Love Collides (Fate's Love #3) (9 page)

“Just surfing. Although, I did whitewater raft once down the Toachi.”

“Toachi?”

“It’s a river in Ecuador. That was some crazy shit. I thought we were going to die.”

Kade regarded me for a second, dragging a hand over his jaw. “Are you sure you’re not a guy under all that pretty?”

“Kade Ford, be still my beating heart; you think I’m pretty?” I fake gasped for effect.

He balled up the napkin and threw it right at me, and I cocked my eyebrow at him. “If I had a dick under this, you would know.”

“Touché, Jameson.” Kade raised his bottle and tipped it in my direction.

“Extreme sports not your thing? You must do something for fun other than bang your way around the pretty patrons of Planters?”

“Ouch. I’m not that bad, you know.”

His eyes were doing that thing again, trying to tell me something. It made squirm in my seat. Another conversation that had started so innocent was quickly drifting into dangerous waters. Not ready to go there, I changed the subject.

“Any brothers or sisters?”

A wide smile broke across his face. “Nice subject change. No. Only child. You?”

Crap. Why couldn’t I pick a safe topic? Like the weather or the news.

“Three brothers.”

“That had to be hard growing up with three brothers?”

You have no idea.

“It was okay.”

“Let me guess. Nice house, white picket fence somewhere in the suburbs, the apple of Mom and Dad’s eye, pain in her three brothers’ butts?”

His words stung, even though I heard the humor behind them.

“Spot on with the white picket fence; the rest not so much.” I pursed my lips and nodded my head slightly as the awkwardness washed over us.

“Shit. Sorry, I was just joking.”

“It’s fine. You didn’t know. Like I said before,
friend
, talking hasn’t really been our thing.”

“True but there’s a first time for everything.” Kade’s eyes didn’t just watch me as he spoke, they seared into me.

Needing to ease some of the tension lingering between us, I said, “How about a trade-off? I’ll reveal something about myself, and then you go.”

He frowned. “What are we, twelve?”

“Scared?”

“Of a little care and share? Out with it.”

“Fine. Nice house, white picket fence, no mom, an overbearing father, and three overprotective brothers.”

Kade’s face gave nothing away as he took his turn. “Only son of the best damn mother in the world and the worst fucking kind of a father. No white picket fence.”

My heart clenched at his admission. So Kade had baggage, too. It wasn’t so shocking in today’s world; the majority of people were carrying around a deadbeat dad, abusive ex, or tales of a first love gone wrong. It was just how life was. But knowing that Kade’s life hadn’t been all roses either comforted me in a strange kind of way.

“I was a late bloomer.”
Except for the secret boyfriend who ruined my life.

“Expand?”

“My brothers made sure I didn’t date. Scared off any guy who tried to get within five feet of me. Killed my social life. Yes. Believe it or not, in high school, I was totally lame.”

Kade stifled his laughter, and I protested. “Fuck you. I’m over here bearing my soul to you and you’re laughing? Bastard!”

Lifting his hands up in surrender, Kade shot back, “Lost my virginity when I was fifteen to Mrs. Kelson, my ninth grade English teacher.”

“You did not!”

“Nah, but the look on your face is priceless. Jolie Mackinson behind the bleachers after prom.”

“Lucky girl.”

“Not really. I was trashed and didn’t know what in the hell I was doing. I’d like to think I’ve perfected my game over the last ten years.” Kade flashed me a smile that had a direct line to my panties. I clenched my legs together and shifted on the wooden chair.

“Everything okay over there?”

Bastard. He could turn a conversation on its head just like that. Just with a look. Or a word. Or just sitting across from me looking all young David Gandy meets Josh Harnett.

“Peachy,” I half groaned, unable to shake the inappropriate images running wild through my mind.

Today was supposed to be about getting away. Doing something normal. I wanted to forget, for just a second, about all the shit that was waiting for me back in Gainesville. But now all I could think about was how good Kade looked in skintight neoprene and damp hair tousled by the sea air. Yeah, it was going to be a long drive back.

“We should head back. It’s getting late, and I said I’d meet the girls tonight for bonding time.”

Kade pulled out his wallet and settled the check. “Sounds very pajamas and pillow fights.”

“Knowing Sharn and Lou, you’re probably not far off the mark.”

“You could always ditch them for me. Takeout and a movie. That’s something friends do, right? If it makes you feel better, we can throw in a pillow fight.”

