Restoration & Forgiveness (Renovate Book 2) (8 page)

"Sorry for being bad company," I apologize.

"Aimee, you're fine, and I get it. I'd probably just be home right now watching bad reality television anyways."

"Nothing wrong with bad reality television."

Delaney looks at something past me and I smell his musky scent before I feel him kneel down in the booth behind me. So I get my liquid courage and guzzle down the drink. It's good and I immediately feel the effects as my limbs start to tingle and the numbness invades my body. Delaney's eyes are wide and she flashes Keegan a smile.

"The golden child has returned," she addresses him.

"Nice to see you, Delaney. How's your brother?"

His deep voice is confident and I listen to them. Delaney's older brother graduated with him, so he's being friendly. They talk back and forth, and she tells him everything she's told me.

"Oh, before I forget, Aimee." My phone appears over my shoulder, along with my wallet. I grab it from his hand but he doesn't let go. I turn my head to look at him, irritated.

"Thank you, but could you please let go?"

He smiles at me mischievously. "You know you have a ton of messages on there?"

"Don't look at my messages."

"I couldn't help it, that thing kept alerting me with a ding every five minutes. You really should be more careful. I thought you might miss your wallet at least, for your driver's license to prove your age."

Here we go. I let out an annoyed huff. I swear it's all about who can one-up the other and get the last word, and I'm not sure why he enjoys messing with me. If I were trying to win someone back, I wouldn't be acting like a jerk.

I don't want him to see that he's getting to me, so I ignore his jab.

"So, are you a stalker now? Are you following me?" I ask.

He laughs. "You wish. I just saw your dad and he told me you ran into the lovely Delaney here and that you were catching up here. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I wasn't your escort for the night? Don't worry, I told your dad that of course I would be joining you tonight."

"Looks like you were getting ready to join that blonde over there who can't seem to take her eyes off you."

That was not the move I should have taken. I should have just ignored his comment, but I hate that he's using this situation with my dad to get close to me.

"Jealous?"

"What? No. It's a free country, converse with whomever you want."

Delaney speaks up. "You both are very entertaining, and I can cut the sexual tension with a knife."

I shoot her a dirty look. Whose side is she on? I just poured my heart out to her.

"Keegan, you have to do a hell of a lot better than that if you want to get her back."

There's silence for a few seconds, and I'm waiting for the smart remark. I assume he's surprised by what she knows, but I couldn't care less.

"Let's dance," I tell Delaney. I'm feeling pretty good and the dance music playing is the perfect cover to get away from him.

I grab her hand and drag her to the dance floor. I don't look back and I just let the music course through my body and join the alcohol. After a while, I head to the bathroom; those drinks have gone straight through me. Delaney goes back to the bar to get us more drinks, which I'm sure I don't need since I'm having a hard time walking a straight line. Luckily, all goes well in the ladies room, and I'm able to use the facilities without help. I even laugh at what an awesome drunk I am.

I'm walking out with a smile on my face, when I'm turned and backed against a wall. My heart speeds up, because for a split second I don't know who has grabbed me, then I hear the low timbre of a voice I recognize.

"Are you drunk?"

I look into Keegan's eyes while he holds me trapped.

"Maybe a little."

He looks angry, and for some reason I find it hilarious. I start to laugh at him.

"You need to be careful; anyone could take advantage of you, Aimee."

"I'm not alone, I'm with Delaney," I remind him.

He tilts his head. "Who is also wasted."

Well, I guess there goes her supposed alcohol tolerance.

"Well, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't need to be here."

He releases one of my arms and grabs my face.

"If it wasn't for me you would have fallen over, the way you were stumbling out of the bathroom. I'm surprised you didn't wipe out."

"You're such a stalker, Keegan. I don't remember you being this creepy before, you must have picked this up from your blonde banshee."

He looks at me, confused, but then his eyes turn from anger to regret.

"Your eyes are so blue, like the ocean blue, did you know you have the most beautiful eyes on the planet?" Did I say that out loud? Oh shit!

