One Reckless Night (25 page)

care to admit.”

Erwin’s cold gaze finally drifted over to Dane in what she assumed was acknowledgement.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

“Nice to see you again, Dane, although I can’t say I’m surprised. You always seemed to bring

out the best in her.”

The underlying nastiness in Erwin’s tone couldn’t be missed and she felt Dane stiffen beside

her. This was not the way she wanted this to happen. Not here. Not now.

“What is that supposed to mean,” Dane asked, the anger in his tone barely veiled.

Erwin stuck his free hand in his pocket. “Just that Bayleigh was so frigid and inadequate with

me, it always left me wondering if you were getting all of the
good
parts.”

Erwin’s barb hit its mark. Bayleigh couldn’t focus on the anger roaring through her with

Dane at her side.

“You son of a—”

“
Dane, no
,” Bayleigh leaned against him as he struggled to get out of the booth. Erwin stood

there in his cocky stance like Dane wouldn’t take him down.

If only he knew.

Bayleigh was tempted to let Dane out of the booth to lay Erwin out. He deserved it.

However this wasn’t private property like the party and Erwin hadn’t hit Dane first. If she let Dane

have his way he would go to jail tonight.

“Let me out of this booth, Bayleigh. I should have kicked his ass a long time ago.”

She turned to Dane with a look of pleading. “He isn’t worth it, Dane.
Please
don’t.”

The waitress must have picked up on the tension at the table and rushed over. “Is everything

okay? Is this man bothering you?”

Bayleigh almost wilted in relief. “Yes he is.”

The waitress turned to Erwin. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask to you leave or I will have to

call the police.”

Erwin checked his watch before giving all of them a look of contempt. “No need to strain

yourself. It was nice seeing you again, Dane, you as well, Bayleigh. I needed a reminder of the reason

why you weren’t good enough to be my woman.”

Bayleigh felt Dane stiffen behind her again but the waitress stepped in. It was a good thing

since Bayleigh needed to focus on holding back her tears.

“That’s enough, sir. I will see you out.”

Erwin gave the waitress a dismissive look. “There’s no need. I know the way.”

Erwin turned to walk away but Bayleigh didn’t watch him. She dropped her face into her

hands and tried to collect herself.

This was a freaking nightmare. What had she done to deserve such a disastrous week, such a

catastrophic dating life? Erwin just might have ruined any chance she had at a relationship with

Dane. She looked up when the waitress spoke.

“I’m sorry about that. Both of you can have another cup of coffee and a dessert if you’d like,

on me.”

Bayleigh gave her an appreciative smile. “Thank you, but it isn’t your fault. Besides you

already helped immensely by making him leave.”

The waitress nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile before walking away. Leaving her to

deal with a silent, seething, Dane by herself.

Anger radiated off of him but he remained silent. Bayleigh was afraid to look at him, fearful

of what she would find.

“What the
hell
was Erwin mouthing off about?” Dane spoke low, but his anger was still clear

in his voice.

“Not right now, Dane. I need time to figure all this out.”

Dane exhaled harshly before moving away from her. “Will it
ever
be time to deal with it,

Bayleigh?”

She remained silent. When she didn’t have an answer, it was the best route for her to go.

“
Dammit
, Bayleigh. He just insulted you. Why didn’t you let me defend you?”

She shook her head. “Because he isn’t worth earning a criminal background over. And

believe me, he has said worse.”

Dane stiffened, swearing under his breath. “What did the bastard do to you, Bayleigh?”

The tears that she had been struggling to hold back, won out. She wiped away a tear that fell.

“Erwin made me feel guilty about our relationship every day.”

Dane swore again and closed his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me, Bayleigh?”

Bayleigh turned her head to look at him. “I did. I just didn’t always give you all of the

details.”

