Sweet Ride (30 page)

“Hey, chickie,” I
answer.

“Hey, Payton. How was
the cabin?” she asks. I don’t really know if they care that I
used it or not.

“It was amazing,
Ella. I’m sorry I went there without asking you first. I know that
was a dick thing to do, but I remembered that I had the key, and I
just had to go. I needed to get away from everyone, but I should’ve
asked you.”

“It’s fine. We were
all so worried about you when Jack woke up and you were gone.
Luckily, Jack’s a cop and had the resources to find you. But I
guess if he didn’t, at least your mom called and told us where you
were. Is she coming out here?” she asks.

“She can’t get time
off of work. Apparently there’s some kind of big case going on at
the law firm, and all the support staff has to be around to help. But
she said that as soon as it’s over, the whole family will be out,”
I tell her. Honestly, I can’t wait to see them all, especially my
mom. I miss her so much, and I know she’s concerned about me.

“Really! Yay! I can’t
wait to see all of them, too!” Ella squeals into my ear.

“I know. I can’t
wait to see them. I really miss her and Daddy-O. Have you been
talking to Evan? How is she?” I ask.

“When I was talking
to her, she was doing really good—just worried about you. She
understands why you did what you did, Payton. She also wants you to
know that he never forced her to do anything; it was consensual. Your
mom said she’s more grossed out with herself for sleeping with him
after finding out what he did to you.”

“I feel awful. I know
it’s not my fault, but she’s my baby sister. If I didn’t leave
Boston, this would’ve never happened.”

“That could’ve
happened if you lived there or not. This is why you need to start
talking to someone, too.”

“I know. Jack’s
made an appointment for me to see a therapist today. She’s
apparently the best money can buy.”

“You’ve got a good
man there, you know that, right?” she asks.

“Yeah, I do, and I
love him,” I finally tell her and wait for her reaction.

“About fucking time
you admit it. Have you told him?”

“Yeah, and he loves
me.”

“OH MY GOD! This
calls for a celebration! Seeing as we didn’t get to do our last
girls’ night out because Harley got a stomach bug, how about doing
it this Thursday? What do you think?” she squeals.

“Fuck yeah, I’m
game for that. Where do you want to go?” I ask.

“How about Wilde
Ride? Is Jack working? Ryder will stay home with the kids, especially
if I’m going to our bar.”

“I think Jack might
be working Thursday night. It’s a date.” I freaking love girls’
night out and it has been so long since we had one.

“Okay then, Thursday
night at Wilde Ride. I should go. I can hear Hendrix crying. Love
you, Payton,” Ella says.

“Love you too, Ella,”
I return, hanging up the phone.

I look at my watch and
realize it’s almost time for my appointment. I run into the
bathroom and start getting ready. I’m really nervous about
this—having to tell someone you don’t know all of you deepest and
darkest secrets. Jack says she won’t judge me, but I think she
will. I promised him I would try this, and I intend to because it’s
what I want. I need to get better. I want to go back to being me.
With that in mind, I’m going to do this, and I’m going to work
hard at it.

I start laughing when I
hear my phone playing Jack’s ringer. It makes me recall the day
that he brought me to his father’s fishing spot and how he kept
calling my phone just to hear my ringer. Realizing I need to answer
it, instead of thinking about him, I pick it up.

“What took you so
long to answer?” he asks, chuckling.

“I was thinking about
the day you kept calling my phone everywhere we went,” I say,
laughing back.

“Yeah, well that
ringer turns me on thinking about you touching yourself. I’ve seen
you do it, but trust me, it’ll never get old to watch. Back to the
point, though, before I come over there and love you to death … are
you ready for your appointment? I thought I’d take you to your
first one, and then if you’re comfortable with that, I can take you
to every one after. I want you to know I’m here for you as you’re
going through this whole process.”

Wow. I love that he
wants to be there for me like that, but right now, I think I love the
whole love me to death idea more. Fuck, now I’m horny, and I have
to go and see some stuffy doctor.

