Had To Be You (46 page)

She continued on, since it was obviously a nightmare he had just unwittingly stepped into, and surely any minute would awake.

“Our week at the beach is up and we’re heading back in the morning, but I only live like an hour away. You should definitely think about calling me some time. I had a lot of fun with you that night and I’d love to do it again.”

Luke was by the doors, shouting for everyone to go, and she rested her hand on his arm, leaning into his body suggestively to place another piece of paper into his hand before she walked away.

“Bye—and call me!”

She disappeared out the door with the last of the crowd as Luke followed to lock up.

Matt slowly turned to meet Rory’s big, and suddenly very dark, eyes. Sighing heavily, shaking his head in frustration, he prepared to explain. In that split second, however, the front entrance of the restaurant suddenly flew open again.

“There’s a fight out here! Someone is beating up Luke!”

Matt frowned and dashed out the doors. Casey stood out on the front walk yelling for help, her red cheeks streaked with tears, while Luke was on the ground, currently on the losing end of somebody’s right hook. At first he feared his friend was taking the fall in retaliation for the little confrontation he got into earlier, but Matt quickly recognized it was actually Casey’s jealous ex, Tim.

He rushed over, grabbing the back of his shirt to throw him off Luke. The guy seemed briefly surprised by the strength behind the move but, as expected, came right back swinging. What the hell was it tonight? Why were people just begging to get hit?

Matt easily ducked one wildly thrown punch, coming back to connect his fist to his gut, doubling over before he got a direct shot to his nose. Tim fell to the ground, but by this time Matt’s adrenaline was on overload, and he dropped on top, fists pummeling. He barely even heard the swell of police sirens coming down the street over the blood pounding through his own veins.

Finally, someone was pulling him off, and Danny’s steady voice was in his ear, calming him, bringing him back. Matt shrugged off his hold, walking a few feet away to bend over and rest his hands on his knees, chest heaving as he tried to recover.

“He—he was just waiting out here. He totally am—ambushed us and attacked Luke!” Casey was explaining, stuttering through her tears. “It happened so fast, and I—then Matt came out to help. He’s threatened violence before. I just never believed he would really—”

Matt glanced up to see another officer handcuffing Tim, who was slumped over where he sat on the sidewalk.

“Do you need medical attention?” Danny was talking to Luke now, who managed to stand and was resting against Casey, his arm slung around her shoulder.

“No, no. I’m okay,” Luke assured him, holding a cloth against his bloodied nose. “I just want to go home.”

“My place is right around the corner, above the shops on the wharf,” Casey added, still sounding shaky. “I’ll take him there and get him cleaned up. If I think he needs to go to the doctor for anything, I’ll drive him straight to the emergency room.” She hesitated to let out another little sob. “He somehow found out we’re moving in together; that’s why he showed up here tonight. He just lost it—I was so scared.”

Danny rested his hand on her arm. “Assault is a serious crime, and that’s what he’s looking at now. He’s not going to bother you again, not if I have anything to say about it.”

“Okay, Danny.” She managed a small, weepy smile. “Thanks.” She turned her attention, calling out in a worried tone. “Are you okay, Matt?”

He straightened up with a nod of his head, still short of breath.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just get him home and take care of him.”

His brother came over to him as Casey led Luke away. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

Matt’s gaze was drawn to Rory standing on the boardwalk a few feet away, arms folded across her chest, her dark eyes unreadable.

“All right.” Danny noticed their silent exchange. “Though we’re going to need a full statement down the station. I can give you a minute, but we need to take care of this, okay? We have to go by procedure here. By right, I should be hauling you in now, too.”

“Yeah, I get it, okay,” Matt replied absently, his eyes still on Rory. He walked over to her.

“Your hand is bleeding,” was all she said.

He lifted his arm to see that he had torn open the skin on his knuckles.

“Do you have a first-aid kit? You should probably wrap it up in some ice, too—to keep the swelling down.”

