Hide and Seek Her Page 17

  He offered a weak smile and then rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I get that a lot, especially from people who knew him well.”

  I wanted to ask him more; I wanted to know why people assumed he and Riley were in the accident that killed his parents and how they managed to remain alive and unseen for almost a month. I wanted to know what his Dad was like and if his Mom was the reason he could cook like a chef, but he walked away and towards the kitchen. I knew the discussion was over and I couldn’t help but wonder why Vance closed himself off when it came to discussing his parents. Instead of prying I yawned which caught his attention.

  “Come on, let’s get you to bed. We’ve got a big day tomorrow and you being tired won’t be fun.”

  I smiled at him and he led me upstairs. I felt safe here, I felt good here. Jackson was as far from my mind as I could get him and I hoped I could keep it that way.

  Chapter 20

  We made it to Brooks, Alabama in a little over an hour. The town was perfect and I instantly fell in love with the small town charm and old brick buildings that lined the small streets. I was happy to find that some of the streets were still cobblestone which added to my love affair with the town.

  Vance led me through the streets and into a few small shops he assumed I’d like. We tasted meringues at a small French bakery and walked in and out of a few novelty shops and antique stores. Vance was doing a fine job at keeping me busy both body and mind.

  We ate a late lunch in a small steakhouse and winery that opened around three for dinner. We were one of the only people in the restaurant and the dimly lit corner we ate in was beyond romantic.

  We talked more about Micah and me growing up with Rich and Lara. He wanted to know more about the friendship between myself and Kim and at the mention of her name I suddenly felt guilty.

  “What?” He asked between bites of his steak.

  I shook my head, “I should have called Kim and let her know what was going on. It’s been days since we’ve even sent a message to each other.”

  I could sense Vance’s curiosity and I knew he was wondering how much Kim knew about my past. I sat my silverware down and wiped my face. “Kim, Micah, Rich and Lara are the only ones that know everything. Others know what they need to and strangers know the rumors they heard. I assume you have to know a little about the things that happened to me?”

  Vance sighed and took a long sip of his wine before he spoke. “Charlotte, I know you have a past and a messy and unpleasant one at that. I know you’ve been hurt but that’s about all.” He eyed me warily like he was making sure he hadn’t crossed a line. He cleared his throat and leaned towards me. “As much as I want hear the story from you, I know that is going to take an immense amount of trust from you to me. I also know this isn’t the place to have the conversation.” He waved his hand around the restaurant and I was aware as it got later we weren’t the only people eating anymore.

  Vance continued to finish his food and I stared at him for a few moments. Men like him just didn’t exist in the world today; at least not in my world. He was so damn good at being good. He noticed me staring at him and smiled between bites. I replayed his words in my mind and let myself pause over the part where he mentioned trust. One of our earliest conversations popped in my mind, when he was still an asshole he told me I needed to trust people then. I mulled over his words for a few more moments and let my mind wander. He really wanted me to have faith in him; it was almost like he needed me to trust him for both his sake and my own. Why it was so important to him was beyond any realm of knowledge I could think of, maybe he cared about me more than I thought.

  After we finished our meals and stopped for milkshakes for the drive home, we set back towards Locke’s Point. The drive went by quickly and it was nearing seven as we arrived in town. I had never been on a date like the one I had been on today, even back when I was in high school. Vance’s phone started ringing and he turned the volume down on the radio and answered it.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  I watched him as he spoke, a fleeting look of responsibility crossed his face and I instantly knew it was Riley. He only looked that way when he talked to or about Riley. He was in the mode a father would go into when he spoke to his son.

  “No we’ll be home in about fifteen minutes. Are you already gone?” His eyes darted towards me for a moment and then they were instantly back on the road.

  My stomach was in knots as he spoke to Riley and the idea of us having the house to ourselves caused my nerves to jolt into overtime. I folded my hands in my lap and played with my bracelet.

  He continued to listen to his brother talk and every now and then would sigh and give him a brief “mmhmm”. I took the next few minutes to regain my breathing to normal as I stared up at the now cloudy sky. It looked like it could blow in yet another storm and we had seen enough of those this year. Alabama summers were hot and humid and so far this one had been rainier than normal.

  “Alright just be careful, and don’t let Alex leave without you. No…I know you’re not Riley, I just want you to be careful okay? Okay. Good. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Vance ended the call and sat the phone down in the console. There was a small silence growing between us and my nerves were beginning to flare up again.

  “It looks like it’s going to storm,” I mumbled keeping my eyes fixated on the sky.

  I could see Vance’s reflection in my window; he seemed to relax a little. “Yeah, I think it’s going to later on, news said something about thunder and rain late tonight.”

  I sighed and leaned back in my seat. “Great,” I mumbled and rolled my eyes.

  “What, you don’t like storms?”

  A small shudder rippled through me. I hated thunderstorms, they were laced with memories of my past and for some stupid reason I connected those things together and usually bawled my way through storms.