There was nothing but kindness and concern in his expression. Two emotions she hadn’t

seen in Erwin’s eyes. Two sentiments he probably wasn’t even capable of. Looking at Dane she

realized more than ever that she had to make a break with her past. If she didn’t, her future with

Dane would be non-existent. Turning her body toward him, she decided to lay everything on the

line.

“Look Dane I’m sorry I left you hanging all week but I wasn’t trying to hurt you or ignore

you. This was more about me than you.”

He grimaced. “
Wow
. I never expected to hear such a cliché coming from you.”

She reached out and took his hand in hers. “It may sound cliché but it’s true. It isn’t you. It’s

me. You know it’s true.”

Bayleigh watched his jaw tighten as if he wanted to speak but refrained. He reached for his

coffee cup, but didn’t pick it up. “So are you calling our relationship off?”

She exhaled softly. “I’m not throwing out what we have or giving up on us. However, after

all of the recent events, I realize I might not be ready for an ‘us’. Too much has been left unresolved

and it’s starting to get stirred up…especially with you.”

Dane looked at her with clear confusion. “With me?”

“The emotions you make me feel scare me, Dane.”

Her voice shook, putting emphasis on just how much they did. “We have talked about love

and you make it sound so simple. In my experience it has been nothing but complicated and hard. In

so many ways you have made me question if I really know what love is.”

Dane made a strangled sound. When he looked at her pure frustration was on his face.

“Bayleigh, I lo—”

Bayleigh placed a finger to his lips to keep him from saying the words she had been

expecting him to say for some time now. “
Please,
Dane. Just give me some time.”

“Dammit, Bayleigh. You’re not a quitter.”

“I’m not quitting, just asking for a little time.”

He sat back in the booth, a dejected look on his face. “How much time do you need?”

She remained silent and he groaned. “You’re killing me, Bayleigh.”

Another tear fell. “It’s killing me as well, but I need to sort this out. Otherwise it won’t be

fair to you.”

Dane remained quiet for several heartbeats before sighing. “I know I will probably regret

these words. Take the time you need, Bayleigh.”

Her lips began to tremble but she turned and pressed them against his in a soft kiss. He

deepened it slightly and she felt his need, his desperation, matching hers perfectly. When he pulled

back, she was struggling to keep it together. “It’s getting late and I’m tired.”

Dane nodded but didn’t say anything. She grabbed her purse and slid out of the booth. Her

heart pounded in her chest as she walked away. It was hard to do. Bayleigh was on a mission to

embrace her past because if she didn’t, her relationship with Dane wouldn’t survive.

* * * *

“For the love of Pete, Bayleigh. Sit down before you fall down.”

Bayleigh rolled her eyes. If there was one thing she could always count on, it was for Tasha

to be dramatic. “I’m fine, Tasha.”

Tasha shot her a disbelieving look. “Tell it to someone who will believe it.”

Bayleigh remained silent. She wouldn’t even bother to deny how miserable she felt without

Dane. It had been two-in-a-half weeks since she told Dane she needed space. Unfortunately, she

hadn’t come any closer to reconciling her feelings either. If anything she had succeeded in causing

herself more inner turmoil.

Bayleigh was happy her sister had come over to have dinner with her. Very rarely did she

and her sister get together during the week because they both had busy lives. Yet, her sister had been

her champion lately. Keeping her from going completely over the brink of insanity.

In some ways she wished she could be like her sister. Her relationship with Jarvis seemed to

be going well. Married life agreed with both of them. She was happy her sister seemed to have found

the man she wanted and had a life she loved. Tasha looked radiant as she flipped their grilled

chicken with tongs. Bayleigh turned her attention to the mixed vegetables she was working on. They

were almost done and the French bread would be ready soon.

Several minutes later, they sat down at the dinner table. Bayleigh stared across the table at

her sister. “I hope Jarvis doesn’t mind not having you at home for dinner.”

Her sister wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “I plan to make it up to him later on tonight.”

Bayleigh laughed and shook her head. “Well, it’s obvious the two of you are still in your

honeymoon phase.”

