Cadence Reflection (Wheels & Hogs Book 2) (4 page)

Thankfully the song ended and I walked away and decided then to stay away for a while. It was just a dance, but it was so much more than that. I knew I couldn’t let him get too close because I never wanted him to find out my dirty secret. 

I
watch as Trinity enters the bar with a couple of her co-workers and I notice immediately that she looks pale, almost sickly. She also looks a lot thinner than the last time I saw her. Her color is off and even in the dark, I can see the fading bruises on her neck and face under the heavy makeup she wears to cover them up. What the fuck is going on and who would beat such a sweet girl.  Not wanting to scare her off, I just smile and wave. Besides her appearance, I can’t believe how relieved I feel to finally see her. The last few weeks we’ve been texting, even talking on the phone a time or two, but this is the first time I’m actually seeing her since I kissed her.

I keep my distance from her most of the night, not wanting to crowd her, but I can feel her eyes on me whenever she thinks I’m not paying attention.  Having her so close, knowing she’s watching me makes me hard as fuck. What the hell is wrong with me? Shit. Not what I need right now, especially as Trinity starts to walk toward me.

Pulling a chair from an empty table, I sit my ass down just as she stops in front of me,  “Hey, Cadence. How are you?” 

Looking closely at her, I reply harshly, “Who the hell has been using you for a punching bag, Trinity? Better yet, why haven’t you called me for help?  You look like shit.” 

She immediately turns to leave as I hear a soft sob coming from her as both of her hands go to cover her face.  I reach for her shoulders and as soon as I touch her, a cry escapes her lips.  Pulling back, I walk around to face her, pulling her hands from her face and pulling her into me.

“What’s going on, baby? Please talk to me so I can help you.” 

“I can’t tell you. I can’t tell anyone so please pretend, for me, that nothing is wrong. It would be horrible if anyone ever found out, including you, so please Cadence, for me, just let it go. Spending time with you always makes my nights a little brighter, so let’s have some fun, okay?”

Taking in a deep breath, I look at the woman in front of me and know I need to find out what is going on in her life and where this abuse is coming from. I know if I try to push her into telling me, I could lose the only friend outside the garage I’ve made, so grabbing her gently by the elbow, I pull her to the dance floor as a slow ballad starts to play. I align our bodies and pull her head to rest just above my chest, holding her close as we sway to the music, content to hold each other with no questions asked, at least for now.



As the night goes on I begin asking questions; simple, easy questions that I hope won’t make her think that I’m being intrusive, but I need to figure out what the hell is going on with her.  She obviously feels she has no one to turn to so if I can’t get the answers I need from her, I have to find some way to protect her.

The evening passes with no real answers, but since it’s getting closer to closing time I decide to give her what she asked for − some fun. I drag her back out to the dance floor, hoping to bring out that beautiful smile of hers and it works. We dance slowly to every song played, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. There is definitely a sexual undercurrent, which is becoming harder to deny between us, and I don’t know if it’s something I want to fight anymore. We dance and laugh the rest of the night, staying until it’s time for the bar to close.

“Can I give you ride home?” I ask her. 

Shaking her head, she points to a car waiting with the door open, “No thanks. I have a ride but I really want to thank you for tonight, Cadence. I really had a lot of fun and I like how your reputation doesn’t get in the way of our friendship.” 

“What reputation are you talking about?” 

Shifting from one foot to the other with her head down, she shrugs her shoulders. I reach and tilt her chin up so I can look into her eyes as I move closer to her, “Tell me what you’ve heard about me, sweetheart.” 

Clearing her throat, she stares straight into my eyes and bluntly says, “You’re a man-whore.” Her body goes stiff and she looks shocked, “Oh my gosh! I am so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that, I swear.  Sometimes my brain and mouth don’t run on the same channels, but the rumors are that you will screw anything that walks, talks and breathes.”

Fuck. If she only knew I think to myself.

I
hate when things just spill out of my mouth like word vomit. I’m an idiot. I expect him to get mad but what I don’t expect is for him to throw his head back and roar with laughter. 

