Tear Down These Walls (41 page)

“True,” Georgia chimes back. The bartender sets down their shots, and
Georgia picks one of them up. “To making sure my kids don’t end up like my
relatives!”

Bursting into giggles, Teagan says, “Cheers to that!” 

They down the shot and both grimace, which sends them into fits of even
more laughter. Unexpectedly, they hear, “You guys okay?”

She turns to see Justin standing there. Georgia sighs, “Yeah, thanks for
helping.”

“Kellen and Dwayne called them separate cabs and are waiting outside with
them.  Both guys are lit,” Justin exhales, rolling his eyes.

“To my extended family!” Georgia exclaims, as she picks up Kellen’s
drink. She takes a swig. “Mmmm, jack.”

“That was Kellen’s,” Teagan laughs. “He won’t mind.”

“Are you okay?” Justin asks her. “You didn’t get hurt?”

Shaking her head, Teagan says, “My knee hurts a little bit, but I will be
fine.”

Justin bends over to look at it. “Yeah, it’s a little red. You really
nailed that guy.”

“Yeah,” Teagan giggles.

“I was thoroughly impressed,” Justin chuckles back at her. “Who knew that
you could be aggressive?”

“Well, I have been taking self-defense classes since I got assaulted,”
Teagan chimes.

“ASSAULTED!” Georgia and Justin yell at once.

“Ugh!”  Teagan groans. “Stupid liquor, no mouth filter.”

“What do you mean you were assaulted?” Justin snaps, putting his hand on
her arm.

Teagan doesn’t pull away from him, but she eyes him. “That’s how I met
Kellen. He saved me. Two guys grabbed me off the street. They dragged me at
knifepoint into the park. They were going to…well….yeah….but Kellen came in and
kicked their asses. He saved me.”

“W-O-W,” Georgia emphasizes.

Justin shakes his head. “I would have killed the guys.”

Teagan laughs sarcastically and pulls her arm out from under his hand.
“And what you did is much better?”

He takes a step back, with a look of shock. “You think that’s what I did
to you?”

“Of course that’s what you did,” Teagan retorts like he is an idiot. “You
put my virginity on the internet for the whole world to see.”

“You know, it wasn’t me,” Justin retorts.

“Yes, it was you,” Teagan snaps. “Don’t pawn this off on someone else!”

“No, I took the video, I did, but I wasn’t the one who put it on the
internet,” Justin states. “I have been trying to tell you that.”

Totally not believing him, Teagan leans against the bar. “And tell me,
who was it?”

“My drug dealer,” Justin mumbles.

“What?” Teagan can’t contain her disbelief.

With a heavy exhale, Justin runs his fingers through his hair. “I owed my
drug dealer a bunch of cash, like a lot of money. So, I gave him my laptop.
They found the video on there and posted it.”

“I don’t believe you,” Teagan snaps. “Why wouldn’t you tell someone
that?”

“What!? Admit that I was addicted to coke??” Justin yells. “I couldn’t
let my parents, or anyone else, find out.”

Narrowing her eyes, Teagan says, “So, you kept it a secret and got five years
of probation for something you didn’t do? Justin, I’m not a fool. First of all,
you took the video. Why would you do that?”

He groans and closes his eyes. “To prove to the guys I finally got you to
give it up.”

Clenching her hands into fists, Teagan growls, “You were going to show it
to our friends!?”

“No…” Justin replies. Teagan glares at him. “Okay, yes, I was.”

Her fury builds. “So, you took it to show to everyone you finally coerced
me into having sex with you! While the whole time you were fucking the entire
cheerleading squad!  What did it matter!? You were getting laid left and
right!”

“I was angry!” Justin snaps. “I had been waiting for years, and you
wouldn’t have sex with me. It made me feel like I wasn’t enough of a man for
you. I had to prove that I was!”

“Oh my god!” Teagan exclaims.

“Hey guys,” Georgia interjects. “Can you take this somewhere else or do
it another time?”

Jumping down from the chair, Teagan picks up her shoes. “YOU, come with
me!” She grabs Justin by his jacket lapel and drags him out of the banquet
hall. Without saying a word, Justin follows behind her. Slamming the hall door,
she throws him down a hallway next to the elevators. “You son of a bitch!”

“Teagan, please,” Justin exhales.

“DON’T ‘TEAGAN’ ME!” she yells back. “You put me through hell!”

“You said you loved me but wouldn’t show me that you did!” Justin shouts
back.

“I was 15 when we started dating. I am sorry, but that is too young to be
having sex!” Teagan spits out.

“You were 18 when you finally did,” Justin retorts harshly.

