Break Me Down: Silver Tongued Devils Series Book 2 Page 3

  “Would you keep your voice down?” I whisper harshly. “You’re making a scene.”

  “Like I care.”

  “And you think I’m being selfish? Because I don’t want to leave?”

  “Yes, because you won’t even give it a chance. I just want you to think about it. I have to give him my answer next week. I really want to take this job, and I want you with me.”

  “I’ll think about. But you don’t need to make this decision based on what I decide. If you want the job, take it. We can do a long-distance relationship.”

  “Those never work.”

  “They do, we just have to work at it. No, they aren’t easy, but can be done. If the two people are dedicated to the relationship.”

  “I don’t want to do long distance. I want you with me.”

  Pushing my plate away in frustration, I reply, “We’ve only been dating for a very short time. Hell, we haven’t even met each other’s parents. And you want me to suddenly decide to move hundreds of miles away from my dad, my friends, and my job? The least you can freaking do is give me some time to think it over.”

  “Mal—”

  “You are out of your damn mind. I’m ready to go home.”

  “What about dessert?”

  Throwing my napkin on my plate, I glare at him, push my chair away from the table, and start to walk toward the entrance. I just clear the entrance door when his hand wraps around my arm.

  “Will you fucking stop!”

  “Let go of my arm.” Wrenching my arm away, I try to break free, but his grip tightens.

  “Just listen—”

  “Let me go!”

  “Ma’am, are you okay?”

  As soon as he hears someone address me, he drops my arm. Glancing over, I see a couple men standing on the sidewalk smoking cigarettes. Stepping away from Todd, I wrap my arms around myself.

  “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  “Do you need a ride somewhere? I’m an Uber driver and just dropped off my last ride.”

  “She said she’s fine. Back off. You don’t want to get in the middle of this.” Todd makes a threatening step in the man’s direction, and for the first time, I’m worried about what he may do.

  “Actually, if you don’t mind, I will take that ride. Goodbye, Todd.”

  The man points toward a small SUV parked at the curb with the little Uber sign in the window.

  “Mallory, don’t you dare get in the car.”

  “Look, you’ve been drinking and you’re mad. I don’t want to be in a car with you behind the wheel tonight.”

  “Mallory—”

  As the driver opens the back door, I look over my shoulder in Todd’s direction.

  “Goodnight, Todd. Thanks for dinner,” I say as I pull the door closed.

  Through the window, Todd is talking heatedly to the driver, and when he shrugs, Todd shoves him against the car. Another guy walks over, puts a hand on Todd’s shoulder and says something that has Todd turning toward him. As soon as the driver sees the opportunity, he moves quickly around to the driver’s door, gets in, and locks the doors. Looking out the window, I gasp when I see Todd standing right next to my door, staring at me, blue eyes blazing. He tries the handle, then mouths for me to open the door. When I shake my head no, he smacks his hand on the window, then jumps back when the SUV swiftly pulls away from the curb before anything else happens.

  “Where to, miss?”

  I rattle off my address and the driver silently exits the parking lot. The glare from the streetlights reflects in the window as we pass by.

  My phone rings from somewhere in the depths of my purse, but I ignore it. I have nothing to fucking say to him right now. What the hell is he thinking? I’m just supposed to uproot my life for a guy I’ve only been dating a couple months? Seriously? Dude is out of his freaking mind. As soon as it starts to ring, I find it and silence the ringer before throwing it back in the bag.

  “Ma’am? Ma’am?”

  “Wha…” Turning to face the front, the driver is staring at me, a concerned look on his face.

  “We’re here.” My head swivels toward the window, and my mouth drops at the sight of my complex. Gathering my wits, I reach for my purse. “Thank you. How much do I owe you?”

  He rattles off an amount as I start digging around in my purse to find my wallet. Sitting on top is my cellphone with twenty-two missed calls and ten text messages. Flicking it off the top, I pick up my wallet. Not dealing with that right now.

  Pulling the cash out, I slide the money to the driver.

