I fall back on the bed and close my eyes, recalling our first day together. How quick I was to fall in love back then. I was young. And a fool.
I throw everything back in the shoebox and resolve never to be one again.
Chapter Seven
Garrett
Six years ago …
I can’t keep my eyes off her. Even with hair still damp from the shower, she’s gorgeous. And those eyes—I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that exact shade of blue. The freckles dotting her nose and cheeks make her seem more youthful than eighteen.
I don’t want her thinking I’m trouble, because I’m not. But I let her think it, and now I regret it. I told her I was a rebel. I’m not like my pretentious father, but because I refused to go to college and law school like Rob, he thinks I’m a deadbeat; a spoiled heir waiting to get his hands on the family money. I don’t give a shit about that. All I want to do is play drums. Except for right now. Now, I want to find out everything I can about the woman sitting next to me.
“What is it you do for Sheila, other than housesit?”
“I waitress for her.”
“What kind of restaurant?”
“It’s a diner.”
I glance around the high-end SUV. “She owns a diner and drives a luxury car?”
“She owns eight of them.”
“Cars?”
She laughs. “Diners. I work at the one on South Street.”
“That explains why I’ve never seen you before. That’s all the way across town from me.”
“You mean in the slums.”
“There are no slums in Stamford,” I say. “It’s Stamford.”
“But it’s what you were thinking, right? That it’s on the other side of the tracks.”
“I wasn’t thinking anything. I was wishing I had met you sooner, is all.”
She momentarily takes her eyes off the road to gauge my sincerity. When she looks back out the windshield, I swear I see the hint of a smile.
“Where do you work?” she asks.
“I play drums for a local rock band. Music is pretty much my life.” The car swerves a bit as she looks at me. I reach out and steady the wheel. “Easy, there. You okay?”
“Yeah, sorry. It’s just that … music is my life. I play guitar. Sing, too. I’m going to be famous one day.”
Something twists my gut. I can’t recall how many times I’ve said those seven words. Hundreds? Thousands? I can’t help feeling I was meant to meet this girl. “I’m going to be famous one day.”
She glances at me, and we laugh.
“What’s the name of your band?”
“Cryptology. We mostly play parties and stuff. Some bars, too.”
She chokes. “You play drums for Cryptology?”
“You’ve heard of us?”
“I saw you play at a bar in Old Greenwich last month. I went with a few of the other waitresses. You’re good.”
“Thanks. What about you? Do you play anywhere when you’re not waitressing?”
“Nope. Can’t afford to. I know how things work. New artists don’t make money for years, even if they’re really good. I’m barely making rent as it is. But someday when I can save up enough, I’m going to record my songs and send them to as many record labels as I can.”
“What do you mean, you’re barely making rent? You’re eighteen. You don’t live with your parents?”
Her hands tighten on the steering wheel. “I don’t have parents.”
It hurts all the way in the pit of my stomach. “Ah, man, I’m sorry.”
“They died when I was six. Single-engine plane crash. My dad was learning how to fly. They were both only children. My mom’s parents were already dead, and my dad’s didn’t want to raise me, so I went into the system.”
“You grew up in foster care?”
She glances at me. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m damaged.”
“I’m not.”
“You are. Everyone does. I’m not even sure why I told you. Forget it.” We pass the ‘Welcome to Stamford’ sign. “Tell me where to drop you off, and we can pretend all this never happened.”
“But I promised to help you unload.”
“I can do it myself.”
“I’m helping. Besides, if I don’t tell you where I live, you have to take me with you.”
“You mean after hearing my sob story, you’re afraid to have me see your house. Don’t be. I couldn’t care less.”
“I don’t give a shit about my house. It’s not mine anyway, it’s my mom and dad’s. I didn’t choose to be born into a rich family, just like you didn’t choose the crappy hand life dealt you.”
“Who said I got dealt a crappy hand?”
“Reece, your parents died. I’d say that’s pretty crappy.”
“I’m only kidding, Jerry.”
I stiffen. “It’s Garrett.”
She laughs. I hit her playfully on the arm. She hits me back. I trap her hand under mine and hold it there. She lets me. Her skin is soft, and I feel her touch all the way to my core. I’m not sure I would let go of her even to hold a drumstick.
She pulls away and turns onto a side street. “We’re here.”
We take a left into a driveway, park, and exit the car. She retrieves keys from her purse as we approach the front door. I eye the keys in her hand. “You do know how those work, don’t you?”
She attempts to swat me, and I duck. She loses her balance and almost topples off the porch, but I pull her toward me, steadying her. Face to face, we gaze into each other’s eyes.
“You won’t deck me if I kiss you, will you?”
Her tongue comes out to wet her lips. “I guess you’ll have to find out.”
“I mean, we probably kissed a dozen times last night. It would be a shame not to remember what it felt like.”
“Do you always talk this much?”
I chuckle as my lips capture hers. And I kiss her like it’s our first kiss. I kiss her long and hard. I kiss her soft and sweet. I kiss her so she’ll never be able to forget what it feels like. I know I sure as hell will always remember.
A bark behind the front door causes us to part. I’m the one left standing breathless as she inserts the key in the lock.
“You coming in?” she says over her shoulder as if nothing happened.
“Sure.”
I follow her in, and she greets a golden retriever.
“This is Reggie.”
My eyes latch on to her tight little ass that fits snugly in her jeans. The lacy edge of her panties becomes visible as she bends over to scratch Reggie’s belly. I wish I could remember what she looks like naked.
To keep my pants from getting too tight, I drop to the ground and play with the dog. “Hey, buddy.”
He licks my face. I don’t miss how Reece is intently watching us play. Is it me she’s staring at, or Reggie?
“He needs to go out,” she says. “In fact, can you look around and make sure he didn’t go in the house? Sheila will kill me if he did. I was supposed to be here by ten.”