The Hastings Series

by Vanessa Siena

  “Stop thinking too much,” Jagger whispered, leaning in, and kissing my temple. “You’re here with me, and I wouldn’t want any other girl by my side.” His words always had a way of making me feel special. I smiled, knowing my cheeks were turning pink.

  “Right, we’ll let you two talk. I gotta go back to work.” Hunter stood up and helped Harlow out of the booth. “Low and I will stay at the trailer while you’re here. We don’t wanna wake you guys when we get up early to go to work.” With that, Hunter headed back to the kitchen, leaving Harlow standing in front of our booth. “I’ll finish some paperwork. Come say bye before you leave, okay?” She leaned down to kiss Jagger’s cheek, and with one more smile, she followed Hunter.

  Jagger let out a deep breath. “Sorry about that,” he apologized, looking back into my eyes. “Especially Hunter. He doesn’t really think before he speaks or acts. Had to get used to that years ago.”

  I shook my head to let him know that I wasn’t offended or hurt. “He wants the best for you. Just like Harlow. I liked them. I guess we’ll just have to get to know each other a little better before we know how to act with one another. But I’m glad I came, really.”

  He studied my face for a while, before nodding and kissing the corner of my mouth softly. “I just feel like I owe you something. An explanation about…Bliss.”

  I wasn’t going to stop him since an explanation sounded so much better than just wondering what happened. I mean, before we started dating, I knew there were no feelings involved in whatever they had, but his full side of the story might clear some thoughts I had about their past.

  “Of course, I’ll listen,” I whispered.

  With a nod, he pulled me closer to his side and kissed my head. “Tonight.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Jagger

  After saying goodbye to Harlow and Hunter, we left the diner and drove back home. It was sweet of them to spend the next few nights at Hunter’s old trailer, and they didn’t seem to mind at all. I’d been to Hunter’s trailer a lot when we still worked together. He kept it clean, and the neighbors weren’t as bad as people would think. Harlow was safe, and that’s what was important to me.

  “I can’t wait to try this cake,” Gray announced as we stepped into the house. I chuckled, locking the door behind me and nodding. “It’s a great cake. Make yourself at home. I’ll get us another plate and something to drink.” I took the cake slices Gray was holding from her hands and walked to the kitchen.

  Instead of her getting comfortable on the couch, Gray came up next to me and opened the cabinet above her head. Lucky for her, the plates were hiding in there and she grabbed one, then closed the cabinet again. “I think I would drive all the way from Newton just to eat at the diner,” she said, then lifted one of the slices over to the empty plate. “Honestly, I’ve not eaten this good since I last went to visit my parents on Christmas, and that’s almost three months ago.”

  I puckered my lips and turned to look into her eyes with a raised brow. “Are you saying the burgers we ate last week weren’t tasty?” I challenged, obviously joking.

  Gray laughed, then shook her head. “Your burgers were incredible. But let’s be honest…you used Hunter’s recipe, so the burgers were technically not invented by you. You just redid what Hunter created.” She wasn’t taking this conversation seriously, and I tried to hold back a laugh. “Means…you like Hunter’s cooking better than mine. I get it. It’s settled.” I shrugged, letting her take both plates. I opened a drawer, picked up two forks, and put them next to each slice on the plates.

  A grin spread on her face, and by shaking her head she let me know that she understood that I wasn’t serious, either. “Come on, I really need to try this cake.” She walked back to the living room, and I opened the fridge to check if there was something other to drink than water. “Beer or wine?” I called out, wondering why there was a bottle of red wine in the fridge if Harlow wasn’t allowed to drink, or drank alcohol at all, and Hunter preferred beer over any other alcoholic drink. Maybe they received it as a present, I thought.

  “Wine sounds good,” Gray answered, and I grabbed the bottle out of the fridge, then looked for some wine glasses but only found regular ones and took them back to the couch Gray was sitting on. I sat down next to her and filled both glasses halfway. “I’ve never heard of this wine, but it’s definitely not an expensive one.”