  “Keep the change. I really appreciate you stepping in tonight.”

  “You’re welcome. I hate to see a pretty lady getting harassed. Have a good rest of the night.”

  Opening the door, I murmur, “Goodnight,” before walking down the sidewalk to the apartment while bracing myself to face my two best friends—who miss nothing. Taking a deep breath and smoothing down my hair, I open the door.

  As soon as it starts to swing open, Kristen looks in my direction, walking from the kitchen to the living room.

  “Hey, chick, you’re back early.” She sits on the couch, careful not to spill her drink.

  “Yeah,” I say, wincing as the door slams shut.

  “Oh shit. What happened?”

  “Pour me up a margarita and I’ll tell you all about it.” Plopping down in the chair, I use one foot to push the shoe off the other before curling them under me.

  A glass with the wonderful tequila slush is handed to me and I take a small sip instead of gulping like I want.

  “Spill, Mal. What happened?”

  “We had a fight.”

  “Oh no, you okay?”

  “Yeah, I guess. Asshole seems to think I need to abandon my whole life to move to Colorado with him because he got a job offer.”

  “After two months of dating? Is he nuts?”

  “I don’t know what the hell he’s thinking. I said something about a long-distance relationship, but he pretty much shut it down.” The icy beverage freezes my throat as I take another sip.

  Camryn starts in, “I could understand if y’all had been together for six months or more. But moving after two months of dating? That’s crazy. Why would you uproot your whole life for a guy you’re not in love with? Ludicrous that is. Wait, you’re not in love with him, right?” Camryn sits on the arm of my chair and continues to lean into me before catching herself.

  “No, I’m not. Could I fall in love with him? Maybe. But it’s too soon to tell. And when did you start talking like Yoda? How many of those margaritas have you had?

  “Two or three, I think.”

  “Try six. She’s crashing here tonight. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course, I don’t mind.” Camryn leans over and squishes me to her, burying my face in her boobs.

  “Can’t breathe,” I gasp, which makes her giggle and let me up for air. “How about we talk about something else, like our trip this weekend?”

  As the margaritas continue to flow, I can’t help but think about the future. Am I being selfish? Afraid to be away from my friends and dad? Are they my safety net? I don’t get the answers I seek before the alcohol makes my brain fuzzy and I pass out in the chair.

  Mallory

  Belting out the lyrics to Pink’s U + UR Hand, we dance as best we can in our seats, hand gestures and all, as we drive down I-35 to San Antonio. When a shiny black truck passes, I see the driver staring at us and lean over Kristen to blow him a kiss. A smile graces his lips and he waves before pulling away from us.

  When we pass the sign for Buc-ee’s, I let out a squeal.

  “Oh, my gosh! We have to stop at Buc-ee’s.”

  “What’s that?” Kris asks, concentrating on the road.

  “Holy cow! Are you telling you’ve never been?”

  “No, what is it?”

  “It’s a treasure trove of all things imaginable.”

  “Say what?”

  “It’s a place that has to be seen to be u
nderstood.”

  Glancing over at Kristen, she gives me a look as if to say, What the hell?

  “Trust me. It’s gonna blow your mind.”

  In the backseat, Camryn makes an exploding sound, which causes me to crack up. It even gets a chuckle out of Kristen. The next song comes on and we’re back to singing and dancing until we see our exit.

  Pulling into the super convenience store, the sheer amount of gas pumps is staggering. When the sliding doors open, Kristen’s reaction is just what I expect from a newbie: jaw dropping awe.

  “Holy shit, you weren’t joking! This place is freaking huge.”

  “Yep, come on. We have some shopping to do!”

  “Don’t forget the bathroom,” Camryn chimes in from behind us. “Which is where I am heading. Excuse me.”

  “When ya gotta go, you gotta go.” I laugh as she breaks in between us, red hair flying behind her.

  I lead Kris over to the area that sells all the Buc-ee Beaver souvenirs. As we’re sorting through the different shirts, she brings up what I’ve been dodging.

