Chapter Sixteen

We made it to his house but I hadn't put much thought into how I was going to get him out of the truck. I tried tapping him lightly and saying his name, but that didn't work. Shoving him became more useful until I had ahold of his shirt and was practically dragging him from the seat. 

"I swear to God, Jase, if you don't help me a little bit, I will make you regret it until the day you die. Do you hear me?"

I pulled as hard as I could one last time, thinking he would get to the edge of the seat and then wake up enough to walk with my help to the house. I didn't realize in my anger that I pulled a little harder than I needed to until I witnessed him tumble to the ground with a thud. 

"Oh, shit."

He began to moan first and then rocked back and forth. I knew he was going to be hurting in the morning but I had just solidified it.

"Jase, I need you to help me get you inside."

"Red?"

I lowered myself to his side and answered, "Yeah, it's me."

He barely opened his eyes but I knew it was a start. 

"Nice panties."

I had completely forgotten I was wearing a dress and only allowed the humiliation to last a second before my legs were closed and I shoved him.

"You're a pig, you know that?"

He began to laugh and I knew things were going to get easier.

"Come on. I don't want to be out here all night. The mosquitoes are biting."

He brought himself up on all fours.

"How?"

I watched as he took in the fact we were at his home. 

"I drove you. Now come on. I'm getting bit to death."

I slapped my arm as I felt the stinker get me. He attempted to stand but needed my help to reach his feet. Once he was on solid ground, we walked together into the house. It was more me keeping him on a straight path but we made it.

"You need to shower and brush your teeth."

"This looks much better."

He let go of me and dove onto his couch face first.

"Seriously, Jase, you threw up all over yourself."

He rolled over and looked at me with one eye open.

"Are you really standing in my house after how I treated you the other night?"

"You're one lucky man, but the answer is yes. Now, come on, let's get you upstairs."

He didn't fight me as much that time and let me lead him through the dining area to the back of the kitchen where the stairs led up to the bedrooms. Once we reached the bathroom, I helped him take off his shoes and then carefully lifted his shirt over his head, trying not to let the vomit touch his face. It was disgusting to say the least, but in that moment, all I cared about was getting him to bed where he had some chance of sleeping the hangover off.

"You are awful nice to be doing this, you know? I don't deserve you."

"Would you stop saying that? I am doing what any decent person would do. You need help, and I'm giving you that. Now sit down."

He fell more than sat, but either way ended up on the closed toilet lid. Taking one leg out at a time, I got his pants off and then stood up, never having been more grateful that the man wore underwear. I took his hands to help him up but saw his right thigh muscle flex and couldn't control the gasp that escaped me. Half of it wasn't there. When you think of a person's leg it should be round, but Jase's wasn't, it was more like a triangle. 

"You can stop staring now. It's not going to change the more you look at it."

My eyes met with his, and instantly, I felt bad for gawking.

"What happened?"

"I got shot."

"A bullet did that? Holy crap."

"I'm lucky to have my leg and my life so don't pity me, okay? The last person in the world I want that from is you."

It was like he suddenly sobered up.

"Jase …"

He inserted his thumbs into the waistband of the only thing left covering him.

"I'm about to take these off. So unless you want to join me, you might want to leave."

He was trying his best to push me away, but I refused to let him. I stood there, uncertain if I had the guts to pull it, off but he certainly wasn't going to give me any time to decide. He started to pull his underwear slowly, giving one last chance to run. Instead, I did the unthinkable and grabbed the bottom of my dress, yanking it over my head before I could second guess my actions. His jaw dropped, and those eyes I was falling for about fell out of their sockets before a smile crept up his face.

"Red."

God, the way he could make such a silly nickname sound sexy.

"You are not pushing me away this time. I don't care what happened over there. I'm not here to judge you or pity you. I'm here because I wanted to see you smile again, and if this is what it's going to take, then here it is."

I knew I looked ridiculous standing there in my strapless bra, thong, and a walking boot, but I didn't care. 

"You are perfection."

"Says the man who keeps pushing me away."

"I'd be a fool to let you take one step in any direction other than closer to me."

"You are far too disgusting to touch, my friend. Don't forget you threw up not even an hour ago all over yourself."

I picked up my dress from the floor and pulled it back over my head 

"And my wet dream just ended."

I laughed and then brushed past him to turn on the shower water.

"Get yourself clean and meet me downstairs. I'll cook you something greasy to help your stomach."

I started to walk out of the bathroom when he called for me. "Red?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

I smiled again and patted the door frame.

"That's what friends are for."

Once I was in his kitchen, I went in search of bacon, eggs, and toast. Breakfast food sounded good and he needed something in his stomach for sure. I knew the morning would be rough regardless for him.