  “It’s wine.” She shrugged, then lifted her glass and looked me in the eyes. “As long as it fulfills its purpose, I don’t care how cheap it is.” I was in on that as well. Although, I did prefer beer.

  “You’re right,” I told her and raised my glass as well. “To us,” I offered, and Gray nodded.

  “And to this beautiful cake that is ready for me to devour,” she added with a grin. We both took a sip of the wine, and I was surprised by how good it tasted. I put the glass down, then reached for the plate. Gray did the same, and I waited for her to take the first bite to tell me if she liked it. I watched her closely, and the second she put the first piece of cake into her mouth, her eyes widened.

  “Oh, my God,” she moaned, and I chuckled because I knew exactly how delicious Harlow’s cakes tasted.

  “Right?”

  She nodded quickly, pointed at the cake on the plate with her fork. “This…is the best thing I’ve ever had. We need to get more tomorrow.” She ate another piece, and I enjoyed watching her eat. So, I leaned back, my plate still in my hand and my eyes fixated on hers for a second before I started eating myself.

  “You still wanna hear about Bliss?” I asked, putting my plate down when I was finished with my cake.

  Gray nodded, putting her plate on top of mine and pulling her knees up to get comfortable.

  “If you’re okay with letting me in on that story, of course.” I nodded at her words, then ran a hand through my hair to prepare myself for what I was about to tell.

  “I’ve known Bliss since I was seventeen, I think. As Hunter’s sister, we’ve often seen each other around his home and the town. But we’ve never really spoken up until almost exactly one year ago. A few months before Hunter and Harlow even started seeing each other, I was out one night at a bar. I just left work and needed a drink and I had some things on my mind I had to clear up before going back home to Harlow.” Before I continued the story, I could see that exact night flash through my mind, and I recalled every single second from that evening.

  March 3rd, 2019

  “You look lonely,” a familiar voice said behind me, and I turned my head to meet her eyes. I smiled at Bliss, taking in her pretty face.

  “Wanna keep me company?” I suggested, then nodded to the stool next to me. I didn’t mind Bliss, but I’d never thought of her as a friend. Until now. “Want a drink?” I asked, watching her sit down next to me and smile as I made the offer.

  “I’m good, thanks. You don’t come here often, right?” I shook my head and took a sip of my bourbon.

  “Not too often. Didn’t think I would meet you here someday. How’s life?”

  I wasn’t a big talker, and I didn’t really care what others were up to. The only person I talked to a lot and cared deeply about was Low, and sometimes Hunter when it was necessary. Other people didn’t interest me much, and I had nothing to say to them. With girls, I liked to get their names, go back to their place, fuck, and then leave as soon as possible. I didn’t flirt to get to know girls better. I flirted to get in their pants, and yes…that’s the biggest asshole move ever. But committing to anyone wasn’t in my schedule. And to be fair, I didn’t get with many girls. Maybe one every three weeks.

  Bliss shrugged. “Work’s okay. Just moved into a new apartment. It’s closer to the diner, but further from Hunter. I worry about him sometimes, and he doesn’t let me help him.”

  I nodded because I knew about Hunter’s mental health issues. The first time I met him he was all tough and intimidating, and his words had a way of scaring people. Now that I knew him better, I was able to keep him safe
from himself and the dangers he often put himself in. But I wasn’t talking to his sister about his health.

  “He’s doing okay. Saw him this morning. He came by my work and I checked his car. I’ll take care of him, B. Don’t worry.”

  Bliss knew about Hunter’s job, and what he did to earn his money, but I wasn’t sure she knew that I did just the same. I didn’t care, though.

  “I’m glad he has you. He doesn’t really listen to me anyway.” Bliss stopped, then studied my face carefully and smiled mischievously. “Do you think he would care about us having a little fun? You look like you could use some. And I happen to have time tonight.” Many girls switched the way Bliss just did. One second, they were all serious and caring, the next they wanted to take me to bed and show me a good time. I finished my drink, then looked at the time on my phone.

