CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Remy
For the first time in a long time I’m not excited about the alarm waking me up. No matter how disheartening life was before, I knew I always had a chance to make it right with Tatum. There was always that hope in the back of my mind. This morning, I know that hope is gone. I know without a doubt it’s gone. I broke both our hearts yesterday, and I did it in front of everyone. I’m expecting Liam to come for my patch today. I won’t stop him when he does, because I’m the most deserving recipient of bastard of the year, ever.
There’s a knock at my door, and I think about acting like I’m asleep and didn’t hear it. Whoever is there, though, won’t allow me to; they bang on the door harder. Why delay the inevitable? I get up and put some sweatpants and a shirt on.
“Yeah?”
Jagger comes in through the doorway, worry apparent on his face. He’s been a good friend, and I’ve appreciated every moment we’ve spent together. Realizing this may be one of the last times I’m allowed to talk to him, I step aside and let him in. “Just making sure you weren’t letting life pass you by hiding in here.”
“I know you’re trying to be my friend right now, but I can’t handle it. I feel wrung out and hungover after what happened yesterday. Life as I know it is over and I have to figure out how to continue on.”
Jagger has a seat on the couch against my wall, giving me a sad smile. Obviously he knows I’ve fucked myself and he feels sorry for me. “I think we all kind of feel that way. Watching the two of you go at it like you did broke all our hearts, Remy. You gotta know that.”
“It’s embarrassing I let it happen.” I run a hand through my hair, pushing it in front of my face to hide my embarrassment. “It’s stupid that I still let my parents have that type of hold over me at my age.”
“Not stupid,” Jagger argues, surprising me with what he says next. “It’s understandable.”
He’s quiet for a long time as we sit there, staring off into space. Finally, his voice cuts the silence. “Did anyone ever tell you about my family? The reason I decided to join up with Heaven Hill?”
I think back, trying to remember any of the stories I heard about Jagger before he came to the club. “No, now that you ask me, the only thing I know about you besides the club is that you’re a damn good singer.”
“My parents were holy rollers. They liked to beat me and Christine in the name of God, Remy. There was a woodshed Dad would take me to, until I was old enough to beat him back. But the years before that, I was embarrassed that I let it happen, humiliated by the way he made me feel. It didn’t even make sense, the way I shook when he’d walk through the doorway of our house. The way my anxiety would mount and how I’d puke every night before I went to bed. In the end, I had to save myself. I went so far to save myself that I left Christine. I left her when I turned eighteen, straight up rode my bike out of that house and never looked back. She was my flesh and blood – I left her and figured she’d be better off without me around.” He stops talking, getting up to pace. By the set of his shoulders, the way he stands up straight and the strain in his voice, I can tell how much it’s costing him to tell me his story. He doesn’t like to talk about this, but he’s opening himself up to me and being the unfailing friend he’s always been for the past year.
“Christine forgave me, because she’s a good woman, and we’re close now. But she didn’t have to. Don’t make the same mistakes I did, Remy. Don’t push away the people who care about you in the guise of protecting them. What you do is you hurt them, and sometimes it’s a pain they can never forgive. Do you want to ruin your chance at forever love with Tate? Think about this really hard, my man. She was willing to fight yesterday, she proved that by coming to you. The question is, are you willing to fight for her?”
He gets up, leaving me with my thoughts, and for the first time, I’m questioning my good intentions.
Tatum
It’s cold when I wake up the next morning. I shiver as I come to awareness, and hear nothing running in the apartment. In my eighteen years, I’ve been through enough icy winters in South Central Kentucky to I know we’ve probably had a significant event. Body shaking, I realize I have to get up and see what’s going on. Wrapping the blanket around my body, I get up, walking to my door and opening it. The floor is freezing, and I realize the power is out. Judging by the temperature of my apartment, it’s been out a while.
My cell is on the table and I grab it, and with shaking hands, I call my dad. If anyone knows what’s going on, it’s him. He’ll tell me where I need to go, what I need to do, and if I need any help.
“Tate,” he answers, his voice gruff with worry. “I heard power’s out your way. How are you? We got the generators on here. Been waiting on you to call me. Are you okay?”
“No power and freezing.” My teeth chatter as I move around my bedroom, grabbing clothes to wear. Remy’s hoodie taunts me, but it’s the one of the warmest things in this bedroom, and right now I need to feel close to him. It still smells like his cologne and that familiarity is welcome in this situation.
“Drew and I will come and get you, stay put.” His voice booms over the phone line. I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful to hear him speak with the authority he uses to handle all situations.
“I’m gonna go get in my SUV, at least then I’ll have heat.” I can see my breath as I speak, putting on fleece-lined leggings and my fuzzy boots.
“You do that, we’ll be there ASAP.”