He grabs me close, still laughing as he leans in and whispers, “Trinity. Any time you want to see if those rumors are true, you just let me know, okay?” 

Taking my face in both his hands, he lightly kisses my lips.  Standing perfectly still, I’m not sure what to do so I just stand there and let him take the lead. Once I open my lips to kiss him back, he really starts to kiss me, devouring my mouth. I whimper as heat starts to spread through my body.  With just a kiss, I want him to take anything he wants from me.

Getting lost in the moment, I press my body into his, feeling his muscles tense under my hands and at the same time, he grabs my hips, shoving his erection against my stomach, causing me to gasp into his mouth and reach up to grasp his shoulders tightly.

Although we’re in a dark area on the side of the building, he steers me closer to the wall where it’s even darker as we continue to make out like a couple of teenagers, both of us grinding into one another, breathing heavily into one another’s mouths, “Come home with me tonight. I want you so fucking bad, Trinity.”

He grabs my hand and pushes it down the front of his jeans where I wrap my hand around his hard, thick length with all of his piercings and watch him grind his teeth in pleasure. I grip him tighter as he begins thrusting himself into my hand, bringing his head back down to mine for a toe-curling kiss.

In a rush, my mind comes back to me and I’m humiliated by what I’m about to let happen. I’m not ready for this kind of intimacy, and I’m ashamed of myself for letting it get this far. I feel like a tease, but regardless of how this is going to make me look to him, I gently remove my hand and place it on his chest, pushing him away, “Cadence, I can’t do this. Please move back because I have to go. I’m so sorry.” 

D
isbelievingly, I look down into her eyes and see fear. This shit is like a cold bucket of water thrown on me and I instantly move back.  Running my hands through my hair, I manage to take a long draw of air into my lungs, trying to get my body and mind back under control. 

After a few moments I speak to Trinity carefully, “What’s going on, babe? This is the second time you’ve shut me down when I made a move. First it was the kiss at the bar and now tonight. We’re both adults so what’s the harm in having some fun? Don’t you want me?” I give her a second to process, but when she doesn’t say a word, I continue, “We’ve been hanging out for months now and I have never once pressured you or treated you with anything but respect, but what the hell is this?  If friendship is what you’re looking for, that’s cool. No problem. If you want to be friends with benefits, we can do that too, but you can’t let me think one thing then do another. Just talk to me and tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

“Answer one question for me before I answer yours. Since the night you kissed me, we’ve been talking more and you’ve given me the impression that you’re feeling something more between us than friendship, so I have to ask – have you slept with anyone since the first time you kissed me?” 

I don’t respond, but I know the look on my face is one of guilt, which gives her the answer she is seeking.

“This is why I can’t, Cadence. I’ve thought about what the difference is between all the girls and me you take home every night and I know it’s because they haven’t given you a challenge, but I have. They don’t mind sleeping with you within minutes of meeting you, but I’ve never given you the impression that I would, making me something you haven’t had. Sex should mean something, not just an act you do when the mood hits you.  I’m sorry but I won’t be one of those girls. Everything I’ve heard about you is true.”

“You know what, little girl? Maybe you’re right.  You were a challenge but I don’t need this bullshit for a piece of ass, no matter how fine. I don’t chase it, it comes to me. Have a great night,” I turn and walk away, leaving Trinity to think on that.

A
fter I hear Cadence squeal out of the parking lot, I walk around the corner to my friend’s car, trying to keep my emotions from ripping me in half. He doesn’t know what my life is like or what I have to endure so how could he ever understand my way of thinking? Sex is sex to him. It doesn’t matter to him who it’s with or where it’s at, just as long as he gets it when he wants it.

As my friends chat about things of no importance, I sit in the back seat, thinking that I made the right decision to stop this when I did. I don’t need or want to be someone’s fuck buddy, booty call, or whatever it is he wants to use me for. I don’t need something else to break me emotionally or physically. I have enough of that in my life and I’m not looking for more of it from someone else. Too bad Cadence turned out to be exactly what I don’t need.

