The Eastwood Series

by M. E. Clayton

  I wanted to disappear through the floor.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” he hissed.

  I flinched.

  Alistair placed one arm on the counter and the other on the back of his chair and leaned into my space. My eyes were still glued to the plate in front of me, but I couldn’t miss his glare burning the side of my face. “I haven’t seen you in four fucking years, and you think I give a fuck that you don’t have your hair curled or don’t have any lipstick on?”

  I drew in a deep breath and looked over at him. His blue eyes were dancing in anger, and I could feel his energy circling me everywhere. “It’s a little more than that, Alistair,” I bit out, resentful that I had to put my obvious weight gain out there.

  His blue gazed ran down my face, over my chest, and all the way to my toes until it traveled back up again. When his eyes locked back on mine, he said, “The last time I saw you, you were the size of a pixie doll. We were young and barely growing into ourselves. Now, all I see are curves for fucking days that I’d give anything to explore.”

  I reared back and shocked stopped my heart.

  His words were saying so much, but I couldn’t survive another Alistair Brown heartbreak. Hell, I was still picking up the pieces from the first one. So, what I needed were answers before I needed to know how he felt.

  “What are you doing here, Alistair?” I asked, even though I kind of already knew the answer.

  His blue eyes narrowed, and I could tell it bothered him that I ignored his comment, but he answered anyway. “I go to USC,” he said.

  “For?”

  “Computer Science.”

  That made sense. Alistair’s always been smart, and there was no way he wasn’t going to do something significant with his intelligence one day. When we were younger, Alistair had been more inclined to spend time at the library than the gym. I hadn’t been popular, so I had spent a lot of my time at the library, too. As a matter of fact, that’s how we had met over the summer. We’d both been at the public library researching the best path to colleges. Since we’d both been middle-class, scholarships were almost a necessity. I had wanted to research what I needed to do, even as a freshman, to qualify for them. Alistair had been of the same mind, and the coincidence was what had gotten us to talking.

  Looking at the perfect boy who turned into the perfect man before me, I remembered how he used to always tell me it was love at first sight for him. It hadn’t been for me, but the chemistry had been ignited at first sight. It had been three months before I’d been able to finally tell him I loved him, too, whereas he had gotten to telling me within the first week.

  It had been the sweetest experience of my life.

  It still was.

  I gave him a tight nod to let him know I heard him. “I…I’m going to USC for sports therapy,” I replied, giving him what I was asking for.

  “I’m at Webb,” he said, letting me know his dorm building.

  I didn’t offer mine.

  I also knew a thirty-minute lunch was nowhere near enough time to hash out what this was, so I said, “My lunch-”

  “Fine,” he said curtly, knowing I was cutting our reunion short. “But I’m going to be back, Rory.”

  I didn’t reply, or even move a muscle, as Alistair threw down a tip on the counter and walked out of The Diner.

  Chapter 4

  Alistair~

  By most state laws, it was stalking, pure and simple. But ask me if I gave a fuck.

  Rory fucking Simmons.

  It hadn’t escaped my notice that she hadn’t offered up the name of her dorm building, so since I had to take matters into my own hands, I did the math based on The Diner’s operating hours, and guessed around what time she’d be off work.

  And I was going to follow her.

  Against the law? Not really. Creepy? As hell. Necessary? Absolutely.

  While my heart, mind, and soul had been assaulted by a million different emotions seeing Rory for the first time in over four years. And what had hit me the hardest was how she had felt embarrassed because she hadn’t been dressed in her finest when seeing me again.

  What the fuck was that?

  I wasn’t stupid. I knew some women bought into all that physical appearance hype, but it had surprised me that Rory had fallen into that trap with me. Other guys? Sure, I could understand Rory wanting to look or feel her best, but with me? How could she think I’d give one shit about her appearance after not seeing her for four years? How could she think she wouldn’t still look beautiful to me? When I had fallen in love with Rory at fourteen, I had fallen in love with her, not her looks. I had fallen in love with her laugh, her spirit, her personality, her soul…her looks had just been a plus.

