2. Fiona

2

FIONA

A s I wait outside McMulligan's Pub for Forest to pick me up, I cross my arms over my chest and hunch my shoulders up, trying to make myself as small as possible. Easier said than done when you're a plus-sized woman with extra wide hips and too much cleavage to know what to do with.

Still, I want to cover up as much of my skin as I can after what happened tonight. A shiver runs down my spine as every muscle in my body tenses. I close my eyes against the memory of those four men, their faces flashing behind my eyelids and their vulgar words filling my ears.

I'm shivering as I stand next to the curb, looking over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure no one is behind me. I can't remember if I left my jacket inside or if one of the men who harassed me ripped it off of me. Either way, I'm not going back inside the bar to find out.

A group of drunk women come stumbling out of the bar, their loud laughter startling me and making me wince. My head is pounding right along with my heart, both heavy with the pain of my trauma.

What was I thinking? Why did I trust those girls?

I should have known Casey, Gabriella, and Rachael would abandon me the first chance they got. All three of them hit the dance floor and scooped up men within the first thirty minutes of arriving. I, on the other hand, stayed at our table, watching everyone's drinks and purses. That's the real reason they invited me.

"Fiona?" comes a familiar voice. It softens everything about me, even warming me up a little with his gentle tone.

I look up to see Forest coming around the side of his truck, his face painted with concern as he studies me. I'm sure I look like a pathetic little kid while Forest is as handsome as ever. I haven't seen him in years, but one glance into those blue eyes of his and my childhood crush on him flares up, singeing my nerves and making me shiver again.

"Here," he says, taking off his flannel shirt and draping it over my shoulders. He's left wearing a tight-fitting, white undershirt that molds to the contours of his muscles. "You're freezing. Let's get you inside."

I don't have the strength to argue with him, so I simply nod my head while he leads me over to his truck. Forest opens the passenger door and hovers as I sit down and get settled. I'm about to reach for the seatbelt, but Forest gets to it first, leaning over me and securing me in place. I'm hyper-aware of every roll, fold, and flabby area on my body as the man I've had a crush on for years slides his hard, rippling muscles across me before leaning away and standing back.

He carefully shuts the door, then races back around the truck to his side, hopping in and turning up the heater. Forest adjusts the temperature and turns all the vents so they're facing me. I close my eyes and rest my head against the back of the seat, pulling Forest's shirt around me even tighter. His earthy, cinnamon, and pine scent washes over me, draining away some of the anxiety and fear that's been rattling around in my brain.

"Are you okay?" he asks. I open my eyes and glance over at Forest as he turns to face me. "Do you know who those fuckers were? We can file a report and a restraining order and–"

"I just want to go home," I whisper defeatedly. "I want to crawl into bed and never leave again."

Tears well up in my eyes, but I shut them before the first one can fall.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Fiona," he whispers. "I'll get you home safely. I promise. Where is your place? I haven't been back here in Sweetheart Falls in quite a while."

I sniffle a few times, then clear my throat, not wanting to fall apart in front of Forest. "I'm over at the apartments on Mulberry Street. Do you remember where that is?"

"Of course," he replies, starting up the engine. "How long have you been living there?"

I can tell he's trying to distract me, and I'm thankful for the change of topics. "Since Jett moved down to Texas and joined Deviant Souls MC. A little over three years now." Forest hums in acknowledgment, and then silence fills the cab once more. "So, what is it you do?" I ask.

"I make custom furniture and sell pieces through my online store."

"Really? That's amazing." I can see it. Forest up in his cabin, toiling away.

"And you're in school, right? I remember Jett saying you're getting a degree in… I want to say something artsy?"

Forest peers over at me, those blue eyes locking with mine for a brief moment before focusing back on the road. The way he worded his question is kind of adorable, and I'm starting to remember why I liked him so much. It wasn't just that Forest was always handsome; I had a crush on him because he took the time to ask about me. He checked in on me from time to time when my older brother, Jett, was raising me and had to work late or pick up an extra shift.

"Interior Design," I reply, studying Forest's face. His lip ticks up into a slight grin, and I get the urge to scoot across the bench seat and snuggle up next to him.

"That's right. I can see it. You've always had a good eye for color. I remember the day I helped you guys go dumpster diving for a new couch and coffee table. After three hours of searching, we were ready to give up the hunt. But then you saw an ugly-ass couch sitting on the side of the road. Jett was apathetic if I remember, but you… You had a vision."

