by Vivian Wood
Carter’s mom gives him a slow smile. “Yes, Mr. Smith. We need someone to appraise the entire estate. We want to liquidate everything. Isn’t that right, Margaret?”
She glances over at Margaret, who is currently giving her a disdainful look.
“I suppose,” Margaret says frostily. “Olivia and Aiden, you’ll have as much time as you need to find other housing. I might be infirm and frail, but that will stand as the order of things around here.”
She slides a look at Carter’s mother, who doesn’t look one bit unruffled.
“Can we go?” Aiden interrupts flatly.
Carter’s mother glares at him. “I suppose—”
He doesn’t give her the chance to finish. He just shoulders his way out of the room, going right out the front door. It slams behind him, hard enough that I jump at the sound of it.
I find myself apologizing for him. “I’m sorry about that. I should just… I’ll go make sure he is okay.”
I rush out of the room, hot on Aiden’s trail. Once I’m outside, I see Aiden stalking towards the staff quarters.
“Aiden!” I yell. He glances back, a muscle twitching in his cheek. He slows to let me catch up.
“It’s bullshit,” Aiden mutters as soon as I’m close enough. “Typical rich old white people and their bullshit. They are all alike, every single one of them.”
He turns and continues toward the woods, expecting me to follow. Which of course I do, even though his temperament is bordering on furious just this moment.
“Aiden,” I try again. Catching up to him, I pull on his hand. “Wait for a second. Let’s talk.”
He rounds on me, his expression of barely contained rage scaring me. “About what? Huh? About the fact that the summer is over? About the fact that I missed my chance to tell the Morgans I might be one of them? And last of all, whatever you and I had… it’s all over, and we had no say in the matter.”
My eyes widen. I really hadn’t thought about any of that until this moment. Is my summer of Aiden really over?
He’s not done ranting, though. He grips my elbow hard. “Where am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to do? Huh? Everything is just going to shit and there is nothing I can do about it.”
In the face of his anger, I feel tears welling up in my eyes. “I don’t know,” I whisper softly. “I’m in the same situation as you.”
The hardness in his face softens a little. He exhales and looks away. “I know.”
I shake loose of his grasp on my arm, taking his hand instead. Lacing his fingers with mine, I tug him toward the staff apartments. “Come on.”
Aiden follows, frowning. “I never thought I would say this, but this isn’t a problem that can be solved with sex.”
That makes me smile. “It won’t be made worse by sex though, will it?”
He tugs on my hand, stopping me, then slides his whole arm over my shoulders. “No.”
I look up at him, my eyes misting over once more. “Then let’s enjoy the time we have left. We have… what, a couple of weeks? Let’s just… let’s make the best of a bad situation.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “By fucking nonstop?”
I flush but I refuse to be cowed by his frank gaze. I look right back into his eyes. “That’s what life has given us. So yes, let’s go back to your apartment and fuck ourselves silly. Over and over until we’re both exhausted. And when we’re through, maybe we can each come up with a plan for what to do next.”
Aiden cups my cheek, leaning down and bringing his mouth hard against mine. His kiss is demanding and needy, tasting like mint and man. It turns me to putty in his hands.
He breaks off the kiss and then starts to tug me toward his apartment. “That’s what we’ll do, then.”
And I go along with him, realizing that the fire in him is at a fever pitch. It is already scorching me. I’m nearly aflame.
All that’s left for me is to burn.
Chapter Thirty-One
Aiden
It’s almost dusk outside now. Olivia and I just wore each other out for the third time. Well, we started to have sex the third time, but in the middle of our last round she got a pretty bad nosebleed. I’m talking twenty bloody tissues, do you need to go to the ER? kind of nosebleed, too. Now she’s resting comfortably beside me in my bed, dozing lightly.
She’s snoring very lightly, which I haven’t ever heard her do before. It’s kind of cute, in the way that I would be annoyed if I was sleeping. But I’m not, so I let her snore.
