Loving True (10 page)

“Don’t put your hand in her face like that,” he growled into Nikki’s red face.

She watched Nikki shake her head at
Hayward
. “Baby, I understand what you’re doing and I won’t hold it against you. When you’re finished I’ll be here waiting for you.”

Nikki transferred her gaze from
Hayward
to her. “Sweetheart,
Hayward
really doesn’t want you. Men like
Hayward
don’t fall in love with women like you.”

She stood beside
Hayward
blown away by Nikki’s blatant rudeness, but after a few seconds anger set in and she lunged toward her.
 
“What did you say?”
 
Hayward
’s hand caught her arm, but she shook him off.
 
“I don’t know who you think you are, but you better watch what you say about me.” She yelled in Nikki’s shocked face.

Hayward
reached for her again and jerked her next to him. “Nicole, I think it would be best if you leave now.”

“
Hayward
, I’ll be waiting for you.” Nikki winked, and then walked away.

True almost fainted at the strong scent of Intuition perfume that lingered even after she was gone. She jerked her arm away from
Hayward
and moved away from him. She knew it was a bad idea to come here and do this for him. What in the hell had she been thinking?

* * * *

“I’m so sorry
True
I had no idea Nikki would say something like that.”
Hayward
apologized. She didn’t look happy with him. What if this made her not want to date him again? Or worse what if she thought he shared the same views as Nikki

“Don’t worry about it.” True sighed glancing away from him.

He sensed her immediate withdrawal from him. He didn’t like the empty feeling. She wouldn’t even look at him. “I’m worried about it and we need to discuss what happened. Let me pay for the groceries then we can leave.” He wanted to say more, but the words weren’t coming to him. The tension between them increased. He feared Nikki’s nastiness caused True more harm than she wanted to admit.

True turned toward him and some of the tightness was gone from her face. “I’ll wait for you in the car,” she muttered brushing past him.
 

Hayward
froze by the movies as he watched True leave the store, “Damn, what have I done?”
 
He grabbed the last few items that he needed and then stormed toward the check out line.
 

“Shit,”
Hayward
cursed.
 
The only checkout lane that was open was Nikki’s. She stood there waiting for him with a smirk on her face. Shit, he didn’t have time for her. He had to make sure True was okay. Groaning under his breath,
Hayward
went to her lane and prayed his suffering would be fast and painless.

“Remember what I said.” Nikki said touching his palm as she handed him back his change.
 

“I’m going to try my best to forget it.” He snapped back. He snatched the plastic bags from her, and then stormed out the sliding glass doors to his car.

Inside the car, he tried to make eye contact with True, but she kept her face turned toward the window away from him. “Are you going to stay mad at me the rest of the day?”

He waited for her to answer him, but she wouldn’t even look at him.
 
Sighing, he turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life and he pulled out of the crowded parking lot.

* * * *

True rested her back against the plush seat of the car’s interior and watched
Hayward
head back home. She noticed a muscle twitching in his jaw and felt a little bad. He wasn’t the one who insulted her, Nikki did. “I’m not upset with you about Nikki’s comments.” A light breeze blew through the open passenger window and ruffled the ends of her hair. Brushing a stray piece of hair out her mouth, she took a deep breath and tried to relax.

Hayward
took his eyes off the road and glanced at her. “Then why haven’t you been talking to me? I’ve been driving for a while, trying to think of an apology.”
 

She winced at the hurt in his voice. “I can’t stand close minded people and I let Nikki upset me”

Glancing at him, she gave
Hayward
the best smile she could. “How about we shove Nikki and her comments to the very back of our minds?” True really wanted to forget what Nikki had said to her, but the nasty retort was still ringing in the back of her head.

* * * *

Pulling into his driveway
Hayward
let out a sigh of relief as he glanced over at True.
I can’t believe tonight isn’t totally ruined.
He got out of the Blazer and opened the door for her. “Do you still want to watch the movies with me later?” He asked True as she got out of the car.

The rich smell of new leather hung in the air between them. Colorful wildflowers danced in the hot late July breeze behind them, but none of the scene’s natural beauty interested him. He wouldn’t be happy until she agreed to see him tonight.