She headed back into the bar and Matt buried a sigh, dropping his head in defeat to follow after her. He pushed through the swinging doors of the small prep kitchen once they were inside, watching as she dug around in the supply closet to come out with a white plastic box. She placed it on the metal countertop.

“Why don’t you rinse it off first?”

Matt complied, walking over to the sink to run some cold water over the cuts, flinching a little when the sharp spray first hit the wound. Patting it off with a paper towel, he then moved to lean back against the counter.

“That thing before?” he said, watching her. “She was sitting at the bar one night. Her friends blew her off on her birthday, so I threw her a couple of free drinks. That’s the extent of it, I swear.”

Rory only nodded her head, her face a careful mask of concentration.

“And I know what you’re probably thinking, so just say it.”

“I’m not thinking anything.” Her attention was fixed on the contents of the box as she searched through it. “I get it. I believe you, Matt. And I realize you were protecting your friend out there.” She finally pulled out the tube of antibacterial ointment. “I just wish…”

Matt frowned slightly when she didn’t finish her thought. “Wish what?”

“You’re always there when anyone needs you, to comfort them, cheer them up,” she explained, still not meeting his eyes. “Even fight for them, if you have to.” Reaching for his hand, she lightly held it in hers to apply some of the ointment to his cuts. That hurt almost worse than the injury. “I just wish you would fight for this, instead of declaring it a losing battle.”

She turned away to find some crushed ice from the machine. His eyes followed her movements around the room.

“You think that’s what I’m doing? Are you saying I should fight for you?”

“No, you don’t need to fight for me.” She shook her head as she came back to him, her mouth set in a thin line. “You never have. And you also don’t need to throw guys out of your bar just because they might talk to me.”

“There was a time…” He had to pause to clear his throat. “Well, when it felt like just about any guy had a better chance of being with you than I did.”

“And I probably dated them for that very reason.”

He continued to watch her, narrowing his eyes in mild surprise. It was an interesting admission, to say the least.

“Because they weren’t you,” she explained simply. “That way, I didn’t have to worry about them getting too close, or about me getting hurt. And I never had to risk losing you. Not when you were the only thing I had left that really felt like home. I tried to keep that one special thing safe. ”

He watched as she gently placed the ice wrapped in plastic against his knuckles, already starting to swell, and then wound a long piece of the gauze around to temporarily hold it in place.

“So, if you’re scared of getting hurt, thinking that I might hurt you again, it’s something I understand. Because I used to be scared, too.” She lifted her eyes to his and the slight throbbing pain in his hand was forgotten, replaced by a deep, stabbing ache in his heart. “And I guess I still am. I’m scared that we’ll never be together in the way I always imagined we would be, someday, when we grew up,” she said softly. “Because, for the first time in my life, I feel ready for this—the things I really want. I also feel like I’ve grown up a lot, although I know some people may not necessarily believe that.”

She taped the gauze in place, and then returned it to the box and snapped the lid shut.

“This wasn’t some kind of contest I was trying to win, Matt. This is just me, finally telling you the truth about what’s in my heart. But if you’re not ready or willing to give this—us—another chance right now? If this is about the timing? That’s okay. I can wait.”

“Trust me.” Something darker shadowed the blue of his steady gaze. “That’s sometimes easier said than done.”

“I don’t expect this to be easy.”

“Then what do you expect?”

“I expect—I
know
—it will be worth it. I know we could be happy.” The corner of her lips tilted up slightly. “If you could just do one thing.”

“What?”

“Let us.”

“Matt?” Danny stepped into the small kitchen area to give him a meaningful tilt of his head.

“Yep.” He blew out a quiet breath, pushing off from the counter. “I’m coming.”

He met her eyes just once before following his brother out the door, realizing what always hurt most of all was simply walking away.

