Blindsided (The Fighter Series Book 1) (27 page)

Dad stands and clears his throat giving me a very stern look. “You,” he points, “be nice.”

Confused, I sit back in my chair, watching him disappear down the hallway. I turned my phone off yesterday. Maybe Blain got upset and told Levi where I was? No…he knows Dad’s number. What if Levi paid a private investigator to find me? My mind is rushing to accusations shifting in every direction.

“Hello, Mr. Madison,” a familiar deep voice bounces off the walls and straight against my chest.

What the hell?

“Wesley,” Dad answers him. “Today isn’t a good day. Maybe next week.”

“I know she’s here. Is she ok?” The concern in Wesley’s voice puzzles the hell out of me.

Daddy sighs and the distinguishing squeak of the front door gives way to Wesley. “She’s in the kitchen,” he says.

I hear the two men start down the small hallway, and scrambling I grab Dad’s newspaper pretending to read it.

“Good morning, Paige,” Wesley says as he enters the kitchen dressed in grey t-shirt, faded jeans and sneakers. His brown eyes are glinting, and his smile is up to no damn good.

“Good morning, Wesley.” I look up over the paper.

“Brings back memories, huh?” he states sitting in the chair beside me.

“No. Not for me. Does it you? Tell me, what memories?” I smart off.

“Paige,” Dad chastises me.

I tighten my lips. “What are you doing here?” I try being nice and moving the conversation to please Dad.

“I usually stop in once a week to see your dad,” Wesley says.

My brows furrow and I glance to Dad. “Do what?”

“You can explain all that later,” he tells Wesley. “For now, would you like coffee?” he asks already heading toward the mugs.

“No, sir,” Wesley answers presenting a good-for-nothing smile at me. “Paige, would you like to go do something today?”

I snort, trying not to spit my coffee out. “Um, not only is that a no, it’s a hell no.”

“Paige…” Dad warns again.

I clear my throat slightly embarrassed he’s scolding me in front of him.

“Paige, you have been here for two days and haven’t gotten any fresh air. Get out for a bit,” Dad says patting me on the shoulder.

“But, I—”

“No buts, Paige. Go for a little bit. It might do you some good,” Dad interrupts me.

We exchange a solid stare for several seconds. I’m silently pleading and he’s not budging. Quickly I realize I won’t be winning this war, and I sigh pushing away from the table. “Fine. Let me get ready,” I say storming to my room like I’m a child again. I’m not happy about this. Not one damn bit.

It’s been a trip down memory lane as I spend the day with Wesley. We ate at the old pizza place down the street from our old high school, the one everyone used to hang out at after school. We visited old neighborhoods, passing by homes of old friends, and exchanging information on who we’ve kept up with and who we haven’t.

After some fun memories and talking about nothing important, we pull into the old fairgrounds where we used to all hang out. Just five years ago this place held rodeos, festivals and fairs. I can still vividly remember the burnt orange glow of the old Ferris wheel that used to sit at the backside. But now it’s nothing but a deserted weed field, left abandoned by the bankrupt owners and forgotten about by the people who drive past it daily. It transitioned from the town’s present to part of its distant history in a short time.

Slowly walking through, we find an old neglected bench and sit quietly listening to the wind rustle through the trees, a ghostly reminder of what this place used to hold.

“Remember when Amber got caught by her parents sneaking into that weird concert?” Wesley chuckles breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“I thought we all were going to be dead that night. Geez, her dad was so pissed,” I laugh. But then once again, all falls silent except for the screams of my wandering mind. Questions, speculations, and pain that have bubbled for years finally make me brave enough to turn and ask the one question that has burdened me. “Why, Wesley? Why would you do such a thing to me? More importantly, why are you back now?”

Surprised he leans back and tucks his hand into his pocket. “Well, I’ve been coming to see your dad every week for months. I had to clean things up with him and now…well, I’m here,” he spreads his hands out, “with an old friend.”

There’s that up-to-no-good smile again.

“We’re not really friends,” I remind him.

“Maybe you don’t think so, but that’s what I’m working on. I miss the friends we once were,” he admits.

“Reminder, that’s all history. You were the one who messed that up. I don’t really need your friendship.”

“Cherry—”

“No!” I interrupt throwing my finger in his face. “You do not get to call me that!”

“Yes I do. Besides you weren’t complaining back then.”

He’s a bold man with a cocky grin who just struck a nerve.

“Well, that was then and this is now. Things fucking changed,” I snap standing to walk away.

Before I can go anywhere, he grabs my wrist and pulls me back down to the bench. “Cherry, will you listen to me now?” he pleads. “I have no excuse for what I did. I was young, and she was there. I fucked up. I knew it when I was doing it, and then when I saw your face…” he trails off shaking his head. “Look, all I can say now is that I’m sorry. I was so stupid.”

I blink back tears looking up to the purple sky as the sun begins to set. “Yeah, almost four years later.”

“You were done with me. There wasn’t anything I could do or say to change your mind. You made that very clear. Remember, Paige, I know you well.”

“Knew,” I correct him. “You knew me well.”

