Page 180 of Pushing His Luck
He looked down at it then back to Tasha who had pivoted to look at him. His tortured expression demonstrated both his desire to pursue this with her and hisneedto answer his phone and as it registered with Tasha she laughed ironically.
“I might have kissed Gerry, and I am so sorry that I didn’t tell you about it, sorrier that it happened, but given the choice between being guilty of kissing a man I used to love, someone who loved and cared for me or to be at the beck and call of a manipulative, spiteful and selfish bitch like Mickie, someone nobody else likes, someone who befriends people, fucks their husbands and then dumps them once the sport is over, well, I pick Gerry.” Straightening, she reverted her attention to the ringing phone, “And already she is coming between us. You take your call, but I think I may have decided on my safe word assuming we have anything to work with here,Mickie. She is the thing that makes me want you to stop, to take your hands off me and to leave me the fuck alone. The sole thing that makes me scared to be with you,” she said far more calmly than she felt as she reached across and hit the accept button on his phone.
“Mickie,” she heard him say as she headed for the stairs, but at the last minute changed her mind and grabbed her bag off the console table in the hall where she’d left it when she’d returned home earlier that evening.
Quietly closing the door behind her, she got into her car and made no attempt to hide her leaving anymore as she roared off down the drive. She had barely got through the gates when her phone signalled a message. She ignored it and continued to drive aimlessly, not knowing where she should or could go. She had no friends or family here, not really. They were all courtesy of Jim and she couldn’t compromise them by turning up on their doorstep. So where did she go from here? She pulled over and parked in a car park near a small convenience store and playground where she got out of the car. She walked across to the store and bought a bottle of soda before heading over to the playground.
She walked for about half an hour before sitting on a bench near the children’s play area. It was still quite early and light so there were still plenty of people around, allowing her to partake in some more people watching including parents playing with their children, chasing them, picking them up and laughing. Tasha smiled at the images flashing around before her and wondered how it would have felt to have been any one of these children; happy, content, safe and loved. She sucked back tears and swallowed hard as she transferred her attention to the parents here and thought she could have what they had; a loving, happy family life and she knew she wanted that, with Jim. She shuddered as she looked down at her phone and felt as though there was someone or something around her, watching her, waiting. She cautiously read the message from Jim.
She sighed at his reasonableness and knew he was right. As she considered her response he sent a second message.
Tasha inhaled deeply, knowing she had compared him to her family in anger and to provoke a reaction, which she now had, but felt guilty that she’d ever said it at all.
Tasha tried to open her eyes and winced as she did so; she could hear voices, loud noises and sirens. As she managed to open her eyes, well, one eye she could see flashing lights in suddenly dark surroundings and then a face in front of her smiling.
“Well, hello there, miss. I’m Dane and we’re gonna get you out of here just as soon as we can, you just sit tight, okay? What’s your name, honey?” he asked, sounding like Jim.
“Tasha. Where am I? What happened?” She realised the man in front of her was a fireman.
“You’ve been involved in a bit of a collision, but we’re going to get you out real soon,” he said reassuringly.
“My boyfriend—” She winced as she tried to reach across to where her phone was on the seat next to her and pain shot through her whole body. “Ow!” she cried, realising she was hurt and had no clue where her phone was.
“Keep as still as you can. Was your boyfriend with you?” Drew looked concerned.
“What? No, he’s at home, waiting for me. Oh shit, he is likely to be really mad about this.” Tears began to flow down her cheeks and she could feel she was shaking uncontrollably.
“Stay calm there, Tasha. I’m sure he won’t care, it’s only a piece of metal, a very nice piece of metal, but still metal,” he said, obviously meaning the car. “Medic,” he called behind him.
“I didn’t mean the car.” Tasha’s teeth chattered now and she was unable to stop them. “I was on my way home after sneaking out after a row, a fight,” she revealed, using a more American term and was crying a little harder now.
“Medic!” repeated Dane with a little more urgency now. “You just hold on in there for me, Tasha. We’re going to take you to the hospital and get your guy there to see you, okay? What’s the lucky guy’s name?”
“Jim, his name is Jim.”
Suddenly everything shook, her vision blurred as Dane’s voice seemed to fade and then there was nothing.
To be continued…