Hearing my phone beep, I pull it out of my pocket and see that it’s an IM from Cadence. I really want to ignore it in case he wants to make me feel shittier about tonight, but I put on my big girl panties and open the message.

Cadence: I am so sorry for being a total jerk. Didn’t mean to pressure you into anything, just got carried away. We have a great friendship and I can’t lose you. Please give me a chance to fix this.

Me: Then treat me with the same respect you would as a friend. I won’t allow you to treat me like shit because I tell you what I feel. Tonight was not ok, but I’m willing to move past this. I’ll talk to you soon.

Waiting to see if he replies, the girls drop me at the corner a few blocks away from the entrance of the trailer park where I always ask to be dropped. Making my way to the trailer, I open the door and I’m so relieved to see that I’m alone.  Going to my room, I shut the door and start to change into my PJ’s when I hear the bing on my phone.  Looking at the message, I smile to myself before reading the entire message. 

Cadence: I won’t let you down. I want to see where this thing between us could go, so no more girls, just us. Sleep well. I’ll see you soon.”

A
cross town, after spending a couple of hours on the computer getting all the files organized with the emails printed together, I decide I need more coffee. Heading to the kitchen, I see the coffee pot shut off automatically so I pour some in my cup and put it in the microwave to warm it up. As I’m getting it ready, I hear a bike coming up to the front of the house. I grab my cup and head toward the door where I can already see Doc walking up through the glass in the door, looking defeated. Shit. Something must be wrong for Doc to come all the way out here. Please God, don’t let it be Fern.

I open the door and Doc just about falls into the hallway. I grab his shoulders, asking him if he’s okay when he looks up at me, eyes and face wet with tears. I gently lead him to the family room and down into a chair. Doc just leans his elbows on his knees, placing his face in his hands. I lean down and ask him, “What the fuck. You’re scaring the shit out of me so tell me what’s up, man?”

Doc raises his head and says softly, “Des, I can’t take much more. I had to get out of there; needed a break, man. My wife is wasting away while I have to sit and watch, twiddling my thumbs, not able to do a fucking thing to help.”

I put my hand on Doc’s shoulder, “Do you want some coffee, or something stronger?”

“Coffee would be great. Thanks, just black,” Doc replies. I walk through to the kitchen and dump what is in the pot.

“Give me a minute, Doc. Gonna make a fresh pot.” 

Once the coffee is brewing, I open the fridge and realize all I have is leftover pizza from last night. I take it out and throw it on a plate, then into the microwave. After pouring a cup of black coffee, I grab that and two pieces of pizza, taking it to Doc, “I know it isn’t much, but here’s your coffee and a couple slices of leftover pizza. You look like you could eat something,” I grab my coffee and sit on the sofa, watching Doc devour the pizza. Getting back up, I get the last two pieces and offer him what’s left. He grabs one and leaves the other one for me and we eat in silence.

Doc finally looks at me and pours his heart out, “I am so fucking lost, Des. I don’t know what to do. We’re about to lose our home; just found out they started foreclosure proceedings. On top of that, the hospital bills keep growing and even with your insurance from the shop, we are so far in debt I don’t think we can ever pay this shit off. Fern is trying to make adjustments to her treatments and in-patient stays. Doctors are against all of her attempts. With her weakened state, she needs to have constant care at all times from professionals since she’s going through experimental procedures,” He scrubs his face with his hands and continues, “If this treatment doesn’t work out, I don’t think that I will be able to go on, man. Fern is my heart, my soul, and my life. We have been together since high school. All of our dreams have been shot to hell with her cancer. What can I do, Des? At this moment, I am so damn lost.”

I take a deep breath, seeing that now is the time to tell Doc what I’ve been working on, but I have to do it in a way that he doesn’t think its charity because otherwise, he won’t accept it.

“Doc, I have something to tell you. It’s something that I have been working on for a while now so hear me out. What do you think of a Charity Ride for Fern? It would include the Bone Marrow Registry and getting donations, looking for a match for her, but also building up the resources for the organization.”