by Cole Lepley
Tamed
Cherry Grove Book 2
Cole Lepley
Contents
Playlist
1. Remember This
2. Not Today
3. Happier
4. I Don’t Want To
5. What Goes Around
6. Cross Me
7. Someone I Used to Know
8. Bruises
9. Headspace
10. Suffer
11. Only
12. Kissing Is The Easy Part
13. No Excuses
14. Boundaries
15. Perfect
16. Butterflies
17. Better
18. Fireworks (Part I)
19. A Life That’s Good
20. Slide Away
21. Fireworks (Part II)
22. Friend Zone
23. All For Us
24. Flightless Bird
25. Feel
26. What Would Judah Do?
27. Next To Me
28. Boyfriend
29. Ghostin’
30. Green-Eyed Monster
31. If You Knew
32. All I Ever Wanted
33. Three’s Company
34. One More Night
35. I Have Mixed Drinks About Feelings
36. Fake Smile
37. Anger Management
38. Saved
39. Be A Man
40. Pride
41. Adulting Is Hard
42. If I Never See Your Face Again
43. Certain Things
44. Fear
45. Everything
Acknowledgments
Also by Cole Lepley
A Note From The Author
Preview of Torn
Tamed
Copyright © 2020 Cole Lepley
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Resemblance to actual persons and things living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Sarah Hansen @OkayCreations
Created with Vellum
Playlist
“Bruises” - Lewis Capaldi
“Perfect” - Ed Sheeran
“Fake Smile” - Ariana Grande
“Boyfriend” - Ariana Grande and Social House
“Someone New” - Banks
“i hate u, i love u” - (feat. Olivia O’Brien) Gnash
“Supposed” - James Arthur
“Bound to You” - Jocelyn Alice
“Someone You Loved” -Lewis Capaldi
“Ocean” - (feat. Khalid) Martin Garrix
Chapter 1
Remember This
Oliver - Now
Another season, another group of girls ready to be molded by yours truly. I have to admit I’m a little bit nervous. My younger sister, Elle is not leading the team, but my general awesomeness should be enough to pull us through.
I twirl the whistle around my finger as I pace along the bleachers and watch my mediocre crop of senior girls run sprints. There’s less than three weeks until our first meet so I better see a drastic improvement if I have any shot at ranking this year.
“Relax,” Hunter says from behind me. “It’s only the first week. They’ll find their rhythm.”
I face my best friend with an incredulous look. “Rhythm? Elliot could run laps around these girls without even breaking a sweat.”
Hunter laughs. “Well, not everyone can be like your sister. She’s one of a kind.”
The look of admiration on his face when he speaks her name almost makes me nauseous. That’s what love does to you. It makes you weak. Once you submit to those feelings it’s all over. You slowly turn into a shell of your former self and are somehow convinced you’re happy about it. Well, not me—at least not ever again.
I shift my attention back to my team. “Okay, that’s enough for today. Take a lap and you can be done. Practice resumes tomorrow at four o’clock sharp. Don’t be fucking late!”
A series of nods and grunts echoes from the field and I smile. I turn back to Hunter. “So, what do you say? You up for some wings and drinks at The Roost?”
Hunter looks thoughtful for a moment. I know he wants to come, but I have a feeling he’s thinking of a way not to disappoint me.
“Elliot has—"
I hold my hands up. “No, dude. You can’t keep bailing on me now that your dirty little secret with my sister no longer comes with a stint in the slammer.”
He runs his hand through his hair and sighs. “I’m sorry. She’s been busy with track at WVU. This will be the first night all week we get to spend together.” He stands and clasps his hand on my shoulder. “You understand, right?”
I nod. “Yeah, yeah. I hear ya.”
Hunter grins. “Rain check,” he calls over his shoulder.
At this point, I’m not sure there’s enough days in the year to cash them all in. I start shoving the equipment into my bags as the girls begin to slowly make their way off the field. I catch a glimpse of Principal Bellamy walking toward me out of the corner of my eye.
“Mr. Monroe,” he says with a grin. “It looks like you have quite the team this year.” He gives a pointed look to the athletes jogging off the field. Truth be told, they look more like cheerleaders than serious runners, but who am I to say what a track star looks like?
I sling the bag over my shoulder as I stand. “Yeah, I’m seeing a lot of potential, sir.”
He scoffs. “I bet you are.” He flips his sunglasses on top of his head before he meets my eyes. “That’s not why I’m here. It seems our little problem from last year resolved itself without any major complications. I would like to think we won’t be having any repeats, if you catch my drift.”
I swallow hard. “No, sir. Absolutely not.”
He laughs once. “I like you son, but you and I both know you’re full of shit.”
