The Wildflower (Completed) (Southern Nights)

Chapter 11

"The Heart of the Wildflower"

2012 Copyrights All Rights Reserved

Chapter 11

Elizabeth sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Chris’s truck. The door closed and she stared blankly out the windshield while he walked around the side of the truck and situated himself in the driver seat.

“Are you okay?” he asked her after closing his own door.

“No!” She snapped and immediately sighed at her hateful tone.  She didn't want to take her temper out on Chris.  It wasn't his fault that Zeb was being such a dumb ass.  Feeling emotionally drained dry, she pressed her thumb and forefinger to her pounding temples. She couldn’t face him; no, she wouldn’t face at him. Not now anyway.  She felt like such a fool tonight and wished that she was already back at home and this entire night had never happened. It was like that saying- fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice, shame on me. She was feeling that shame big time but it wasn't like there was anything she could do about it now.  “I’m not okay, but I’ll live. I’m a big girl now. You don’t have to worry about me Chris.”

“Alright,” he said slowly and put on his seat belt. He was pretty sure she was trying to put on a front for him.  She didn’t say anything else though and Chris didn’t press her either.

They drove in silence during the ride back to her house. Chris pulled up into the driveway and hesitated before he turned off the car. He looked over at Elizabeth and his gut clenched when he spotted a tear rolling down her cheek. He had never really wanted to hurt anyone before the way that he wanted to hurt Zeb right now for causing Elizabeth enough pain to cry.

“Hey,” he nudged her arm with his fist. “Are you sure that you’re going to be okay? If it makes you feel any better, I would be more than happy to go back to the bar and kick his ass for you.”

Elizabeth made a sound that was somewhere between a grunt and a snort. “You don’t have to do that,” she told him and sniffed. “I’ll be fine,” and as she both spoke and wiped her face with the back of her hands, Chris tightened his hand on the steering wheel.  She wasn't fine and that was unacceptable.

“No, you are right.  I don’t have to do anything; but if it would make you happy Elizabeth,” he said again and touched the tip of her nose with his finger before reaching for her hand, “then it would be my pleasure.”

She just stared back at Chris for a long moment. He really was one of the sweetest guys that she had ever known. He was nothing like Zeb. He would never break her heart over and over the way that Zeb had done twice now. Why couldn’t she feel a spark, a flame, a flicker or something with him? Ideally, Chris would have been perfect for her but she felt nothing. Not even a little zing when she touched him. And wasn’t that just her luck? The only zing she felt was when Zeb touched her.  Elizabeth pushed that thought out of her head.  Zeb wouldn't be touching her again.

She was done with him.

“You know what, Chris?”

“What?”

She gave him a half a smile and patted his hand. “They just don’t make guys like you anymore.”

“Guys like me?”

“Yeah, guys like you. Perfect, sweet, nice, caring…”

Chris chuckled when she looked down at their joined hands. “You don’t have to stop, you know. You were on a roll with the compliments.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I'm not feeding your ego. It’s already super-sized as it is.”

“Hold that thought,” Chris told her and turned to get out of the truck.  He walked around the front, opened the door for her and held out his hand.  “You forgot to mention hunky, sexy and irresistible,” he teased.