  “No. I hate them,” I mumbled and tried to rid my mind of the memories.

  “Well it’s a good thing that you’re staying with me then.” He smiled and focused his attention back on the road.

  After we arrived back home Vance disappeared into his kitchen and told me to make myself at home. Since we had spent a majority of the day out in the heat, I really wanted to shower so I headed up to his enormous bathroom and dived under the torrent of water. The hot water and the scent of the body wash I was using shook me from my nervousness and I leaned back against the cool tile and smiled to myself. Vance was doing a fantastic job of keeping me safe and keeping me busy; Lara was right, he was a catch. His words from when we first met reverberated through my mind again and I remembered him bringing up the fact that I choose not to trust people. He had told me on countless occasions that he wanted me to trust him, and why shouldn’t I? Although he was elusive about certain aspects from his past, he had never given me a reason to not trust him, if anything he was beyond patient with me. I was the one with the secrets and skeletons hidden well within my closet and he hadn’t pressed me for any information on anything or even why I was in the police station on Saturday night.

  For the first time this thought baffled me. Even though he knew a small piece of me being there had to do with an ex-boyfriend, most people wouldn’t settle for just that small amount of information. Vance had beat around the bush a few times but never flat out asked me anymore about things. If the roles were reversed would I be so unwilling to obtain any insight on the situation? Would I sit back and just be okay with the fact that the person I was currently falling for was meeting with the authorities about someone from their past? Could Vance really be that damn good that he would let me come to him when I was ready? Something didn’t add up, people couldn’t be this perfect, people like this didn’t exist.

  I quickly exited the shower and left the water running. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my body and threw the bathroom door open, to my surprise Vance was standing outside of it, his eyes blazing when he looked me up and down.

  “Vance…” I breathe
d out as I continued to watch him study me standing in front him.

  He took a long, deep breath and closed his eyes, “What?”

  I shook my head. “Why haven’t you asked me anymore about the night I was at the police station?”

  He opened his eyes again and tilted his head to the side like that was the last thing he expected me to say, “Because you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

  I tugged the towel tighter around my body and crossed my arms, “Why don’t I believe that?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and took a step towards me, his eyes still blazing. “That’s not a question I can answer. You’ll believe me if you want to.”

  He was keeping something from me, and from the way he was looking at me, he was doing a damn good job of it. “Vance, please. No one can be this good. Do you know more than I think you do about my past?”

  He shook his head again, “Charlotte, I’m not as good as you think I am. I know bits and pieces of your past, I know you have been hurt but that is all.”

  He stepped towards me and I took a step back. He raised his eyebrows at me and continued to walk towards me until we were both in the bathroom again. He glanced over at the shower and smirked, “You left the water running.”

  I looked at it and sighed, “I just ran out, I didn’t think about shutting it off, I just wanted to know why you haven’t pressed me for more information.”

  “Are you not done showering?”

  I blushed and looked down, “No, but don’t change the subject.”

  Vance pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor which caused me to stop breathing, “I’m not changing the subject. I told you what I know Charlotte and I’ve told you before, I’m not going to pry.” The steam in the bathroom was heavy and sticking to his hair which caused it to curl more. I wanted to wrap myself around him and run my hands through it.

  “Are you going to finish?” He asked as he pointed towards the shower. I looked down again and blushed but nodded my head.

  “Well hurry up, I wanted to shower, too.”

  My eyes met his and this time I took a step towards him. When I reached him he looked at me curiously but I ignored it and placed a hand on his chest. He leaned down and kissed me hard, it was unexpected and caused me to jump a little. When I kissed him back he pulled away and stared at me. “Charlotte…” My name was pained as it came out of his mouth.

  “I believe you, Vance,” I said quietly and he turned his head to the side.

  “I believe what you’re telling me and I’m sorry I questioned it, I’m just not used to men like you. You’re…complex in a good way and amazing and I’ve never had any of that.”

  He rested his hand under my chin and tilted my face upwards, “Charlotte I’m not as good as you think I am-“

  “You keep saying that.” I cut him off and shook my head. “But I don’t see that, Vance. You don’t give yourself enough credit. You are too good for me, for anyone really. You belong in a category by yourself.” His grip around my waist tightened as I spoke and this time he looked down. “You told me a long time ago I needed to learn to trust people; you were right. You are right. I need to learn not everyone is bad and there are good people in my life. You are one of those people.” My voice trailed off as his eyes met mine again, this time they were simmering.

  “Charlotte…” his words were pained again as his grip around me tightened, a fleeting look of hope crossed his face.

  I nodded towards him and was inches from his face, “I trust you, Vance. I trust all of you.” I closed the gap between us and kissed him lightly. When I pulled away he bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair. He mumbled the words “God-Damnit” followed closely by a “Fuck it” and in the next instant his arms were violently around me and he was pulling me into the shower with him. My towel fell to the floor as he pinned me against the tiled wall and kissed me hard. He moaned against my mouth as he ran his hands down my body and I giggled as he fumbled with his now soaking wet jeans.