“Mr. Bellamy, I assure you, everything will be by the books this year. No drama for me.”
His laughter is louder this time. “One step at a time, Oliver.” He pushes his sunglasses back down and pauses. “There’s a faculty meeting tomorrow morning at seven-thirty before homeroom. I expect you to be there. We have several new additions I would like to introduce, shouldn’t take longer than fifteen minutes.”
“Sounds good.”
He gives me a wave before walking back toward the field house. It’s no secret Hunter and Elliot were the reason for the scandal last year. With the help of myself and a few unlikely sources, we were able to keep it under wraps until after graduation—barely. Even though they could never prove what happened, they’ve taken an extra special watch on the younger staff, which most definitely includes myself. No more one on one practices for me, I guess.
It’s not like I would ever take advantage of my position as an educator. I know I’m attractive, that’s obvious—but it doesn’t mean I’d allow myself to fall for one of these girls. I’m smarter than that.
As I’m driving down my road, I notice several cars lining the driveway of the Reed house across the street. This wouldn’t usually catch my attention, but the house has been vacant since Mrs. Reed passed away several months ago. A part of me still feels guilty for skipping that funeral, but I had more than one reason to avoid it.
I do my best to brush it off as I pull up my winding driveway. The houses on the street are far enough apart that even your closest neighbors can’t be seen very well from your own property. Ours is the large
st. The crown jewel of Cherry Grove, if you will. I’m sure a lot people think it’s easy to live a life like mine. They would be wrong. It’s not easy always falling short of your family’s expectations. That’s why I don’t even try anymore.
The sight of Elliot’s car in the driveway makes me smile. Even though she’s only twenty minutes away at WVU, it’s been weird not to have her around all the time.
When I enter the house through the side door, she’s seated on the floor in the living room with stacks of clothes piled around her. I pause in the archway and lean against the wall.
“What are you doing?”
She looks up at me with a confused expression. “Laundry. What does it look like I’m doing?” She continues folding a pair of jeans and I nod.
“Yeah, but someone does that for me. They fold it and everything.”
Elliot throws her head back and laughs. “That someone is mom.” She shakes her head. “You seriously need to learn how to do things for yourself.”
I shrug and walk over to take a seat in the large chair beside her. “Nah, I think she enjoys it.” I smirk, but she’s not amused.
“What are you doing tonight?”
“A whole lot of nothing. I asked Hunter to go out and he said he already had plans.” I give her a look and she continues to be amused.
“You can come, too. We’re just going to dinner.”
I scoff. “Oliver Monroe is not a third wheel.”
She finishes folding her last pair of jeans and shifts herself to face me. “You’re not a third wheel, Ollie. We can all hang out together. We always did before.”
“Yeah, but it’s different now.” I scrunch my face in disgust. “You didn’t kiss each other and call each other gross fucking pet names before.”
She smiles wistfully and I almost throw up in my mouth. They’ve been laying it on thick now that they don’t have to hide anymore. I guess nine months of pent up public displays of affection are all coming out at once.
“You know,” she says, her lips curling into a more sinister smile. “It would be nice if you found someone to settle down with. Then we could have a double date and you wouldn’t feel like you were intruding.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “Now you’re just talking crazy.”
“Come on. I’ve never seen you give anyone even half a chance.” She stands up, picking up one of the baskets as she moves. Her eyes lock on mine. “How will you know if you never even try?”
Her words penetrate to the deepest part of my chest. The part I usually ignore completely. I have tried before, maybe not my greatest effort, but I gave it a fair shot and it still wasn’t enough. So, instead of showing her I actually do have a heart buried in there, I press my lips together and pretend to be oblivious.
Elliot nods to the other basket on the floor. “Well, could you make yourself useful and help me carry these out to my car? Hunter is waiting for me.”
I do as she asks and follow her out into driveway. My eyes remain fixed on the fence lining our property. I can’t see the house from here, but it doesn’t stop me from trying.
Elliot pops her trunk and I set the basket inside. “Hey, did you see all the people at the Reed house today?” I ask as I nudge her arm.
She tosses her long, brown hair over her shoulder with a small laugh. “I don’t make it a habit to spy on the neighbors. Why?”
I shrug. “No reason. It’s just I haven’t seen people there in a while and I was wondering what was going on.”
“Maybe they’re selling it.”
I shove my hands in my pockets and take a few steps down the driveway. “Maybe.”
“Why do you care?” she asks from behind me.
I don’t turn around. I can see their driveway from here and my heart picks up a few notches. “Curious, I guess.”
When she comes up beside me, I’m so caught up in my thoughts I almost jump. She raises an eyebrow. “You seem awfully concerned.” She crosses her arms and gives me a quizzical look when I glance down.
