Rooter (Double H Romance) (19 page)

“Hey, it’s okay,” I take a step forward and take his hand into mine and smile. “I understand. I just can’t believe you drove all the way here from the shop to tell me. You could’ve just called.”

He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Something feels off. “I wanted to see you before I left. You were so mad at me yesterday.”

“Yeah, yesterday wasn’t the greatest.” I look to the floor. Rooter tilts my chin up to face him.

“You believe me when I say you don’t have to worry about Candace, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. I just wish she’d go away.”

“You understand why I can’t write her off?”

I turn away and cross my arms. “Yeah, I guess.”

“You guess?”

I sigh and look back to him. “I realize you’ve known her forever and there’s history there, but put yourself in my shoes. What if a guy I’d known forever who was in love with me was calling me and throwing himself at me constantly? Would you be able to sit back and be patient until he decided to stop?”

“Probably not.” He pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I’m willing to give it a couple weeks and see what happens, but if she hasn’t let up by then you’ll need to do something about her.”

Rooter holds a hand to his chest. “I know I’m asking a lot of you, but she’s hurting right now Sophie and it’s all my fault. I should’ve never…”

“Had sex with her,” I finish for him.

In one aspect, his sympathizing with her pisses me off. But it also shows me how much of a caring, compassionate person he is. I like that he’s considerate of other’s feelings. But in this case, it means I have some chick calling my boyfriend all hours of the day and night, sending him slutty pictures and texts. In one of her texts she even said she misses the taste of his cum. That is not and never will be okay with me. I worry that sitting back and being patient is setting a bad example of what I will accept in our relationship.

“Let’s just see what happens,” he says. “I promise we’ll figure it out.”

Chapter 23
It’s Over

Rooter insisted on giving me money so Miranda and I could go do something fun while he’s gone on club business. She and I decide to go to the trampoline park for a little fun and invite Jess and Abby along to make it a foursome.

“How’s it going with your biker?” Abby asks as we enter the park.

Abby is a sweet girl, but she lives for gossip. Unless I want my business strewn all over town, I need to make sure to offer as little information as possible. She doesn’t do it with any malicious intent. She simply can’t help herself. Abby grew up in a strict Catholic household and was never allowed to do anything. Ever. As a result, she spent her entire high school career living vicariously through everyone else. A habit she’s not been able to shed.

“It’s going okay,” I offer.

“Miranda says you’re practically living together.”

I glower at Miranda. “That’s not true,” I snap. “We’ve only spent a few nights together. He lives next door.”

She holds her hands up and steps away. “I didn’t mean to piss you off.”

I force myself to speak gently. “I just… Want to keep my private life, private. You understand, right?”

“How about a little dodgeball,” Jess suggests, bringing an end to our conversation.

When Jess and Abby go to the bathroom, I grab Miranda by her shirt sleeve and yank her toward me causing her to spill some of her soda on the floor. “Why the hell would you tell Abby that Rooter lives with us?”

“It was only a joke, Soph.” She lifts my hand away from her shirt. “She asked about you and him. I only meant to imply that you two are always together.”

“Well, in the future, would you please not offer information about my relationship?”

“Sophie, I’m sorry, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and inhale deeply. “Abby is the town’s loud speaker. I don’t need everyone knowing my business.”

“Honestly, what’s the big deal?” Her tone is inquisitive. “So what if people know you and Rooter are together?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

I exhale sharply and look at my feet. “I don’t want her finding out about Candace. The last thing I need right now are a bunch of people telling me I’m an idiot for trusting him, especially if they turn out to be right.”

Miranda touches my arm and when I look up her eyes are filled with concern. “Do you think they might be right?”

“I can see it now. Little, innocent Sophie got involved with a big bad biker who’s screwing a slutty, stripper on the side. Actually, that isn’t right.” I point toward my chest. “I’d be the side bitch.”

Miranda raises her eyebrows and leans forward. “Do you really think that?”

“I don’t want to, but I can’t help it. He hasn’t done anything to stop her from calling and texting.” I grind my right fist into the palm of my left hand. “I swear if I see one more nasty picture on his phone, I’ll give that bitch the worst beat down of her life!”

A young girl, not older than eight strolls by and when she sees my angry stance, a frightened expression forms on her face and she hurries away. I quickly drop my hands and try to calm down.

