“You going to get that, babe?” Garrett nudges me shoulder.
“I’ll call her back later.”
“Raegan, I know this is none of my business, but she called earlier before your fight and I answered the phone.”
“You did what?” The drink stayed untouched as I pulled myself away from him. He could’ve told me on the way here, but instead he waited until now.
I went outside and leaned against the wall. He came after me.
“Raegan, hold on a damn minute. Why haven’t you called her back? She just wants to talk to you about your dad.”
“I don’t want to talk about him. I’m done with that. Done.”
“He wants to get help, Raegan.”
I didn’t want to have this conversation right now. I was done with my father. Nothing he had to say could change anything. Nothing could change the way he treated me, the way he talked to me, the way he started a fight with me just to have me arrested.
I clenched my chest, trying to catch my breath.
“Look, I don’t want to talk about this tonight. Can we just go home?”
“I’m sorry, Raegan.” I hate the way he sounds right now, but I’m seething. If anything but fury courses through me, I know I’ll cry, and I just don’t want to. I’m tired of tears, tired of the way my father tried to destroy my life. I could never forget the way he hurt me.
The ride home is quiet, awkward. Garrett reaches over, trying to hold my hand; I pull away, lean my head against the window. It’s not his fault. Can I really hold it against him that he answered my phone? I’ve done my fighting for the night, and it was in the ring.
I draw in a deep breath before I reach over and lace our fingers together. He seems to loosen up, he tells me he loves me. I want to be angry, but I can’t be—not when he speaks to me with such heavy grief in his voice, as if he’s afraid he’ll lose me.
We lay in bed in silence for the first time in two weeks. I held true to my words inside Joe’s. I didn’t want to discuss this. I didn’t want to fight. What hurt more other than us not talking was neither of us touched the other. I wanted him to hold me, but it was just like he’d said during the toast
at the bar: I’m stubborn. It took long enough but I finally fell asleep and when I woke the next morning, I was on his chest where I belonged.
Chapter 27
Garrett
Maybe I should have stayed quiet. Her phone rang and she passed the call off yet again. I don’t want to push the issue of her father, but I recall the pleading in her stepmom’s voice. I can’t hold the phone up to her ear and make her talk, but I can try to get her to communicate. Her father is abusive, but he’s still alive; I can’t help but see the good in that. If there’s a chance they can fix things, that her father might apologize for his behavior, well—
I wouldn’t blame her if she can’t forgive him. But I wish my parents were still alive. Sitting in that funeral home and staring at those caskets was the worst experience of my life.
Raegan stirs in her sleep; as she moves, I feel the slight dampness of drool on my shirt. I can’t help but chuckle as I run my fingers through her hair. She stirs a little more and those gorgeous blue eyes of hers open to meet mine.
“Good morning, baby.”
She looks up and stifles a yawn. “Good morning.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“No.” She pouts. “I can’t sleep well at all when I’m not in your arms.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” I whisper.
She pulls her hair behind her ear and before I can blink, she’s straddling me. I moan as she arranges her perfect little frame against my body and no doubt she can feel how much I want her right now.
Her hair falls down around my face as she crushes her lips to mine, letting out a soft moan. I tug off her tank top, and slip one of her hardened nipples into my mouth. Her back arches as she moans in delight, begging me for more.
Once her shorts are off, she slides on top of me. I cup her ass as she begins to move up and down; oh damn, this feels too amazing. I’m shaken to my core as I feel myself come and when she loses control, her body collapses against mine.
When she steps into the bathroom, I wonder if I can convince her to talk to her father. No way in hell will I ruin this wonderful morning, though.