Rhett by Margaret McHeyzer
This last week has been a complete mind-fuck for me. I’ve avoided everyone at all costs. Other than work, I refuse to go anywhere in case I run into Rhett. He’s messaged me a number of times to see how I am, and my replies are always short. I don’t want Rhett to feel sorry for me. Nor do I want him to think I’m trying to get out of here with his help.
I stretch back in bed, and look up and out of the window above my head. I’m glad I have a day to myself today, because I’ve been working like crazy trying to get somewhere.
My phone dings with a message, and I already know it’ll be Rhett. Leaning over, I take my phone off charge and look at the screen. What are you doing today?he asks.
I can’t keep avoiding him, because I know he’ll keep being a pest if I try. Not much.
Please, don’t reply. Good, I’ll come pick you up. I’m taking you to lunch.
I can’t, I’m busy.
No, you’re not.He screenshot my reply of ‘not much,’ and sends it to me. Smart-ass. No excuse. I’m taking you to lunch. I need to apologize for being a jerk. So, it’s in the rule book, you have to say yes. I let out a chuckle. Let me find the rule in the book. Hang on. I laugh somewhat louder.
I can’t accept the rule book because it’s not verified by an adult.I tease, suddenly feeling lighter than I have been since that disastrous night at the club.
Working on it, hang on.What is he doing? A couple of moments pass, and a photo of a handwritten note comes through. My son is an ass, and he needs to make it up to you. Elise. I chuckle. See, the rule book says it.
Closing my eyes, I yawn loudly then stretch. Okay. I’ll go out to lunch with you. I’ll be ready by eleven, and I’ll be waiting outside the park.
The message is delivered, and I see he’s typing out a reply. I wait for a good minute before the little dots disappear, and I’m message-less. A few seconds later, the reply comes through. Okay.
Phew, that went easier than I thought it would. I was waiting for an argument from him, but thankfully he doesn’t come at me. I push the covers back, and head into the bathroom. I may as well get myself ready for lunch.
“Wow, I’ve never been here before,” I say as I sit opposite Rhett and look out at the peaceful view.
“Dean, Alec, and I came out here once, and I loved the water being just there.” Rhett turns to have a look at the ocean. “The only thing that sucks is the traffic that passes through.”
“It’s a bit hard to get to, but those views are certainly worth it, aren’t they?” I position my chair to the side just so I can keep looking out at the water.
“It’s been cut into the side of a hill. Which is why they need the steps leading down to the sidewalk and across to the water.”
“I was just thinking about how awkward it is to get down there from up here.” I can’t take my eyes off the sun reflecting off the water. It’s not a hot day at all, and a nice breeze blows off the water, kissing my skin. I instantly regret not bringing a light sweater to wear. My arms erupt into goose bumps as a small shiver tears through me.
“Are you cold?” Rhett asks.
“I’ll be fine.” I dismissively flick my hand. Rhett stands, and takes off his button up shirt, leaving him in a t-shirt. He walks around and drapes it over my shoulders. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. I run naturally hot, so I’ll be good.”
Yes, yes you do. The t-shirt clings to his body, showing a perfect outline of his bulky upper arms. “Thank you.” My view just got even better. I slip my arms in, and cuddle into his button-up. God, it even smells good. “So, about me being a freak last week.”
“No, you don’t have to explain, Dani. I’m sorry I pushed you. Just so you know, I wanted to make sure you were safe, no other reason.” I open my mouth to say something, but he holds his hand up, stopping me. “It doesn’t bother me where you live. As long as you’re safe where you are, I don’t care.”
“I’m safe,” I say as I swallow. “I, um,” I stumble over the words. “I, ah.” I place my hand to chest. “I don’t want anyone knowing where I live.”
“It’s not my place to say anything,” he reassures me. “I’m not that type of person. You can trust me.”
In my gut, I know he’s right. I can trust him. “I know,” I say as I nod. I look everywhere but into his intense eyes. “You know how I was going out with Brent for like, forever?”
Rhett straightens and clears his throat. “Yeah, I do. We lost touch after school though, so I don’t know what he’s doing or anything. I mean, I see him around every now and again, but...” He downturns his lips and shakes his head.