I almost stumbled out of the restaurant. Kade Ford was taking this friends thing a little too seriously. But even more shockingly, I found myself wanting to say yes.

~ Kade ~

The drive back to Gainesville was smooth enough. Staci fell asleep about twenty minutes in. It was the uncertainty of where to take her that was awkward as hell. My place or Russ’s. When I’d asked her to spend the night with me, she hadn’t given me an answer. She’d just smiled and then almost tripped face first over the step. I didn’t ask again. Something was still holding her back. I saw it every time I looked at her. When there was just the two of us wrapped up in each other, she let go and gave herself to me completely. Then the steel walls came back up and she forced me out.

Out on the waves, she had looked carefree. Happy. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The way her body moved gracefully on the board; Staci Jameson was full of surprises. Not that it should have come as a shock. She’d spent most of the last four years living and working in Ecuador, while I had only left Gainesville out of necessity. She was off living her life, experiencing things, helping people, rebuilding lives, and I was still in the town I had grown up in...rebuilding engines.

I was falling hook, line, and sinker for a girl who would never be content with small town life. The realization was depressing.
Way to fucking go, Ford.
Not to mention, she planned to head back at the first sign of her classes breaking for the holidays. Staci murmured in her sleep, and I had to resist the urge to reach out and touch her face. How was it that this girl had managed the impossible; she’d buried herself in me so deep that I knew there was no turning back now.

No one would ever hold a candle to her.

“Are we back yet?” Staci didn’t open her eyes, just stretched out like a cat waking.

“Almost. I’ll take you to Lou’s, right?” The words stuck in my throat. I didn’t want our time to end. Not yet.

“Yeah, okay.”

But obviously she did. Even after today, Staci still wasn’t ready to accept whatever was happening between us. The thought punched me in the gut.

“I can grab a change of clothes and something to sleep in. If you don’t mind sharing your bed with me again that is?”

She still didn’t open her eyes to see my mouth hanging open, trying to focus on the road and not her words. She was coming home with me. It wasn’t a declaration of her feelings, but it would do.

For now.

Chapter 8

~ Kade ~

“So, he lives.” Keefer tipped his bottle in my direction and the other guys snickered.

“Funny fucker.” I batted his bottle away and slid into the booth. Ethan had suggested a beer after work, but I’d visited Mom first to make sure she was okay.

“So…” Morris cleared his throat and cocked his head at me with a shit-eating smirk on his face.

“Spit it out.”

“I think I speak on behalf of all the guys when I ask what the fuck is going on with you?”

Taking a long pull on the beer in front of me, I shrugged. It had been a couple of weeks since Staci took me surfing. We’d spent a lot of time together since then. Hanging out at my place, watching movies, and eating junk food. Crawling into bed together after falling asleep to a trashy film. Waking her up in the middle of the night to dull my growing need for her. We hadn’t had the talk or labeled anything, but we were past dancing around each other.

“She’s really gotten under your skin, hasn’t she?”

My eyes flew up to meet Ethan’s, surprised that he would call me out on things in front of everyone. After two weeks of pushing me at work about her, I guess he was tired of waiting for me to come clean.

“So, it’s true? You’re banging Staci?” Morris said bluntly.

“Watch it,” I hit back, shooting Ethan an irritated look.

“Sorry, but I’ve been trying all week to get you to talk about her. I figured it was time for an intervention.”

“What are we, a bunch of over emotional chicks? So, I’ve been hanging out with Staci. She’s new in town; you guys are all coupled up. It’s no big deal.”

“Do I not fucking count?” Morris protests went unheard as Keefer added, “Fail number one, if you say it’s no big deal. Obviously, it’s a big fucking deal. It’s like Sharn and me all over again.”

I grunted. That would mean there actually being a chance for Staci and me, and that wasn’t likely. Not with her only being around short-term and me being too chicken to fess up about how I really felt about her.

“He’s got it bad,” Ethan said to Keefer and Morris, and they all launched into a conversation dissecting my recent change in behavior.

It was her. Staci. I couldn’t think straight. She consumed my thoughts. I’d be working on a car at the shop daydreaming, and all of a sudden, she would creep into my mind. When Ethan used to talk to me about Livy, before they finally got their shit together, I used to hound him for being so pussy whipped. At least, they all went through it in their early twenties. I was twenty-six, for fuck’s sake.
‘I think I’m falling for you, but I wouldn’t really know because I’ve never felt like this before. Ever’
. Yeah, real fucking romantic and mature.

