Strangely Normal

chapter 20


When an evening goes badly the wisest choice is to end it as quickly as possible, but someone had the brilliant idea of doing tequila shots, and everyone had reluctantly agreed. Once the movie ended, we tromped back to the kitchen area and sat in front of the big television with small shot glasses. The cookies had been enough gluttony for me and I was sure a few shots would bring it all up like a volcano. Jude took a few shots, pulled me into his arms, and closed his eyes. He was tired and I knew he wanted the evening to end as much as I did. But I stuck it out for Finley.

Finley threw back a shot and made the same contorted face I’d made when I’d tasted the expensive scotch in the pool house. Max and Cole were trying to outdo each other, but Teresa was putting them all to shame.

Max relaxed back and dropped his arm around Finley. She looked pleased but slightly uncomfortable.

“You know what we should all do next weekend?” Max said. “We should all take a road trip to Las Vegas.”

Silence sucked the air from the room, and I could feel Jude’s muscles tense beneath me. I took a furtive peek toward Finley. Her face looked tight as she stared down at her wrist and twirled her bracelets. Cole said nothing. He always seemed to deal with the problem by distancing himself and pretending it wasn’t any big deal. It was the complete opposite of how Jude dealt with it.

Teresa popped up though and with plenty to say. “That’s not very nice, Max.”

Max wrinkled his brow. “Why is that mean?”

Finley crossed her arms tightly around her, and Jude released me and sat forward. “Cole, Teresa’s had too much to drink. Call her a cab. We’ve got to get up early for work.” Jude’s brave attempt at thwarting a scene failed as Teresa blathered on unabated.

“Because Finley wouldn’t be able to go along,” Teresa said cheerily, and my stomach twisted into a knot.

Cole finally intervened. He stood abruptly. “Come on, Teresa, I’ll drive you home myself.”

Max looked down at Finley who was slowly shrinking in on herself. “Why can’t you go, Finley?”

“She hates Vegas. I mean, who can blame her? The place sucks,” I said hastily. But it was another failed attempt, and Teresa, who was either completely oblivious or horribly evil, continued.

“No, that’s not it. Don’t you know, Max? Finley is afraid to leave the house.” Teresa flopped back, drunk and completely satisfied with herself.

Finley flew off the couch and ran out of the room. Jude raced after her and I followed.

By the time we’d reached her room, Finley had already crawled under her quilt. She was tucked into a tight ball making her look impossibly tiny in the giant bed. Her white-blonde crown of hair peeked out from the comforter.

Jude stretched out on the bed next to her looking weary and as if this was the last thing he needed tonight. I sat on a chair in the room in case they needed me, but with Jude, she was in the most capable hands of all.

“Come on, Doolittle,” he said, “who gives a shit about any of those people. And if Max can’t deal with it then f*ck him.”

Her thin arm and petite hand popped up out of the quilt, and she waved him silently away.

A faint smile crossed his face, and I realized that I was falling harder for the guy every minute. “You want me to leave, Fin Fin?”

She put her thumb up in the air and then pulled her arm back under the quilt. Even though she was mostly hidden, the humorous gestures of her hand seemed reassuring. The adrenaline drained from my body. It seemed that she was handling the rotten end to an otherwise crappy evening with poise, and I was relieved. Jude looked equally relieved.

He lifted the end of her quilt and slid beneath the cover. “Are you still alive under here?”

Finley giggled. “This is a definite invasion of space.”

I tiptoed out of the door and was thrilled to get to my room. It had been such a long evening, and it’d nearly ended in disaster. I closed the door behind me and walked to the bathroom to wash my face and get ready for bed.

The pretty blue dressed sparkled back at me in the mirror. It was easily the nicest dress I’d ever worn, but it had been wasted on a less than successful evening. I swept my long hair up into a ponytail and started the faucet just as a light knock sounded on my door.

“Valley, it’s me,” Jude said quietly.

I walked to the door and opened it. The strain of the entire evening showed on his face. He stepped inside, shut the door, and walked over to the chair. He sat down hard, slumped back, and stretched his long legs out in front of him.

“How is she?” I asked.

“Not sure. She seems all right but that could change at any time. I know she didn’t want Max to know anything.”

“Honestly, the guy looked more worried about Finley than freaked out by what Teresa told him.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“You sound really tired,” I said.

“I’m beat.” He lifted his dark lashes and stared at me.

I was acutely aware of a slight tremble in my hands and knees. No guy had ever produced this type of reaction in me, and I was starting to feel wholly vulnerable in his presence.

“I was just going to change out of this dress.”

He stared at me. “Leave it on.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to—”

He was across the room before I could finish. “I said leave it on,” his voice was deep and hoarse. His arms went around my waist and he hauled me so hard against his chest, I let out a tiny chirp. He held me tightly against him with one arm while the other hand dropped to my thigh and then slowly his fingers lifted the hem of the short dress up. With one fluid movement, he had my panties around my ankles. I felt all but naked standing in front of him in only the soft summer dress. The cool air in the room swirled around my naked legs and beneath the skirt to my bare skin. He kissed me roughly and then peered down at me.

“All in all, this has been a shitty day. In fact, the only good thing about this whole goddamn day has been you in that dress, Valley.” He kissed my shoulder and I relaxed against him. His rough fingers dragged a tantalizing path up my bare thigh. “I need this, Eden. I need you.”