Stay With Me (20 page)

I lightly groan and pray she doesn’t hear me.  “Well, it’s a bit complicated right now.  We’re having a bit of a rough patch.”

“Well, sweetheart, I’ll tell you this.  If you love him, try to make it work.  You will only kick yourself later on down the road if you didn’t at least try.  But I think you realize that.  So I won’t stick my nose where it doesn’t belong.” Her gray eyes express understanding, like she knows what she’s talking about from experience.  I don’t ask questions.  I just smile and wave bye as I head back down to Mom’s house.  I don’t even want to go back, knowing she is going to have a nice, little sit-down with me.  

As I walk in the door, Mom is sitting in the living room, obviously waiting on me to come home.  The look in her eyes says that she’s not to be messed with.  She pats the seat next to her and I don’t question it.  I plant my butt right next to her and prepare for the worst.  

“Allison, I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking,  but I think you’re making a big mistake with Donovan.  I know he lied about things, but you have to understand
why
he did what he did.” I try to speak, but she cuts me off. “It’s pretty obvious he loves you, or he wouldn’t have driven over eight hours to see you.  That should count for something.”

“Mom, I see where you’re coming from.  Trust me, I really do.  But I’ve told you before, I detest lying.  It has a snowball effect.  What if he couldn’t stop the lies once he started them?  How am I supposed to know what to believe from him?”

“Granted, this is true.  You have to understand, Allie, that life is way too short. You should know that firsthand.  I didn’t get nearly enough time with your dad.  His life was taken way too soon, and now I regret that getting in more time with him.  Now, I’ll never get the chance.”  Her look softens as she takes my hand into hers.  “Just think about it, sweetheart.  You don’t want to let something slip through your fingers forever.”

I nod my head, knowing she means well.  However, my hard headed ways come from my father.  I still need the time to think this out.  As much as it breaks my heart that I forced him to leave, I have to stand by my decision.  We sit in silence for awhile; her thinking about Dad and I about Donovan.  

I’m the first to break the quietness.  “Mom, did Dad ever lie to you?  Not just a white lie, but about something bigger than that?”

She lets out a heavy sigh and clutches her chest.  “One time, and it was the only time.  It was so long ago.  He had went out one night with the boys one night, before we were married.  He said he would call me when he got home at ten.  I waited by the phone for hours, with no word from him.” Mom wipes a stray tear from her cheek.  “Back then, we didn’t have cell phones or even pagers.  So, all I could do is worry sick about him.  I finally fell asleep on the couch.  When I woke up the next morning, I was furious.  I took my dad’s car keys and was bound and determined to lay into him.”  

She lets out a little laugh.  “I was going to let him have it.  I pulled up to his house and saw his car.  I knocked as hard as I could, not even caring if the whole neighborhood heard me.  When he answered the door, he was dressed in a gray suit.  When I gave him the death stare, he smiled and took my hand.  Without so much as a word, he took me downstairs to the basement.  When I saw it, I almost passed out from shock.  There were roses petals and candles lit.” I look at her, urging her to continue.  

“The basement didn’t have any windows, so it wasn’t as weird as it sounds.  Anyways, he had spent all night setting up the basement.  He never even went out with his friends.  That’s when he asked me to marry him.”

I sit, stunned and confused.  “So, Dad told you a lie about going out, when he was actually preparing the place to ask you to marry him?”  I shake my head, then giggle.  The thought of Mom and Dad young was...well, I never thought about it.  

“Yep, that’s exactly what he did.  Now, sit on that one and think about it.” She stands to answer the door.  I walk off into the kitchen, hoping I can find some chocolate to calm my nerves.  As I search through the pantry in search of some M&M’s, Mom comes back in with a brown paper package.  

“It’s addressed to you.” She studies the postmark.  “There’s no return address, but it came from Georgia.”

“That’s weird.  I don’t even know if Donovan is back in Atlanta, so there’s no way it’s from him.”  I take the small, square box and shake it.  I don’t hear anything, so I carefully tear open the tape on the sides.  I open the top and look at it in confusion.  “What the hell is this?”  I pull out a tiny hourglass.  There’s a note on the bottom, so I unfold it and read it aloud.  “Your time is almost up.”