After subjecting myself to another hour of the guys’ taunts, I left Planters. My eyes almost bugged out of my head when I climbed in the truck, glanced up, and saw Staci talking to a guy on the sidewalk. Except they weren't talking so much as arguing. I leaned into the steering wheel to get a better look, which was stupid considering I was parked at the end of the street. Of course, I wasn't going to fucking see them better.

Before I could process what was happening, I was out of the truck and moving in their direction. Adrenaline pumped through me, laced with a bucket load of jealousy. After weeks of our back and forth, she never once mentioned another guy. Not once. Not even during our trade-off conversations. I was pissed, really fucking pissed, because from their exchange, they obviously knew each other.

Is he the baggage?

I rushed across the street trying to be as stealthy as possible. Staci's back was to me, but I could tell by the way her hands were moving around frantically in front of her that she was pissed. Who in the hell was this guy anyway? He looked strung-out; a thick layer of stubble coating his jaw and narrowed, bloodshot eyes. The guy was either high, drunk, or coming down. Whichever it was, he was a fucking mess.

As I drew closer, I slowed down, not wanting to be seen. Their raised voices traveled along the sidewalk. "I'm not doing this," Staci said sharply, but I heard the pain in her voice.

Anger flared through me and I balled my fists.
Who is this dick to her?

"Come on, babe, don't be that way. I've missed you. All these years. I came back to Kaplan for you, but you were gone. Baby, it's always been you," the guy drawled out, and I unclenched my fists at my sides. It took everything in me not to tackle him right there and pummel him into the sidewalk.

"
Mikey, you need to go."

Mikey?

The guy dragged a hand over his overgrown beard and ground his teeth together. "Let me come back with you. We can talk."

The fuck you can,
I wanted to yell at him
.
He reached out for Staci, but she stepped back and closed her arms around herself. Was she afraid of this guy? Whatever had happened between them had her on the defensive. Blind rage started storming through me. It was too raw. Too close to home. I moved in closer, ready to intervene.

"No, Mikey. I'm not interested. Just go back to wherever you came from. Please. Just go." Staci's voice cracked, but the jackass didn't listen and reached for her again, palming her face with his hand.

"I SAID STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME."

"I think she said no." I stepped between the two of them knocking his hand away with a little more force than necessary. While tucking Staci behind my back, I glared straight at him. I didn't miss her sharp intake of breath, but I focused on Mikey, daring him to push me. His eyes hardened, and he growled, "And who the fuck are you?"

The guy had balls. I stood a couple of inches taller than him and had at least fifty pounds on his lanky frame. My jaw ticked, and I almost wanted him to push me a little bit further, to give me an excuse to knock him flat on his ass.

"A friend."

What I really wanted to say was boyfriend just to piss him off, but I liked my balls firmly attached, and I knew if I implied there was something more between us, I doubted they would be after Staci was done with them.

Jackass tried to look around me at Staci, but I stepped with him and forced him back. He cursed under his breath and held up his hands in defeat. "Fine, I'll go. But, Staci, we still need to talk."

Staci's hand flew to my back, and she gripped my shirt tight. Something about this guy really had her on edge. Reluctantly, Mikey started to walk away from us. When he disappeared around the corner, I turned to Staci. She was a mess. A river of tears dripped down her cheeks, but she wouldn't look at me. Tilting her chin with my fingers, I said, "Look at me."

Her lips rubbed together nervously, her eyes flitting in the direction Mikey had disappeared, and I could feel the vulnerability rolling off her. The strong, prickly, smart-mouthed girl I couldn't get enough of was crumpling in front of me. Something in me broke.

“My truck’s parked back there.” I nodded over her shoulder. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”

We walked to the truck in deafening silence. I wanted to ask her who Mikey was to her, and if he had hurt her. But something held me back, knowing that if I pushed her, she would retreat into her shell even more.

When we reached the truck, I opened the passenger door for Staci and she climbed up into the cab. Her tears had stopped, but the sadness in her eyes lingered. Mikey was important to her. Or had been. Either way, they had a history. We were only just beginning, and already there was a potential ex on the scene screwing things up.

“Take me to your place.” Her voice was a quiet tremble as I turned the key and fired up the engine.

~

Staci hadn’t moved. I’d made us coffee, grabbed a few discarded clothes off the floor and thrown them in the laundry, taken a piss, and checked my messages…and she just sat balled up on the far side of the couch, arms wrapped around her waist.

“Can I get you anything? More coffee?”

