Running in Place (Mending Hearts) (14 page)

“Family isn’t always blood, Tate. Sometimes family is made up of the people surrounding you, those who love you and who accept you. You’re not alone. No matter how much you think you are, or even want to be. When you need your
family
, they’ll be there. Always.”

Too exhausted to speak, I don’t even respond to his words. I just continue towards Cash’s front door. As soon as I open it, I hear Noah backing out of the driveway.

His lights disappear as I step inside, so I shut the door behind me and continue on into the house. Hearing a muffled giggling, I start to yell for Sadie, thinking she beat me here, but when I enter the living room, I see a familiar pair of turquoise boots wrapped around Cash’s waist, his body clamped tightly between the legs inside of them.

Completely in shock at the sight in front of me, my heart pounds mercilessly against my ribcage and my hands to shake. A surge of adrenaline shoots through my veins as the knowledge that the woman in front of me is definitely
not
his cousin. I watch her hands run up and down the back of his wife-beater tank while he nuzzles her neck, receiving more of her cackling as a reward.

Thoughts of the first night he brought her to “The Office”, the morning when I groveled, pleading for him to take me back while he made me feel like shit for breaking his back window, all the times she hung out with us, encouraging him to stay up late to watch TV with her long after I went to bed, the display at the club tonight — they all attack me at once, each one a slap in the face.

I’m going to
kill
him.

Every emotion that I’ve suppressed tonight rages to the surface as I make a mad dash across the room and literally launch myself onto his back, throwing a pair of ugly ass turquoise boots out of the way as I replace them with my body. Screaming, I squeeze him tightly with my legs and place him into a choke hold with one arm around his neck while beating his bicep with my closed fist.

Another high pitched scream hits the air, but I don’t care. All I see is red. Anger takes over as I extend myself over the side of his shoulder and hit him as hard as I can on the side of his face. Fiercely, he jerks himself into a standing position while roaring “YOU BITCH!” just as I lose my hold on him, falling to the floor.

And the last thing I see before the popcorn ceiling is his stupid ass “Class of 2007” high school senior ring coming full-force toward my face.

What the fuck am I doing?

Veering to the right side of the road, I put the Jeep in park and stare at my dashboard.

Knowing Tatum’s alone in Dickhead the Douchebag’s house, packing her shit to leave him — or at least I hope she’s leaving him this time — does not sit well with me. And right after I delivered my epic you’re-never-alone speech.

Disappointed, I shake my head in disbelief. I’m such a fucking hypocrite.

Circling the steering wheel as many times as I can to the left, I put the Jeep back in drive and turn back towards Cash’s house. There’s no way in hell that I’m going to let her do this by herself, unprotected. I saw the unadulterated fury in his eyes in the parking lot the night she bashed out his window, and I have no doubt that if I hadn’t been there he would have harmed her. Just the thought of him laying his hands on her — Jesus. I shake my head again as my jaw clenches on its own accord.

I would fucking kill him.

Just as my grip tightens on the wheel, a chiming noise from the floorboard captures my attention. Glancing over, I catch sight of Tatum’s purse. A small grin presents itself on my face. Now she can’t be pissed when I show up seeing as though I have an actual reason to go back. It’s the perfect ploy.

After coming to a complete stop in the driveway, I reach over to grab the tiny black sequined purse she almost left in the bar, suddenly glad I went back to get it. It vibrates in my hand, most likely a call from Sadie.

Tightening my hold on it, I exit the Jeep and head for the front door, but before I reach it, a familiar clicking noise comes from behind me. Turing around, I spot Tatum’s piece of shit Civic on the other side of the street.

Click.
Nothing.

I Wait.

Click.
Still Nothing.

Making a note to force her to take it in tomorrow morning, I head in her direction. This isn’t the first time this has happened and it pisses me off every single time. Except this time because she sure as shit doesn’t need to be driving. This time I’m glad it doesn’t start. And where the fuck is she going without Sadie?

Shaking my head, I approach her passenger side window and tap lightly, watching closely as she jumps in her seat but then twists towards me. I can’t really see her face to tell whether or not she’s pissed that I’m here, and I really don’t care if she is seeing as though she was going to try driving herself somewhere. But just in case, I cover my bases by holding her purse up so she can see it. After a couple of seconds, she rolls the window down.

“The car won’t
fucking
start, Noah. It won’t start…” she trails off as she covers her face with her hands and begins to sob. Panic replaces my frustration. I immediately toss the purse into her car and reach in to unlock the door. After opening it, I slide down into the passenger seat, and since she’s still facing me, I put my arms around her, pulling her tightly against my chest.

Her tiny body quivers inside my hold as she cries. I smooth her hair with my hand, trying to calm her, but it seems to have the opposite effect. I’m completely at a loss here. I have no idea what happened, but I’m positive she wasn’t
this
upset when I left her no more than five minutes ago.

