Still Water (19 page)

"You promise?" I unwound my hands from his hair and held his face in my palms. He tilted his head in order to look at me. We stared at each other in a heavy silence until the air started to burn with need, and I could feel my body ignite again.

"Lily…" He closed his eyes and exhaled. After a second, his intense brown eyes opened. "I'm… you've got me all crazy for you right now. I want to take you right here in this driveway, I want to tell you how much I crave your smell and how it lingers on my skin once you've left. I want to hear that sound that only you make when you come. I need to feel you lose control while you're wrapped around me, but at the same time, I need to hear your voice and your fucking laugh. You… this is not what I was expecting."

My heart was sprinting in my chest, and my fingers trembled against his cheeks.

"Damn, Lily, all I can think about every moment of every day is you. You and that sweet voice… and that even sweeter smile. I'm fucking addicted." Todd's dimples were on display as he smiled at me with more hope than I'd ever witnessed. I suddenly felt whole.

"Really?" I couldn't think of anything else to say. I just hoped that the happy tears that were falling were confirmation of my feelings for him.

"Hell yeah, baby." He gently kissed my cheek as his lips tasted my tears.

"I'm not sure when it happened, Todd, but I want to belong to you. I want to be the one you wish for. Is that… is that weird?" I tilted my head down; I couldn't meet his eyes. I couldn't believe I'd just spoken those words aloud.

I felt the familiar pressure of two fingertips under my chin, urging me to look at him. "Lily, did you not hear a damn word I just said?" Todd's gaze searched mine. "All I've ever wanted was to belong to someone. Hell, I'm in deep." I noticed the vulnerability in his voice, and all I could think about was how I wanted to make him feel loved, feel a part of a whole. I felt the shift in my heartbeat. He was starting to own pieces of me, and I wanted him to — I wanted him to have all of me.

I leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his lips before I said, "I heard you babe, and trust me… I'm in deep too."

Todd kissed me again, but this time his lips were possessive. He was taking me in as his. It felt so primal, the way our mouths linked us as one. I could have sat out here with him, like this for hours, but we didn't have hours. Instead, we had a house full of people that scared the crap out of me. But in order to belong to him totally, I needed to belong to them and I was ready.

T
HANKFULLY,
T
ODD LET ME
wear his raincoat over my head; otherwise, I'd be meeting Queen Elizabeth looking like a drowned rat. I tried to ignore all the tension in my limbs as Todd rapped his knuckles on the door. I took one last breath just as the door swung open.

"Hurry, get inside before you wash away. Ugh, this weather, it's the worst." Her voice was light, and her smile was immense as her giant blue eyes swallowed me whole. She was gorgeous. All the amazing things Todd told me in the car, all the security I felt, drained from my veins as if I was sliced opened with the sharpest knife in the drawer. "You must be, Lily? Sawyer told me he met you yesterday; I was so jealous."

An uncomfortable laugh escaped my lips as we walked through the threshold of the house. What on earth did she have to be jealous about? The thought caused another nervous giggle to erupt. I nodded. "Yes, it's nice to meet you, too." I felt Todd step behind me. He pulled me into him, my back pressed against the length of his body, as his strong, warm arms enclosed around me, and I instantly regretted my doubt. This one gesture bandaged the wounds of finally seeing
her
in the flesh. He wanted me to belong to him. I needed to trust that. I needed to believe in myself.

Elizabeth's laugh caught me off guard, pulling me out of my internal war. "You must be so nervous coming home to meet the family. Don't worry, I can already tell that we're going to get along. Anyone who can put up with this idiot is a friend of mine."

My lips pulled up at the sides, my smile no longer a fragile replica of the real thing. "Family, I like that. You're right, though…" I decided in that moment to be true to me, true to Todd, "…I was terrified. I'm just glad to have someone to talk shit with. Todd… well… do I really need to say more?" My laugh tickled all the way down my body as I felt Todd's sturdy arms turning me into his chest.

