Page 37 of Beach B!tch
14
Brinley
After my waterworks dried up, and I accepted hugs all around, along with reassurances I really could count on each one of them, we sat down in my living room coming up with The Plan.
First, I was shocked to hear Dean had spent the night downstairs in his car, keeping watch to make sure my father didn't come back.
I looked over at him, my eyes wide. He nodded at me and acted like it was no big deal. But it was, wasn't it? I mean, who stays up all night in their car just to make sure you don't get harassed by your own family? And this was after I'd been a heartless bitch and kicked him out!
My stomach felt like it was clenching even while my heart melted in my chest. The girls kept talking, but it was as if their words were coming down a long tunnel. The world around me seemed muted while I stared at Dean and tried to make sense of his selfless actions.
My heart warmed and the weight of my father's reappearance seemed to float away. I had a feeling I would look back and say that this was the moment. The defining moment I fell in love with Dean.
And that scared me shitless.
I'd never had someone love me. There's no way there was any kind of love in my father's heart for me. If there was, it was so twisted with time, abuse, and alcohol, it was unrecognizable. Maybe my mother had loved me, but I didn't even remember her, let alone recall what her love felt like.
But if I had to guess, this was what love looked like. And was this vague queasy feeling what love felt like? I wasn't convinced this love thing was for me, but I couldn't help but want to explore it with Dean.
"Yo! Earth to Brinley!" Shasta waved her hand in my face, bringing me back to the conversation happening all around me.
Dean rubbed his hand along my back and then sat down on the couch, pulling me onto his lap. I landed up against his strong chest, laying my hand there and enjoying his heat as it seeped through his shirt up into my skin. His hand kept up its rhythmic stroking along my spine, distracting me still from the conversation at hand.
He hadn't stopped looking at me and his gaze was highly distracting. I tore my eyes away and looked over to Esa. She was sitting across from us, watching Dean and I, a sly smile on her face.
Dean shifted my hips on his lap, presumably to make my weight more comfortable, but my bottom brushed up against a hard length. My cheeks flared red and my upper lip beaded with sweat when I realized what that was. I whipped my head around to look at Dean, but he smiled and shrugged his shoulders like there wasn't a room full of people witnessing his attraction to me.
"Bahahaha," Esa and Bailey burst into a riot of laughter, all behind my back. I didn't even bother to turn around. I buried my head in Dean's chest and hoped in vain they weren't laughing at me. Of course, I knew they were, but I couldn't face explaining all the details of what was going on. Let them assume the worst, which was most likely the truth. Dean had a substantial hard-on and I was enjoying sitting on it.
Bejeezus.
"All right, all right, let's not completely embarrass the lovebirds, huh?" Shasta tried to regain control of the room, and like always, I was all too happy she was stepping in on my behalf. I was dealing with too many conflicting emotions and embarrassing scenarios to deal with it myself.
Then I looked over at her and my jaw hit the floor. Her robe was open at the top, and her left boob was almost falling out of her nightie. I cleared my throat, and motioned my head at her, winking. She caught my look, glanced down at her ample chest, and calmly wrangled her breast back into its confines.
Nerves of steel, that one.
Dean was busy stroking my hair, thank God, missing the topless show entirely. He kissed my head and then piped in with his two cents, "I think we need to keep someone on Brin day and night. We can't chance that her dad will come back when she's all alone. Do we agree on that?"
I wasn't sure I liked that idea, given how precious my alone time was, but I could see the merit in it. Everyone nodded yes, so I guessed it was for the best. My apartment was feeling a little lonely lately, so I'd go along with it for now.
"I also called in a favor with my buddy, Jack, an HB police detective. He will look into John's whereabouts and recent activities," Dean continued.
Esa and Bailey shared an interesting look, with Bailey glancing away first. Bailey adjusted her multi-layered necklaces, a tale-tell sign she was nervous about something. Interesting. I made a mental note to ask Esa about it.
Then I realized what Dean had said. "Wait. When did you do that?" I asked him.
"I called him last night, I hope you don't mind. I figured we needed to get some information on him so we know what we're dealing with." Dean looked worried that maybe he'd overstepped, but that's not why I asked my question.
I was just surprised, yet again, that he'd gone out of his way to help me. Staying all night, asking his friend for help. It was all very selfless, and I was enjoying how it made me feel. I felt special. Important. It was like the weight on my shoulders got lighter and lighter the more I allowed my friends, and specifically Dean, to be part of my life.
"Jack will take good care of you. And be very discreet. Don't worry, BB," Bailey reassured me.
"I'm sure he will or you all wouldn't trust him like you do. Thank you for contacting him for me." I said the last part to Dean. I leaned forward and kissed him, brushing my lips against his in the barest of kisses. His heated smile was ample reward. I'd have to do that more often.
"I hate to be the one to bring this up, but I think we need to talk about it." My heart sank back down again at Shasta's words, knowing we were about to talk about the ugly stuff. "Brinley, I think you need to focus your efforts on preparing for the next time your father comes around. I firmly believe he will come back and you need to have your defenses ready. You may consider practicing what you want to say to him and then getting a restraining order against him. In my experience, abusive people don't just leave your life without the legal system getting involved. We'll protect you as well as we can, but you need to control how you shut his abuse down." Shasta was dead serious, and I knew she spoke from experience. I'd be wise to listen.
"I hear what you're saying and I will definitely be thinking about it. I do have some things I'd like to say to him for closure." I nodded, thinking of all the things I wanted, needed, to say. I'd need to condense it, get it said, and then be willing to let it all go in order to get on with my life. I wanted him gone.