  He pulled away from me for a moment as the water poured down around us, his eyes never left mine but they were soft and warm. The look plastered on his face was pure appreciation. “It took you long enough,” he mumbled and smiled before he kissed my neck.

  “What do you mean?” I managed to breathe out quickly.

  “I told you I wanted you to trust me. Charlotte until I had your trust I wasn’t going to touch you. Obviously I broke that rule here and there but I was not going to do anything until I knew I had your trust. I am not a monster, I’m not perfect either but I do care about you and I care about what you’ve been through.”

  I clasped my hands around his face as tears pricked my eyes, “That’s all it took for this to actually happen? Trust?”

  He nodded and pressed his forehead against mine, “It’s easier said than done though baby. I know that for a fact. Giving your entire faith to someone, a stranger even is a hell of a feat to accomplish.”

  I smiled and he smiled back at me before kissing me gently. He continued to do that for a few moments while my mind caught back up to my body and then returned the favor. I wrapped my arms around him and pressed myself against him, he moaned again before speaking. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded and bit my lip, “I trust you Vance.”

  Chapter 21

  I awoke sometime early in the morning when the loud sound of thunder clattered against the roof. I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes and I tried to get my bearings straight. When my sight adjusted, I realized I was in Vance’s bed. I smiled to myself as the memories from earlier in the night flooded my mind but my smile faded when I realized he wasn’t next to me. I stood up and walked over the dresser to grab a tank top and a pair of underwear. I didn’t want to walk downstairs naked and stumble upon Riley or one of their friends.

  Another loud crash of thunder made me jump and I cursed against the lightning. I walked down the dark staircase as the lightning danced on the wood floor beneath me. There were no lights on downstairs except for the dim light hanging over the kitchen sink that always remained on. I walked into the living room to find the same thing; an empty dark nest.

  I was puzzled as I walked around the dark house and a little frightened. He knew I hated storms, where would he have gone? I peeked into the small sunroom off of the living room that I had never even gone into. The room was adorned with several floor to ceiling windows and a few small couches. Propped up on one of the couches next to a dimly lit candle was Vance. He looked tired, like he had been woken up rudely and couldn’t fall back asleep. He was looking out the windows at the garden that was now soaked with rain and the hydrangeas were blowing fiercely against the wind.

  I walked towards him and his head shot in my direction quickly. His tired gaze met mine and a small smile slid across his lips. He patted the seat next to him and moved the blanket aside. I walked over and curled up on the couch, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

  “Why aren’t you in bed?” My voice was small.

  “The storm woke me up, I came down here and I couldn’t fall back asleep. I didn’t want to wake you so I thought I’d just stay down here until I got tired enough to come back to bed.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say, I was just relieved to be in his arms.

  “Did you think I left you?”

  I shrugged, “I just didn’t know where you were.”

  He relaxed a little but kept his arms around me, “After all of that I don’t think I could ever leave you.”

  I blushed as the memories flooded my mind again. There was yet another thing to add to the list of perfect abilities that Vance boasted; the man was incredible in bed. My original thought of him being a celibate virgin crossed my mind and before I could even think about what I was asking the question was out.

  “You weren’t a virgin were you?” I blushed more red than I ever had before and I knew even in the darkness Vance could see it.

  “What? No! Why would you think that?
”

  I adjusted myself so that I was facing him but I kept my eyes down. “Because anytime we would fool around and get to the point of no return you would stop. You would stop whatever it was you were doing, or I was doing and go do something else. That takes a lot of strength. I assumed maybe you were a virgin or just waiting until you were married or something.”

  The lightning flickered and I could see the amusement on his face. He laughed a low laugh and I flushed deeper.

  “No Char, I was not a virgin until a few hours ago. I told you, I just wanted you to trust me. That’s all I was waiting for. All those times we fooled around as you put it, stopping was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I wanted you just as badly as you wanted me, but I wasn’t going to go there with you until you were ready. I wanted you to tell me what you wanted; I wasn’t going to assume anything.”

  God he was fucking perfect. “If you were a virgin, I was going to be blown away because that was pretty damn mind blowing earlier.”

  He laughed and kissed the top of my head, “You need to give yourself some credit, too you know. It does take two after all.”

  I shrugged; I didn’t have much to go on. Jackson was the only person I had ever been with. “Did you have a very serious girlfriend before me?”

  He shifted little on the couch and seemed a little uncomfortable suddenly. This wasn’t a side of Vance I was used to.

  “No Charlotte I didn’t.”

  “Oh…well then how did you get so good at it?”

  He laughed again and shook his head, “I don’t know, practice maybe?”

  This time I laughed, “So what, you had a couple of girlfriends you were with?”

  He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, “No. I didn’t ever do the girlfriend thing, at least not until you came along. When I lived in North Carolina I had a lot of friends that were girls, and a lot of them wanted to be just mine. I spent a lot of time…dabbling.” His eyes met mine and I laughed again.