“That’s Tracey’s and Nathan’s decision.”
“Scott, I’m going. Just deal with it.”
Scott doesn’t respond, but his frustration and disapproval are heavy in his furrowed brows and tight-lipped expression.
I turn away from their tiff to ask Nathan, “Are you going to stay and celebrate with us?”
“Yeah. If your parents want me here. But can you take off that necklace?”
I smirk a spiteful smile, sizzling out, “Are you scared I might hurt you?”
“No.”
I tip my chin. “Then I’ll leave it on.”
“And it might come up missing,” he counters.
Poking out my bottom lip, I pout.
He laughs. “Come on. Let’s go back inside. Scott, you two coming back in?”
“No, I’ll catch up with you later. I’m taking Glen back home.”
Nathan nods and follows me in my house.
A SMALL PINCH OF guilt eats at me for forcing Nathan to choose between his family and me. But would we hurt more if something happened to Olar or me? Just our luck, one of Roehl’s flunkies is watching us, waiting for the moment Nathan leaves to snatch me up. Then, Olar and I will be taken.
We also need to figure out how we’re going to establish this attack on Roehl. He’s making our life harder than it needs to be. But now may not be a good time to bring that up.
My parent’s, Nathan, and I sit around the house discussing my speech for tomorrow. I’ve run through it twice, and I’m still nervous about getting up in front of the student body and their families tomorrow afternoon. Mom and Dad tell their graduation stories, and Nathan even shares his. It thrills me this one thing is working in my favor. Dad’s warming up to Nathan, which I knew he would. Only proving Roehl’s influence can be broken. I don’t know how or why, but it sucks he’d go to the lengths of going after my father. Mom’s in total like with Nathan, now greeting him with a motherly hug. I guess he’s accepted my family as well because they don’t shock each other when they touch. I love they’re getting along, and we’re now like a miniature happy family.
Mom and Dad dance to an old song playing on the radio. They sway and rhythmically move to the classic country guitar chords. Their affection and happiness flow from them like a peaceful stream of water flowing over black stones to a small koi pond. True love. I love seeing them happy and together, watching them float and live within one another. It’s joyous, and I want that for Nathan’s and my future.
“Sparks.” Nathan pulls me from my thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.” I nudge his shoulder with mine. “Sorry I made you choose.”
“Don’t be. You were right to suggest I stay. It’d hurt way more for me to lose you than for me to lose Olar.”
I narrow my eyes. “Stop peeking in my head.”
“You peek in mine,” he jokingly shoots back.
“Yeah, but that’s because you won’t let me in there willingly.”
“Hey, Nathan?” Dad calls from the living room, laughing.
“Yes, sir.”
“I just need to know. Where’d Tracey pick up this nickname Sparks?”
Nathan laughs, looking over his shoulder at Dad coming over. “She set my kitchen on fire.”
“Tracey, you didn’t!” Mom squeals.
I punch Nathan’s arm. “Oh my gosh! You did not.”
Dad’s laughing. “Tracey, what were you trying to cook?”
Considering that’s not what happened, I hurry to find my lie, trying to remember what you can’t mix with what while cooking to prevent fires. Nathan says, “She left a towel on the stove.”
“Tracey,” Mom scolds. “You know better than to do that.”
“Nate, I hate you,” I say through a laugh. “They’re never going to let me live this down.”
Dad takes a break from his laugh and looks Nathan and me over. I wouldn’t have noticed it had I not been watching his happy. He says, “I like you, Nathan. You have a good head on your shoulders. And I have to admit; I’d prefer Tracey be with someone who respects and cares for her than to be with the opposite. Thank you for being a gentleman to my daughter. And for brightening those big brown eyes of hers.”
“It’s my pleasure, James. Thank you.” It feels good to have your parents' approval finally.
I nod, agreeing with him. “Thanks, Dad.” My smile couldn’t grow any bigger right now.