“Yes if you still want to.” She moved out of his way, so he could shut the car door.

“Wonderful.” His heart slowed from racing pound to a slow steady throb. “Why don’t we go inside?”
 

* * * *

Grabbing one of the bags from the backseat, True followed
Hayward
into the house but her mind was still on what happened at the store. Softly, she closed the door and followed him into the kitchen.

“Just set the bags on the table.”
   

She placed the bags on the table, and then watched
Hayward
take everything out and put it away. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. She had to know if what Nikki said was true. “Did you really ask me out to see what is it like to be with a black woman?”

Hayward
paused in front of the freezer with the package of frozen biscuits in his hand. Tossing the biscuits inside, he spun around and stared at her. “What would make you say something like that?” He took a step toward her and she quickly took a step back.

“You aren’t answering my question.”

“I asked you out because I found you very attractive.”

“Have you ever dated a black woman before?”

“No, I haven’t, but I’m not trying to date you out of curiosity,”
Hayward
uttered.

“The temptation of an attractive black woman living right next door and the slim chance you might get a chance with her wasn’t enticing.” She countered.

“Fine, I did wonder for a second or two what it would be like,”
Hayward
confessed softly.

True glared at
Hayward
as he soft-spoken words rolled around in her head. His honestly wasn’t helping the situation it only made matters it worse. “Well, I guess Nikki isn’t the liar you tried to make her out to be.” True exclaimed.

“
Hayward
, I don’t think we should have the movie date. Furthermore, I’m not sure if we can even be friends either.” True turned on her heel, strode out of the room and then she went out the front door slamming it behind her.

Chapter Six

A long boring month had past since
True
stormed out of
Hayward
’s house over the Nikki incident. “I can’t believe I let him use me like that,” she mumbled falling down on the chaise with a book in her hand.
Hayward
had called her several times during the past four weeks, but she hadn’t answered the phone. When that didn’t work he came over and tried to encourage her to open the door. She hated to admit it, but she actually missed him. The way his eyes wrinkled at the sides when he smiled. Or how a lock of hair fell across his head every time a light breeze stirred up, begging her fingers to brush it back in place.
 

“I can’t keep fighting this temptation or hiding in the house every time I see him outside.” She knew deep down if
Hayward
came over again she would answer the door. “Please let him stay at home. I’ve got to keep a safe distance from him.”

She opened the newest bestseller on the market, but she couldn’t focus her attention on the black and white print. The tiny writing became more blurred as her mind wandered. The well-written reviews in the newspaper two weeks ago were what had made her purchase it, but the book wasn’t living up to the hype.
 

“I can’t even get off of chapter one.”
 
Her eyes stared down at the book; this was her first time reading a mystery and her last.
 
The characters didn’t jump off the pages fast enough for her. “Maybe I’m not giving the book a fair chance.” She turned back to page one and hoped for the best.

An hour later,
True
tossed the book on the table next to her.
 
It still wasn’t holding her attention, because her mind was too focused on
Hayward
. Maybe if she ate something while she read, it would get her mind more focused on the book. Rising from the chaise, she headed toward the pantry for a snack. Halfway there, the phone rung “Don’t let it be
Hayward
.”
 
She answered it on the third ring.

“Hello?”

Silence.

“Hello is anyone there?” She spoke a little louder this time.

“Bitch, your time is coming and soon.” A scratchy voice hissed.

“Who is this?” True gasped holding the phone closer to her ear.

“Don’t worry about who it is. The only thing you need to know is I’m coming for you,” the man whispered in her ear; then he slammed the phone down.
 

Shaken by the phone call she stared at the phone, and then slowly replaced it back on the stand. The man sounded so unstable like he was barely holding on to reality.
 
Icy fear twisted around her heart. What if his threats were real and he really wanted to kill her?
 
Shivering, she rubbed her bare arms. “I can’t let that phone call worry me. Maybe it was a teenager playing a joke or something,” True said, trying to convince herself.

“I need to get out of here before my mind starts playing tricks on me.”
 
