Haven from the Storm (Storms of Life #1) (12 page)

“I’m actually glad to hear that. But just so you know, I was prepared to put up a fight,” I said, choking out a nervous laugh.

“Not necessary. I was actually looking for you to let you know I won’t need a ride home after school. I need to go to town and see about getting my tires fixed.”

“We can go together and see about your tires. You’re not alone anymore, Lily. Please let me help you, even if it’s only with things like fixing your car.” I smiled and she returned the gesture.

Seeing Dean with Ms. Bartlett was not easy. In fact, I’m pretty sure my heart actually exploded for a few seconds. After I stormed out of the school, I was prepared to jump in my car and completely forget about Dean and the memories I had of her in his arms that would forever be seared into my brain. Then I remembered my car wasn’t here because it had two flat tires. That train of thought quickly turned into a
what the hell are you doing?
moment, just about the time Dean smacked into me.

I was astonished. My mind could not process what was happening. Dean actually followed me when I stormed out of the building. Dean Haven chased after
me
. The thing that my mind has trouble comprehending is that Dean doesn’t chase, Dean is the one that always runs. Running in the face of conflict, or any other emotion, is second nature to him and until today I’d never seen him react in any other way. This was the first sign that Dean had changed. This was a sign that I knew I could trust because it was pure instinct on his part.

It had been coming for a while now. I’d felt small tingles of it since the day I turned eighteen, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I had lived in the same small dark reality for so long that I thought I had forgotten what other emotions actually felt like. The feeling that had been bubbling under the surface for so long was simply, hope. The moment Dean crashed into me outside the school, he completely opened the flood gates. I could feel my defenses crumbling little by little every time I so much as thought about him. My heart was finally speaking loud enough that my head could hear it.

I decided it was time to stop, listen, and see where this hope would take me.

When school finally came to an end, I stood by my locker waiting for Adley and Dean. After ten minutes passed without either of them showing up I decided to walk to the parking lot, hoping I hadn’t been stood up. There was barely a vehicle in sight, which wasn’t surprising for a Friday afternoon, but I saw several in the teacher’s parking lot, including Dean’s.

“Hey, Lil, I’m hitching a ride with a hottie that doesn’t live under my roof!” Adley shouted, hanging out of the passenger’s side window of Derek Brantley’s oversized truck. “Friday night and no work means at least attempting to have a good time.” She blew me a kiss as they sped out of the parking lot.

I heard Dean laughing from the teacher’s parking lot and turned to see him waving me over. I walked to his truck and got in the passenger side door he was holding open for me. That was when the butterflies hit me. Until then I hadn’t realized how nervous I was about being alone with Dean. This person I’d known almost my entire life set my emotions on edge more than anyone I’d ever met. I didn’t trust myself around him and what I felt for him scared me. He had a power over me that I couldn’t explain and he’d already changed my mind about things I thought I had control over.

“Well, without Adley it looks like it’s just us today, after all. I hope that’s okay?” Dean said, shaking me from my inner panic.

“Oh yeah, sure, why wouldn’t it be? I never...I, yeah...um, it’s fine,” I stuttered.
What was wrong with me?
I had lost it.

Dean gave me a sideways glance. “Are you okay? If it makes you uncomfortable, I can just take you home - or to Grandma Violet's - and I'll get your tires fixed.”

I shook my head. “No, it's okay. I'm sorry. Let's get going so we get there before they close.”

He nodded, giving me a look that told me he was still unsure, but he finally drove away from the school. We only had a couple miles until we got to the tire shop and then we would be around other people and hopefully my nerves would calm down. Dean kept looking at me and smiling. I think he was trying to make me feel more at ease, but all he had accomplished was to make me even more nervous.

“Would you please stop looking at me? I'm fine, really,” I told him with as calm a smile as I could produce plastered on my face.

“I'm sorry. I'm just afraid you are going to disappear on me any second.” He shrugged and gave me a sad smile.

I laughed. “Hmm. Out of the two of us, I'm not the one that tends to up and vanish.”

He whipped his head around and looked completely astonished at my statement, but he finally laughed. “Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't need you to try and repay the favor though, so I'll have to keep a close eye on you - just in case.”

“Oh is that so? And you're just hoping I'm okay with you keeping such a close eye on me?”

He laughed and shook his head. “Honestly, Sunflower, I don't really care if you like it or not. I just know you better get used to it.”

Although I should have probably disliked what he said, his words had me feeling more at peace, protected. “Well maybe I
can
live with it, we’ll just have to wait and see.” Dean smiled and placed his hand on the seat just close enough to brush the side of mine.

I could see the tire shop at the end of the street when I spotted my father’s truck coming toward us. I immediately started to panic. I turned to look at Dean and his eyes were as wide as mine. I laid down in the seat trying to hide, but that didn’t stop my heart from pounding and my ears from ringing. Dean quickly turned at the closest intersection and I knew we couldn’t have passed my father yet.

