Lovely Harrowed Heart, page 2
“Damn, girl,” Callen hissed in my ear, pressing his body close to mine in the dark. I hadn’t remembered to turn on the front light before I’d left.
I laughed, a sudden burst of hysteria echoing off the aluminum siding. I put my finger over my lips as I swayed in Callen’s grip. “Shhh, you’ll wake my daddy.”
Callen stiffened, his arm almost crushing me. I knew he would leave soon. They usually did. Although, this wasn’t the first time Callen had taken me home. He was getting bold with me recently and I didn’t think I liked it.
I waited for him to move away, to step back and awkwardly come up with an excuse to leave. He didn’t. Instead, he leaned closer. The small hairs on the back of my neck rose in warning.
“But ya daddy’s sleepin’ now, right?” he whispered. I cringed at his damp breath in my ear.
My muscles tightened as the sweet buzz I’d picked up at the bar fizzled. Great. All I’d needed was a ride home. Not company. Callen knew as much, but it sounded as if he’d had his own fair share of alcohol.
His hands shifted steadily from my waist, working their way down to my ass. The feel of his hands roaming and touching had my mind going blank with panic. He stood behind me, seeming so big compared to my small frame. His lips traveled from my ear down my neck, licking and sucking on the delicate skin.
“You’re so fucking hot,” he mumbled, those hands still roaming…traveling lower until they reached the hem of my mini skirt. He started to tug it up my thighs. “I’ve never met someone as hot as you.”
My chest constricted around my lungs until I couldn’t breathe. It was too much. The cold night air hitting my bare upper thighs seemed to snap me out of it. I couldn’t stand here and do nothing. Not again.
I didn’t remember making the decision, but as his hands continued running up my skin, my body finally moved. I yanked out of his grip, whirled around and smacked him so hard across the face my palm stung.
Callen blinked. Those big, watery brown eyes seemed stunned briefly before they filled with rage. A red splotch in the exact shape of my hand blossomed on his cheek. I was pretty sure it would bruise.
“You bitch!” he roared. I flinched as he spat at me—the thick glob of saliva landed on my shirt, inches from my face. “I don’t need this shit.”
He turned, stomping down the wooden steps of the small, makeshift porch so hard they almost buckled. Relief hit me as he headed toward his car. He yanked open the driver’s side door, but he paused before getting in. My skin prickled as he looked at me from over his shoulder, anger stark in his expression. Then he opened his mouth, delivering one last slap to counter the one I’d landed on his face.
“Trailer trash whore!”
He turned and jumped into the car, revving up the engine and speeding away. The gravel in the drive sputtered and flew everywhere in his wake.
My face heated. Trailer trash. To my horror, tears burned behind my eyes. Great. I couldn’t even say anything to defend myself. It wasn’t exactly a lie.
With shaking limbs, I stumbled into the trailer, the place I’d called home since Mama left me when I was fourteen. I didn’t miss her.
Anger boiled under my skin as I headed toward the small bedroom at the end of the trailer home. Callen was a douche. I knew that, but still, it didn’t stop me from hanging out with him after a few beers. He was always in the same crowd at Splinter’s Tavern. I clenched the hand that had slapped him, my palm still stung, but I wished I’d hit him harder. He had no business ruining not only my buzz, but also the last shred of dignity I’d managed to hold on to.
I pushed open the slightly ajar bedroom door at the end of the trailer. A pair of yellow eyes glinted at me from the end of the bed. My long-haired calico blinked at me before she yawned and laid her head back down. Daddy was laying in the same place I’d left him earlier in the night. It’s not like he could go anywhere else, but it brought me peace seeing he was safe. I watched his chest rise and fall under the covers, and considered crawling into bed with him like I had when I was a little girl. I wanted to curl up in his arms where I’d always felt safe.
But I wasn’t a little girl anymore.
I sighed, blinking back tears. He couldn’t hold me anymore anyway. I glanced at my cat again.
