Shallow (9 page)

Claire was right. She was beginning to see that she never really loved Cooper.

All the carriages were loaded and we began to rise and fall as the wheel spun around. A gust of wind picked up as we rose to the top and a wild strand of hair blew into her face and got stuck in her lip gloss. I couldn't resist the excuse to touch a part of her so I reached forward to set it free.

All I could taste and breathe was this moment with her. Our time together would be over soon and I didn’t want to go home without telling her that I had to see her again.

I twirled the wild strand in my fingers and then tucked it behind her ear. “Last night, you told me you wouldn’t go out with me because you were looking for something different, yet you’re here with me now.”

A regretful expression came across her face. “Nick, you’ve been really sweet to me and I’ve had a wonderful time with you tonight, as a friend. We can never be more than that. You’ve gone through too many girls.”

“I’ve always used protection. Every time without fail. I swear I haven’t caught anything if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m glad to know you at least had the good sense to be safe, but that’s not what I mean. I’m looking for something lasting and you’re looking for your next one night stand.”

“I’m not.”

“You are and if you were really being honest with yourself, you’d have to admit that you’re interested in me because I’m a challenge for you. I didn’t flip onto my back for you and it’s driving you crazy. I promise it won’t be long until you see that I’m right. You’ll forget all about me when your next conquest comes along and both of us will walk away from this unscathed. We might even be friends when it’s over.”

She couldn’t be more wrong. This was me being honest with myself about what I wanted for the first time in a really long time. I truly, madly, deeply wanted Payton Archer. “You’re wrong about me but I can see that it may take a while for you to realize that. In the meantime, if friendship is all you can give then I’ll take it over nothing at all.”

9 A Hawke’s Prey

Payton

I rambled about nothing and everything simultaneously since our
talk
on the Ferris wheel, but I kept hearing Nick’s words repeat over and over in my head.
“You’re wrong about me but I can see that it may take a while for you to realize that. In the meantime, if friendship is all you can give then I’ll take it over nothing at all.”

I had heard all the lines of bullshit before and I knew the game like the back of my hand but none of Nick’s words sounded like the kind of thing a
Playah
would say. Was it possible that I was wrong about him?

His fingers accidentally grazed mine as we walked to his car and it made me wish he would reach out and squeeze my hand the way he had when we were on the Ferris wheel, but I knew he wouldn’t since I had just skillfully played the friend card.

“You’re suddenly very quiet. Is something wrong?”

I adjusted Fair Bear on my hip like a toddler. “Just thinking is all.”

I reached for my phone in my back pocket to read the texts I had ignored from earlier.

“K. Have fun.

The next text was also from Claire.
“Don’t worry about being DD. We’re covered.”

I was nearing the stage of utter shock because I had completely expected Claire to rip me a new one for leaving with Nick.
“K. Having fun but call if U need me,”
I replied.

“They don’t need me to be the DD so I’m free for the rest of the night.” I realized that sounded like I assumed he would want to spend the rest of the night with me so I tried to back paddle on my statement. “But you can take me back to Dane’s if you have something else you’d like to do.”

“I can’t think of a thing I’d rather do than be with you tonight.”

That might not be the entire truth. There was at least one thing I knew he would rather be doing, but he could forget it; he wasn’t getting in my pants tonight.

“So, what cha wanna do? What’s there to do in Collinsville?”

“There’s a pool hall down the road that I hang out at sometimes. You like playing pool or darts? I could probably score us some draft.”

A pool hall? I somehow doubted it would be anything similar to The Billiards Club in Franklin but I was game. Just as I was about to tell Nick that I would love to go with him, three thugs appeared behind us.

“Well, well, look who we have here. If it isn’t Nick Hawke.”

“I’m not looking for trouble, Ace.”

“Well, it looks like trouble found you. You cost me a lot of money on last night’s race and you’re either going to make up for it on this next race or I’m gonna take it out of your ass.”

“Get in the car, Payton.” I opened my mouth to ask why, but Nick didn’t give me the chance to say anything. “No questions. In the car, now.”

I saw the seriousness on his face and knew it wasn’t the time to question him so I did as he told me. He pushed the lock down on the door before he shut it and I knew that was a sign that these guys weren’t pals and they weren’t here to play.

My heart was pounding as I watched Nick talking to the one with tattoos from his wrists up to his neck. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I could tell he was mad as hell about something.

I couldn't see Nick’s face because his back was turned to me, but I could tell that he was standing his ground because both of their voices grew louder as they argued. Nick was not backing down to this guy and that clearly wasn’t going over well. I thought about how Jessie had been stabbed and shot by people no different from these thugs he was arguing with now and I reached for my pepper spray in my purse, just in case.

Nick turned away from the threesome to walk around to the driver’s side, but Ace grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. He landed a punch on the left side of his face and Nick went down. I panicked, not knowing if he was hurt or not and opened the door.

Nick quickly sprang from the ground at Ace and his fist connected with his eye and then he stepped away from him with his fists up in defense like a boxer waiting for the next swing. While he bounced from side to side, one of Ace’s thugs drug me out of the car as I scratched and clawed at him viciously. My screams distracted Nick and he took another fist to the face as Ace took advantage.

In my state of panic, I managed to remember a self defense move I learned years ago and gave him an upward slam of my palm to his nose and he immediately released me but only for the other thug to grab me by the waist from behind.

