Sadie Mae Thompson gazed out the bus window, her eyes thoughtfully staring at the cool raindrops that cascaded down the foggy glass and crawled down the side of the moving vehicle in abundant proportions, disappearing from her sight. Lifting her index finger to the window, she pinpointed a single raindrop, and followed its trail with the tip of her finger until it also faded from her view. She then sighed heavily and tilted her head to the rest against the window, a shiver creeping down her spine as the coolness of the tinted glass seeped through her heated skin causing goosebumps to arise. 

It was a gloomy, rainy April day and it reflected her mood perfectly. It was as though God was mocking her but lately she had had enough of God’s mischievous games and tricks, one of many including the death of her paternal grandmother which led Sadie to immediately book a bus ticket to the destination that she had promised herself she would never return to again.

Kingsbury, Georgia.

Kingsbury was a decent town of approximately two thousand people located forty-nine miles from the Atlantic Ocean and about fifty-two minutes from the Florida state borderline. It was a historical kind of town with old buildings and large houses supported by roman columns dating back from the mid-eighteen hundreds and acres of forest in the surrounding area dotted by creeks and meadows.

From a visitor’s point of view, Kingsbury was like a perfect southern town that jumped right off the pages of Gone with the Wind, but for Sadie it was much more to that. Kingsbury was her past. A past she had been trying to run away from for almost seven years and yet here she was on a bus destined to that very town to attend the funeral of her beloved grandmother.

What a sick, cruel joke.

She bit down hard onto the plump flesh of her lower lip, trying to her hardest to forget abouthim. He was the reason why she packed her bags and hopped on the first bus out of Kingsbury, why she promised herself seven years ago that she would never return to Kingsbury. He was supposed to have been her enemy, but everything changed between them that made her look at him differently, which scared the living bejesus out of her.

He was her first rival, her first lover, her first everything.

“Lucas,” she groaned aloud, her bright brown eyes rolling into the back of her head as his mouth latched onto a perk nipple, his teeth playfully tugging the hard nub.

He then lifted his head as he heard her say his name. “Yeah, baby,” his husky southern voice whispered to her. His sly signature grin playing across his moist lips while his hand slid down her bare body, his fingers probing at her slick nether lips before the rough pad of his thumb carefully massaged her throbbing clit in a slow teasing circular motion that made her toes curl.

“What is this? What are we doing,” she stuttered out the question in a breathless manner, her hips rotating in unison to his busy digit.

“I’m makin’ you mine,” he answered with a deep chuckle before resuming his task of hungrily sucking her nipple.

“No,” she moaned softly, shaking her head from side to side before arching her back against her bed.

“Hell yes,” Lucas smirked, “I have been waitin’ too fuckin’ long, Sadie. Too fuckin’ long.” His thumb pressed into her pink hooded nub, applying a decent amount of pressure that caused her to cry out.

His answer wasn’t good enough for her. Her chest tightened with a mixture of disappointment and relief.

“I’m leaving Ki-kingsbury, Lucas.”

The promise caused him to halt his actions. “The hell you are, darlin’. Your ass is staying right here with me.”

And she kept her promise. The next morning she had hopped on the bus. Destination:anywhere. She never looked back. She couldn’t look back because she feared that he was staring at her from behind, his crystal blue eyes boring into her brown ones.

When the bus halted in front of the bus station, Sadie quickly snapped back into the world of reality. Rising from her seat, she swung her duffle bag over her shoulder before walking down the narrow aisle and off the bus, wincing as she was attacked by cold wind and rain. Scurrying into the dry shelter of the bus station, she stood quietly and glanced around for a familiar face.

“Lookin’ fo’ me,” a male voice boomed from behind her. The familiarity of the person’s voice caused her to smile brightly. “Maybe,” she answered, turning around to face him.

“Hey, baby girl,” he greeted, his ebony face lit with a smile similar to hers. Instead of speaking, Sadie lunged into her father’s arms and hugged him tightly.

Burying her face into his broad chest, his Old Spice wafting into her nostrils.  “I missed you so much,” she whimpered in his chest before gaining the strength to pry herself from his body.

“I know, baby. I know,” Joe Thompson replied as he ran his fingers through his daughter’s smooth hair before leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead. “Let’s get you home, everyone is waiting for you,” he said as he took the duffle bag from her possession and placed it onto his own shoulder.

“Do you have any other bags,” His face scrunched in confusion, his dark brown eyes glancing around the surrounding area for more pieces of luggage.

“Nope, I packed light. I am only staying here for a week or so and then I am going back home.”