  “I’d love to, Bliss, but maybe another night. I need to get home to Low.” I didn’t think it was a good idea to sleep with my friend’s sister. I would kill Hunter if he tried anything with Low. Getting up from my stool, I put some money on the counter and looked back at her. “I’ll see you around.”

  “So…you didn’t go to bed with her that night?” Gray asked, her head now propped up against her hand, and her elbow leaning on the back of the couch. I shook my head, then continued to talk. “Bliss gave me her number that night. Wrote it down on a napkin and pushed it into my pocket. Long story short…we met up a few days later, had sex, and since Bliss wasn’t into one-night stands, she offered me to come over whenever I needed some relief.”

  Gray kept listening, and she never showed any sign of jealousy or disgust. I was glad she understood because the rest of the story was a little more complicated. “We kept this sex-as-friends-thing up for weeks, and I never felt like I was doing something wrong until she started shouting and screaming, even hitting me and telling me that I only used her for my pleasure. I didn’t understand her reason at the beginning, but it quickly hit me when she asked me if I even cared about her.” I sighed, bracing myself for what I was going to say next. “She was way ahead of me, thinking we were heading toward a relationship with each other. The funny thing is, we never talked about it. She never mentioned anything about her feelings, but always ordered me to fuck her and then leave.”

  “I think she was confused…” Gray suggested, her eyes understanding and her voice calm. “Things like that happen a lot. I’ve heard so many stories about girls having these friends with benefits things going on, and then falling for the guy who only agreed to sex with no strings attached,” she told me. “I think there was a lack of communication between you two.”

  I nodded and was glad she wasn’t holding anything against me or Bliss. “I think you’ve said enough about your past. I wanna enjoy the time with you.”

  I agreed with that. In the end, Gray and I both knew what we had was deeper than my story with Bliss. Gray knew how I felt about her, and I knew she felt the same toward me.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Gray

  The next morning, I woke up to loud thunder and heavy rain. When I opened my eyes to look at the time on my phone, I was surprised by how early I woke up. It was only five twenty a.m., and I wasn’t tired at all. Instead of trying to fall back asleep, I thought cuddling up to Jagger and enjoying the moment was a better idea. His arms were around me, my back pressed against him and our legs tangled. I slowly turned in his embrace, making sure not to move too much so I didn’t wake him. Once I was facing him, a tired smile appeared on his lips.

  “Can’t sleep?” he murmured, then opened his eyes to look into mine. I nodded, then smiled back at him because the sight of him with messy hair from our make-out last night made my heart flutter. He was so damn handsome.

  “I think it’s the weather,” I whispered, nestling my face into the crook of his neck. I breathed in his scent, then kissed the spot right under his jawline.

  Jagger’s hands moved up my back, and one of them grabbed a fistful of my hair while the other settled on my lower back. “I somehow missed it. It’s comforting. And now holding you in my arms with the rain pouring outside makes it even better.” His voice was raspy and thick from sleep, and I felt the vibrations on his neck while he spoke.

  I kept my face buried and moved my hand up his bare stomach and chest, feeling his muscles under my touch all over again. I liked being close to him like this. But there was something holding me back from moving my hand down to his boxer briefs and continuing what we started last night. I was still thinking about the story he told me with Bliss and him. But it wasn’t Bliss that bothered me…it was Hunter.

  “Can I ask you something?” I lifted my head to look down at him, my head propped up on my hand.

  “Anything,” he whispered, brushing his hand through my hair.

  “As you told the story about you and Bliss, you said something about working with Hunter and how he sometimes would be in danger or put himself in bad situations…” I didn’t know how to continue or what to ask. It all sounded dark, but I might’ve misunderstood something.

