Finding Peace (Finding Series Book 1) (8 page)

“Yeah, and it’s at least an hour from here.”

Well, that kills that idea.

“I need to find Tessa. I’m sure it’s time for us to leave.” Blake looks at me for a moment. Not knowing him, I’m finding it hard to read his face. Seeing several different things there, I can’t pinpoint any one emotion. There’s something in the air between us. It’s not even just the sexual chemistry, which is coming from us both like an inferno. It’s almost like a sadness to let go of something that neither of us can understand yet, but we both know could be of great significance in our lives. As strange as it may sound, he feels like home to me, like my destiny, breathing life into me. Strangers meeting by chance or was it fate that brought us here?

Eventually, Blake seems to sort through whatever he was going over through his head. He looks down at me and smiles a soft, breathtaking smile. The hold he has on me tightens slightly before he pulls back away from me.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

He takes my hand and we walk back to the front of the building. Tessa is talking to some girls outside. 

She sees me and walks up to us. “You ready?”

I look at Blake. Am I ready to say goodbye to him? I guess I don’t have a choice. “I have to go Blake.”

“Alright, let me walk you to your car.”

That's so nice of him. The thought 'killing me with kindness' plays key to what his actions were doing to me right now. I knew there was a gentleman beneath that rough and tough exterior. The thought of calling him a hoodlum looms in the back of my mind almost mocking me and I cringe inwardly.

We all make our way to the car. Blake still holds my hand in his and the feeling makes me feel, plain and simple. He makes me feel, something that's been seriously lacking with David. Well, that's not exactly true. He makes me feel sick to my stomach. As bad as it was to think, but it was the truth.

Tessa unlocks the doors and climbs inside. I turn to face Blake. My breath catches in my throat as it seems to do every time I look at him.
What is it with this man?

“I’ve enjoyed talking to you Blake.”

He leans down and softly kisses me on the corner of my mouth.
Breathe, breathe
… When I open my eyes, he is giving me that smirk of his. That’s so aggravating. I hate that he knows what he’s doing to me.

“You’ll be here tomorrow night, right?” He asks.

I bend down so I can see Tessa. She just shakes her head yes.

“I guess that means yes, we will be here.”

He takes his hand and touches the side of my face, running his thumb across my bottom lip. The simple touch sends my heart racing in my chest. How could one person, that I barely know, affect me the way he was? Crap, I'm in big trouble, I can already see it.

“Bye, Kayla. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He opens the door for me and waits for me to sit.

“Bye, Blake. Looking forward to it.”

“You have no idea.” His smile is big and I know he thinks he’s going to get his way.

This game isn’t over yet buddy. He closes the door and puts his hands in his pockets. As Tessa pulls away, I can see him in the side mirror watching the car pull out of the parking lot. I want to tell her to stop, jump out of the car, run back to him and throw my arms around him and never let go.

Tessa clears her throat. “So talk girl because I’ve never seen you act like this.”

The smile on my face is so big that my cheeks are starting to hurt. She's never seen me this way? Heck, I've never felt this way before. Even though it's scary, I've never been happier.

Blake

I stand in the parking lot watching as the car pulls away. The things she told me still playing in my mind. Why can’t she see that she deserves better? Anyone deserves better than that.

Why is this bothering me so much? I’ve never felt this way about a girl. I’m not one to really do long relationships. I’ve had one and that didn’t end so well. There’s this girl I had been seeing recently, but that ended last week. She’s still trying to get me to talk to her, but she was just too much to deal with. Her constant whining and jealousy drove me insane. I like a girl to be a little jealous cause hey, let’s admit it, it makes us feel good. However, when you can’t even speak to another girl without it being a major fight between you and your girlfriend, that, I can’t tolerate. So I had to tell her it was over. She is a sweet girl, but she has some things she needs to work on.

“Blake! Blake!” Max walks up to stand beside me. He looks around. “What are we looking for or at?”

“I don’t know what you’re looking at, but I’m watching a girl that has thrown me for a loop, ride away from me and I don’t like it, at all.”

“Oh, you got some…..”

I turn to him before he can finish what he’s about to say. “Choose your words carefully, friend.”

He puts his hands up. “Okay, okay. I feel you.”

I start walking back toward my truck. He follows me. “Where are we going?”

“I’m not sure. I think I just want to ride. Get my head together. I’ve got some things I need to think about.”

“Care if I ride along?” He asks.

“I’m not going to be good company. Not really up to talking.”

“That’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“Alright, I warned you though.”

Climbing into my truck, all I can see in my head is her smile. Her eyes and that, that damn ring. When I felt that ring on her finger, I couldn't believe it. All hope evaporated in that moment, because if she was engaged to be married there was no sense in me even trying to talk to her. No matter what people may think of me, I'm not that kind of guy, never have been. The thought to look for a ring hadn't even occurred to me. Of course her hands were not what held my attention. Her eyes mesmerized me and when I was able to break the hold they had on me, that curvy body of hers then held my full attention

After I listened to her story, I wanted to find this guy and knock some sense into him. This guy was using Kayla's kindness against her. Even though I don't know him, I'm pretty sure he's not going to hurt himself. It's just a ploy to keep her under his thumb. I even think she realizes that too, but he has some kind of hold on her and I am determined to find out what the whole story is. I have to convince her to end it with him. Even if it’s for nothing but herself.

Letting out a frustrated breath, I start my truck. This is something I like to do when I’m upset or just need to think. I get in the truck, turn the radio up and take a drive down some dirt roads maybe even find some mud. It helps to clear my head. I’ve decided I’m going to give her the best week of her life. It’s going to be carefree and fun. My master plan is to show her the way she deserves to be treated, not the way she
thinks
she deserves.