“I didn’t want to!” Teagan cries. “You forced me to do it. You pretty
much said it was sex or I lost you!”

“We were 18; what in the hell were you waiting for!? A ring!?”

Teagan throws her arms up, “I don’t know! I just wasn’t ready!”

“So, what? I was supposed to wait until you were 21 or 22 before we could
ever be intimate!? I am sorry; that is way too long!”

Appalled, Teagan screams, “What in the hell does that mean!?”

“You are sleeping with Kellen, and what, you are 22? You don’t even love
him! What would I have had to do for you to have sex with me? You so easily
give it up now!”

“I…..what!?” Teagan stutters.

“You are sleeping with Kellen! What in the hell does he have that I
don’t!?” Justin asks hotly.

“He is mature and a gentleman,” Teagan answers. “He protects me. He would
never do anything like what you did!”

Seeping in anger, Justin steps up closer to her. “I’m surprised you
actually had sex; I always thought there was something wrong with you.”

Tears start to build up and Teagan screams, “There is nothing wrong with
me! He actually turns me on. You never did!”

“So, you give it up to the first guy that turns you on!?”

“You asshole! No, I actually have sex with guys willingly when they can
last at least three minutes, since you were clocked at 2 and a half!”

“You stupid bitch,” Justin seethes. “It was probably because I just
wanted it over with. It was just something I finally achieved. You
finally
gave it up.”

In that second, all the anger she has ever felt jumps out of Teagan. She reaches
back and punches Justin straight in the nose. Teagan screams out at the same
time Justin does.  “My hand!” She cries out.

“You….stupid….bitch,” Justin spits out, as he shoves her away from him.

Teagan starts to fall back, but she is caught. Before she can even blink,
Kellen is in front of her. Then there is a loud crack as his fist comes in
contact with Justin’s face. Justin falls onto the floor. Kellen steps forward
and kicks him in the stomach. The air is knocked out of Justin’s lungs with a
wheeze, and he gasps. Dropping down to his knee, Kellen punches Justin in the
face again…and then again. 

Finally, Teagan jumps forward. “Stop! Kellen, that’s enough!”

Kellen punches him one more time, before he finally moves away from him.
“Don’t ever BREATHE in her direction again!”

“I am going to…..call….the cops…..on you,” Justin moans, grabbing his
face.

“Go ahead,” Kellen retorts. “I will tell them how you shoved Teagan. How
is that going to look to your probation officer? You attacked the girl that you
are on probation for!  Go ahead, wanna use my phone? Here, I will call
them myself.” Kellen pulls out his cell phone. He presses a button, “Hello, I
need the number for the local police department.”

“No! Stop!” Justin yells. “I will stay away from her.”

“First you are going to leave. Just go. Get in a stupid cab and leave.
Don’t let your friends see this because this is their wedding; don’t ruin it. I
don’t want to see your pathetic ass again.”

“Fine,” Justin groans, rolling over. “I think you broke my nose, if not
more.”

“Serves you right!” Teagan screams. “For all that you did to me!” She
jumps forward to kick him herself. Before she can make contact, Kellen has her
up in the air. “Put me down!”

He laughs, “No, we are done here. Come on, Baby, let’s go upstairs.”

“I should tell Georgia we are leaving,” Teagan snarls, glaring at Justin.

“All right, Killer,” Kellen says, kissing her on the head. “Forget about
Justin.”

She glares at Justin before walking away with Kellen. They get around the
corner, and Teagan quickly pulls her hand away from Kellen  “What’s
wrong!?” Kellen exclaims.

Teagan sticks her hand out and pouts. “My hand hurts.”

“Let me see,” Kellen chuckles.

“It’s not funny.”

“It kind of is,” Kellen laughs. He picks up her hand and starts feeling
around it.  “Open and close your hand.” Teagan complies. “Does it hurt
here or here?” Teagan shakes her head. “You bruised your hand. It will be
fine.”

She frowns. “It really hurts.”

“Well, you punched him hard….” Kellen laughs, “In the face. Your hand
isn’t conditioned for that. We can ice it later if you want.”

“I need a drink,” Teagan says.

“Are you sure, you are wavering on your feet?” Kellen points out to her.
“I think you have had enough.”

Teagan rolls her eyes.

“Here, we will get a bottle of champagne and take it upstairs,” Kellen
sighs. “Let’s go find Georgia and Dwayne.”

They walk back into the banquet hall. Dwayne and Georgia are on the dance
floor.  “I’m going to go talk to them,” Teagan says. “You can get the
champagne.”

Kellen bends over and kisses her.