“I know I gave you a hard time, Ladybug. I’m not ready to see you grow up yet.” He leans against the corner of the wall, continuing, “I know I haven’t been around as much as I should have, dealing with work. And I may have put a lot of pressure on your mother by not being here. But you are an amazing girl to hold it together for you and her even in my absence. Now, don’t think I forgot about your tell-tell you had given before I left. None of that went unheard.” He gives me a look from the corner of his eye. “I’m not glad you told me the way you did and that it took you to get upset to let go of that information. But remember, I’m always here, and you can come to me about anything. Whether I’m near or far, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone or visit. And we’ll visit you two often. So if you and Nathan move forward in the future—after marriage—it would be nice that you have a spare room.” He takes a long pause. “And I’m eased by knowing—not because it happened—Nathan is only the second boy you’ve had sex with instead of the fifth or tenth.” He fixes me with a look that says he got me—checkmate. “Thought I was going to ignore that, didn’t you,” he adds wryly.
I blush, ears and cheeks burning. This conversation just got uncomfortable. “Um. I was just talking out of anger, Dad.”
“But it was the truth?”
I wrinkle my nose and find the plate I pushed aside earlier. “Can you please cut me another piece of cake? One from the corner with that pink flower.”
“Nice way to get out of that, honey,” Mom quips with a smile. “And later, after Nathan leaves, you tell us who the first was.”
What?! “I thought you were on my side! We are so not having that conversation.”
She crinkles her nose, reflecting a look that brings out the resemblance in us. “We can wait until Nathan leaves if you are uncomfortable talking about it in front of him. But you put it out there on the table.”
I shake my head. Not like I can keep secrets from Nathan, he knows everything about my past anyway. May as well just let it out, they aren’t going to let me live this down either. Ugh! “Nathan already knows about him. So it doesn’t matter if he’s here or not. I’d just prefer not to talk about it.”
“He was that curly haired fellow you met the day we met.”
I glare at Nathan with his big mouth. Mr. Truthful, do you have to tell them everything?
He shrugs, laughing. “What? Like you said, I already know him.”
“Wait a second. You’ve met him?” Dad asks. “You introduced your new boyfriend to your ex-boyfriend?”
“No,” I start. “Michael dropped by when Nathan and Scott were picking up Glen and me. I wouldn’t say they were introduced.”
“How did you feel about that, Nathan?”
I throw my hands in my face. My parents are such priers.
“He wanted to smash his face in,” Mom answers. “That young man didn’t want to leave and tried to handle our daughter. Nathan and Scott showed up and changed the situation.” Mom gives a stern, single nod as if to say, that’s right.
“Why would he act like that?” Dad asks me.
Before I can speak, my mom interjects. “He didn’t want to accept no for an answer.”
“Dear, do you know everything?”
I laugh, saying, “Clearly, she does.” Grabbing Nathan’s wrist, I encourage him to come with me. “We’re going to sit in the family room. I need to talk to Nathan about his willingness to share information.”
The three of them chuckle.
We settle down on the couch, and Nathan pulls my feet onto his lap and takes off my shoes.
<
br /> “How was your day?” he asks me.
I slip my feet between his legs and stuff them beneath his left thigh. “It would’ve been better if every time I closed my eyes, I wasn’t haunted by unwanted visitors.” Roehl was all over my head today. As I drove to school, in classes, back at home, and until I saw Nathan again. He’s making it harder for me to fight when I’m alone. It’s even easier for me to admit and not be ashamed of now, which doesn’t seem like a good sign.
“We have to fix that too. I’m sorry, but we may have to push off that plan by a few days. We need Olar with us when we take care of it.”
“And what’s the plan to get him back.”
Nathan lays his head against the back of the couch, slouching. “I’m not sure yet.”
“You’re tired.”
“Yes, and overwhelmed.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Not right now.”
I quiet, trying to tap into Nathan’s feelings. He’s flooded with anticipation and impatience. Anger soars through him and his over eagerness makes me shiver. I pull back, thrashed by his emotions.
“I told you, you don’t want to be in my head.”
I ignore him. “What time is it?”