THIRTY-SIX

Late afternoon sunlight flooded the wide open kitchen, tinting the white and pale wood cabinetry in soft pink hues. Some of the boys crowded around the center island, heartily digging into the taco dip and salsa, while the girls maintained a safe and pristine distance in their silky pastel gowns.

There would be plenty more food later, after the cruise boat docked and they moved their prom night celebration to the traditional all-night beach party. Parent volunteers would be grilling food by the light of bonfires and torches—though most senior couples would probably steal away to the darkness of the dunes to satisfy other appetites.

Matt came in from the backyard and greeted a few of the guys standing around before he managed to catch Rory’s attention.

“My mom is ready for pictures outside,” he said with a tilt of his head.

“Am I okay?”

She stepped back for his appraisal with a bit of a mischievous light in her eyes. Matt knew she was already aware she pretty much took his breath away. They already had the preview one night in her room when she’d tried it on for him, and he took it off of her.

“You’ll do,” he said, trying not to smile. “More importantly, how do I look?”

“Almost there,” she replied, lifting her hands to straighten his tie.

Matt glanced at the pale blue and cream flowers looped around her delicate wrist by a ribbon. “Do you like your corsage?” he asked, trying to hold still as she adjusted him.

“Yes, I do. Very much.”

“Good to know. Though I am getting to be an old pro at this.” He caught her gaze, holding it there. “Any formal events in our future, I’ll be well-prepared.”

She smoothed her hands down the lapel of his rented tux, her smile fading just a bit.

He narrowed his eyes. “What is it? You okay?”

Her usual pale pink lips were stained a soft rosy hue, and as she glanced down at the floor, her dark, delicate lashes fanned out across her round cheeks, shimmering with something sparkly in the powder blush Lindsay used. She’d refused to let her friend apply it with a heavy hand and Matt had to agree. As far as he was concerned, there was no improving on perfection.

“I got my letter today.” Her breath slipped out on a quiet exhale. “About orientation. It’s the first week in August, like I thought. Then classes start the end of the month.”

“Okay.” He took a deep breath, having mentally prepared himself. Emotionally, however, he was more like an organized mess. “So, that means June and July, you’re all mine.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before leading her outside. Right now, Matt just wanted to focus on tonight. Turning to give her a hand down the back porch steps, he nearly jumped at his mother’s outburst from across the lawn.

“Oh, look at you two!” she gasped, one hand fluttering to her mouth. “Rory, you’re so beautiful!”

“Mom…” He regarded her with an uncertain grimace. “Are you crying?”

“I can’t help it. You kids!”

They gave each other uncertain looks, Rory lightly pressing her lips together to restrain any obvious show of amusement.

Some other parents arrived for the photo opportunities, and then there were several long and tedious moments of trying to get all of them organized in a group just right, including an exasperating debate regarding the direction of the light. Suddenly, to Matt, every minor delay seemed like some huge intrusion on his time with her, like he could hear the ticking of the countdown clock begin in the back of his mind.

Rory glanced up as they were posing for what felt like the ninetieth time, giving him a soft jab of her elbow.

“Hey,” she whispered quizzically. “Where’s the smile?”

Matt shook his head, nodding towards his mother to try to deflect her attention.

“Would you just look at her?”

“Well, this is a big deal—senior prom,” she reasoned, and then her voice lilted into a soft tease. “And, after all, you are the baby of the family.”

“Last time I checked, I was like two years older than Kevin.”

“I wasn’t talking age.”

He gave her a quick smirk, his grip on her waist tightening to a light squeeze.

“Come on,” Rory urged him gently, easing closer inside the frame of the shot. “Act like you like me.”

“That’s asking a bit much.”

“You know, I’m starting to think I might not miss you so much.”

Matt’s mood failed slightly. He glanced down at the ground, giving his mom a small roll of his eyes when he caught her giving him a chin-up signal between all the flashbulbs. Clearing his throat, he bowed his head close.

“You know, when you think about it, you’re not even going to be all that far away.”