Текст книги "Faithful"

Автор книги: Kelly Elliott

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

“Jeff, I need help. I’m asking you as my friend…please help me get through this. Please,” Brad said in between sobs.

I dropped my grip on Jeff’s arm. He walked over to Brad, and Brad stood up.

Jeff grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. “Don’t worry, dude. We’re gonna get you and Amanda through this. I’m sorry, Brad. I’m so fucking sorry,” Jeff said while Brad kept repeating back how sorry he was.

Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Gramps.

“Gramps,” I said, stunned.

“My good friend, William Schmidt…do you remember him? Well, he has a son, Bryan, who runs a recovery center in Austin. I already called Bryan, and I sent you a text with the address. He’s waiting on y’all,” Gramps said, looking over toward Brad.

“How did you…I mean…how did you know, Gramps?”

“Son, I’ve had a friend or two in my lifetime who found themselves in trouble. Nobody in this world is free from making mistakes. Some mistakes are just grander than others.” Gramps slapped me on the back. “Y’all best get a move on before it gets too late,” he said before he turned and headed back to the house.

I turned around and looked at Brad and Jeff. They were just watching Gramps walk off.

“Holy fucking shit. I want that gift when I get older,” Jeff said.

Brad laughed for the first time tonight.

“Come on, let’s head out. I need to call Ellie to let her know what’s going on. Brad, do you want to call Amanda? Or do you want one of the girls to talk to her?”

Brad shook his head. “What the fuck do I tell her? Do I tell her everything? Over the fucking phone? I mean, she won’t even look at me, so—”

Jeff looked at Brad. “Dude, you tell her the truth ’cause that’s all you can do.”

Jeff called Ari while I was talking to Ellie about what was going on. Afterward, we headed out. I was driving Brad’s BMW while Jeff followed in his truck. Brad called Amanda as we got closer to Austin. I knew he didn’t want to tell her about the drugs or about Michele over the phone, but it was like he was opening a floodgate that had been closed for so long. Once he started, he couldn’t stop himself from spilling it all out. Listening to him pour his heart out killed me. I was gutted. My stomach dropped, and I thanked God for Ellie and Alex.

“Amanda, I was so scared, and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to tell you. I want nothing more than to have kids with you. I always have, baby. Please…oh god, please don’t say that to me. I’m so sorry, baby…please don’t leave me, Amanda, please. I don’t care about her, and it was just a stupid kiss. I love you, and I’ll get off the drugs. I swear to God, I’ll be there for you and our baby,” Brad begged.

When he hung up, he placed his head on the back of the seat.

“What did she say, Brad?”

“She told me she’ll see me tomorrow at the rehab center, but she needed time to let everything sink in. She said she hates me, Gunner. She hates me,” Brad said as he looked out the window. “Gunner?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think she’ll ever be able to forgive me? I mean, I can see her forgiving me for the drugs, but the kiss, and then that night she got pregnant…”

“Would you forgive her?” I asked as I quickly glanced toward him.

Brad stared out the window for the longest time before turning back to me. “I would. I would forgive her because I love her so much. I…I can’t lose her, Gun. I don’t want to live without her. I can’t live without her,” he said as his tears came again.

I took a deep breath as I pulled in and parked in Josh’s driveway. So much had happened in the last three weeks.

Brad had entered rehab for his drug addiction. Amanda had moved out of their house and moved in with me while she tried to sort everything out in her head. Josh had been released from the hospital, and he was staying with his parents. Josh’s dad had taken over the business while Josh was still recovering.

And Victoria…ugh, that bitch. Every time I turned around, she was calling Josh, texting Josh, coming to “check up on Josh.”

I hate her more than anything. She makes Lynda look like an angel.

As I stared at her car sitting in the driveway, my hands gripped the steering wheel just a little harder.

Great. Just what I needed. I already feel like I’m getting the flu. Now, I have to look at her fucking face.

One of the reasons I came over was because Josh’s birthday was coming up, and his mother wanted to plan a party for him. It was still awkward for both Josh and me. I was trying to give him the room and space he’d asked for, and he was trying his best to take things slow even though I could tell he wanted to be with me as much as I was dying to be with him.

I started walking up the steps when I heard the door open and close. I saw Elizabeth with a pissed-off look on her face. She came down the steps like she was mad as hell.

“Follow me, baby girl,” she said, storming past me.

I heard the door open again, and I looked back to see Josh standing there.

“Hey! I’m so glad you stopped by,” he said as he flashed that damn smile at me.

Ugh...that dimple. I just wanted to run into his arms. I smiled, but then it quickly faded when I saw Victoria walking up behind him.