“If you have doubts about him, it might not be a bad idea to talk to her and get her side of the story.”

“Like she’d tell the truth.” I roll my eyes and take a swig of my water.

“That’s why you take his story and combine it with hers. The truth usually falls somewhere in the middle. Trust me. I’ve been there.”

It is a good idea. There’s only one problem. “Rooter will be pissed if I go to her.”

“That’s his problem for not doing what he needs to do to get rid of her.”

After spending two hours playing dodgeball, volley ball and doing backflips into the foam put, Jess recommends we cap the evening off with a drink.

“I have seriously had too much to drink,” Miranda says an hour and a half after arriving at Skyles. “Why do I always do this on weeknights?” She giggles and sways on her barstool.

“Saying you’re drunk means you’re not yet drunk,” Jess says and swallows a shot.

“If I’m not drunk yet, I will be in seven minutes.” Miranda says.

“Seven minutes?” Abby laughs and we all join in. “That was random.”

“If you’re drunk in seven minutes then I’ll be drunk in three,” I toss back a shot of Jack.

“Trust me,” Joe says from across the bar, “You girls are all drunk.”

I turn to Joe who looks back at me with the bluest of blue eyes. I can’t tell if it’s concern or lust I see in them. My gaze moves to his lips. They’re nice. I bet he’s a good kisser.

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend, Joe?” I ask.

“The curse of the good guy.” He wipes up drops of spilled liquor before me.

“You are a good guy,” I agree and lean forward on the bar, resting on my elbows. “But you’re a hot good guy. Women go crazy for that shit.”

He flushes. “Oh yeah?”

“Ssssure,” I slur.

“I think women would rather go out with guys like your boyfriend than a workaholic like me.”

“That’s not true.”
Is it?

“You wouldn’t go out with me,” he reminds me.

Miranda, Jess, and Abby stare at us in complete silence, but I try to ignore them. “Only because you’re too old for me.”

Joe stops cleaning and looks deep into my eyes. “I’m not too old for you.”

“You’re like, thirty.”

“Twenty nine,” he corrects me with a gorgeous, radiant smile. “And you’re a grown woman, Sophie.”

“Maybe I should’ve gone out with you.”

“You still can.” He winks. It’s hot, but not as hot as when Rooter does it.

This is my cue for some serious flirting, but with Jess and Abby around I need to be careful. “I have a boyfriend.”
I miss Rooter.

“I’ll tell you what,” he leans in close, “when you’ve had enough of him, I’ll be here waiting for my chance.”

“Really?”

“Sophie, you’re the perfect girl. Beautiful, smart, kind. I’d be the luckiest guy on earth if you’d go out with me.”

“Hot and sweet.” I poke his cheek.
Shit, I shouldn’t have said that.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“No. I have a boyfriend.”

“Speaking of, where is he tonight?”

“I don’t know.” I haven’t heard from him in hours. The last time we texted, he said he should be done around ten and that he’d call me. It’s going on eleven. I pick up my phone and check to see if I’ve missed his call. I haven’t.

“If you were my girl,” Joe says, “you wouldn’t have to sit around, checking your phone, waiting for me to call.”

“Damn,” Jess whispers into my ear. “If you don’t want him, I’ll take him.”

Another twenty minutes pass and I still haven’t heard from Rooter. I debate between calling and texting and calling wins because I want to hear his voice.

“I’ll be right back,” I say to the girls and take my phone outside where it’s quiet.

Rooter picks up on the third ring. “Hey, hold on a minute.” His voice is much too cool and there’s music and loud people in the background. A few moments later he’s back. “Hey, babe. What’s up?” His voice is barely more than a whisper.

“Where are you?”

“Are you drunk?” He sounds surprised.

“A little. When are you coming home? I missssss you.” That last shot is hitting me hard.

He chuckles, and it makes my pulse race. “I’ll be there in a half hour.”

“I’m not at home and we’re all drunk.”

He sighs. “Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

“I’m at,” And then I hear that skank’s voice.

“Rooter, what,” she says and then the phone goes quiet.

What the fuck?
Did he hang up on me? I check the screen of my phone and see we’re still connected. “Rooter,” I scream into the phone. My blood boils.

Nothing.

“Rooter!” I hear shuffling and then he’s back again.

“Sophie—” He starts, but I cut him off.