“I don’t ever plan on leaving it.”

They ate in silence for a few moments before Bayleigh cleared her throat. “So, how is school

going?”

Tasha laughed. “I’m ready for summer break but then again, I’ll be teaching summer school,

so I don’t know why.”

“Because you love teaching and you love your students. It is also the reason you earned

teacher of the year.”

“Thank you. It means a lot to me. But could you have ever imagined
me
being a teacher?”

“Yes I could. You can relate to them in a way most people can’t.”

Tasha sighed. “I know. Although there are days when I feel like I’m beating my head against

a wall.”

“Then you must be a sadist,” Bayleigh teased. “You keep going back for more.”

“You know me. I believe in torturing myself, the same way
you
do.”

Bayleigh groaned. “Tasha.”

Her younger sister shrugged. “Did you think I was going to continue to ignore the situation

while you look the way that you do?”

Bayleigh exhaled. “I’m not ignoring the situation. I’m trying to figure everything out. Work

everything out. I don’t want my life to be meaningless. Unfulfilling.”

Tasha’s eyes widened with surprise. “
What
? How in the world could you ever figure your life

to be meaningless and unfulfilling?

You have a family who loves you, a great education, wonder career, great friends—”

“And a love life in constant shambles,” Bayleigh finished.

“Because you allow it to be,” Tasha responded softly.

Bayleigh remained silent. What could she say? Nothing. Picking up her fork, she took a bit

of chicken and discovered she might as well be eating sawdust. Her sister was a good cook but food

didn’t taste the same when she was stressed.

“What do you think about the term soul mate?”

Bayleigh gasped and tried not to choke. “You play dirty, Tasha.”

Tasha winked at her. “Just doing what I have to do, to get you to come around before you

lose a good man. Believe me, I have been where you are but I must say you look worse than I did.”

Leave it to her sister to be brutally honest. Dane was giving her all the space she needed. He

didn’t call her, hardly talked to her. At work he greeted her like normal. Talked to her when work

required for him to. But that was it. Dane no longer went to lunch with her. No longer teased or

joked with her. In other words, he was doing exactly as she asked and she hated him for it.

Bayleigh also loved him for it. This was hard on him as well but he wasn’t pushing her. She

missed it. She missed him. Looking over at her sister, she sighed. “What are you saying, Tasha, that

Dane is my soul mate?”

Tasha gave her a perplexed look. “I’m surprised you have to ask. I’ve seen you and Dane

together long enough to know there is no other for you.”

Bayleigh smiled. “You might be right. When I opened up and allowed myself to get to know

him, something clicked. He brought out a side of me I didn’t know existed. I wasn’t nervous around

him, like I can be with other men.”

“You don’t say?”

Bayleigh ignored Tasha’s sarcasm. “I remember once I started talking, I couldn’t stop. We

had a lot in common. Work, out families, books, education, you name it. I valued our friendship. I

still do. I just hate to think I messed it up with sex.”

Tasha frowned. “How could you mess it up with sex?”

Bayleigh sighed. “Because sex wasn’t supposed to happen. We were supposed to be working

on out project for work. Then we had dinner. The next thing I know I was in bed with him. We just

got caught up in the moment.”

“And it has been Heaven ever since,” Tasha teased.

“Tasha, I’m being serious here.”

Tasha’s expression became serious. “So am I. What are you running from, Bayleigh—besides

happiness?”

Bayleigh groaned. “Tasha,
please
. I’m trying to talk this out. Work with me.”

Tasha looked at her with sympathy. “Talk. I’m listening.”

“When my friendship with Dane started, I knew I found a good friend. A man I could trust

with my secrets, fears, more importantly he trusted me in return. So it threw me off when I found

out he had romantic feelings for me.”

Tasha frowned. “Why, Bayleigh?”

Bayleigh smiled. “I would have to be blind not to notice how cute he was. What woman