I throw the box down, all of a sudden terrified.  Whoever this is knows my mother’s address and surely, my address in Atlanta.  “Who would do such a thing?  And why?”  My voice trembles as fear starts to consume me.  My mother wraps her arm around my shoulders, not saying a word.  Then it hits me.  Only one person would do this; Claire Dubois.  

Chapter 28

Donovan

I sure as hell don’t know my way around Lynchburg.  When Allie told me to go home, I didn’t listen.  I’ve decided to stick around until she decides she wants to go back to Georgia.  I figure I can find some stuff to do around this place.  But geez, it’s confusing.  I don’t understand how I can be on 29 South and 501 North at the same time.  Thank goodness for GPS, otherwise, I’d be wandering around this place like an idiot.

Apparently, the best hotel to stay in this town is the Wingate.  I checked in there as soon as Allie told me to leave.  I’ll stay as long as I need to get her to talk to me.  If nothing else, I’m persistent.  

I find this place called Country Kitchen when I was driving around.  It’s a hole in the wall, but judging by the parking lot, it’s at least got good food.  I put my car in park and debate on texting Allie.  I pull my phone out and unlock the screen.  I’ve dialed her number so many times over the last forty eight hours.  I just stare, not knowing whether to try my luck again or just leave it alone.  I decide on the latter; she wanted some time.  If time makes her happy, then I’ll give it to her.  I just hope her definition of time isn’t forever.  I put my phone back in my pocket and get out the car.  

When I walk into the place, I swear I’m the only person under the age of sixty.  I head to back of the restaurant and chose a booth.  The walls look like they haven’t been painted in forty years and there’s a dry-erase board with today’s specials.  A lady comes up to get my drink order; I get a coffee and water.  She hands me a menu and says, “Here you go, honey,  Debbie will be right with you.”  I look at the prices and I laugh to myself.  Allie always made a big deal about the price of food, now I see why.  The prices here also haven’t changed in years.  Nothing is more than eight bucks, which doesn’t bother me a bit.  

Debbie, a short, heavy set woman, comes to take my order.  The most appealing thing looks like some kind of ham with raisin sauce, so I go with that.  She smiles and tells me, “It’ll be right out, sugar.  I’ll go get you some rolls.”  What is it with everyone around here calling me cutesy nicknames.  I shrug, then slip my phone out again.  This time, I decide to put my earbuds in and listen to some music.

Our time apart is like knives in my heart...God, I’m trying to, trying not to love you only goes so far. Trying not to need you is tearing me apart...Cuz trying not to love you, only makes me love you more.

Damn you, Nickelback.
  I rip the earbuds out and toss it on the table.  Maybe music wasn’t a good idea.  I look up and when I do, I see none other than that bastard, Matt Bowman, walk in.  He sees me, too, and he smirks.  

Jackass.

He heads my way, and I glare him down, daring him to come closer to me.  He stops just a few feet from my table.

“So, you’re Allie’s new boyfriend, huh?”

“What’s it to you?” I feel my heart pick up a beat from the adrenaline that starts to course through my body.  

He is the complete opposite of me.  He’s got that jet black hair with extremely dark eyes, and he looks like a skinny ass wimp with his tight cowboy jeans on.  What the hell did she see in him?  “Look, dude.  I don’t want trouble.  I just want to talk.  Mind if I join you?”

Is he serious?  “What in the world would you have to talk to me about?  Except the ass whipping I gave you earlier?” A smile creeps across my lips, knowing I gave the jerk a nice bruise on his cheek.  It shows up even more now.

“The only thing we have in common; Allie.”  Oh, so he sees it, too?  I nod my head to the seat across from me and he slides in.

“So, start talking.” I cross my arms across my chest.  

He looks extremely nervous, and it takes everything in me not to laugh in his face.  He rubs his hands on his pants, apparently he
is
nervous.  “I gotta apologize for acting the way I did this afternoon.  I honestly didn’t know she had a boyfriend.  Otherwise, I wouldn’t have kissed her.”