He just looks at me and then his lips curve up into that panty-dropping smile, and I know if he decided to take me here I wouldn't protest. My head is all foggy when he is this close.

He must see all my walls fall in that moment, because his warm lips have descended, and I can't help but pull him closer when they meet. It's an explosion of everything I've been feeling in the last few days. The anger, passion, hurt, and wanting. We are devouring each other at the speed of light. My head is telling me to stop, but I can't. His power over me is too strong. Everything else around us falls away. His warm hand slides under my shirt, shooting a tingle down my spine. It feels amazing. I am floating into this man and trying to become one. When we come up for air, he places his forehead against mine.

"To the stars," he whispers, and I look up at him.

"The stars are too far away, Keegan; no one can ever reach them, and everyone knows they will burn you into ash."

He releases me and I'm free. My buzz begins to vanish and flee to the front of the bar. The farther away I get in this instant, the better. I'm this close to forgiving him, but I don't trust myself. I'm not responsible for any of my actions right now. At least that's what I tell myself when I am outside looking up into the sky at the twinkling stars, wishing just once I could touch them.

***

I'm so hot and sweaty. I open my eyes to a light that makes me immediately squint. My head is throbbing, and I feel like I've eaten an entire bag of cotton balls. I try to remove the heavy-as-lead blankets, but they won't budge. That's when I realize that they aren't blankets, but a warm body. No wonder why I feel like I am one hundred degrees. I turn my head and recognize Keegan as my human sauna. No, no, no. What did I do? I stiffen as I try to remember last night's events. El Diablos, dancing, more El Diablos, kissing Keegan. Wait, kissing? Did we do other things?

"I can hear you freaking out in my dreams," his voice makes me turn my head.

"We didn't? I mean, we didn't have sex? You didn't?" I can barely form words.

"What do you think?"

I look and see I'm wearing a t-shirt and a pair of boxers that don't belong to me. I think it's looking pretty good that he got lucky last night.

"Relax, nothing happened. Well, something happened, but not what you're thinking." He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. The simple touch feels good, and I automatically lean in to it.

Now my body is betraying me. They are united together to make sure my heart shatters into a million pieces.

I pull away and he releases his tight hold on me. I immediately feel cool air, and I can breathe again.

He's wearing nothing but his boxer briefs. "Why are you in my bed smothering me in only your underwear?"

"You asked me to stay with you. I'm not surprised you don't remember, you were pretty out of it last night. You could hardly walk; Delaney and I had to hold you up."

I am never drinking again. What did they put into those drinks? How many did I have? One, two, three? I can't remember anything after three.

"Well, I'm fine now, you can leave," I demand.

He is lying on my bed with his elbow propping up his head, and I would be lying if I said he didn't look adorably sexy.

"What are you looking at, Keegan?"

"You're cute when you are all frazzled. Do you want to know what happened last night?"

"I think I'm good. I know I may need a restraining order, as it seems I have a stalker."

He laughs, hopping off my bed in one swift jump. "Well, as long as it's just one stalker. Coincidentally, that stalker of yours made sure you got home safely. What would your dad think if I let anything happen to you?"

I let out a scream of frustration, and stomp off to get a glass of water, Tylenol, and a hot shower. Unfortunately, while the soothing hot spray hits me I'm reminded of the events that unfolded. The kiss between both Keegan and me was a mistake. The alcohol was not a smart move. Good thing my head is back in the game, so I don't make any more wrong moves.

Chapter Nine

What does one do when they are confused? My head is foggy, and my heart keeps pounding out of my chest when I look into the eyes of the one who made my heart full, then broke it so easily.

They call their best friend. Reese is like that angel and devil on my shoulders, acting as my conscience and temptation. Even though it's been a few days here, I miss her and her weirdly logical thinking. She's not afraid to be honest with me, and she truly knows me. She's my person, my sister from another mister.

So why have I waited this long to call her, and why hasn't she called me? So many scenarios go through my head. She's pregnant, did something happen with the baby?

"Aimee? Is everything okay?" She answers on the second ring, and her voice is laced with concern.