  And so the fuck what if she’s gained a few pounds? That was another thing men failed at in relationships. If your woman was worried that some weight gain would change the way you felt about her, then you were doing something seriously wrong. Worried about your woman’s weight gain for health reasons was one thing. But worried about her weight gain for vanity purposes? Well, then, you were just a jackass. And if a size four could turn your head away from the size sixteen you were married to, then you deserve everything you get when that size four trades you in for a six-pack when you’ve lost yours.

  Glancing over, I saw Rory still wiping down the unused tables. Since I’ve been sitting here across the street, I haven’t seen any action except for a couple of to-go pick-ups. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was still another twenty minutes before two-thirty. Since The Diner opened at six, I figured Rory must work the six-to-two shift and should be getting off work soon, based on the half-hour lunch she took. Knowing I still had some time to kill, I pulled out my phone and texted Amelia.

  Me: I might not make it home

  Amelia: What? Why?

  Me: Rory Simmons

  My phone rang, and I smiled as I swiped the answer icon. “Hey.”

  “Rory Simmons?” Amelia practically screeched in my ear. “The Rory Simmons?”

  “The one and only,” I confirmed.

  “Is that why you said you’d be a couple of days late coming home?”

  “Yeah,” I answered glancing over at The Diner again just to make sure I didn’t lose sight of her.

  “Holy shit, Alistair,” she breathed out.

  “Yeah, Am. Holy shit.”

  “Well, we all flew in last night, and we’re all staying at The Meadow Inn.” The Meadow Inn was the nicest hotel Eastwood had to offer. It wasn’t The Four Seasons, but it was close. When we had all gone back home for Thanksgiving, it had been a clusterfuck trying to stay with the parentals. Since none of the couples could bear to be apart, Raiden and Charlie had stayed with the Cruzes, upsetting Charlie’s parents. Ford and Amelia had stayed with Ford’s parents because Ford had missed Tally and Rachel so much, and that had hurt Amelia’s mom’s feelings, even if her father understood. We all knew Mackenzie would be staying with Samson at the Maddox’s, but even with Mackenzie’s mom having a new boyfriend, we all knew Julie Kingston missed her daughter like hell. It had been just them two for so long, and Mrs. Kingston felt Mackenzie’s absence deeply. I had been able to go stay at my parents with no issue, but it had been a time-constraint nightmare trying to divide our time between our families and just us. I had missed everyone, but I had really missed the fuck out of Amelia, and it sucked having to share her time.

  Another fucked-up issue had been respecting everyone’s privacy. The holiday break had turned into four days of utter embarrassment as walls were thin and Samson, Raiden, and Ford hadn’t given a fuck. The only reason Duke hadn’t been lumped in with that group was that Willow had only been seventeen at the time, and he had kept his hands to himself until he no longer had to, legally and morally.

  After that mess, everyone had agreed that a hotel was the better option for winter break. With all of us staying at The Meadow, we got our time together, they got their time together, and we got to visit our parents on our own time. I’d hav
e to say though, the sweetest thing about winter break had been how Ford had reserved a dual suite, so that Tally and Rachel could stay with him and Amelia. And when the girls hadn’t been with Ford and Amelia, they had been with Duke and Willow. Willow’s sisters had join the fray sometimes, too.

  “I called earlier and told them that I might not be able to check in for another day or so, and asked if they could just charge the room anyways and keep it on reserve for me,” I told her. “They said it’d be no problem. But I suppose as long as they got paid for the room, it doesn’t matter if I’m there or not.”

  “Are you bringing Rory with you?” she asked, and I laughed.

  “Amelia, Rory wouldn’t even tell me the name of her dorm building,” I drawled out. “I doubt she’s willing to go back to Eastwood with me for spring break.”

  “Why wouldn’t she tell you where she’s staying?”