I drive for a long time trying to figure out a way to help this girl, who has so quickly gotten under my skin. There has to be a way that I can give her the strength she needs to get rid of this guy she doesn’t want to be with.

It’s three in the morning before I drop Max back off at the game room and head back to my house. I had forgotten he was in the truck with me, because he hadn’t made a sound, the whole time. I guess he knew I needed to think.

“Sorry Max, I was lousy company. I’ll see you tomorrow night or actually later tonight right?”

“Yeah man, sure. Besides, you warned me you weren’t up for talking. Everything is going to be fine. You always get the girl.” He laughs.

“Maybe not this time Max, she’s engaged.” I look out the windshield of my truck. Just saying the words piss me off.

“Oh, hell, man, no way!” I look over at him.

“Yeah, she is. She’s even wearing the ring. I just didn’t notice it. She says she’s not in love with him and she has been trying to break it off.”

“I hate to say this Blake, but she could be lying to you. You don’t know this girl.”

He could be right, but I don’t think she’s like that. The hurt was too intense in her eyes when she was telling me about why she hasn't been able to leave for it all to be an act, a lie. “I believe her. She has no reason to lie to me. I pursued her not the other way around. She could have just taken the ring off if that was the case. No, she wants it to be over with him. I just have to make sure that happens.”

“Alright man, good luck with that. Thanks for bringing me back to my car.”

“No problem. I’ll see you later tonight.”

Driving home, I now have a clear plan on how to give Kayla an amazing Spring Break. I plan to take her to dinner, open doors for her, tell her how beautiful I think she is and taking her to do some fun things. Like to play, putt putt, take her to one of my games, to the movies, and lay with her under the stars, just to get to know her better.

I pull into my driveway, head into the house, straight to my room and crawl into my bed, exhausted. I lay awake for a few minutes, my head still filled with Kayla and those eyes I can’t quit seeing.

Max has to be wrong. She isn't lying to me, I know it. There wasn't an explanation on how I knew, I could feel it in my gut. Tomorrow night cannot come fast enough because I am ready to set my plan into action.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The daylight breaks through my blinds waking me way too early. I start my day by eating and going out to wash my truck. If I’m going to talk Kayla into going anywhere with me, my ride has to be clean.

With a clearly thought out plan to get her to have some fun and relax, I feel better about what lies ahead for us. I just hope that she will go along with it.

After talking to her for only a short time, she doesn’t strike me as a girl who is willing to break the rules, but tonight I’m going to ask her to break a few. Smiling to myself, I have a week to make an impression on her. I'll pull out all the stops to make sure it's a lasting one.

By the time I finish, it’s time for me to go to ball practice. I play softball with my church. It’s a great way to stay in shape and I enjoy it.

I hope I can get Kayla to come to a game while she is here. I am a decent ball player and it’s a part of me, I’d like to share with her. I grab my gear and head to practice.

Two hours later and I’m headed back home. Thinking about it now, I wish I had gotten Kayla's number. That way I could make sure she was coming tonight. The feelings just the thought of this woman evoked in me still through me for a loop. The hours, that seemed to tick by far too slowly, needed to speed up. To pass the time, I decide to play some video games, my second favorite pass time.

Glancing at the clock, I realize it's already time for me to get ready. Jumping in the shower, I get dressed to leave. The thought of seeing her soon had a smile spreading across my face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kayla

I feel as though I am leaving a piece of me in that parking lot. It’s so strange to be feeling this way about him. Blake makes me feel safe in a way I never have. He makes me feel as if he cares about my feelings, even though I just met him. Tessa isn’t going to let me bask in this feeling until I give her all the details of what Blake and I talked about. She has been talking nonstop since I got into the car.

“Kayla, start talking girl. Like now! I want every detail. Don’t you dare hold out on me.”

“Tessa there isn’t much to tell. We went outside, sat on a bench and talked.” I’m smiling from ear to ear, staring out at the pine trees as they fly by the window. Tessa drives way too fast. No wonder her dad worries all the time.

“That smile on your face says there is plenty to talk about.”

“Okay, just give me the drive to sit here and think and then I will answer all your questions once we are at your mom’s house and ready for bed.” Tessa takes that as a direction to drive even faster. I grab the dash and yell at her.

“TESSA! Slow your butt down! Seriously. If you get a ticket your dad will take your car from you.” That seems to do the trick. I think she just took a couple of years off of my life. Of course she’s laughing.

“Sorry. I just want to know what happened.”

She has slowed down and thank goodness we are almost there. I’m ready to get out of this car and go to sleep, although I know I won’t be able to until Tessa gets all the juicy details.

I come out of the bathroom and Tessa is sitting on her bed waiting for me to spill all the details of the conversation I had with Blake.

“You’re going to make me tell you everything, aren’t you?”

“Duh, of course I am. We’ll sit up all night if necessary. I’ve been praying for this to happen for you and I’m so excited I can’t sit still.”

“Whoa, whoa. What do you think is happening? We had a conversation Tessa. I’m still engaged and this could get really complicated. I can’t have anything with Blake until I end things with David.” I can tell by the look on Tessa’s face that she isn’t listening to me at all. She is just smiling and looks so happy. “Tessa. Seriously. Nothing. Can. Happen.” Saying it out loud, even if I know it’s true, is like a dagger to my heart. I’m so confused. I sit on the edge of the other bed facing Tessa and the tears come.