Chapter 14: Forgot To Tell You Something: Chapter 14

“I’ll wait for you in the car,” I mutter, pulling the keys from my pocket and storming out the front door.

It’s not the friendliest gesture, but it’s the best I can manage.

To think the day started on such a promising note.

Tally and I spent the last couple of hours at the women’s shelter, sans Beth, who was at the hospital, functioning as a victim advocate.

Marla, the newest resident, is skittish as a beaten dog. The bruises covering her slight frame prove that my assessment is on target. Her son, Brad, is in better shape physically, although I can’t fathom what the boy has witnessed in his young life.

But they’re no match for Tally. My tiny vixen exudes a quiet power. She knows firsthand what it’s like to live in fear, and although she won’t disclose the details, I see the terror living in her eyes. The son-of-a-bitch better pray I never meet him. He won’t make it three steps. I’ll make damn sure he pays for what he did to Tally.

“Do you like card tricks?” Tally asks Brad, winking at me over his head.

“I love them! Can you show me a card trick?”

“No, but I can,” I interject, settling down next to the boy. At first, he shirks away, his natural fear of men coming into play.

But Tally is smart. She knows that Brad—and Marla—need to learn that not all men are evil. Not all men hurt. Not all men hit.

Hopefully, my darling girl can figure that out right along with them.

I flip through the cards, showing Brad the trick I’ve performed countless times. His eyes widen, and he chuckles, a genuine belly laugh that is the most incredible sound I’ve heard in ages.

I spend the next fifteen minutes showing Brad the sleight of hand behind the trick, before gifting him the deck of cards. It’s the best five dollars I’ve ever spent.

I find Tally in one of the bedrooms, her arms wrapped around Marla as the woman weeps. It’s impossible to know if they are tears of anger, frustration, sadness, or denial. Likely all of those emotions.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll wait in the kitchen.”

Tally shoots me a grateful smile before returning to her unofficial counseling session.

“May I help you?”

I turn to see Beth standing in the kitchen doorway, a guarded expression on her face. I suppose men aren’t a welcome sight in this house. Can’t say that I blame them. “Sorry to startle you. We met the other day. I’m here with Tally.”

Her eyes widen in recognition. “Hello, Dr. Stevens. I apologize, I didn’t recognize you from behind.”

“No worries, sorry I crept up on you.”

“It’s fine. We’re happy to have you here. Where is Lu?”

I smile at my girl’s nickname. Everyone in the world calls her Lu. “In the back with Marla. How did she get the nickname Lu?”

Beth contemplates the question for a moment before shrugging. “I’m not sure. You don’t call her Lu, do you?”

“I call her Tally, but it seems only her father and I do that.”

She snaps her fingers as if a lightbulb of realization sparked in her brain. “Forgive me for being forward, but didn’t you and Tally date? I didn’t realize you were still friends. That’s nice.”

“Figures you two would hole up in here,” Tally interjects, joining us in the kitchen. “Beth, you remember Dr. Stevens.”

“I do. We were just touching on your dating history.”

Tally’s eyes widen, her gaze swinging between us. “Why were you discussing that?”

“Well, it’s nice when two people remain close after a break-up,” Beth states, pulling groceries from the bags.

“Right,” Tally sighs, nodding in agreement. “Dr. Stevens is a wonderful man. It would be an enormous loss if we weren’t friends.”

I hope she can feel me burning holes into her, waiting for her to admit that although we did break up, we are very much together again.

I’ll be waiting for a long time.

Instead of confessing the actual status of our relationship, Tally changes the subject. My blood runs hot as I realize she’s not going to divulge anything. Not today, possibly not ever.

Once again, I’m a dirty secret. The details are different, but this is a repeat of the situation with my ex, Charlotte. She came from money—oodles of it, and her Daddy disapproved of her slumming it with a student—a tatted, hardcore student, to boot.

Charlotte didn’t want to anger her father, so she never brought me around to any public place. God forbid anyone saw together us. But her father was no fool. Mr. Auerback met me outside my university one evening, with a bribe to stop seeing his daughter. I should have accepted the offer—it was ten grand, and I was broke—but I tore up the check and tossed it in his face.

It wasn’t until I started working as a cardiologist that he even deigned me worth speaking to; it wasn’t until I helped spearhead the robotic cath lab that he approved of my relationship with his daughter.

I thought, when I left San Francisco, that I’d escaped that feeling. A gnawing in the pit of my stomach that I’m not enough. At least not to be seen in the light.

Such bullshit. I’m a good-looking, smart guy with a wicked talent in cardiology. I know this. But sometimes, when I look in the mirror, all I see is the man who doesn’t fit the bill.

Tally’s behavior just proved my reflection right.

But this time, I’m not sticking around to be shoved into a corner. Fuck that.

Tally opens the car door not five minutes later, but I’m no calmer. If anything, my aggravation has reached new heights.

“Everything okay?” she questions, sending me a quizzical look as she fastens her seatbelt.

I have two options. I can pretend that everything is fine, or I can let her have it. With both barrels. I understand that option one is a safer route, but my emotions are too twisted to care.

“Everything is fucking great. Can’t you tell?” I jerk the car out of the parking spot, my foot leaden on the gas pedal.

“Owen, what the hell is going on? Did something happen at the shelter?”

I swerve to the side of the road, throwing the car into park, before turning my glare on her. “No, something happen at the shelter, thanks to you.”

“I’m trying to decipher what you’re talking about, but you’re not making any sense.”

Running a hand over my scalp, I release an agitated huff. “Are you ashamed of me?”

Her eyes widen with shock. “Absolutely not. I think you’re way out of my league.” Her hand touches my forearm, but I jerk it away. “Why would you ever think that?”