Joe shook his head at his daughter’s answer as they left the bus station just in time as the rain to simmer into a light drizzle. Once they were in the pick-up truck, he pulled out of the parking space and merged onto a narrow road that stretched outside of the town.

Eventually, they were cruising down a once red dirt road that was currently transformed into a muddy brown due to the weather and stopped in front of a Victorian house painted in a pale blue coat, trimmed with colors of tan and white.

 “It hasn’t changed one bit,” Sadie said with warm smile before opening the car door.

The moment she entered the house, the smell of good old-fashioned southern cooking drifted through the air. She inhaled the heavenly scent, sighing heavily as she missed her mother’s home cooking.

Walking into the kitchen, she quietly watched her mother busy herself at the stove with numerous pots and pans that bubbled delicious concoctions within. At the kitchen table sat a plate of cupcakes, all plain chocolate but one that was vanilla with white icing with a mountain of colorful sprinkles on top.

“Tina, look what I brought home,” Joe chuckled as he entered the kitchen, standing beside his daughter.

“Oh, my Lord,” Tina gasped before rushing over to her daughter, pulling Sadie into a tight hug that could have easily killed her from the lack of oxygen. “You made it. I am so glad,” she said happily before placing warm, wet kisses all over her face.

“My baby is finally home,” Tina stated in relief before finally stepped away, allowing Sadie to breathe.

“Our baby is home but not for long. She is staying long enough for the funeral and then she will be leaving us again,” Joe budded into the conversation while he glided to the kitchen table to snag the vanilla cupcake.

“Joseph, don’t you dare touch any of those cupcakes,” Tina warned him in a stern voice, her eyes never leaving Sadie.

“Is this true? Are you really leaving after the funeral,” Her face, once soft and happy, now hardened.

“Well, um,” Sadie was lost for words.

“I asked you a question, little girl,” Tina snapped while propping a hand on her hip.

“Yes, Mama,” Sadie gulped down hard, her eyes glancing over her mother’s shoulder to witness her father who quietly chomped down on a chocolate cupcake.

“Look at me,” Tina commanded. Sadie quickly obeyed. “I haven’t seen you in seven years, little girl. No little than a handful of phone calls and too few letters. It upsets me greatly that you are only willing to come down here to visit this family is when someone dies.”

“Mama,“ Sadie tried to state her case but Tina held up her hand to silence her.

“Don’t ‘Mama’ me, Sadie Mae. You will stay here longer than a week and that is final.”

“I have a round trip ticket that allows me to stay here for a week plus what about my job,” Sadie whined a little with a small pout.

“You and yo’ daddy can go to the bus station tomorrow and switch out that ticket for the different one, and as for your job … figure that out for yourself. Now get dressed for dinner. Everybody else will be here in a little while,” Tina huffed before turning her heel just in time to see Joe shove another cupcake into his mouth. Sadie groaned in frustration before exiting the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom.

A flood of warm bubbled within her as she sauntered into her old room that surprisingly hadn’t changed one little bit. Flickering on the light switch, her eyes squinted as a flood of brightness filled the room. Sadie glanced over to her bed to see her duffle bag sprawled across the soft green silk comforter. As Sadie unzipped her traveling bag to pull out an outfit for dinner, she could hear heavy footsteps approaching the bedroom but paid no mind.

“Dear Jesus! So the rumors were true,” a woman shouted as she rushed into the bedroom.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Sadie yelped, nearly jumped out of her skin at the abrupt arrival. A hand shot to her heaving chest while her eyes shot a glare at the female who was apparently her cousin. “Don’t you knock, Alice,” she narrowed her eyes at her younger cousin.

“The door was open if I recall,” Alice stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice in which Sadie rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you are here though. It’s been a long time, cousin.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that.”

“Can you blame them? Everyone missed you especially Granny. She was so depressed when you left,” Alice shook her head as she remembered the memory. “She sat in her room for days looking out her window waiting for you to come back, ya know. I told her it was a waste of time, that you weren’t coming back ever but she didn’t listen to me.”

“I wonder why,” Sadie trailed off in a whisper as she pulled out a green sundress with white floral designs embedded on it. She lifted the dress up with both hands before turning her attention to Alice when the door squeaked shut.

“It’s because of that white boy that you left, isn’t it?”

Every muscle in her body tensed at the question and a strained silence drifted through the air. “What are you talking about,” Sadie glanced to her briefly prior to clearing her throat with unease.

“That Gallagher boy, the one that you ‘hated’ so much.” 

“That is none of your business,” Sadie replied as calmly as possible. “Now if you excuse me, I need to get ready for dinner,” she paused, waiting for the younger girl to leave, but Alice remained rooted to her spot. “Now,” her voice thundered before she could stop herself.