  “She works as a waitress at a diner near campus,” I told her. “We didn’t really have time to talk much. I had walked in to get my to-go order, and when I looked over, she was standing there, wiping down a table.”

  “Does she go to USC? Were you able to learn that much?”

  “Yeah, she does. However…uh, she didn’t seem very happy to see me,” I admitted. “When I asked her about the cold reception, she said she was embarrassed to have me see her looking less than her best.”

  Amelia huffed. “That’s ridiculous. That girl has always been the prettiest thing and, besides, she has to know you love her enough not to care if her hair isn’t done.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, we didn’t get that far. I imagine she figures that I’ve moved on during these past four years.”

  “Has she?” Amelia asked and I could hear the wince in her voice.

  “There wasn’t a ring on her finger, but I plan on finding out as soon as she’s off shift.”

  “She agreed to meet you to talk?”

  “Uh…not exactly,” I grumbled.

  “Oh, God, Alistair,” she groaned. “What are you doing?”

  “What any man in love would do,” I retorted. “I’m sitting in my car across from her work, where I’m waiting for her to get off work. Then I’ll follow her home and see what dorm she’s housed in. Then bribe someone to get me her room number. Once I’m in, we’ll talk.”

  “And you’re positive that’s what any man in love would do?” she asked skeptically.

  “Let’s test that theory, shall we?” I challenged. “Hang up and I’ll call you back.” We hung up and I shot off a group text to just her and the guys.

  Me: Hypothetical-what if ur girl refused 2 tell 2 where she lived when u were chasing after her?

  Ford: Follow her the fuck home

  Samson: Hold her hostage until she tells me what I want 2 know

  Raiden: Force her 2 live with me if she wants 2 be stubborn

  Duke: Stalk her and/or her family

  Amelia: Oh, Sweet Lord!

  Me: Thanks…LOL!

  If you give up easily, then you’re not really in love.

  And I was really in love.

  Chapter 5

  Rory~

  I was surprised to see Millie when I had gotten home earlier. I had been positive she’d be off to Cancun already, but she had told me she had made a deal with Erica Wright to fly over together. And since Erica couldn’t get away until today, they had a late afternoon flight to catch.

  Millie had tried to convince me to go with them one last time before I headed to my room and grabbed some clothes to shower. That was the only bad thing about working at The Diner. The grease fumes permeated the air and ended up soaked into my hair and skin sometimes. Today hadn’t been bad because we hadn’t had that many customers, but I was already so used to showering after my shifts that this was just routine for me.

  I wrapped my hair up in a towel and dressed in some cutoff pajama shorts and a t-shirt before heading towards my bedroom. On my way, Millie’s voice sounded from the living room. “Rory! You have a guest!”

  A guest?

  I walked out into the living room, and my feet tripped and froze as I stared at Alistair Brown standing in the middle of my dorm room. “Alistair?”

  Before he could say anything, Millie chimed in, “I didn’t realize you knew Alistair.”

  I tore my shocked gaze away from him and looked at Millie. “Huh?”

  She jerked her head towards Alistair. “I wasn’t aware you two knew each other.”

  No, no, no, no, no. Please, Lord, no.

  “You…you know Alistair?” The question was an automatic response, but I really didn’t want to know the answer. I wasn’t sure if I could handle if they dated or were still dating. Of course, I’ve never heard Millie mention Alistair’s name before, but it was clear that she knew him.

  Millie smiled. “He’s in one of my classes.” I waited for more, but that was all she said.

  “Rory?” I turned back towards Alistair. “Can we talk?”

  “Alis-”

  “You know, I need to get going,” Millie announced, sizing up the amount of awkwardness it the room accurately. “Uh…have a good break, you two.” I knew she was just trying to give us privacy because she’d just told me she had two hours before she had to meet up with Erica.

  Alistair and I stood facing each other, not saying a word, as Millie went to her room and grabbed her stuff. When she walked back out, she was hauling three different bags, and Alistair immediately went to grab her bags.

  Some things never change.

