Bayou Stix Series: Bayou Stix Limited Edition Box Set (140 page)

She shoves me and throws my phone off of the porch and into the yard.
What the hell?!
I’m so startled at the shove that I miss the second one as well. Then, she’s in my face. “What the fuck are you doing? You’re leaving now?
Why?!
What the hell are
you
doing?”

Holy shit, she’s freaking pissed. Why is she pissed? I’m doing the right thing.

Why is she so mad? I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing what’s best for her. I knew I wasn’t good enough for her and now this… this proves it. I’m not meant to be with her. She’s better than me.

Yes, I’m not the rapist, yet, I’m the one who has his blood. I care about Tifanie too much to stay and possibly hurt her at some point.

Walking away from her, I go down the steps and search for my phone in the grass. She follows close behind. I glare at her and she glares back. The fire in her eyes is almost scary. Yet, I hold my ground. “Stop yelling at me, Tifanie. This…” I point between the two of us. “This is not a good idea. Lucian is
evil
. You said it yourself. He’s bad. His blood is in me. No matter what I say or do, he’s a part of me. I came from him! Do you not fucking get that?! I don’t want to be like him! I can’t be like him! I cannot risk hurting you like that! Do you fucking understand that?!”

She’s looking at me like I’m speaking Chinese. “
What?
That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, you idiot! I
know
you aren’t like him! You’re nothing like him. Yes, he’s evil personified, but you are
not! How the fuck are you so smart and so fucking stupid at the same time?!”

She marches over to me and shoves me in the chest again before screaming at me. “I love you.” My mouth hits the ground. “
Yes, I love you!
If you were evil, Cruz Edwards, then I wouldn’t love you. I couldn’t love you. But I do. I love you and now you know. I love you and even though you may not love me back, I love you enough not to let you throw this away.” Her hands run over my arms and link with my fingers. “I love you enough that I’m not letting you do this. You’re not running away from this. You’re better than this. You deserve this.” She whispers, “I’ll love you enough for the both of us if that’s what it takes!”

Her chest is rapidly rising and falling and her eyes are glassy with unshed tears. Once again, she’s willing to fight for me. She keeps fighting for me.

The ringing of my phone makes both of us jump. Looking down at the grass, we can see the screen light up. Tifanie marches over and grabs it before holding it out to me. I see it’s Dade. Still staring at the fierce and determined woman in front of me, I take it and answer, “Yeah.”

“Hey, you called me and when I answered you hung up. You good? Did you need something?”

“I did call you. It was an accident.” She’s watching my face. “Sorry, man. I’m good. I don’t need anything. I have what I need.”

“Ok, cool. Later.”

Before I can say “Later,” he’s hung up. Tifanie just stares at me and I stare back.

Tifanie just told me she loves me. I already knew she did, or I thought she did, but she said it. No, she screamed it. She loves me and she’s willing to fight for me. I don’t know if I love her. I think I might, but I don’t know and until I do know, I’m not saying it.

But she loves me and she makes me feel. She makes me happy. I have to stop pushing her away and trying to ruin this.

She loves me and I want to stick around…

Are you man enough to actually do it though?!

Yeah, I am. I have to be.

She’s searching my face and waiting for me to speak. What do I say?

Finally, I pull her onto the steps of the mansion and we sit down. She stares straight ahead with her hands clasped and her mouth tight.

I lean back on the step behind me and cross my ankles. Watching the moon, I say, “I’m sorry.”

Her head turns and she looks at me. She still looks pissed. “You can’t keep doing this.” She glares. “You can’t turn tail and try to run every time something scary comes along, Cruz. You’re an adult. This is an adult relationship. It’s not easy. It’s not supposed to be easy. But you can’t keep doing this.”

I nod. “I know. But it’s what I do. It’s what I know how to do. When things are tough or get complicated, I leave. It’s worked for me in the past. It’s all I know.”

She grabs my knee and squeezes. “It stops now. You’re not running from me… from this.” I cover her hand with mine. “I don’t need everything, Cruz. But I need something. You have to give me something.”

Leaning down, I stare into her eyes and slowly and shyly smile. “I know. I don’t have a lot to offer. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I can give you something… I can give you me. I can give you me, Tifanie.” Brushing her mouth with mine, I feel her sigh and then she smiles against my lips.

“Well, since that’s exactly what I want… I’ll take it.”

The door opens behind us and I mutter, “Deal.” I brush her lips with mine, before I turn to see who’s come out.

Ty is standing there. His hands are shoved into his pockets and his feet are bare. His hair is rumpled and he looks embarrassed. “Hey, guys. Sorry to interrupt your moment here, but I just woke up. I think I drank too much.”

I nod. “You had a lot. It’s cool though. I think we’re good here.”

Holding out my hand as I stand up, Tifanie places hers in mine and I help her up. She smiles at me. “Yeah, we’re good here.” She lightly squeezes.

She turns her head to Ty and says, “You ok?”

He grimaces and nods. “Yeah, I’m good. Long day.”

Nodding, she lets go of my hand as she heads up the steps and into the house. “I’m going to check on Grandma Clarabelle. If she’s still asleep, I’ll help her to bed and we can head out.”

I nod as the door closes behind her and it’s just me and Ty on the porch of a humongous mansion that neither of us belongs at. I chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

Ty plops into one of the cypress gliders as I sit back on the steps and lean against the handrail.

After a minute, he breaks the silence. “So, where did you two disappear to earlier this afternoon?”

I smile as I remember where we went… and what we did when we got there.