“Fine, but you don’t have to be such a bitch over a simple question,” Alice snapped. When the door slammed shut and the room was empty, Sadie fell headfirst into the bed, her scream muffled by the softness of the queen-sized bed.

This was going to be one hell of a stay.

The ends of her powder blue sundress twirled and swayed at her knees as she walked through the meadow of yellow, purple, and blue wild flowers. A seventeen-year-old Sadie made her way towards the large oak tree that stood proudly in the middle of the vast meadow. Its leaves and branches dancing softly as the cool breeze cut through the area. Once she arrived to her destination, she knelt onto the ground and propped her back against the harsh bark of the aging tree.

It was a humid summer night and the sky sparkled with stars. The full moon fixated in the center of the sky reminded her of a king beaming from his high throne. The soft fragrance of the surrounding flowers trickled into her nostrils with each breath she took.

Lying down onto the bed of soft green beneath the shade of the tree, her head lolled to the side and her eyes closed while quietly enjoying the fruits of Mother Nature.

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here,” a gruff southern voice chuckled in a close range. At first, she had been startled by such a voice until her mind registered the familiarity that dripped from it. Her body relaxed and her eyes remained closed. “What are you doing here,” she sighed softly, slightly irked that he had decided to invade her favorite hiding place. The only place where she could escape the ramifications of reality for just a little while.

“I’d like to ask the same. Someone could easily take advantage of ya in a place like this. No one could be able to hear you screaming,” a sly grin could be easily heard through his voice. If she had opened her eyes, Sadie would have most likely shot him a deadly glare, but shooting him the bird would have to suffice.

Lucas Gallagher shook his head, chuckling once more. He had always enjoyed creating a conflict with Sadie Thompson ever since they were small children. Their families weren’t exactly on good terms, but that didn’t stop him from clashing with her. Her fiery spirit drew him to her like a moth to a flame, a very deadly flame but he didn’t mind getting burnt.

Not one bit.

Sadie then opened her eyes and glanced over to him. She shivered at the sight before her. Lucas Gallagher was a fucking masterpiece. He was six foot one – way taller than her five feet and five inches. With crystal blue eyes, curly dirty blonde hair, naturally sun-kissed skin, and a well-built body from working part-time at Old Man Jimmy’s mechanic shop. “Aren’t you suppose to be isolated in your room jacking off or something?”

“Well, I need jack-off material for that,” his voice lowered as he stepped closer, “but if you really think I need to be at home jacking off then give me something to work with.”

Her eyes widened in shock at his words and propped herself up on her elbows. “Lucas Michael Gallagher, if you don’t get the hell away from me, I swear to God I will rip off your balls. I am not one of those floozy girls you chase around town. I am a lady,” she tilted her chin up in pride.

“And what a lady you are, Sadie Mae Thompson,” he agreed as he dropped to his knees and ran a pale calloused hand up her smooth brown leg.

“Lucas,” her voice softened a few levels as his hand traveled further and further up her leg until he completely disappeared beneath her sundress.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” she chanted.

“Do you think she is being possessed by the Devil or something,” Eleven-year-old Marie Thompson questioned with a quirked eyebrow as she and her nine-year-old little brother stood by the bed, staring at sleep-talking Sadie.

“Probably so. I am just waiting for her head to spin around and spit green acid,” Marcus replied with a shrug before he lifted his hand to scratch the back of his neck. “Do you think we should wake her up?”

“Auntie Tina said we had to,” Marie answered, her attention locked on her older cousin who was now apparently moaning like a mad woman.

Marcus frowned deeply, “She is creeping me out.”

“You aren’t the only one. Now wake her up,” Marie nudged lightly him in his side. 

“Hell no,” he exclaimed, shaking his head vigorously causing Marie to nudge him harder in his side.

“What in the heck do you think you are doing?  Cussing like you grown? If Mama or Daddy heard you, they’d whip yo’ behind! Plus, aren’t you suppose to be ‘THE MAN’?”

“What in the world is taking so long,” a short, round woman entered with room with a scowl.

“H-huh,” Sadie groaned sleepily, winking her eyes several times to adjust herself in the morning sunlight that spilt from the floral curtains by the window.

“What the hell is going,” she snapped upward, glancing at both Marie and Marcus before settling her eyes on Auntie Tot.

“Sadie Mae, don’t be cussin’ in front of these children,” Auntie Tot frowned deeply before turning her attention to the two children.

“Two you, downstairs. Now,” Auntie Tot ordered, shooing the duo away.

“Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison before trotting out the bedroom.

“As for you,” Auntie Tot returned her attention to Sadie, “Get yo’ behind up! Yo’ Daddy waiting for you downstairs, you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sadie said with a loud yawn.

“Good,” Auntie Tot huffed. “And welcome back.” With that said she was gone.

Sadie sighed heavily and plopped back down onto the bed, her eyes glued to the ceiling. What a welcome way to start the new day.

“What took you so long?” Joe questioned with an arched eyebrow as he stood by the rusty pickup in the driveway. He wore a plaid button down shirt with worn blue jeans.

“Sorry, Daddy. I had a really long night,” Sadie said as she approached the car with another yawn.

Joe smiled, eyeing his daughter carefully. “Come on, I need to make a stop to grocery store for yo’ Mama before we go to the bus station to get that ticket exchange,” he informed her before hopping into the car. Running her brown fingers through her hair, Sadie stepped into the truck as well. In moments, they were cruising down the red dirt road that led towards the town.

“A lot as changed,” Sadie trailed off as she peered out the window.

“The world didn’t stop turn because you left, Sadie. Maybe for a little while, but everybody had to go on with their lives,” Joe replied in return causing Sadie to frown at her father’s statement.

If only her family could understand why she felt in the first place.

“I am glad everyone is living their lives accordingly, but Daddy, you should see my apartment! I bought a nice little used car and I have a goldfish. I work a really good job as a wedding planner assistant,” Sadie rambled on, trying to prove to her father that her new life was good one.

“Seems like you’re livin’ the life huh,” Joe grinned, shaking his head while he turned the car onto a paved toward that was a straight route to Kingsbury.

When they arrived at the grocery store, Joe and Sadie went separate directions for the time being. While he went to the herbs and spices aisle, Sadie walked to the magazine rake and picked up a recent issue of Bridal Weekly. Quietly, she flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the beautiful pictures of models dressed in elegant wedding dresses of different styles.

“Sadie Mae, is that you,” an unfamiliar voice questioned causing Sadie to glance up from the magazine to look at the young brunette girl with blond highlights. The girl seemed familiar yet Sadie didn’t quite understand where she met her before.

“It’s me, Lily Gallagher. Lucas’s little sister! I was just a little thang when you left town,” Lily reintroduced herself.

“O-oh, wow. You have grown quite a bit,” Sadie gave her a weak smile. The last time she saw her, she was a twelve year old that wore overalls and pigtails.

“Are you getting married?,” Lily asked, her eyes shifting down to the magazine that was clenched in Sadie’s hands.

“Um, something like that,” Sadie laughed nervously before quickly placed the magazine back on the rake.

“Wow, I can’t believe you’re back. When you left, everyone thought you would be gone for good but here you are standin’ right in front of me,” Lily paused briefly and chewed on her lower lip. “I am really sorry about your grandmama, she was a feisty gal. Your mama is lettin’ us come to the funeral to pay our respects.”

“Even,” Sadie gulped down hard, her heart beginning to race in her chest. “Even your brother?”

“Yeah, he is comin’ too,” Lily nodded her head. The statement made Sadie grow pale.

“Well, I better go. I’ll tell Lucas that you are back in town,” Lily then waved good-bye before walking away, leaving a frightened Sadie.

Sadie rocked back and forth on her heels, the porch swing following suit while the hinges squeaked in protest. Her eyes were glued to the thin clouds that scattered the southern night sky. The scattered clouds reminded her of the scattered thoughts that rattling around in her troubled mind. All kinds of thoughts consumed her energy, from her grandmother’s approaching funeral to her mother’s constantly nagging about her being distant from the family for seven years to Lucas Gallagher.

At this point, she needed a cigarette. No, scratch that! She needed two packs of cigarettes every hour on the hour to get through this mess but like an idiot, she had decided to quit smoking four months prior.

“Wow, you look pathetic,” Alice said as she walked away of the house and onto the porch.

“Thanks for the news flash,” Sadie said with a frown, her eyes never leaving the sky.

“Aw, come on, big cousin. All you have done is mope around the house. Come to the Twisted Roots Bar with me and my friends, you might have a good time,” Alice plopped down onto the porch swing and pouted softly.

Sadie briefly glanced over to the twenty-one year old. “Why all of a sudden you give a fuck about my well-being?”

“Because you are family and I love you,” Alice placed an arm around Sadie’s shoulder, which made Sadie even more cautious about the sugary sweet attitude her younger cousin was playing. “So will you?”