“Charlie might be there,” I say without thinking.
“Do you still talk to her?”
My stomach knots, twisting my insides into a familiar lump. Elliot has no idea what she’s asking. Not a lot of people do, and I’d like to keep it that way.
“Nope,” I say casually and then turn back to the house. “Tell Hunter to give me a call when he stops being a little bitch.”
She laughs and then calls after me, “Will do.”
I don’t break stride until I’m all the way in the house. I pause in the kitchen and lean over the island with my palms flat on the granite countertop. The coldness of the stone does nothing to soothe the fire that has started to burn inside of me.
I still remember the way she tastes and the breathy way she used to say my name. I used to be able to close my eyes and picture every smile she ever gave me. It’s not like that anymore.
Now when I do it, that’s not what I see. What I remember the most is the last time I ever saw her. That’s the face that haunts me and I’d do anything to never see it again.
Chapter 2
Not Today
Charlotte - Now
My comforter is still lying on my bed exactly the way I left it almost five years ago. For the longest time I felt guilty for not coming back to visit, but I couldn’t. Being in this town reminds me of all the mistakes I made and all the heartache I left behind. Maybe I’m a coward, but I think I have a good reason to be.
Coming back is temporary and I have to keep reminding myself that while I pack up the rest of my Gram’s belongings. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to get everything settled. She passed away unexpectedly almost four months ago. After the funeral I went straight home to New York. Back to the life I made for myself and far away from one I’ve long forgotten.
That’s a lie actually. I think about it every day.
My sister Scarlett’s been keeping a watchful eye on me since we got here this morning. I don’t know what she’s so worried about. It’s not like I’ll actually see him. He’s probably long gone by now. Someone like Oliver Monroe doesn’t settle for small town life. It would never satisfy him. I’m not sure anything would.
With an armful of hangers, I carry another load of clothes down the old wooden stairs and lay them with the others on the dining room table. On impulse, I step toward the window and draw the blinds back once again as another loud truck rumbles past the house. I hear a snicker beside me and I turn to see Scarlett covering her smile with her hand.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing,” she says. Her smirk gets wider. “You just run to the window every time an obnoxiously loud truck drives by. Expecting someone?”
I let the drapes fall back with a huff. “No.” I stalk past her and go back to sorting my Gram’s clothes for Goodwill. But my sister was never one to let things go. She walks over and stands beside me, her arms crossed.
“Are you going to talk to him?”
I laugh. Not out of amusement, but out of the sheer absurdity of her question. “Absolutely not.” My folding becomes angry, shaky fingers fumbling with the hem of a shirt. “I’ll bet he’s somewhere far away from here, surrounded by everything that he loves.” I shoot her a pointed look. “Himself.”
“Okay,” she says, holding her hands up. “I’m just asking.”
I shake my head and turn back to the table, irritation coursing through me. “He didn’t even come to the funeral.”
“Maybe he was afraid.”
“Don’t defend him,” I snap, speaking over my shoulder. Her eyes widen, but I keep talking. “There’s no excuse for being a shitty person. He has to grow up sometime.”
She nods, tucking a strand of platinum hair behind her ear. “True,” she says, her voice softer. “But he did mow her lawn for the past five years.”
“He probably paid someone to do it.”
She shakes her head. “No, he did it himself. She told me.” I swallow the lump in my throat and turn to face her. “H
e did a lot of things for her.”
My eyes start to burn. Not because I’m touched by his generosity. I’m not. Ollie never does anything that doesn’t benefit him the most. He’s inherently selfish to the core. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me to know he did that. Why would he?
I sniff once and plaster a fake smile on my face. “Well, I don’t care what he did. I’m over it.”
Scarlett doesn’t look convinced, but thankfully doesn’t press further. She simply pats me on the shoulder and walks toward the kitchen without another word. I get lost in my thoughts for a moment, my mind drifting to a place I never like to go. That’s when the bass from a car stereo vibrates the windows again. This time I don’t run to the window. I focus on the task I came here for and refuse to look back, no matter how much I want to.
Scarlett and her husband Evan decided to sleep at one of the hotels in town while I opted to stay here. I needed a few nights in this house to say goodbye. This is where I spent most of my childhood. Almost every memory, good and bad, happened here.
My Gram was the one who raised us after our parents were killed in a car accident right before I turned seven. Scarlett is ten years older than me, so for longest time it was just me and her. Those are the times I miss the most. Late nights on the porch swing, sharing stories of life and her giving me the kind of advice I’ll cherish forever. She taught me to be strong and to fight for the things I believe in, and I’ve never wavered from her guidance. No matter how hard it’s been to hold onto, I always fight for what I feel is right. I’ll never regret doing that.