“Hey, Smeather,” she said with a laugh.

She’d taken to the habit of calling me Smeather even though I’d asked her fifty times to please call me Heather. I had no idea why in the hell she called me that.

Just then, I felt Elizabeth grab my arm and pull me along with her.

“Mom, wait! Please, Mom, let’s talk about this,” Josh called out.

I looked behind me to see Victoria waving at me before she turned and went back into the house.

Yep, I hate her.

“Elizabeth, what the hell is going on? You seem so pissed?”

“Oh my god, I’m gonna punch that girl square in the face.” She came to a stop and spun around.

“What happened?”

“She just shows up when she pleases. Day or night, she just comes to the house whenever she feels like it,” Elizabeth said, her hands flying all over the place.

Oh god. I feel sick to my stomach. I had gone back to Fredericksburg since Christmas break was over, and school started back up again, so I wasn’t around as much as I wanted to be. During the break, I had stayed at the cottage on Ari’s parents’ property, so I could be at the hospital as much as possible.

“Oh,” was all I could get out.

“I’m ready to run over her with my car,” Elizabeth said with the most serious face I’d ever seen.

I couldn’t help it, but I let out a laugh. “Is that why you’re so mad?” I asked.

“No. I knew you were on your way over, and I told Josh. I said it would probably be best if the bitch, um…Victoria left before you got here.”

I waited for her to continue. “Okay,” I said, trying to prompt her into going on.

She took a deep breath. “Josh, stupid ass son of mine, doesn’t see what this girl is up to, but I do. She’s after my son, and she doesn’t seem to care who she pushes out of the way to get to him. I’ve never in my life met a girl like this. I’m ready to slap a restraining order on her ass.”

I took another deep breath as I started to feel sick again. I put my hand to my head. I wonder if I’m getting a fever ’cause I feel like shit!

“Are you not feeling well, baby girl?” Elizabeth pushed my hand out of the way and started feeling all over my face and forehead with the back of her hand.

“I think I’m getting the flu. I just feel so bad.” I leaned against the fence.

“Huh,” Elizabeth said, looking me up and down.

“So, what happened that made you storm out of the house like that?”

Elizabeth was staring at me, but then she shook her head as if she were clearing her thoughts. “Josh told me he wasn’t going to be rude because Victoria had taken such good care of him while he was in the hospital. He thinks she’s just being nice by coming over to check up on him. He said she was just a friend, and everything would be fine. Well, I told him he was a stupid ass. Then, she came walking into the kitchen, and I asked her to leave.”

“Wait. What? You just busted out and asked her to leave?”

I want to be like Elizabeth when I grow up!

“I did. I told her I had invited you over to talk about plans for Josh’s birthday party and that I thought her visit should be coming to an end. That little bitch got all excited and begged Josh to let her stay and help with the party plans. He said…he said…” Elizabeth turned and threw her hands in the air.

“He said what?” I practically shouted.

“He said she could stay and help…that you wouldn’t mind. I just stared and told my own son that he was an idiot, and then I stormed out. That was when I saw you.”

I rolled my eyes because I could so see Victoria doing just that. For some reason, she had gotten her hooks into Josh, and it scared the shit out of me, especially with me not being around as much as I wanted to.

I started pacing as my mind started spinning. I had to do something. With me being gone all the time, she was getting closer and closer to Josh. I’d brought it up the other night on the phone, and he’d sworn to me that he didn’t have feelings for her like he did for me. Even though I believed him, that whole conversation with Victoria in the restroom kept coming up in my mind. I could still hear her bragging about giving Josh blow jobs and how much he liked it.

Oh god. I’m gonna be sick.

I snapped my head up at Elizabeth. She grabbed my arm and began leading me toward the back of the barn. I barely made it before I started throwing up.

Elizabeth pulled back my hair and held it up for me while I just threw up over and over again.

Damn it! The stomach flu again!

When she started rubbing my back, I almost cried because my mother would do the same thing when I got sick.

After my stomach finally settled down, I stood back up.

“Come on, baby girl. Let’s go in the house and get you some water. You need to sit down.” Elizabeth began heading back toward the house.

“I’m going to take a leave of absence,” I blurted out.

“What?”

“I’m going to take a leave of absence from my job,” I said, standing up taller.

What the fuck am I saying? I love my job…but I love Josh more.

“Heather, why? You love your job!”

“I love Josh more. I need to be here more since this bitch is moving in on my man. I won’t let her take him from me, Elizabeth. I will not let her take him from me. I’ll just tell the school I’m having personal issues that I need to take care of. With Amanda staying at my house for a while, I won’t have to worry about things in Fredericksburg. I can talk to Ari’s parents about staying at the cottage.” I started to walk toward the house.

