Riding Blind

Chapter 12

The sliver of sunlight that was escaping the window, shined into my face. I groaned at the thought of having to wake up. I stretched out my arms and legs and rolled over to the other side. I suddenly felt a hard and unfamiliar object laying next to me. I shot my eyes opened and saw a strong arm covered in tattoos. I slowly rolled back over, trying not to wake him.
I looked around the room. It didn't look familiar at all. Is this Jeff's room? I thought to myself.  I began to have a mild panic attack.  I didn't remember much of anything.

I slowly started lifting myself up to get out of the bed. My head was pounding and my brain fuzzy.  I looked over on the side table next to me. An empty bottle of wine and two beers sat there. As I starred at them, certain details were coming back to me:

We left the bar and I followed him to his house.  We started drinking.  He kept asking what I meant by I need to help save a life. I kept dodging the question, kept drinking to numb the thoughts.  He kissed me then........

That was it. That was all I could remember until just a moment before when I woke up next to him.

I glanced down at my body to see what I was wearing. A white tank and my black underwear. God this doesn't tell me anything!!!

I quietly got up and headed to find a bathroom.  Once I did, the image in the mirror was frightening. My hair was a mess. Mascara smeared down my cheeks.  I quickly began to try and make myself as presentable as possible, considering I was half asleep and I had none of my things to help. 

After I did as much as I could, I starred at myself in the mirror.  A painful thought came to my mind. Did I have sex with him for the first time, and I can't even remember it?!  I wasn't that big of a drinker. One could say that after leaving vegas, I became somewhat of a lightweight.  I looked myself over. But it was no use.  I knew I wouldn't have been able to find evidence.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud knock on the door that made me jump. "You ok in there?" Jeff asked through the door. I wasn't sure what I wanted to say back. I wasn't even sure I wanted to face him.  But I knew I had to. Instead of saying anything, I opened the door. He looked tired, hair a floppy mess, only wearing his boxers. He looked vulnerable for the first time ever to me, which only made me madder at myself. Please tell me I didn't miss having sex with this man. I'm sure that's a moment I'd want to remember. "What's wrong?" He asked again, breaking my thoughts. I realized I was just standing there starring at him. "Nothing.....I....." I didn't know what to say to him.

He looked down at me and gave me his signature sexy smirk. "You drank too much last night." His clarification on that subject was not news to me. "I don't drink much. If that wasn't obvious already." I answered, rubbing my head. I began to walk back to his bedroom to try and find my things. I needed to make a grand escape. And shower.

After finding my jeans and putting them on, Jeff walked back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed closest to me. "I prefer you without the pants." He laughed. It made me give him a death stare. "I don't even remember them coming off." I wasn't meaning to out myself for not remembering what occurred the night before, but clearly my brain and mouth weren't communicating with eachother.

At that moment, he grabbed me by the waist to pull me onto him. I had no where to go but basically straddle him. I looked down into his eyes to try and figure out what he was thinking. "You said you can't sleep in pants. So you took them off. I didn't try and stop you." He smirked again. My mind started racing. Trying to remember. "So.....we didn't......did we?" I had to know.

My words made him laugh out loud. "I'm sure anyone who doesn't know me would assume I'm that kind of guy based on my appearance and the friends I keep. But no. We didn't. I would never take advantage of you. Unless you gave me previous sober permission that is." His smile was honest and adorable. His words made me much calmer. I was relieved I didn't miss our first time. That was, if there was ever going to be a first time with him.

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The day seemed to drag. I kept trying to text Trixie to see where she was, but I wasn't getting an answer.  After two naps, aspirin and a lot of water, I was finally feeling better from the mess that was the night before.  Another part of me kept imagining waking up next to Jeff, and my heart would skip a beat.

I was laying on the couch watching tv, when a knock came from the door. I reluctantly got up to answer it, wondering who it could be.  As I opened the door, I was surprised to say the least. "Pete? What are you doing here?" I questioned. I had only met him at the diner briefly the day before.  "Boss is busy, asked me to come by and check on you. Says last night made him worry." Check on me?! Was I a child now? I rolled my eyes at the thought. "Well tell your boss I don't need to be checked on. I'm a big girl." A part of me felt bad for giving Pete an attitude. It wasn't his fault. He was only following orders.  But then it dawned on me....."why is he so busy this time of night?" I questioned.

Pete's body language changed dramatically.  He began starring at the ground. "Tell me!" I demanded. "Well.....I'm not sure if I'm allowed to.  They might kill me." His words made me angry and more in need of knowing the truth. "I promise. I won't say a word. But please tell me. I have to know." I pleaded. With that he sighed and pushed forward into the living room, closing the door behind him.  "A rival gang from across the town border has been asking for a fight.  One of them mugged and raped one of our brother's girls when she went there to go shopping the other day.  Don thinks they're trying to send a message, use it as an excuse to finally have it out.  Jeff, Don and a bunch of others went to go take care of it."

The thought of Jeff in an all out battle made me sick to my stomach.  I was thinking he was going to tell me he was busy with another girl, but this was way worse.  The memory of him telling me about how his father died came to me suddenly.  I tried to make it to the couch before I collapsed down on the floor.  Pete quickly came to aid, trying to soothe me in his own little way.

What if he doesn't make it? What if he doesn't win this fight like his father?