That stings; why didn’t she tell him from the get go that we were together.  “Well, it didn’t look like she wanted you kissing her.”  I know she told me otherwise, but I want to get his answer.

“Well, she didn’t.  She told me to leave, but I had to give it one more chance.  I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.  She’s the mother of my son, and I guess I wanted to try to be a family.  Then, Jackson....he didn’t even know who I was.”  His dark eyes look away to the floor and I can tell that pains him.  I should be understanding of that, but I’m not.

“Well, you fucked her over pretty bad.  Coercing her into having sex when she wasn’t ready, getting her pregnant, your friend blasting that shit on Facebook.  What did you expect?” I run my hand through my hair.  “Did you expect her to come running back to you with open arms, ready to forgive you?”

“I was kinda hoping she would.  But truth be,known, I knew it wouldn’t work.  But, like I said, I had to try.  She told me to leave and to stay away from her before I kissed her.  She told me she wanted nothing to do with me.  Now, I know.”  He shifts in his seat.  “And I can tell, she loves you.  I saw the way she looked at you when you got out of the car.  I saw it in her eyes.  That’s why we’re talking now.  I want her to be happy, and if you do that for her, so be it.”

“So, you came here to give your blessing?  Tell me, did you know I was here?  Did you see my car outside?” I eye him suspiciously.  That’s the last thing I need is another stalker.  

“Honestly, no.  I had no idea you were here.  I’m just playing this shit by ear right now.  I came here to get something to eat, I swear.” He holds his hands up in defense.  “I’m not trying to start anything.  I really just want her happy.”

I ponder this for a minute.  Allie’s ex wants me to make her happy?  This sounds a little off.  “So, you’re sure that’s all you want is for her to be happy with me, and not with you?  Because I plan on making her the happiest damn woman on this planet.”  I’m not about to let him know that she’s not speaking to me right now.  

“Yeah, that’s what I want.  I wish you nothing but the best.”  He gets up to leave.  “By the way, I don’t even know your name.  I’m pretty sure you know mine.”

“Donovan.”  Short and sweet; he doesn’t deserve anything other than that.

He clears his throat.  “Well, Donovan, good luck with Allie.  She’s an amazing human being and I kick myself every day for screwing us up.  Cherish her, or I swear, shit
will
get started.” With that being said, he turns and walks out the front door.  

What in the world just happened?

That conversation ranks up with one of the strangest I’ve ever had.  Yeah, I’ve had to deal with ex boyfriends, and of course, Frank, but I’ve never actually had one go quite like that. The exes I deal with were jealous boyfriends that wanted their girlfriends back, so I had no problem with it.  I didn’t care about those girls.  Claire was a different story, but Allie is different on a whole other level.  I want to settle down with her someday.  Now I wonder if I’ll ever get the chance.  She is as stubborn as a mule sometimes, but I suppose I can be, too.  Maybe that’s why we work so well, or least, we did work.  

I’ve lost my appetite, so I flag the waitress down and ask for a box.  As I pay my bill, my mind wanders back to Allie.  I wonder if she found my little surprise in her mom’s car seat yet.

Chapter 29

Allie

“Oh, Donovan, please don’t stop!” I moan as I grab his head that’s between my legs.  My hips buck off the bed as his tongue pushes deeper into me.  I’m so close to climax; I feel my muscles tighten, my body begging to cum.  His hands grab the inside of my thighs to hold me down, but my pelvis wants to lift off the mattress.  Doing this in my old room feels so wrong, but so right at the same time.  

“Baby, it’s been so long.  I’ve missed you so much,” he whispers in between kisses and licks.  Those words choke me up.   

“I’ve missed you, too.  I love you.”

Just as I say those words, he stops.  His tongue quits moving and he leaves me hanging.  

What?  Don’t go, please!  Come back.

My eyes fly open and I sit straight up, frantically in search for Donovan.  Where did he go?  He was just here with me, in my bed,  Then I realize, he was never here.  It was all a dream, just like the last six days.