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I made my way back to my car, my mind still on the mind-blowing kiss that Dax had planted on me. God, I don’t think any man had ever made my knees go weak like that. The small show of jealousy had butterflies dancing in my stomach. I was so distracted by my thoughts, I didn’t realize that I went two rows too many to get to my car. When I turned around, I saw Aimes a few steps behind me.
“Aimes,” I said hesitantly, the fact that he’d followed me out into the parking lot scared me. “What are you doing?”
“You should have told me you were coach’s plaything.”
“What do you mean, his plaything? I’m in a relationship with him, Aimes. I’m nobody’s toy.”
“All those looks you’ve been giving me, leading me on. It’s not right. You’re a tease.”
“You need to turn and go, Aimes. You need to find yourself another tutor as well and maybe a counselor,” I said firmly, fear really starting to take hold. He was out of his mind. I’d never given him any special treatment or looked at him any way other than as someone I was helping with his classes.
“I don’t need a counselor, but you will regret leading me on, Samantha.” He hit the top of a car setting off the alarm.
I jumped at the loud sound, but I was thankful for his show of temper because it brought attention to us standing there talking. People were looking at us curiously, and he walked away.
As much as I wanted to go site seeing around town, I no longer wanted to go alone. It didn’t feel safe anymore—I didn’t feel safe anymore. I quickly went to my car, careful to look around to see who was watching me. I also checked the backseat to make sure nobody was there. When I was safely tucked inside my car, I locked the doors and started the engine, the cool air from the AC blasted me in the face, but I needed it.
My hands were shaking and the butterflies of delight from Dax’s kiss that were dancing in my stomach before my run in with Aimes were now knotted in fear. I drove home, the familiar lighthouse gave me comfort.
When I walked in, Badger greeted me at the door, his tongue lolling to the side and his feet dancing in joy at seeing me. I dropped my bags down on the ground, and sank down to my knees, wrapping my arms around the loving dog and crying into his thick fur.
He sat there and let me hold him while I cried all the tears I’d been holding in since I left the wedding in my gown. I’d hid out for a few days in a hotel outside Ashville. In those days, I sat there watching mindless tv and surfing the internet on my laptop. I cut myself off from my ex-fiancé and my family in one foul swoop and didn’t shed a single tear.
A few days here and a run in with a scary neanderthal had me blubbering like a baby. I sniffed and gave Badger a kiss on the snout.
“Thanks, boy. You’re a good pillow when a girl needs a good cry.”
“But what made you cry?” I jumped when I heard his voice behind me. Dax must have moved like a ninja to sneak up on me that way.
“Shit.” I placed my hand over my pounding heart. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“I’m sorry.” He sighed heavily. “If you’re crying because of the kiss, Sam, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laid one on you without asking or warning you.”
My cheeks heated with the mention of his kiss. “I’m not crying because of that.”
His brow furrowed and he shook his head in confusion. “Then why?”
“Aimes,” I said simply. “He cornered me in the parking lot. That kid is unstable, Dax. I can’t tutor him anymore.”
“What happened?” he asked, steel in his voice. His face darkened in anger when I explained what happened and what he had said to me.
“I swear, Dax. I never once led that kid on.”
“Samantha,” he stopped me and pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. “Shhh, honey. I know. I’ll take care of it.”
“What if my telling makes everything worse? I don’t want to cause trouble for you, Dax. I’m here to help ease your burden, not make it more difficult to bear.”
“Hey.” He leaned back and made me look him in the eye. “None of this is your fault Sam. If it’s anybody’s fault. it’s Aimes’ and mine. I heard him talking about you in the locker room and it pissed me off, so I took it out on him and on the team. I shouldn’t have done that. And Aimes shouldn’t have talked about you the way he did, and he damn sure had no right to corner you in the parking lot. He crossed a line, and it needs to be dealt with.”
“What’s going to happen?”
“I’m going to talk to the coach and the dean. Most likely he will be put on probation and removed from the football team. He’s lucky I’m an assistant coach and I can’t get out there and run him over on that field. And if I weren’t an ex-cop and a faculty member, he’d be walking around looking like a racoon from two black eyes that I would be all too happy to give him.”
I laughed. “Thanks Dax.”
“For what?”
“For being here.” I shrugged simply. “Wait, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be on campus?”
