Blind Love (Sulfur Heights Series) (4 page)

She came into my room as I was finish packing my bag,
sitting on the couch over by the fireplace in my room. My mother is an elegant woman; born and raised to be the absolute perfect wife and socialite, she always looks put together impeccably. Her shoulder length blonde hair is always styled, light makeup graces her flawless skin, and her trim, petite body is always dressed in the finest material. I look like my mother in the face, but what she lacks in curves, I’ve made up for.

My mother motions me to join her on the couch as she pats the cushion next to her. “Now
, darling, your father and I want you to remember where you come from when you’re gone this summer. Even though you’re in a new place, always remember to be a lady and represent your family in the highest regard. From what you’ve said, Presley is living in less than favorable conditions, so try not to interact with others too much. Lord knows what you could catch just standing next to people like that.” She picks a nonexistent piece of lint from my dress and focuses her eyes back to mine.

Presley isn’t living in the slums, just in a middle class household with a bunch of orphans
, however my mother doesn’t need to know the last part. I only nod, even though I want to argue with her. She’s crude when it comes to people of a lower class status and it’s sickening. The moment I argue, though, she’ll prevent me from going, so I keep my mouth shut and swallow back the annoyance.

“
Yes, Mother, I won’t forget.”

I roll my eyes
, knowing how right my mother has been. People like Jake Evans are a disease, but not in the medical sense. I can easily see how someone could be lured in by his jaw-dropping good looks, then the moment you fall into his clutches, he will poison your brain into thinking he’s perfect.

My appetite has vanished and I just want to hear a friendly voice. Presley’s door is still closed
, so I stomp down to my room and pull out my cell phone. I’ve only talked to Emerson briefly yesterday after I arrived, and if anyone is going to make me feel better, it’s him; my boyfriend for the last six months and the man who’s stolen my heart. I miss him greatly and really need to hear his voice. The cell phone feels heavy in my hand as I listen to the ringing on the other end. Finally, his raspy voice comes through, calming me instantly.

“Hello
, darling. It’s kind of early this morning, isn’t it?” Rustling is coming from the other end and I know he’s still in bed.

“Yeah…
I’m sorry, I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you.” The loneliness is encasing my vocal cords, making it impossible to hide. The crude comments from both Jake and Darcie are really starting to bother me. Normally, I don’t let juvenile behavior get to me this way.

T
hen I realize, I really want these people to like me. Presley has talked about how important everyone here is to her and I just wanted to be a part of that. Clearly, with the way I’m being treated, I will be the last person they want as part of their crew.

“Are you al
l right?” His tone instantly shifts the moment he hears my voice.

“I am now. I just had a rough morning and I didn’t sleep very well last night.”

“Seriously, darling, are you okay? You know how I felt about you going to that God-awful place. You’ve only been there a day and you’re already calling me, sounding distressed. If I have to, I will fly there tonight and take you back home.” His possessive tone makes me smile and roll my eyes all at the same time. I loathe how he will sometimes treat me like my father—a little overprotective
—
but adore that he cares so much for me he’s inclined to speak his mind.

It’
s no secret how Emerson expects me to behave, that’s how all girls are raised where we grew up, but when I practically insisted to come to Sulfur Heights with my parents, his irritation did not go unnoticed.

Emerson Knox is like every rich male that
lives in my gated community. Three years older than me, he’s well educated, sophisticated and very good looking. We got reacquainted six months ago at school. I didn’t spend much time with him in high school because of our age difference, yet the moment I ran into him on campus, my heart stopped.

Since going to college
, Emerson has matured into a six foot tall man with powder-blue eyes and sandy-blonde hair. His muscles have begun to take shape in way that is not bulky but lean; it’s the perfect runner’s body. The hours spent long distance running is definitely working in his favor.

The day I left for
Sulfur Heights, he practically lay down in front of my car. He tried so hard to get me to stay in Memphis, completing my internship at a local youth club. He said, not only will it give me the credit I need for class, but it would also get my face out into the community. Something every well-off, affluent family living in our subdivision starts to do at a very young age—future rich wives prepping for the charity grind.

His deep sigh distracts me from my
wandering thoughts. “No, I’m fine, Emerson. I just got a little irritated with my new roommates. It will just take some time getting used to their personalities, especially Jake.” My face reddens at his comment he made minutes ago.

“Well
, you be sure to tell me if he tries something. I’m not afraid of some white trash vigilante.” Emerson’s voice lowers an octave as his possessive, male, macho hormones kick in. This makes me smile. I would never want him to fight over me, but watching the man I love defend my honor would be a pretty cool experience.

“You’
re so sweet. I will be fine, I just need to get used to things here. It’s a whole new way of living and thinking. I think once I start down at the children’s rescue shelter it will be better.”

“Be sure to call me if you need anything
. I mean it, and call your mother. She’s already left me a message wondering if I heard from you.”

Oh
, my mother, she’s someone I definitely cannot deal with this early in the morning. “Okay, I’ll call her at a more respectable hour. I love you.”

“Love you
, too, darling. Talk to you soon.” The line disconnects and I allow myself to absorb as much of Emerson as I can. He will be my saving grace while I’m here, and he’ll keep me from strangling Jake on a daily basis.

I lie down on my bed and fall back into a restful slumber
, dreaming only of him.

***

I’ve been in Sulfur Heights for the last three weeks and I’m only now starting my first day at my internship. As I sit on the back step, I try to get my head wrapped around what I’ve just seen. Twenty minutes ago, I left the children’s rescue shelter and the sight before my eyes was horrific. Nothing could’ve prepared me for it.

