Pieces of Rhys Read online

  I crawled onto the bed and got nose to nose with Joe.

  "You already know which room is yours," I said. "You're a smart boy. You're going to love it here."

  "You can't keep my cat," Rhys said.

  "You're not going to traumatize him all over again by flying him back across the country," I said, rubbing the cat behind his ears. "You could kill him."

  "Then I'll drive back."

  "No. You'll fly back and Fat Joe stays. He loves me more than he loves you anyway. You must know that."

  "I do, but thanks for putting that out there."

  I rolled my eyes and continued petting my cat.

  "I heard your mom left your dad," I said quietly a couple of minutes later.

  "Yeah," Rhys answered, tiredly. I looked back at him. He was sitting up with his back and head against the headboard, his eyes closed. Jet lag is a bitch.

  "She's getting restless with Jake and Veronica," he continued a moment later. "I'm worried she might go back. She feels like she's in the way there. I would bring her to my house, but it's just too close to him. He might try to go get her or she might try to go home."

  Light bulb!

  "Bring her here," I suggested. "She won't be in the way at all. She can help, feel useful. I'll pay her. She's always wanted to come here anyway. She said so."

  I got up on my knees and moved further up the bed until I was right next to him, giving him the space to stretch out his legs.

  Rhys's one eye opened as he looked at me.

  "My family will love her. My mom and grandmother will love her, she'll never be lonely."

  He opened both eyes now and looked at me with a mixture of wonder, love, lust, and a tiny bit of skepticism.

  "You won't have to worry," I insisted. "Jake won't have to worry, and your dad isn't going to fly out here to get her, right? He hasn't gone to Blue Bell yet, and it's been a couple of months."

  "I'll run it by her," he said finally.

  I smiled and then stretched out next to him, careful not to kick Joe. I heard a slight sigh from Rhys.

  "What?" I asked, not looking up. My eyes were on the trail of hair that was partially hidden by his lounge pants.

  "You're stealing my cat and my mom," he grumbled.

  Oh! Cranky!

  "Yes," I agreed.

  "That's three things you've stolen from me. Thief."

  "I haven't stolen your mom yet."

  "But she will say yes. I know it. Consider her stolen."

  "Okay," I shrugged.

  He sighed again.

  "And stop staring at me like that. I'm a person with feelings, know what I mean? I'm not a piece of meat."

  "Filet mignon," I said, licking my lips.

  "Go to sleep."

  "Grouchy."

  "Thief."

  "Do you want any of the three back?"

  Another sigh. "No. It's impossible anyway. All three want to be with you."

  "Oh," I suppressed a big smile, because what we were saying without saying it is the the third thing I stole was his heart.

  Chapter Thirty

  Rhys silently stroked my hair and watched my face as my fingers moved across his chest. Once again, I touched his tattoo, trying to follow every line, every detail. Only our soft breathing and the quiet hum of the central air could be heard in my room.

  When I woke up, Rhys was still in my bed. He was awake and watching me sleep. I gave a small smile and let my eyes travel down to that beautiful ink.

  I wanted to kiss his chest, kiss his lips, and hold him close, but it would just hurt me in the end. He was going to get on a plane in a few days and go back home. It was going to hurt enough to see him leave, I didn't need to make it any worse by adding physical things.

  I pulled my hand away, already feeling the dull ache in my chest.

  "What's wrong?" He whispered, his hand in my hair.

  "I have to pee," I said and rolled away from him to get up.

  "That's not all," he said, also getting up.

  "And I have to feed my cat."

  "He's still my cat," Rhys said, following me into the hallway.

  "Good," I said in the bathroom doorway. "Go feed your cat."

  I closed the door in his face.

  "You still haven't learned to just be up front with me," he said from the other side.

  "Can I pee in peace? Or do you want to come in and be up front with that?"

  I didn't hear anything. I assummed he walked away, but just as I started to pee, the door swung open.

