Page 7 of Rescued by a SEAL

“I know, I know. I just felt like I had to let him stay here. He barged in as soon as I opened the door and—”

“Get your stuff—we can talk on the way there.”

“All right,” Taylor nervously agreed. “Hold the door open for me—I don’t want it to slam shut and wake him up.”

Bailey raised her eyebrows, and Taylor realized how silly she sounded. This was her apartment. She could come and go as she wanted. Slam the door if she wanted. Since when had she let Eric control so many aspects of her life?

She hurried inside to grab her purse, casting one last glance at her ex.

Ten minutes later the girls were breezing down Atlantic Avenue in Bailey’s convertible, heading toward the popular touristy section of Virginia Beach. Bailey slid her sunglasses on, her tiny eyebrow ring gleaming in the sunlight.

Taylor had her ears pierced but nothing else. Eric hadn’t liked piercings or tattoos on women, and she’d wanted to look good for him. He’d instantly shot down her desire to get a small heart tattoo on her hip with her sister’s initials in it.

Tessa had been her best friend. Only a year apart, they’d been inseparable in high school. No one would’ve been able to see the tattoo, save for her and Eric, but he’d insisted he didn’t like them on women, especially on his girlfriend.

Maybe now that they’d broken-up, she’d go to the tattoo parlor. She wasn’t generally into tattoos, and had no desire to get more than one, but something permanent to memorialize her sister called to her. Taylor’s entire life had changed that day her sister’s life had been taken. And the fact that she’d be doing it in defiance to her ex made her even more determined to see it through. She was done with Eric controlling her life. It was time to finally start living hers again.

She’d finally broken up with him a month ago after dating for several years when his drinking and controlling behavior had just gotten to be too much.

Who was she kidding though?

Their relationship had taken a turn for the worse months ago. The writing had been on the wall for everyone but Eric it seemed.

Grabbing her cell phone from her purse to let her manager know she’d be in tonight after all, she saw a text from Mason, one of the military guys who hung out at Anchors all the time. They’d flirted a little, harmlessly, and at one point she’d given him her number. Although they’d texted a bit, now that Eric had been showing up more and more frequently, she’d tried to ease back on the flirty texts.

There’d be no telling what would happen if Eric saw them.

Bailey glanced over at her, her blonde hair streaming in the wind. “What are you smiling about?” she teased as Taylor thumbed a response to Mason on her phone.

“Remember that guy I told you about? The one who comes in with his buddies to Anchors all the time?”

“The Navy SEAL hottie,” Bailey confirmed.

Taylor blushed, her face flaming. “He texted me to say that he’s there with his friends now and misses my smile.”

“You should go out with him,” Bailey declared. “Hell, even if you don’t like him, go out with him. Just so that Eric sees a big, strong guy at your place. Maybe then he’ll stop trying to push you around.”

“He doesn’t push me around,” Taylor protested.

The car pulled to a stop at a red light, and Taylor watched the groups of people walking down the sidewalk of Atlantic Avenue. It was a perfect autumn evening. The summer crowds that visited Virginia Beach had died down, so it was mostly locals enjoying the bars and restaurants that dotted the strand.

Taylor loved spending afternoons basking in the sun, listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Some of her old friends from high school and college wondered why she was still working as a waitress at Anchors, but honestly? She loved the freedom.

A night job that paid well with decent tips left her days free for enjoying the beach. Even in the cooler months, she’d walk down the boardwalk, taking photo after photo of the ocean and enjoying the saltwater and sand.

Bailey tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before admonishing Taylor, the tiny row of studs in Bailey’s ear glimmering in the sunlight. “Maybe Eric doesn’t push you around physically—yet. That could always change. But emotionally he sure yanks you the hell around. He’s controlling, manipulative, possessive—”

Taylor burst into laughter. “Tell me how you really feel.” The car pulled forward again as the light changed to green, and Taylor inhaled the salty ocean air before glancing back at her best friend. “I mean, yes, he’s a jerk,” she continued. “That’s why I broke up with him. I don’t want him to go and do something crazy though.”

“Like barge into your apartment and refuse to leave?” Bailey asked drily. “And what happened with your car anyway? I thought you were getting it fixed?”

“Eric has a buddy that owns an auto shop.”

“Then why has it been there for a week? If he knows someone, it should get done faster, right?”

“Yeah, I suppose. I just thought maybe he was squeezing it in as a favor. And Eric always had a good reason why it wasn’t ready yet.”

“How convenient. Was his buddy the guy that gave you a tow a few weeks ago?”

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