Pieces of it All (31 page)

Beth recalled the first time she had ever been to a library. She stepped inside, mesmerized by the mountain of books before her. Rows upon rows of hardcover books, stories protected by plastic wrap waiting for someone to take them home and experience them. She was just six years old and knew reading was an important part of her life from that moment.

She raced to the children's section, pulling out book after book, carefully examining each one, the vibrant colors of the pages jumping out at her. Twelve left with her and for the three weeks she had them, they never left her sight. When the time came to return them, she fought with her mom, crushed to no longer have them. She slid them into the return slot, her head hanging low as she held her mom's hand. When her mom told her to go back in and pick out twelve new books, she squealed. She now had twelve more stories to experience. Every three weeks her mom took her to the library, each time taking home as many books as she could carry.

Not everybody viewed the library the same way Beth did. The two girls sitting at the table opposite her huddled together, whispering. Their demeanor suggested their discussion revolved around other girls in a not so nice way. This happened during lunch all the time in high school. She would sit with the few people she acquainted herself with and other girls pointed and stared at the less popular people, exploding in snickers. It disappointed Beth the pettiness followed her to college, but she certainly wasn't surprised. Some people managed to be snobs their entire life. No matter what they experienced, how they learned and grew, they would always be mean to people and think they were better than everyone else, yet care deeply what those same individuals thought. The girls had their legs crossed, their miniskirts showing their lanky legs, a glittery tank top on each, their boobs popping out from underneath. Barf.

A young gentleman sat at the next table, his nose stuck in a math book while taking notes. Math wasn't her strong suit. She would've failed Geometry if it hadn't been for tutoring. She still managed to be among the top in her class, thanks to her AP courses. Math Boy let out a smile and acknowledged her.

Then she came across a young couple. They sat next to one another holding hands, each reading a novel. The man had his hand around the woman's, rubbing his forefinger against her palm. Once in a while he would lean down and kiss her hand. It was sweet and reminded her Mark. She took her phone out of her pocket. No calls or text messages. Maybe she'd go visit him. He'd help her feel a little better.

She stood up from the chair and pushed it out. As she turned around, she smacked right into another person. Dropping her purse on the floor, she gasped when she saw who it was. "Hi Mark. What are you doing here?" She filled with joy at running into him unexpectedly.

He leaned down and tossed everything back into her purse and handed it to her. "I came looking for you."

She blushed. "How did you know to find me here?"

"I stopped off at your apartment and Heather said to check here. Her surfer boy boyfriend is there."

"He's back again? He's an idiot."

Mark smiled, his perfect teeth gleaming. "I'm sure he's not that bad."

He couldn't be serious. Anyone locked in a room with Robert would go crazy.

"Okay. He's that bad," Mark laughed. "Where are you headed?"

The touch of his hand on her back comforted her. Mark was the right choice. Harvey took what she considered the biggest piece of her, and he always hovered in her mind, creating this shield bouncing off any love she tried to give. That piece of her was gone, but she wasn't. She had the freedom to give herself. The choice to love belonged to her, and she choose who to give it to, and she wanted Mark.

Finally, she responded. "To your place."

Chapter Forty

Harvey realized staying in the ashen house wasn't the best idea. Thirty minutes or so passed, not too long, but he couldn't stay much longer. All the money sat in his car, and Ricky probably turned him in already. Left on the side of the road with no sympathy for Harvey and full of hatred, Ricky wouldn't waste time. He hadn't any idea where Harvey planned on going, but a conversation with Sue would lead authorities right to Sycamore Lane. Would running from place to place hiding from the police be his life now?

The only course of action that made sense was getting out of town - for good. He already planned on leaving, but didn't have a single person to run to. Beth didn't need to be dragged into this. She deserved better. Once he put his life back together, he'd win her back. First Maggie, the only other person ever to have been there for him.