The answer ‘fine’ slipped out of Sadie and Alice’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “Oh my god, thank you! You will not regret this. I will make sure that you will have the time of your life tonight,” Alice then paused and glanced down at Sadie’s attire, “but first you have to change into something better. I have a reputation, ya know.”

Sadie rolled her eyes and went into the house to change. Alice was right though, every since she got here she had been moping around the house. Maybe going to Twisted Roots wasn’t such a bad idea.

About fifteen minutes later, Sadie trotted down the stairs in overall shorts, a black shirt, and tennis shoes. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

“Better,” Alice approved of her outfit of choice as she pulled out of the driveway and down the red dirt road that led towards town. When they got to Twisted Roots, it was already crowded.

Walking into the bar, they two briefly stood in the doorway. “I’ll go find my friends. Get me a beer, will ya,” Alice said before disappearing.

Sadie went over to the bar. “Hey, can I have one beer and one Jack and Coke, please,” she ordered.

“Yeah, sure,” the bartender nodded and went to fix the orders. Meanwhile, she turned around and rested her back against the ledge of the bar, her eyes scanning the crowded room to look for her cousin and her cousins’ friends.

“Here ya go,” the bartender said as he placed the orders onto the bar counter. She turned around and slowly guzzled down the Jack and Coke before grabbing the cousin’s beer.

After paying the bartender, she walked through the crowd until she found a booth in the far corner of the room that contained Alice and five of her friends – three girls, two boys and all of them were having a great fucking time until she popped in. “Here’s your beer,” Sadie cleared her throat.

“Aw, thanks, big cousin! You guys, this is my cousin, Sadie Mae,” Alice introduced.

Sadie gave a slight wave and a nervous smile. “Ah, the infamous Sadie Mae Thompson! Boy, have we heard a lot about you,” one of the guys said with a smirk and lifted his pint of beer to her as if to salute her.

“I hope it’s nothing too bad,” Sadie said as she scooted into the booth.

“It depends on your definition of bad,” he winked and gave a charming smile before taking a few sips of his beer.

“Sadie, this is Jonathan. He is a real charmer. That is Kyle. Sarah, Lesley, and Megan,” Alice introduced her friends.

“Nice to meet you all,” Sadie nodded her head. “The pleasure is all mine.” Jonathan smirked as he placed his pint onto the table.

“I was just going to play a round or two of pool. Wanna play, Sadie,” Jonathan questioned.

“Um,” Sadie started out, not liking to be put on the spot.

“Of course, she will,” Alice said with a smile as she nudged Sadie out of the booth.

Sadie secretly shot Alice a deadly look before walking over to the pool section of the bar by grabbing her hand.

“Do you know how to play,” he questioned as he went grabbed two cue sticks and tossed her one of them.

“I have been known to win a few games of pool back in my day,” she said with a light pride grin.

“Really now,” Jonathan’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. “Show me what you got then,” He challenged.

The Jack and Coke were starting to take effect as she was loosening up a bit. “I’ll break,” she said before as she bent one knee closer to the table slightly while keep her back knee straight and leaned towards the table after she positioned the cue stick.

Once the stacked balls were scattered about the pool table, she glanced up to him with mischievous brown eyes. “Are you ready to play,” she quirked an eyebrow, hellish smile playing across her lips.

“Never been more ready in my life,” Jonathan grinned in return. “But to make things were interesting, how about a bet?”

Sadie straightened herself up as she eyed him. “What kind of bet?”

“If I win then you will have to go out on a date with me. If you win,” He paused, wanting her to fill in the terms of the deal.

Sadie bit down onto her lower lip as she thought. “If I win then,” She searched for something to say. “I’ll think about going out on a date with you.”

“Deal.”

As the game proceeded, they were at neck and neck and a small group began to form around the pool table.

“Congrats, you won,” Sadie said with a nod, a bit sad that she lose the game to him.

“What time should I pick you up?”

“That’s up to you,” Sadie said as she put her cue stick back on the rake.

Jonathan quickly followed suite. “How about right now? I know a cool diner that makes some of the best hamburgers?”

“I guess so. I mean you are the winner,” Sadie nodded. “Great, I’ll meet you outside,” he said before walking away.

Sadie shimmied through the crowd, making her way to the door until she accidently bumped into someone causing her purse to drop onto the floor. “Shit,” she cursed as she knelt down to keep up her purse and when she glanced up to see the person she had bumped into, her heart nearly stopped in her chest.

Blue eyes.

Slowly, she got up from her spot to stand before the man she had been running from for seven years. Lucas Michael Gallagher.

“I see you are back in town,” he said, his face void of emotion but his eyes were clouded with anger.