A small smile tugs at my lips as I reminisce on that day as well. "After cleaning the cushions and vacuuming out all the crumbs and cat hair, it was a solid couch. It just needed some touch-ups to the upholstery and a few pillows to tie the bold colors together."

"I thought you were crazy and offered to buy a new couch for you," he adds.

"But then I went and blew your mind with my design skills," I finish for him.

He chuckles, the warm sound echoing in the cab of his truck. Forest turns onto Mulberry Street and my stomach drops. All the good feelings of catching up with Forest are replaced with fear and paranoia. I know those guys don't know where I live. But then again, it's a small town. Part of me is glad my roommate is gone for the next few days so she doesn't have to deal with all of this, but another part of me is terrified of going home to an empty apartment.

"Hey, what's going through your head? You went silent on me," Forest gently asks.

"I'm fine," I'm quick to reply. "I mean, you know besides the obvious. But I'm okay. Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix." The words sound hollow, even to my own ears. Forest isn't buying my bullshit either.

He pulls into the parking lot of my apartment complex, parks the truck, and then turns to face me. "You can trust me, Fiona. You can tell me what happened and how you're really feeling."

I nibble on my bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "I was so stupid," I start, looking down at my hands so I don't have to face him. "These girls at work invited me out and I was so surprised I said yes. They're like… the cool girls, you know? I just felt honored to tag along. But they ditched me almost immediately, leaving me to look after their things and hold our table."

Forest grunts and I see him clench his fist out of the corner of my eye.

"I got up to go to the bathroom and when I got back, everyone's things were gone. I thought someone stole them at first, but I looked up just in time to see all three of them walk out the door with some guys I'd never seen before. I was shocked and… yeah, I guess I was hurt," I confess. I hate looking weak, but there's no denying that it stung to see my "friends" ditch me.

"Of course you were. They never should have left you."

I nod and take another deep breath. "I gathered up my things but I didn't get very far before these guys started jeering at me. They were saying… no, never mind. I don't want to repeat it." Truthfully, I don't want Forest to hear that they called me a pig and made snorting sounds every time I took a step. "It's nothing I'm not used to for being as big as I am."

Forest furrows his brows. "What?" he asks incredulously. "As big as… Fiona, you know you're gorgeous, right?"

I wave him off, even though my heart wants to believe his words. "You're my brother's oldest friend. You have to say that."

He mutters something that sounds like, That's exactly why I shouldn't have said it , but I can't quite hear him.

"Anyway, I just wanted to leave. The whole night was awful and embarrassing. But then for some reason, one of the hecklers grabbed my arm and pulled me backward, dragging me to the dance floor. I tried tugging my arm away, but then another one of them showed up and wrapped his fingers around my other wrist, restraining me. I… I, uh–"

I hiccup and then burst into tears quite unexpectedly. I thought I was doing a good job of shoving everything down until I could sob in the privacy of my own room, but apparently not.

Forest unbuckles my seatbelt and pulls me across the bench seat, wrapping me up in his arms as he tucks me into his side. "I've got you," he whispers, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I want to believe him. I want to fall right into this man's comforting embrace and never leave. I've always wanted that.

But my brother would lose his mind.

"Why don't you come spend the night at my mom's place with me? You trusted her enough to call her up, and hopefully, you trust me, too."

I blink the tears from my eyes and tilt my head up slightly to look at him. "You want me to stay with you?"

"For tonight, at least," he confirms. "You're clearly shaken up. Plus, my mom would love to see you. She had her knee surgery yesterday, that's why she wasn't able to get to the phone. I was just in town for the day to make sure she followed the doctor's orders to rest up."

"I… I couldn't."

"That's not the Fiona I remember. She could do anything she wanted and no one could tell her nothin'," he teases.

I try smiling, but I start crying instead. "I don't feel like I can do anything right now," I confess.

Forest surprises me by gently wiping my tears away with the pad of his thumb. "Then let me do this for you," he murmurs. "Let me take care of you, Fiona. At least until you're feeling more like yourself. You went through something awful tonight and I hate the thought of you being alone."

I curl into his chest and nod my head, accepting his offer. I have nothing left to give, no more fight left in my bones.

"Good girl," he praises. Something about those words has heat and adrenaline coursing through my veins. "Let's go pack a few things and then get you to my mom's house. I'll be with you the whole time, okay?"

I lean back, prying myself off of the man whose lap I'm practically sitting in, and nod once more. Without another word, Forest exits the truck and helps me out. Ten minutes later, we're back on the road, heading to Samantha's house.

This is certainly not the night I had in mind.