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“You’ll do fine here. It’s easy, and the people are great,” Andrea tells me.
Andrea is Tanner’s older sister, and the owner of the café I now work at. It’s a great little place in the heart of town, with an incredible menu and a great atmosphere. The few times I’ve come in here before starting, it has always been busy, people everywhere, coffee machine purring constantly. It’s a good job, from what I can see so far, and it’s good pay.
“Thank you for this,” I tell her, mostly thankful that she didn’t ask for a criminal check because her brother recommended me. If she had, I wouldn’t be here. “I really appreciate it and I’ll work hard.”
Andrea smiles. When she smiles, she kind of looks like Tanner. She has the same dark hair, but her eyes are more hazel then brown. She’s tall, she’s lean, and she’s really pretty. “You’re welcome. If you want to take the orders for those three tables today,” she points to a few tables, “we’ll work you up from there.”
I nod, and get right to it. I take orders, I clean up without being asked, and I make sure I leave the best impression on Andrea and the people in her café. There are three other girls working today, too—one on the coffee machine, one in the kitchen, and the other on the floor with me. Meals fly in and out all day from the kitchen, and they look incredible. The whole place is fantastic .
My mind constantly goes to the message spray painted on Joanne’s car. We called the police and I gave a statement, but when asked who I thought would do something like that, I didn’t have an answer. I don’t know anything about Celia’s family, or her friends, or anyone else in her life. How can I honestly say who I think would do something like that to me?
I’ve never met anyone on her side.
The officer told me they’d look into it, but without any evidence they can only ask questions, and I was told to simply keep an eye out and let the police know if anything else happened.
They’re not on my side, and why would they be? In this situation, I’m the bad guy, aren’t I? I’m the girl who got into trouble. I’m the girl who went to prison. They have little to no sympathy for me.
I told Joanne I’d pay her back for the car, which she refused, saying insurance would cover it. She didn’t tell Patrick, which I’m super grateful for, because I don’t want him to have another reason to dislike me.
This will be the week I start my journey to clearing my name. At least, clearing some of my name.
I’m not going to start with her family. If they know I’m out of jail, and have any idea where I am or if they had any involvement in the vandalization, I can’t risk making it worse. I need to be subtle about my search. I’ll start with the school she went to. I’m sure I’ll be able to find something. My face wasn’t all over the news after the accident, because I was underage and my mother demanded privacy.
My name might be well known, but my face shouldn’t be.
I’m hoping that’s the case, anyway.
“You’re doing amazing,” Andrea says just after my lunch break. “You’re quick on your feet and efficient. How are you enjoying your first day?”
I smile at her. “I’m loving it. It’s so fast paced; it’s great.”
She nods. “It is pretty hectic, but it makes the day go faster.”
She’s right about that—the day is flying by. “It sure does.”
She sips her coffee, just beginning her break as I’m finishing mine. “Listen, I know you’re new to town and probably don’t know a great deal of people, but a few friends and I are going to the beach and then out for the night on Saturday, if you’re interested in joining us?”
“Really?” I say, unable to hide my smile. “That sounds great.”
“Of course! I’ll text you my number. You’re welcome to bring any friends, too.”
Friends.
Joanne and Ethan are the only friends I have. My mind goes to Jessika and Sophie, and I wonder if they have anything to do with my car?
I haven’t seen or heard from either of them since the accident. Sophie was messed up mentally, and she and her parents moved away. I saw her once in the hospital briefly, and then she was gone. Jessika refused to see or speak to me after losing her leg. I get that. In the end, she lost a lot, too. She lost so much.
But would they torment me? I don’t know.
I plan on seeing both of them, I just need to find the courage to do so. I want to apologize, I want to tell them I’m sorry for sending their lives on such downward spirals, but I’m not sure if they’ll even see me, let alone accept that.
Still, I have to try.
“Sounds great,” I tell Andrea, coming back to the here and now. “I’m sure my best friend, Joanne, would like to come.”
“Perfect! I’ll text you the details later.”
She goes off and finishes her break, and I get back to work.
When my shift ends at five, I clock out and head towards the road. I’m going to have to call a cab, considering there is no possible way I’m going to drive a car spray painted with ‘killer.’
“Need a ride?”
I spin around and see Tanner walking up the sidewalk towards me.
My heart nearly leaps out of my throat, and as I take him in, it quickly starts racing. I really wish he didn’t look how he looks; it makes it that much harder for me to concentrate. He’s walking towards me wearing a faded pair of blue jeans, those boots, and a tight black tee that stretches across his muscles in a way that makes my mouth water.
Just a little.
“Tanner,” I say, pressing a hand to my chest. “You scared me. I didn’t hear anyone coming.”
“You should pay more attention,” he murmurs, stopping in front of me. “Not everyone approaching you is as nice as me. Wouldn’t want to see you getting into trouble. How are you, Callie?”
The way he says my name. Hell, the way he talks? It nearly brings me to my knees. “I’m good,” I lie. I obviously can’t tell him about the incident, because, well, he’d have way too many questions. Questions I’m still not ready to answer, or face.