“No,” Elizabeth said.

I stopped and turned to look at her. She had a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon on her face. “I think you should stay here…with us. We have three extra bedrooms and all.”

“Um…I guess I could stay here,” I said as she skipped up and hooked her arm in mine.

She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh my god! Please let me be the one to break the news to Victoria!”

I giggled at the thought of seeing Victoria’s face when she found out I would be moving into the same house as Josh. I peeked over at Elizabeth. She was now humming a song as we made our way back to the house.

She looked over at me as her smile grew. “Oh, this day has turned out to be one of the best days of my life!” she said with a wink.

I laughed, shaking my head. “Why?”

When she glanced back at the house, Josh was talking with Victoria at her car. It looked like she was leaving.

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough, baby girl. Soon enough.”

As we got closer to the car, I heard Josh telling Victoria about us all going to Luckenbach dance hall next weekend.

No! Shit! No, no, no, don’t tell her!

“Oh, I love that dance hall! Who’s all going?” she asked as she glanced over at Elizabeth and me moving toward the stairs.

“Normal gang, I guess!” Josh said, laughing. “I’ve only met Ari and Ellie twice now, but they’ll be there with Jeff and Gunner. I think Brad’s wife will be there, too.” Josh turned and looked at me. “Right, Heather? The whole gang?” He smiled.

“Yep,” I said with a weak smile.

Please say no. Please say no.

“Oh, I’d love to see Jeff and Gunner again. Yeah, count me in. I’d love to meet their wives,” she said with a shit-eating grin on her face.

I changed my mind. Ari will kick your ass so fast you won’t know what the hell hit you.

Just then, Elizabeth leaned in closer. “You must be making evil plans ’cause that smile on your face is speaking volumes!”

I glanced at her and giggled. “This could actually be fun.”

“Josh, you might have to take a drive out to Fredericksburg with Heather to help her bring some stuff to the house.” Elizabeth dropped her arm from mine and started to head up the stairs to the house.

Josh looked at me and then glanced over at his mother. “Okay…for the party?” he asked, confused.

Elizabeth turned around and gave a smile like I’d never seen before. “Oh no…Heather is taking a leave of absence from work. She’ll be staying with us for a bit until you’re fully recovered. You know how I hate leaving you home alone while I’m at work,” she said with a wink. She turned and walked into the house.

I slowly peeked over toward Josh and Victoria. Victoria’s mouth was hanging open, and she was just staring at the door Elizabeth had just walked through. Then, she shot a look at me. I reached down inside and pulled out my inner Ari and Ellie. I gave her the biggest go-to-hell-bitch smile I could muster. Then, I glanced over at Josh. He was completely focused on me.

“Hell yeah!” Josh walked up to me and hugged me.

As he held me in his arms, I picked up my hand and gave Victoria a wave of my own.

“I need to leave, Josh.” She pulled open her car door and got in. She didn’t even give him time to turn and say good-bye before she was speeding off down the driveway.

“I think my mom pissed her off earlier when she asked her to leave,” Josh said with a shrug of his shoulder.

I just looked at him. Yep. Stupid ass, he was indeed.

I smiled as I pulled up to Ari’s parents’ house. The past week had been so fucking great. Heather had moved into the house the same day my mother announced it, and everything had been perfect. Since Victoria hadn’t called, texted, or stopped by the house, I could focus all my attention on Heather.

I parked my truck and thought about last night. Heather had packed up some sandwiches and fruit, and we had taken a walk down to the main pasture. God, it felt so good to be alone with her. We’d talked, we’d laughed, and we’d even played I Spy. I’d never felt so alive in my life.

When I asked her why in the world she would take a leave of absence from her job, she had pulled away from me and tried to change the subject. I knew she was trying so hard not to push her feelings on to me, but I’d kept asking her to tell me why. When she told me it was because she missed being near me and because she loved me, it had taken every ounce of energy I had to not pull her into my arms and make love to her.

God, I just want to be with her…but I can’t. Not yet. I need to make sure I do this right.

Just then, someone started knocking on my truck window. I turned to see Gunner holding up a little guy, who I assumed was Matthew, Ari’s little brother. After Jeff and Gunner had told me all about Matt, I was dying to meet him, so we were going to take him fishing today. Jeff had said that Matt and I were pretty close, and I used to come over all the time to play video games or just hang out with Matt.

I took a deep breath as I tried to remember everything Jeff had told me. I opened the door and got out as Gunner placed Matt on the ground.