  "If I have to be in your personal pee space to get some truth out of you, so be it," Rhys said.

  "My personal pee space?" I started to laugh, hard. It was a good thing I was already on the toilet or I would have peed myself.

  "You're hopeless," Rhys said, shaking his head.

  "Yeah, maybe I am. Now get out."

  "Not until you tell me what's on your mind."

  "Wiping is on my mind."

  "Lindsey."

  "Rhys."

  He rolled his eyes and left me alone to finish my business. I found him a couple of minutes later in the kitchen with Ignacio. They were discussing some kind of ball...foot, basket, base, the other foot, I don't know.

  Rhys looked at me and registered that I was still only in my tee shirt and frowned. Nacio saw me in this form often, since he often arrived in my kitchen before I was even awake. He handed me a cup of coffee, already made to my liking.

  "Thanks," I said greatfully and sat down near Rhys.

  Ignacio put his mug in the dishwasher and started out the door.

  "I'll be out to help in a bit," I said.

  "I don't want or need your help, Lindsey."

  "Yeah, well, whatever. I'll be out."

  "Concentrate on entertaining your guest," Nacio said firmly. "If you come outside and try to work I will physically remove you."

  "I thought I was the boss here," I said.

  "I think it's cute when you think you're in charge, little girl," he laughed and waltzed out the door.

  "How rude." I glared at the screen door.

  "You couldn't put pants on before you came down?" Rhys asked.

  I thought about it from his point of view. What if he was shirtless in just his boxers or a towel and Nicole or Tina were present?

  "You're right," I said. "I apologize."

  "Thanks," he said, still a little grumpy.

  "What else is the matter?"

  "He loves you."

  "Does not."

  "And I think you love him."

  "Do...not." I said more hesitantly.

  He stared at me.

  "Maybe how a sister loves a brother," I suggested.

  "Incestuous."

  "Maybe how a friend loves a friend."

  "With benefits."

  "I can't help how things are!" I yelled at him. "I'm comfortable with Nacio, he's comfortable with me. We're friends who have been lovers at times, and he kept me from drowning in my own misery. So maybe I have a special place in my heart for him. For a long time, he was all I had! I didn't have you, because you 'broke up' with me in an airport! An airport!"

  I got up from the table and dumped the rest of my coffee in the sink.

  "I'm taking a shower," I grumbled and left him in the kitchen. I passed Fat Joe on the stairs. "And feed my cat!"

  "He's my cat! You're just borrowing him!"

  It was my parents' fortieth wedding anniversary, and we were expected for a backyard shindig at four the following day. I wasn't really ready to introduce Rhys, but there was no way out of it, not even death.

  "Did you put on your bullet proof vest?" I asked Rhys. He was driving, following the GPS in his rental.

  He looked over at me, amused. "Is someone out to get me?"

  "My dad may try to kill you once he understands you are the man who broke his baby girl's heart."

  "Don't worry. I'll charm the hell out of your family."

  "And just so you know, my grandma refers to you as 'that prick'."
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  He laughed, but I didn't think it was funny. I was scared for his life.

  When we got to the house, the street and yard were already crowded with cars.

  "A couple of my cousins may try to seduce you with their tiny waists and big fake boobs," I warned as we walked up the driveway.

  Rhys took my hand in his and smiled down on me. "You're the only one I want. The cousins can go find some other handsome devil."

  I was about to address the "You're the only one I want" thing, but then we were in the backyard, and my mom appeared out of nowhere.

  "Hey, baby," she hugged me and then looked at Rhys. "Who's this?"

  Deep breath. "This is Rhys. Rhys, this is my mom Crystal."

  Mom's eyes widened, but she smiled and tried to cover her surprise as she shook his hand.

  "Nice to meet you, Rhys. I hope you're wearing your best bullet proof vest. Maybe you might need a helmet of some kind, too."

  "See!" I slapped Rhys's arm.