He tips his head to the side, and says in a husky, low voice, “You’re a poor liar.”
Shit.
“Sorry, long day,” I say, smiling. “Your sister is lovely, by the way. She’s been so nice to me.”
“Glad to hear it. Where’s your car?”
I swallow, and say, “I don’t have it today. It’s broken, so it’s in getting fixed. I have to take a cab.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
Shit. Shit. I completely forgot he’s a mechanic. I have no idea what even goes wrong with cars, so I don’t even have a good lie to share. My heart starts racing, and I mutter, “Not too sure. Joanne took it in. I said I’d grab a cab for a few days.” I smile, hoping that Tanner won’t ask any more questions.
Thankfully, he doesn’t.
“C’mon. I’ll give you a ride.”
I look past him and down the street a little, and see his bike. A motorcycle. I’m bad enough in cars; I can’t imagine what I’d be like on that death machine. “On that?”
He turns and glances at his bike, then looks back at me, grinning. “Yeah, darlin’, on that.”
“Oh. Well, no thanks. I’m good right here.”
He chuckles. “I didn’t pick you for the nervous type.”
I huff, “Well, you picked me wrong. That thing is crazy. I don’t feel like dying today.”
His grin gets bigger. “Well, you’ll just have to trust that I won’t kill you, and jump on.”
“No, no. I’m good.”
“Come on. I’ll take you for something to eat, my treat, and then drop you home.”
Dammit. Why does he have to say things like that? Because now I really want to go. The idea of getting something to eat with Tanner feels pretty darn good. The idea of wrapping myself around him on that bike doesn’t feel so bad, either.
Still . . . it’s a motorcycle.
“I don’t know.” I hesitate. “I mean, I want to eat with you; I’m just a little nervous . . .”
He puts out a hand, a big, manly hand. “Trust me, Callie. I won’t hurt you.”
I hold his eyes, and then my hand moves of its own accord, placing itself into his.
I trust him.
~*~*~*~
I’M TERRIFIED.
For a brief moment, I’m terrified.
As Tanner’s motorcycle speeds down the road, I clutch him as if the road is about to swallow me up. The helmet doesn’t make me feel any safer, but having my arms around him? That kind of helps.
The motorcycle is smooth, and fast, and it vibrates right between my legs, right where I don’t need it vibrating in this current situation.
Tanner is in front of me; that is enough to make any girl weak at the knees. My arms wrapped around him? That’ll get everything warm. The way he smells? Well, that’s just plain cruel. My body is in overdrive, a mix of anticipation and fear wrapping itself up in one big bow. I’m scared, and yet I’m thrilled. I’m anxious, and yet I’m filled to the brim with adrenaline.
After a few moments, I relax a little, and finally start to look around. The city is slowly starting to light up as the sun begins to lower itself on the horizon. It really does look beautiful from the back of a bike. Tanner rounds a few corners, and then slows down at a bar slash restaurant. I’ve not seen it before, but it looks really nice. Friendly and fun.
He parks the bike and I climb off, hating that I have to let him go, but excited that I get to spend a little time with him. He climbs off, too, and then turns to me. “They make great pizza here. I hope you eat it.”
I nod. “Are you kidding? I eat everything.”
He grins, and takes my hand, walking me inside. The thrill that runs through my body makes me feel like a million dollars. It makes me feel like my life hasn’t been a big fucking mess right up until this point. It makes me feel alive, which is something I’ve been missing for a very long time.
Tanner and I find a booth, and he orders two beers and a pizza. He takes the lead. He takes control. He’s a man who knows what he wants, and he’s a man who most likely gets it whenever he seeks it. I like that about him. He answers to no one, he doesn’t doubt himself, and he trusts his choices. That’s really something.
“How did your first day go?” he asks me when our beers arrive.
I curl my hands around the cold glass, and say, “It was great. It’s a busy café, but I enjoyed it a lot. Andrea is really good, too. She invited me to the beach and then for a night out on Saturday, so that was really nice.”
Tanner narrows his eyes. “She did, did she?”
“Yeah. That’s okay, right?”
He nods. “Yeah, of course. She can do what she likes.”
“It will be nice to meet some new people,” I tell him. “I don’t really know all that many.”
“What about family?” he asks me, sipping his beer. I try not to stare at how his jaw moves when he does, or how his throat flexes when he swallows.
I hate that he’s doing these kinds of things to me. I feel like a teenager who’s just discovered boys. I need to snap out of it.
“My family and I aren’t all that close. My brother, Max? I still speak to him but my parents and I don’t really . . . get along.”
“Why is that?”
I shrug, sipping my beer. “My mother is selfish. She’s cold and she’s heartless. Everything in this world was made for her, or about her—at least that’s what she thinks. My father, he left her and met another woman with two good kids who do no wrong. Over the years I stopped speaking to him. I guess that’s just how it goes. What about you?”
“You know the basics of my story.”
I nod. “You are ex-military; how long did you serve?”
“Nearly ten years. Left when I was eighteen, came back when I was twenty-seven.”
