Mended (3 page)

Cole glances at Jake, then at me. I can tell he’s not happy but not fighting me on it…that’s interesting. He steps forward and pulls off his scarf, wrapping it around my bare neck. I struggle not to immediately bury my nose and soak up the scent as he tucks a lose piece of hair behind my ear.

“Text Keith or me when you get home,” he whispers, then steps away as I slowly turn to face Jake, who is looking off, trying to give us some privacy.

I pull out the key and open the door to my brightly lit apartment. I’ve been leaving a light on so it feels like I’m coming home to someone. Once all the doors are locked, I toss my keys in a bowl and head for the shower, then change into Cole’s t-shirt and slip into an already made bed on the couch, facing the door. I’m so tired my eyes close immediately, but I only manage to get twenty minutes of sleep before something creaks in my bedroom, making my eyes pop open. I grab my cell from my bag and text Keith that I am home. I find myself writing a text to Cole too.

Savi: Home
.

It pings a moment later.

Cole: Did you just get home?

Savi: No, I fell asleep.

Cole: Why aren’t you asleep now?

I hesitate, then go with the truth.

Savi: Heard something, it was nothing.

Cole: Something like what?

Savi: Just a noise, but it was nothing.

Cole: Are you able to get back to sleep?

Savi: Yes.

Cole: Text me if you can’t.

Savi: I miss you.

I pause, my thumb hovering over the send button. I slowly delete each letter one by one.

Savi: Thanks, goodnight.

I want to text him to come over, but I don’t. Instead I stare at the ceiling until I can’t take it anymore. Turning on the TV for company, I decide I might get a cat just so I have something to cuddle up to. Aloof isn’t really cutting it. I look over at the fish floating perfectly still and staring at me.

I muster up the courage and creep into my bedroom and grab the little army bear Daniel and Sue bought me for my baby. Suddenly feeling an overwhelming sadness, I cling to it as I watch Friends until the sun comes up.

Chapter Two

My eyelids feel like lead as I force my aching body up off the couch to let in Jake, who is knocking at my door. It's nine a.m. Giving me a once-over, he slips into my apartment holding a laptop with his “just be happy I’m not a twin” coffee cup balanced on top. I find it kind of cute that he always brings his own mug.

“I’d ask how you slept, but it's pretty obvious you’re on night two of no sleep.” Jake settles onto
his
stool in my kitchen. I pour him a cup and one for myself. I can't wait for the creamy liquid to hit my tongue. Lord, I love coffee. “I want to ask you something, Savi, but I don’t want you getting mad at me.”

“Okay,” I mumble, cracking four eggs into a frying pan. I pull out some fresh chopped peppers, onion, ham, and cilantro and sprinkle them into the pan, adding a little grated cheese and spice. I glance over my shoulder when he doesn't continue and see him typing away on his laptop, so I decide to wait him out. When the omelets are finished, I divide them onto two plates and set them on the counter. They might not be fancy, but they look pretty good. Besides, I need protein badly; caffeine just won’t cut it.

“Is this you?” he says suddenly, turning the laptop around, showing a news article with a picture of my father and me with a dramatic crack down the middle and the headline “Rumor Mayor Fox Hired Cartel to Kidnap Own Daughter.” I want to vomit, but instead I pick up my fork and cut into the egg. As soon as my tongue touches the Jell-O-like substance it rejects it, and I spit it out, very unladylike, on my plate. Hopping to my feet and shoving my dish in the sink, I lean on the counter with my back to him.

“So I’ll take that as a yes,” he whispers, closing his laptop.

Tears! Stupid tears are flowing down my cheeks. I blame part of it on lack of sleep. I stand staring at the counter and hear him come up behind me.

“Savi.” He reaches for my shoulder and turns me so I’ll face him. He smiles at me, holding both my hands. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just knew you looked familiar, and when I heard your name and saw the SWAT type guys watching over you, well, I went with my hunch.”

“I-I can’t talk about it,” I admit, shocking myself with my honestly.

He closes his eyes and presses his lips together, taking a moment to think, then stares down at me. “When I was sixteen, my father came home early from work to find me and his boss’s kid having sex on the couch.”

“Okay,” I murmur, thinking that would be embarrassing.

“It was the first time he ever laid a hand on me, and he beat me until I stopped moving. He threatened my life if I ever saw
Eddy
again.” My heart breaks at that moment. His father is an asshole too; he didn’t love him for who he was. All the vibes I have about Jake make sense now. He never hit on me because he is gay. “I play the single hottie from L.A. because it works for me. The women pay good money to see this ass in jeans.” He laughs darkly and points at his butt. “But if they knew the truth, Zack would lose a lot of regulars, and I’d never do that to him. Zack's too important to me. He’s the only one who knows the real me, and now you do too.” He sighs and gives me a wink. “A secret for a secret.”

