“What?” I ask.
She looks to my mom and Jack, but they seem oblivious to whatever she’s trying to tell them. Mom smiles at me. “How was last night?”
I beam. “Not bad at all. Are Ripley and Blade still sleeping?”
“Ripley is. Blade has gone, unfortunately.”
My entire body turns to ice.
“What?” I manage to say without letting dread fill my tone.
“He said he had to get back to California. His old boss needed him.”
No.
No.
No.
“S-s-so he isn’t going to live near us?”
Jack frowns. “No. Well, not for a while. He has to help out until his boss finds someone else. His new boss is holding a spot for him here, if he ever wants it, but it could be a while.”
No.
Oh god, I’m going to be sick.
“Are you okay, love?” Mom says.
“Ah, yeah, I just had too much to drink last night,” I say, forcing a smile.
Everything inside my body, all the joy, all the happiness I felt only minutes ago has been sucked back into oblivion. Melanie comes to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “Come on, let’s go get some fresh air.”
She leads me to the door and I flash the fakest smile I’ve ever given and follow her out. As soon as we’re away from the house, tears explode from my eyes and I drop to my knees. “He did it again.”
“Oh honey, I thought you said it was all over.”
“He came to me last night,” I cry, pressing my hands to my face. “He . . . fucked me.”
She curses. “Jesus, that piece of shit.”
“He . . . he was so nice to me. He made out like we were going to give it a go, and . . .”
I stop talking and lift my head. God, how could I be so stupid? He said right before he left how sorry he was and that he hoped I’d forgive him. He was saying goodbye and I was too oblivious to catch it. Melanie kneels down beside me and wraps her arms around me. “We’re going to get through this, you’ll see.”
I say nothing.
There’s nothing left to say.
He did it again. Blade broke me a second time.
Then he left me alone.
There is no forgiveness left inside my battered heart.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
PART TWO – ONE YEAR LATER
I stumble down the hall trying to pull my shoe on as I rush towards the front door. Melanie is in the kitchen and as I hop past. She stares at me with a smirk on her face. We’ve been living together for the last six months. We rented a little apartment just down from the school and so far, it’s been really great. Mom lives around the corner and Jack is still in his house, only Ripley now lives with him.
Brody got a job here, and he has his own apartment about ten minutes away. Blade never came back. I haven’t seen or heard from him since that horrible night a year ago. I know he talks to his brothers all the time, but I make a point of never asking about it. I’ve done my best to move on. I’m dating another man, and have been for the past three months.
He’s a good guy.
Am I over Blade? I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever get over it, but I’m moving on, and that’s a good damned start.
School is hectic and between that and working nights at a bar down the road, I’m pretty much unable to think. Being busy has helped, and so has Yates. Strange name, I know, but my new boyfriend is his own kind of different. He’s probably not what I would have picked for myself, but I met him at school and we sparked up a good friendship that slowly developed.
Yates is clean. He’s working to be a doctor and he’ll be a damned good one. He’s a pretty boy—at least, that’s what Brody calls him. He’s got neat brown hair and deep brown eyes. He’s lean but fit and you’d never see him in a pair of worn jeans. You certainly wouldn’t see him with a tattoo. He’s not a fan of Brody, but he likes Ripley. Mom and Jack both think he’s nice, so really, it’s good.
Right?
“Are you late or something?” Melanie asks as I continue hopping until I run into the back of the couch.
“Yes,” I cry. “I slept in.”
She laughs. “Well, best you get running.”
I flip her the bird and grab a coffee she pushes towards me in a paper cup as I pick up my keys and run towards the door. I’m out before she can say another word. I drive like a loon towards school and when I find a park, I practically stumble out of the car as I charge towards Biology. I reach the classroom just as Professor ‘Mathias’ Ericson has started his speech.
I skid to a halt and flash him a smile.