“Oh, Tifanie just took me on a tour of the grounds.”

He nods. “It’s gorgeous, huh?”

“It is. This place is unbelievable.”

The creak of the glider and the hum of the night sounds are weirdly soothing out here. “Yeah. Hard to believe that Tifanie grew up here. She’s nothing like the rest of them. I still can’t believe she came from these people. Talk about the fruit falling far from the tree.” His voice sounds pessimistic.

“Yeah. She’s different for sure.”

He’s quiet for a minute. “I heard some of that.” I look at him with a question on my face.
Heard what? How much did he hear?
He shrugs sheepishly. “I wasn’t listening on purpose. But when I walked up, I heard some of your conversation. With Tifanie. Sorry, I know that was private.”

I nod. “It’s ok.” Do I tell him that we heard him and Tifanie’s sister in the maze earlier today? But what did we really hear? I decide to keep my mouth shut. I’ve never been one to get in everyone’s business before. I’m not starting now.

He sighs. “So, you were trying to bolt?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, I was. I got spooked by something and I tried to get away from it. It’s what I do. It’s what I’ve always done. Only, Tifanie wouldn’t let me.”

He mutters, “Yeah, she’s the one who fights for what she wants.”

Nodding, I agree with him. She is a fighter. And an excellent lover.

Tifanie

T
he house is quiet with everyone out and I follow the sound of Grandma Clarabelle’s soothing snoring to the parlor. Gently shaking her, I speak quietly. “Grandma, let’s get you to bed. Grandma, wake up. It’s late.”

I laugh as I realize I’m trying to wake up my grandma to get her to go to bed.

She opens her eyes and mutters, “Are you still here, belle fleur?”

Smiling, I fold the throw and place it back over the fainting couch. “I am. But it’s late, so let’s get you up to bed.”

Her eyes crack open again and she smiles at me. Her eyes are twinkling from sleepiness and mirth. “So, you showed Cruz your secret spot today?”

The blood rushes to my cheeks. I laugh as I help her up. “Grandma! How do you know that?”

Her hand cups my arm. “Cher, I know a lot of things.” She chuckles. “I all but told you to take him to your ‘Secret Garden.’ He needed a break and it’s a good place to think, talk, and… relieve some stress. Why do you think I sent you that way?”

“Grandma!”

“What, cher? I’m old, not dead. And you two were gone for over an hour. You also had flower petals in your hair when you came back and a… glow.”

Oh my God… Grandma is telling me that she knows I took Cruz to my Secret Garden and had my way with him today. She’s hilarious. I’m embarrassed, but not as much as I probably should be. I never knew she knew about my secret place.

I chuckle as I help her steady herself on her feet. “Yes, well…”

She pats my arm and I look over to see her with a dreamy expression on her face. “Passion is important in a relationship. Love, trust, and passion. Those are key. Relationships are possible without love. Some are possible without passion, but for a truly life-changing relationship that will span the ages and soothe the soul, you need all three.” She’s talking to me, but it also seems as if she’s talking to herself. Her face turns toward me as we reach the landing on the grand staircase. “You have all three with him, cher. That’s something special and you need to hold onto it. Don’t let other people take it away from you. You are strong and stubborn. Stay that way. Don’t let anyone sway you.”

My mind is racing. What is she talking about? “Grandma? Did you love someone who got away?”

She smiles sadly at me. “I loved someone. But he didn’t get away. I let others make him go. It was much different in those days.” She pats my hand again and sighs. “It’s a different time and you’re a stronger woman than I am. If that man is what you want, then that man is what you need to have.” She pats my cheek. “Keep fighting.”

Wow, I never knew that.

I help her get into bed and tuck her in, the same way she used to tuck me in as a child, before locking up and letting myself out of the house. Cruz and Ty are waiting for me on the porch. It’s been a long day, so we drop Ty off and head back to my place. We have to work tomorrow night, so he needs to rest up and get that alcohol out of his system.

Cruz decides to stay the night and we’re both so drained from the day, we fall asleep almost as soon as we get into my house.

I’ve been at work about an hour and Ty has been unusually quiet. He’s not his usual carefree, chatty self. I tried to ask him about it once, but he basically snapped my head off; I retreated to the couch with my Kindle to read while we wait for a call.

I’m absorbed in the Gabbie Duran book I’m reading when I see Ty stop in front of me. I look up with a question on my face. He smiles sheepishly. “Sorry. I’m a bear today. I’m in a pissy mood and I’m taking it out on you.”

“It’s cool. Everyone has days like that. You ok?”

He nods. “Yeah, I let something get to me and I know better. I’m good.” He waggles his brows at me and smirks. “So… I hear that Cruz tried to run last night and you put him in his place.”

I laugh. “You heard that, huh?”

His face sobers. “Yeah, I heard y’all. I wasn’t eavesdropping, but when I got to the door, y’all were arguing. I couldn’t interrupt, so I let you finish.”

I sigh. “Yeah. I told him I loved him in my rage.”

His head whips around. “The fuck you say? You told him what?!”

I laugh. “You heard me. I told him I loved him. I was pissed and it came out. He was shocked. His face was kind of priceless. But it was good. We’re good. I think.”

“Wow… ok then. I mean I’m not surprised you love him. I’ve known that forever, but I’m surprised you told him. Though, I guess I’m not really that surprised about that either. You do tend to go after what you want. It’s one of your more endearing traits.” He bumps my shoulder with his.

“Yeah, I to tend to go in guns blazing.”