"Hey, screw that, Red. I'll just have to keep you away from this one." He lifted his chin in Liz's direction before he smiled down at me. "I'm awesome, don't you forget it." Before I knew what he was doing, he placed his lips on mine. For a split second, I was self-conscious by the show of affection, but then I realized he was showing me that I was bound to him. The kiss was sweet, his lips tenderly coaxing me, and for about thirty seconds, he had me totally wrapped up in the moment. Todd's thumb gently stroked my cheek as he pulled back from my mouth, and for a few more seconds it was just us as I watched his eyes alight with amber flecks of fire.

A movement in my peripheral vision brought me back down to earth. An easy measured grin spread across Elizabeth's face. She bit her lip trying to suppress her smile. She looked so genuinely pleased for Todd in that instant that I couldn't dislike her. She loved Todd and wanted him to be happy. That little smile on her face told me everything I needed to know. She wasn't a threat; he quietly claimed me, and she looked as if it was Christmas morning.

Todd gave me one more peck on the cheek. "You ready to meet everyone else?" His smirk was cocky. That kiss was more than just a kiss, and he knew it. I nodded.

"Lizzie Bean, where the hell is my baby girl?" Todd took my hand in his, lacing our fingers. Liz's eyes didn't miss the action, and her smile spread wider; her blue eyes gleamed as she motioned for us to follow her.

"This way. Sailor has been so spoiled today. Cam never puts her down when she's here." Elizabeth brought us through the living room, the wood fireplace crackled, and the earth tones throughout the house made me feel at ease. This was such a home; it made me nostalgic for a future that maybe one day would match this one. Growing up I always had such love from my father; he did everything he could to make our house ours,
'our little piece of heaven,'
he called it. I had to swallow down the emotion growing in my throat. Todd squeezed my hand as we walked into the kitchen.

"You okay, baby?" His voice quiet but full of concern.

I really was. He was making this day so much easier; if only my stupid brain would stop taking me back, back to where I couldn't ever go again. "I'm better than okay, I'm really fine, just a little home sick."

Todd's eyebrows dipped. "You sure? Because—"

"Oh my God, look who decided to grace us with his presence." A tall, leggy strawberry blonde stood next to the kitchen counter, bouncing a fat little baby with dark curls and eyes that could only belong to Liz on her hip.

"Shut the hell up and give me that damn baby." Todd let go of my hand and grabbed Sailor from who I assumed was Cam.

She reluctantly handed Todd the little cherub. "Don't think you can just come over here and start barking orders again." Her angry tone was at war with the welcoming smile she held.

Todd hugged her like a brother who hadn't seen his sister in years, and the small portions of my heart that belonged to him multiplied seeing him like this — the front gone. The small town boy, the good friend, the boy next door was more than I'd hoped for. Underneath the tough exterior, Todd was a sweetheart. Sailor cooed and grabbed his nose; the light laughter and easy smile that fell across his face had me falling hard. "It's good to see you, truly. You…" Cam pointed at me, and my pulse skipped. "…must be Lily? I don't know how you put up with this asshat, but, hell, it's sure nice to find someone who can." She reached out as if to shake my hand, but pulled me into an embrace. I felt awkward. I wasn't really a "hugger," but just as she pulled away, she whispered, "Hang in there, he's worth it."

I immediately knew Cam was my favorite person here. She patted me on the back lightly just as she took the last step away. She perched herself on the counter and popped a carrot from the tray of veggies that sat on the kitchen counter in her mouth. "Todd, you've had that baby forever already. Five more minutes, and that's it. You hear me." Cam snickered.

The relationship between Cam and Todd made it so easy to laugh. "It's nice to meet you guys, really, and it's nice to see this side of Todd."

"Oh, you mean you were getting sick of the moody bastard? Why?" Cam snorted at her own joke, and Todd shot her a glare.

"Fuck, why am I the only guy here? Where the hell is my brother? Sawyer?"

"Dude, don't swear in front of the baby." Cam giggled.

"It's not funny, Cam. Yesterday Sawyer hit his toe on the coffee table, and I swear she repeated every word." Elizabeth's smile was infectious.

"Uh oh." I laughed.

"Right?" Elizabeth's eyes sparkled with humor.

