Finding Me (27 page)

Christian glared at Owen as he backed away. “No, I’m going. You guys have a nice night.” Christian rushed out the door and I was surprised at the laugh that escaped my lips.

“Hey, now. What’s that? A smile?” Owen kneeled before me and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “I could still beat him up if you’d like.”

“Hey, slow it down. You got to punch Marc. I get to beat up that jerk across the street. Don’t hog everything.” Dad smirked at Owen and Mom and I exchanged puzzled gazes.

Maybe everything would be okay. A weird okay, but okay all the same.

Owen

SAMANTHA SET ME UP IN
their downstairs guest room. She fussed most of the evening to make sure I had enough pillows and blankets, but once I climbed into bed I couldn't sleep a wink. Adrenaline had been coursing through my veins ever since Bella ran out of the diner last night. Everything was settled and Bella was okay, but every time I closed my eyes I saw the ugly bruises on her arm. I was an athlete; the fastest player on the whole damn team in fact. Granted I'm usually on skates, but why couldn't I have gotten to her faster? If I had, Marc would never have gotten the chance to put his hands on her.

By the same token, thank God I paid attention to my gut and not my girlfriend when I followed her to the diner. How could someone treat their own kid like that? My mother always said there was a special place in hell for those who were cruel and mean to their own child. I hoped that was true, because Marc Christensen deserved to burn there for however long eternity was.

Mr. Hunter told me before turning in he was such a light sleeper he could ‘hear angels farting on pillows.’ I took that as his warning not to make any nighttime visits to Bella's room, but I needed to check on her. I tiptoed up the stairs. Light seeped out from the bottom of her door. I turned the knob and inched it open.

Bella was wide awake too. She scribbled into a notebook and jumped when her gaze met mine.

“Hey! You're like a ninja. I didn't hear you open the door,” Bella whispered as she closed the book and moved over on her bed.

I smirked as I climbed on and put my arm around her. “I have many talents. Are you okay?” I nodded at the closed book in her hands. My stomach twisted remembering she only wrote in a journal when she was upset.

“Meh.” She shrugged and leaned her head on my shoulder. “I will be. Everyone keeps saying it's not my fault.”

“Because it's not,” I whispered. I reached for her hand to bring it to my lips.

“I let myself get duped. I knew what kind of guy he was and yet I still let him trick me. I hope the restraining order works.”

“It will. Personally, I think it's a better idea to just let your dad kill him.” Bella giggled and I kissed her forehead. “Marc is a coward. I saw it with my own eyes. When he's challenged he backs off like a little girl.”

Bella draped her arm around my waist and cuddled into my neck. “I'm glad you were there, and that you're here now. You make everything better. That's why I missed you so much.” She kissed my cheek and I held her tighter.

“I went crazy without you. Literally. When I got suspended, all I wanted was you. I hated that I couldn't even talk to you about it.”

“So, let’s not lose each other again.” Bella ran her hand down my cheek. I kissed her finger as it drifted over my lips.

“We definitely won’t. I can promise you that. I'll let you get some sleep.” I kissed her lips and turned to stand from the bed.

“Wait.” Bella grabbed my hand. “Can you lie with me until I fall asleep?”

“You're trying to get me killed, aren't you?” I nodded toward her parents’ room at the end of the hall.

“No.” She chuckled. “I just . . . need you right now. I don’t have any other reason.”

I grinned as I shut off her lamp and pulled the covers over us. “You don’t have to have a reason. I always need
you
. I put it right out there, all the time.”

Bella giggled, then hissed in pain as she rested her head on my chest.

“Arm still hurts?” I whispered into her hair.

She nodded as she lifted her head to meet my gaze. “And it’s the side I usually sleep on. Another reason I can’t sleep.”

I sat up and rolled the sleeve of Bella’s nightshirt past her elbow. I brushed my lips against her shoulder and pressed soft kisses all the way down her arm, over the ugly purple bruises not visible in the dark. Bella leaned into me and threaded her fingers in my hair before I lay back down and pulled her into my side.

“Better?”

“Much.” Bella snuggled into me as her body relaxed in my arms.

“I love you, baby.” I kissed the top of her head. “Get some sleep.”

“I love you, too. And I finally think I can.” Bella yawned and draped her leg over my thigh.

“Hey, City,” I whispered. “We need to keep this PG. Please move your leg.”

“I thought you liked that. That’s how we sleep in your bed.” Bella nuzzled into my neck.

“I
love
that. Because my hand can drift up your curvy thigh and settle between your legs. That isn’t an option tonight, so please have mercy on my weak soul and move your leg.”