“Going on ten. You ready to go to sleep?”
“I am.”
He stands, stretching. “Err.” Pulling me from the couch too quickly, he says, “Walk me to the door.”
“You’re leaving?” I ask, peering up at him through my lashes.
“Yes,” he answers with that cocky smirk that makes my legs shake.
I walk around him as a smile spreads across my face. We pass my parents, and the three of them say their goodnights. Nathan walks to the sidewalk, and I close the door, hoping he’ll be waiting for me when I go upstairs.
Saying goodnight to my parents, I thank them for my beautiful necklace and kiss their cheeks for being awesome. “I love you two so much. And double thanks for accepting Nathan and me.”
“We love you, Tracey,” they say to my back as I head upstairs.
Nathan isn’t back when I make it to my room, and I take the time to get in the shower. I dress and straighten up my room. Nathan still isn’t here, hours later. Nate, if you left to go save Olar, I’m going to kill you when you return.
He laughs. I didn’t. I’m on my way back now. He enters soundlessly through my window. “I needed to clean up and check on Scott and the rest of the house. I’ve been gone all day.” He kisses my cheek before going to the chaise.
I follow. “What’s going on over there?”
“Some more of our family came in. It’s getting a little crowded.”
“I can imagine.” I sit across him. “Am I stuck here until my parent’s move or will I be able to go back over there to sleep in our bed?”
“We’ll go over there for a couple of days after tomorrow. My mom misses you. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”
“Yeah, I love your mom. She’s doing better now, no more sneaking away?”
“She is. My aunt’s there to help her, so it makes it a little easier.”
I think on that for a moment. Then my thoughts shift to thinking about tomorrow and how it’ll be the last day I’ll be returning to my high school. Half of me is ready to adult; the other half wants to suck up the last of this freedom. “Babe, you think things will calm down before summer kicks in?”
“Why do you ask?”
I shrug. “Just wondering. I want to enjoy the summer and not look over my shoulder for once. I want to feel free.”
“Honestly, Sparks, things are never calmed down. We maneuver around our inconveniences. But if you’re asking if what’s going on now, with us, will be over. After we get Olar tomorrow, the following night we’ll head out to take care of that.”
“Everything’s going to be okay right? You won’t let me go.”
“Not even if you want me to. I’ll fight for you until you rip your heart from my chest.”
I lay my head on his chest, hearing our heartbeat. “No matter what I say or do, fight for me, Nate. Never let me go. I don’t want to be like Glen.”
His arms push around my body and hold me tightly. “You are nothing like Glen. You have to make the decision to go with him. He can’t make you do it. Yes, he can influence you to make you think it’s a good decision, but he can’t force you to go to him. I trust you to choose me. Even if you don’t, promise I got you.”
I could never kill Nathan. I wouldn’t risk our life, and I have no interest in killing myself. “It’ll be you. I swear. It’ll be you. There’s no one else. I’ll definitely kill him. If I forget, help me remember.” I twist my lips to the side, bombarded by another thought. “I’m sorry I’ve been hurting you.”
“Don’t be. It’s not that you’re hurting me on purpose. But don’t worry about it, we’ll fix it.” He sits up, moving me with him. “Let’s sleep.”
I follow him to my bed. He lays me down and takes off his shirt, exposing that illegally sculpted chest and stomach and shoulders and—.
“Sparks?”
Ah, he caught me. “Huh?”
“What are you up to?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
I scoot over so he can lie beside me. “Nothing.”
He bends over the bed, boring into my eyes. I try to empty my mind before he can read my thoughts. His eyes widen and then he sobers his expression. A cocky smirk peeks out as his left brow jumps.
Crap. I was too late.
I scoot away from him. “You know. I’m starting to agree with Glen about her no privacy statement.”
Nathan sits on the bed and pulls me to him. “You want some privacy?” His closeness erupts butterflies in my chest, making my heart double beat. My breath stalls, causing me to gasp when I try to catch it. Crazy how he can still do this to me. “I’ll always take your breath away. And be in your head.” Almost creeping, he stealthily moves me to lie under him as he hovers over me. Every inhale’s saturated by his scent, flooding my nose with his intoxicants.
