Heaven Sent (18 page)

“I’d let her,” he says through the

shit eating grin that I mastered a long

time ago.

He shows me the address as soon

as the text comes through. I don’t waste

time talking to anyone as I head out to the

dress shop. A couple of months ago the

thought of being near a wedding dress

would have shriveled my shit up, but

now I don’t care where she is. I just

want to see for myself that she’s happy.

I enter the shop and the brightness

of all of the white dresses practically

bl i nds me. I’m approached by two

women as soon as I enter. “Can we help

you, sir?”

“Just looking for someone.”

“Can you tell me who you’re

looking for and we’ll see if we can get

them for you.”

“Nah it’s ok.”

“Sir, we can’t let you go back

there. We’re doing a fitting that is highly

secured. You will need to wait here, or

let me know who you want.”

“Ivy Adams,” I say defeated by

these prissy bitches.

“Thank you, sir. I’ll be right

back.” I wait only for the lady to return

with Dave from our security team on her

heel.

“What up, Taron?”

“Nothing man! Just want to see

Ivy.”

“Eaven said Ivy doesn’t want to

see you.”

“It isn’t a question. I’m not asking

to see her. I’m here to fucking
see
her.

You’re my security and you’re here

because we sent you here. Get the fuck

out of my way or I’ll have you fired.”

“Taron, sorry man, but Eaven said

to send you away until they are finished

in there.”

“I don’t give a shit what anyone

says. Step back before I fucking

obliterate you among all of these white

fucked up dresses.” I leave him and

hear the sales lady ask if she should call

the police. I don’t wait to find out what

they decide to do. I move through

curtain after curtain and seem to know

where I need to go. I know I’m where I

need to be when I see Eaven with a huge

white dress on, looking in a mirror.

Eaven’s eyes meet mine the

second I come through the curtain. I

begin to search for Ivy and Ev steps

down from a block to move toward me.

She begins to whisper. “What are you

doing?”

“I need to see her.”

“Taron, don’t mess up my day with

her. I haven’t seen my best friend in

weeks.”

“I won’t.” I look down at her

dress and I can’t even pretend to like it.

“Don’t chose that one. It makes

your ass look big.” She slugs me on the

shoulder.

“I know, you ass. I’m trying to get

my sales lady to listen to me. I want

simple, she’s looking for a sale.”

“Do you want me to handle her?”

“No! Please don’t!”

“Eaven what are you doing out

there?” I listen to the voice that I wanted

to hear come from a dressing room

further down.

“Which one, Ev?”

“Taron, don’t!”

“Now, or I’ll figure out which one

on my own.”

“Damn you. Fourth one from the

mirror.” I start to move when Ev grabs

my arm to pull me back.

“I’m on your side. I want you both

happy, and it seems like neither of you

are there. I’m going to raise hell about

this dress in the shop. It’ll just be you

two in here.”

I nod at her and compose myself

during my short walk to the curtain that

shields me from my girl.

“Ev, what the hell? This dress

sucks. I’m not wearing…” She stops

talking when she sees me. I don’t look at

the dress. I don’t care what she’s

wearing. I stare into the mirror at her

Caribbean blue eyes. I keep my eyes

locked with hers until I reach her. She

doesn’t move. She watches me the

entire time until I inhale her scent. Her

eyes drop closed and I see a tear fall.

“I miss you.” My whisper into her

hair causes her to shiver, and I’m dying

to put my hands on her. To bump up

against her and show her how much I

miss her. I move my hand to her face

and brush across her cheek to stop the

tear from falling any further. When I do,

her eyes open slowly and I see sadness.

Nothing but sadness.

I run my hands down both of her

arms, but never take my eyes away from

hers in the mirror. She closes her lids

slowly and inhales when my hands travel

down to her hands. I lock a few fingers

in each of her hands and watch her take

all of this in.

“Let me in, Ivy.” Her eyes open as

I talk.

“Let me in and don’t push me

away. My life is fucked up with you

gone. I need you to feel this everyday. I

need to feel the way you affect me just

being near. You’re driving me crazy and

I can’t do it anymore. Please Ivy, let me

in.” I stop there because her tears are

falling a lot faster. She inhales sharply

and lets out a small sob. I watch her go

from sad and vulnerable to mad and

ready for the kill in a matter of seconds.

“Taron, I told you I can’t. Get

out! I can’t be with you.”

“Why can’t you?”

“I already told you.”

“Oh because you love cowboy.”

She turns quickly to face me and tries to

lie.

“Yes.”

“If you love him, then I wouldn’t

affect you. Can you tell me you’re not

feeling this?” I move my hand between

us pointing out the connection I know she

feels.

“Can you tell me you haven’t

missed me?” I pull her hand into mine

and move it against my chest.

I move in close as I continue to

speak. My lips bump hers as I say. “Can

you tell me you aren’t fucking dripping

wet right now?”