“How about you come
here first, and we have a quick love-making session before you bring
me to my appointment? I don’t think I can last until after the
appointment because you’ve got me all worked up again,” I say
seductively.

“Is anyone home?”

“No, just me. What do
you have in mind, big boy?” I ask.

“Take off all your
clothes and sit on the edge of your bed. I’ll be there in a few
minutes,” he says then hangs up. I run to my room, strip off all my
clothes, and sit on the edge of the bed waiting for him. After a
minute or two the need is almost too much, and I can’t wait any
longer.

I lick my fingers and
start playing with my painfully hard nipples, rubbing circles and
pinching them. When that doesn’t alleviate the throbbing desire
between my thighs, I take one hand and place it on the focal point of
my ache. I start rubbing slow and tantalizing circles, panting and
moaning—so close to my release.

“Holy fuck, baby, I
almost came in my pants just watching you like that,” he says with
his shirt off and jeans undone. Yum.

“Get over here, Jack.
I needed the beast like five minutes ago,” I moan out.

He walks over to stand
in front of me, and I pull his faded light blue jeans down over his
hips and take him in my hand. I love his cock. I see the bit of
pre-cum on the tip, and I lean in and lick it off.

“Fuck, Payton, we
don’t have time for that. You know I want to stay here and fuck you
all day,” he grits out.

Pulling away from me,
he pushes the top half of my body back on the bed, then pulls my legs
to the end and lifts them in the air, spreading them as far as they
can go before slamming into me in one amazingly hard thrust.

Jack starts ramming in
and out of my body managing to hit all the right places and sending
me over the edge, screaming out his name in no time. Jack wraps his
arms around my legs hugging them to his body. My feet are resting by
his head while he looks down at me, still slamming in and out with
savage force.

“Play with those
beautiful tits,” he orders. I do as he says. I figure he wants me
to do it so he can watch. He never takes his eyes away from mine and
that sends me right over the edge again, with him in tow. When our
breathing starts to come back to normal he disengages from my body.

“Come on, we need to
get moving. The sooner this is over, the sooner I can bring you home
and really love you,” he says. My pussy quivers wanting him again.

I go to the bathroom
and take a damp cloth to clean up, then we both get dressed, and Jack
takes me to my first appointment. He waits out in the sitting room
for me to finish.

Talking to the
therapist was a lot easier than I expected. She didn’t judge me
like I thought she would. She’s there to listen and explore all of
the feelings I’ve had bottled up for all these years. God, it feels
so damn good to get this shit off my chest. Dr. Lansin says my
healing will take time. She compares it to a cut on your skin. You
can cover it with a band-aid for a while, but then you need to take
the band-aid off and expose the wound before it can completely heal.
But when it does, it feels good, and that’s what we’re striving
for. Before I leave, we agree that I will meet with her once a week
for the next three months. Depending on my progress, she’ll adjust
the appointments in accordance.

Before walking out to
join Jack in the reception area, I go over to Dr. Lansin’s
secretary and schedule my appointments for the next three months.
When that’s done, I grab Jack by the hand, and we make our way to
the car.

“I’m very proud of
you, you know that?” Jack says.

“Thank you. That
means a lot to me, but Jack I really need to thank you. You have done
so much for me … I don’t even know where to begin,” I tell him.

“Move in with me,”
he says, and it’s not a question, but more of a statement.

“Really? You want me
to live with you?” I ask surprised.

“Yeah, Payton, I love
you. I want to sleep next to you every night and wake up to you every
morning. When we met, the first night you slept at my place, you were
so drunk and sleepy, but you were mumbling something about your idea
of the perfect apartment that you were going to live in someday. When I
saw my condo the first time, it was almost exactly what you described
that night. I want to see your things in my place. I want
you
in my place. No, I want you in
our
place.”

“I want all that,
too, Jack. Yes, I’ll move in with you.”

“Let’s go tell your
roommates, and then we can pack up your shit,” he says, turning the
car and heading toward his place.

“Where are we going?”
I ask.

“We’ll need a truck
to put your things in,” he replies.