  “How are things with Todd?” she asks while looking over a bright, tie dyed t-shirt with a depiction of a cartoon beaver wearing a red hat on the front.

  Refolding the blue one I’m holding, I avoid looking at her.

  “I finally answered him with a text and told him he needed to back off, and if he wanted me to even consider moving, I needed time to think.”

  “And have you?”

  “What? Been thinking?” At her nod, I continue. “I have, and if Dad wasn’t by himself, I might take a chance. It doesn’t mean I’d have to move in with him or marry him or anything like that.”

  “What about us?”

  “It’s not that far. We could get together a few times a year. Y’all could come up and ski.”

  As I finish, Kris doesn’t say anything, just stares intently at the shirt before laying it down on the display table.

  “What are you thinking, Kris?”

  “Truthfully? I think it’s too soon. You haven’t been dating that long. You moving hundreds of miles away with a guy you’re not serious about makes me nervous. How well do you really know him?” Her hand placed on my arm has me looking over at her. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  With a small smile on my face, I reply, “You’re always looking out for me.”

  “What are friends for?”

  “Oh, that’s cute,” Camryn says as she walks up behind us, looking over my shoulder at the shirt clutched in my hands.

  “Yeah, it is. I’m getting this one. Y’all gonna get something? Because I am ready for snacks!”

  “Beaver Nuggets, ho!” Camryn hollers out, like she’s leading a battle charge. Laughing, I follow her to the other end of the store as Kristen calls out, “What the hell are Beaver Nuggets?”

  “Holy shit, will you get a load of this place!” At Kristen’s outburst, I look up and my jaw drops. Dad didn’t just get us a hotel room, he got us a freaking suite. The room is massive, with a sitting room, two separate bedrooms, and a balcony overlooking the Riverwalk.

  “I’m checking out the bedroom!” Camryn calls out before taking off toward one of the rooms, dragging her suitcase behind her.

  Spotting an envelope on the table, I walk across the plush carpet. My name is printed on the front, so I open the stiff white paper. Pulling out the sheet inside, I read.

  Dear Mallory, Kristen, and Camryn.

  I am so proud of you girls. Your hard work and dedication have paid off. There is no doubt in my mind you three will be the best nurses in the state of Texas. Enclosed are a few things I thought you would enjoy this weekend. Have fun and be safe.

  Love, Dad

  When I’d opened the paper, several other pieces floated to the top of the table. Maybe my dad does spoil me rotten. He paid for a spa day, Sea World, and included a prepaid card for us to eat on. When I show the girls what he’s done and the letter he wrote, they scream with excitement and jump around.

  As Katy Perry croons out Hot N Cold, we primp for our night out, makeup strewn all over the counters, clothes covering the bed. The sun dress I decided to wear is lightweight with little spaghetti straps. After all, it’s summer in south Texas. In other words—hot.

  After the final check in the mirror, we head over the bridge to my favorite Mexican restaurant, where the fajitas are sizzling and margaritas are the coldest in town.

  “What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Kristen asks after taking a sip of her drink.

  “Our appointment at the spa is at ten. It says we’re booked for four hours of pampering and relaxation.”

  “That is going to be heavenly.” Camryn sighs, chin resting on one hand as she swirls her straw around her glass.

  “But first, I want to hit this place I heard about. Two words. Jumbo cinnamon rolls.”

  “Isn’t that three words?”

  It takes me a minute to realize, that yes, it is indeed three words.

  “Maybe I need to back off this margarita until the rest of dinner gets here.” Pushing the heavy glass away, I nearly cause it to tip over on the table.

  Camryn bursts out laughing and I’m left wondering if I’m the only one who needs to slow down. Maybe two are enough for the night. The thought barely crosses my mind before the sizzling platters reach the side of the table. A waterfall begins in my mouth at the heavenly aroma of grilled beef, onions, and bell peppers. Not another word is spoken as we eat the delicious combination. Two more margaritas later and an order of cinnamon-sugary, melt-in-your-mouth sopapillas, the food coma sets in and we decide walking back to the hotel to recharge for tomorrow sounds like a great idea.