“He came to my house once, and made fun of me. I decided then not to share it with anyone else.”
“What?” Rhett asks, surprised. “That he made fun of you?”
“Not me, per se, more like the fact I live in a trailer. I take good care of it.” Rhett narrows his eyes and tilts his head. “I mean, we take good care of it. My...my...my parents and I take good care of it.” Shit, that was super clunky, and he probably knows. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Stupid, Dani. Stupid, stupid, Dani. “Anyway, I feel protective of what we have.” Good save.
“No one should make fun of anyone else for where they live. Anyway, how long has it been since you and Brent broke up?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I don’t care either. I mean, when he decided to stick his dick in other women, the relationship was well and truly over. The only thing I’m embarrassed about is I have no idea how long that went on for before I found out.”
Rhett tsks and looks over to the water. He shifts in his seat, and remains quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry, Dani,” he finally says.
“What are you sorry for? You didn’t cheat on me.”
“And I never would,” he replies vehemently. “No one deserves that.” Rhett clears his throat and pulls his shoulders back. “I have a confession to make.”
“You forged the note from Elise?” I playfully say, knowing there’d be no way in hell he would’ve said anything to his mom.
“Oh, no. That’s real. She kicked my ass when I told her why I needed her to write a note to you.” I clutch my hands to my mouth, trying to conceal my massive smile. “I tell ya, that woman scares the shit out of me.”
“Does she?” I laugh even louder as I tuck my hands under my thighs.
“No, not really. But she’s fierce and passionate about family. I will add though, if anyone crosses her family, we need to hold her back. But at the same time, she calls us on our shit too.”
I wish my Mom was like her. “It must be nice to have a Mom who’s so protective.”
“Not when I have to explain to her that I was being a dick to you, and I needed a permission slip from her.”
“You weren’t a dick, Rhett. You were trying to do the right thing, and I was pushing you. I was to blame more than you were.”
“I want you,” Rhett blurts causing me to startle and double look at him. Wait, what? “I want you, Dani. I don’t want to be a friend. I want more from you.” He reaches out, offering his hand.
I find myself swallowing pooled saliva. I take a breath and blink rapidly for a moment. “I’m, um, I’m.” Why do words escape me when I get flustered?
“I want us to be more.” He gestures between us. “I know you...”
In this very second, time slows to a complete stop. We hear tires screeching and both look over the edge to the road below. A car comes careening around the curve of the road without slowing, skids and plunges over the edge, nose first, into the water. I open my mouth, completely speechless.
“Dial nine-one-one,” Rhett yells as he slides his phone over toward me.
Everything happens within one single heartbeat. A lump forms in my throat, and I’m not even sure what the hell is happening. Rhett is down the steps and across the road by the time my mind comprehends what’s happening. He tears off his t-shirt, toes off his shoes and jumps into the water. Bubbles are still rising from where the car nosedived into the water.
I look around and see people are on their phones. Some are on with nine-one-one as they shakily explain what’s going on, and some are recording Rhett’s heroic act. I run down the stairs, where cars have already stopped and people are standing on the edge looking down into the deep, dark water. “That guy just jumped in,” someone says.
“Does anyone have a towel?” someone else calls.
“Police are on their way,” another person yells.
My heart is beating so fast it’s pulsating through my entire body. Adrenaline has kicked in, and I keep looking down into the water for Rhett. What do I do? Should I jump in to save him? That’s stupid. If I jump in and he comes up, then he’ll have to try to save me too, especially considering I’m not much of a swimmer.
I scoop up his t-shirt up, clutching it tight to my chest. Where is he? He should be back up by now. It feels like hours have passed, but I know it’s only been a matter of seconds, maybe even a minute. “Where the fuck are the police?” I scream as I keep watching out for any sign of life. Shit, where is he?
“Bubbles!” someone yells, and I instantly I focus to where people are pointing.
A lifeless man is being pushed up, and Rhett follows as he puts his arms around the man’s shoulders and holds him up. A group of men all rush into the water together, heaving the guy up and placing him on his back. They reach and grab Rhett’s hand, hauling him out the water.
