Page 23 of Protecting Tiffani

“Yes, ma’am. Are you okay?” I ask the elderly lady whose basement I just defiled.

“I’m fine. Is that Miss Summers with you?” Turning around, Tiffani is standing on the top step taking in the damage surrounding us. The half-built house that Adam and I have worked days to get up is leveled, along with the houses next to it.

“Give me your hand, Cupcake. The ground is littered with wood and nails, and you can’t walk barefooted.” Tiffani does what I ask, and I pick her up in my arms once again.

“Frank, go get my other shoes out of the car. They should fit her perfectly.” Ms. Glades tells her son.

“How bad is the rest of town?” I ask. Tiffani is shaking in my arms, but she doesn’t say anything. I’m unsure if it’s because of what we just did or the world around us that scares her. I hope it’s the second one. Frank returns with tennis shoes and helps her put them on before I put her down. She doesn’t move from my side. She links her fingers with mine.

“According to the reports, it only touched down for a few seconds. Of course, it took down Mom’s house and the ones next to it, but that’s it. Some siding is missing from houses, roofs were torn up, but…” Frank waves his hands around, “this is the worst of it. Four houses and everyone got to safety so we can consider the town lucky. Houses can be rebuilt, but people can’t be replaced. Not losing lives is the best outcome.”

“I agree. If you excuse me, I’m going to head home to check on Mom. I’ll call you tomorrow about starting on the house again, don’t worry about the cost. We will figure it out,” I say, pulling Tifffani toward the car, but of course, the car isn’t there. A blush stains my cheeks, “Um, Frank, could you…”

“I was wondering when you would notice your car is in the backyard of the Miller’s house two blocks away I’ll take you,” he laughs at my mistake. Tiffani and I get in the back of the truck, sitting as close as possible but not talking the whole way home. I’m okay with the silence, but once we get there, it’s time to talk because I can’t fucking let her go again. I just can’t go through that again.

Chapter fourteen

Tiffani

Themomenthecame,I saw the look of worry in his eyes. While I was riding the high that I have only felt with him, he was battling something inside him, which made me start to worry. Did he regret what we did? I didn’t, not for one second. The moment he kissed me, my whole world went from shades of gray to bright colors. I felt complete for the first time in forever. I wasn’t Tiffani, the poor unfortunate girl who couldn’t do anything right. I was Tiffani, the person he desired more than anything, and I want to be her forever. Some may say I’m a fool for sleeping with him after he left me alone, but screw what others say about my life and choices. Nothing and no one has ever felt more right to me than him ever. It’s always been him since the first day I saw him. I wanted him and was determined to have him. One fuck doesn’t change the hurt that he caused, and I’m not stupid enough to think it will. We still have to talk about everything. He has to let me in and tell me what happened between the night he exclaimed his love for me and graduation. If he refuses to let me in, I have no choice but to walk away from him, but this time it will be my choice. Maybe it won’t hurt as bad as the first time did.

The closer we get to his childhood home, the more nervous I become. I can’t do this. How can I expect him to open up to me when the secret that I hold is worse than anything he ever did? I can’t tell him about the baby. What if he blames me for not being able to carry it? Seeing the pain in his eyes will hurt worse than if I just left now. We can just chalk it up to the situation we were in messing with us. Levi clutches my hand like it’s his lifeline, but I pull away, placing it on my lap. His head shoots toward me, but it’s so dark in the truck I can’t see his face. I put my hands in the pocket of his hoodie I’m wearing so he won’t reach for them again. I need to get out of here and away from him. I may have been strong enough to let down my walls to be with him intimately, but there is too much dark inside me to allow him in emotionally, and it was stupid for me to even think I could.

“Looks like the storm didn’t touch out here,” Frank says from the front seat, pulling Levi’s attention off me.

“Yeah, looks like it,” he says with no emotions to his word. Frank maneuvers his truck into Levi’s driveway. “Thanks, man, I appreciate it. I’ll get with Adam, and we’ll come look at everything first thing in the morning,” Levi says, stepping out, holding his hand out to me.