  He laughed again and then released me to hug my mom. "Happy anniversary, Crystal."

  Mom got all flustered and smiley as she thanked him. When another guest tried to get my mom's attention, she left us with much reluctance.

  "What was that?" I asked him.

  He only smiled and kissed the top of my head. How irritating.

  We ran into my grandma next.

  "When are you going to lose that belly fat?" She asked me just before kissing my cheek. "Make sure you get some food. It's catered. Some place kinda fancy. They did good on the meatballs and the antipastas. But don't eat too much or you'll never lose that belly. Who's this sex bomb?"

  "Grandma Fran, this is Rhys."

  "The prick. Jeeze, I hope you got on one of those vest things. You are a good looking guy, though. I hope he won't hurt your pretty face."

  "This is bad, really bad," I said after we escaped Grandma.

  "Which one is your dad?"

  "Over there, light blue polo. The guy next to him is my brother Angelo."

  "Let's go," Rhys said, pulling me along, but I resisted.

  "Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish? I don't understand why you're trying to impress them anyway. You're getting on a plane in a few days and going back home."

  Rhys looked at me, was about to say something, but something behind me caught his attention and his face darkened. I turned to see what he was looking at and saw Ignacio and his parents had just arrived.

  "It's not what you're thinking," I said when I turned back to Rhys. "His dad and my dad are good friends."

  "It's okay," he said quietly. "Come on."

  With a pounding heart, I let him lead me across the lawn to my dad and brother. They both looked up when we were only a few yards away, and I almost wilted because they looked so intimidating.

  "Hey, daddy," I said in the sweetest voice I could muster.

  "Who are you?" My dad asked Rhys and looked down at our entwined hands.

  "Dad, this is Rhys," I said softly.

  Rhys extended his hand, but my dad didn't take it.

  "Dad! That's so rude!"

  "Come with me," he said to Rhys and started towards the house.

  "I'll be back," Rhys smiled at me and released my hand.

  "Yeah, but in how many pieces?" I asked and watched their backs until they disappeared into the house.

  "I hope he's wearing a vest," Angelo said.

  I was sure my dad had killed Rhys. After forty-five minutes of waiting, I marched towards the house, ignoring relatives and friends as they tried to speak to me. I just reached the deck when Rhys and my dad emerged through the sliding doors.

  "What the hell took you so long!" I demanded as I climbed the steps. "I thought you killed him!"

  "We were talking," my dad said casually.

  "And?" I looked from one to the other.

  "And I want a beer and some food," Dad shrugged. "Come on, Rhys. Let's go have a drink."

  Both men kissed me on the top of my head and left me standing there, confused and irritated.

  Rhys did as he said he would, and charmed the hell out of my family. My dad dragged him around all day like he was some kind of prize, introducing him to friends and family, clapping him on the back and laughing with him. My mom giggled like a little girl around him and indulged him with food and drinks. Even grandma decided he wasn't a prick anymore.

  Everyone kept calling Rhys my boyfriend, and he didn't correct them with "very good friend" or something equally insulting. He seemed to be enjoying all of it, which pissed me off. He was going to be gone in a matter of days and I'd be left trying to clean up the mess he was creating by easing into my family this one day.

  "Why do you look so disgusted?" Ignacio asked me later that night.

  I was standing on the deck, watching Rhys dance with my mom on the dancefloor that had been built for the party.

  I told Nacio my thoughts.

  "That would just be cruel," he said. "I don't think he's a cruel man. There must be some other reason."

  "What other reason?" I looked at him.

  "Lindsey, who flies three thousand miles and then drives another hundred more or so to look at a garden? Your place looks great, don't get me wrong, but it's not worth all of the trouble Rhys went through to come see it."

  "I don't know whether or not I should feel insulted," I said dryly.

  "You're missing my point," Ignacio said.

  "Which is?"

  He sighed, and looked me in the eyes. "Rhys is still in love with you and he's come to California to claim you."

