Love in the Shadows

Chapter Two

(Sam's POV)

I wasn't sure when Tasha and I had started calling each other on our way to work but it had been long enough now that our morning tradition was well ingrained into our days.

When I saw my dash light up with her name, I smiled and clicked the little green button. Her raspy voice flooded my truck. "Did you ask her yet?"

I laughed. "You've got to stop." For the last four months, she had been asking me the same question. Every single morning.

And every single morning she got the same response. "No. I'm telling you she's not interested in me."

She loudly tsked through our connection, "You never think anyone's interested in you. You're a fucking catch man, you should start to act like it."

You weren't.

My eyes caught on the image peering at me through the rear view, the sun was dancing off my hair making it appear like a god damned flame. The annoyance at her prodding, was setting off my green eyes, currently clouded over with frustration. I wanted to tell her that I wished I could have her confidence in me but swallowed the words of doubt.

Instead, I tore my gaze away from my reflection and sighed loudly. I could only hope that she would hear my despair through our connection and change the fucking subject.

Back off Tash.

My best friend was my biggest fan but believing her was easier said than done. Currently I was smitten with a woman who had put me so firmly in the friend zone, that I didn't see any possible way out.

For all Tash's pushiness, she usually knew when to stop. Thank god, this morning was one of those times and she changed the subject. "I got a call from Tanya this morning. I'm thinking about heading home this weekend. Would you want to meet me there? You could help me knock some heads."

My hands clenched on the wheel. "Believe me, there is absolutely nothing I would like to do more, but I can't. With Josie and Lincoln's baby on the way I'm on call all the time, I need to be ready to take over his Chiefly duties so that he can be at the hospital when the baby comes."

I paused, knowing it was going to be a rough answer. "How's she doing?" Tanya was Tasha's younger sister. About a month ago, she had broken up with her boyfriend of two years.

A breakup would be bad enough but apparently the dip shit was a complete and total douche monkey. He had taken it upon himself to decide that now that they weren't together, he had the right to share the sexy pictures that she had sent him when they were together.

Her voice was low in anger when she responded. "How do you think? He sent them out to everyone and their mother, Sam."

I'd heard. My cousin, Wolfe who taught at the high school had been reaching out to me, trying to figure out how to help Tash and Tanya as much as he could. He had let me know that not only had they circulated through the whole high school, they had made it through the whole town.

"Tasha's tone got distinctly more growly as if her train of thought was in line with mine. "She's in a post break up, betrayed, violated depression."

"Fuck." I wasn't expecting anything better. We came from a small town. It wouldn't have been an easy thing to happen to her anywhere but the idea that it happened in Lake Ridge. It would be news. Big news and people could be big assholes. It made for some unpleasant times.

I rubbed at the back of my neck, not wanting to dwell on my own memories. "I still think I should talk to my dad or my uncle. See what the police are going to do about it. There is no chance that Lincoln would let that fly if it happened here."

The line was silent. Of course she wouldn't take me up on it. So stubborn. "Love, you and I both know that Lincoln is a completely different breed than the police back home. I know they are your family but still, let's be serious. There is no way that the school didn't contact the police. They know."

I sighed. She was right. It wouldn't be that people weren't in the know. They would be choosing to ignore it and hope that it would go away.

How is it possible to hate a place so much, yet still yearn for it?

I smiled, knowing what her answer was but asking anyway. "And you are going back, to do what?"

Tasha would be going back to make sure that it didn't go away. The whole reason that she went into journalism was because she hated the idea of hidden truths. Of any sort of cover up. She was a noise maker, my friend and I couldn't be more proud.

My teeth ground together at the fact that I couldn't go back to help and support her. There was laughter in her voice as she finally responded. "I'm going back to be a supportive sister and make sure she's okay."

She paused dramatically. "Then I'm going to make sure that my fucking parents, that shady, ass-nugget and our entire small minded home-town don't do any more god damned damage to my little sister."

Fuck yah, you are.

"Just another Monday. Do you have a place to stay?"

She laughed but there was no joy in it. Of all people, I knew what going home meant for her. "I'm going to attempt to stay with my parents and see where it takes me. Your mom knows I'm coming back and offered for me to stay with them too."

Thank God for mom.

"K, reach out if you need anything. Even if you just need to talk. Give Tanya a big hug from me and don't let anyone make you feel like you are anything less than fantastic."

"I will. You, ask Lucy out."

I hung up without saying goodbye. I could imagine her laughing at the fact that she had riled me up enough to hang up on her.

My head rested on my hands as I sat in the station parking lot. The more I heard about the whole situation, the angrier I became and I knew at some point I needed to go back too. That growing certainty gnawed at my insides and weighed down on my chest.