Grabbing everything I can to put on and a bag in case I have to be there for a few days, I carefully make my way out of my apartment. Opening the door, I’m greeted by what feels like a wall of cold air. Everything is coated in a bright, shiny layer of ice. Tree limbs hang low around the area, what grass is left is crunchy, and everything has a brilliant sheen to it. The sun is shining brightly, making me wish I had my sunglasses. When I take a step, I squeal and slip on the slick sidewalk. Reaching out, I brace my hand against the brick wall, holding myself up as I catch my breath. With amazing luck, I don’t fall on my ass as I finish making my way to my Tahoe. Grabbing onto the back of it, I hold on as I make my way around to the driver’s side, holding on tightly to the door handle before I carefully open it, and get in. My SUV is backed in, and it allows me to watch the comings and goings as I wait for the heat to kick on and come up to temperature. A loud muffler pulling into the parking lot causes me to look at who’s entering. A shiver runs down my spine, goose bumps breaking out along my arms, even though I’m warming up.
A loud truck creeps around the parking lot. I’m ninety percent sure this is Remy’s parents, but for some reason I can’t remember what color the vehicle had been. One thing I do remember, though, is the license plate. Once I memorize something with numbers, I don’t easily forget it. As it makes a second lap, it allows me to see the license plate.
My eyes hone in on the letters and numbers printed on the piece of metal. My heartrate kicks up as I realize it’s them. I have no idea why they’re here, what they want with me, and what they hope to accomplish.
However, something tells me I don’t want to stick around and find out. Cranking the defroster on, I hope like hell it takes care of the layer of ice covering the windshield. I have a feeling I’m going to have to leave before my dad and brother get here, and while it scares me, I know I’m being proactive. Remy’s parents being here isn’t a coincidence, and I’m not willing to be a sitting duck for people who threaten my happiness. If they want me, they can come after me.
My eyes don’t leave Remy’s parents as I watch them park and then walk around my apartment building. I know without a doubt they’re here for me, but I’m not entirely sure what they want.
Just as the ice on my windshield starts to break, I watch in my rearview as they get to the door that leads to my part of the building. When they try to open it and realize they need a code, they turn back to where I’m sitting, spotting me. Something about the way George looks at me tells me I need to get the hell out of here.
As quickly as possible, I pull out of my parking space and connect my phone to the Bluetooth. I don’t want to act like there’s a problem when there’s not, so I go about my business, exiting my neighborhood, and driving to my parents’ house.
George and Janet get behind me, driving faster than I would have dared. When I take a few turns that aren’t required, and they take them as well, I know they’re following me.
I instruct the Bluetooth to make a call for me to Travis Steele. When he picks up on the first ring, I thank the heavens.
“What in the fuck are you doing, Tatum? Liam and Drew are on their way.” His voice is panicked.
“I know,” I answer, white-knuckling the steering wheel, my voice just as panicked. “Remy’s parents showed up at my apartment, and now they’re following me.”
“Where are you? The GPS system isn’t precise on your car.”
“Louisville Road in front of the Sonic, about to turn onto Porter Pike. Shouldn’t I intersect Dad and Drew?”
“Your Dad went around the back way, just in case. Drew and Remy are heading toward you, but there’s been a wreck out here, and it’s had traffic backed up.”
My heart stutters as I hear Remy’s with my brother. Maybe he’s willing to give us more of a shot after all. Maybe he’s willing to admit we mean more to each other than just a couple of fun nights.
“Okay, I’m trying to stay on the road, Travis, but I don’t have a lot of experience with this, and it’s very slick.”
“Be careful,” he warns me. “Whatever you do, don’t hit the brake. If you have to stop, put it in neutral and let the vehicle slow before you apply the brake.”
“They’re gaining on me in the curves.” I glance at them in my rearview mirror.
“Are they trying to bump you?”
“I think so.”
My heart is in my throat as I see George behind me, can feel him gaining on me. When I feel the tap, I know I have no prayer of hanging onto the SUV, and all I can do is hope I don’t get hurt as I hit the ditch and the SUV rolls.
It feels as if it rolls forever, each time it flips, I feel the impact, gnashing my teeth together. The airbags deploy, and I thank God when finally it comes to a stop. I take stock of myself and notice nothing hurts horribly, nothing feels broken. More than anything, I’m pissed. “Steele?” I question, but when there’s no answer, I know our call was disconnected.
“Help!” I yell as I’m suspended by the seatbelt that kept me inside the SUV.
I see people running toward me, my panic reaching an all-time high as I see it’s George. “You tell Remy, I’ll be waiting on him.” He peeks in at me. “Sorry you got caught up in the process doll, you’re really a beautiful girl and way too good for my son.”
I shout in rage, unable to get my seatbelt unlatched as I watch him run away.