The Game Has Changed (21 page)

“I'll just be a minute,” she said, overwhelmed
by his chivalry.

He took a moment to inspect the bathroom to
make sure that it was safe and empty for her. He winked at her and
nodded. She hurried inside and closed the door behind
her.

As he waited for her, a huge biker with long
gray hair, a gray beard, and a leather motorcycle jacket came out
of the men's room next door, zipping up his fly without a care in
the world. Evan gave him an involuntary look of surprise and a
little disgust. The man caught sight of Evan's expression from the
corner of his eye.

“Hey, pretty boy! What's your problem?” he
grated with annoyance.

Evan's eyes widened as dread filled his entire
body. “Me? Nothing.”

The man stepped into Evan’s view, shoving his
face close to his. He towered high above Evan’s six-foot-two frame
and was twice his weight. Grabbing Evan by the collar of his
jacket, he yanked him forward. “How come your pretty boy face is
all smashed up?”

“I got in a fight,” Evan mumbled.

“Defending your boyfriend? You pretty boys
aren't welcome around here, you know. We eat the likes of you for
breakfast!”

“I'm not asking for any trouble!”

“You asked for trouble the day you went all
girly-girl, you pansy!”

“I'm not gay!” Evan cried in defense of
himself. He motioned to the door of the ladies’ room. “I'm waiting
for my girlfriend. She's in there!”

“Yeah, sure. Likely a sad story you're making
up to keep me from adding my mark to that messed up face of
yours.”

“No, really! You'll see. In a minute, she'll be
out!”

Jaime appeared at just the right moment. Her
mouth hung open as she witnessed the big, burly fellow threatening
her beloved Evan. “Evan?”

“See,” Evan breathed, unable to keep himself
from trembling with fear. “Told ya.”

The man let go of his collar with a grumble. He
watched as Jaime sauntered in their direction and wrapped her arms
around Evan's chest in a protective gesture. He slipped his arm
around her shoulder, pressing a kiss against her temple.

“You really his girl?” the man asked. “Or just
covering for this pretty boy?”

Jaime stared wistfully into Evan's wide brown
eyes. They were certainly pleading with her and she smiled with
satisfaction. She grinned broadly at the biker. “Yeah, I'm really
his girl.”

“Hmmph,” the man snorted with derision. “He
don’t look straight.”

“He is and he’s mine.”

The biker fixed Evan with a look of pure fury.
“Guess you’re lucky this time,” he said as he angrily stormed down
the alleyway.

Once the man was out of sight, Jaime dropped
her arms and stepped away from Evan. She crossed her arms about her
chest and waited. He ran an unsteady hand through his hair and gave
her a twisted smile.

“Don't you dare say a word!”

Playfully, she pretended to zip her own lips.
To her surprise, he took her hand tightly within his and led her
down the alleyway. She smiled softly, enjoying the moment, even
though she knew things would return to how they’d been before the
moment they stepped back inside the car.

***

They were on their way again soon enough. Jaime
wanted to talk to him, but she had no idea as to what sort of mood
he was in now. He had been resentful the night before prior to his
drinking binge. That morning, he’d been quiet. After their most
recent encounter where she’d found herself protecting him once
again, she wasn't sure what to think. She could only imagine how
his male ego was taking blow after blow from everything he’d
suffered since they’d come together.

Still, she needed to hear his voice and decided
to be the first one to concede. She’d done the same the night
before, although it had been a futile attempt in doing so. “I'm
sorry,” she whispered, breaking their current silence.

“About?” he asked.

“About everything,” she sighed. “About being
here and getting in your way. About making you worry about
me.”

He clenched his teeth together as he realized
what she was doing. She was using reverse psychology on him. “It's
okay,” he replied, knowing that she expected him to deny that what
had happened was her fault so that he could take the blame for
himself.

She released a pent-up breath, knowing that he
was resisting her attempted compromise. “I'm trying, Evan. I really
am.”

“I know you are.”

“I won't cause any more trouble for you, I
promise.”

“Don't worry about it anymore. You're along for
the ride and you had no choice in the matter, but you don't have to
keep pointing it out to me, alright?”

Her head swung back as if he’d slapped her. She
took offense at his scolding. “How have I done that
lately?”

“With everything you say to me, you point it
out to me,” he said sharply.

“That's totally your problem, isn't it?” she
spat.

“Yes, it definitely is my problem. But I put
all of these problems on myself, so no worries.”

“I'm one of those problems that you put on
yourself!?”

“And that's why it's constantly being pointed
out to me,” he replied with annoyance.

She was livid. Was he covering for the words
he’d let slip in his drunken state? Or did she take it wrong? He
seemed so resentful of her. It had to be the male ego thing making
him speak so cruelly to her. Could she forgive him for
that?

She couldn't help herself once again. “I hate
you,” she ground out in a whisper.

“I know that you don't,” he mocked.

“The longer I'm with you, the more I do. And
you might as well admit it. You hate me just as
equally.”

Silence lingered between them as she waited. A
muscle twitched along his jaw as he fought to retain his composure.
A deep sigh escaped him, moments later.

“That's the problem right there,” he said,
intrigued. “I only wish that I did.”

Her mind raced with the implication of his
words. They were spoken so cryptically that she wasn't quite sure
as to how to take them.
I only wish I did
hate you? Does that mean he loves me? Why can't he just tell me
outright? Why is he still playing these mind games with
me?

She saw him gaze in her direction as he drove.
It was as if he was looking through her. Almost. He was so
distressed and it worried her. Yet she said nothing in response. He
was a different man than the one who had started this adventure
with her. He seemed worn down, defeated, and ready to give it all
up.