I don’t move to take it. “Actually, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to go back to town and check on my place. Make sure it’s still standing.” I turn to Frank, questioning him with eyes that say,please take me away from here. He nods his head, but Levi doesn’t shut the door. Instead, he wraps his hand around my arm, pulling me from the truck.

“You want to go back, I’ll take you in the morning when we can see the state of the building. It’s unsafe to go in the dark. Thanks, Frank, but I can take my girl home myself. See you in the morning.” He slams the door, pulling me up the driveway. Once Frank backs out and is gone, I dig my feet into the wet, loose gravel, stopping Levi.

“Let me go. What do you think you’re doing? Just because we gave into the heat of the moment doesn’t give you the right to manhandle me. Last time I checked, I wasn’t anyone’s girl but rather a goddamn adult. I can decide what’s safe for myself. I have been taking care of myself for four years now and I don’t need anyone to start now.” I pull out of his grasp.

“Tiffani, don’t start this shit. You said it yourself. We need to talk. I need to check on Mom and let her know I’m fine. I ran out of here when they said a tornado was headed toward town so I could get to you.” He leans forward as if he is going to grab me again.

“Go, go check on your mom. I’m not stopping you, but I’m not staying here with you.” I turn away from him, determined to head back into town, even though it’s at least an hour’s walk. I need the time to wrap my brain around everything.

“Why? Why can’t you stay here? Let me check in with Mom, then we will talk,” he shouts.

“Because…” I choke out. All my emotions are running together, making me confused. I’m worried, scared, and pissed off, and I don’t know how to handle it all. If I allow him to explain why he left, I will hate myself worse because I’ve already decided I can’t tell him. I can’t tellanyoneabout the baby.

“Because why?” He grabs my arm, spinning me around and touching my cheek.

“I’m fucking scared, Levi,” I whisper, going with the highest emotion right now. “I’m fucking terrified of being here with you. Of what you make me want and what you make me feel. I don’t know why I can have sex with you, but this… talking feels massive, and I don’t know if I can do that.” His lips crush mine, and his hands run down my back over my ass, gripping the back of my thighs. Using his strength, he picks me up, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist. My back hits a vehicle. The cold from the wet hoodie and the heat from his body causes a shiver to race down my spine.

“What don’t you understand, you silly, beautiful, perfect girl… All the things I make you want, make you feel... you do the same to me. You make me want the world, and you make me feel every emotion known to man. It’s fucking terrifying, but I’m not running from it again. I ran once, and it took everything from me, and I can’t do it again. It almost killed me to walk away from you… don’t ask me to watch you walk away.” Our breathing is labored. With every movement of our chest, his hoodie rubs against my bare breast making my nipples strain against the material. When he kisses me again, it’s soft, slow, and sensual, making all the worry I had disappear. He is kissing me like I’m the love of his life like we’re teenagers again.

“Is everything okay out here?” His mom’s voice floats out through the night, interrupting us.

“Stay with me, Cupcake. Talk to me. Let me explain what happened. After, if you want to leave, I’ll take you home and leave you alone, but please just give me a chance?” he begs against my lips, and I can’t find it in me to say no.

“Okay, but I’m going to need some dry clothes. I’m freezing.”

“No problem, Cupcake.” he laughs, letting me down and leading me to the front porch.

“Tiffani, is that you? Oh, what a nice surprise, sweetie.” His mom races down the porch pulling me into a hug. “Your freezing child. Come on, Levi will find you some dry clothes, you can take a hot shower, and I’ll put on the soup I made last night. That should warm you right up. Did you guys get caught in the tornado that touched down?”

“We took shelter in the basement of Ms. Glades’ house. The progress we made is gone, along with the surrounding houses, but it looks like it touched down and then went right back up. There are minor damages from the winds across town but nothing that bad,” Levi answers behind us. His mom gasps, spinning me toward her, checking for injuries, I assume because she does the same thing to him.

---