“How old are you now?” I ask.
He grins. “How old are you, Callie?”
I laugh softly. “Nearly twenty-three.”
“So fuckin’ young,” he murmurs, “Fuckin’ sweet, though.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” I point out.
“I’m thirty-one.”
Thirty-one.
That makes him a quite a bit older than me. Well, it’s less than ten years, which in this day and age isn’t a big deal, but it does mean he’s had so much more experience than me. He’s been around. He’s seen things. Done things. I’m not even sexually experienced; he’s probably had hundreds and hundreds of women with that damned face.
Okay, hundreds is probably far-fetched, but still.
The age makes me feel a little . . . strange.
“You’re worried about the difference,” he says, not a question but a statement.
“No, it’s not that. I’m worried about how inexperienced I am . . .”
His eyes grow hooded. “That’s only a problem for you.”
Oh, boy.
“You’re mature for your age, Callie. Like you’ve seen the world a million times over. I’ve spoken to other girls that are similar in age, and they’ve nothing on you. Own that; you’re a rare find.”
He needs to stop, before I throw myself at him over this table. “Thank you,” I say, giving him a genuine smile.
“Welcome,” he murmurs back, making my heart do that funny thing where it skips a beat. “Not goin’ to lie—it’s hard sitting here, wondering how fuckin’ good you might feel beneath me. Tellin’ me you are a virgin has made me wild.”
Oh.
God.
I swallow, and say in a low voice, “Well, if you play your cards right, you might just find out how that feels.”
His eyes get lusty. My god. What is this man doing to me?
Whatever it is, I don’t want it to stop.
We drink and eat, and talk like we’ve known each other forever. The conversation flows easily, and I’m a little tipsy when we head back out to Tanner’s bike and get on. The ride home is a whole lot less concerning than the ride here was. I feel free, like nothing in the world can touch me. I get it now, why he loves this bike so much. It really does make everything feel okay.
When we arrive at my apartment, I climb off the bike and wait for Tanner. My heart is racing a million miles an hour. I’m wondering what we’ll do; will he come inside? Will this be the night for me? Will it be horrible? I don’t know. The anticipation is killing me, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next, so I turn and smile at Tanner. “Did you want to come inside?”
He studies me, then nods, “Yeah.”
God.
Oh God.
I turn and walk up the front steps and grab the door handle. The door opens, which is odd. Joanne is staying at Patrick’s tonight; they’re apparently going on a date. Her words, not mine. If I were her, I wouldn’t be doing anything with that douchebag. I just think she deserves better.
Trying to frantically remember if I locked the door when I left for work today, I push it open and step inside. I stare around the apartment, and then flick on a light. At first glance, nothing seems amiss, but when I walk in farther, I see two chairs turned over in the kitchen. Heart racing, I look around, my head whipping left and right.
“Everything okay?” Tanner asks.
“Someone has been in here.”
He steps up beside me. “Like you’ve been broken into?”
“Yes, exactly that. The door was open, and those chairs are turned over.”
“Stand here,” Tanner orders. “Don’t move. I’ll go and check it out. Do not move, Callie.”
I don’t move, and watch as he walks through the house. He returns a moment later and looks like he’s seen a ghost. He narrows his eyes, and then carefully says, “There is something you should see.”
I swallow and close my eyes, fighting for calm. “What is it?” I whisper.
“Come on.”
He leads me down the hall and into my bedroom. The moment we step in, I stare at the wall, and my skin prickles. I feel all the blood rush from my face. The same word that was spread across Joanne’s car is now spread across my wall. Killer. In big capital letters.
Letters Tanner can see and read.
“Oh, God,” I whisper, grabbing the wall to stop myself from falling.
“You want to tell me what’s going on here?” Tanner asks, his voice calm. “What is this? Who did this?”
“I don’t know,” I say.
I can’t tell him.
I can’t.
He’ll never speak to me again. I can’t live with that. We haven’t even gotten to know each other. If he finds out I’ve spent the last six years in prison, he’ll never want to come near me again.
“Who did this?” he asks, turning and staring at me.
“Tanner, I don’t know.”
“You have no idea what this is about?”
“No,” I tell him. “No, I don’t. It must have something to do with Joanne. I should call the police.”
“Who would want to do something to Joanne?” Tanner asks. “She in trouble?”
God. He’s asking too many questions.
“I have to call the police. I’m sorry. Thank you for your help, Tanner. You can go.”
He looks at me, his eyes narrowing. “You think I’m goin’ to leave you when you could be in danger? Don’t fuckin’ think so. I’m staying. You can call the police, but I’m not leaving.”
Dammit.
Damn him.
I love that he wants to help me, but calling the police when he’s here and answering their questions will only make things worse.
“It’s late,” I say softly. “I’ll call them tomorrow.”
Tanner studies me, then steps forward and curls his big hands around my shoulders. “I’m not leavin’ you here, so get comfortable. I’m stayin’.”
I really wish he wasn’t so damned perfect.
I really wish I didn’t have to lie to him.
I really wish everything was different.