Page 6 of Cold Snap

Teresa

W hen Waylon suggests taking his relationship with Oakley public to draw the bastard scaring her out, I, of course, suggested we go to Land’s End.

I have a dual purpose. I want to see Landry again.

I miss him. Speaking on the phone isn’t the same as being in his presence.

I love the sound of his voice, but seeing those eyes…

that’s like what I imagine getting high is like, all addictive and floaty.

I make my way over to him and note he doesn’t seem to be as…easygoing as he normally would be. His eyes still follow the little body chain I have on down to where it can’t be seen anymore.

“What’s up?”

“You here for more heartbreak relief?”

“Hmm, not tonight. Tonight, I’m just here to help watch Oakley.”

“You need to be careful.” I back up a little at the warning. “Seems to me, Waylon can take care of Oakley just fine, and you’d only be putting yourself in harm’s way.”

I lean forward and grab him by the hand, stopping him dead. “You’re worried about me.”

He turns our hands so he’s the one holding me by the wrist, and my heart speeds up so fast I think he must be able to see my heartbeat in my throat. “I’d kill someone if anything happened to you.”

My mouth falls open, and my breath stalls. We might be in a bar full of people, but it feels like it’s just me and him. He didn’t say it very loudly, but his words still vibrate through me like echoes. Hope blooms so fast and hard, I feel like I’m almost floating.

“And how your brother let you wear that out of the house is beyond me.”

“What?” What the hell does Waylon have to do with what is happening right now between us?

“He’s all caught up in Oakley, so I guess it’s up to me to make sure everyone keeps their fucking hands off.”

And my little sailboat of hope springs a leak. “You…are worried about what I’m wearing and if I’ll get hit on tonight?”

“Among other things.”

And I hear the bubbles as the fucking thing sinks into the ocean, or maybe that’s my blood boiling. I pull my hand away from him and narrow my eyes at him.

“I can take care of myself, Land. I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Maybe.” He sets one of the fruity drinks I like so much on the bar in front of me. “Maybe you need more watching than you know.”

I take the drink and turn away from him. When I think about being so…stunned that he would kill for me, only to have him tell me he’s doing what my brother would have done had he not been all caught up in Oakley, just…burns. By the time I'm back at our table, I’m good and mad.

“I want to dance.” I want to scream right in Landry’s face. I want to tell him he’s an ass for treating me like I’m a child and nothing more. I want…to show him what he’s going to miss because he’s a stupid man. “Come dance with me.”

I look at Oakley, who has eyes only for my brother. “Oh, I don’t…”

“Come on.” I end up pulling her out to the floor so both of us can dance and have a good time.

It’s like old times for a little while, and then the music changes.

Waylon comes out on the floor to take Oakly in his arms, and I’m left without someone.

I skitter off the floor after telling one of the guy’s Waylon works with that I don’t want to slow dance.

I make my way over to the bar to pick up a water and run into Aarons and at the same time.

I see Landry buddying up to some beautiful blonde hanging on to every word he says.

“Hey, Terry. How’s it going?”

Shit! I really don’t want to deal with Aarons while watching Landry flirt with some woman at the bar. Not really on my sucky-night-bingo card.

“You know, same shit, different day.” I give him a half-hearted smile.

“Pretty intense about your friend, huh? She doing okay?”

“Yeah, she’s…good. Waylon’s making sure of that.”

He laughs and I feel…nothing. It’s like a stranger laughing. No chills, no inner warmth, no breathing changes. I’m dead inside for everyone but Landry. Damn it.

He takes the end of my hair, which happens to be by my cheek, and gives me a cocky grin. And suddenly he’s gone, and I’m standing in front of a pissed off Landry. He’s staring at me like I was the one flirting with a blonde goddess and not the other way around.

“I told you, Teresa.” He points his finger at me, pissing me off to no end. Who does he think he is?

“You told me what? That you were going to police me so I can’t have fun. Why don’t you go back over to the bar and finish taking your blonde to bed.”

“What?” Like he doesn’t have a clue what I’m talking about. Whatever. I know what I saw.

“You mother fucker!”

Oh, shit! I know that voice! I turn to find Waylon chasing after…

Tommy and my bestie are standing on the dance floor with liquid dripping off her.

I move without thinking and go right to her, pulling her off the dancefloor and grabbing napkins and trying to do as much damage control as I can.

It doesn’t matter how angry or sad I am; I’m Oakley’s ride or die and always will be.

And if I focus on my friend, I won’t have to really check in with myself to find out how devastated I am over Landry and his fucking overinflated sense of protectiveness riding to the rescue.

I’m not being put in the fucking sister zone by the only man I want to drag my clothes off and make love to me.

And I’m not letting my friend take shit from some asshole who is too stupid to realize what a good thing he had. I’m over men and their stupidity. And I’m over this stupid night!