by Gigi Birtie
A woman dressed in a micro mini skirt, black tube top with some serious fuck me pumps on. Not usually my brother’s type, but really he didn't seem to have a type, except they all were tall, and this girl was not.
I walk forward, but Dane steps in front of me shielding me from this obvious stalker.
“What do you want?” Dane asks in a harsh voice.
The girl jumps.
“I…..I was looking for Reese.” The girl stammers out.
I push Dane to the side ready to approach her, but I slip on some liquid that's pooled on the ground and fall to the floor so quickly that I don't get to catch myself in time. I let out a yelp as land on my arm wrong.
Tears spring to my eyes, but they don't spill over. I clutch my wrist as I lay in the puddle of oil.
Dane picks me up like a baby and tells the girl, Reese is at the dorms tonight, she asks if I'm alright.
“Yeah, I'll be fine. Do you want me to tell Reese you stopped by…” I look at her as she gives me her name, Kat, but she shakes her head and just runs off after announcing her name.
Dane sits me on my work bench. My arm is still tucked to my chest with tears flowing freely now. I look down and see it's not broken so I whisper, “just go,” to Dane.
He tucks my hair behind my ear. I look up to him and our eyes lock. His green eyes darken.
“I can't leave you like this, let me take care of you.”
He keeps wiping away the tears that are running down my cheeks.
“No, I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me, I am no concern to you.” I sigh dropping my head.
I can't look at him anymore. This night didn't turn out like I hoped at all. What felt like my one chance to be with someone remotely interesting is now gone. What could have been, will never be.
I hear him open his truck door and slamming it once he's inside.
Dane's truck roared to life, with a quick reverse I looked up just as he hit the street slamming into drive and peeling out from the front of my house.
He looked hurt and so angry, but I was too tired now to care. Plus, my wrist was throbbing in pain. I looked down at my oil-soaked clothes. I would have to drive my back up car until I checked out where the oil was coming out of mine.
First things first, I still need to go to the doctors. The pain was becoming more pronounced, along with some serious swelling.
Maybe it is broken.
I pulled out my phone and called the only person I can always rely on.
He answered on the first ring.
“Sloane what's wrong?”
“I slipped in the garage and hurt my wrist, will you come take me to the hospital?” I cried.
The sound of keys was, jingling in the background. He was on his way.
I remained where I was with the garage, with the door still open until Reese got there. I was in shock and the pain of my wrist is getting worse.
It didn't take Reese long to get here, we both had a lead foot, making that 30-minute drive in just under 15 minutes.
Reese jumped out of his car, running up to me.
“What the fuck? Sloane what happened here?”
I felt his anger radiating off him, of course he was thinking the worst. He always has since that one day my freshman year.
“I'm okay, I just need a ride to the ER. I think I hurt my wrist worse than I originally thought.” As I finish my sentence the tears flood from my eyes again.
Reese is right there as he always has been, taking care of me like any brother would of his little sister.
Reese scoops me up taking me to his car but turns right back around and heads to my bedroom.
“I'm going to need you to change, before I put you in my car, Sloane. You look like an oil-soaked bird”
He's right I was an absolute mess. I go to my closest and I change the best I can with one arm and call for Reese to came back in. He smiles a sad smile to me, and scoops me back up, taking me back to his car.
“I'm sorry I ruined your night Reese. I know practice is going to suck later.”
“Hey, you are always number one to me, Sloane. I don't care if I'm in the middle of a game or fucking some hot piece of ass, if you need me I'm going to be damn sure I'm there for you.” His eyes bore into mine. I see his sincerity as I always do.
“Thanks Reese, I love you.”
“I love you too, ya little shit.” Reese laughs, as I close my eyes as we speed down the road to the hospital.
Chapter 5
It turns out I fractured my left wrist. Which meant I had to quit my new job, how was I going to be able to make coffee with just one hand, on the plus side I didn't have to see Maisely anymore.
I now have to put off wrenching on my car to see why it was leaking that much oil. Of course, the worst part was going to have to carpool to school or walk for the next couple of weeks until the cast came off, now that was going to blow big ass monkey chunks.
I talked with Reese about Dane since we had some time to hang out while they set my bones back in place with a cast.
“Why did you put me in the care of a mobster, Reese?”
Reese starts laughing a bit too loud and the nurse comes rushing in to tell him to keep it down. He nods and apologizes.
“Dane is far from being a mobster, Sloane.” He laughs again as he says it. “Dane's dad has some shady businesses, but Dane is pretty much on the up and up. He doesn't associate with his father too much, that's why he's playing football and going to college. He might get into trouble here and there, but he's nowhere near like his dad. Did you talk to him much walking to your car?”
Oh fuck, I can't lie to Reese, so I come clean.
“I went and had a burger with him and he came to the house, but we just talked.” I rushed out that last part.
I may be honest with my brother, but he didn't need to know everything.
I look at Reese.
There wasn't one flicker of anger anywhere on his face after my confession.
