Love Tap (16 page)

“Everything okay?”

Grasping my chest, I quickly turn finding Camden standing on the tracks. He’s wearing jersey shorts and no shirt. A blue bandanna wrapped around his head.

His chest is defined and literally not fair to the woman race. He looks tough and sexy.

“Camden, you scared me,” I breathe heavily.

“You alright?” Lowering his head, his eyes look at me with concern. He must have heard everything.

Looking back down at the magazine stack I sigh.

“I forgot how thin the walls on these houses are.” Glancing back up, he crosses his arms awaiting my response if I’m fine or not. “Yeah. I’m fine.” Sitting on the grass, I open the old magazine. The pages stick to each other from old age.

Speaking of houses, I wonder where his parents are.

“I haven’t seen your mom or dad, do they still live in the house?”

“No. Dad had another affair and Mom divorced him and ran off with Aunt Jenny, leaving him the house and the debt. I bought the house before the bank could take it.”

My brows rise at the information. His dad always eyed the women on the block and he drank a lot. I’m not surprised he strayed again.

Camden makes his way to me and sits next to me. The smell of his cologne causing my body to come alive with need. We are sitting in the same spot I lost my virginity. My mind can’t help but drift to sex. I swallow hard and try to focus on the magazine in my hand.

He sits back on his hands, and looks around him before hitting me with a smug smile.

“What?”
“Memories is all,” he shrugs, waggling his brows.

I roll my eyes, I knew he was going to bring it up.

“Don’t get any ideas.”

He laughs. “I chased you once Tate, I won’t do it again.” Inhaling a strong breath through my nose I breathe through the hurt constricting my chest.

“Nobody asked you to then, and I’m not asking you to now.” I play it cool, looking over the pages of the sports magazine.

Silence falls between us, the sound of a train in the distance howling out.

Feeling the conversation has gone south, and I am tired of arguing for the night I stand.

“I gotta go,” I state. Stepping over Camden’s leg I toss the magazine in the box. Trying to step back, my foot catches on the root of the tree and I trip. I fall right into Camden’s lap, causing him to fall on his back.

“Watch where you’re going!” he snaps, trying to untangle himself.

“Maybe if you’d move I wouldn’t have tripped!” Pushing my hands into the dirt my face comes within inches of his. I instantly notice his hard chest under mine and the way one of his knees sits right in-between my thighs.

His warm skin against mine burns a fire right into my core. My nails dig into the dirt and I swallow hard. His blue eyes search mine and for the first time since I’ve been back, I don’t sense anger from Camden.

He palms my wrist, his eyes pinning me where I lay. I want to stay like this forever. I can’t find it in me to move even if I wanted to anyway.

The train hollers out again as a light comes into view from down the track.

Blinking myself from my sexual daze I push myself up, and Camden sits up.

Camden clears his throat, and smooths my shirt down. Our eyes flick to one another, before darting anywhere but. The awkward tension settling back in.

Stumbling on the fucking root again I make my way over the track into my backyard. My body is on fire, and the desire pulsing between my thighs is demanding to being tended to or a cold shower.

Parting the tree branches I head back to the house, leaving Camden behind.

I find Journey setting the table looking over the dinner she made proudly.

“Still going to try for a family dinner?” I ask, gripping the back of a dining room chair and pulling it out to sit in. I want this family back together just as much as she does, but I think it’s going to take time.

“Yes, I won’t give up that easily,” she replies, as she sets a fourth plate.

“You set too many plates.” I jut my chin at the plate she just placed.

“No I didn’t, there’s four.” She points at each one as she counts them.

“Exactly, there’s three of us. How much pot have you been smoking?”

She casually shrugs. “I invited someone else.”

“Babe, you’re out of TP in the bathroom,” an unfamiliar voice sounds from behind me. Glancing over my shoulder I find the guy that was outside our house weeks ago, when Journey had a bloody nose. Scotty. He has on a blue ball cap that sits backwards. A black tank top and baggy dark jeans. Tattoos running up and down his arms.

“You!” I seethe. I can’t believe she invited that tool for dinner! I thought she was getting tired of his games and was finally coming to light that he was a scumbag.

“What the fuck’s your problem?” he sneers at me, his lip curled. My heart thunders in my chest from his stance, tone, and just his fucking presence.

“You’re my problem!” Shoving off the chair I ball my fists and march toward him. All the confusion and anger rolling through me I’m more than ready to start a fight. The muscles in his shoulders tense, and he lifts his chin as I near.

“Wait!” Journey jumps between us. Her hands outstretched like a referee. “Please, I brought him over to make peace. He’s not a bad guy Tate.”

“He hit you, of course he’s a bad guy.” I laugh dishearteningly.

“Yo, babe, you better do something about this disrespect,” he orders, pointing at me like a thug.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I take another step forward ready to jab this asshole in the face.

“What the hell is going on out here?” Dad steps out of his room. Dad’s eyes light up before contorting into anger when he sets sight on Scotty. “Why are you here?”

“Journey said she was getting her family together for dinner, I told her I was her family.” He points at himself. “I should be here!” Scotty informs. I can’t help the look of surprise on my face. This guy is a one of a kind stupid.

“You are not her family. Leave, or I’m calling the cops,” Dad threatens.

Scotty turns, and cracks his knuckles in a threatening manner.

“Oh, you think you’re going to call the cops old man?”

Scotty steps toward Dad, and Journey jumps in front of him. “Stop!” He pushes her to the ground as if he’s swatting a fly.

I fall to Journey’s side, helping her up.

“Scotty wait!” Journey tries to run interference again but she’s too small compared to Scotty.

Dad balls his fists as Scotty comes at him, but before he can react Scotty punches my dad right in the chest.

“You motherfucker!” I scream frantically.