Professor Ericson is hot. I don’t say this lightly. He’s a thirty-year-old god, dropped from heaven, rolled in chocolate, topped with sprinkles and placed in my classroom. I won’t lie—I go out of my way to never miss Biology, because perving on him for an entire lesson is the highlight of my week. Not to mention, he’s smart as all hell and makes class really entertaining.
He narrows his eyes at me as I sit on my chair. And what eyes they are. He’s got emerald-green eyes that are so freaking mesmerizing you just want to stare at him until you melt from their intensity. His hair isn’t your typical professor hair. It’s messy and almost, well, dreadlock-ish. I can’t explain it, but he has this bad-ass cool thing going on. His skin is olive, and he’s got killer dimples and a rocking body. He looks as if he belongs on a stage with a guitar and a leather jacket, not in a classroom.
Not that I’m complaining.
“It’s unusual for you to be late, Aria. Is everything okay?” he asks in that voice. Chocolate-covered orgasm.
I nod, smiling. “I’m sorry, sir. I thought I had time, but I got caught in traffic because I left a few minutes too late.”
He nods and smiles, then turns back to the class. It’s not a massive class, and I get along with most of the people here, except for Twisted Sister up the back. There’s one girl in this class, and I really have no idea why she’s here. I mean, she’s obviously smart, because she passes, but she’s so . . . dark and twisty. Okay, she’s not really dark, she’s actually stunning, but there’s something about her.
Thinking of her, I turn and look to see her sitting in her typical seat in the far left corner, as far back as you can go. There are at least fifty seats between her and the rest of the class. Today, her honey-blond hair is falling over her shoulders in luscious waves. As always, though, she has a hoodie pulled up, shadowing most of her face. There are rumors she has been seen with bruises on her cheeks. She’s got a killer bod, round ass and slim waist, but she hides it mostly in those hoodies and jeans. Her eyes are the most intense mix of yellow and green I’ve ever seen and if she didn’t scowl at everyone in a way that tells them she’s ready to stab, then she’d be a really beautiful girl.
“Right, class, if you can all start where we took off last week, that would be awesome.”
Good old Professor Ericson. Anyone who says awesome is totally cool in my opinion.
~*~*~*~
“Hey, Aria!”
I turn and smile as I see Yates walking down the halls towards me. When he reaches me, he leans down and kisses my forehead. He’s not a real fan of the old PDA. He does tuck a strand of hair behind my ear as he studies me. “How’d you go in class today?”
I shrug, but keep my smile. “Great. It was a breeze.”
“That’s a girl.”
He turns us towards the cafeteria and we talk causally about classes until we arrive. When we get our lunch, we join a close group of friends we both share.
“How hot is Mathias today?” My friend Julie sighs.
I grin at her. “I don’t know he’d appreciate you talking about him on a first-name basis.”
She waves a hand. “Oh poo. It’s what I’d be saying if we were in bed together.”
Yates scoffs and I giggle.
We all chat through lunch and when it’s class time again, I squeeze Yates’ hand and say, “Mom is having dinner tonight. S
he invited us around. You want to go?”
He nods. “Sure.”
“Great, swing by at six.”
He flashes me a smile and I head to my classes.
The day drags by and when I’m finally done, I head straight home. Melanie is out, so I take some time to run myself a bath and enjoy the hot water cascading over my skin. When I’m finished, I get out and dress in a green turtleneck sweater and a pair of skinny jeans. I pull on my favorite black boots and toss my hair up into a messy bun.
I write a note to Melanie, telling her I’ll be at dinner with Mom and Jack, then I head on over.
~*~*~*~
“I love green on you,” Mom says, hugging me tight.
“I’ve missed you,” I say, holding onto her. “It’s been a week.”
She laughs. “Look at us, like two lovers separated and suffering.”
Jack snorts from the counter and I flash him a smile.
“Get over here, kid, give me a hug.”
I let go of Mom and walk over, wrapping my arms around Jack’s middle. I adore Jack, and the more time I get to spend with him, the more that adoration grows. He’s a good man, loyal and funny. He’s taken care of Mom and I for two years now. I’m beginning to forget what life was like before them.