“Wanna come, Buffy?” Buffy opened one, annoyed-looking eye before she shut it again and curled tighter into a ball. “Traitor,” I whispered.
Not even my own cat would keep me company tonight. She usually slept with me, but she’d been staying in Dad’s room more and more and I missed her. I shook my head and closed the door.
I turned and headed toward my room, which was barely more than a closet with a small day bed. Callen wouldn’t have fit in here anyway. No man would. I was glad for it. Some of my old beauty pageant crowns and trophies glinted from shelves my dad had installed on my bedroom walls. My mother was the one who forced me into them, but my father was always proud of how well I’d done. Even though I never enjoyed those times—my mother often used up whatever cash I’d won and pushed me onto the next show—I’d never gotten rid of the memorabilia.
I fell on top of the rickety bed I’d had for as long as I could remember. I didn’t even get under the covers as I pulled my knees to my chest, holding them tight. I still had my bar clothes on and they smelled like cheap beer and cigarettes. I didn’t care. It wasn’t like I was better than this. From a beauty queen, to trailer trash…how I had fallen.
A shiver quaked through me. Even though it was almost spring, the nights still held a slight chill. I closed my eyes against the tears cascading down my cheeks. I prayed for sleep to come take me, sweep me up in its sweet arms of oblivion and chase away the echoes of Callen’s last words.
Trailer trash whore.
I tugged open the curtains hanging over the high window in my father’s room, letting the sunlight pour in.
“Morning Daddy,” I said, a little too loudly as I turned to the double bed taking up almost the entire room. Buffy was nowhere in sight, but that wasn’t unusual. She had her own cat door and roamed the property at her will. She always came back home, though. I kept a special tag on her collar, which tracked her by GPS, just in case she got lost. Call me paranoid, but I’d been through a lot with her by my side and losing her somehow was one of my worst fears.
I’d showered and changed already, and felt slightly better than last night. I decided there was no reason to let Callen, of all people, get to me. I’d dealt with worse before and he sure as hell wasn’t worth it.
Daddy’s bushy brows drew together as he glared at me with sleepy, red-rimmed eyes. He wasn’t much of a morning person no matter how early I got him into bed at night.
I smiled, hoping to cheer him up a bit. “You ready to get up?”
He let out a huff of air through his nose and jerked his chin slightly to the right. No, he wasn’t.
I clicked my tongue and reached for his blanket. I threw it off of his body and he glowered at me.
“That’s a shame.” I shrugged, ignoring his gumpy glares. “Because you know we have PT this morning. Gotta get up and at ’em!”
I had a feeling he was silently cursing me as I grabbed the belt from the hook next to his bed and secured it around his waist. His wheelchair sat folded in the far corner and I retrieved it, maneuvering it carefully so it was open and waiting for him as close to the bed as possible. There wasn’t much room so it was difficult, but we’d gotten the hang of it. It’d been over two years since my father had a massive stroke that left him extremely debilitated.
“All right, let’s get you up.” I leaned over him, and he used his good arm to push himself up. Working as a rehearsed team, Daddy used what strength he had on his good side and I helped with everything else as we got him into his chair.
It barely took us any time at all anymore.
During the first weeks after his stroke, there was little hope that he’d even pull through to come back home. But eventually, he had. And even though it was hard for me to see him like he was now; weak, and basically non-verbal—I still had him. At least he was still with me.
That was all that mattered.
An hour later, I had gotten Daddy washed and ready for the day. He had physical therapy twice a week. It was routine for me to hunker down in the waiting room with one of my favorite romance novels while he had his appointment. To be honest, it was one of my favorite times of the week. I could sit back and completely relax, even if it was in a stiff waiting room chair.
We’d been at the office a while, and I had my knees pulled up to my chest, my book balancing on top of them as I read. It was getting to a really good part and I was completely engrossed. Everything faded into the background as I was sucked deep into the story. I was only vaguely aware of the sliding glass door opening as another patient came in. A brief gust of air fluttered my hair around my face and I tucked some behind my ear as I leaned my nose closer to the pages.
