Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)(50)

“I love you too. So much Low. So very much. I promise you Low, I’ll never hurt you again.”





Willow



Over the next week Marcus went out of his way to do sweet romantic things for me. I came home from work one night to a candle lit bubble bath waiting on me. He left sweet little notes all over the place for me. A customer had even delivered one to me during work one night. I’d awakened twice to find a vintage Aerosmith concert t-shirt beside my pillow. One was a 1984 California and the other a 1986 Aero Force.

I was ready to take the next step but I was waiting on him. He needed to reassure himself that I wasn’t leaving him. That he’d won my forgiveness. He had, of course. We’d led two very different lives. It wasn’t fair of me to expect him to handle bad situations the same way I did. He’d grown up protected from bad situations. He didn’t know how to roll with the punches. I’d been so eaten up with jealousy I’d wanted to punish him. I didn’t want there to be a reason for him to behave the way he did. You can’t expect a sheltered person to react to disappointment the way someone who’d only known disappointment reacted.

Stepping outside into the sunshine after being shut up in a classroom all day I lifted my face to the sunshine and inhaled the salty breeze. Summer would be here soon and I couldn’t wait to spend it with Marcus. Cage was planning a two week road trip with some of his friends. He wanted me to come too but I was looking forward to those two weeks alone with Marcus. This would be the first time Cage and I had been apart for that long. It worried me some but the fear of being left alone was beginning to wane. Since the morning I’d seen the tears in Marcus’s eyes when he thought he’d lost me I’d felt more secure in our relationship. He loved me just as fiercely as I loved him. I no longer doubted that. Calling Cage when I needed someone never even crossed my mind anymore. The first person I wanted was Marcus. Besides Marcus bought my Jarritos now. He never let them get low enough for Cage to notice. He kept me so well stocked it was comical. Cage had grumbled about it at first but he’d gotten over it.

My happy thoughts were interrupted when my eyes landed on my sister standing against a new Mercedes SUV smiling like the cat who caught the canary. Or more like the cat who caught the rich old dude. Walking toward her I frowned taking in her new wheels. I wondered if it had been purchased from one of Marcus’s dad’s lots.

“Tawny,” I said stopping in front of her.

“Like the car?” Tawny all but purred from pleasure. No. I didn’t like the way she’d gotten it. But I did like the fact Larissa would no longer be hauled around in that death trap of my sister’s.

“You got it by spreading your legs, sis. I’m not a fan of home-wreckers.”

She rolled her eyes and gave me a disgusted look. As if I was the gross one. Hello Miss Screwing-someone-twice-your-age.

“Whatever. I wanted to let you know I was moving and I’m selling the house. Jefferson feels like it’s best. Letting you have it is pointless. You don’t live there. It’s mine anyway. Mom left it to me.”

This information stung but I expected it. She’d never given me anything. Why start now?

“Where are you moving to?” It had better not be far. I couldn’t care less about Tawny but Larissa was my niece. I wanted to be able to see her.

Tawny smirked and tilted her head so that her copper curls draped over her bare arm. “Jefferson is moving us to Mobile. He has a nice big house bought for us and he is moving in with us as soon as the ink is dry on his divorce papers.”

An hour away. Not bad, but still further than I liked. At least Tawny would have no need to work. She would be home with Larissa and maybe this lifestyle would ignite the mother in her. Maybe she and Larissa could bond. I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth. Tawny was really breaking up a marriage. But Larissa would have a daddy. I was so torn. Knowing Larissa wouldn’t have to live the life I had was such a relief. But knowing a marriage had been destroyed, another family was losing their father, it broke my heart. God, could this be any more screwed up.

“Here,” Tawny handed me an envelope. I reached out to take it. It had my name written on the outside in Tawny’s swirly handwriting and it was sealed.

“It’s some money. For all the times you kept Larissa and so you can get a place of your own and move out of Cage York’s bed. I also put our new address in there. Larissa will want to see you.” I stared at my sister dumbfounded. Who was this and what had she done with Tawny?

“You’re giving me money?” I asked incredulously.

She straightened her shoulders and I could see the mask of indifference take its place on her face. Tawny didn’t do emotion.

“I always pay my debts, Low.” She flashed me her beauty queen smile and flipped her hair over her shoulders. “Well, I have to go meet my fiancé and pick Larissa up from the sitter.” She turned to saunter off then stopped and glanced back over her shoulder.

“You’re smart, Low. Do something with that.”

I just stood there as she climbed into her new fancy SUV and drove off. What had just happened? Had that been her way of saying she was sorry? Looking down at the envelope in my hands I opened it carefully. Pulling out a check for ten thousand dollars I stared at it in shock. Then my eyes focused on the endorser: Jefferson M Hardy II