Okay then. Guess I’m
moving in with Jack.

Holy. Fuck. I’m
moving in with Jack!

When we finally get
back to my place, Molly and Amber happen to both be there, so I
inform them that I’m moving in with Jack. They’re both very
excited for me. I tell them that even though I won’t be living with
them any longer, I still expect to hang out with them. I haven’t
been living here very long, but I’ve built a great friendship with
them, and I really don’t want to lose that. We plan to get together
once a week to go out for coffee, drinks, or shopping.

Shortly after we
arrive, they leave for work. Jack and I pack most of my stuff, but
before we move any of it, I call Ella and tell her the news. She’s
so happy for me, she immediately starts crying.

The next few days were
pretty chaotic, between the two of us working and getting all my
stuff from one place to the other, and then unpacking all of it. Last
night was our first night officially living together and we
christened every surface possible. I don’t think I’ve ever been
so blissfully happy.

* * *

Thursday night’s
finally here and the time has come. It’s girls’ night out!

I worked the day shift,
and I’m taking tomorrow off, too, because it’s going to be a late
night with my girls. Jack doesn’t have to work the whole night.
He’s going to drop us off and then go to the station until we’re
ready to be picked up.

I’ve been taking it
easy with the alcohol now that I’m working with my therapist, but
I’m not missing out on girls’ night. I’m not an alcoholic or
anything, but I used to drink to help deal with all the shit going on
in my head. When I mentioned it to Dr. Lansin, she liked my idea on
cutting back, but she told me I didn’t have to give it up unless I
think I have a problem.

I really need something
to wear for tonight. After I get off, I drive to the mall and buy a
nice pair of form-fitting faded jeans and a tight, black tank top
layered over a white tank. Oh, and of course, peep-toe stilettos. I
get home and immediately start getting ready. We’re going to order
pizza and have a few drinks here before we go to Wilde Ride. While
doing my hair my cell phone rings with ‘unknown caller’ showing
on the screen. I’m hesitant to pick it up. Even though he hasn’t
called in a while, I’m afraid that it’ll be Dag. Curiosity wins
out, and I answer it.

“Hello.”

“Payton?” the voice
asks.

“Um … Yeah. Who’s
this?”

“Izzy. I was
wondering if we could talk. I know last time ended badly,” she
says.

“What could you
possibly have left to say to me? I know you already dislike me and
don’t think I’m good enough for Jack, so if that’s why you
called me, then no,” I tell her, letting her know I don’t have
time for her shit.

“I want to apologize
for everything. I’m really sorry, but you need to understand that I
love my brother, and I really don’t want to see him hurt again. I’m
very sorry for what happened to you, and I think it’s amazing that
you’re getting help. I can see how much he means to you when you
look at him …” I cut her off.

“I love Jack. I love
him more than anything,” I tell her in what I hope is a strong
voice. I don’t want her to think she has any effect on our
relationship, although she does. I think about it all the time how
much she thinks I’m not worthy of him and how he still might
realize it one day and leave. I throw that thought out of my mind
because I know he loves me. I have to remember that he asked me to
believe in him and I’m trying my hardest.

“I know you do, and
he loves you just as much. I was hoping we could work on a
relationship with each other. Everything my brother says about you is
nothing but wonderful, so I want to call a truce and see where we go
from here.”

Wow. Did not expect
that.

“Um … I would love
that. I know how much family means to Jack, and I don’t like having
you two fighting because of me,” I say.

“It was never
fighting
because
of you, Payton. I was just worried. And I’m
truly sorry for any problems I caused for you guys.”

“Thanks, that means a
lot. Listen, Ella and I are going out for a girls’ night. We’re
having a few drinks here and then going to Wilde Ride. Would like to
join us? Maybe you can call your sisters and see if they’d like to
come too?” I ask, uncertain if it’ll be a good idea.

“I would love that.
I’ll call them now, and we’ll be right over,” she exclaims
excitedly.

“Okay, sounds good to
me. I’ll see you soon,” I say, getting kind of excited myself. I
really want Izzy to like me.