I let out a breath, relieved that Rhett is okay. Rhett falls to his knees beside the man, rolls him to the side, opens his mouth and shoves his finger in to dislodge anything stuck in there. The man is ghostly white, his lips tinged with blue. I feel completely helpless while Rhett is in savior mode. He rolls the guy back on his chest, lowers his head to the guy’s mouth. There’s so much noise and commotion happening. In the distance the sound of sirens echoes. Rhett brings his head up, turns and yells, “Everyone, be quiet.”
A dome of silence cascades over all of us. The only sound that can be heard are the sirens that seem close, but yet so far.
I stand, watching the amazing efforts of Rhett as he starts compressions on the man who appears like he’s gone. The worst thing, the man isn’t even old, he looks like he’s in his fifties. Jesus, what the hell happened for him to plunge his car into the water?
Rhett keeps working on him, keeping calm the entire time. The guy isn’t responding, but Rhett refuses to give up on him. “Oh my God,” I whisper watching Rhett, who’s in total control and disciplined.
The sirens get closer and closer. Rhett is oblivious to everybody and everything other than the man who’s lying lifeless beneath his touch. I swallow the lump in my throat, my eyes are wide and I’m completely engrossed with Rhett’s unbreakable focus.
“Out of the way!” someone yells.
Two paramedics push through, followed by two police officers. Rhett looks up from his compressions, but keeps his hands steady. “His car veered into the water. He was under for approximately ninety seconds before I got to him. Another two minutes before I could get him out. No pulse. Thirty-three compressions,” he quickly fills in the paramedics.
One paramedic places his hands where Rhett’s were, and says, “You’ve done a great job. We’ll take it from here.”
Rhett gives him a nod, pushes back on his heels and stands. Everyone breaks out into a round of applause while Rhett humbly gives everyone a small nod. He walks over to me and reaches for his t-shirt. I don’t give it to him, instead I can’t help but throw myself into his arms. “Oh my God,” I say as I hug him as close as I can to my body and burst into tears. “I thought I lost you,” I whisper.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.” He rubs his hands up and down my back, totally in control.
“How can you be so calm after something like that?” I grab his hand and lay it over my chest. “My heart is going crazy, and I didn’t even do anything.”
He smirks as he wraps his arms around me again. He’s soaking wet, but I don’t even care. “I’ve got you. You’ll always be safe when I’m near.”
I look up at him, and shake my head. “I should be the one consoling you, not the other way around.”
He kisses the top of my head, and I close my eyes, thankful he’s okay.
“We’ve got a heartbeat!” I hear one of the paramedics call.
Rhett turns us, his arm possessively around my waist as he keeps hold of me. “He’s alive?” Rhett asks.
“He’s alive,” the paramedic confirms.
Rhett let’s out a long breath. “Um, here.” I hand Rhett his t-shirt, and he lets me go only for the amount of time it takes him to pull it down over his torso. He reaches for me again, holding me as we watch the guy being carefully lifted to a waiting gurney. He’s strapped in and taken toward the ambulance. A police officer approaches us, and gives Rhett a curt nod. “You were the one who jumped in?”
“I am. I’m a firefighter over at Mulberry Point,” Rhett says as he tightens his grip on me.
“What happened?” Rhett reconstructs everything he saw from the moment the car veered into the water, until the paramedics arrived. The police officer is nodding while jotting everything down. “He’s incredibly lucky you were here.”
Rhett’s smile is strained as he glances over to the ambulance now pulling away and heading toward the hospital. “I did what I’m trained to do.” He’s such a down-to-earth and modest man.
The policeman smiles. “You’re a good man. If we have any questions, we know where to find you,” he says once he’s taken all of Rhett’s details.
“Thank you,” Rhett says to the police officer before he leaves. This has been a total blur. What the hell just happened? The congregation of people quickly disperses, leaving just a few stragglers and Rhett and me. “I still owe you lunch, but...” He peers down to his wet jeans. “I need to go home, take a shower and change.”
My mind is reeling with jumbled thoughts and lost words. “I...” I’m trying to form a coherent sentence, but my adrenaline is amped up on speed. “What?” I look over to the water, still in shock of what happened. “I...”