I arrived promptly at
eight a.m. and I checked in with Maggie, the director of the shelter. She took me into her office and started running through my daily duties. She is an older woman, hardnosed and very unapproachable. Frankly, she scared the liver out of me. The salt and pepper hair on her head was disheveled while pulled in a tight bun, matching her haggard and rough appearance.

“I will have you working
with the preschool-aged kids. Here is a copy of their daily activities. Joanna will be working directly with you in the room.” Maggie’s eyes were intense as she connected with mine.

“This isn’t a fairy tale place. I know where
you’re from there is violence—as its true everywhere
—
but this place is different. The children you’ll be working with have been abandoned, either left on the street or found days after their guardian had died. Many of them are born addicted to drugs, and have seen more trauma in their young life than you’ve seen in your nineteen years.” She stands from her desk and walks around to the front, leaning against the wood. “All these kids really want is someone to love them. It’s as simple as that. But in South Sulfur Heights, it’s as rare as the hope diamond.”

I remember a chill crawling its way up my spine
at the thought of a child only wanting love and never receiving it. It’s the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever heard, until I actually saw it.

Maggie walked me back to the room, introduced me to Joanna and I got my first experience with truly
poverty-stricken children. My heart immediately broke. There were so many kids, and a lot of them looked malnourished. Several were such tiny little creatures that a stiff breeze could break them in half; others looked disconnected and withdrawn. My eyes immediately went to a little boy in the corner who was hunched over, looking out the window. He was very small with dark blonde hair and tattered clothing. When I approached him, he recoiled and was scared to come near me. Maggie explained later that the little boy, Mason, had witnessed his mother’s murder and had been traumatized by the event. He’d been at the shelter for the last week, and so far, everything they’d done to help him had not been working.

Breaking my reverie, Jake pulls in the driveway
, driving Jeremy’s car with the music blasting and a smirk ever-present on his face. Some days, I wish I could smack it clean off, just like I did the morning he was commenting about my lady bits.

Since coming to Sulfur Heights three weeks ago, he’s been ruthless and determined to get me in his bed. It’s
revolting, really, and I don’t know how long I can stand to be around him. I’m normally not so grouchy, but Jake Evans has a way of bringing it out in me.

“Why so blue
, cupcake? Did you break a nail or something?” He plants one foot on the bottom step while the other rests on the concrete as he cracks open a can of soda and begins to chug it down. Why does everything out of his mouth have to be smart?

“Don’t call me cupcake!”
I shout a little louder than intended, but he really irritates me.

“Calm down, killer
. You on the rag or something?”

I
nstantly infuriated once again, I can feel the heat lighting up my cheeks, burning with anger. He’s got a lot of nerve, and right now I’m in no mood for his crap.

I stand up on the step, meeting his eye
. “Why is it whenever a woman has something on her mind or is in a less than cheerful mood men automatically assume she’s premenstrual, but often times, it has to do with the man who’s accusing her of being so moody?”

“Well, I haven’t seen you today
. You can’t blame your shitty attitude on me.” He doesn’t break his gaze, just burrows his eyes deeper into mine. One thing I’ve learned about Jake Evans is that he never shies away from looking directly at you. Some days, I feel as though he holds the key to my soul as intense as he looks at me.

Conceding as always
, I sit back down on the step and rest my head in my hands. Jake moves further up and sits next to me. He doesn’t say anything, just sits there and looks out beyond the driveway, seemingly deep in thought. I take the opportunity to look at his strong arms covered in tattoos, which are mostly medieval-looking designs with castles, knights holding swords and dragons. The other arm is half-way done, but I can’t really get a good look at the retro designs. Whatever has possessed him to have that permanently imprinted on his body?

I’ve never understood tattoos. Most of the boys and men I’ve grown up with don’t have them. Well
, in the country club world anyway. It’s very much frowned upon and my mother would behead me if she knew I got a tattoo.

Jake catches me staring at him and smiles. “See something you like?”

Rolling my eyes, I answer, “Keep your ego in check, bud. I was just trying to understand why you would get dragons tattooed on your arm.”

Jake rolls up the sleeve of his shirt to his shoulder
, giving me a full view of the colorful art embedded into his skin. I think he even flexes his muscles. Wow, yeah, no ego issue here. “I think it’s cool. I don’t know. I’ve always liked movies and books with that stuff in it.”

A huge smile spreads across my face. He may have some redeeming qualities after all. I nudge him with my shoulder
, getting his attention. “Jake Evans, you have a little geek in you.”

“What? Like hell I do.” He’s clearly embarrassed
, but it’s nice to have him in the hot seat instead of me.

“Did you play
Dungeons and Dragons?” I let out the biggest laugh in the history of all laughs at the look on his face, which is torn between shock and anger. The visual of Jake wearing a wizard’s hat and casting spells on his opponents to take them out of the game makes me laugh even harder. I can see him plotting his next move and daring someone to challenge him. “You know, your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone about your inner geek.”

“Fuck off.” He nudges me back
, and for the first time since meeting him three weeks ago, I feel we are having a normal conversation. “Check this arm out and let me know if you think I’m still a geek.” He lifts up his other sleeve then turns to show me the art more closely, “This is a dedication to my love of old cars, bikes and everything James Dean. That fucker was so cool.”

“What kind of car is that?” I ask.

“1957 Chevy Bel Air. It’s my all-time favorite car, and before I die, I will own one.” His smile is gleaming as it lights up his face.

The tattoos are flawless, like someone took a paint brush and
covered his skin with elegant pictures. I prefer these much more to the medieval junk on his left arm. Every inch of his skin is covered in a fifties-style depiction except for a patch of skin on his upper arm.