“Ooh, Hawke. This one is a fighter.” He leaned around and spoke against my ear. “I bet she’s lots of fun in bed. I may have to try her out.”

“Let her go,” Nick demanded. “She has nothing to do with what’s between us.”

I bucked violently when I thought about him trying me out and slammed the back of my head against the thug’s nose several times until he released me. I turned to face him head on and saw he was wiping a profuse amount of blood from his face.

“My nose. The bitch broke my nose.”

Ace pointed in my direction. “When I’m done with your boyfriend, you’re next.”

Nick sprang from where he stood and took Ace to the ground. There were so many punches being thrown, I couldn’t tell who was winning. I was terrified for Nick and afraid Ace might pull a knife or gun at any moment so I did the only thing I knew to do. I sprayed him with my pepper spray.

Screams were all I could hear as he rubbed his face. “What the hell? What did you just spray me with?”

I began to back away as he blindly swung in my direction. I looked at Nick and saw his reddening eyes squeezed shut and I knew I had gotten him too.

“Shit, Nick. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spray you.”

“A little blew back on me. It’s not so bad since you didn’t get me directly.” He reached up toward me. “Can you help me to the car?”

I reached for his hand and helped him stand as he strained to get up. I felt horrible. “I really am sorry.”

“Come on, let’s get out of here. Can you drive my car for me?”

I held his hand and led him to the passenger side. “Sure, it’s the least I can do since I just set your face on fire.”

He reached into his pocket and held the keys in front of me. I reached for them and unlocked the door before I opened it for him.

“This is all wrong, you know? I’m supposed to be opening all the doors and driving you around.”

“I’ll let it slide this time.”

I got into the driver’s seat and was surprised at how powerful I felt when I turned the key to start the roaring engine. “Where to?”

“My house, I guess. I need to wash the pepper spray off my face.”

I drove for a little while and pondered if it was a good idea to ask about those thugs but decided he would tell me that it was none of my business if he didn’t want me to know. “What did those guys want with you?”

“Ace wanted me to throw the race with Dane last night. He threatened me and thought I would cave but I’m a lot like a certain someone I know. I don’t do ultimatums.”

“If nothing else, that’s one thing we have in common.”

“I locked you in the car to protect you, but I wouldn’t have if I had known you were a total Chuck Norris badass. Are you ever gonna stop surprising me?”

“Probably not, but you could hold out hope along with my parents.”

I got a laugh out of him. That meant he wasn’t too pissed at me about the pepper spray, so that was good, right? I stopped at a red light and took the opportunity to search his face while his eyes were shut. Even with his eyes clammed closed he was seriously hot, ridiculously so.

I heard a horn blowing at me to go when the light turned green and I guess I gassed it a little too hard and squealed a tire. “Damn, girl. What are you trying to do?”

“Sorry. I’m not used to this many horses. This thing will get away from you in a hurry.”

“She’s not a thing. Her name is Ebony.”

Okay. I see where Ebony fit. “Your car’s name is Ebony?”

“Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never come across a person that named their vehicle?”

“Not a sane person.”

Our conversation about naming vehicles was cut short when I saw his street and I was glad because I was afraid he was about to encourage me to give my Lexus a name. “You said 2143 Forrest Drive?”

“Yep. That’s the one.”

The drive to Nick’s house from the fairgrounds wasn’t far and I was grateful. I knew his skin and eyes had to be burning like crazy and he was being kind by not complaining because he didn’t want me to feel worse than I already did.

I parked in the drive of a small cream brick house with black shutters and I guessed we were in the right place because there was a squad car parked on the street in front of the house. I turned to look at Nick and he sat motionless with his eyes closed tightly.

“We’re here.” I turned off the engine and went around to the passenger’s side. I put my hand out and took his in mine. “Here, let me help you. Which door are we using?”

“Might as well use the front door ‘cause my old man is gonna be stretched out on the couch watching television. There won’t be any sneaking past him.”

“I’m sorry, Nick. This is all my fault.”

He stopped before we in the door and grabbed my face even though he couldn’t look into my eyes. “Stop it. This could never be your fault. You didn’t have any control over Ace jumping me and you were scared I was about to get the shit kicked out of me. But for the record, I totally had him.”

He couldn’t see the smirk on my face. “Yeah, I know.”

“Damn skippy,” he said as he turned to enter the front door. Just as he predicted, his dad was stretched out on the couch watching Saturday Night Live in his boxers, which I guess was better than whitey tighties. Awesome. Could this get any more awkward?

He didn’t make a move at first because he thought Nick was alone but then he saw me and shot up to grab a pillow to cover his lap. “Damn, Son, could you give me a little notice if you’re bringing a girl home? I’m in my skivvies here.”

“Sorry, Dad. I didn’t think about it.”

I dropped my eyes to the floor and turned around as his dad got off the couch. “Give me a second.”

“Sorry. I guess he’s been a bachelor for too many years.”

“No, it’s okay. This is his house and it’s his right to watch television in his skivvies if he wants.”

We were both laughing when he came back in wearing a T-shirt and some flannel pants. He offered his hand and Nick introduced us. “This is my dad, Dutch.”

Dutch Hawke. What a great cop name. “Dad, this is Payton.”

He looked at me for a minute before he said anything. “It’s nice to meet you, Payton.” He smiled and I saw who Nick got his dimples from. “Forgive me if I seem a little shocked. Nick has never brought a girl home before.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

He turned to smirk at Nick and the smile left his face. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I got jumped.”

“By what?”