Page 39 of The Biggest Sacrifice

My mind spins. “Tommy, what do-”

“We shouldn’t have been there.” His body is trembling and my thoughts go to what Cash said about Tommy seeing something or fighting with something. I’ve had a feeling he’s suffered loss and has held onto it for a long time, but of course, he never told me. He never showed that emotion unless it happened during a dream. He had nightmares that woke him covered in sweat, and all I could do was hold him and rock him back to sleep. But he would never allow himself to be vulnerable and talk about it.

We both step towards each other at the same time, but he hits the edge of the table and his beer bottle hits the glass table with a loud crack. It seems to jolt him from wherever his mind just took him.

“Oh, shit. Sorry.” He runs to the kitchen to grab some towels and comes back to clean up the mess.

“It’s fine, Tommy.” I come around to him, taking the rag from his hands and finishing cleaning the spill. I hurry back to the kitchen where I drop the beer soaked rag in the sink. When I turn, he’s right behind me.

“Give me another chance, Farrah. Please. I know I don’t deserve it. I know I’ve been a terrible friend and,” he says it so fast and I see him visibly gulp down his fear, his adams apple working in his throat, “and a terrible everything else. I’ve just been, yeah. Terrible. To you. But let me make it right. Please.”

I’m nodding before my words come out, before I can think any of this through. His words soak in, I’ve never been able to resist him. But tonight, I hear a difference in what he’s saying. “I will. I’ll give you another chance, but this has to be completely different this time around. I'm not sure what it should look like, but it won't be the same as the last three years.

His eyes search mine, and he steps in closer to me, pinning me against the sink.

“Tommy.”

“I need you, Farrah.”

I shake my head. “I think you should go.”

His hand reaches for my hip, his touch electrifying my body, and he leans in to kiss my cheek. “Go here?” I draw in a breath as he trails his lips to my neck. “Or … here?”

CHAPTER 22

TOM

Her breathagainst my cheek as I whisper in her ear has me hotter than when I was sleeping in the desert. Farrah always had an effect on me, but being apart from her for so long only intensified the want and has made me harder than steel, just from her scent alone.

I didn’t come here intending to fuck her, though right now that sounds like an outstanding idea. But even if she was about to drag me down the hall to her room, I’d stop her.

Yes. I would stop her.

Because I don’t want her thinking, that’s the only reason I’m pursuing her. I know I’ve fucked up, and I also know what I need to do now. Well, I know what Ishoulddo. Whether I get the mechanics down correctly is a different story, but it’s something I’m going to have to learn quickly. No one will have the opportunity to steal what’s mine. I’m going to make her want to take my last name. Make her want to have my babies. After seeing my siblings with their kids? It’s made me rethink everything about what I’ve been doing.

And I have JT to thank for it.

“Tommy.” Her soft voice calling my name brings me back.

“I’ll go tonight, Farrah. I don’t want to, but I respect we are not where we were and we aren’t going back to that. We’re going to build this anew. I told you I’d prove it to you.”

Her eyes widened at the statement, and I let out a chuckle. “Surprised?”

She leans back and takes a better look at me. “Very.” We both smile and I run my thumb along her bottom lip.

“I said I’d chase you forever. Now, I’m just taking a different route.” I give her a kiss on the corner of her lip and let my hand drop. “I’m off tomorrow. Call me when you get home from school.”

She nods and I make my way to the door. “Make sure you lock up behind me!” I call out and shut the front door. I take the steps and cross her front lawn, then walk down the sidewalk about fifty yards to my door. Thoughts of Farrah swirl through my head. How exactly am I going to get through this? What do I even do? How do you date? I’ve never had to do this. We never planned actual dates outside of the house together. We were either at mine or hers, fucking or fighting. If we went out, it was always with my siblings.

Suddenly, I’m pushed from behind and instinctively search my waist for my gun.

“Settle down, tough guy!”

That voice. That laugh.

I frantically swing around, searching to see in the dark, the little pathway lights being the only light I have. Finally, I focus and upon seeing it’s Cash, I’m even more irate at the sudden intrusion. I take a swing at him and yell.

“Fuck!”

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