She lifted her head and half-smiled, shaking her head. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“You don’t look fine. Want to talk about it?” I inched closer to her, looking for some kind of sign that she wanted me near.

She didn’t look alarmed so I took that as my opening. Dropping on the couch next to her, I twisted my body to face her. “I’ve been told I am a great listener.”

Her half-smile grew at the ends, but her eyes didn't light up the way they usually did. “I guess you want to know who he is to me?”

Yes.

“I won’t push you. If you’re not ready to talk, you’re not. We all have baggage. Some worse than others. I get that. More than you probably think.”

~ Staci ~

My whole body was numb. I felt like I was in a dream. Mikey was here, in Gainesville. How in the hell did he know where I was? And why was he looking for me after all of these years?

Kade was looking at me, waiting for a possible explanation about what he witnessed on the street
. Fuckety
. I wasn’t ready to open up to him; I didn’t want to tell him what I had never told another soul. I couldn’t even tell him how much I’d come to enjoy having him around. How much he meant to me. How could I possibly tell him my deepest darkest secret?

I couldn’t. It would ruin everything.

* * *

My hands trembled during the whole car ride to Louisiana State. I hadn't felt this nervous since waiting for the nurse to dip my pee and deliver my fate.
Pregnant
.
I didn't even know how it was possible. We’d only had sex a handful of times, and we always used protection. I was on the pill, for Christ's sake. '
It can happen'
, the nurse had said with a sad smile on her face as she handed me a leaflet about my options. The leaflet that I’d crammed into my bag sitting on the passenger seat as I drove the eighty-seven miles to confront Mikey.

He, Joel, and Tanner had been gone a little over three months. Joel called a lot, but he never mentioned Mikey, and I never asked. His name hadn't passed my lips since he stood on my porch and told me he thought it would be best to end things. Ironic, really, that it was in the exact same spot that he had told me he loved me for the first time five months ago. The same spot where he told me that he wanted to tell my brothers everything before they left for college.

One minute, I was sick with excitement at the prospect of sitting down with my family and coming clean about my relationship with Mikey, and the next, I was puking into the toilet from a broken heart...and apparently, the tiny fetus I had no idea was growing inside of me.

As the miles for LSU ticked down, I still hadn't a clue what I was going to say to him, but this was his mess as much as it was mine and he deserved to know. I was nearing the cut-off point for a termination, and I knew there were some difficult decisions to make. Was I ready to be a mother? Hell, no. But was I ready to live with the guilt of getting rid of my child, my own flesh and blood? I wasn't so sure.

Almost eleven weeks pregnant when I found out, I had been a complete mess since. How Dad and Eric hadn't picked up on my fragile state was beyond me, but they were always too busy working on his hand-me-down car from Tanner. The couple of times they'd caught me throwing up, I blamed some bad takeout. I was an anomaly apparently—one of the few girls to still have periods while pregnant. It was only because I had been feeling so shitty that they ran a pregnancy test in the first place.

LSU campus came into sight and my nausea increased tenfold. At this rate, I would need to pull over and puke. The nervous energy bounced around my whole body and I tapped the wheel furiously. Joel was expecting me. You didn't keep things from the eldest in our family, well, except the fact that I was carrying his best friend's baby. He had given me directions and already checked in with me twice. So it was no surprise when I turned the corner to find him standing outside the small house he, Mikey, and my other brother, Tanner, were renting.

I cut the engine and before I could open the door, Joel had it wide practically pulling me out of the seat. "Little sis. You made it in one piece."

I'm not sure about that
,
a little voice in my head chimed. The truth was, as scary as the thought of breaking the news to Mikey was, I was even more terrified about my brothers’ reaction. I wasn't yet seventeen. Their baby sister. It wasn't unrealistic to assume Mikey would have a limb or two missing by the end of the day, or at least a black eye.

"Tanner's going to flip when he sees you. I haven't told him you’re coming." Joel grabbed my small overnight case and pulled me into a side hug. "Missed you. Come on, I want to show you the house. It's fucking awesome."

I followed Joel into the house, thinking of a way to ask if Mikey was home, but my question was soon answered.

"What the fuck? How the hell did you get here?" Tanner barreled toward me and wrapped me in a hug.

"Don't worry, bro. She drove, but Dad checked the car and I knew."

Tanner pulled back holding me at arm’s length. "You drove?" His face cracked a wide grin. "Watch out drivers of Louisiana."

Batting his arms away, I scowled. "Not funny. I aced driver's ed."