The bedroom door banged open and I jumped like a startled rabbit. Connor entered the room and stopped dead at the sight of me. Corey was digging through her bag still and glanced up as he came in.
“Good lord,” she said. “You’re as bad as Elle. Get them clothes off and get in the shower.”
Connor grinned wickedly at her, I cleared my throat. I knew exactly what he was about to do.
“Don’t you dare, Dawson!” I warned. His eyes flicked between us and I could see him debating it in his head.
“If you think you are flashing me and your ex at the same time, you have another thing coming mister, I don’t give a hoot if it is Elle.” Corey straightened up and raised an eyebrow at him in challenge. Fantastic, another wielder of the single eyebrow.
I burst out laughing at Connor’s expression. He was completely frozen but his eyes darted to the door. “Sooo busted Con – have fun with that. Corey, I’ll see you down there?” I asked.
“You betcha, I need to talk to this one.” She folded her arms. Yeah, Connor was going to get an earful. Still grinning, I slipped past him, patting his shoulder as I passed; I wasn’t a complete bitch after all.
“Elle!” Corey shouted, I turned back. She rushed to me, lifted my t-shirt and threaded a scarf through my belt loops. “That’s all I have,” she muttered as she tied the scarf in place. My t-shirt – well, her t-shirt – was fixed back in place. She tucked the front in behind the scarf, nodded to herself and with a quick unexpected hug, she turned back to Connor. I noted he hadn’t moved an inch. Chuckling and feeling lighter than I had in months, I made my way back down to the guys.
I walked back out onto the back patio and my eyes searched for them. They were still there. Theo and Matt had both put shirts on. There were lawn lights that were turning on, I guessed on a timer as the sun dipped past the horizon.
A burst of laughter from a group caught my attention and I turned my head to see that Jay and his friends were where I had left them. Jay saw me and nodded his head. He was checking me out again and I wasn’t totally sure how I felt about that. Smiling back at him, I lifted my hand and waved before turning and heading to the upper deck where Matt, Theo and Colton were sitting.
The legs were moved and replaced to let me through. Theo grabbed me and I was plunked down on his lap. I wriggled slightly but got comfy. It wasn’t unusual for either Theo or Matt to use me as a prop to deter overenthusiastic female admirers. Colton smirked at me and drank from his bottle as he turned his head away. I felt myself blushing but didn’t know why. Asshat.
“Corey knows?” Matt said as he stretched out in the seat beside us.
“Oh yes.” I nodded. Theo laughed and Colton snorted in amusement.
“Bad?” Matt asked. His concern was obvious. I reached out and took his hand squeezing it gently.
“No, she was super cool and really lovely. I like her, she’s perfect for Con,” I said. Another smirk from Asshat. Matt frowned at him but squeezed my hand in return before he sat back.
“I like her too,” Matt declared, more for Cole’s benefit than mine, I think. Another slight defiance. Colton turned slightly to look at him with an eyebrow raised.
“Me too,” Theo blurted. The eyebrow regarded him over the glasses.
“Really?” Colton queried. Both of them looked at each other and then nodded. I sat watching them, taking in their strange little triangle of brotherhood at work.
“Is it because she follows him around? Needs him constantly? Or because you both wanted to fuck her?” Colton asked. He raised his bottle and took another drink.
“Jesus Colton,” I snapped, I pushed off Theo and stood up.
“Ah there she is.” Colton looked up at me with that same smirk.
“You’re being a dick. She’s nice and they can like her if they want,” I growled at him. He laughed at me. Laughed at me.
“What is your problem? Is it me? Do you want me to go?” I demanded. He shook his head and took another drink of beer.
“Sit down Lil Bit, you’re making a scene.” He turned away from me and calmly looked out over the garden again. Silly me, never make a scene, not when people were watching. I think I growled at him.
I felt Matt tug my hand and he lowered me onto his lap. An arm was wrapped round me and he tried to pull me back into him. I was pissed though – out of the corner of my eye I saw that stupid smirk and I was off Matt’s lap like a rocket.
“I’m going to get a drink,” I muttered and I pushed Colton’s legs out of the way to get away from him and his invisible barrier.