I was surprised to find everything I was looking for; his fridge was fully stocked. Next was where he kept the pots and pans, but those came after a few doors were opened and closed. By the time I had the bacon browned, I heard the footsteps pressing down on the stairs and knew he would be joining me in seconds. Just as I turned, he was there, in nothing but a pair of running shorts, staring at me like he was surprised to find me in his kitchen.

"Feel any better?"

He pulled a chair from the table and sat down before he responded. 

"What the hell did I do to myself?"

I turned my back to him and flipped the eggs as I said, "That's a good question, and I don't have any answers for you. I walked out of the bar one minute, and when I came back in the next, you were there."

"I was there long before that. I just didn't have the balls to approach you until I was twelve drinks in."

Spinning around in disbelief, I knew he could read the shock on my face before I even spoke.

"You were there the whole time?"

"No, you were already having fun when I walked in. Believe me, I almost walked right back out, but something about you smiling like you were kept me there."

I took the eggs off the burner and placed them on a plate, added some bacon and two slices of toast, and walked over to set it front of him.

"That sounds kind of creepy, Jase, just saying."

He picked up the fork and started cutting into his eggs as he said, "I'm not a creeper, Red, I just didn't know how to say I was sorry."

He devoured the eggs so fast that I went back to the stove to make more.

"Why were you so mad at me that night? I mean, I get why you were pissed off, but what did I do?"

I don't think I would have had the nerve to ask that question if I had to see his face, but with my back to him, I found empowerment. 

He didn't answer me, and when I finally gave in and turned, he had a mouth full of bacon. I went back to cracking eggs into the pan, giving up the notion of getting any answers when I heard, "I waited my whole life for you to look at me like I'm the kind of man that can make you happy. It wasn't fair of me to be an asshole, but when I saw the pity in your eyes, it killed me. I was never really mad at you; I was pissed at myself for not being man enough to deserve you."

I took the eggs out of the pan, placed them on a new plate, and stood there with my hands resting on the counter, trying to find the right words to say. When nothing seemed worthy, I picked up the plate and walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down across from him, pushing the plate in his direction. 

He took the eggs and began to eat again. Silence took over the room before I finally decided how to respond. 

"To see you as a man, a true deserving man, it would mean you carry all the characteristics of one. You must be able to show weakness when necessary and strength when needed. What makes you less of one is being a coward. Pushing me away instead of having the integrity to stand tall will be your downfall. I never gave you my pity, Jase, but I did give you my rage. And I will continue to do so as long as you shut me out."

He dropped his fork and looked at me with more strength than I had seen him possess.

"I'm no pussy, Red. I've stood against armies and won. Don't mistake my insecurity for weakness."

"Then prove it. Stop acting like your past would make you less of a man. You say you can be man enough, then be man enough."

He stood, causing his chair to fall backward, and came at me in a fury. I stood to match his strength, refusing to allow him any reason to see me as anything less than his equal. When our eyes locked, the room disappeared. All I saw was the man who could make me feel stronger than anyone ever could. Whether it be anger or passion, he could ignite something within me that I craved.

"You keep that look in your eye, do you understand? The next time I see pity we are done."

"I didn't know we ever actually started."

"Then know it now. I want you, Red. I want my shot with you."

"Then quit worrying about everything else and take it."

His hands wove into the back of my hair, pulling me to him. As our lips met, it was like coming home. His lips swept over mine before I was met with the brush of his tongue. The two of us danced slowly around his kitchen as our kiss continued to pleasure me beyond expression.  When we finally broke free, both of us were panting for breath but couldn't break eye contact. 

"Stay with me tonight."

"I have nowhere else to be."

"That's exactly what I needed to hear."

He gave me one last kiss and then moved back over to the table before he looked back at me.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"I wasn't planning on it, but it did look damn good." 

"Then sit. It's my turn to serve you."

"And take the chance that you still being drunk will burn the house down? No thanks."

I walked back over to the burner and cracked three more eggs over it. When his hands wrapped around my waist, I jumped, not expecting to feel him again so soon.

"I'm not too drunk to understand a gorgeous woman not only took off her clothes but cooked for me afterwards."

I turned in his arms. "You remember that, huh?"

"Like I would ever allow myself to forget."

"I was kind of banking on it."

He laughed, and knowing that any part of that night brought back a happy side to him made all the humiliation worth it.

"Wet dreams, baby, nothing but wet dreams."

I smelled something start to burn and shouted, "The eggs!"

He reached behind me and moved the pan off the burner.

"Now who's going to burn the place down?"

I playfully shoved him.

"That was all your fault, you know?"

"Like I said, have a seat and let me take care of it."

I had no problems sitting back and watching him go to work. He really was sexy as hell, and occasionally, when he would glance over his shoulder and throw me a smile, it confirmed what my gut knew from the beginning of this madness. He was worth the fight.