"Yeah, my dad should be coming home either today or tomorrow."

"That's good news right? Why do you sound like someone stole your puppy?"

So I let it all out about finding Keegan in my dad's room at the hospital, and about lying about being together, to the events of last night and my massive hangover.

"Aimee? Did you really expect him to stay away and go quietly?"

I didn't think much about it at all. I was a little surprised by everything. I mean, Gretchen blindsided me at Mr. James' party, and the next thing, I'm on a flight back home for my dad. Everything in between is a lot of crying, and anger.

"No, I wouldn't expect less from him, but he's bullying me, and more than anything he's confusing me. My dad insisted he stay in the house with me. I just want to scream at him half the time."

"You know I love you, and I'm not through kicking that man's ass, but he's Kaleb's brother and my little alien's uncle, so he's family. Your dad wants you to be safe, I want you to be safe, and that man really is your knight in shining armor. My God, Aimee, I'd hate to think what would have happened to you if he wasn't there, and it sounds like this Delaney girl wasn't going to be any help."

My eyes begin to get blurry. She sounds like she's mad and worried. I feel awful.

"Reese, this isn't the city. People here still leave their doors unlocked at night."

She lets out a gasp. "That's insane. Aimee, you need to lock your doors. This isn't 1950."

"I lock my doors, Reese, I'm just saying this is a small town, it's not crime ridden. We know our neighbors, and everyone watches out for one another," I say, trying to convince her that I'm not going to be murdered in my sleep.

"I'm not convinced, and I know you don't want Keegan there, but if anyone is going to protect you, it's him. He's dropped everything, and refuses to even return any of Gretchen's calls. She's totally flipping out and won't leave Kaleb alone. She calls and texts constantly."

The name suddenly makes me queasy, but Keegan isn't returning her calls. He dropped everything?

"I'm sorry, Reese. I didn't ask him to come here," I apologize.

"I don't care about Gretchen, I care about you. I've dealt with bitches, she's just one in a long line of many. Look, I'm not saying that Keegan keeping secrets from you was right, but I get it, and I know that you're worried about your dad. I honestly think Keegan is there right now because he wants to take care of you. He loves you, and no matter what happens that's not going to go away."

I'm silent, and I'm trying to hold my tears in. It's so easy being mad at him. I can avoid the biggest problem of all, that he shared something special with that evil woman, and was devoted to her. That stings the most. For years he was devoted to her, romantically and professionally.

"Aimee, Keegan isn't the only one who loves you. I do too, and if this is all too much I can be there tonight."

Now I feel like a child again. I've reverted to that six-year-old version of myself who needs saving. I don't want anyone to feel responsible for me.

"No, I'll be all right. Please don't worry about me. Enough about me; what about you? How was your doctor's appointment?"

"It was amazing. We were able to see the baby on an ultrasound. They did that weird trans vaginal one, it was a little uncomfortable at first, but there my little alien was, and its heart was just a little flicker. A little twinkling star. The baby is perfect, and the doctor gave me these pills that help with the nausea and also some super huge vitamins."

She sounds happy. I love her excitement about this. Even though there was a small possibility that I could be pregnant, I'm not. I took a pregnancy test to make sure yesterday morning. I wouldn't have been drinking last night if I thought there was a possibility I was, and maybe that's a little part of the reason why I drank heavily.

"That is amazing. Did you get a picture?" I ask.

"Hell yeah, got a picture. I'll send you it in a couple minutes, but Aimee, morning, noon, or night I'm here. If you need anything let me know."

"I will, but take care of yourself, okay?"

She laughs. "I will. Talk to you later."

We hang up, and I'm a little lighter. I'm happy about her good news and right when I'm about to place my phone down it alerts me to a new picture message. There on the screen is Reese's ultrasound picture. Right in the middle of the photo is a white blur. It's the start of a life. I can only describe it as beautiful. I can't stop myself, because I have to share this with someone. I make my way upstairs. Walking out of the bathroom, in only a towel and with wet hair, is Keegan. He sees me approaching and flashes his heart-pounding smile.