"Oh my God, she can barely say Mama let alone the 'F' word." Cam rolled her eyes.

Todd's deep laugh resonated through the room, grabbing our attention. The girls looked at him with proud smiles as he peppered Sailor's cheeks and neck with kisses causing her to giggle wholeheartedly. The rough scruff of his beard must have tickled her cheeks. The light color of Sailor's skin next to Todd's tattooed arms was such an interesting contrast. He was so incredibly sexy. The dark gray shirt he wore fit him just right — the short sleeves hugged his biceps, and, with the way he held this little girl with such admiration, I was hooked.

"He's so cute with her." I shook my head as I watched Todd quickly wrap around Sailor's finger.

"He really is. Who knew?" Elizabeth joked.

Todd glanced at me, and I gave him a wicked grin. "Are you ever going to share?" I asked as I reached to take Sailor from his arms. She was heavier than she looked. She was solid, but soft at the same time; her pudgy fingers swatted at my father's necklace.

"Are they still at the job site then?" Todd asked as he started on the veggie tray as well.

"I guess. I haven't heard from Sawyer. They should have been back by now, but he always calls me before he leaves." Elizabeth busied herself with dinner prep. Whatever she was making smelled great. "Colby hasn't texted either has he?"

"He did about thirty minutes ago, said they were almost finished." Cam hopped down from the counter. She pulled her phone from her pocket. "I'll send him a quick text and tell them to hurry their asses up." Cam tapped out a quick text. It felt as if hardly a minute went by and her phone beeped. Cam's face drained of color as she read the text. Her eyes swept the room and landed on Liz, as she rapidly tapped at her phone's keypad.

Liz's back was turned as she stirred the boiling contents on the stove. My pulse started to rush; I could sense something was horribly wrong. I turned my attention to Todd, who was now staring at Cam with unease. They shared a look, and my chest constricted. With Sailor in my arms, I watched everything that happened next as if it were slow motion.

Elizabeth wiped her hands on the towel that hung from the oven door, "Well? Are they on their—"

Liz turned just in time to see Cam hand Todd the phone. Todd read the text and cursed under his breath. The anxiety in the room was profound.

"Lizzie…" Cam's eyes were filled with tears.

"What, Cam? What's going on?" Elizabeth's hands shook, the rosiness from her cheeks gone as she swallowed hard.

My heart felt as if it was about to rip through my chest.

Cam started to cry as she attempted to speak but couldn't.

Todd took three large strides and brought Liz to his chest. I could tell her body was trembling with fear — fear of what no one wanted to say. "Lizzie… Sawyer is on his way to the hospital." Elizabeth cried out, her sobs buried into Todd's chest, her legs buckled, causing Todd to tighten his grip. "He fell off some scaffolding, hit his head. It's bad, baby girl. He's un—"

Todd's speech was strained; he took a deep breath trying to keep himself in check. "He's unconscious. Colby's in the ambulance with him, and they're almost at the hospital." Elizabeth's body shuddered as sobs wracked through her. Todd rubbed his palm up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her.

She pushed away from him with force. "Take me to him…take me to him, now. Please, please God… Just take me to him, Todd." She wiped frantically at her cheeks, but started to break down into uncontrolled tears.

"Let's go, baby girl. Cam grab her bag." Todd's voice was flat. He looked over at me, and it was then I saw the red rim around his glassy brown eyes. "Can you watch Sailor, sweetheart?"

I nodded; I'd do whatever he needed me to. He needed to be there for his friends. "Of course, if that's okay?"

"I could stay if you wanted to go with Todd, Lily?" Cam suggested.

"She needs you, Cam. Come on, let's go. Lily's got this." He gave me a small smile.

"Be careful," I whispered.

He nodded at me as he took Liz's hand in his, and they left quickly through the front door. The rain seemed heavier than it had earlier. I prayed that he would drive carefully. The sound of the rain mixed with the anxious feeling in my chest for Sawyer, and for Liz, was substantial and excruciating. I knew exactly what could be waiting for her at the hospital. I just hoped, for everyone's sake, her news wouldn't be as bad as mine had been on that one, horrible, rainy day.