Oh, Maggie. He shouldn't blame her for Beth running out. He never even tried to call Beth to explain; he just let her go. The fault lie on him and no one else. Maggie's presence was easily explained as she was the closest person he had to family. Beth must understand Maggie's importance in his life. She spent months with him, listening to everything about his past, guiding him to make proper decisions and gain control again. Maggie encouraged him to seek out his mom. The truth wasn't what he wanted to hear, but at least he knew the story now, the first step to moving on.

The lock box sat beside him, resting on the seat, hundreds of dollars inside. He thought he needed the money to give to his father, but he couldn't go back to that fucking place. Never again. Going back there was always a choice, and he chose incorrectly. Tired of the fighting, he had to get back on the wagon, push himself to sober up again, as much as he desired a cold drink in his hand. For Maggie. For Beth. For himself.

All his hope lied with Maggie. First and foremost, finding a way to win her trust back took priority. Before he started on the road, he opened the box up, grabbed the money, and tossed the box on the driveway. His cash in hand would be enough to cover gas and food on the four hour drive to Pine Falls, and as soon as he could, he'd mail the rest back to Nelson. He'd re-enter the rehab facility. This time he would do it. He would succeed.

He had to.

Mark's place presented cleaner than the last time Beth visited. He and his roommates kept the house fairly clean, but today the pillows sat in a perfect line along the couch, the curtains appeared ironed, and the carpet vacuumed. She liked having a tidy boyfriend.

"This almost looks like a home now." Beth said to him.

"As opposed to what?"

She didn't mean to offend him. "Um..."

He took her hand. "I'm kidding, Beth. We all pitched in and hired a maid service once a month." He pecked her on the cheek. "I'm going to grab a bottled water. Do you want one?"

"Sure." He left the room to get the water, and she checked out his cute butt again.

The opportunity stood before her. She vowed to be crazy, take risks, and come out of her shell this summer. She knew what she wanted, and she should go for it. As Mark took his time in the kitchen, Beth's heart raced as each piece of clothing dropped to the floor. She stood half naked, unsure of where to put her hands. They started on her hips, then she crossed them over her chest, let them lay beside her. She put them back on her hips when he entered the room.

The bottles hopped across the carpet as Mark returned. Beth's plump breasts tried to escape her decorative bra holding them prisoner. Inviting Mark to join her, she knelt down on the couch.

He moved slowly toward her, before breaking into an almost sprint, pulling Beth into his arms. He planted his lips on hers, wasting no time pushing his face between her breasts, kissing them over and over again. He moved her bra out of the way, exposing her right breast, and took it in his mouth.

Beth arched her back while her hands made their way to his shorts. She unbuttoned them, yanked the zipper down, and allowed him to drop his pants. He did the same for her. "Wait!" he stopped kissing her.

He scooted off the couch and jumped up the stairs. What happened? Had she done something wrong? He reappeared before she ran out in embarrassment, practically skipping across the room, giving her a full view of his manhood.

The next thing she knew he fell onto the floor. "Ow!" he cried out as he grabbed his foot.

She met him at the side of the couch. "Are you okay?" She crouched down next to an obviously flustered Mark. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride." He pulled her down on him and began to kiss her again. The setup wasn't perfect, but they didn't care; both were ready for this to happen. He stopped kissing her and rolled the condom on.

Beth wanted to put her hands on her face and giggle. Impatience surged through her body as she waited for him. The right moment, the right person. She ignored the hard floor against her back. She wanted him inside her. Soon.

"Is this uncomfortable?" He asked.

"I don't care. I want you."

His eyes sparkled, a grin owning his face. He reached his right hand under her left leg, pulling it up on an angle so he could enter her. He slid in smoothly and Beth groaned, allowing her body to conform to his. He pulled out and pushed himself back in again, still holding onto her leg. He examined every piece of her face, her open mouth and heavy panting hardening him more. Her fingers tightened around his back, gripping his shirt in her hands. She grabbed the neckline, cuing him to remove it. With as much anxiousness as she, he yanked the shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Reaching forward, Beth outlined his chest with her fingers. Rock hard pecks, yet he trembled. The softness in his eyes spoke to her. His shivering wasn't out of fear, but of unwavering desire finally coming to fruition.