I’m lying in bed, wondering if I’ve somehow tripped into a relationship. I cast an eye over her sheet covered form. Is it a relationship if whatever is between you remains unspoken?
Does the fact that I can't think of anything or anyone else count?
How about the fact that it’s been way longer than a one night stand at this point?
I reach over and brush my fingertips down her sheet-covered side, sighing silently to myself.
The first thing I hear about Eve’s visit is in a text from Nate at Whiskey Bend.
Your sister showed up here looking for you. I told her where you were, although I didn’t explain the circumstances.
I put my phone down for a second, my brain whirring.
Eve is here? She’s coming now?
I can’t help but dread her arrival just a little. Even though I’ll be glad to see her, I’m also kind of dreading it. Eve has always been the good kid, where I have been the coal black sheep. And because Olivia is my dirty little secret, I can’t afford for Eve to find out about her.
To think of the way that my sister will look down her nose at me just makes me freeze up inside. I glance over at Olivia, tracing a finger over her arm. She doesn’t deserve to have any of my shit with my family put on her, but if I don't wake her up and get her out of here soon, Eve is going to find her in my bed.
Actually, it’s better for me if Eve doesn’t even make it back to my apartment. That thought in mind, I look up bars in Port Angeles. Choosing the best rated one, I send Eve the address.
You’re in town, apparently. You can find me here in an hour… The Limelight.
Eve responds pretty quickly. So much for surprising you. That’s right by my hotel… so I’ll see you in an hour.
Great, I text back, but I feel anything but. Just knowing that she is here gives me a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Reaching over, I gently rouse Olivia,
“Hey. My sister is in town,” I whisper.
She cracks open an eye. “She is?”
I nod, hooking my finger in the sheet and pulling it down a few inches. “Mmhm. I’m meeting her at a bar in an hour.”
Olivia sits up halfway, her long dark hair falling behind her like a silken curtain. “Do you want me to go?” she asks, her voice soft.
More than anything, is my first response. But I lick my lips.
“I do,” I hedge. “It’s just… you know, we’ll have to keep the fact that we’re fucking quiet. My sister is… she jumps to judge. She’s kind of a bitch like that.”
She raises a brow, which feels like a shot to the gut. “We have to keep it secret from your sister?”
I wrinkle up my face. “Especially her. Not all siblings have a relationship like you and Grayson.”
She shoots me a look, her eyes narrowing. “Grayson can't know about us either. Or Carter. Or anyone else, apparently.”
She yanks the sheet aside, getting out of bed. I know a moment of pure shame, hanging my head.
“I know,” I say. “It’s my fault. We shouldn’t be together, Olivia. But…” I reach out, catching her wrist and pulling her back toward me. I look up into her eyes. “I don't want to stop. Not yet. Do you want to?”
She pushes a sheaf of her hair behind her ear, her eyes wary. “No.”
I smile briefly, though I feel no amusement. “Good.”
She crosses her arms, pulling her hand from my grip. “You didn’t answer my question. Do you want me to go?”
I sigh. “
Yes. I really do.”
She pauses for a second, opens her mouth as if she’s about to say something. But her face is blank. Whatever she’s hiding under the mask she’s put on, I wish that I knew.
She just sighs. “I should go get ready.”
She starts pulling on her clothes, making me wish for the thousandth time that we never had to leave the comfort and safety of my bedroom. I keep feeling that way, the sense of dread only growing as eventually we head to my Jeep. I don't say anything about it, but I do send a heated look over her chosen outfit.
Not that I would say anything about what she chose to wear, but the short denim dress shows off her legs a little more than I would like. I’m especially worried when Olivia spots Carter and invites him along, which sends a shiver of cold jealousy through my gut.
I drive us to the Limelight, that gnawing feeling in my gut threatening to take over as Carter and Olivia chat about the history of Port Angeles. We get in the door of the bar — which is a hotspot, if the crowded bar, the pounding music, and the patio full of people talking are any indication. I spot Eve immediately.