Was he tired of running? Could she ever recover
the witty, untamed, and cocky man that had originally kidnapped
her? Would he let her? She settled into her seat, staring out of
the window as she considered those questions and more.

CHAPTER 27

The silence inside of the car felt stifling to
Jaime. The air felt heavy within her lungs. The urge to get out of
the car, to breathe, to walk in the sunshine was overwhelming. She
caught sight of a road-side rest stop in the distance that seemed
to have a small park with trees. She leaned forward and asked Evan
if they could stop. He relented without question and remained
inside of the car as she climbed out.

She hurried to his side of the car and swung
the door open. She smiled sweetly and tugged upon his arm. She was
determined to help him out of his funk. Unfortunately, he was
making it difficult as he refused to move.

Holding out her hand, she said, “Come on. We're
going for a little walk.”

He regarded her with veiled eyes as he allowed
her to pull him from the car. “Oh?”

She nodded and held his hand as they walked
over to a row of picnic tables tucked beneath several large trees.
People were sitting about, eating from picnic baskets or take-out
restaurant bags and enjoying each other’s company. A nearby swing
set and jungle gym were crowded with dozens of screaming and
laughing children as they played. The sight was a calm and content
one. One she found quite pleasing.

She selected the farthest reaches of the picnic
area where it was quieter and found a table that was not taken. She
led him to it and sat down. Their hands broke apart as he sat down
across from her.

She gazed at the trees above. Their branches
were rustled by the gentle breeze. She adored the sight of the
baby-blue sky filled with cotton-like clouds. The air felt clean
and fresh. It was exactly what she needed after days of driving,
worrying, fighting, and wondering. To just sit still and enjoy the
moment without having to think about anything else.

She smiled softly as she noticed that Evan
seemed to be relaxing as well. His lovely brown hair blew gently
about his handsome, damaged face. He appeared serene and a tad
contemplative. It was as if he’d needed this, too.

Time passed as they sat in silence. She stared
straight ahead, watching the children playing and the dogs running
around with abandon. She cried out with surprise as she felt Evan
touch her arm as it lay upon the tabletop. She stared at him with
confusion, waiting for him to tell her that it was time to go. He
surprised her when he didn't.

Instead, he said, “I'm sorry, Jaime.” She
tilted her head at him in understanding. “I'm taking all of my
frustrations out on you and it's not fair.”

She shrugged and smiled. “I'm the only one
here, so why not?”

He laughed softly, his eyes roving over her
face. Sadness flashed within the depths of his eyes. Her heart
constricted as she observed him. He was troubled, that much she
could tell.

“Do you want to talk?” she offered
lovingly.

He shook his head and looked away. “No. Not
about that. Not about my troubles.”

She swallowed nervously and glanced down at the
table, her cheeks flushed with color. “I really don't mind at
all.”

“No,” he stated firmly. “I won't burden
you.”

She looked up and shook her head at him. “I'll
never get anything out of you, will I?”

“You've already gotten a hell of a lot out of
me, I'll have you know,” he quipped.

“I don't mean your sexy birthmark, or even your
sexual expertise,” she said, delighting in their civility once
more. “I mean what's up here.”

She tenderly placed her hand against the side
of his head. She caressed his shiny, long brown hair
affectionately. He stared down at her in a brooding manner as she
did so. Her heart skipped a beat. He laughed lightly as she drew
her hand back.

“Not a whole lot up there, I'm
afraid.”

“Are you implying you're not smart?” she asked,
her eyes wide. “You're the smartest man I've ever
known.”

“And you've known three, right?” he
chided.

She giggled with pleasure. “No, only two. And
my dad was a history teacher, so you should consider that a
compliment.”

He grinned with pleasure. “I will take it as a
compliment, then.”

Pleasure filled her as she realized that she
was cheering him up. He sighed with content. He reached into his
inside jacket pocket and pulled out his cigarettes. She watched as
he tapped one into his other hand and put it between his lips,
replaced the pack, and pulled out a lighter. Once lit, he offered
her the cigarette. She shook her head, delicately brushing her hair
out of her face. He nodded and took a long drag. She wanted to
berate him for smoking, but she didn't dare ruin his peaceful
mood.

“Will we be passing through Arizona, by any
chance?” she asked.

He blew out a bit of smoke and said, “Yeah,
sure. The northern part.”

“I always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. I
love looking at pictures of it. Have you ever seen it?”

“
Can't say that I have,” he mused
as he continued to smoke.

“Have you ever wanted to?”

“Sure, I suppose. It's one of the natural
wonders of the world, isn't it?”

She smiled. “You're not the sort of guy who
cares about the little things in life, are you?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Haven't had the time
to care about the little things.”

Curiosity got the best of her. “Do you care
about anything at all?”

He chuckled softly and leaned forward across
the table in front of him. The cigarette dangled loosely between
his lips, a sight she found quite mesmerizing. “I care about my
looks,” he murmured, pulling the cigarette from between his lips.
“I also care about making lots of money, but that's all for
now.”

She scrunched her nose at him. “Your concerns
are utterly driven and a bit conceited, don’t you
think?”

He grinned and tossed his cigarette butt aside.
“Exactly.”

She watched its trajectory and noted where it
landed, its fire slowly dying out. “Do you think you'll ever get
married and have children?”

He’d suspected that she would eventually get
around to asking him that question, sooner or later. She was
snooping and he knew it. “I don't know. Haven't really thought
about it much.” After a long pause, he said, “Suppose I should
consider it, though, hadn't I?”