I smile through my tears. “Thank you, for being a friend when I really need one.” I lean forward, giving him a hug.

Jake and I decide to head to the mall for some decorations to brighten my place up a little. We take his Prius, since it has started snowing again, small flakes, which I know means we're in for a lot of accumulation. The mall is quiet and looks like Cupid threw up all over it. I hate Valentine’s Day. I forgot malls decorate weeks before the actual event. After Jake drags me to every candle, picture, pillow, and kitchen store, we walk out of the mall with four huge bags of goodies.

Jake opens the trunk and tosses the bags inside, and I stop breathing.

***

Cole

Cole pours himself a cup of coffee and takes a seat next to Mark in the entertainment room. They’d decided to play poker earlier in the evening, since Dell and Davie are starting on the night shift and wanted to join in on the fun.

“Coffee?” Mark asks, pointing a finger at Cole’s mug.

Cole rubs his fingers through his hair. “No sleep for me. I have to work after this.”

“You work too much,” Paul says, puffing on a cigar. “You should be joining in the fun.”

Mark holds up two fingers to John as he ditches two cards and picks up the new ones. “He used to have fun.” Mark gives a laugh. “Seems to me the house has been pretty quiet since a little firecracker isn't around to get into trouble anymore.”

“Yeah, like playing paintball or sparring in the ring,” Paul adds, glancing at Cole. “Feel free to bring her back, Logan. It’s getting a little dull here.”

Cole rolls his eyes with a smirk. “Have you met that woman?”

“Yes,” his father says, entering the room, “and we want her back.”

Mark leans over the table. “Even if you can see her whenever you want, you shouldn't say that. We miss her, and what’s with that bar? Have you met that creep? Mr. Scotch Neat? The man is an ass!”

“All right, boys.” Abigail sets a bowl of chips and hot wings on the table. Everyone stops talking immediately as they dive in.

“Fold.” Dell chucks his cards in front of him. It’s their third round, and Mark has won twice, and now he’s gloating.

“John, I see you and raise you five.” Mark grins and turns his attention to Daniel, who looks like he's thinking.

Cole’s pocket starts to vibrate. He pulls out his cell and glances at the screen, then quickly answers it. “Savi?”

“Ahh, hi. This is Jake, actually. I work with Savi at the bar.” Cole looks at Mark, who’s watching him. The table grows quiet. “I’m sorry for calling you, but I think she's having a panic attack or something. Any suggestions on what I should do?”

“Hold the phone up to her ear.” Cole quickly walks out of the room and up the stairs, grabbing his jacket and keys.

“Okay…ahh…here she is.”

Her erratic breathing fills the phone. “Savannah, it’s Cole. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“I-don’t—” She pauses, trying to catch a breath. “I-can’t…”

“It’s all right. Where are you?” he says calmly.

“M-mall.” She starts to cry, her sounds muffled by the phone, then Jake is back on.

“We're at the mall parking lot, section 3C. Are you coming?”

“Yes, I’ll be there in twenty.”

Cole pulls into the parking lot fifteen minutes later, easily spotting Jake. Savannah is on the ground in a ball, leaning against a light pole. It’s just getting dark and the temperature has dropped drastically in a very short time. He hops out and leaves the car running.

“She won’t get in the car!” Jake calls out as he gets closer. “She won’t come near it. I don’t know what happened. One minute we were having a great time, the next she’s freaking out.”

Cole bends down close to Savannah. “Hey, baby, I’m going to pick you up and put you in my car now. I’ll take you back to your place.” She lifts her head and peers up at him through blood-shot eyes, tears streaking her face, shaking uncontrollably. She leans forward and wraps her arms around his neck.

“Cole,” she whispers, sounding relieved.

He lifts her up and carries her to the car, telling Jake to follow them back home.

A few minutes later, Jake opens the door to her apartment. “I’ll get changed and come back to check on her.”

“It’s all right, I’m going to spend the night,” Cole says as he places Savannah on the couch and removes her jacket. “I called Zack. Both of your shifts are covered tonight.” He stands, sighing. “Thanks for calling me, Jake. I...we...both appreciate it.”

Jake hesitates, then glances at Savi, who seems to be slowly coming around. “Are you all right?”

Cole knows Jake is just looking out for her, and he respects that, but he needs to leave now. “I’ve got it.”