Walking back into the living room, she snatched up her keys; then rushed out the front door. On her way to the walking trail, she stopped in front of
Hayward
’s house. “I wonder if he has given up on me.”

She wanted to be in another relationship, but the fear of being used again scared her. For a slight moment, she wondered if she should confess her concerns to
Hayward
. “No, if he’s finished with me I won’t chase something that isn’t there.” Pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she went on her daily run.

* * * *

Ms. Pinson,
Hayward
’s housekeeper, knocked on his bedroom door. She hadn’t laid eyes on his since late yesterday. She was concerned about him.
Hayward
never stayed locked away in his room this long.
 
Should I open the door to check on him?
What if he was busy with paper work and didn’t want to be disturbed. “Well, I’m going to take my chances,” she said reaching for the doorknob.

Turning the silver handle, she pushed the door open and gasped.
Hayward
was passed out, face down in the middle of his bed. An empty brandy bottle was lying on the floor next to his bed. “Oh my God, Mr. Campbell, are you okay?”

She raced over to his unconscious body. She checked for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a steady beat under her fingers. Picking up the brandy bottle, she threw it in the trashcan beside the bed. What could have caused him to drink until he passed out from it?
 
Well, it didn’t matter. She needed to get him up and into the shower. He reeked of liquor and day old clothes.

Sitting down on the bed, she gave his shoulder a hard shove. “
Hayward
, wake up. You need to take a shower.”
 
Hayward
shoved her hand away and rolled on his back.

“Don’t be mad at me…’’ His words were slurred and mumbled. His body twisted around in the tangled sheet.
 

She placed her hand in the middle of her chest. “What are you talking about?”

“We were getting….” He muttered under his breath… “So, close to each other, kitten.” His arm flung over his hand hitting the headboard.

“Don’t back away from me…” He begged tossing his head around on the pillow.

“Shouldn’t have used you…” A deep frown creased his brow.

Reaching out she shook his shoulder and he flinched at her light touch. “
Hayward
, who are you talking about?”

“True, please answer the door…” He grumbled hurt.

“Why won’t you… Pick up… the phone?” He asked hurt.

“I’m sorry… True.”
 
Hayward
muttered over and over.

Stunned Ms. Pinson got up from the bed and took a step back from
Hayward
. “He’s talking about his neighbor,” she muttered.
Hayward
mentioned his new neighbor to her on a regular basis, but she had never laid eyes on True.

Walking over to the other side of his bed, she found
Hayward
’s black leather address book. Flipping through the tan pages, she searched until she found
True's
phone number. Picking up the phone she punched in the phone number and waited.

“Hello,” a soft feminine voice answered.

“Can I speak to Ms. True Williams?’

“Speaking,”

“Miss. Williams, this is Ms. Pinson. I’m
Hayward
’s housekeeper.”

“Is there something wrong with him?” True questioned.

“Yes, he’s passed out from a hangover,” Ms. Pinson stated. “I need your help. Could you please come over here?”

True paused. “Umm… I don’t know.
Hayward
may not want me over there.”

“Miss. Williams, I wouldn’t have called you if he didn’t need you,” Ms. Pinson snapped, “but if you’re too busy and don’t care about
Hayward
I can do it myself.”
 

True’s
heart crumpled at the thought of
Hayward
passed out on his huge bed, because of her. Why did she have such a soft side?
 
It always got her in trouble. “Okay, I’ll come over and help you,” she whispered. “It will take a few minutes, because I need to change clothes.”

“Wonderful, I’ll be waiting for you downstairs,” Ms. Pinson said before hanging up.

* * * *

Ten minutes later, True stood in front of
Hayward
’s front door worried she shouldn’t have came over without him knowing. Ms. Pinson called in a panic, but
Hayward
could be fine now for all she knew.
 
“I hope I’m not making a huge mistake by doing this.” She rung the doorbell and slid her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. A minute or two later the door swung open.

“Please come in,” Ms. Pinson said moving to the side.

She was caught off guard by
Hayward
’s housekeeper’s appearance. Ms. Pinson wasn’t the slender older woman she envisioned at all.
 
