Struggle for Love

Chapter 10 Moving On

Weeks went by with no word from Zachariah. Sadie quit her job at the lumber yard and took a job in Murfreesboro as an accountant making twice as much. I got an apartment in Atlanta so I would be closer to Emory, where I started my residency in their cardiac unit.

My days seemed to blur together. Between lectures, studying and work on the cardiac floor, sleep became a luxury. I called Sadie and Momma Beth everyday. On the weekends they came and stayed with me in my apartment, constantly fussing over whether I was eating enough. Days turned into weeks, that turned into months. Zachariah was always in my thoughts. Every now and again, I'd feel my stomach drop. That was usually a sign he was sleeping with someone. I never blamed him and I was no longer angry. We had different lives. Who was I to say what he could and couldn't do.

Over the course of my residency I made a friend, Natalia. Natalia was a Turkish immigrant who came to the states to live the American dream. She had dark brown hair, thick eye brows and long eye lashes that framed her almond shaped brown eyes. Natalia was very knowledgeable and picked things up quickly. She made for an excellent study partner as well as a roommate.

"Orospu! Come! We have studied too long. Now we drink and dance." Natalia said as she waltzed in the door as I was coming out of the shower.

"Nat no. I have to be up at six tomorrow for rounds and Dr.M expects that paper to be turned in by Thursday. " Natalia rolled her eyes.

"River, we are young once. Let's go dance! I promise, we won't be out all night. I just want some American sosis." She said with a wink. I rolled my eyes at her. It was hard to deny her when she was like this. The more I refused the harder she pushed.

"Fine. But one drink and no later than nine o'clock. I mean it!" I turned to go back to my room to get dressed. I slipped on a dark blue mini dress and my white Converse. I decided to go light on the make up since I wouldn't be out late anyway.

"River, I don't think we should go out." Blue whispered.

"Why? We won't be long." I assured her.

"I just have a bad feeling about this." Blue hadn't said much since we saw Zachariah at his pack house. I began to question whether or not I should be going out when Natalia poked her head into my bathroom.

"Come, Orospu! We dance!" She giggled as she grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. Blue's warning long forgotten.

We got to the club around 7:30pm and it being a Friday night, the place was already filling up. We made our way to the bar and I ordered a Yueng Yling and Natalia ordered a vodka and cranberry. We surveyed the crowd to see if there were any prospects. Natalia found her mark on the dance floor so she gave me a wink and started dancing her way to him, leaving me alone at the bar.

An hour crept by slowly and it took all I had not to fall asleep as I leaned against the bar. I glanced down at my phone. 8:37pm. Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes and I can leave. Suddenly, a strange smell fills my nose. It wasn't unpleasant. It was just sweet. Sickeningly sweet. Blue growls in my head. I shrugged it off and placed my phone back inside my clutch. I look up. A shiver runs up my spine as I find myself staring into a pair or emerald green eyes.

"Oh! Hi." I say, as a blush creeps up my neck and onto my face.

"Hi. I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?" He saids with a charming smile that showed his perfect teeth and dimples. He was a very tall man with an athletic build. He had chocolate, auburn brown hair that looked untidy yet well maintained. To say he was handsome was an understatement.

"A little." I say with a sheepish grin.

"My name is Oliver. What's your name?"

"River."

"Well, River, would you care to dance?"

"Get away from him River!" Blue screams in my head.

"Why? He seems nice." I say.

"Smell him." She insist. I lean into him a little and try to subtly smell him. Sweet. Sickeningly sweet. Not like sugar. More like cinnamon French toast. So it was him! He was what I smelt earlier. "He smells nice." I say to Blue.

"No he doesn't smell nice. Get away from him." She urges.

"He seems fine."

"River? Are you alright? I mean, I can go?" Oliver saids, hesitantly.

"No. It's fine. Let's dance. I haven't danced at all tonight." I could feel Blue seething but I pushed her to the back of my mind and let Oliver lead me onto the dance floor.

His hands roamed my body as my hips sway to the music. I felt myself melt into the rhythm of the bass that was vibrating the floor. I forgot where I was for a minute and lost myself in Oliver's bright green eyes. He leaned into me and his breath fanned my face. It was cool and refreshing compared to the stuffyness of the club. When the song ended, Oliver took my hand and lead me out to the back patio to get some fresh air.

"You're a really good dancer." He said with a laugh.

"Thanks you are too." I smiled. His bright eyes were drawing me in and I was letting them. I had never been touched by a man but at that moment I was desperate for his touch. There seemed to be a longing, growing inside me.

"You wanna get out of here?" He asked with that smile that I was beginning to find irresistible.

"Yea... yea... I think I do." It didn't even sound like it was me speaking. He grabbed my hand and ,like a good little puppy, I followed.