“It’s okay, Jake, thank you.” She stands, wavering a bit. She sends him a small smile to reassure him. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Jake nods, closing the door behind him. Cole removes his wet boots and jacket, taking in Savannah’s new place. He doesn't miss the makeshift bed on the couch or the box of tissues next to it. He bends down and picks up the little army bear that had fallen on the floor, tucking it under the covers and feeling his stomach twist a little. Following the sound of the water running in the bathroom, he pushes open the door to find Savannah scrunched down in the steaming tub. Her hair is pulled up into a messy bun with a few pieces framing her face. Eyes tightly closed, she leans her head back and takes a shaky breath. Cole leans against the counter, legs and arms crossed, and watches her pale face slowly returning to its normal color.

“So what happened, Savi?” His voice is low.

She keeps her eyes closed as she speaks. “Thank you for coming and bringing me home, Cole, but you don’t have to stay.”

“I want to stay. Now what happened back at the mall?”

Her chin starts to quiver, and he can’t help moving to her side, needing to touch her. He bends down behind her head and starts gently messaging her shoulders. The moment his hands slide over her smooth skin, he feels the mood shift. Leaning forward so his lips hover above her ear, he whispers again, “Savi, tell me what happened back there. Please talk to me, baby.” He wants so much to tell her how he really feels and what he would like to do to her right now, but is afraid of her pulling back from him even more. He doesn’t want her to think it’s all sex between them; he loves her so much more than that. How can he explain to her that she means more to him than anything on earth? He can feel her heart beating under his hands and realizes she is holding her breath.

Suddenly she moves forward, reaching for the plug, then steps out and wraps a towel around herself. He follows her out to the living room where she hands him his jacket, not making eye contact.

“Are you kicking me out?” he asks, not taking his jacket.

“Like I said, thank you for helping me, but you can go now. I’m sure you have lots to do.” She reaches to unlock the door, but he stops her. “Cole, please.”

“Please what?” His hand slides down the door, meeting hers. Her hand shoots to her towel, holding it tighter around her front. “Please leave so you can crawl onto the couch and not sleep another night? Have you slept at all since Keith got switched to night duty?” She sneaks a glance at her couch. “I hate that you won’t look at me.” Her eyes slowly travel up his body, leaving a hot trail until they meet his. “Don’t shut me out. I won’t let you.”

“I’m not!” she snaps, suddenly fuming with anger.

“Don’t lie to me, Savi!” he snaps back.

“I’m n—”

He takes a step toward her and wraps both hands around her face. He slams his lips into hers, not caring about holding back. She pushes him away but squeaks when one hand moves the towel open and slides down her stomach and between her legs. Just as he suspected, she’s ready. No matter what’s going on between them, they can never deny their sexual attraction for one another.

Her hands fly out, undoing his belt and tugging down his pants, and all the while his tongue is showing her what he wants to be doing. He backs her into the kitchen as he kicks away his pants and loses his shirt. She stiffens when he lowers her down on the cold countertop and slips two fingers into her. She grabs for his erection and runs her small hands around, matching what his fingers are doing to her.

“I need to be in you,” he whispers into her lips, not caring how desperate it sounds. It’s the truth. She spreads her legs further as she guides him in. He sucks in a sharp breath as he tries to remember to stand. Once he’s fully in, he still holds her around her waist with one hand while running his other fingertips along her slender neck, tipping her up to look at him. He leans down and brushes his lips over hers. They both have so much to say, but can’t seem to find the words.

“Lean back,” he orders. She complies, holding his gaze as she does so. He grips her thighs and brings her closer to the edge of the counter. His eyes rake over her body, seeing just how perfect it is. The color of her skin looks like honey, her dark hair swirling around her sexy face. The best part of this angle is her eyes. They drag him into the hot, dark pools that seem to deepen in color when he’s near. He flicks forward and he rotates his hips, and her lips part as she lets out a mute moan. He starts out slowly, watching her shoot up the counter as her full breasts bounce. She arches her back to get him deeper, and he changes his grip from her thighs to her hips, rocking a little harder. His eyes shut as she squeezes him from the inside. “Damn, Savi,” he groans, getting lost in the feeling. Her leg muscles tighten, and her stomach flexes as her grip on his wrists becomes rough. She’s close, and so is he, but he intends to make this last for as long as he can.

He pulls out, ignoring her curses as he hauls her off the counter and over to the couch where he bends her over the arm and takes her from behind. He covers her body with his, wanting every inch of her against him. Burying her head into the covers letting out a wild scream, she orgasms under him. He didn’t want to, but the intensity of her orgasm makes him go off too.