I use my free hand to pull her

close. I run my hand along the edge of

her short dress and let my fingers slide

under the material. I continue sliding

upward until I find her bare ass. I fill

my palm with her firmness and moan

because of what this does to me. She

isn’t pushing me away. I’m watching her

eyes and waiting for her to pull away,

but she isn’t. She buries her head

against my chest and I start to pray that

I’ve gotten through. Please let this be the

moment that she finally lets me in.

~Fifteen~

Ivy

Oh. My. God. I miss him so

much. I know I just made a huge mistake

leaning into his chest and letting him

touch me, but I need this. I miss this. I

wish with everything inside of me that I

could let him in and not drag him down.

He’ll be famous one day. I know

he will. I love him enough to push him

away from a life that will ruin his

career. He’s not ready to be a father and

I’m still dealing with Dylan. He doesn’t

need all of that in his life.

I let myself feel alive a few more

minutes and get goose bumps when his

hand moves up my back and into my

hair. His gentle caress is relaxing me,

and for a moment I feel the world lift off

my shoulders. I forget about my troubles

just long enough to fuck with our minds.

I shouldn’t have let him touch me. I

knew better that to let him near me, but

he’s a determined pain in the ass.

“Don’t touch me.” I push back

from him. His face drops and his hands

go straight to his hair. He’s frustrated.

“Get out!”

“No.”

“Yes, NOW.”

“No.”

“I’m going to scream if you don’t

get the fuck out, Taron. I’m done. Get

out. Get OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT.

Get. The. Fuck. Out.” He stares at me

the entire time I’m acting hysterical. He

opens his mouth to say something and I

scream

even

louder. “GET. OUT.

NOW. Leave me alone.” He turns to

leave and I lose it. My emotions come

crashing down around me. I’m fucking

crying again.

I crouch to the floor and fold my

legs against my chest. I can’t have the

man I love, and it’s going to kill me. I

start to feel the walls closing in on me,

so I push up and open the curtain. I see

Eaven and she runs up to help me pick

up the pieces, because that’s what we do

for each other.

“Let’s go. Take the dress off and

let’s get out of here.” She’s already

pushing hers down when she tells me to

get it off. I don’t waste time. We are out

of there in record time and she pulls me

through a door in the backroom.

“He’s still up front. Dave is

talking to him and there are four sales

people with a police officer. Let’s catch

a cab and go back to your hotel.” I don’t

say anything and the rush of escaping is a

nice feeling. I’m on the run with my best

friend, just like old times. One of us

was always saving the other.

“I missed you,” I say, just as we

hit the curb to wave down a taxicab.

The first cab pulls over and we begin the

route to my hotel.

“I missed you too! You look like

shit though! Tell me what’s going on

with you!”

“Just worrying about my stalker.”

A ping of guilt crosses my face and I

know that I’m busted. She sees through

me and is immediately worried.

“What else?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Yes, but I know you. This is me

you’re talking to.”

“I know you know me, but that’s

it. I’m scared he’ll find me.” She looks

at me with with a skeptical look.

“How’s Aiden?”

“He’s good. He had to go home

for a few days.”

“You still pretending to love

him?”

“No.” I can at least give her this.

“You should give him a chance.

He loves you. I’ve seen him in the past

couple of weeks and he’s a mess.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ll ruin his life.”

“What?”

“He can’t stay focused on the tour

when I’m around.”

“Honey, I hate to tell you, but he

isn’t focused at all when you’re gone.

He at least has purpose when you’re

around.” I take this information in, but

she

doesn’t

understand my entire

situation because I’m holding back

telling her. I need to keep it to myself a

little longer. Once I get on my feet and

get settled in somewhere, I’ll tell her that

she’s going to be an aunt. Until then, I’ll

just remain quiet.

“Sorry that he’s a mess, but I can’t

trust him. I don’t need to be worried

about who his nightly fuck is when I’m

not there.”

“Are you kidding me? He doesn’t

even stay around for fans anymore. He

leaves for the bus as soon as the last

song is finished.” Her words hit me in

the heart. He isn’t the type to walk away

from anyone giving it away, and I know

the girls are ready and willing to give it

up to him.

We pull into the hotel before we

have the chance to call Holden. He

should be nearby, so I text him hoping he

can hurry back. He went to see his

brothers since Dave was with us. He’ll

be madder than hell that we left without

security.

We pay our cab driver and hurry

into the lobby.

I get a weird feeling almost

instantly and I start to look around

frantically. Eaven sees me and starts to

panic with me. I search everywhere, but

I don’t see him. I can feel him though, so

I know he’s watching me. We move

quickly to the elevators and rush to close

the doors.

Right before the door closes my

heart stops. My life flashes before my

eyes. His hand stops the door from

closing. The gun is the first thing I see,

his face is the second. My instinct to

scream is overtaken by the fear running

through my body that he’ll shoot. The

gun is aimed at my stomach and I wonder

if he knows my secret. He’s pointing the

gun at the only thing in my life that I can

hold on to. The only person I can claim

as mine.

“Don’t make a sound.” Eaven and