Page 51 of Chasing Storm
I nod, just to get rid of him, but he returns too soon with another Vodka tonic, which he must’ve overheard Cass ordering for me earlier. I take a sip without even registering the taste or the action. My gaze is focused solely on Josh.
Suddenly, it overwhelms me. My throat goes thick, and tears spring into my eyes. The fact that he’s done this is beyond beautiful, but I just don’t know what to do or say. I slide off the stool, grabbing my small bag, and head towards the door of the bar, stumbling out into the cool evening and shivering. I wrap my arms around myself and look for a taxi to take me home.
“Hey,” the guy who chatted me up says, following me outside. “Where are you going?”
“Home,” I mumble.
“Want some company?”
I shake my head, suddenly worried about this guy. He seems the pushy type.
“Come on, let me come back to your place. We can have another drink and maybe some fun.”
“No, I don’t want to,” I say, searching frantically for a taxi.
“Look,” he says, grabbing my arm tightly. “I bought you a drink. You owe me something.”
I’m about to start screaming for help because I can’t get free from this douche bruising my arm when Thatcher appears next to him and slaps his hand to the guy’s chest.
“The lady said no, you piece of shit,” he growls, giving the creep a rough shove. “Now fuck off and don’t speak to her again, and if I see you lay a hand on her again, I will show what a real man looks like. Got it?”
I blink rapidly as Creepy McCreeperson nods and hurries away when Thatcher lets him go.
Josh and JP have joined us, but it’s too much. This day has just been too much. I lock gazes with JP, feeling the irrational hurt and anger that he walked out on me earlier bubble up. Backing away from them, I hail a taxi that, to my relief, stops and lets me in. I tell him to hurry the fuck up and get me out of here. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. All the air squeezes out of my lungs as I take shallow pants in alarm.
I think I’m having a panic attack.
31
THATCHER
Iwatch as Storm once again leaves us staring after her. One of these days, we are going to have to do something to make her stay.
“We should leave her alone,” I say, suddenly getting a dawning realisation that we are only hurting her, not making her happy with this shit. “We should let her go.”
I turn back to JP and Josh, who are giving me ferocious glares, but not denying that I’m right, ready to convince them to walk away from this, when I hear a car pull up to the curb behind me. Glancing back, I see Storm scramble out of the taxi, her breath ragged, her face stricken. She rushes up to me, grabbing my shirt front and dragging me to her, her other hand going up the back of my neck. She pulls me closer, pressing her lips against mine, thrusting her tongue into my mouth in a kiss so fucking sweet, I want it to last forever.
She pulls back and murmurs, “Thank you.”
Then, she is rushing back to the taxi and driving off, leaving me breathless and stunned by the kiss.
“Err,” I stammer.
“Yep, kissing her will do that to you,” JP says, slapping me on the shoulder. “Her hero.”
“Fuck off,” I grouse, but pretty pleased with myself. Not that I did it for the kudos. Any decent bloke would’ve done the same. Feeling my phone buzz in my pocket, wondering if maybe we do have a shot with Storm after all, I pull it out and stare at the screen.
“Mum?” I ask, answering it straight away.
My blood runs cold when she hastily says, “It’s your dad, Thatch. Get to the hospital quickly, you know the one. He’s had a heart attack.”
She hangs up, and I’m left listening to the dial tone, not computing her words.
“Thatch?” JP asks, clicking his fingers in front of my face.
“Uhm…it’s my dad. I have to go…”
“Go where? What’s happened?”
