I had finished paying my last bill and headed to the kitchen. I still felt bad for hiding everything from Elliott, but he swore he forgave me. I prayed I wouldn't have to tell him what else I hid from him.
Placing all the dirty dishes from dinner into the dishwasher I washed down the counters then made myself some tea. A knock on the front door made me jump. I stopped what I was doing and went to the door, pulling it open. The front porch was empty. There wasn't even a car in sight.
I shrugged, grabbed the newspaper off my stoop, and shut and locked the door, turning on the outside light. I went back to cleaning, and when I was finished, I grabbed my tea and shut off the kitchen light, then headed into the living room and curled up on the couch.
Again, there was a knock at the front door. Frowning, I placed my tea on the table and went back to the door, this time looking out the peephole first. I saw no one. Fear overtook me, and I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I took a minute to try and calm myself and latched the deadbolt.
Walking into the living room, I could see a couple people down on the beach. I locked the sliding door. Elliott had installed another lock for me on both the sliding doors for added protection, so I locked those as well and pulled the curtains across the doors and windows. I loved all the windows and doors in the daytime but felt severely violated by the time darkness fell.
I shut off the lights and walked into the bedroom. Going to the sliding door, I latched both locks and pulled those curtains closed as well. I turned on the bedside light and changed into my tank top and shorts when I heard another knock on the front door.
My heart was beating rapidly in my chest. "What the hell?" I mumbled to myself.
The knocking turned into pounding, and then whoever it was started rattling the doorknob. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Parker, the pounding getting progressively harder and more erratic.
"Harrison." His throaty voice hit me right in my center.
"Parker, it’s Tatum." I could hear the shake in my voice and knew he could hear it as well.
"What’s wrong?"
"Parker, can you come over? I'm scared. Someone is pounding on my front door."
"I'm on my way. Whatever you do, don't answer the door. Stay where you are until you hear from me." And like that, he was gone.
Sitting beside my bed, I pulled my knees into my chest and listened to a Friends rerun. I was trying to put all my concentration on the TV when suddenly, the pounding on the door stopped.
I was about to get up to go and look out the front of the house when I saw a shadow on my bedroom curtain. My heartbeat was so rapid, I was having a hard time breathing and felt as if I could pass out.
I sent Parker a text and let him know that the person was at the back of the house when lights shone through my front bedroom window. Thank God, he’s here.
My phone chimed. "Stay put until I text you."
I waited, still sitting on the floor. It seemed like forever before my phone started to ring.
"Come to the front door and let me in. Whoever it was is gone."
I got up off the floor, still shaking, and ran to open the front door. Parker stepped inside, took one look at me, and wrapped his arms around me. I felt myself melt into his embrace.
"It’s okay. You’re okay." Parker held onto me as I began to cry.
Parker was out on the deck while I made a pot of coffee and poured us two mugs. When I stepped out the back door, I noticed Parker relaxing on one of the lounge chairs. I placed our mugs on the table and sat down on the lounge chair across from him.
"You doing okay?" he questioned, taking a sip of coffee.
"I’m doing better now." I nodded. I didn't want to tell him the truth. I didn't want to tell him that I was terrified and falling apart inside.
"Do you think it was him?"
I looked up into his eyes and hesitated before answering him. "I don't know? Maybe?"
"Then you think there is a possibility?"
I shrugged and wrapped my arms around myself. The breeze coming off the bay was cool, but with the increase of stress and anxiety I was going through, I was freezing. I didn't know what Dean was capable of. I had never pushed him this far.
"Are you cold? Want to sit over here with me?" he asked, patting the cushion between his legs.
"I'm okay. The coffee will warm me up." There was nothing I wanted more than to curl up with him on that chair and feel how warm and strong he was. I wanted to know what it would feel like to be in his arms again. I could feel him watching me, and I hoped that the look on my face didn't give away what I was thinking or feeling at that moment.
"So, when did you want to tell me the truth about what has gone on?" Parker looked me directly in the eye. "I know you haven't been completely honest with Elliott," he challenged.
"Of course, I was. I told Elliott the truth," I lied.
"Tatum, I know you, and so does Elliott. He isn't stupid. I know you're hiding something else. What about the bruises on your arms? You didn’t tell him about those. Where did those come from?" The intense look he was giving me was making me uncomfortable.