I float, slowly drifting beyond Earth’s atmosphere. “Yeah?” I mutter, unable to make my mouth form any other words.
“You love me, Tracey?” the seductive tone of his voice pulls me deeper into him, and my head lightens.
“Yeah.” Our noses brush with him being so close, with him sucking in the air I expel.
A heat surrounds my body as I blast through his ozone layer, charging inside him as the crave to feel his lips against mine worsens. He has a lock on me, though, keeping me from moving a muscle. I can’t rise to close these few centimeters of distance between our lips.
“You’re going to choose me?” Nathan taunts me, letting his lips speak above mine. They’re close enough where I can feel their presence, but not enough where they touch.
“Yeah.”
“Reassure me.” He descends, layering kisses across my jawline. His caress is enigmatic; I’ll never get why just by a single saturation of his lips sends me reeling. All breath leaves my body and my blood rushes when he kisses my neck. I feel butterflies as if their wings flutter against my skin—prickling and tickling my insides just beneath the surface. “Tell me, Sparks.”
“I love you, Nate,” I breathe.
He grasps my hands, pushing them over my head. Meeting my eyes, I stare into his ocean-blue, watching the sandy brown swirl in their depths. I love those. “And?” My legs bend at his sides, and my hands clasp onto his. “Say it, Sparks.” Our hips align, and his power kneads my center.
I gasp, unable to break eye contact, but I want to close my eyes and indulge in the sensation. He adjusts as if he is going to kiss me and my heart returns, thrumming.
“Say it, Sparks.”
With him, just centimeters away from my mouth, my lips silently beg for his to fall on them. “Nate, stop teasing me,” I whisper.
Pelvis-to-pelvis, he provokes me. “Say it, and I’ll give you what you want.” He kisses my chin.
“I’ll choose you, Nate. I’ve chosen you. A
lways and every time.” Please? Let me touch you.
He strokes back against me, and I bite my bottom lip, feeling him intriguingly erected. “You want me?”
“It hurts.” The bond makes this so much worse than it should be. It causes a pang in my chest and stab in the spine of my back. It won’t ease until I have him. Until we. . .
“I want you, Sparks,” he says, eyes locked on mine. They swirl into this orange-brown that makes my heart melt.
Watching them, I return, “I want you.”
Finally, my body loosens, and I’m able to lift and touch my lips to his. This wasn’t at all a part of my plan. He stole from my thoughts and took advantage of my weaknesses.
He breaks away from me, laying on the bed at my side. “Argh. I’ve been up since six. Come on, Sparks. Go to sleep. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“What? No, no, no.” He cannot be serious. “You will not do that to me.”
He turns his head, meeting my gaze. “Go to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow.”
“Nathan?”
“Sparky.”
I push my hands over my head. “Nate, are you serious right now?”
“Sparks, I’m tired. Go to sleep. Breathe it out. The bond will calm in a second.” He smirks.
Right. . . “Fine. If that’s how you want to play.” I sit up, pulling my shirt over my head and pull down my ponytail.
Nathan stares, watching me. “What are you doing?”
I can have him infatuated and hypnotized just as he had me. I climb over him to get out the bed, dropping my shirt to the floor.
He sits up on his elbows. “Sparks, what are you up to?”
Keeping his eye contact, I slowly push down my joggers, letting them fall to my ankles. He breaks his bore and lets his gaze scan my half-naked body. It’s hot, brushing over my curves, resting on spots of me I assume he wants to feel under his touch. I step out of the pile of clothes and saunter on tiptoes back to the bed.
Climbing over him, he grabs my wrist, stopping me from making it over. “Don’t get in trouble,” he warns.
I bite back my laugh, pulling my arm away. He grabs my waist, feeling me beneath his graze. Melting from it, I try to hold my ground, but his touch is like a kryptonite if I were Superman.
Three Times Torn Page 31
