into park Erin is jumping down and running into the house. I sit there for several long minutes before reaching back and getting my phone. Swiping my finger across the screen, I dial Antonio’s number.
“Adam Payne! How the fuck are you, man?”
“I was doing okay up until about a half hour ago.”
“What the hell man, is everything all right? Is it Luke and Shayne?” he asks with a slight edge of panic.
“Yeah, sorry, man. They’re fine. No one is hurt or anything, I just needed someone to talk to.”
“Well, lay it on me, man. What’s up?”
“I had a date tonight with Erin,” I say as all the memories of our perfect night come flashing back.
“I heard that. Mom told me she was keeping the girls. So why the hell are you on the phone with me at eleven o’clock at night and not with her?”
“That’s why I’m calling. You see, everything was going fine. Better than fine, it was perfect and I finally thought I was breaking through to her. I have never seen her laugh so much as she did tonight, but then when we went to leave, she lost it, man. She just... fuck. She just started bawling and I have no fucking clue why!”
“Jesus, dude. I don’t know what to say, man. Where is she now?”
I run my hands through my hair and let out a deep breath. “The minute we pulled into the garage she jumped out of the truck and ran into the house like she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. I have no clue what set her off or what to say or do next. I don’t expect you to have all the answers, Antonio. I just needed someone to talk to because as of right now I am nervous as hell to even walk into my own house.”
“Man, just go in there and make sure she is all right. Let her know if she wants to talk about it, you are there and if she doesn’t, just give her the time and the space she needs. Hell, I have no clue about this kind of stuff but I know how much you care about her, Adam, so that’s the best I got for ya, my friend.”
“You got it man, and thanks for listening.”
“Any time, pal and keep me posted, would you?”
“You got it. Later, man.”
Retrieving my bag from the back seat, I hit the button to close the garage door and enter the house. The house is completely dark so I just toss my stuff on the table, but as I go to pass Erin’s bedroom, her door is slightly ajar. I peer inside and notice she is lying on top of the covers with her clothes still on. Pushing the door open and stepping into her room, I grab a blanket that is folded up on a chair and place it over her. I can just barely see a glimpse of her face in the moonlight shining in through the windows, so I reach out and gently push the hair back away from her face.
Even though her eyes are red and swollen and her cheeks are streaked black with mascara, she is still the most exquisite woman I have ever seen. It breaks me to not be able to battle the demons of her past or whatever it is that made her take twenty steps backward.
************
It feels like I’ve drunk twenty damn cups of coffee this morning as I beat the ever-loving shit out of my punching bag. I’m going on very little sleep. After I placed the blanket over Erin last night, I just couldn’t get myself to walk away. I sat in the chair in her room and watched over her like a stalker. I know she feels something for me and I will be damned if I will give up on her.
Even if nothing happens between the two of us, I care too much about her to keep letting her beat herself up like this. So as I stand here pounding away at my bag until my arms start to burn, I try to think of a way to make her understand. I can’t help but bellow my frustration out as loud as I can because whatever the fuck I am doing to try and convince this woman that she has everything I need is FUCKING NOT WORKING!
As I lift my leg up to take one final kick, out of the corner of my eye I catch Erin standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“Adam.”
Aww hell, her voice sounds
“Adam Payne! How the fuck are you, man?”
“I was doing okay up until about a half hour ago.”
“What the hell man, is everything all right? Is it Luke and Shayne?” he asks with a slight edge of panic.
“Yeah, sorry, man. They’re fine. No one is hurt or anything, I just needed someone to talk to.”
“Well, lay it on me, man. What’s up?”
“I had a date tonight with Erin,” I say as all the memories of our perfect night come flashing back.
“I heard that. Mom told me she was keeping the girls. So why the hell are you on the phone with me at eleven o’clock at night and not with her?”
“That’s why I’m calling. You see, everything was going fine. Better than fine, it was perfect and I finally thought I was breaking through to her. I have never seen her laugh so much as she did tonight, but then when we went to leave, she lost it, man. She just... fuck. She just started bawling and I have no fucking clue why!”
“Jesus, dude. I don’t know what to say, man. Where is she now?”
I run my hands through my hair and let out a deep breath. “The minute we pulled into the garage she jumped out of the truck and ran into the house like she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. I have no clue what set her off or what to say or do next. I don’t expect you to have all the answers, Antonio. I just needed someone to talk to because as of right now I am nervous as hell to even walk into my own house.”
“Man, just go in there and make sure she is all right. Let her know if she wants to talk about it, you are there and if she doesn’t, just give her the time and the space she needs. Hell, I have no clue about this kind of stuff but I know how much you care about her, Adam, so that’s the best I got for ya, my friend.”
“You got it man, and thanks for listening.”
“Any time, pal and keep me posted, would you?”
“You got it. Later, man.”
Retrieving my bag from the back seat, I hit the button to close the garage door and enter the house. The house is completely dark so I just toss my stuff on the table, but as I go to pass Erin’s bedroom, her door is slightly ajar. I peer inside and notice she is lying on top of the covers with her clothes still on. Pushing the door open and stepping into her room, I grab a blanket that is folded up on a chair and place it over her. I can just barely see a glimpse of her face in the moonlight shining in through the windows, so I reach out and gently push the hair back away from her face.
Even though her eyes are red and swollen and her cheeks are streaked black with mascara, she is still the most exquisite woman I have ever seen. It breaks me to not be able to battle the demons of her past or whatever it is that made her take twenty steps backward.
************
It feels like I’ve drunk twenty damn cups of coffee this morning as I beat the ever-loving shit out of my punching bag. I’m going on very little sleep. After I placed the blanket over Erin last night, I just couldn’t get myself to walk away. I sat in the chair in her room and watched over her like a stalker. I know she feels something for me and I will be damned if I will give up on her.
Even if nothing happens between the two of us, I care too much about her to keep letting her beat herself up like this. So as I stand here pounding away at my bag until my arms start to burn, I try to think of a way to make her understand. I can’t help but bellow my frustration out as loud as I can because whatever the fuck I am doing to try and convince this woman that she has everything I need is FUCKING NOT WORKING!
As I lift my leg up to take one final kick, out of the corner of my eye I catch Erin standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“Adam.”
Aww hell, her voice sounds
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