a step toward me, one hand outstretched to me.

  I back aw
ay from him so he doesn’t touch me. I know if he does I would give into his warmth, let him hold me and forget the week we have been apart without a word. “You let her in your house and long enough for her to get your phone and text me. Twice.”