  Jagger studied my face, and I knew he was thinking about how to put whatever he was going to say. I let him think, not rushing him or trying to push him to say something he was uncomfortable sharing. Jagger mentioned Hunter having mental health issues, and I knew that topic was difficult for many people. I never had to deal with anyone who had any problems, but I knew that if a close friend of mine ever had issues with something, I would help and support them, so if Jagger wasn’t ready to talk about it, I would understand and step back.

  “It’s not easy to explain,” he said, and I saw the fight he was having with himself about trying to figure out what to say. But I knew he wanted to tell me more. “I’m not getting into details, and I don’t want you to think wrong of Hunter and me. It’s in our past. I’m not proud of what I did, and I can only speak for myself. But Hunter’s not a bad person or else I would have never let him be with Low.”

  I nodded quickly, letting him know that I wasn’t going to judge him for what he chose to do when he was younger. I was happy that he opened up to me, though. I’d seen something in his eyes lately. Since the day he asked me to come here to visit his sister, there was hurt flashing through his eyes. Not too often, though, and I was lucky enough to get a glance of that emotion.

  “Both of you are incredible guys. He’s slightly intimidating,” I chuckled, “but I saw how happy Harlow was with him and the love they have for each other can be felt in this house without them being here. And you…you’re incredibly kind, Jagger. I trust you.”

  He smiled and leaned in to kiss me. When his lips left mine again, I smiled back at him and waited for him to continue. “Hastings isn’t the safest place to grow up. Especially this area and the trailer park Hunter lived at. When I first came here with Harlow, I was lucky enough to get this house and get a roof above her head. Then, a few years after I started my first job at the mechanic’s, I met Hunter and he got me into some illegal stuff. We…dealt around town and shit like that. I knew it wasn’t right since getting caught could make me lose Harlow, but I soon found out that I was good at it, especially with Hunter by my side. He’s a crazy sonofabitch…but we were safe with each other.” He stopped, and I held in my breath and wondered why I wasn’t getting mad or scared. Probably because I couldn’t imagine Jagger as a dealer. Or doing illegal things altogether. What stuck with me was the way he cared about Harlow. How he cared about her before he even thought of himself.

  “We got into some other things. I’m not that comfortable sharing with you or anyone, for that matter, but I’ll say this much…” He took in a deep breath, not taking his eyes off mine and gripping the back of my hair tight, but not to the point that it hurt. “I’m never going back there. It was a dark fucking place and I’m glad I’m out of it. I’m happy Hunter is taking care of Low, and I’m glad I live in Newton now, where the most incredible girl I’ve ever met lives. I’m happy. They’re happy. That’s all that counts.” The honesty he sai
d that with hit deep in the heart. I didn’t care what he did before I met him, and I wasn’t going to bring it up ever.

  “I hope you still wanna be here with me. I don’t think I can let you go this quick,” he added, and I immediately shook my head to let him know that I wasn’t going anywhere.

  “You’d have to have killed people to make me run from you. I see the man you are today, Jagger,” she promised, then kissed his lips gently.

  ***

  Jagger

  Her answer scared the shit out of me. Not only had she triggered something I told myself never to think about again, but she literally said what I’ve been doing all those years before moving to Newton. Fuck!

  I was keeping it a secret, and secrets were okay as long as they didn’t harm the people we loved. But this secret was big. I wanted to tell her. I wanted her to know everything about me so she wouldn’t find out later in life and hate me. I couldn’t tell her, though. She didn’t know life as I had. Or Hunter. She would be scared as hell. Maybe even call the damn cops on me. But I couldn’t let that happen.

  Just ignore it. It’s in the past. You’ve moved on, Goddammit!

  Her kiss was an easy distraction. The way her lips moved against mine was soothing, yet exciting. I pushed all the bad thoughts aside and pushed myself up to lay her on her back. I leaned over her, kissing her deeper now. My tongue moved inside her mouth with ease, touching hers and making a soft moan escape her.