“Running again?” he asked softly.
I stopped dead. I turned to him as he sat there looking past me, sitting there calm as anything, like he was discussing the weather.
“Fuck you Colton.”
He looked at me and finally took off the shades. “You almost did.” And there it was. In his eyes. The fury I knew Colton would have when he saw me again. The anger at me for leaving, for hiding. Yeah, he was pissed at me and now I was just as pissed at him.
I glared at him, looked him up and down. “Yeah and as I remember, it wasn’t Theo or Matt who wanted to fuck their brother’s girlfriend.” I turned and walked away. So what if I was running again. Asshat.
He did not just say that to me and think I was going to stand there and let him. The complete asshat bastard. Plus, he was scary as shit and I wasn’t sure I could handle his rage. I marched down the steps to the lower deck. I was going home. He could sit up there in his mighty castle, like Lord Flipping Muck. I hoped he choked on his stupid beer.
An arm wrapped round me from behind trying to halt me. I turned around, ready to let my temper fly, but it wasn’t any of them. It was Jay.
“What’s wrong darling? Who upset you?” he asked. He glanced once over his shoulder and then moved closer to block them from seeing me.
I gave a shaky laugh. “I’m ok Jay, honest.” Never let them see the unit isn’t solid. A lesson I learned early on. It didn’t matter what shit was happening in our group. The masses got one solid uniformity – there were no visible chinks in the armour. Even shaking with rage at Colton I still knew the drill.
Jay stepped closer still; he rubbed his hand up my arm. He dipped his head a little to look in my eyes. “You sure? You jumped out of that seat like a firecracker on the Fourth of July.”
“Oh you know, they’re just teasing me and I need a drink.” I was officially the worst liar in history.
Jay regarded me for a moment longer then he smiled. “Well c’mon, I think it’s time you met Jack.” He slung his arm around my shoulders and led me to his group of friends.
“How can you still have that bottle?” I wondered aloud.
He grinned at me. “I’m not the only one with a bottle, darling.” I groaned as he pulled me after him. His friends shuffled around and somehow, I was back where I had been at the beginning of the evening. Sitting beside Jay, listening to mindless banter. I took the offered glass, I took a gulp and immediately spat it out. Choking, I tried to remember to breathe as I spluttered and coughed. Jay had collapsed with laughter, even Tattoo Neck was laughing at me.
“Oh my God, are you trying to kill me?” I gasped. Jay was wiping tears from his eyes – he couldn’t even speak he was laughing so hard.
“You’re supposed to sip,” Tattoo Neck offered. He was stunning when he smiled, like seriously hot. Thank Christ he didn’t seem to do it often.
Jay took the glass off me and handed me a bottle of the cider I’d had earlier. I took a grateful swallow.
“God that’s better,” I muttered in appreciation.
Jay slung his arm over me again. “You sure are something darling.” He smiled.
We sat like that for a while. The talk quietened down as the night got later. After a while, I noticed Corey and Connor returning. Connor automatically walked towards the upper deck. I hadn’t looked in that direction since I’d sat down with Jay. I didn’t bother now.
It was some time later – much la
ter, as it was fully dark now – when Jay tugged me closer to him. I had been listening to a hilarious story about one of the guys – Jared I think his name was – and how he had been found in the boys’ locker room when he was younger, stark naked and tied to the bench because a cheerleader had stolen all his clothes after he had cheated on her.
There were so many levels of wrong in the story, but the way their friend was telling it, I was seriously in danger of crying with laughter. I felt Jay tug me closer and I looked up at him. His eyes searched my face. My laughter quietened down.
He brushed his thumb over my cheek, my breath caught a little. I was feeling slightly buzzed from the alcohol and most definitely relaxed.
“You feeling better?” He asked me softly. I nodded. “Good,” he murmured and he dipped his head to brush his lips over mine. He pulled back. “Ok?” Somewhat dumbfounded, I nodded again. Jay smiled at me and turned back to his friends.
“Arielle.” I jumped at Connor’s voice. I looked up at him. I hadn’t seen him approach the tables where I was sitting. To his credit he looked uncomfortable. “Can you come over? Corey was hoping you would join us.”