“Are you with that bitch?” I seethe.

“Babe, listen—” I cut him off again.

“Fuck you!” I hold the phone to my mouth and scream at the top of my lungs. “I’m not listening to shit. You’re with her! You lied to me. It’s over. It’s fucking over!” I throw my phone as hard as I can into the parking lot, tear the door open and march back into the bar.

The moment Miranda sees the expression on my face she rushes over and grabs my hands. “What happened, Soph?”

“He fucking lied!”

The other patrons in the bar turn their attention to me and Jess and Abby dart over to us. Joe is right behind them.

“Let’s take this into my office,” he says and guides us toward the back of the bar.

Joe’s office isn’t what I’d expect. It’s large, and bright, and well furnished. He leads me to a couch to the right of his desk. The girls sit with me. My body is wracked by tremors. I’m too angry to cry. All I want to do is punch something. I ball my hands into fists on my lap. It’s amazing how sobering your boyfriend cheating on you can be.

“He’s with her. Right now! I called, and he acted all weird and then I heard her voice in the background.”

“Who?” Abby asks.

“Candace! The skank ass bitch he’s been fucking.” And then it dawns on me and I turn to Miranda. “Apparently, he’s been fucking her this entire time!”

“Tell me everything,” Miranda says.

“I went outside to call him because he was supposed to have called me by ten, but he didn’t. He didn’t sound right when he answered and there was music and voices in the background.

At this point I’m speed talking and gesturing with my hands like a crazy person. “He put me on hold. He asked if I was drunk and said he’d come get us. Then I heard that slut say his name! And then he must have covered the phone because I thought he hung up on me. When he came back, I asked him if he was with her and he had the nerve to say “Babe, listen” as if he thought he could explain his way out of the shit!”

“What a jerk,” Jess mutters.

“Holy shit!” Abby shrieks.

Miranda drapes her arm around my shoulder. “That’s it! That bitch is getting an ass kicking.”

“I’m the one who should get the ass kicking! I’m the,” I make air quotations, “other woman. All this time I thought she was going after my man when it was the other way around!”

“You didn’t know that,” Miranda says.

“Well, now I do and I’m done. I never want to see his ass again.”

“But he lives next door,” Abby reminds me and I cringe.

“He better stay the hell away from me.”

Refusing to allow us to drive drunk, Joe offers to drive each of us home. The absolute last place I want to be is at my house where Rooter will surely be waiting for me with his bullshit lies. Lies. It was all a lie. Why did he do that to me?

Ryan is still at work and won’t be home for another hour or two, so I can’t go there. Both Jess and Abby live with their parent’s and in my current condition, neither of those places are an option.

“You’re more than welcome to come to my house,” Joe offers. “No funny business, I promise.” He smiles.

I don’t hesitate to take him up on his offer. “That would be great, Joe.”

“I’ll take you to my place first so you don’t risk running into him.”

I sit on Joe’s couch, massacring my nails for a half hour wondering what the hell Rooter will do when Joe and Miranda pull up and he sees I’m not there. Maybe he won’t think anything of it. Maybe he’ll assume I’m with Ryan and leave it at that.

He’s probably blowing up my phone, but I never went back for it after I hurled it across the parking lot. I was too upset to remember it. It’s probably smashed into oblivion anyways.

When the phone rings I jump a mile high. Joe’s voice comes through on the answering machine after the fourth ring. “Sophie, pick up!”

I hurry to the phone as fast as my wobbly legs will carry me. “Joe, what’s wrong?”

“He’s following me.”

I hold my palm to my forehead, fingers splayed. “What?”

“Miranda passed out in the car, so I had to help her into the house. When he saw you weren’t in the car, he lost it.”

“Shit!” I pace the room and drag my fingers through my hair. “I should’ve known he’d do this.”

“What do you want me to do? Should I call the cops and send them to the house before I get there?”

Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“I don’t know what to do,” my voice quivers and I stomp my foot. I’m not prepared to deal with Rooter, but I don’t want to call the cops on him.

“What do you think he’ll do when we get there?”

He may be a cheating asshole, but I’m still confident he wouldn’t hurt me. Joe on the other hand, may not be as safe. “Let him follow you. I’ll deal with him when he gets here.”

“All right, but get ready, I’m only three blocks away,” he warns, and the phone goes dead.