  Reclining back in the chair, dainty hands massage the lotion into my face while my fingers soak in the warm, soapy water. Strong fingers manipulate my feet before taking a cheese grater looking thing to my heels. On either side of me, Kristen and Camryn are enjoying the same pampering, except every time the man touches Camryn’s feet, she starts laughing and pulling her foot back, much to the man’s chagrin. I didn’t realize someone could be so ticklish.

  “How’s the thinking coming along, Mallory?” Kristen asks.

  “I’ve been doing my best not to think,” I muttered, irritated she brought it up.

  “That’s not helping matters. Has he been bothering you anymore?”

  “Surprisingly, no. He hasn’t called or texted since I told him I needed time.”

  “It’s good he’s giving you space to work this out,” Camryn chimes in from the other side.

  “But you need to decide, not leave him swinging in the breeze.”

  “That’s true.”

  “What does your gut say?”

  “Always go with your gut.”

  “My gut is telling me it’s too soon.”

  “There’s your answer then.”

  “But what if I’m just letting my fear rule me?”

  “Fear of what?” inquires Camryn. “I can’t see you fearing anything.”

  “We all have fears, Cam.” I sigh, and rest back, closing my eyes, effectively ending the conversation.

  Ringing from beside me stirs me from my slumber. Blearily, I open my eyes, the room black except the glow of my cellphone.

  “Make it stop.” Camryn’s voice is muffled, her face buried in the pillow.

  Fumbling, I reach for the phone, my hand slapping the table before landing on it. The ringing stops as soon as I pick it up, and I fumble with the screen, trying to figure out who the hell is calling me at three in the morning.

  Unavailable.

  Just as I put the phone back down, the ringing cuts into the quiet once more.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Mallory Stephens?”

  “Um...yeah, that’s me.”

  “This is Officer Scott Williams with the Dallas Police Department.”

  Did I hear him right? “I’m sorry, did you say the DPD?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m calling to inform you your father was invo
lved in a hit and run tonight. You’re listed as the next of kin.”

  “Oh my god.” My heart pounds, feeling like it’s about to beat out of my chest. “Is he okay?”

  “I’m not sure of his current condition. He was transported to Baylor Medical Center.”

  “Oh shit.” Scrambling out of bed, I try to find my clothes in the dark room. “I’m in San Antonio right now. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

  “I know you’re upset, so please drive carefully.”

  Not even waiting for him to finish speaking, I toss the phone on the bed. The bedside light clicks on, and I turn to see Camryn sitting up, yawning.

  “What’s going on? Why is the DPD calling you?”

  “Dad was in an accident.”

  “No! Is he okay?”

  “They took him to the hospital. That’s all he said he knew.”

  “Get dressed. I’ll go wake Kristen up.”

  “What if…” I can’t get anything passed the lump in my throat. The tears pool in my eyes before trailing down my cheeks. Hands on the side of my face force me to look into honey-colored eyes.

  “He’s going to be okay. You have to believe that.”

  Nodding my head, I realize she’s right. It may be nothing serious. Just a precaution. The officer didn’t say he was care-flighted out.

  “Get your stuff together. We’ll get checked out and head home.”

  Turning away from me, she hurries out. Throwing on the first clothes I find, I cram everything else into my suitcase.

  By the time I’ve gathered everything out of the bathroom, the girls are packed up and waiting at the door.

  The ride back to Dallas takes an eternity, my mind focused on one thing only: what will I do if something happens to him? I’ve already lost my mom; I can’t lose him too. The sun is just clearing the surrounding buildings when we pull into the emergency room parking lot. The car doesn’t even come to a complete stop before I pull the handle to open the door. Running to the entrance, I nearly crash into the automatic sliding doors before they open enough for me to slide through. The elderly lady sitting in the chair behind the partition nearly falls off her rolling stool when I bang on the glass.