“Meet you back here,” Teagan declares. He smiles and nods. Teagan turns
and walks out onto the dance floor. When she comes up to Georgia, Georgia’s
smile waivers. “We’re going upstairs!” Teagan yells over the music.

With a speculative look, Georgia asks, “Where’s Justin?”

“He went home and won’t be back,” Teagan retorts.

Exhaling, Georgia says, “What happened?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it!” Teagan smiles “Enjoy your beautiful
wedding. Keep your thoughts on tonight!”

Mmmmm,” Georgia hums. “I can’t wait.”

“Oh boy,” Teagan laughs. “On that note, I love you guys and will see you
tomorrow.”

“Okay, have fun upstairs,” Georgia teases.

Teagan smiles, “I plan on it.” She waves. “See you tomorrow!”

“Bye!” Dwayne yells back.

She turns around and heads back to Kellen, with a bottle of champagne.
“Ready?”

“Yes,” Teagan snorts. “I have had enough of tonight.”

“Oh, poor baby, well let’s get you upstairs,” Kellen laughs.

As they walk to the elevator, Teagan groans, “I think my feet hurt as
much as my hand.”

Kellen hands Teagan the champagne bottle. She takes it, totally confused.
Bending over, Kellen sweeps her up in his arms. “There, no sore feet.”

“You’re so strong,” she teases.

“I am, but you also don’t weigh much,” Kellen chimes. He presses the
button for the elevator. They wait, and Teagan starts to play with the top of
the champagne  “Don’t open that. You will launch the cork and make a
mess.”

“Sorry, I don’t have experience doing it,” Teagan replies with a snarky
attitude.

They get into the elevator and Kellen looks down at her  “Can’t wait
the few minutes to get upstairs?”

“No,” Teagan replies. “I am impatient. I want it now.” Kellen looks down
at her, and Teagan gives him the most heated look she can muster. He clears his
throat and looks at the moving numbers above the door. “Tell me,” Teagan
whispers. “Have you ever had sex in an elevator?”

“No,” Kellen coughs, trying to be serious.

“Wanna?” Teagan quips.

Kellen grins. “We can save that for another day.”

“Sweet,” Teagan laughs.

Kellen shakes his head and chuckles, “What am I going to do with you?”

“Oh, I don’t know, use your imagination,” Teagan murmurs. She feels his
fingers dig in deeper to her skin, and she sighs.

Finally, the doors open, and Kellen carries her down to their room and
inside, sets her down gently, and turns to close the door behind them.

A wave of nervousness sweeps over her. When Kellen turns back around and
looks at her, Teagan gulps. There is an electric charge between them as they
stand a few feet apart, staring at each other. Teagan starts to fiddle with the
top of the bottle nervously.  “What should we do?”

He takes a few steps forward until he is in front of her. “What do you
want to do?”

“I don’t know,” Teagan replies. She takes in a deep breath. “There isn’t
anything wrong with me.”

“I know that,” Kellen whispers back, tracing his fingers down her
jawline. “I won’t try anything. We can just go to bed.”

“I want to have sex,” Teagan murmurs ever so quietly.

Sighing, Kellen says, “Well, we aren’t going to.”

“Why?” Teagan squeaks. “You don’t want to!?”

“Yes I want to,” Kellen laughs. “But we have no protection, and I am too
tipsy to drive.”

“Oh,” Teagan replies, disappointed.

“How much of you wanting to have sex has to do with proving Justin
wrong?”   

“I want to have sex with you,” Teagan replies. “It has nothing to do with
Justin.”

“Teagan baby,” Kellen starts. “After everything you went through with
Justin, I think we should take things slow.”

“How slow?” Teagan asks.

Kellen takes the champagne bottle from her. “Why don’t you think about
that, while I open this.” He starts to undo the metal wrap. 

Taking a deep breath, Teagan walks over to the Jacuzzi. Bending over, she
turns on the hot water and feels it until it’s the right temperature. There is
a pop behind her, and it makes her jump. “I can do this,” she breathes out.
Standing back up, Teagan turns around.

She finds Kellen pouring champagne into a plastic water cup. Teagan
giggles. He holds it up for her. “Classy, huh?”

“Very,” Teagan quips back, taking it from him. She nervously takes a sip.

He pours some for himself and then walks over to the Jacuzzi and sets his
cup and the bottle down on the ledge. Kellen pauses and then turns around.
Teagan gulps. He casually saunters over and stops by the bed.  There is a
bench at the end of it. Kellen shrugs his jacket off and places it nicely on
the bench. Teagan watches him kick one shoe off and then the other. Turning to
her, Kellen says, “Have you given it any thought?”