Rhett chuckles. “I know, it’s a lot for you to handle.”
“You...” I’m still struggling with my words. “You.” I look over to the water, and point toward it. “You jumped in, Rhett. You knew what to do and you did it.”
“I did what I had to do,” he says so casually.
“Rhett.” I look up to him, placing my palms on his cheeks. “You didn’t even hesitate.”
He wraps his hands around mine, and brings them to his lips to kiss my fingers. “Something inside me told me this was what I had to do.” He kisses my fingers again.
“I’m...” Fucking hell, Dani. Speak! “Wow.”
He throws his head back, laughing. “I really need to get home and have a shower,” he says.
“Of course. I’m sorry I’m keeping you. It’s just, I mean, I’m, ugh,” I grumble. He links our fingers together, and we head up the stairs to the restaurant so we can get to the parking lot behind it. “You’re simply amazing,” I blurt.
“This is what makes me feel alive. Saving people is just who I am, Dani.”
“Excuse me,” a woman dressed in a smart pant suit says, stopping us from heading to the car. Rhett tenses, but stops. “I’m sorry to bother you. But I’m the owner of this restaurant, and I’d like to offer you and your family dinner on us any time you’d like to use it.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Rhett replies with a smile.
“Please, I’d be honored to do this for you. And I know you were both here and hadn’t ordered yet, so, please, sit and anything you want is on me.” She gestures toward a table.
Rhett looks down at his pants, and offers her uneasy smile. “I’m sorry, but I need to get home to shower and change.”
“Please, come back tonight,” she persists.
Rhett’s rigid stance and stiff arm around my waist tells me he’s truly uncomfortable. “We’d love to, and we both really appreciate it. However, we have dinner plans. But, we’d love to take you up on your offer next weekend.”
“Of course. Let me give you my card, and call me to let me know you’re coming. I’ll have everything set up for you.” She takes a card out of her pantsuit pocket and hands it to me. “I just want to say, thank you for being here.”
“You’re welcome,” Rhett replies.
The woman stands to the side, and we head out to the car.
Rhett truly is uncomfortable with all the public admiration. We get in the car, and Rhett sits staring out the window for a few seconds. “Are you okay?” I ask. Adrenaline mixed with the excitement and stress is probably taking its toll on Rhett. He’s bound to come down from the high sooner or later. “Do you want me to drive?”
“I just need a moment.” His focus is solely ahead of him, while he takes several deep breaths. I shut my mouth and don’t say a word, because I don’t know if I should say anything. He closes his eyes and lays his head on the steering wheel. I can’t stand seeing him like this. Gently, I comb my fingers through his hair, and gently massage his head. “That feels nice,” he says in a small voice. Taking my cues from Rhett, I keep massaging his scalp. I want to know what’s going through his mind, but I don’t want to intrude in these sacred moments of silence. He lifts his head, and I pull my hand away, placing it on my lap. Rhett starts the car, reaches across and takes my hand in his while he carefully navigates the parking lot one-handed.
“You okay?” I ask.
“I don’t like being the center of attention.” He glances over at me, and smiles. “It makes me uncomfortable. Going out and doing what I know instinctually is the right thing to do is the easy part. But people making a fuss over it... I don’t know. It’s not who I am.”
There are a lot of things I’m learning about Rhett. Like how he’s protective, yet he prefers fading into the background. He’s happy to be in the shadows as opposed to claiming glory. “That’s it!” I say.
“What is?”
“It’s not about the glory for you. It’s about the act itself.”
“Exactly.” He squeezes my hand. “I need to take a shower, so either you can come back to Mom’s with me, or I can take you home. But, before you answer, just know, I’d rather stay in these clothes and spend the rest of my day with you, than dropping you off at home because you feel uncomfortable coming home with me.”
“I don’t feel uncomfortable being at your house.” I notice his huge smile.
“Then home it is. I’m afraid I can’t go out tonight, because I’m working tomorrow.”
“I can get myself home when you want to kick me out.”
He furrows his brows. “I’ll take you home. Pizza tonight?”
“Sounds great,” I say and place my other hand over his.
“Yeah, it does.”