“I guess we’re fuck buddies, huh? Good to know,” I mutter, gritting my teeth. “Are we exclusive, or do I get to whore myself all over town?”

That did it. Now Tally is as pissed off as I am.

Good.

“What the hell is your problem? Do you to whore yourself all over town? Go ahead, don’t let me stop you. I’m sure you have an open-ended invitation with Nicole.”

“Leave her out of it.”

“Aww,” she hisses, her eyes narrowing, “did I upset you when I dissed your girlfriend?” Tally throws open the car door. “Screw this shit. I’m out of here. Go live your life, however you choose. I’m done.”

I reach across the interior of the car and grasp her arm, preventing her exit.

“Let me go, Owen.”

“No,” I reply, tightening my grip.

She swings her gaze to me, as those soft, dark eyes fill with tears. “Why would you say something like that? Why would you ruin a beautiful day?”

“Why would , Tally?”

“What did I do?” she screams, throwing her hands up in frustration.

I scrub my face with my hands. I have to calm down. The two of us are combustible when we’re both heated. Especially when that heat is fueled by insecurities. “Why didn’t you tell Beth that we were together?”

Everything freezes at that moment, and for the first time, I’m not confident that we can overcome our differences. Tally might make me pay for my deception forever.

When she finally speaks, her voice is low. Uncertain. “I’m not sure what we are, Owen.”

“You’re not? I thought we patched up everything last night.”

“Because we had sex?” Tally scoffs. “Is that why you think everything is hunky-dory? That the lie you told and the fact that you’ve been hanging out with Dr. Hedges would magically disappear when you gave me an orgasm? Please, tell me that isn’t what you’re saying.”

How did I end up in the hot seat again? “So, last night—and this morning—meant nothing?”

She grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. “It always means something with you, Owen. I’m the woman who didn’t have sex for two years, remember? I’m hardly the type to fall into bed with people. Until you, anyway.”

It’s her attempt at levity, but I’m not in a jovial mood. I’m angry and hurt and beginning to realize that I have little right to be.

“I don’t want to do this halfway, Tally. I’m not looking for a no-strings fuck buddy. Not with you.”

“You’re turning down every man’s dream,” she snorts. “I’m joking. Please smile.”

“Not in the mood for smiling right now.”

She fiddles with her long braid, her nerves apparent. “I’m scared, Owen.”

I grasp her chin, forcing her to look at me. “Of what? Me? Us? A future together? What scares you? I told you that first night, I can’t fix it if I don’t know what you’re thinking.”

“I was furious that you lied to me and more furious with myself that I didn’t figure it out sooner. But then, it seemed like the moment you walked into the hospital, you were surrounded by all sorts of women, begging for attention.”

“Tally, I don’t want those women.”

“Then why did you spend time with Nicole? You knew she was after you, but you did it anyway. Hell, you gave me an ultimatum—forgive you or you’d shack up with another woman.”

What the hell? I didn’t say that…did I? “That is how I meant it, Tally.”

“You sure about that? I think it’s exactly how you meant it. Now you’re angry because I’m not jumping straight into the relationship ring with you again. Our situation is complicated—”

“No,” I cut her off, shaking my head, “it’s not. I want to know where I fit into your life. Do you want to be with me or not?”

She wipes away a few stray tears. “I do, Owen. But we work together, and after what happened to me before, I’m terrified of enduring that again. I don’t think I could survive it twice.”

I slam the steering wheel, making Tally jump. I cringe from my action, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I would never hurt you, Tally.

I would take a bullet for you.”

“You better not,” she warns, clasping my hand again.

“How long will I be chasing ghosts, Darlin? I’m sorry that scumbag hurt you. I’m not him, but you need to figure that out because I can tell you until I’m blue in the face, and you won’t believe me. And until you believe me, you won’t let me anywhere near your heart. I worship more than your body, Tally. I want the entire package. I’m not willing to settle for having pieces of you.”

Tally chews her lip, her gaze averted. Well, the ball is in her court. I’ve laid out what I want, but she has to decide if she’s on board with that decision. “Can we keep it quiet?” At my frustrated groan, she squeezes my hand. “Only at work, and only for the time being. Let me wrap my head around everything. I’m sorry, but with our situation and my father getting injured, I’m a bit out of sorts. Can you please compromise with me on that?”

I want to hold out, but when her lips press to my hand, I cave. I’m such a pussy for this woman. “We aren’t dating anyone else, right?”

I expect a sigh of relief, but her eyes darken until they shine black. “Is that something you want?”

“No, I’m just asking. Christ, Tally.” How do I keep managing to step in it? Every. Damn. Time. “Do you think I’d be jumping through hoops if I wanted anyone else? Come on, give me some credit.”

A smile splits her face. “Sorry, I got a bit defensive.”

“I take the cake on that one, Darlin. Today, at least. Just don’t push me away. I’ll play by your rules, but I really hope you’ll want to play by our rules soon.”

“Fair enough,” she whispers, leaning across the car to offer a chaste kiss.

Screw that. I need passion, and I need it now. I grasp both sides of her face, pushing my tongue into the sweet recesses of her mouth. My fingers twist in her dark locks, and a low groan sounds from us both when her hand settles on my cock. “I need inside you.”

She laughs, that husky, ‘I want to rip your clothes off,’ chuckle that is my own personal Viagra. “Thankfully, we’re only a few minutes from the apartment. Think you’ll make it?”

“I don’t know,” I mutter, pulling back onto the highway, bucking my hips when she scratches her nails over my bulge. “You keep doing that, and we won’t make it another ten feet.”

But my tiny vixen doesn’t listen. All Tally hears is a challenge. Get me as hot as she can, while I can’t do anything about it. By the time I pull into her driveway, I’ve damn near busted a nut. But once I shut off the car, she knows.

I’ll torture her with orgasms the rest of the night.