Page 19

TATE

“ H elp! Help!” rang out, from the center of the gym.

“Regina, climb down the rope. I assure you there aren’t any snakes,” Principal Wade urged.

“No, I swear to you there were snakes.”

He rubbed his temple. I wondered when was the last time the man had sound sleep. Those bags under his eyes were hanging pretty low. He glimpsed around the room.

“There is nothing here,” he sighed running his hand over the ball spot on top of his head.

“Ask Tate. He was in here with me when the snake tried to bite my leg off.”

Sitting on the bleachers, I stared at the spectacle at the top of the rope.

She was telling the truth. The snake almost nipped her. Thank goodness the snake trainer was present.

“Sir, she asked me to meet her somewhere so we could talk.” I walked toward Principal Wade .

“I said meet me in the gym, because I knew it was empty today.”

I glared at her. “Do you hear that? Empty.” I shook my head in disgust.

“Then next thing I knew she was hollering snakes. I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t persuade her to come down so I called you.”

“Good job, Tate.”

“No, he’s lying,” she spewed.

“A man took the snakes away.”

“Sir, there was no one else here.” I motioned my finger in a circle pointing it at my head.

“I am not crazy,” she yelled.

“We’ll view the surveillance footage.”

The principle finally persuaded her to climb down the rope. We sat in his office fifteen minutes later. Rocco was amazing with visual effects. We never saw the snakes in the footage that slithered all over the floor. The trainer removed the snakes in record time. They wouldn’t ever catch him leaving the premises.

Principal Wade found the voodoo doll and the journal detailing a plan to kill Chelsea. Inside the journal that was similar to the one the girls planted in her bedroom, Regina wrote, ‘the voices told me to kill Chelsea so I can have Tate all to myself. ’

Who knew Megan had mad skills mimicking others’ handwriting?

Hands stuffed in my navy slacks, I stood off to the side. A doctor from the local mental hospital and two orderlies carried Regina out the principal’s office kicking and screaming.

“You’ll pay for this Tate Forrester. You will pay,” she warned.

A tiny smile tipped at one end of my lips.

I hoped she never saw the light of day. This was the perfect gift. Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

∞

Saturday night, Chelsea sat across from me in a tall oversized booth in an exquisite five-star restaurant in Alpharetta. It was the safest place for us to spend time together outside of our condo. We had one less thorn in our sides. Mr. Finch still drove Chelsea around. We didn’t know what Marisa and Mason would try next.

“You look stunning tonight, Chelsea Culver.”

She blushed. “Don’t you look dapper in your gray suit, Tate Forrester.”

“Raise your glass. I’d like to propose a toast.”

She did as I requested. “We have three months remaining then our new life together begins after graduation. ”

We clinked our glasses together.

“I can’t wait.”

The waiter placed our meals before us. We thanked him before he stepped away.

“The herbed chicken smells amazing.” She slid her knife through the tender meat then slipped a sliver between her lips. Her eyes closed, and she savored the taste.

My tongue ran over my lips. “Two weeks.”

Her eyes popped open.

“Tate, I know it hasn’t been easy for me either.”

“Watching you come on FaceTime,” I whispered. “Only fueled my hunger.”

She placed her hand over mine. “We have tonight.”

“Chelsea, I don’t want just tonight. I want every night.”

“Tate, me too. I hate not sleeping in your arms. I feel safe when we’re together.”

I brought her hand to my lips, kissing her soft skin.

“Chelsea, happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Tate.”

We sipped our wine and dug into our meals.

“It was refreshing to see your face at the game last night. No crazy bitch to tear my concentration from the game. The only wanted sexy distraction there sat front and center cheering for me. ”

She cocked her head to the side. “You meant to say you and Lake.”

My face contorted. “No, I said what I meant. I don’t give a shit about my little cousin.”

“Tate, careful. Your horns are showing.”

“Red with sharp pointed tips, baby,” I winked.

“King asshole, shut up and get over here.”

I placed my meal next to hers and slid beside her. My fingers lingered around her little waist in the tight red dress that stopped above her knees. “I plan to stare into those beautiful eyes for the rest of my life.”

Her lips pressed against mine again. “I can live with that forever.”

I slipped the slender box from my pocket and placed it on the table. Her hands flew over her lips.

“Open it.”

She cracked the Tiffany blue box open. Chelsea gaped as she marveled the eighteen-karat gold love heart tag key pendant. “It’s beautiful.”

“Read the back.”

She flipped it over. “Tate and Chelsea forever.”

Her eyes saddened. “But Tate, I can’t wear it to school.”

“Lift your hair.”

She followed directions, and I slipped the necklace around her neck and latched the hook .

“You can. Monday after school I want you to go over to my house. Not my grandparents.”

She rubbed her forehead. “I don’t understand.”

“Oh, but you will. Do you trust me?”

Her eyes brightened. “Yes.” Confidence rang out in that one word.

“Good.”

Later that night, we stepped inside the condo.

The huge chandelier brightened the first floor.

“Oh my god, what have you done?” Her hands framed her face.

She ran toward the sofa. “He’s so cute.” She wrapped her arms around the large tan bear with a big red bow around his neck.

Chelsea peeked at the array of candy on the glass coffee table.

“Tate, I can’t eat these huge boxes of chocolates alone.”

“You don’t have to. Take them to school Monday. Share them with Connie and Megan.”

“They even stamped my name in gold on the big red heart-shaped boxes. Nice touch, babe. Thank you.”

I stepped closer, kissed her hair, and peeled off her coat. “It’s nothing. ”

This was our first Valentine’s Day together. I wanted the day to hold a special place in her heart. We had many more Valentine’s Days to come. I had to save the rest of my creative ideas for the future.

After I ditched our outerwear, I snaked my arms around her waist, and pushed her with my body toward the wooden steps.

“There are chocolate covered strawberries upstairs in the bedroom,” I whispered against her neck.

Her hands rested on mine as she walked up the stairs.

The second we were through the door; I unzipped her velvet dress. The girl I’d loved since kindergarten was here in my arms. I was the luckiest guy in the world. I was fortunate to get a second chance with her. After blaming her for my brother’s death, she never had to forgive me.

“Thanks for taking a chance on me.”

She turned in my arms and I caressed her soft skin.

Chelsea stared into my eyes. “I can’t say you didn’t make it hard to forgive you.”

I sighed. “Yeah, I was an asshole.”

She laughed. “King asshole.” Chelsea pecked my lips.

“But you were the only boy I ever loved.”

My eyes widened. “Yeah? ”

“How could I not love the boy who poured glue in my seat?”

We laughed.

“That was my signature move, baby.”

She laughed hysterically.

“Alexa play our song,” I ordered.

The classic tune bellowed from the speaker.

“And darling, darling stand by me. Oh, stand by me.”

We swayed to the beat.

That night was truly one of a kind. It wasn’t about the sex. Our connection was important. And the bond between me and the only woman I ever loved was what mattered.