I still wasn’t looking towards the deck. Screw him.
“He left not long after you left him,” Jay said softly into my ear. I turned to face him. “Dawson. After you came over here, he got up and left.”
“Oh.” I squirmed slightly in my seat. Jay had obviously been paying attention and hadn’t bought my story from earlier that there was nothing wrong. I frowned, there went the show of the solid unit. I assessed Jay as he in turn watched me, a smile playing about his mouth. Did I like that he had seen through me and was paying so much attention? I wasn’t sure.
“Arielle,” Connor said slightly harder this time. I looked at him and frowned. He was making me choose. I felt Jay take his arm from my shoulder and stand up. He signalled to his friends and then extended his hand to Connor. They did the weird bro-man handshake and shoulder bumped.
“It’s been fun Dawson but we got to move.” Jay reached behind him and tugged me up to my feet. He gave me his full smile and his eyes raked over me again. “Darling, it was a pleasure to meet you.”
I gaped at him. He was leaving me here, I wasn’t choosing, Jay was and I think from the frown on Connor’s face, he knew it too.
Grateful for Jay this evening in more ways than one, I held out my hand for him to shake. “The pleasure was mine.” I grinned at him, hoping he knew that I appreciated what he had done.
Jay grinned back at me, “Oh it was most definitely mine.” He grasped my hand and pulled me towards him and then, in front of everyone, he kissed me. I was stunned for a moment and then with a soft sigh I leaned into him. Jay deepened the kiss briefly and then broke away before I was ready.
“See you around darling.” With a wink and a mischievous grin, he turned and left with his friends.
I looked at Connor and immediately felt awkward. He looked back at me and then with a rueful rub of his jaw, he shrugged his shoulders, sighed and pulled me up to the deck.
When we got to the upper deck, Matt and Theo regarded me with caution. I dared them to say anything. Just one word and I was going to lose it.
“Well he sure was a long cold drink of water on a warm day,” Corey declared. She was smiling at me. I instantly blushed. “Told ya I better tie that skirt on tight.” She winked at me.
“What? Why?” Theo demanded.
“It’s nothing,” Connor cut in. “Jonson has taken a liking to Ari.” That was his name? Jay Jonson.
Theo looked alarmed. “Seriously? Aaron?”
“No – his brother, Jay,” Matt bit out. There was a brother? Wait, was Tattoo Neck called Aaron? I tried to remember. Tattoo Neck was his brother? Seriously? Ugh, of course he was.
“Well that’s better.” Theo looked at me, “Not good, Ari, but better.”
“Why? What’s wrong with them?” I asked. Three blank stares looked back at me. I exhaled loudly.
Matt stood “Party’s winding down. Time to go to bed Lil Bit.”
“Wait, what?”
“It’s late Lil Bit, we’ve all been drinking; no one can take you home. You’ll sleep here, there’s a spare room for you,” Theo said. The way he said for you – I knew it wasn’t just a spare room. “C’mon, I’ll show you.” He took my arm and led me into the house. Maybe I’d too much to drink, but my head was suddenly swimming. I stopped.
“Wait, Theo.” He turned to me. He looked tired and I felt guilty again, but I wasn’t sure why.
“We’re tired Ari, c’mon, let’s just go to bed and deal with it all tomorrow.” Theo turned around, he didn’t even grin at his implied suggestion that I usually would have got. I reluctantly followed. For the second time that night, I was led to the second floor of the house, again I passed a number of doors, I couldn’t remember which one Connor’s room was. I wondered briefly which one was his, Colton’s.
A door was opened and Theo stepped back to let me past. It was a lovely room, with a bath off the side. “Theo?”
He pulled me to him, kissed my head and whispered, “Not tonight Lil Bit.” He closed the door behind him as he left.
“Well, that’s that,” I said to no-one. I had no choice really, so I walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. There was a range of underwear, all new. The next drawer was sleepwear, all in my size. I didn’t even want to know how it was here, but it was definitely for me. Turning on the side lamp, I turned off the main light.