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her heart was racing in her chest while so many memories flooded into her mind.

“And I was just leaving,” Sadie cleared her throat.

“That seems to be a signature trait of yours.”

The urge to slap him was beyond strong, but she managed to control her anger and keep her hands to herself. “Nice seeing you too, Lucas. Oh and go fuck yourself,” she said through grit teeth. He smirked but said nothing, which was a good thing on Sadie’s behalf.

“Are you ready to go,” Jonathan questioned as he approached Sadie from behind and placed a hand on her waist. The smirk on Lucas’ face quickly dissolved at the sight.

Sadie stared at Lucas for another moment before turning her attention to Jonathan. “Yeah, let’s go,” she nodded.

As she and Jonathan walked pass Lucas, he grabbed her forearm tightly and tugged her close to him. “We need to talk,” he stated bitterly. For one moment in time, Sadie closed her eyes and shivered at his touch. It had been so long since she had felt his touch.

Snapping her eyes up to his, Sadie yanked her arm away. “No, we don’t,” she growled before walking out the double doors of Twisted Roots and into the night air.

Goosebumps prickled onto her brown skin as she followed Jonathan towards his pick-up truck. “I would really like to go on a date with you tonight, but can I take a rain check? I am a bit lightheaded.”

“Of course but that means you have to go out on two dates with me,” Jonathan grinned as he turned on the ignition.

“Sure,” Sadie agreed.

The funeral was in two days and everyone was slowly coping with the death of Ida Thompson in his or her own way. But the person who was taking the beating most of all was Sadie.

“Do you know what you are doing?” Ida questioned as she watched her bewildered granddaughter from the doorway as shove all types of things into a travel suitcase.

“I hope so,” Sadie said in a low voice -- her throat raw and tight from screaming and crying.

“What are you trying to prove, Sadie? And whom are you trying to prove it to? Him or you?” Ida took a step forward causing Sadie to turn around. Her brown eyes were reddened from the salty tears that dominated her sight.

“How did you –”

“I am no fool, Sadie Mae. You two have been sneaking around for a while now.” Ida frowned. “You love him, don’t you?”

Sadie immediately turned around and returned to her packing. “It doesn’t matter anymore. In two hours, I will be on a greyhound bus.”

“Running away from your problems isn’t going to solve anything, honey. It’s only going to make things worse a lot worse.”

And her grandmama was right. Now years later, her decision bit her on the ass and her life was in a shittier place than it was seven years ago.

“Sadie, could you drive your father’s pick-up down to Jimmy’s Auto-Repair for an oil change? He isn’t feeling too good right now,” Tina questioned.

Sadie sat up from her spot on the couch and nodded her head. “Sure, Mama.”

After grabbing the keys to the truck, she drove to town. Jimmy’s Auto-Repair was a little ways towards the center of the thriving southern town. Parking the pick-up in front of the shop, she hopped out and went inside.

The cool air from the AC brushed against her brown skin. There was an older woman wearing granny glasses at the front desk. “Good afternoon,” she greeted with a smile. “What can I do for you, darling?”

“I need an oil change,” Sadie answered.

“Actually you came in good timing. We have one mechanic who can do that in a jiffy for ya,” the woman smiled before picking up the phone and pressed a button. “Hey, honey. I have a young lady who wants an oil change, got a little time on your hands?”

The woman waited for a response. “Goodie. She will be out front.”

After paying for the oil change in advance, she walked outside and towards the truck. Opening the driver side door, she bent over and leaned forward to grab her coat.

“I know that ass from anywhere,” she heard someone say snidely causing her head to jerk over her shoulder.

Sadie’s eyes widened slightly as she noticed who it was and almost wanted to suffocate herself with her jacket. “This is fucking amazing,” she grumbled as she turned around to face him.

She wore fitted black shorts, a purple shirt, and brown calf boots along with a white floral headband to keep her long hair in check. In turn, Lucas’ eyes swept up and down the length of her body briefly before their eyes locked.

“If any I would think that you are stalking me,” Sadie frowned as she shrugged on her jacket.

“Don’t flatter yourself, honey. This is my joint now,” Lucas motioned to red sign that said ‘Jimmy’s Auto-Repair’.

“Last I checked your name isn’t Jimmy,” Sadie crossed her arms over her chest.

“I have been known by many names, baby. You of all people should know that,” Lucas smirked as he tossed a dirty towel onto his shoulder.

Sadie squinted her eyes. “You make me sick,” she said.

“Drive the car into the garage,” he ordered before walking away.

“Drive the car into the garage,” Sadie mocked his order as she popped into the pick-up and slowly navigated the car into the garage. “So how long will this take,” she asked as she got out of the truck and slammed the door shut.