  I stared at him. "How could you possibly know that?"

  "I've been in love with you since you fell off of your porch the day we met," he smiled sadly. "I know what it looks like."

  "Ignacio," I whispered. I felt so bad for not knowing, or not acknowledging his feelings for me.

  "Hey, don't worry. I told you before it wasn't meant to be. I was going to tell you over dinner that night, but we got a little side tracked," he said and looked at me knowingly. "And then Rhys called."

  "How do you know I don't feel the same?"

  "Lindsey, don't..." He shook his head. "I know you have some feelings for me, but not like you do for Rhys."

  I couldn't argue with him, because he was right. Maybe if he had told me his feelings sooner, things would be different. I may not have even answered Rhys's call.

  "I know he hurt you pretty badly before," Nacio said softly. "But I'm sure he would do anything to fix it, and you should let him."

  He kissed my cheek and then left me there to ponder on the things he said.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  I waited in the car while Rhys and my brother finished a conversation by Angelo's car. I didn't know what they were talking about, but it seemed somewhat serious. After a few minutes, they shook hands, did a manly hug thing and Angelo got into his car.

  "What was that all about?" I asked Rhys when he got in the car.

  "Business," he said as if that answered everything.

  I frowned, but didn't push him to say more.

  "I saw Ignacio kiss you," Rhys said after a couple of minutes.

  "Yeah," I said, but didn't elaborate.

  "Do I need to be worried?"

  "You're already worried."

  "Do I need to be more worried?" He glanced over at me.

  "No, boyfriend."

  We were silent for a couple of minutes.

  "What did you and my dad talk about?" I asked.

  "You're wondering why you're not planning my funeral."

  "Yeah."

  He didn't immediately answer, but when he started speaking, his voice was low.

  "I told him that my first memories as a child were violent. I remember being in my crib and watching my dad beat my mom and sometimes my brother. When I got a little older, I was beaten, too."

  I gasped. "You've never told me that."

  "I know," he said softly. "I told your dad everything my own father has put me and my family through. I tol
d him what I did to you and how scared you looked when you thought I was going to hurt you."

  "And he didn't kill you?" I asked, shocked.

  He smiled. "No, though he looked like he might, but then he kind of softened up a little. He confessed to some unkind things he's done to your mom over the years."

  "Like what? Nevermind. I don't want to know."

  "Probably not," he agreed.

  I waited patiently for him to continue.

  "I told him about my fears about being an abusive person and that was why I had let you go and never committed to you in the first place. He asked me what changed, why do I feel differently."

  "Good questions."

  "Nothing has changed," he whispered. "I'll always be afraid of becoming a monster, but what I've come to realize is that a lot of people have a fear of becoming something they don't want to be. Some people don't want to become drug addicts, or alcoholics, or lazy, or poor, or whatever their parents may have been before them.

  "I promised your dad that I will never hit you or verbally abuse you."

  We were silent for a few minutes. I was feeling a wide array of emotions. I had a feeling there was more to their conversation that he wasn't going to yet reveal.

  "Did you promise him to never tie me up with duct tape or blindfold me or gag me?" I asked, breaking the silence.

  He grinned. "No. I don't like making promises I'm unwilling to keep."

  It had started to rain on our way home, and we were both quiet, lost in our thoughts. The rain beating on the car and the windshield wipers were the only sounds in the car.

  Rhys's attention was divided between the rear view mirror and the road. In fact, his eyes were on the mirror more than the road.

  "Is there something interesting back there?" I asked.

  "Just the same car since a few blocks after your parents'."

  "A little paranoid are we?"

  "New Jersey license plate."

  My heart stumbled a bit as I twisted in my seat to see the truck behind us, but the rain made it almost impossible to see who was driving.

  "Coincidence," I said. "He didn't have a truck."

  "Could have bought one."

  "Possibly."

  "I have to tell you something," Rhys said slowly. "Don't freak out."