“Sloane if I were to trust any guy with you it would be Dane. Why didn't he bring you here to the ER?”
Feeling worse than I already do, I tell Reese that I made him leave. I was upset finding out who he was, and who he was related too.
Reese looked at me with tired yet understanding eyes, and just nods.
My cast was wrapped and set with an awful bright orange. I had no choice in the color as they couldn't find any of the other colors to set it with.
There is going to be a lot of me retelling the same story over and over with this eye sore of a cast blinding everyone. That will get old quick, I think as I roll my eyes to myself..
It was now two in the morning, Reese and I just got home. He decided he would just go to his room and sleep before hitting afternoon practice. He said he didn't want to be in a fog during morning sprints and end up sitting on the couch with me with a broken leg.
So, we both decided to stay home, me the full day with my bottle of pain killers and him till lunch.
Reese heads to his room while I climb back into Dane's nest. After my talk with Reese I know I made a mistake sending Dane away. I'm a prideful young woman though I'll never approach him to say I'm sorry. I'll end up going at it like every woman before me in life has, I will avoid him at all costs to not look more stupid than I already feel.
The next morning when I wake, I have no idea what time it is or why I have such a splitting headache. Did I drink last night, then I shift and see my hand is in the bright orange cast. Bright hunter’s orange, what a nightmare.
“What the hell are you laying in?”
Reese startles me. He's sitting on the other side of the couch looking at the nest I'm laying in while he's downing a bowl of cereal.
“It’s a nest.” I laugh out half asleep.
“Looks like Dane's bed back at the dorms, but bigger.” Reese says but pauses.
”Wait a second,” Reese looks like he's about to murder someone as it seems some missing pieces of my story fall into place.
> “Were you fooling around with my roommate, Sloane?”
“No, Reese.” I roll my eyes trying to down play the whole situation even though it was really nothing to begin with.
“So let me get this straight, he wanted to crash here because he knew I was going to be….ummmm….entertaining and,”
I cut Reese off.
“Oh, cut the crap, Reese. I know what you were planning on doing, fucking, you were planning on fucking that blonde bombshell with the big boobs. Fuckin A, Reese stop making yourself out to be a saint.” I huffed out.
“Alright so I was planning on banging that blonde.” I cringe but hey I asked for it. “So, Dane had dinner with you and decided to crash here. He tells you his name and you instantly know who his dad is, and you've heard of Dane, with all the stories and you jump the gun and assume they're all true.”
I'm starting to get mad at the way Reese is talking to me.
“And you decide to show him out, is that right?”
He doesn't let me answer before he continues on with his rant.
“My baby sister, who doesn't ever judge anyone off hear say, no there had to be an action with it for you to know those rumors about him were true. What were they Sloane what did he do to prove those rumors true? Did he try to force himself on you, did he pin you to the couch and rip your clothes off? Tell me Sloane, what did he do for you to believe those rumors!” He finished in a fury.
I broke, Reese was always good at making me talk, so I sang like a canary.
“Dane had the brake lines cut on the Barracuda that I raced a few weeks ago. The one I crashed.” I lower my shirt enough, so Reese could see some of my bruises.
“What did you just say?”
“You heard what I said Reese.”
“You were racing that car? WHAT THE FUCK SLOANE!"
That did it, I royally pissed him off. When he yells like that, I know shits about to hit the fan.
“Yes, I was racing that car. I thought it would be a fun change of pace than just driving my car. Once I was at full speed I knew I was in trouble though.”
“Sloane,” his tone was gentle and quite, “I was the one who cut those break lines.” Reese runs his hands over his face.
“What?” I am at a complete loss of words.
“You weren't supposed to be there Sloane!”
“I didn't see you there! How could you cut the lines?”
“I was there and left with no one seeing me, the dude owed me a grip of cash! It had to be done.”
“So, you had Dane help you?” I ask.
My blood is starting to boil.
“I had Dane look out while I cut them, but it wasn't his idea and to be fair he said not to do it, that's all though. So, you were mad at him for nothing. I'm the one you should be mad at.” He said with all sincerity.
My anger went away as fast as it came.
“Dane covered for you.” I whispered.
“Shit, I guess he did.” He said, sounding as surprised as I fell.
“Oh, fuck Reese, do you think Otto knew before the race that you cut his brake lines? Is that why he had me do the race instead?” I went pale thinking about it.
Reese gets up and comes closer to me.
“Sloane tell me do you remember exactly why he asked you?”
I sat there replaying the night in my head. It was just like any other night of me being at the strip watching people barrel down the road to prove who has the better car. I remember talking with the usual people and Otto walks right up to me. I close my eyes as I repeat exactly what Otto said.
“He says hey Sloane feel like having a lucky break tonight? Let's just see how good you really are racing my car.” All the blood drains from my face, I can literally feel how pale I've gotten.
Otto knew something was wrong with his car and that my brother and his friend were behind it all. Otto threw what my brother did right back at him without him truly knowing.
“Shit,” Reese breathes out.
Next thing I know Reese has his phone out.