“Yo Sister!”
I turn and see Ripley striding in. He’s eighteen now and has finished school. I gasp because his long, thick hair is now cut short and messy, and I can see Blade in his face. Only a glimpse, but it’s there. My chest clenches but I rush forward and hug him anyway.
“What’s happening, Lee, and what did you do to your hair?”
He flicks what little is left from side to side. “I dig it.”
I laugh. “Me too, dude.”
“Where’s Yates? He owes me ten bucks. I kicked his ass at car racing the other night.”
Ripley and his video games. Lucky for him, Yates likes them too, so the two of them have spent some time in front of the screen.
“He’ll be here soon.”
“There she is.”
I smile and turn to see Brody coming through the front door. I didn’t know he was going to be here for dinner. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen him. I run forward and throw myself into his arms. Brody and I have developed a strong relationship after our time at the lake, and during the past year he’s opened up to me, to the point where we’re thick as thieves.
I adore him.
“I haven’t seen you for ages, Brody,” I say, squeezing his middle.
He pulls back and looks down at me. Some of the darkness has left Brody’s eyes, and he smiles a little more now. He’s still living with a good deal of demons, but at least he can manage to give a smile when it’s needed. He always has one for me. He chucks me under the chin and steps back. “You look good, Doctor.”
I snort. “I’m no way near that title yet.”
“How is school?” Jack asks, handing me a beer.
We all go to the kitchen table and sit down.
“It’s good,” I say, telling the truth. “It’s crazy but I’m coping, so that’s a start.”
“You’re smart,” Mom says. “That’s why.”
“Knock, knock.”
We turn to see Yates entering the room. He’s wearing a clean, pressed gray shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans, that, I remind you, are not faded in the slightest. His hair is neat and brushed back, and he looks really good. He smiles and greets my family and then presses a kiss to my forehead. “Sorry I’m late, I was caught up.”
“That’s okay, love,” Mom says. “Sit down. Dinner isn’t for a while yet.”
“Thank you, Nancy.”
He sits and reaches for my hand under the table.
“Yo dude, did you bring my coin?” Ripley says.
Yates grins and pulls out a note, tossing it at Ripley. “I’ll kick your ass next time.”
Ripley snorts. “We’ll see.”
“How’s school, Yates?” Mom asks, sipping her red wine.
“Crazy busy. It seems like you get through one thing only to have another pop up in it’s place.”
She nods, understanding. “I’m sure you’re doing really well.”
Yates slings an arm over the back of my chair and Brody gives him a disgusted look. He really doesn’t like my boyfriend. I give Brody a glare and when he finally pulls his eyes from Yates and meets mine, he curls his lip in a sneer. I narrow my eyes in my best death stare and he finally cracks a smile.
“Nice shirt, Yates,” he says, and I want to slap him. “Did your mom iron it for you?”
“Brody,” I chastise. “Don’t be a dick.”
“Yeah, Son, ease up,” Jack mutters.
Ripley is fighting back a laugh and I swear, I swear, Mom’s lips are twitching too.
“Just askin’ a question,” Brody says, throwing his hands up.
“It’s fine,” Yates says, though his voice is tight. “And yes, my mother did iron it, actually.”
Someone kill me now.
Brody snorts a laugh and Ripley actually leaves the table to no doubt go to his room and burst into a fit of uncontrollable pig snorts, because he gets like that when he can’t contain himself. God. Who said having brothers was fun?
Seriously. Who?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I swing my front door open to see Brody and Ripley standing on my doorstep. It’s been a week since the dinner at Mom and Jack’s, and I haven’t seen them. It surprises me they are here. It’s a Saturday afternoon and I planned on spending an evening in with Yates, maybe watching movies and eating an abundance of chocolate.
“What’re you guys doing here?”
“Get dressed. We’re goin’ out. It’s been too long.”