“Josh! I’m going to hug you!” Matt yelled as he grabbed me by the legs and hugged me. “I’ve missed you, Josh, you assmole!”

Did he just call me an assmole?

I glanced back up at Gunner and Jeff as I started laughing. They were both shaking their heads and mouthing, No.

No?

“Holy shit! Did he just try to call me an asshole?” I laughed harder. I bent down and got face-to-face with Matt.

“Dude!” Gunner said.

When I glanced back at him, he mouthed, Don’t laugh when he swears.

Oh shit, that’s right! Jeff warned me about that. “Oh, right! Sorry, but that was some funny shit. Oh shit! Ah, motherfucker!” I stood up and covered my mouth.

“I wanna be a mudderfuckin’ cowboy, Josh! Just like you and Gunner and Jeff!” Matt started running around. “Oh shit! Ah, mudderfucker!”

“Nice, dude. Ari’s going to be so pissed off at you,” Jeff said.

Gunner let out a laugh and shook my hand. “How are the ribs feeling?”

I smiled as I thought about Heather asking me the same thing while I’d watched her make pancakes this morning. She’d been wearing a pair of my boxer shorts—at least I hoped like hell they were mine—and one of my old UT football shirts.

“Almost feel normal again. Doesn’t hurt either that I have the most beautiful girl in the world living with me at my parents’ house!” I said as I watched Matt running around. “Shit…sorry, I forgot about the whole swearing thing. Funny as hell little guy though. I see why we got along so well.”

Jeff walked up and gently hit me on the back. “You remember anything at all from spending more time with Heather?”

I shook my head. I was starting to get frustrated. “No, nothing. I feel something for her though. I feel like I just need her so much, and it scares the fuck out of me. I just want to be around her all the damn time. I wake up, thinking about her, and go to sleep, thinking about her. What the fuck is that?”

Gunner threw his head back and laughed. “That, my friend, is called love!”

Love? I knew that I loved her before the accident. Do I love her now? Is that what this is?

Jeff started laughing, too, as he shook his head. “Don’t push it, Josh. It’ll come back, dude, and you’ll remember exactly how head over heels in love you were with Heather.”

I sure hoped they were both right. I could see the pain in her eyes every day. She would try to hide it, but I knew she wanted so much more from me. I also knew the only reason she took a leave from her job was to keep Tori away as much as possible. I shook my head and let out a small laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Gunner asked as he walked over to his truck and started taking out his fishing gear.

“It just blows my mind she would leave her job to stay with me. I mean, I’m fine now. My mother is treating me like I can’t do a damn thing. Do you think she asked Heather to stay with me? Or do you think it was Heather’s idea?” I asked as I helped Gunner put the poles in the back of my new truck.

Gunner stopped, looked at me, and smiled. He took a deep breath and chuckled. “Well, according to Ellie, Heather did it to keep Victoria at bay.”

No fucking way. I was right.

“Well, fuck me, I knew it,” I said, laughing.

Gunner put his hand on my shoulder. “Josh, you and Heather went through hell and high water before you finally got together. That girl loves you with every ounce of her being. She’s not going to give up on you. She’s going to fight for the both of y’all. I’m gonna be honest. Your whole let’s-be-friends-first thing has her world turned upside down. Just don’t string her along, Josh, and please don’t hurt her. She’s been through enough as it is.” Gunner looked away.

“Some girl named Lynda called me the other day. I asked my mother about her, and she pretty much gave me the lowdown of what she knew. She basically told me to keep the fuck away from this chick. She mentioned Lynda was your cousin.”

Gunner headed back over toward his truck. He called over his shoulder, “Your mom gave you good advice, dude. If Lynda calls again, don’t ever answer the phone.” He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me. “And don’t fucking tell Heather you talked to Lynda. Shit, poor girl already has one to tend with. She doesn’t need to worry about two.”

After getting everything loaded in my truck, we all got in and headed out. Matt was a hoot. That kid had me in stitches, and I could feel my side every time I laughed. I loved that he knew all the words to Blake Shelton’s “Boy’s ’Round Here.” We had to play it over and over for him. I loved him already.

Shit! There was that love word again. Fuck. I must have really changed.

I could hear Jeff and Matthew laughing in the backseat as we got closer to the lake. I smiled, thinking about Jeff and Gunner being fathers and how good they both were with Matt. Just then, I had the strangest feeling come over me.

I want to have kids with Heather.

“Holy fucking shit! What the hell?” I said without thinking.

“What the hell!” Matthew called out from the backseat.

“Josh!” Jeff and Gunner said at the same time.

