Page 16 of Mr. Mistletoe
“You had to what?” Deacon asks. He’s upset.
“You’re upset.”
“Good observation, Dr. Fairhope,” he says without missing a beat.
“St. Andrews,” I correct him even though the butterflies travel in my gut. My heart is fluttering at him calling me his last name. I want to just tell him I love him. I almost take a step towards him but I stop myself.
“Never said I got it wrong the first time, darlin’. Now tell me, how the hell did you get here?” he asks.
“I ran,” I shrug.
“YOU WHAT?” Deacon yells but then he clears his throat. He shuts his eyes and takes his Stetson off. He throws it on the bed.
“I, I couldn’t wait. I couldn’t think. I thought it was happening all over again,” I admit.
“What was, baby?” Deacon asks in such a calm voice I almost break apart. It’s nothing above a whisper.
“Daddy.” It’s all I can get out before I walk away towards the bathroom. When I get in there, the cold floor somehow wakes every sensation in the soles of my feet, I feel the pain that I didn’t feel before. I hiss as I try not to make it noticeable.
Deacon comes up behind me turning on the bathroom light. He turns me to face him and lifts me up, placing me on the counter. I sigh, not making eye contact with him. I can still see as he shakes his head at me. He moves around the bathroom, pulling out the first aid kit. Deacon gets on his knees, lifts one foot and examines it. “You sure know how to piss me off and have me take care of you all in the same breath. Fuck why would you run here? You could’ve gotten an uber or damn one of them inside would have driven you. Damn it, Charity!”
We stay quiet for a beat as Deacon applies rubbing-alcohol and then I confess something I’ve never said out loud. “I’d give everything up for my mom, Deacon, anything to keep her here with me. She’s the only one I have left.”
Deacon sighs. “Mamita, escúchame… how can you possibly think all you have left is your mom? I mean, obviously, she’s your momma, so that makes sense, but we were here for you too. Mack, Arden, Valeria, shoot even my parents would be here for you. You’re not alone, you’re never alone.”
“What about when you’re upset with me? Would you ever threaten to leave me alone in something you know I can’t figure out?” I ask him. I don’t know why I do that.
Deacon looks up at me, stopping everything. “I’m fuckin’ pissed at you right now but what am I doing? Making sure your dumbass didn’t get tetanus or something. Why would I threaten to leave you alone? I’ve never left you alone, you did that.” His words hit me hard. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t hurt him or that I don’t regret hurting him.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“For what?”
“I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry that I, I broke your heart. That I thought running away was the best thing for us. I needed to just breathe. I couldn’t breathe here, Deacon. I was going crazy every time I stepped into this house because I saw my dad everywhere. Seeing all of you made me think about him even more. I just needed to forget.”
Deacon sighs again as he starts to take care of the other foot. “You don’t need to forget Dr. Whit. He’s your dad and you don’t forget someone as amazing as him. You love him and honor him through your memories, baby. Who told you to forget him?” Deacon asks.
“Ja—,” I start to answer but then I stop. “Just…”
I can barely see Deacon’s face as his hair, which is free of product, is hiding his face. Deacon finishes up and walks out but comes back with my plush slippers. He puts them on then gets all up in my face planting both palms on the side of my thighs. His eyes blaze with anger, a wave of unfiltered anger I have never seen displayed in his beautiful eyes before. “If I find out that James has even lifted even a fuckin’ finger to you or manipulated you in some warped way, I will kill him with my bare hands. If I even find out that there was some influence in your thoughts or actions when it comes to us I will lose my shit. Are you catchin’ what the fuck I’m droppin’ Kimberly?”
I swallow. I nod but instead of Deacon getting out of my face, he gets closer. I can’t even formulate the sentence to tell him that James is just a friend. Deacon stares at me. He looks down at my lips for a moment and then back up at my eyes. “Deac…” I warn him.
“You’ve been lying to me Kimberly and I promise you I will find out about what.” He’s so close that all I have to do is tilt my head to kiss him. Deacon brushes his luscious, full lips over mine and I grip the material of my dress as my hands rest on my thighs. I need to resist him. I have to. Deacon does it again and then he moves, kissing my neck. He moves back, “Next time I’m this close I’m marking my territory because mark my words you will be leavin’ here with a fiancée for sure but his name won’t be James.” Deacon takes his leave and I don’t breathe again until he shuts my door.
I think I need to be honest with myself. I need to send James home.
When James finally walks in, I can tell he’s been drinking with Mack and that is not the way to go. “Hey James, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Yeah, sure, I guess.”
I pat the empty spot next to my bed after James sits down, I look at him. “So here’s the thing, I think it’s time for you to go home.” I cringe at how it comes out. “Okay, that came out harshly. What I’m trying to say is, I’m good and I no longer need you here.”
James chuckles bitterly. “So that’s all? He flexes his muscles at you once and you’re sold?”
“I’m confused. This is why we came here. I asked you to help me and you said yes. I gave you so many outs. I even paid for the plane ticket because this is what I asked you to do. Why are you being weird right now, James?”
“So this guy has been a complete asshole since you’ve stepped foot here and it hasn’t even been a full week but now you’re ready to send me home?”James asks.
