Page 60 of Tormented Bastard
Still, it was how I felt. Wasn’t it? Or was that how I’d convinced myself to feel?
When all I could do was glare at him and swallow, Aubrey looked back at me and moved to the edge of her chair. “Did Chance ever tell you the story about how we got together?”
I furrowed my brow. That’s not at all what I expected her to say. “I know about the road trip and meeting him in Nebraska.”
She nodded, a small smile on her lips. “That’s where it started for sure.” She glanced up at him, the love for her husband burning bright in her eyes, before looking back at me. “The man drove me crazy. Then by the time I fell for him, he left me. I didn’t know why at the time, other than the fact that he’d left me high and dry. In Vegas, no less.”
“Yeah, I had this little thing called prison I had to report to in order to serve a two-year sentence for assault,” Chance added.
“Right. I ended up moving on, finding a man that was fine to spend some time with, but there wasn’t a day that went by I didn’t think of Chance.” She tilted her head side to side. “Yes, there were some days I thought of wanting to kill him, but it was just because I was so hurt. But he finally wore me down.”
I looked over at the two of them, all starry-eyed and in love. It was hard to believe they were once apart and at odds. “How the hell did he do that?”
“I stalked her.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “I’m serious, mate,” he continued. “I broke into her house and cleaned up her yard, did odd jobs for her.”
“What? I…I don’t even know what to think about that.”
Aubrey nudged Chance with a laugh. “The point is, he let me know he was going to fight for me, even though I pushed him away for leaving me in the first place.”
“You need a grand gesture as those books call it,” Chance interjected.
“A grand gesture doesn’t hurt,” Aubrey agreed. She leaned forward and laid a hand on mine. “Look, I don’t know what all happened with you guys. But what I do know is that Eden cried the entire way to Tallahassee. She told me a little bit about things. She still loves you, Chase. In spite of everything that has happened to you and between the two of you. She still loves you.”
I raked my hands through my hair and yanked on a handful of it. “A grand gesture? How the hell would I do…” My head snapped up and I looked at Aubrey, who had a knowing smile on her face. “The charity ball.”
She nodded. “Yep.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, sweat a sheen on my skin. “I don’t know if I can.”
“Well,” Chance sighed, “it all comes down to what you want, mate. A life alone on the island or a life with the woman who will stand by you no matter what, heal your wounds.” He pointed at me. “Because I saw you guys together a couple of times. You could light up the Eastern seaboard with the chemistry. Plus, you may not know it, but you get this wistful look in your eyes when you look at her.”
I dropped my jaw. “You’re full of shit. I do not.” Did I?
About that time, their daughter, Bree, came running into the room. “I’m ready for pancakes!” The little girl climbed Chance like he was a jungle gym and wrapped her arms around her father’s neck. “Please, Daddy? Pancakes?”
Chance chuckled and tickled his daughter. “Okay, pancakes it is.”
Aubrey tilted her head. “Want to stay for breakfast?”
My stomach actually growled at the thought of food. Maybe it would erase the remaining cobwebs and let me figure out what the hell to do. “Yeah, I’ll stay. Thanks.”
During breakfast, I sat back and watched the Batemans interact. Not just between Aubrey and Chance but also with their kids. The banter, the teasing, the love that flowed between them. They were a unit, for better or worse. And if the worse did happen, they would always have these times together that they could remember and hold on to.
Shit happened. People died. Freak accidents occurred. Chance was right. Did I want to be alone in a big house and think of all that could have been? Or did I want to live my days out with Eden and build a life with her? Wasn’t whatever time I had with her better than none at all?
The demon with my father’s voice that I’d lived with my whole life was kicking and screaming at me to be scared, to choose safety. To not let anyone in because I wasn’t worth the trouble. I was only good at one thing, and even that had been taken from me.
I knew what I needed to do. Even if Eden told me to go straight to hell without collecting two hundred dollars, I’d at least know the demon no longer held me bound to the past.
My heart surged with hope, and I stood so abruptly my chair nearly turned over. “I’m sorry, I need to go.”
The four of them looked at me as though I’d lost my marbles. Maybe I had. I held up my hands. “Stay, finish breakfast. I can make it home.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster if I just drove you home?” Chance asked.
“Stay with your family,” I said, edging toward the front door. “It’s only a few miles. I can jog it.”