"Parker…"
"Just know you can talk to me. It's me. I hope you’ll feel comfortable enough to share with me when you’re ready."
Holding my mug, I wrapped my hands around it, letting the heat soak into them while the rest of me shivered. I sat back and rested my head against the chair, wanting to tell him everything. Not just about the attack the night before I moved down, but everything. How I wished that maybe one day we could have another chance together. But I couldn't bring myself to say those words. I was afraid of what he would think of me, and I didn't want him to judge me. I'd given him a glimpse of it all the other day. Instead, I nodded, letting him know that one day, I would talk to him. For the next hour, we sat together and shared memories of our past.
After a while, he grew quiet. The night air and sounds of the water had relaxed me to the point I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open.
"Well, it’s almost one. I'm going to take off and let you get some sleep." Parker checked his watch before standing up and grabbed our mugs to take inside.
I followed him in, locked the door, and pulled the curtain closed. He stood at the front door and wrapped his arms around me, giving me another of his amazing hugs. He was about to walk out the door when I grabbed his forearm.
Pausing, he turned and looked at me. "What is it, Tatum?"
"Parker…" His name felt good on my tongue. I swallowed hard as I looked from his eyes to his lips and back again. I didn't know how to ask him, so I blurted, "I don't want to be alone tonight. Will you…will you stay here with me?"
Parker went silent, looked away, and then back to me and took in a deep breath. I couldn’t read the look on his face. "Give me a minute. I have to grab my gym bag from the back of my truck."
How could I say no to her? As I stood on that porch, her eyes pleading with me, a gnawing feeling in my gut told me to stay. This was going to be a mistake, but how could I turn her down? She needed me.
"Let me grab my bag from the truck. I just finished at the gym when you called. I'd like to have a shower if that’s okay."
Running down the front steps, I went to retrieve my bag. Walking back toward the house, I couldn't help but check Tatum out. Her breasts looked perfect in the white tank top she wore, and I could see her nipples peeking through the fabric.
The tightness in my pants told me I was in trouble. I wished at that moment that Elliott was home and could stay with her instead, but I had promised him I would look out for her while he was gone.
I walked in, locking the door behind me, and shut off the outside light. Tatum brushed past me, close enough that her coconut body lotion invaded my nostrils. God, I loved that smell.
The bulge in my pants was getting painful. If I didn't take care of it in the shower, I was going to bust.
Tatum got me a towel from the closet and cleaned up some of her stuff in the bathroom.
"Everything good?"
I nodded, and after I shut the door, I turned the water on to let it warm up. A soft knock came on the door. "I left you a blanket and pillow on the couch," I heard Tatum call through the door.
I breathed in a sigh of relief. I was afraid we would have to share her bed. Even though I would have loved to do that, I wasn't sure I'd be able to.
"Thanks!" I yelled back. Climbing into the shower, I let the warm water fall over me. The heat felt great on my body. Closing my eyes, I imagined what it would feel like to have her lips wrapped around my cock, sucking slowly. I was throbbing and aching, so I reached down and took my cock in my hand and started stroking to that thought. It didn't take long for me to come, and once I had, I showered and got dried off. I didn't want her to wonder what was taking me so long.
Reaching into my gym bag, I realized all I had were my boxers to sleep in. Tatum would be in bed anyway, and besides, all she'd get was a show. All the hours in the gym had done my body good. I had nothing to be ashamed of and nothing she wouldn't like. I had caught her checking me out many times already.
I opened the bathroom door in time to see her cute ass walking into her bedroom. Her toned legs and her perfect, rounded ass looked amazing in the little shorts she was wearing. I could see the cheeks of her ass peeking out at the bottom of them.
She paused and turned, taking me all in, her eyes going from my shoulders to my chest down to my abs, stopping on my cock which was semi-hard after focusing my gaze on her. When she met my eyes her pupils were dilated, her lips parted, and she looked as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
"Goodnight, Tatum." I gave her a wink and a soft smile.
I watched her bite her bottom lip as her eyes traveled back up to my face, a slight pink blush rising into her cheeks. "Night," she whispered and shut the door to her room, leaving it open a crack.
I grabbed the pillow off the back of the couch and put it to one end and sat down. This wasn't going to be comfortable. There was no way my six-foot frame was going to fit on her love seat. Sitting back, I put my feet up on the table and tried to relax.
