Safe with You (4 page)

“Are you always this difficult?”

“I could ask you both the same thing! Now put me down or so help me I will punch
you
in the throat!” I just laugh and carry her inside, clearly ignoring her threat.

I lower her onto the couch gently. “You’ve already hurt one hand we don’t need to injure the other one. Besides, you hit like a girl.”

“What kind of statement is that? Of course, I’m a girl!” she roars.

“We are fully aware of that, Cass.” I smile and shake my head at Bo’s comment. He is grinning widely from ear to ear. Then he turns and walks away.

“Pig,” she grumbles under her breath. I don’t think she meant to say that out loud, on second thought…maybe she did.

“I heard that!” Bo yells.

She rolls her eyes and lies back on the couch.

I think I’ve officially succeeded putting myself at the bottom of her favorites list with Bo.

Mom and dad had left this morning for Birmingham for some kind of fundraiser so they won’t be back until late tonight. I think it’s something to do with the police department and since dad is the chief he, of course, has to be there. I know they hate going to those types of functions.

I fix her a sandwich and grab a bag of chips while Bo grabs a blanket and pillow for her and some Tylenol. Bo was going to fix her something, but I stopped him because knowing Cassie, she’d think he’d poisoned it. Bo should thank me for that.

When I walk back in I hear the two of them bickering.

“No Tylenol? Are you insane?”

Even I would ask her that question because I know her hand has to be throbbing along with her head.

“I’m not insane, I just don’t need it. My head doesn’t hurt that bad.” Yeah, she just lied big time.

Bo gives her a knowing stare. “Quit trying to be tough and take it.”

“No,” she says firmly.

He thrusts his hand that was holding the medicine towards her. “You need it, Cassie.”

“No, I don’t. How many times will I have to say no before you get the picture?”

“Maybe just one more time, you know, to be sure.”

He smiles at her and I tried hard not to be the one punching his face in.

“You’re exasperating you know that?” she finally says after a moment of silence passes between the two of them.

He claps his hands once before standing. “My job here is complete.”

I hand her the turkey and cheese sandwich and a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. “What do you want to drink, Cassie?”

“A pop would be good if you have any.”

Bo, being Bo pops her upside her head.

“What in the world are you doing?” I ask as my knuckles hit his shoulder.

“What is it with y’all hitting me?”

“Her head hit a concrete wall a couple hours ago and you’re gonna hit her?” I swear my brother is just asking for me to punch him in the face or for Cassie to follow through with her threat.

“She asked for a pop so I gave her one!” he says in defense.

“Her version of pop means coke here you ass.”

“How should I know? I don’t speak Yankee!” That earns him a smack to the gut from Cassie.

“Sorry about him Cassie, he’s…”

“…an idiot? Insane? There are many words for him,” she finishes my sentence for me.

I chuckle and head into the kitchen in search of something to drink for Cassie. I grab like one of everything so she can pick which one she wants.

It isn’t long before Cassie gets comfortable and her eyes flutter closed. I sit and watch her sleep for a while. Her pink lips were parted, her breathing is soft. I check her hand to make sure it isn’t swelling anymore. The first time my hand touched her skin I felt the spark. There is no way she couldn’t have felt it, too.

I finally decide I need to quit being a creeper and find Bo before she wakes up soon. I find him in the kitchen making a sandwich. I grab Bo by his shirt and drag him outside.

He has the nerve to ask, “What’s stuck up your ass, J?” He is laughing at me, at how wound up by this girl I am.

I cut right to the chase and ask the most important question. “Are you interested in, Cassie?”

“Why, are you?”

“Just answer the question,” I scold him.

“What if I was?”

“Then you might as well bow out now because I’m not going to let you get this one.” Girls usually love Bo because of his wit . The last one I liked wanted Bo instead of me.

Bo laughs and slaps my back. “She’s pretty, but she’s not my type. Cassie’s all yours little bro. Besides, I think she’d stab me in my sleep.”

“You’ll do well to remember that, too.”

“Wow…it’s that bad huh?”

“You don’t even know the half of it,” I mutter as we walk back inside to check on sleeping beauty. I stop dead in my tracks when I notice the couch is empty and the ice packs are lying on the table. I knew she had left, but I made a quick search of the house just in case my gut was wrong.

I run back into the kitchen and yell, “She’s gone, bro!” as he was about the take his first bite.

“Darn you, J! Can’t a guy eat his sandwich in peace?”

I roll my eyes. “Give me your keys so I can go find her.”

He shakes his head. “No way are you driving my truck!”

“Well then get up and let’s go. It’s almost dark out and I bet she has no idea how to get home from here.” Cassie is a Yankee, and from the city, that much I know. City people and Yankees do not know how to get around in the country. Not to mention she didn’t even know her address or what road she lived on earlier.

What surprises me is how attracted to her I am, even though she isn’t a country girl. When I envisioned ‘the one’, she was from the country, born and bred. Cass is the exact opposite of that.

“I’m coming! You don’t need to get your panties in a twist,” Bo groans, bringing his sandwich with him.

Chapter Five

Cassie

When I wake up from my nap, I notice its almost dark out. Crap! I need to get home. I throw the covers back and jump up. Bo and J are nowhere to be found, thank God. Throwing on my shoes, I leave the ice packs on the coffee table and run towards the door. Trying to be discreet as possible, I turn the knob slowly, slip through, and shut it quietly behind me. As soon as my foot leaves the last step I sprint up the driveway. It’s situations like this when I could really use a phone.

One thing’s for certain…I have no idea how to get home from here. I decide to follow the route that leads back to the school and then go the way Bo took me home earlier. I need to get a run in anyway.