“Ellie?”
His voice made my blood turn cold. I didn’t look up, not right away, as my brain tried to process the sound. It was a voice I knew better than my own. A voice I’d recognize anywhere. But it couldn’t be him. It couldn’t. He hadn’t set foot in Cypress Falls in years.
Slowly, my gaze lifted from the book I was suddenly no longer interested in. My heart constricted as I met those deep, bright hazel eyes I would recognize a damn mile away.
He looked different than he had last time I’d seen him. He was broader, his chest muscular and straining against the fitted, heathered gray shirt. His nose had a slight bump in the middle, as if he’d broken it a few times. He also had a short beard. It didn’t look bad on him, but it was different. Same with his hair. It was cut short, no sign of his signature ringlets falling over his forehead.
The book slipped from my fingers, flopping onto the tiled floor with a dull smack.
Tyson Ranes blinked down at me, a crease forming between his brows. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out as my whole world tipped. Queasiness erupted within me, but so did something else. Something fluttered in my gut as he tilted his head to the side as his gaze roamed over me.
Three years. It had been three years since I’d seen Ty, the person I once considered my best friend. I’d once trusted him more than myself. The person who up and left me without so much as a goodbye.
“Miss Liles? We’re done for today.” The sound of my name from the other end of the room broke my trance. I jumped to my feet, turning to face the PTA who had wheeled my father out to the waiting room. I wondered how long she’d been standing there. She was looking at me with her lips in a tight line.
I glanced back at Ty. His body was tense as his gaze bounced between my father and me. He hadn’t known then. The shock on his face said as much. He took a step toward me, but I bolted.
I almost ran to my father, hastily taking his wheelchair from the physical therapy assistant. “Thanks, Clara. I’ll see you next time,” I mumbled, avoiding her gaze.
I didn’t look back at Ty as I pushed my father through the waiting room and out the front door. He didn’t call to stop me either.
Tyson Ranes was back in Cypress Falls. I had no idea what that meant, but I knew one thing: I was going to stay as far away from him as this small, close-knit town would allow.
Chapter Three
Ellie
The fresh air did little to calm my nerves as I got Daddy situated in the car. My hands trembled as I hefted his wheelchair onto the bumper-mounted rack on my four-door sedan, my mind running wild. I threw fearful glances toward the PT building, worried that he might come out and try to talk to me.
I had no idea how long Ty had been in town or when he’d leave again, but seeing him out of the blue like that had me riled and dazed. Three years without so much as a hello. Three years of unanswered text messages and ignored calls. And now, he was just…back?
Hopping into the driver’s seat, I slammed the door closed harder than I intended. My lungs tightened and I breathed in deep, staring out the windshield. My skin prickled with heat and I cranked the engine, turning up the AC as I tried to calm myself. There wasn’t a reason to panic, was there?
I dug my phone from the depths of my purse and dialed the number of the only other person I’d known almost as long as Tyson Ranes.
Knox answered on the second ring. “Hey.” He sounded tired, but I didn’t care. There was only one thing on my mind.
“Did you know?” My voice was tense, on the edge of snapping like a taut piece of string.
There was a pause before he answered. “What’s wrong?”
“Did you know he was back?” I gripped my phone so hard it dug into my palm as the silence stretched on.
Eventually, he sighed. “El—” he began, but the pain of betrayal shooting through me made me hang up before I heard what else he had to say. I could tell by his tone. He had known. He’d known Ty was back in town and hadn’t told me.
I threw my phone back in my bag and clutched the steering wheel, trying to control my breathing so I didn’t completely break down right there in the damn car.
I put one hand on the gear shift. I needed to get out of here before I lost it. My fingers ached as my nails dug into the leather of the gear shift. I was frozen, heart hammering as old memories of Ty surfaced and flitted through my mind. The utter devastation that I felt when he first left hit me as if it had been only yesterday and not years ago.