Sighing, I pulled out a pair of sleep shorts and top. I put them on the bed and went into the bathroom. I found a new toothbrush and toothpaste. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I took off Corey’s borrowed clothes. In her borrowed underwear I exited the bathroom and went back into the bedroom, where I found Colton sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.
“Holy shit Colton!” I jumped. He grinned at me, his eyes raking over me. I grabbed the shorts and top and hastily scrambled into them. “What are you doing in here?” I muttered.
Colton leaned back in the chair. He was still just looking at me.
Checking my clothes, I finally just gave up and sat on the bed. “What?” I sighed; we may as well do this.
“You kissed him.”
My eyes snapped to him. Shit. I felt guilty and immediately defensive. “He kissed me first.” Wow, mature comeback Elle.
“So, if anyone kisses you first, you just kiss them back?” Colton sat back and crossed his legs. The challenge was in his eyes and he seemed like he was more than ready for a fight.
“Don’t be stupid,” I muttered as I looked away from him. I was finding the lampshade all kinds of fascinating.
“I’m being stupid?” he questioned softly. “You just made out with a guy you don’t know in front of everyone!”
“What? I’m only supposed to kiss people inside? Fine, next time I’ll make sure the bedroom door is closed!” Why was I having this conversation? This was ridiculous. I jerked back as Colton stood abruptly. He took two strides towards me and I leaned back to look up.
He was angry, I could tell from the tightness of his shoulders and the sheer fury radiating from him. I wasn’t brave enough in that moment to meet his eyes.
A finger was placed under my chin and he tilted my head up, I didn’t go easy. He muttered my name as I tried to keep my head down. No, not down, I wasn’t weak – just lowered. Lowered was perfectly ok.
I exhaled as I gave in and met those green eyes. I felt my chest tighten. He stood there looking down at me, his gaze giving nothing away. His face was inscrutable. His finger moved from my chin and his thumb brushed my cheek. His hand cupped the side of my face and before I could stop, I had leaned into his palm. His thumb ran lightly over my bottom lip and he sighed.
“I’ve had too much to drink. I shouldn’t be in here.” He took his hand away and shook his head. He seemed defeated, the anger from a moment ago completely gone. “Matt is going to be furious.”
“Why?�
� I looked up at him, confused – I didn’t know what was happening anymore.
Colton ran his hand over his head. “Shit Ari, don’t look at me like that, I’m trying to be a good guy here.”
I snorted, very unladylike. “Too bad you weren’t thinking that earlier,” I said somewhat waspishly. I decided to stand, I swayed a little – the alcohol I had consumed making itself known – but he had too much control over me, standing over me. Unfortunately, Colton didn’t think it was necessary to stand back to give me room. I ended up flush against him staring into his chest. To be fair, it had a steadying effect on my swaying but did nothing to strengthen my legs.
His sharp sudden intake of breath made me freeze. Very lightly he ran his hands over my shoulders and down my arms. He curled his fingers round mine, then he leaned forward and put his forehead against the top of my head.
“I’m sorry for earlier. It’s hard...” He stopped himself.
“What’s hard?” I whispered and then realising the innuendo of what I had said, an inappropriate giggle threatened, but darn, the heat coming off his body was so enticing; I wanted to step even closer, wrap myself around him.
You’re no better than me…
I went to move away but his hands caressed my arms again and I stilled. I looked up at him and he held my gaze then he very gently but firmly pushed me back. I looked up reflexively and my breath caught. Good God he was beautiful. My hand was on the side of his face before I even knew I had moved. Like I had mere moments before, he leaned into my palm, his eyes closed. With more bravery than I thought I had, I traced his bottom lip with my thumb. His teeth snagged the fleshy part of my thumb and I felt my heart skip. He opened his eyes and looked at me, the emotion in his eyes took my breath away, his eyes closed briefly and then he stepped away.
“Go to sleep Ari.” With that he walked out of the room, leaving me standing there, gasping for breath and wondering what the fuck just happened? How many times were they going to leave me wondering this? I was constantly confused and never closer to any answers. I threw myself onto the bed in frustration.
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