  “Oh, I got-”

  “Not on your life,” he said, interrupting her. He grabbed the two biggest bags she had and looked over at me. “I’ll be back, okay?” I just nodded like a fool.

  When Alistair followed Millie out the door, I went back to the bathroom and took my hair out of the towel. I was long past caring what I looked like since he’s already seen me looking homely. So, I brushed out my damp hair, threw it up in a bun, and walked back out into the living room to face the music.

  The next few minutes, awaiting Alistair’s return, were the worst of my life. And that’s saying something considering my father had broken up my family with the announcement that he’d fallen in love with someone else.

  When the sound of knocking hit my ears, I jumped off the couch and had to take a deep breath. I had no idea what Alistair wanted to talk about, but if he was here to tell me he wanted to be friends, I was going to have to decline his offer of friendship. The same reasons I couldn’t stay friends with him on social media after I had left are the same reasons that stand now. Alistair might not love me anymore, but I knew I still loved him. And, sure, he’d made the comment that he’d like to explore my curves but wanting to sleep with me was not the same as still being in love with me.

  And if Alistair was here to tell me how well he’s done for himself and that he was in love with the perfect girl…well, I sure as hell didn’t want to hear that. Like I said, I had no problem with him being happy-I wanted him to be happy in life. I just didn’t want to witness how happy he’s been, was, or is without me these past four years.

  I wasn’t a glutton for punishment, no matter how selfish withholding my friendship from Alistair might seem.

  I put my hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. Turning the knob, I just prayed I’d be able to get through this with as little heartache as possible. When I pulled the door open, Alistair was standing there, his hands in his pockets, looking as nervous as I felt.

  Stepping back, I opened the door, so Alistair could walk in. When he did, I shut the door, and the sound felt ominous. I felt like I was going to have an honest-to-God meltdown.

  “W…would you like something to…uh, drink or-”

  Alistair turned to look at me, and he looked past the point of pleasantness. “Really, Rory?”

  “What?” I protested. “I was just trying to be…hospitable.”

  He cocked his head. “Do you really think I give a fuck about hospitality right now?”

  Oookay.
<
br />   I planted my hand on my hips. “Well, considering how you commented on my reception earlier at work, I thought I’d work on some politeness and offer a welcoming gesture.”

  His light blonde brows shot upward. “For fuck’s sake, Rory,” he growled. “We haven’t seen each other in four years, and during our first encounter you act like I’ve got the fucking plague. And our second meeting you’re offering me goddamn refreshments. Are you kidding me?”

  With my nerves fried and my mind spinning out of control, I snapped. “What do you want from me, Alistair? The last time I saw you, my world was falling apart. I’m sorry if I don’t know what the proper etiquette is when seeing…”

  He stepped towards me. “When seeing, what?”

  Alistair was going to make me say it, and I resented him for it. “Seeing someone I used to be in love with.” I didn’t say love because, of course, I still loved him. But when I think of being in love with him, I think of us in this together, and we weren’t.

  His voice was cold and razor sharp as he said, “Used to be in love with.”

  “Alistair-”

  “Meaning, you’re not in love with me anymore,” he surmised.

  My heart started pounding, and I knew my next words would impact whether or not I’ll ever see Alistair again. If I confessed that I still loved him, but he was in love with someone else, there’s no way I’d ever be able to face him again. If I confessed that I still loved him, but he no longer loved me, there’s no way I’d be able to agree to be just friends.

  “Does it matter?” I asked, trying to stall.

  He stepped closer until his six-foot-plus frame loomed over me. “Oh, yeah,” he replied. “It matters.” As painful as the truth was, this wasn’t a time to lie.

  I knew that.

  “I…I wasn’t lying when we were fourteen,” I finally admitted. “When I said I was going to love you forever, I meant it.” His blue eyes were wild as they ran all over my face. “I wasn’t too young, and I wasn’t too inexperienced to know what I was talking about.” I swallowed my panic. “I’ve never stopped loving you, Alistair.”