“Six and a half hours,” Lucas answered as he began to work on a different car.

“Six and a half hours?” Sadie exclaimed in shock.

“I didn’t stutter,” Lucas quickly answered before grunting and stood up straight, removing himself from under the hood of the car.

“The old lady that you could do this in a ‘jiffy’,” Sadie frowned.

“I got four other cars I gotta do that are of more important than yours. If you don’t like it then leave,” he eyed her carefully as he wiped his hands on the towel.

“I’ll be back in six hours,” Sadie clenched her jaw. She didn’t know what game he was trying to play, but she didn’t mind playing it if only for a little while.

“And a half,” He added as he went back under the car hood.

“Whatever,” She rolled her eyes before walking out of the garage.

After strolling around the downtown area for a little while, she decided to catch a movie at the theater. She picked the longest movie she could find - two hours and some change.

She shopped a little and ate some lunch. As the sun slowly began to set from the sky, Sadie made her way back to the auto-repair shop. The drawdown doors to the garage itself were closed making Sadie walk over to the office section of the shop. On the doors read the office hours: MONDAY – FRIDAY: 8 AM TO 5:30 PM | SATURDAY: 9 AM TO 5 PM

Squinting her eyes, she looked through the glass door and to the wall clock that was in plain sight. It was well pass five-thirty and pushing a little over six o’clock.

He lied to her! He told her to wait six and a half hours well knowing that the shop would be closed way before that time. Her jaw clenched tightly. “That jackass,” she growled and hit the door out of anger. The glass door gave way to the strike and swung open.

Out of curiosity, she stepped inside. As the door thump shut behind her, she slowly walked around the office space until she found a dark, narrow hallway. Her heart thumped in her chest as she made her way down the hallway, the heels of her boots clicking against the tile floors.

It was then she heard some kind of noise — a voice, a very familiar voice. “Put that camera away, Lucas! I’m serious,” a female said disapprovingly but then burst into a fit of laughter.

“Come on, baby. Don’t be shy now.” There was a male voice now. It was Lucas’.

She followed the voices until she reached a slightly open door. A soft white glow dully illuminated the room when she pushed the door a little wider and sitting in a chair in front of a television was Lucas. He probably didn’t know that she was there considering his attention was so glued to the television screen.

“Lucas, mm. Stop, baby.”

Her eyes were now glued to the screen as well and now she realized why the voices were so familiar. It was a video of her and Lucas. When they were together many years ago.

In the video, she was lying down on a bed with her tee shirt and white bra pushed above her breasts, leaving them exposed to the lens of his video camera and his hand as his index finger and thumb tweeted one of the hard brown nipples. A groan filled the room.

Sadie gulped down hard and briefly shifted her attention to Lucas.

“Hold this for me,” Lucas said as he handed the video camera over to her. There was much unsteadiness during the exchanging.

“I am not going to be apart of your little experiment,” Sadie replied in protest. A brief glimpse of the frown on her face could be see before she angled the camera to be handed back to him but once it was in her possession, it was no longer Lucas’s responsibility.

Sadie then rolled her eyes and turned the camera around so that the lens could face her for a moment. Before she could make another movement, pleasure rippled across her face and she groaned Lucas’s name.

Turning the camera around once more to face Lucas, he was now in between her legs. His mouth devouring her wet pussy that glistened in the bright sunlight that spilt from the open windows and curtains. His tongue flickered and probed the warm, gushy sweetness between her nether lips while his mouth suckled on her throbbing clit.

A louder groan of his name could be heard while Sadie quivered violently, her legs bending slightly as she came. Eagerly, he tasted her juices. Once she was licked clean, he looked up at her with his signature grin. He then hovered over her but the limited angle of the camera lens only captured his torso sliding against hers.

There was a sound of a long, wet kiss and a moan from Sadie before the two laughed. Then there was darkness as someone shut off the camera.

Sadie bit down onto her lower lip, her eyes half shut as the video came to an end. Her nether region throbbed with a familiar aching sensation and other memories that swirled in her brain.

When Lucas went to get up, Sadie took a step back causing the door to squeak open a little more, exposing herself. This caught his attention and his eyes snapped to the door. There she was caught red-handed and a bit flushed.

Now that her cover was blown, Sadie cleared her throat and walked into the room. She turned on the light and winced as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. “I’m here for my truck,” she said.

He looked at her carefully and opened his mouth to speak, but halted himself for a moment. “Wait outside,” he ordered. She was glad he didn’t say anything other than that because if he had then she wouldn’t know what to say another than ‘um’.