I am not even a mile down the road before I hear the roar of a truck and see the lights. You’ve got to be kidding me! I search quickly for somewhere to hide, but I only find woods.
No way.
I didn’t slow down nor do I stop running. I keep the same pace, even as the truck slows beside me.

J pops his head out of the passenger side window. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Cass?” he reprimands.

“What does it look like?” I retort, breathless.

“You must really want to get yourself killed. It’s not safe for you to be out alone.”
If he only knew…

I slow to stop and place my hands on my hips. “I didn’t want to bother you guys.” That is somewhat truthful.

Bo is chuckling in the driver’s seat, not sure what about.

J shakes his head. “Cass, you aren’t a bother to us.” He hops out and holds his hand out for me. “Come on, let us take you home.”

I give in and let him help up. Bo lifts up the middle console inviting me scoot over. Sighing, I reluctantly slide over. J climbs in next to me closing the door behind him. I roll my eyes dramatically.

“Just to ensure you don’t get any ideas about jumping out of the truck,” J teases as Bo drives away.

When Bo pulls into my driveway, my heart starts racing.
They’re home.
They will not like this.

The front door opens and Dad walks out onto the porch…with his gun! I climb over J and jump out. I mutter a ‘thanks’ and shut the door. I needed to get inside and them gone before Dad puts a bullet through the windshield. Dad is glaring at the truck like he wants to shoot whoever is in it. I walk quickly to the door, keeping my head down.

Dad grabs my arm as I walk by him, stopping me. “Who the hell is that?” he snarls. Dad is tall and thin, from the drugs of course. He used to have a gut and pearly white teeth. Now, his face is sunken in and his teeth just look nasty.

“A couple of friends from school,” I say jerking my arm free from his vice grip.

“What happened to keeping a low profile, huh?”

Instead of answering I just walk inside. It isn’t until I am inside I hear the roar of the truck fade away. I head straight to my new room so I can unpack my clothes and a few other things, everything else will stay packed up. That way when we leave again, I’m practically done.

I spend the evening hanging up my clothes and arranging pictures where I want them. Before my life was uprooted, I had several friends and a boyfriend. It broke my heart to leave them, but what choice did I have? I miss my crazy friends and I miss Zack. My dad didn’t think it was a good idea for me to have a phone because he thought I would slip up and tell our whereabouts. So I have no way of contacting my old friends even if I wanted to.

By ten, I’m as unpacked as I’m going to get. I clean the house since I’m not sure of the last time it was cleaned. Dinner had been cooked, ate, and the remains had been put away. I’m exhausted so I decide to call it a night.

The next morning, I am kind of dreading going to school knowing I was going to have to face Bo and J again. It’s not that I hate them, but they annoy the crap out of me, mainly Bo. After the way, my dad acted they probably don’t want to have anything to do with me anyways.
Why do I care?

Throwing my backpack over my shoulder I head out the front door. The sky is overcast this morning signaling it probably will rain later.

I had just made it to the pavement when low and behold guess who shows up? You guessed it…Bo and J. Bo has a smug grin on his face while J still seems moody.

Bo leans forward, propping his elbow on the steering wheel. “You weren’t gonna walk to school were you darlin’?”

“This is a beautiful day, why not?” I shrug and start walking.

I didn’t make it two steps before I hear the truck door open. I’m walking one second and the next I’m cradled in J’s arms.

“What is with you guys insisting on carrying me?” I ask bitterly.

“Maybe I like having you in my arms,” J professes. I make the mistake of looking up at him. His eyes are transfixed with mine. His piercing honey colored eyes make my stomach clench. My eyes rake over his perfect face, taking in his every twitch in his jaw and the way his lips are parted.

Breaking the spell, I shake my head as he lifts me and places me in the seat. Once again, Bo lifts up the center console inviting me to scoot over. I watch J hop in and buckle up. Over his shoulder, I spot my mother and father standing in the window with disapproving looks on their faces. Great, the rate I’m going we will move before the week is up.

“How are your head and your hand?” J inspects my head first then grasps my hand and looks it over before running his hand over it, massaging it. I should have pulled my hand away, but it felt so good. His hands are rough, calloused, and feel wonderful against my skin.

“Good,” I croak. J is still massaging my hand when we pull into the school parking lot.

When we walk through the doors everyone is staring at me. When you have two hot guys walking you down the hall of course people are going to stare. I mean I did get knocked out in gym yesterday, which happened to be my first day at a new school, and then left with them both. This is my second day here and I’m being escorted by two guys. Great, I’m a slut now.

In the midst of me racking my brain trying to come up with a plan to ditch the guys, I spot Jess walking towards us. “Hey Yankee! How ya feelin’?”

“I’m fine, Jess.” A light bulb suddenly clicks on in my head. “Hey Jess, what was that thing you wanted to show me yesterday?” She tilts her head to the side like she is pondering what I was talking about.
Please Jess, I need you to catch on!
“Don’t you remember? You said you had to show me something?” I stare at her, my eyes pleading for her to grasp what I am really meaning.

“I’m sorry Yankee, but I have no clue what you’re going on about.”

“That thing! You said it was important!” I wince when I realize I had said that a little too loudly.

Jess looks between Bo and J. “Are y’all sure she’s okay?”

“I’m fine!” I snap and point to Jess. “She just isn’t remembering and…and I know how important it was for her!” Oh, dear lord, I have lost it! I wanted away from them so bad that I was making myself sound insane.

By now, the guys have moved and are standing on either side of Jess with their arms crossed, giving me concerned looks.