“We haven’t changed that much. We’ve just grown up. I watched my whole life twist and turn upside down in the wrong damn direction that day. For years it’s haunted me. There were things you didn’t know about.”

“Like the one I walked in on?” I snort.

“You have to believe me. That was a one-time thing. I’ve never spoken to her since,” he says patting my leg with a knowing smile. “Cherry, I loved you more than you could imagine.”

“Yeah. It showed,” I deadpan.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring and I gasp sucking in all the air from around us. “This,” he says handing it to me, “was supposed to be yours the next week.” He stifles a laugh. “I had it all planned out. It isn’t much, but I worked my ass off to get it for you. For obvious reasons, you never received it.”

I stare at the silver band with the tiny diamond glinting from the streetlights around us. A laugh rolls out of me from the irony of it all. Back then I would have run away and married him without my dad’s permission. Back then I would have traveled the world and never looked back just to hold his hand, but today…I hold so much animosity toward him for breaking me into pieces. I lost the love that I felt for him, forever evaporated in the night sky when I saw what I saw. But the humor in it all is that here I am holding the very thing I wished he had always given me.

Without warning, he takes my face and captures my mouth. Unprepared and mixed with frayed emotions, I kiss him back. It’s gentle as he passionately breathes deeply into me, but quickly it turns hasty and becomes forceful pulling me into him as his hands wander to unauthorized territory. Familiar sensations bring me back to reality. Twinges of pain braided with love tangle with the flashback of him and the blonde.

I wrench back and jump to my feet. “No!” I yell straightening my shirt. “You won’t do this to me. What you did years ago was unforgiveable. And now that I know you had planned to propose to me, it’s even more fucking appalling. Take me home!” I throw the ring at him and turn stalking off.

“Paige,” he says twisting me around. “Tell me you didn’t just feel that? Tell me it’s not still there and I’ll leave you alone.”

I open my mouth to reply, but I don’t know what to say.

Instinctively, I slap him. Tears welling, I harden my eyes. “I felt it alright. That tingling feeling we had when we fell in love, the wondrous explosion of love we had. It doesn’t hold a fucking candle to the crushing feeling I had when I walked in on you. I loved you, Wesley!” My voice cracks. The years of anger and pain rear their heads and like a dam, I burst.

He wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me into him, securing me from my wobbly knees as sobs rack my body. I ball my fist and pound his chest. “I didn’t deserve it. I gave you everything.” I cry into his chest. “Damn you, Wesley. I didn’t fucking deserve it.” I say between breaths.

He places faint kisses against the top of my head, holding me. “I’m so sorry, Paige,” he says quietly.

Years of hurt are unchained, streams of tears flow, and anger releases becoming a form of forgiveness. I curse him and continue to cry into his chest while he silently stands there, allowing me to get it all out. I did the same damn thing years ago when it happened, but instead I was wrapped in Blain’s arms, not the asshole who caused the pain.

Flashbacks storm my memory. Us. Him. Her. It’s overwhelming and I glance up from under my matted wet lashes. “Take me home,” I sniff wiping my cheeks.

Chapter 33

Last night fogged me up and brought back memories that opened wounds I thought were scars. Once Wesley pulled up to my Dad’s, I asked him to leave me alone. I’ll never be able to forgive him for what he did years ago, and I sure as hell can’t forget the pain he caused. It all hurts too much. Wesley. Levi. I’m all bemused, treading through the mud of my life.

After waking up, I spent all day with Dad then decided to head home just before dinnertime. That way he didn’t have to cook another meal, secretively convincing me to stay another night. I wouldn’t have minded it, but I need to get back home and deal with reality.

Pulling into the driveway my pulse stops. Cars are parked everywhere, lights on with silhouettes of bodies moving behind the blinds. Blain didn’t know when I was coming home. I quietly sit in the dark watching the shadows trying to figure out who they belong to, but this is useless.

I step through the door with my bag on my shoulder, nervous as hell, and scan the crowd. Relief washes over me as I only recognize Jason and nod, then spotting Blain with wide eyes I wave. I turn starting down the hallway catching out of the corner of my eye a very familiar face and stop in my spot. Adam’s expression blanches sitting on the other side of the island with a beer frozen in motion.

I don’t wait to see if Levi is close by when I rush down the hallway and push my door open. As I flip on my light, I screech at the sight of a sleeping Levi in my bed, lying on top of the covers with his hands behind his head. Immediately, he lunges up.

“What the fuck are you doing in my bed?” My voice hits an octave so high the neighborhood dogs had to have heard it.

“Hello to you too,” he says throwing his legs over the side of the bed.

“No hellos. Get out!” I shout.

“No,” he says dead serious.

I sharpen my eyes on him then twirl around headed for the guys in the living room for help. A firm grip grabs me and spins me around. His eyes burn with determination and are laced with anger. “You don’t get to walk away. You left me without the option to explain a thing.”

“There isn’t any explaining, Levi. I saw what I saw. I’m done. We’re done. Now get out.” I yank my arm from his and push past him to the other side of my room.