“Okay, you can sit up now,” Dean said calmly as he eyes watched the rearview mirror.

“Do you think he saw me?” I asked before sitting up.

“No, he was still over a block away and my windows are tinted dark enough that there’s no way he saw you.” Dean’s words slowed my racing heart as I finally sat up and cautiously looked around.

He made one last turn and we pulled up to the tire shop. I saw the Impala sitting to the side of the shop with the two flat tires already fixed.

“I called this morning and had them tow the car here to replace the tires,” Dean said, answering my unspoken question.

“You didn’t have to do that, Dean. I could’ve taken care of it.”

“I know, but I wanted to show you that you’re not alone and you have people that care about you and want to help you.” He wrapped his hands around mine and brought them to his chest.

I could feel the tears welling as my throat tightened and I knew if I kept looking into his eyes I would cry. I turned to look in the direction of my car, but couldn’t see anything through the tears. “Thank you, Dean. I really don’t know what else to say. I appreciate your help and the gesture behind it.” I hoped he couldn’t hear the catch in my voice as the tears streaked down my cheeks.

“Don’t cry, come here,” he said, pulling me across the bench seat of his truck. He placed my head on his chest and hugged me tight. I rested my hands on his sides and could feel the muscles under his shirt as he began to rub his hand up and down my back, doing his best to console me. He smelled so good; nothing artificial, just Dean. The feel of his body pressed against mine quickly replaced my crying with different desires. I pulled back to look at him and instantly felt the connection I knew I’d been missing for too long. His arms were home for me and that was exactly where I belonged.

The past four years of hurt quickly faded.

We jumped apart as someone banged on the hood of the truck. I turned to see Joe Bob, the owner of the tire shop, smiling at us and shaking his head. Dean laughed, but quickly tried to cover it when I punched him in the arm. He shrugged his shoulders and all I could do was shake my head. Dean was the first to get out of the truck and I slowly followed him.

“Hey Dean, it’s good to see you,” Joe Bob said, giving Dean a sideways hug.

“You too, Joe Bob, but I would’ve liked seeing you even more about ten minutes from now,” Dean said as he winked at me.

Joe Bob laughed loudly. “Yeah, some things never change and I’m glad to see that’s the case with you two. But you’ve been gone long enough, I figured you deserved a little pay back. I can’t pass up that kind of opportunity when you hand it to me so easily.”

“Yeah, and this conversation isn’t embarrassing at all, in case either of you were wondering,” I said, interrupting them.

“You know, Lily, I didn’t mean to interrupt your good time. That’s just what happens when you hang out with someone like Dean.” Dean reached out and punched Joe Bob in the shoulder and in retaliation Joe Bob grabbed Dean in a headlock. I shook my head at their manly behavior and headed toward the Impala.

“So, Lily, you should know that you didn’t just have two flat tires. Your tires had been slashed. They were probably the biggest slashes I’ve ever seen. I thought about reporting it to the police, but since it’s you I thought I’d wait,” Joe Bob said as gently as he could.

“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry about the police, okay? It’s already been taken care of,” I mumbled, turning my back to Dean.

“Well, by the looks of you right now, I’m sorry it was taken care of that way,” Joe Bob said as he handed me the keys I’d left in the Impala the night before.

“So how much do we owe you for the tow and the new tires?” Dean asked.

“Nothing, it’s all been paid for. That Violet’s always had great insurance.” He reached to shake Dean’s hand. “Dean, don’t be a stranger while you’re in town. Good to see you as always, Lily. If you ever need anything, please feel free to come to me,” he said with a reassuring nod.

When Joe Bob had disappeared behind the large garage doors, Dean turned to me. “You knew your tires had been slashed? Why didn’t you say anything?” Dean reached out to take my hands, but I pulled them back before he could.

I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the car. “I really didn’t want to talk about it. Confessing all the horrible things my own father has done to me isn’t how I like to spend my time. It’s bad enough the entire town seems to know all about it.”

Dean moved to stand in front of me and tried to put his hands on my arm, but I stopped him. “Please don’t, Dean. Not right now.”

“Why? Things were fine a few minutes ago. Or did I read that wrong?”

“No, you read everything right. But it’s different out here in the open. I’m afraid my father will see or someone else will see and tell him.” I could feel my cheeks turning red from the horror of admitting it out loud.

Dean smiled and shook his head. “Well we can fix that problem. Your car or my truck?”

I looked at him, completely confused by the turn in conversation. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and he was smiling.

“Do you want to take your car or my truck? Being under the watchful eye of Kolby is a problem we can easily solve and then I get to be closer to you. So, what’s it gonna be?”

“I don’t know. Would it look too suspicious for my car to be left sitting here?”

“Since your car has been here most of the day, I’d say leave it here a while longer. Just in case he’s already seen your car and then it’s gone, but my truck is in its place.”

“Wow, you’re really sneaky, you know that?” I poked him in the ribs with my elbow. He grabbed my arm to stop my assault.