She’s the very young blonde, sipping her drink and being fawned over by a flock of adoring men. She knows exactly how pretty and smart she is, so she always dresses seductively and carries an arsenal of insults around with her.
Tonight, she rolls her eyes over to me from her spot at the bar. Smirking, she stands up, smoothing a hand over her tight little velvet dress and picking her drink up.
She whispers something to the three men standing just behind her. She points at me then glides my direction, leaving all three men glaring at me. I glower at her as she heads my way.
“Aiden!” she says. “I’ve been waiting. Where have you been? This place is so… mmm… quaint.”
She is such a snob, it makes me grit my teeth. I tower over my sister, easily more than a foot taller than her. She just peers up at me, her perfect smile knowing.
Why does my sister turn me into one giant knot inside? She can’t possibly know anything, and yet here I am, breaking into a sweat.
“Eve,” I grouse. I give her a perfunctory hug, then turn toward Olivia and Carter.
Olivia is looking Eve up and down, assessing her. Carter looks like he’s just swallowed his own tongue, his look at Eve one of straight longing. I roll my eyes. Eve has that effect on all the guys I’ve ever known, and I guess Carter isn’t immune.
Still, the way he’s staring at her is a little predatory. I glare at him, stepping back and purposefully bumping his shoulder. He stops staring at her, averting his gaze awkwardly.
I should’ve known better than to introduce a red-blooded male to my little sister. He probably has no idea that she’s already slipping her fingers around his heart.
“Eve, this is Olivia and Carter. Olivia is Grayson’s little sister. Carter…” I pause, then give up. Explaining how we know each other is too complicated. “Carter is related to my boss.”
Carter and Olivia murmur their greetings.
Eve smiles softly as she takes them both in, her gaze turning hard as it lingers on Olivia. “Where’s Grayson?”
I clear my throat. “Let’s go get a drink. Or better yet, let’s grab a table.”
Eve looks at me, a little smirk on her lips. “Sure, big brother.”
We grab a table outside, Olivia and Eve sitting on one side, me and Carter sitting on the other. We order a round of drinks from the waitress, then settle in. Eve tosses her blonde hair, narrowing her eyes at Olivia.
“How are you acquainted with my big brother, Olivia? I mean, you must know each other outside of Grayson.” She looks self-satisfied as she says it, as if she’s pretty sure Olivia has done something bad.
She’s not wrong, but she doesn’t know that. At least until Olivia turns six shades of red.
“I… we…” Olivia says, choking. I feel like Eve is almost bullying her, but if I jump in and save Olivia, Eve will know that her suspicions are right.
I still can’t help it. “Lay the fuck off of her, Eve.”
Eve shoots me a smoldering glare.
“They both work together on my family estate,” Carter cuts in. Olivia shoots him a grateful glance.
“It’s funny,” Eve says, cutting her eyes to me. “I was under the impression that you had a cushy job at the National Park Service.”
“I’m off this summer,” I say with a shrug. “I applied to work at the estate as a handyman. Olivia applied to work as an archivist…” I notice that Olivia’s shoulders straighten a little as I get the title right. “It was just a random coincidence, us working together.”
“Ah.” Eve sips her drink. Her lips curl as she looks at Carter. “You don't think you have room for one more, do you?”
Carter leans in. “Why? Please say you’re coming to stay with your brother…”
“No,” Eve says. At the same time, I say, “Absolutely not.”
She gives me a frosty smile. “I mean to say that I’m moving out here, but not staying in Port Angeles. It’s a little too country for me.”
Oh no. Fuck no.
Before anyone else responds, I shoot to my feet. “Eve, will you come with me? I need to… to get us all a round of shots at the bar.”
Eve takes another sip of her drink, then slowly rises to her feet. “Sure. It’ll give us a little sibling bonding time.”