Quickly I jump on Scotty’s back, and drive my fist into the side of his face repeatedly. The sores in my knuckles splitting painfully.

“Stupid bitch!” He throws me from his shoulder, causing me to slam into the wall and fall next to Dad. My shoulder blade blooms with pain, spreading down my back.

Dad makes a sound I’ve never heard before catching my attention from my own pain.

He grips his left shoulder, his eyes wide with fear and pain.

“Dad?”

He pins me with wide eyes, as he clutches his chest. My heart sinks as fear takes root. He’s having a heart attack!

“Journey, call an ambulance!”

“Teaches you right, old man.” Scotty slides a plate off the table, it landing on the floor with a loud crack. Journey doesn’t move from her spot after calling 911 as she stares at Dad and sobs.

“Dad, tell me what to do, what can I do?” I ask, my hands trembling with the amount of adrenaline racing through them. I shift on my knees, trying to get a better look at him.

“Go…Get…That…Fucker,” Dad grits out with pain.

“I’m not leaving you,” I reaffirm.

“Go!” His eyes pin mine, and something familiar flashes through them. Something I haven’t seen in a long time. My dad is finally fighting back. He wants me to fight.

“Go Tate! I will watch him until the ambulance gets here,” Journey offers. Swallowing hard, I nod and jump to my feet.

“Don’t you leave his side!” I point at Journey. She slides to the floor, sitting right next to him.

Turning I run after Scotty. Nobody touches my family. I’m going to kill that asshole.

Throwing the door open, I find him striding toward his car like he’s taking a stroll in the park.

“Hey!” I step out onto the porch, my head lowered and eyes hooded with rage. I swear I can hear the latch to my cage unlocking, because a rush of adrenaline like I’ve never felt before pounds through my veins. It feels good, it’s a rush I crave.

Scotty stops, and slowly turns. An arrogant smirk across his face.

“Yeah?” He grins, and for the love of God I want to kick his teeth in.

“That is the last time you hit anyone in my family.” Lowering my head, an evil smile crosses my face as I welcome the old Tate back.

He balls his fists and cracks his neck.

This is going to hurt, and I’m more than ready for the challenge.

Camden

A commotion next door grabs my attention. There’s yelling and cursing, all coming from Tate’s house. Setting my dinner aside I peek through the curtains and find two people in Tate’s front yard. It’s so dark I can’t make out what is going on, but it doesn’t look good.

Turning the porch light on, I step outside and the unmistakable sound of a fist connecting with bone being heard and a rush of energy surges through me.

Moving quick off the porch steps, I head into the Davis’ yard, and my heart stops. A big motherfucker has Tate pinned to the ground, and is trying to secure her hands above her head. My eyes widen and mouth parts as I start that way, ready to end the life of whoever is on top of her.

Her wrists being so tiny, she slips through and punches the guy in the face so hard he falters.

Like a match igniting gasoline I sprint forward. The need to protect Tate my only thought, bad blood between us is history. Nobody touches her but me.

He thrusts his fist right into Tate’s face, and she cries with pain as her head whips to the side. I grit my teeth, my fists curled so tight my knuckles turn white. Before he can deliver another hit, I tackle him off her. Rolling along the grass, tangled in arms and limbs, I find he’s bigger than I thought. He’s done this before, but he’s sloppy. A street fighter at best. I wrap my arm around his neck, and wrap my leg around his body, securing him to the ground. He grunts as I tighten my hold around his neck, limiting his oxygen. His attempt to escape weakens as he begins to lose consciousness, so I let go. He coughs out a sickly sound as he falls to his knees, rubbing his throat.

Taking my training to a whole other level, from professional to personal, I strike him in the face with my foot, throwing him backwards. His teeth clatter, and blood sprays along my bare foot.

He stays down this time, cupping his face in agony. My chest rises and falls as I pace the wet grass. I point at him, but before I can speak my threat, out of nowhere, Tate straddles the guy, her legs on each side of his body, leaning down she punches him in the mouth.

“Tate!” Grabbing onto her shoulders, I pull her off the groaning guy. She tries to fight my hold on her, desperately wanting to attack the asshole again. Shoving her back a few steps I yell, “Go!” and point toward her house. “I got this!”

She stands tall, her face serious. I can’t lie, I’m getting a hard on at seeing her so undone. She’s furious, reminding me of a Tate I once knew. I warm as feelings I’ve tried to keep at bay coming forward at once.

Not paying attention, a fist swings past my face from behind almost hitting Tate. Not getting the hint that he doesn’t mess with what’s mine.

“You wanna fight like a man, but you’re about to lose like a bitch!” I seethe.

Gritting my teeth I elbow check the fucker in the face, and he falls on his ass. My vision goes red, and my chest aches with a pain so fierce the only way to relieve it is to deliver it.

Stepping over the guy, my legs straddle him. Pulling him up by his hair I force him to look me in the eyes.

“Nobody touches what’s mine, do you hear me?” My voice comes out calm, but serious.

“That hippie bitch ain’t worth all this anyway,” he mumbles, shaking his head as he comes around.

“Good, leave and don’t come back. If you do, you will be rolling back to your homeboys in a wheelchair. Do you understand?”

He smiles in response, before spitting blood in my face.

My nostrils flare as I wipe the blood from my face with my free hand.

Having been done with his bullshit, I head butt him and he conks out.

My head pounds from the impact, causing me to blink a few times to catch my bearings. Sirens sound from up the block, catching my attention.

“Camden go!” Looking behind me Tate is standing on the steps, a look of worry wrinkling her face. “Go, if they find you here you’ll be all over the news.”

Her care isn’t lost on me. Maybe she really does feel like shit for what happened between us. I look down at the unconscious man, and he groans. He could come to and severely hurt Tate or someone else.