Instead, she was robust woman in her mid-sixties with dark brown hair pulled back in a tight bun at her nape, secured by a few hairpins.
 
She sort of reminded her of Aunt Be from the Andy Griffith show.

“Okay,” She replied, then walked inside the house.
 

 
“Follow me.” Ms. Pinson instructed, leaving her to close the front door and follow her up the staircase. Shutting the door, she trailed behind the housekeeper up the stairs to
Hayward
’s bedroom. She was amazed at the thrill it gave her to be back in
Hayward
’s house.

“Miss. Williams, I want to t
hank
you again for coming over. I know this will mean so much to Mr. Campbell.”
 
Ms. Pinson whispered, pausing at
Hayward
’s bedroom door.

She stopped behind Ms. Pinson and whispered. “I want to help him any way I can.”

“That’s so nice to hear, dear. Now, let’s go in here and see if we can’t get him cleaned up a little.”
 
Twisting the doorknob with her left hand, Ms. Pinson pushed it open and went inside.

Startled by the sight in front her True froze in the open doorway.
Hayward
was lying half-naked on the bed, totally bare except for his white boxers around his slim hips. His washboard stomach and chest were dusted with thick black hair and her fingers itched to touch and tease the texture. The bulge in the front of the boxers proved he was all male. Shaking her head, she tried to focus on the words coming from Ms. Pinson’s mouth. “Excuse me, what did you say,” she asked blinking at the housekeeper.

Squinting, her gray eyes Ms. Pinson stared at her, “I need your help dragging him to the shower,” she repeated.

“No, I can’t do that,” she mumbled taking step back away from the bed.
 
Her blood pressure spiked at the thought of seeing
Hayward
naked. “You can’t expect me to help him take a shower.”

“A shower will help him wake up from the hangover.”
 
Ms. Pinson told her. “I’ve already undressed him, but I need your help getting him to the shower.”
 

Moving toward her Ms. Pinson lowered her voice, “He’s too heavy for me to lift by myself, so I need you. If you don’t help me, he’ll probably lay here for a while. Do you want that to happen?”

Positioned by the side of the bed,
True
stared down at
Hayward
’s muscular, naked body and panicked,
I can’t help her with this.
 
He’s too sexy for me to touch clothed, so there’s no way I could handle my fingers on his hard naked flesh.
Shaking her head, she brushed past Ms. Pinson’s body and raced for the door. “No, I can’t do it.”
 
She was halfway out the door when
Hayward
stirred on the bed behind her.

“I’m so sorry…True,” he muttered hurt oblivious in his voice. “Can you please… forgive me?”

She frozen in the open door way and closed her eyes at
Hayward
’s soft-spoken words. Why did his voice always send a shot of desire through her body? She cursed her compassionate heart and lust-filled hormones.

“Fine, I’ll help you,” True muttered. Spinning back around, she went over back to his bed. “What do you need me to do?”

“Finally,” Ms. Pinson groaned pulling
Hayward
’s legs off the side of the bed. “Now put his right arm around your neck and I’ll get the left one. On the count of three we will raise him off the bed.” She lifted
Hayward
’s left arm over her shoulder and wrapped her fingers around his wrist.
 
“Okay, I’m ready.” Pausing, she let out a deep breath and counted, “One-two-three.”

After struggling for two minutes with
Hayward
’s dead weight, True and Ms. Pinson finally got him off the bed and into the bathroom.
 
She saw that Ms. Pinson already had the shower running. The warm steam filled the large bathroom, fogging up the mirror above the sink. It turned the large area into a huge steam bath. Stopping by the shower door, she dropped
Hayward
’s arm and pushed the glass door open. Her knees almost buckled under his weight, she wouldn’t be able to hold him up much longer.

“
Hayward
, get inside the shower,” she groaned.
 

Grumbling he shook his head, “Don’t need…a shower.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Only…need True,” he hissed swaying back and forth.

True fought to stay upright with most of
Hayward
’s weight leaning against her. “
Hayward
, I’m right here,” she whispered placing her hand on his chest. “Please get in the shower.”