She slips her arm into mine, beaming up at me. “Oh, Aiden. I do believe you’ve been a very bad boy, haven’t you?”
I halfway drag her towards the bar inside, stopping as soon as we’re indoors. Then I round on her. I get in her face a little. “What are you doing here, Eve?”
Eve’s eyebrows rise a little, perfectly innocent. “I don't know what you mean. I thought you would be pleased to hear that I’m moving here. This is my way of telling you that I got accepted into med school.”
I frown. “That’s good, Eve. But you can’t be serious about moving out here.”
She looks hurt, her lower lip sticking out into a pout. “I am, big brother. I thought you would understand my need to escape Daddy as much as anyone.”
“What? You finally decided that you didn’t want the life he has planned out for you forever?” I say, my tone mocking.
She draws herself up, giving me a look of ice. “I think I’m going to go to the restroom. Maybe when I come back, you’ll have realized that you weren’t the only one trapped in that house when we were kids.”
She whirls and stalks off, leaving me disgruntled. Miss Golden Child, as haughty as ever. I clench my fists.
“Aiden!” a drunk voice declares.
I turn hesitantly, only to find a pretty blonde making a beeline toward me. She looks familiar and she obviously knows me. I squint at her, unable to remember her name.
Dorothy, maybe? No. Debbie?
I open my mouth to greet her, but she has other ideas. She storms right up to me, tries to scale me like a tree, slaps me in the face, and then tries to get her mouth on my mouth. I am so startled by her actions that the fact that her breath is practically all vodka almost slips past me.
She does manage to plant her lips against mine briefly before I push her back. I whirl, looking for help getting her off. And of course I make eye contact with Olivia, who looks as shaken as if she’d seen a fucking ghost.
“Olivia—” I try to call out to her, at the same time as Debbie tries to kiss me again.
Olivia turns back toward the patio and flees, anger in every single movement.
Fuck!
Prying Dottie off of my body forcibly, I follow Olivia out the door. But there she is, cuddling up to Carter, avoiding eye contact with me. I slink back to my seat, unsure how to try to talk to Olivia without telling Carter everything that we’ve been up to.
I open my mouth, figuring that I’d rather have him know about our relationship than have this settle between us like lead. But in the next second, Eve is back.
And she has a devious smile on her face, like she knows what is going on.
What in the fuck?
“You left the shots,” Carter points out, his brow wrinkling.
Olivia stands back up, gripping Carter’s shoulder. “I’m not feeling well. Carter, do you think you would mind seeing me home?”
My eyebrows go up almost as fast as Eve’s and Carter’s do. “I’ll drive us home!” I declare, loud enough that everyone at the tables near us looks over. “Let’s go. Eve… I’ll call you.”
“Sure.” Eve looks unruffled. “See you around, Aiden.”
I rush Olivia and Carter out of the bar without delay, all the way home facing Olivia’s withering look and Carter’s confused one.
Fuck me.
And fuck Eve, the snide little brat.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Olivia
By complete and utter accident, I find the box hidden in the library. It’s silly, really… I was just doing a double check of all the books in the library, trying to make sure that there were no family records tucked away among the shelves. I was two thirds of the way through checking the dusty leather-bound volumes, on the antique wheeled ladder, and there it was.
A few of the volumes appeared stuck together. When I gave one a pull, I actually pulled the corner of the box away from its resting place against the wall. My brows lift in surprise. Frowning, I use both hands to pull at the box. I get it halfway out before I realize I need help.
Climbing down the ladder, I grab my phone from my pocket and text Aiden.
Would you come help a girl with no upper body strength get a very stuck box out of the library?
A minute later, he responds. I dunno. Is there something in to for me?
Just continued adoration. And… we can do that thing you’ve brought up a couple of times.
Really? he texts back. Tonight?
I giggle. He’s like a horny schoolboy.
I’ll think about it, I answer.
I bet I can convince you. Be right there.