A half hour later, my mind was still going to thoughts of those little white shorts. I kept trying to ignore the fact that she was lying in a bed on the other side of the wall. I needed to get my mind off her.
I checked my phone for any messages or emails, but there was nothing. I finally shut the light off, laid down, and stretched out, trying to relax. Another hour had passed by, and I was still wide awake. Sitting up, I turned on the light and was about to turn on the TV to see what was on, but instead, I somehow built up enough courage to go and knock lightly on her door.
"You still awake?" I whispered. It was only a moment before the light turned on in her bedroom. I pushed the door open and poked my head in.
"Something wrong?" she questioned as she sat up.
"No. It's a little tight out there on space is all. I needed to stretch, and I couldn't sleep." I walked into her room and propped her extra pillow up against the headboard and sat on the edge of the bed.
Her cheeks turning pink, she stood up out of bed as if I had burned her. "Oh my, I never thought about that. We can switch if you want? I didn’t think about how tall you were."
I shook my head. "No, don’t be silly, I've slept in worse spots. It’s all good. You need a good night’s sleep. I wanted to make sure you were okay." I patted the bed, gesturing for her to crawl back in.
Sitting back down, she covered up those beautiful legs of hers and looked down at her hands.
"Are you okay?" I hated to press her, but I was following my gut—she needed to talk. Watching, I was pretty sure I noticed a tear fall down her cheek. "Tatum, look at me."
She wouldn't lift her head. She just kept looking at her hands.
I leaned over and placed my hand under her chin. Her skin was so soft. I lifted her face up to mine, and what I saw nearly broke me. Her eyes were filled with tears. I moved toward her and pulled her into my lap with ease and let her cry. The longer I held her, the calmer she became, until finally, she was quiet.
"My God, Parker, I'm so embarrassed. I really am fine," she said, sitting up and wiping the last of the stray tears away.
There was no way she was going to pull that shit with me again. She wasn't fine, and it was about time I found out exactly what had happened. "What happened, Tatum?"
She climbed out of my lap, laid down, and rolled onto her side, her back facing me. She was quiet for a while. "You have to promise not to tell Elliott. I'm not sure what he would do if he found out."
I wasn't sure I wanted to hear this, and she was putting me in a bad position: lie to my brother in blue and my best friend.
"Promise me, Parker." Her voice was soft.
I knew the only way I would ever find out was to promise. "I promise." I waited for her to roll over to face me, but she didn't. She took a deep breath, her shoulders shaking. She was crying again. I longed to reach out and hold her, but I waited.
"It has to do with those bruises that you asked me about." Her voice was low.
I could feel every muscle in my body clench. There was nothing I hated more than shitty guys who put their hands on a woman, but this one took the cake. He had put his hands on her. "I'm listening."
"It was after the night he spent at my place and I caught on to the fact he was still cheating on me. I hired a company to pack up my stuff, and I stayed with Jen up until the day the movers came. I felt I had imposed enough on her. I decided I was going to stay in a hotel at the airport until my flight left on Saturday. Well, Thursday night after the movers left, I headed to the hotel. I was exhausted. I fell asleep, and I woke to someone knocking on the door. I figured it was Jen coming to hang out, so I got up and opened the door. It was him. He forced his way in and assaulted me." Her body continued to shake from crying. "Please don't hate me, Parker, but Dean has hit me from day one. I'm sorry I lied to you and Elliott. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to leave, I'll understand," she sobbed.
How could she think that? I hated to see her feeling this low and beat down. The guy had done a number on her; he had reduced her to a point where she felt completely worthless. I wasn't going to leave her or desert her. Instead, I moved closer to her, placing one arm under her head, and wrapped my other arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against my body.
"I'm not going anywhere, baby. I'm here now. You’re safe with me. I am so sorry you’ve gone through all this."
She cried in my arms until she either felt safe or had become exhausted enough to fall asleep. Anger boiled inside me as I held her sleeping form. I was angry at the ass who treated her as if she didn't matter. But more so, I was angry at myself. If only I had tried harder to get her to stay with me all those years ago. For not showing her how important she was to me and putting my job ahead of her. Also, I was angry at the fact that I knew if I ever set my eyes on the guy, he'd be dead. Elliott wasn't the only one she had to worry about.