I needed air. When I saw a store, I pulled in. I jumped out of the truck and started taking deep breaths.

Gunner came running over. “Jesus, Josh. Are you okay? What’s wrong? Are you hurting anywhere? Can you not breathe, dude?”

“Matt, stay in the truck buddy, Jeff said.

“Jesus H. Christ, Josh, stop swearing in front of Matt. Ari’s gonna chew my ass out!” He ran his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated.

“Really, motherfucker? I’m having a moment of sheer panic right now, and that’s what you’re worried about?” I asked.

Jeff shrugged his shoulder. “Hey, I can’t help it if you don’t remember how Ari is about this kind of shit,” he said with a shit-eating grin.

Gunner punched Jeff in the arm and turned back toward me. “Josh, what’s wrong?”

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I looked back and forth between Jeff and Gunner. “I, um…I just, um…I just had a thought, and, um…”

“Good god, son, spit that shit out. I want to get in some fishing at some point today,” Jeff said as he leaned up against the truck.

“It’s just…I heard you laughing with Matt, and then I thought about the two of y’all being dads, and how much I love that kid in the backseat, and I don’t even know him, and then I thought…I thought…”

Gunner was smiling from ear to ear.

“Why the fuck are you smiling at me like that?” I asked.

“You thought what, Josh?” Gunner asked.

I took a deep breath. “I thought it would be nice to have kids with Heather.” Bending over, I put my hands on my knees, taking more deep breaths. Oh. My. God. I said it out loud!

Jeff pushed off the truck and smiled as Gunner did a fucking fist pump in the air.

“Yes!” Gunner came over and put his arm around my neck, pulling me closer to him.

“You, my friend, are on your way back. Come on, let’s go catch some fish.” He turned and walked back to the truck, giving Jeff a high five on the way.

What in the hell just happened?

I looked down at Matt. He seemed like he was in pure heaven. Jeff had said the feel of the boat on the water made Matt feel calm. It had been a great afternoon so far. We talked about everything from fishing to the girls to trucks to my stupid-ass birthday party tomorrow.

“Why do you like girls?” Matt busted out.

We all just looked at each other.

“Jeff?” Gunner and I both said at the same time.

Jeff snapped his head over to both of us as his mouth fell open. “Why the fuck do I have to be the one to handle this one?”

Gunner let out a laugh. “Dude, you’re his big brother.” He winked at Matt.

I glanced down at Matthew, and it almost seemed like the little guy knew exactly what he was doing.

“What the fuck? Josh, you handle this one. Matt, you want your best buddy Josh to answer that one, don’t you?” Jeff said.

Matthew shrugged his shoulders and looked at me. “What the fuck, Josh? Why do you like girls?”

I tried. I tried really hard, but I couldn’t hold it in. I started laughing. I laughed my ass off. Then, Gunner started laughing, and before I knew it, the three of us were laughing so hard we each had tears rolling down our faces.

It didn’t help that Matt was now saying, “Holy shit,” and “Ah, mudderfucker,” over and over again.

Just then, Matt’s line started moving.

“Shit!” I yelled out.

Of course, Matt followed suit and yelled out, “Shit,” as well.

Jeff told Matthew to start reeling it in. Then, the bastard tried talking Matt into letting him bring in the fish.

“What the fuck, Jeff? Why are you trying to take this away from my little buddy?” I said as I pushed Jeff away from Matt.

“I am not, you asshole. He needs help,” Jeff said, pushing me back.

“Josh, you’re an assmole like Jeff!” Matt said with a huge smile.

“He’s the bigger assmole, Matt,” I said with a laugh, pushing Jeff harder.

He stumbled backward, and the next thing I knew, we were both in the water.

“You motherfucker. You just cost me a fish, you asswipe!” Jeff yelled as he kept trying to dunk me under the water.

“Oh shit! My ribs! I can’t move!” I yelled out.

Gunner jumped into the water, and it was all I could do to not start laughing. He swam over and pulled Jeff off of me.

“You fuckin’ idiot! Are you trying to kill him?” Gunner yelled at Jeff.

Jeff gave me the finger when Gunner pushed him away from me.

I looked around Gunner and smiled at Jeff.

“He’s faking! Gunner, that motherfucker is faking! His ribs don’t hurt. Lying asswipe!” Jeff yelled out.

I glanced back up toward the boat and saw Matt.

“Oh no! Oh no, little buddy, don’t do that!”

Jeff and Gunner turned.

Jeff called out, “No, Matt! Don’t jump!”

Too late.

For some reason, a feeling came over me, and I shuddered, thinking about how pissed Ari would be about this.