Bella laughed and lifted her head to kiss my cheek. Her breathing slowed against my neck as her grip loosened from around my waist. When I was sure she was in a deep sleep, I kissed the top of her head and inched out of bed. I crept down the stairs and stepped into the darkened kitchen to pull a bottle of water from the fridge. I took a long gulp then turned my head at the footsteps behind me.

“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Mr. Hunter raked his hands down his face before flicking on the light and opening the refrigerator door.

I let out a long sigh. “Nope.”

“You’re twenty-one, right?” He asked with his head still buried in the fridge.

“Yes, sir. As of this January.”

He straightened and handed me a bottle of beer. “You could use this today. I know I sure as hell can.” He reached into the drawer behind him and pulled out a bottle opener. After the hiss of his bottle opening, he handed it to me.

I gazed down at the opener but was afraid to take it. “Um, is this like a test?”

Mr. Hunter laughed. “You don’t have to pretend it’s your first drink. No test, I promise.”

I nodded and opened the bottle. The ice cold alcohol felt amazing sliding down my throat. I’d need a couple more to relax enough to sleep.

He nodded to the tiny kitchen table and sat down. I followed and set the bottle on the table.

“Was Bella’s fa—Marc always like this?” I squinted at Mr. Hunter.

He shook his head as he swallowed a big gulp of beer. “He was a negligent asshole of a father, but never violent with Bella or Sam. He’s desperate. Desperate people do desperate things, like follow their teenage daughter to college and harass her for money she can’t give them. No one has a lower opinion of Marc than I do, and even I’m shocked by this.”

Mr. Hunter put his beer down and narrowed his eyes at me. “So, you like my daughter?”

I shook my head. “No, sir. I
love
your daughter.”

He nodded without looking at me. “I know. We’re very grateful you saved her yesterday. That’s why you’re still alive after sneaking out of her room just now.” I froze as he raised his eyebrows at me. Shit, he really was a light sleeper.

“I didn’t . . . I just went to check on her and she couldn’t sleep. She asked me to stay until she fell asleep, that’s it.” I totally got why Bella’s ex was scared to death of this guy. He was a quiet kind of menacing, the type of guy who didn’t yell because he never had to.

His lips twitched with a smile. “If you hadn’t done that, she probably would have been up all night, going back and forth thinking it was her fault and worrying about Marc’s next move.”

“Do you think he’ll come after her again?” I played it off to Bella as though I didn’t think he would, but I intended to be her shadow once we got back to Culver.

He shrugged. “He might. Campus security will have to know what he looks like to keep him off the premises. There’s a police report with pictures of Bella’s bruises, so that doesn’t look good if he tries to take the money from her in court. Truth is, I don’t know what he’ll do next. We can only protect her the best we can.”

“Would he show up here?”

He huffed and turned his gaze to me. “That would be my dream come true. He wouldn’t be able to go after Bella again after I got done with him. He hurt my daughter, so I’d hurt him right back.”

I grinned as I downed the rest of my beer. “I’d be happy to help.”

“Sure, kid.” He slapped my shoulder. “Just let me get the first punch this time.”

“You got it.” Mr. Hunter was pretty cool. Still scary as hell, but cool.

“Now, get some sleep. I’ll drive you guys back in the morning.”

“Good night, sir.” I turned to make my way out of the kitchen when he tapped my shoulder.

“You can stop with the ‘sir.’ Between that and your accent I feel as though I should be drinking mint juleps outside on the veranda.”

I laughed. “Sorry, Mr. Hunter.”

“Lucas is fine. Any man who punches Marc gets to call me by my first name.”

“I feel like part of the family.” I smirked back. “I haven’t even asked for Bella’s hand yet.”

Lucas froze on the steps and turned to me. “Hold it right there. You’re a good kid, but both of you are . . . just kids. She’s got college and she wants her masters . . .”

“I know. And I want all those things for her, too. When we’re ready, I’ll ask you.”

“When?” He squinted his eyes at me.

“She’s it for me.” I shrugged. “She’s everything. I think in ‘when’ with her. Not ‘if’.”

He turned, nodding as he climbed up the stairs. “I know how that goes. Good night, Owen.”

“Good night, Mr . . . I mean Lucas.”

He chuckled as he disappeared up the staircase.

I’d told Bella time and distance didn’t matter when it came to us. Because when all was said and done, no matter what life had in store for me, I had no doubts where I’d end up—right next to her.

Bella

MY FINGERS LOCKED WITH OWEN’S
as Dad’s car pulled up in front of my dorm. The local police station was empty in contrast to the packed precinct in Queens where I gave my first statement. As I repeated the story, the piercing sting of shame twisted my insides. The officer’s brows pulled together as he jotted down notes in his report; idiot may as well have been written across my forehead. My pursuit of validation from a father who never wanted me in the first place brought me a shit ton of trouble—trouble I prayed ended today.