I groan as they barge past me and into my house.
“No. I’m going to get fat on chocolate tonight.”
“No,” Ripley says, walking into my room as if he owns the joint and swinging my cupboard open. “You’re coming with us.”
He starts shuffling through my closet. I kind of like having a gay brother, even though no one knows he’s gay. He has amazing taste in clothes and has picked my outfit numerous times.
“Ripley, dude,” I mutter, “careful opening my drawers. You might find Bob.”
Both guys turn to me. “Bob?” Brody asks.
“You know, Battery-Operated-Boyfriend.”
Brody groans and covers his ears. “Fuck me, woman, I’m scarred for life.”
“You love it,” I snort. “Now leave so I can go and buy chocolate. This is essential.”
“No, you’re comin’ out,” Ripley continues. “So is Mel. Where’s Mel?”
“She will be home in five.” I sigh. “And why do we need to go out?”
Ripley flashes me a killer smile. “It’s a surprise.”
“Did you get me a stripper? Because that’s the only way you’ll get me out.”
Ripley shrugs and Brody snorts.
God. Boys.
“Fine, I’ll come for an hour. Mel has been busting to go out, so she’ll be all over this.”
“All over what?”
We all turn to see Mel standing in the doorway, wearing her sexy-as-hell pencil skirt and tight black blouse. She rocks the administration look. Her hair is bunched up on top of her head in a way that makes her look damned sexy. Her eyes flick to Brody and her cheeks go pink. She hasn’t seen much of him since the lake, maybe two or three times, but I know he still has an effect on her.
“We’re going out,” Ripley says. “By the way, you look hot, Mel.”
She smiles at him. “So do you. Nice haircut.”
He stops and runs his hands through it. “Right?”
She laughs. “Hey, Brody.”
He looks her up and down, and I swear to everything he gives her fuck-me eyes when he rasps, “Hey babe.”
Ohmigod. He just called her babe. I want to throw my arms around him. It’s only taken a freaking year for him to realize my friend is hot and so ready for him. Mela
nie flushes and smiles, then turns to Ripley again. “Where are we headed?”
“Up town, not sure where yet. Come on, we have fifteen minutes to get ready.”
I gape at him. “You’re fucking with us, right?”
“No girl can be ready in fifteen,” Mel says, curling her upper lip.
“Sure you can. Your hair and makeup look smokin’ hot, Mel,” Ripley says. “Just get on a sexy dress and heels and we’re done.”
“And what about me?” I cry, pointing to my slacks.
He frowns. “Sit and let me work.”
Jesus.
Someone help me.
~*~*~*~
Twenty minutes later, Ripley has picked my dress and my shoes, and I’ve managed to run a straightener over my hair and apply light makeup. Do not ask me how this is possible, but we managed it. The dress he picked for me is tight, and it’s red. The front drapes down in loose ruffles, showing off some great cleavage. The back dips low, but not so low you can see my hips. It’s tight and sits well above my knees.
I team it with a pair of black pumps and a black purse. I leave my hair down and just mess with it until it has that teased look. My makeup is light, but smoky around the eyes. Mel left her hair the way it was, and pulled on a dark navy-blue dress similar to mine, only hers is a V-cut at the front. She’s wearing silver pumps and is clutching a silver purse.
“Ready!”
Ripley practically drags me out the front door and we all pile onto the curb.
“Who’s driving us?” I ask, looking around.
“They are.”
I look to my left to see a massive black car pulling to the side of the road. That thing looks like it holds about twenty freaking people—it’s that big. It must be one of their friends’. I flick open my purse to double check I have everything when I hear Melanie whisper, “Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
I lift my head to see what she’s on about, and all the air in my lungs is sucked right out. Blade and Peyton are walking towards us. There’s nothing flowing through my mind right now except horror. This is the surprise? Is Ripley sick in the head? I suddenly feel restricted, as if I can’t breathe. It’s been a year since I’ve seen him, but nothing has changed.