“Tate, look at me.”

Releasing my hold, I place my hands on her shoulders and lightly press her away from me. She’s still covering her face, so I make my move and peel her hands away so I can see her fully.

As soon as they’re removed, she fearfully tries to avoid my stare by glancing at me from behind the sections of hair covering her eyes. As I begin to suspect what has happened in my absence, my jaw tightens and my nostrils flare as I take in a deep breath, attempting to remain in control of the anger as it begins to spread throughout my body.

“What. The. Fuck?”

Releasing my hold on her wrists, I bring both of my hands, which are now uncontrollably shaking with fury, to her swollen cheeks. Slowly so that I don’t scare her, I pluck the pieces of hair away that are clinging to the lines where tears have been running down her face. With each section removed, I assess the damage inflicted — fist-sized bruise underneath her cheekbone, raised knot on her forehead, open gash across the side of her jaw. And with each assessment, more control is lost.

Picking the last piece, I uncover her left eye which is purple and almost completely swollen shut, with her cracked and bloodied skin outlining it.

“Did Cash do this to you?” I ask, my voice trembling with rage.

When she nods her answer, I take in another deep breath to suppress my outrage as I ball my shaking hands into tight fists. “Is he in the house?”

After another dip of her head, I use the very last bit of restraint I’m able to harness, clenching my teeth as I speak. “Get out of the car, now.”

Slowly and unsteadily, she reaches for the handle.

As soon as she opens her door, I’m already outside of the car.

As soon as she steps out I’m there, taking hold of her elbow and I don’t let go until we arrive at my Jeep.

As soon as she starts to speak, I cut her off. “Get in. Lock the doors. Do
not
get out until I get back.”

She opens her mouth. I open the door.

“Tatum. Get. In.
Please
.” I’m fighting a losing battle within myself and one look at her frightened expression tells me I need to try to get as far away from her as I can before I lose it. After guiding her into the Jeep, I pause, taking one last look at her mangled, tear-stricken face before I shut the door behind me.

I don’t make it far.

One step away from the side of the car, the reality of the situation hits me and I can no longer control the beast inside of me. It claws its way out as I throw my arms open wide with clenched fists, rearing my head back as I roar for the torment that overwhelms me.

“MOTHER FUCKER!”

I let it take control as it consumes me. I want it. I welcome it. I become it.

I. Am. Wrath.

Stalking up to the house, I throw the door open and, upon my entry, I’m greeted by the high- pitched shriek of bouffant Barbie and the sound of Cash’s chair as it scrapes along the kitchen floor when he stands. The sight of her
nursing
him with a bag of frozen peas on his knuckles further amplifies my rage.

Three steps later, there’s even more shrieking as I nudge Barbie out of the way and grab Cash by his neck, laying him out across the kitchen table. It shifts forward, and the legs break from underneath us when I throw myself on top of him, pinning his waist between my knees as we fall. I don’t remember much after that, except the warmth of his blood on my fist when I broke his nose and the sight of it as it splattered across the wall behind his head. I don’t know how long I was there, how many times I connected with his face, or how much damage I caused. All I know is when I was done, I was out of breath and the beast was calm.

Grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, I pull him forward until my mouth is next to his ear as I give him my warning.

“You even
look
at her, I will rip your goddamn throat out. This is
nothing
compared to the pain I will inflict upon you if I catch you anywhere near her. This is your last warning, you senseless fuck. Do. Not. Test. Me,” I emphasize each word before releasing him, sending his unconscious body crashing to the floor.

Rising up off of his chest, I snatch the bag of peas off the floor and toss it on his chest before walking out the door.

Nurse that,
motherfucker
.

After slamming his front door shut, I head toward the Jeep. A car takes off in the distance, and my eyes land on Cash’s truck alongside the road about three houses down.
Odd
, but honestly, I don’t really give a shit. The location of Cash’s fucking truck is the least of my worries right now.

I break my gaze from his truck to meet the crystal clear eyes of Tatum, widened in surprise, still sitting in my passenger seat. She starts to open her door, but I shake my head. I need her to remain safe. I have no idea how long Cash will be out, and my main concern is getting her ass away from here.

After hooking the keys from my pocket, I raise my hand, pointing the keyless entry toward the Jeep, when I notice the drying blood trails that have embedded themselves between my knuckles. Quickly, I dart my eyes around the front of his house until they find the outside faucet. I don’t want to scare her any more tonight, and something tells me that the blood all over my hands isn’t going to help calm her any.

As swiftly as I can, I march over to the faucet and after turning it on, I wash the remaining blood from my hands, drying them on my jeans as I turn towards Tatum. Taking one more glance at Cash’s still open doorway, I figure it’s improbable that he’s going to wake anytime soon, so I head over to the Jeep. Still, it’s not until I’m at my door that I press the unlock button.