“Hey man, I need you to come to my house right now. Do you remember how to get here?”
His tone is clipped, then his eyes lift to me sharply.
“Yeah she's here,” he grinds out.
Who is he talking to and why are they asking about me?
“Okay, see you in 15 man.” Reese hits end on his phone and turns to me.
“Listen Sloane I'm sorry that I got you tangled up in this. That was never supposed to happen, but Dane and I will fix everything. I still can't believe it never got out that you were driving that night.” Reese says to me with absolute determination in making this situation right.
“There is nothing to take care of Reese, just let it go. It's all over, done, fin. Who did you just call by the way?” The curiosity was driving me crazy.
“I called Dane. He’ll want to help, he knows how important you are to me and what happened that night should have never gone down like it did. Did you tell Dane what happened?’
I blushed harder than I ever have before, thinking of how Dane examined my bruises with my top fully down, and being as exposed as I was to him.
“Yes, he knows.”
I get up and take another pain pill, before laying back down. My wrist hurts and now I'm starting to get a headache from all this drama.
“I'm just going to close my eyes, wake me if you need me, but seriously Reese, let this shit go. Be smart about all this. You have way too much to lose doing juvenile high school bullshit, like you have been doing.” I roll over leaving Reese with my words, hoping he will listen to me.
Within minutes, I was in a dreamless sleep cuddling up to my pillow in Dane's nest on the couch.
I don't know how long I was asleep, but when I woke up I had a visitor and he didn't look happy.
I tired to close my eyes before he saw me wake up, but that was a fail.
“You broke your wrist?” Dane grits out.
I could tell it was taking some serious control on his part not to lose his temper.
“Looks like it, doesn't it?” I'm not nice when I first wake up and I certainly sound like an asshole right now.
Dane snaps his eyes right to me as if I slapped him. I soften my tone and lose the bitchtude.
“I'm sorry. Yes, my wrist is fractured.” I shift a bit to sit up, but Dane is right there to make sure I don't.
“Where's Reese?” I ask.
“He had to go to practice, so I hung back to watch you and talk with you about last night.”
Reese takes some of my wild hairs and tucks them behind my ear with his long fingers.
“Shouldn't you be at practice too?” I ask full of concern.
“Yes, but this is a bit more important right now.”
“What is more important than football?”
“You,” Dane whispers.
I think I could cry or throw up, I can't tell if this guy is super sweet or ridiculously annoying. So, I decide to just laugh instead.
“Who says that kind of corny shit?” I say laughing even harder as I try to sit up.
Dane just looks at me like I've lost my mind, but I've gone into a full-blown giggle fit. I wonder if it's a result from my pain pills.
As I catch my breath, Dane gets up from the couch.
Did I hurt his feelings? Why is he looking at me like that?
No, he decides to take his pants off along with his shirt and climbs in behind me making me the little spoon.
“What are you doing Dane?” I didn't say it mean, but I truly was wondering what the hell was going on here.
“I'm doing what we should have done last night.” He says against my neck.
It sends shivers down my spine, and goosebumps across my entire body.
“And what's that?” I gulp.
“We’re going to lay here half naked, get to know one another and spend some time together just you and me.”
I relax against his body and sigh. Dane wraps around me a bit further being careful o
f my arm that's propped up on the pillow.
He fits around me perfectly. I've never felt this comfortable in all my life, until he started asking me questions.
“Why did you tell me you weren't hurt last night, when obviously your wrist is broken?”
I take a deep breath, as he's needing some answers to where we can just start over new.
“I didn't know it was fractured, it hurt but I didn't want to let you know that. Plus, I was having a debate with myself about wanting to be mixed up with you, you know since you are known as being someone to steer clear of.”
I try to turn around partially to see his face, but he holds me to where I can't move, so that I can’t fully face him.
“They're just rumors Sloane, well most of them. You didn't even ask me if any were true, you just assumed they were.” Dane tightens his arms around me making me let out a small soft high-pitched noise.
He loosens his hold instantly and mutters an apology while rubbing his hand up and down my arm but keeps talking.
“I can't tell you how that affected me, I've never had that happen to me before. The way you reacted after finding out who I was is definitely unlike anyone I've ever met. Usually once people find out, they either want something or want to be with me, because I'm rich or who my connections may be.”
I laugh though I know I shouldn't.
“You sound so conceited, I bet not everyone has a positive reaction to your name.”
“Fair enough, but you were the only one so open about it, and kicked me out. It turned me on though, it was horrible timing since you just tripped.”
I laugh again, thinking about him having a hard on, while I look like an idiot laying on the garage floor with a broken wrist.
He tightens his hold on me just a little bit to where it feels just right. A warm sensation starts to spread through me. I decide to swallow my pride, as I was definitely in the wrong, for believing third party gossip, whether it be true or not, that's for Dane to tell me, not any gossip rumor mill. It also feels like I should be giving Dane a chance to at least be a good friend, though I'm not sure what friends lay like this, but I won't be complaining.