Once she was in the parking lot, she saw one of the garage doors slid open and her father’s pick-up truck rumbled into the lot. When Lucas got out of the car, she nodded her goodbye before getting in.

She drove away as quickly as possible but her eyes briefly glanced to rearview mirror and all she could see is blue eyes looking back at her. Shivering, her foot pressed even harder on the gas pedal.

Sadie never understood how or why people still had the stomach to eat after watching someone that they loved dearly get laid to rest. It had been nearly two hours after the burial of her grandmother and everyone that had attended the funeral was now at the house eating good hot southern food while chatting about all of the wacky and kind things Ida did.

The aroma of the food made her nauseous and just the mere mention of her grandmother from another person’s mouth almost drove her to tears, but she managed to escape to the one place in the world where she felt safe – her oak tree. Now here she sat, staring at the gray cloudy skies that threatened to bring rain.

“You should be gettin’ inside, it’s about to nasty out here,” she heard a familiar voice. Sadie watched as Lucas approached her. A small smile quirked onto her lips as she recalled all of the times she had been in a situation like this -- her leaning against the oak tree, him approaching her.

“I don’t mind,” her voice was sad and weak.

“Well I do,” he replied with a frown. “Get your ass up and get inside. Now.”

A clap of thunder vibrated through the air, goosebumps prickling onto her skin. “I just watched my grandmother’s casket get wheeled down into some dark deep hole where I will never see her again. I can’t go back into that house where everyone is remembering the good ole’ times of Ida, eating food like it’s a celebration. It’s not. I don’t want to go back there,” her voice crackled, tears streaming down her cheeks for the hundredth time that day.

“Please, don’t back me go back,” she pleaded, looking up at him through reddened eyes filled with tears.

For the first time in a long time, Lucas just stood there before her in silence. She smiled a bit at the fact. “Well, that’s a first. I never would have thought that I could make Lucas Gallagher speechless,” she sniffled with a laugh through her tears.

“Don’t get too used to it, darlin’,” he replied and took a few more steps further and reached down to grab her arm. And for some odd reason, she let him.

He tugged her up to him, their bodies pressing against one another – like old times. Sadie stared into his eyes deeply, trying to search for something but couldn’t find any. She buried her nose into his chest. “You smell good,” she whimpered as she inhaled his cologne.

Another clap of thunder rumbled through the air. “I need to get ya inside before it starts rainin’ cats and dogs,” he replied.

“Let it,” Sadie retorted as she pulled away from him and turned her back. “Why are you here anyways? Want to find a way to torture me?”

“No, I’m tryin’ to knock some sense into to ya. And I’ll be damned if I am going to let ya stand out here, get drenched from the rain, and then die from a cold. We still have some unfinished business,” Lucas growled.

Sadie turned back around to face him. “You know what,” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Let’s get it out of the way right here and right now. What is this unfinished business that you are so desperately trying to finish with me?”

“This.”

Before she knew it, she was pinned against the tree with a set of hungry lips pressed against hers. His tongue thrust into her mouth, entangling itself into hers while his hand gripped the back of her head.

            She melted against him as the feverish kiss paralyzed her. Her knees buckled, but he pressed her harder into the tree to keep her from falling down – to keep her from getting away from him a second time.

            A heavy sheet of rain came down through the thick branches and lush leaves of the oak tree, wetting them. Their wet clothes clung to their skin while her body clung to his. Eventually, they pulled back and broke the kiss.

            Sadie and Lucas panted heavily as they stared at each other intensely. He leaned his forehead against hers. “I’ve been waitin’ to do that for seven damn years,” he breathed laboriously.

            “Are you satisfied,” she asked, her chest heaving up down.

            “Hell no,” he answered.

            Her fingers curled around the back of his back. “Good because I’m not either. I’m tired of running away,” Sadie replied softly.

            “And I’m tired of ya running away, so let’s get tired together by doing something else,” Lucas grinned.

            “Is that your own way of telling me that you want me to stick around,” she wondered with a smile.

            Lucas shook his head, “No, that’s my way of tellin’ ya that you’re mine and I ain’t gonna let ya get away from me a second time.”

            “I hate you, Lucas Michael Gallagher,” she rolled her eyes.

            “I’ll take your ‘hate’ for me as undying love and if that’s the case then the feelin’ mutual, Sadie Mae Thompson,” he chuckled before he returned to kissing her.

            Reality disappeared around them as they stood beneath the oak tree, drenched from head to toe by the rain. Sadie recalled her granny once telling her that the rain always brought a sign of renewal.

            Ida Thompson was right.