Wet with anticipation, her body screamed inside. When he plunged inside her, she pulled him close, pressing his chest against hers, closing any open spaces existing between their skin. It proved near impossible for Beth to differentiate her pounding heart from his. Their bodies fit, the final pieces of a puzzle. Her muscles relaxed as he rocked against her, nibbling her ear, raising the hair on her skin, the tingling sensation taking over her from head to foot until she shook like an earthquake.

After the pulsating ceased, Beth let out a breath. Mark collapsed on top of her and despite the weight, she was sure she was floating.

Mark laid on top of her, his head next to hers, tickling her ear lobe with his tongue. "I'm sorry."

She wrapped both her legs around him. "For what? That was incredible."

His lips drew a smile against her neck and he pushed himself up so he almost hovered above her. "The trip? Way to ruin a mood."

She looked at his body lying on hers. "You think that ruined the mood? I think we did just fine. I'd call it a success."

They laughed until they were in hysterics. Beth couldn't recall the last time she felt this relaxed and in control of things. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of this man making her feel like a woman, exactly what she needed.

The morning sunshine began to peek through the clouds when Harvey arrived in Pine Falls. He didn't realize how much he missed the waves of trees and surrounding lakes. Located in the middle of the tourist town, the rehab facility had close access to most things most cities offered. However, many times Maggie would take him and others on hikes, giving them an opportunity to get away from the city, and enjoy the outdoors. Mother Nature provided an alternative he learned to love in place of the sweet taste of alcohol.

He'd been to Maggie's house only once when he went with her to pick up some food at McDonald's. They stopped off so she could grab her purse, and she was embarrassed to have forgotten it. Her alarm never went off and she rushed to get out the door. If Harvey lived across the street from a lake, he probably would never go to work. He'd just sit on a chair overlooking the lake and take in the scenery.

Five in the morning wasn't an appropriate time to knock on Maggie's door. He hadn't slept, and his mind contained too much clutter to think. He didn't know what to say to her. An apology, of course, but in order to string the right words together, he needed sleep. He parked his car in front of Maggie's house, her curtains closed as she probably still slept. He reclined his seat and dozed off.

The tapping at the window startled him. The clock on his dashboard showed 7:00. He'd slept for two hours? The knocking got louder, and Harvey put his seat back in a straight position while rubbing the kinks out of his neck with the other.

Maggie caused the ruckus. She motioned for him to roll down the window. "What are you doing here, Harvey? Do you realize the police are looking for you?"

That
didn't take long. He thought he had a pretty good lead and a few days would pass before they figured out it was him. A full day hadn't even passed. The police probably already had been to his house, possibly searching and tearing the place inside out. Surely his father wouldn't be happy about that. He figured they would make contact with Maggie at some point.

"Did they call you? Has anyone been here?"

Crossing her arms, she replied. "No. Your face is over the news, but I should call
them
." She opened his door. "Get in the damn house before someone recognizes you."

Maggie turned and headed back to the house, giving Harvey enough time to stash the money in his glove compartment. He'd be stupid to leave so much cash in plain sight. At least in the unlocked glove compartment it had less of a chance of being stolen. He worried about bills falling out of his pocket if he carried it in.

The house was as he remembered. A cute, two bedroom cottage with tiny rooms, but Maggie had a way to make it feel homey. The decor had the touch of grandmother's love with the class of a sophisticated woman.

"I already brewed my coffee for the morning." She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a mug. "I only have instant. Hope that's okay."

"Got any whiskey?"

"Damn you, Harvey!" She slammed her hand on the counter. "No, I don't, and even if I did, do you really think I'd give it to you?" She turned on the faucet, silent while the water filled the mug. Maggie opened the instant coffee and tossed two scoops in. The beeping of the microwave buttons so forceful, Harvey didn't need to guess at how much anger she held inside. "I can't believe you. You robbed my
cousin
?" She leaned against the sink while waiting for his coffee to finish warming. "Why?"