CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Ace
“Did you have a good time today?” We’re lying in bed, on my side of the duplex, snuggling together after working off some of the calories we consumed in the huge meal we ate.
“A great time, which surprised me, because I was so nervous about meeting your parents.”
A grin spreads itself across my face and a happy warmth takes up residence in the middle of my chest at the pleased tone of her voice. “You and Mom got along like gangbusters as soon as the awkwardness wore off.”
“The awkwardness didn’t last as long as I thought it would.” She stretches beside me, hooking her leg around my waist. Lifting it up with my hand so that it rests comfortably, I relax against the comfortableness of the bed.
She yawns as I push my hand through her hair, cuddling her up next to me. “When I first saw you, I imagined this,” I whisper.
“What did you think when you first saw me?” she asks as I feel the smile against my shoulder.
“I’m starving.” I rub my hand across my stomach as Havoc and I get out of the squad car and enter The Café. It’s been a long day on shift and I ran late this morning, so I wasn’t able to eat breakfast like I normally do.
“Same, but I’m excited to see my wife too.”
I shake my head, a rueful look on my face. “Whipped dude, totally fucking whipped.”
“You will be one day,” he promises as we cross the street, coming to a stop in front of the glass doors of The Café. “You won’t be expecting it, and it’ll hit you like a right hook across the face.”
“Yeah, okay.”
We enter The Café and have a seat at one of the booths. Havoc goes to flirt with his wife, and that’s when I see her. A woman I’ve never noticed before. She’s about the same height as Leighton, but she’s got hips for days. Her long, dark hair, is pinned severely behind her neck, giving her the look of someone much older than what she probably is. I’m checking her out as she brings food out to the table beside us. Her arms show strength as she lifts the heavy plates, setting them down on the table. And when she speaks, I feel goosebumps appear on my arms.
“Is there anything else I can get y’all?”
The voice is Southern, but not from around here, but it’s the tone that gets me. It’s a husky, just-had-sex sound that I want to hear every day of my life. When she gets done with them and comes back to our table? I face her, and I know immediately that I’m gone. This is the woman I’ve been waiting to meet for my whole life. My eyes rake her face, and I take in signs of unhappiness, stress, and fatigue. When they flit down to the ring on her finger, my good mood sinks, but as she uses that hand to push her hair back, I glimpse fingerprint bruises on her bicep under where her uniform comes to a stop. This woman is unhappy, and I make a vow to myself at some point I’ll make her happy again. I’ll show her what a good man is like, and I’ll put a smile on that face. If it’s the last thing I do. In this small exchange, she has my heart, and I know I’ll never get it back. Because I don’t want it back – I want her to have it all.
“You knew all that from like a three-minute glimpse of me?” She sounds like she doesn’t believe me.
“Hand to God, Vi. I knew the minute I saw you. It just took me a long time to convince you, and that’s okay because I’m patient. I would have waited another year for you.”
“What did I do to deserve you?” She caresses my stomach.
“You dealt with a lot of shit you never should have, and I’m your prize for it.” I turn us over so that I’m stretched over top of her.
“You’re my prize? I think I won first place.” She pushes her fingers up my skin, tightening them in my hair and yanking my face to hers for a kiss.
“Claim it baby, please.”
And with a smile on her face, she does.
Violet
“Thank you all for being a great class for this semester, I’m pleased to say that you all passed,” Karina tells the group of us who have gathered in the classroom that’s become such a huge part of my life.
Here I got a piece of my life back, a part of me that Brent had tried to crush. I persevered, and continued with an education he tried to take away from me. Thanks to this classroom and the things I learned here, I began the path to reclaiming myself and finding out exactly who Violet Miller truly is.
“I hope you all have continued success in whatever it is you choose to pursue, and I’ll be seeing you all around.” Karina gives us a wave. “That’s all I have for the final class. Congratulations everyone.”
The group of us begin to pack up and exit the room. As I make my way up there, Karina stops me. “Violet, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She waits for the last person to leave. “I just wanted to say thanks for suggesting I try that dating app. I’ve been on a few dates. Nothing to write home about, but I’m hopeful.”
“See, I told you there was life after getting your heart broken!”
“So what are you planning on doing?”
I think about what she’s asking me. “I have one more class to take to finish this Associates. I’m gonna finish it and then apply at the county attorney’s office. I saw where they were advertising for paralegals. Leighton won’t be working at Ernie’s forever I’m sure, and I really only enjoy working there because of her. It’s time for me to make some changes and grow up. I have you to thank for a lot of that.”
“Nonsense.” She shoves my last paper in my hands. “You deserved this A, just like you deserve everything you’re getting in life right now. I’ll see you around at The Café, for as long as you’re there, huh?”
“Yes, and here, give me your number. I’d love to keep getting tea with you.”
As I leave this classroom that’s meant so much to me, I’m leaving with a huge smile on my face, and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I’ll be fine, I’ll have friends, and I’ll learn who I truly am. All with the help of the amazing group of people I’ve met in Laurel Springs.