I jumped as a hand fell over mine. Glancing down, Daddy’s thin hand covered mine. I glanced up at his face and his expression darkened. His thumb rubbed a small circle against my skin and the gesture made tears well. I let go of the shifter, turning my palm up to squeeze his hand.
“I’m done, Daddy. I’m not gonna cry.” I smiled despite the hurt in my chest and blinked the tears away. His fingers tightened slightly around mine, and I pulled in a deep breath. His eyes narrowed and he frowned, as if he didn’t believe me.
“You don’t need to worry.”
I placed his hand on his lap, patting it gently before grabbing the steering wheel. This time, I shifted into reverse and backed out of the parking spot and sped home.
I got Daddy home and settled in his favorite chair before I burst back outside again. I couldn’t be inside with him now, those knowing eyes watching me. What I needed was a safe place to clear my head.
I rounded the trailer, almost running by the time the field of budding wildflowers came into view. My father might live in a rusty, small trailer home, but the real prize was the land it was on. He spent his life savings to buy this place of his dreams; almost ten acres of gorgeous, sprawling land where wildflowers grew and flourished. I hurried through them, not even watching my feet for ant hills in my haste to reach the forest of willows and pine trees at the edges of the cleared property.
Memories of Ty flashed through my mind, we’d once been inseparable. Best friends. But then, everything changed. He had gone through a hard time, I knew, but instead of talking with me about it, he left. One day he was simply gone. And I had no idea why.
When I broke through to the brush and cover of trees, my wild heart eased. The smell of damp earth and the sound of rushing water made me feel at home as I ran down the slight incline toward the creek bed.
I collapsed onto the rocky earth when the water was in sight, curling my knees to my chest and burying my face in them. This had been my safe space since I was a little girl. It was a tiny sanctuary encapsulated by forest, the only spot I felt comfortable truly being myself.
I tried to focus on the sound of the flowing creek, but all I could see was Ty’s face and the way he had looked at me; as if it hadn’t been three whole years since he’d seen me. Three years since he’d uttered one word to me—the person he’d talked to every day since we were six years old.
Tears burned and I didn’t fight them this time. I let them fall, slipping down my cheeks and pooling on the bare skin of my knees. There had been so many times where I prayed Ty would come home. But he hadn’t. And as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months and then years…I lost hope. He’d ignored my every attempt at communication. The only reason I knew he was alive was because he periodically let Atlas know he was all right. The hurt from that festered within me, becoming a tangible thing trying to tear its way out of my chest.
I hadn’t been prepared to face him, and anger and betrayal shot to the surface until I was sobbing like a tiny child throwing a tantrum. The tears came no matter how hard I tried to stop them. I couldn’t remember the last time I cried like this; my chest heaving and nose running and head pounding.
Time passed, and then suddenly a heavy, warm arm wrapped around my shoulders. I jumped. The sounds of my own crying and the rush of water had drowned out his approach.
He didn’t say anything, but he rubbed my upper arm in soothing motions as I let out my uncontrollable emotions. I didn’t try to hide them. He was one of the few people I didn’t wear my mask for.
Eventually, my tears subsided until I was nothing more than a hiccuping mess. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I figured you’d come down here,” Knox answered. I’d known it was him before I looked up into his face, half shielded by the brim of his cowboy hat. He always smelled of leather and freshly cut grass. I’d recognize it anywhere.
I studied his face. Knox never gave away much, but I’d known him a very long time. The corners of his eyes were tight, his jaw hard beneath his smooth, golden skin. He was worried.
“How long have you known?” It was both an accusation and a question. His arm tightened around my shoulders.
“Months.”
I almost pulled away as the shock hit my already sensitive nerves. Months? He’d known Ty was back in town for months and never said a word? We saw each other all the time.
My nails dug into the skin of my knees hard enough to draw blood. My tongue burned as the words I wanted to throw at him clawed up my throat.
