Wicked Promises

by L A Cotton

  I squeezed my eyes shut, hardly able to believe what was happening. Maverick was here. While I was sitting wrapped in JB’s arms, almost about to what... kiss him?

  Was I really going to kiss him?

  Only days after ending my relationship with Nick?

  Clambering to my feet, I turned and met my brother’s murderous glare.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re—”

  “Maverick, I can ex—”

  “Stay out of this, Summer. This is between me and Holloway.”

  “It’s not what you think, man.” JB stood beside me, but not close enough that I could feel him. “I helped Summer out when she—”

  “You think I give a fuck? She’s my sister and you’re—”

  “Rick.” I stepped closer to him, putting myself between the two of them. “Don’t do this.”

  Shock morphed on my brother’s expression. “But he...”

  “Helped me. JB helped me, Maverick, and I know you’re only trying to protect me.” I glanced back to the guy standing behind me. “But you don’t need to protect me from him.”

  JB’s eyes widened, but I didn’t have time to analyze his expression as I focused back on Maverick.

  “We need to talk,” he said flatly, his tone making me wince. I didn’t want to fight, least of all with Maverick, but he was right, we did need to talk.

  “I’ll meet you back at the house,” I offered. “We can talk there.”

  “Shit, Sum.” He jammed his fingers into his unruly dark hair, hard eyes darting to JB over my shoulder.

  “Maverick, I’ll be right there, I promise.”

  He didn’t move, tension radiating from every inch of him. My brother had worked hard over the last few years to control his temper—made easier once Lo came along—but I could see his thin rope of control almost at snapping point.

  “Rick, I’ll be right there.” I glared back at him.

  “Summer, it’s okay,” JB’s voice cut through the suffocating atmosphere enveloping us. “I should go.”

  “No,” I said firmly. “Maverick is going to go, and I’ll be right behind him. Won’t I?”

  “I, uh, yeah, okay,” he finally conceded. “But I’m warning you, Holloway. Lay one finger on her and I’ll—”

  I shot Rick a hard stare and mouthed, “Go,” before turning to grab JB’s arm. I pulled him toward the shore, not sparing my brother another glance.

  “Summer, maybe you should go with—”

  “I can’t believe him.” I snapped, once we were out of earshot. “Who the hell does he think he is?” Anger bubbled beneath my skin, heating my blood.

  “Hey, hey.” JB snagged my wrist and tugged me into his solid chest. My hands pressed against his t-shirt as I stared up at him, feeling the fight ebb away as I got lost in the intensity in his eyes. “He’s allowed to care. You’re his sister, Summer, give him that much.”

  My gaze flicked over his shoulder to Maverick. Thankfully, he had retreated, and now stood by his car, watching us. Even from here, I could tell he was struggling to rein in his anger. I edged back, putting some space between me and JB and he gave me a sad smile.

  “See, you care too,” he said quietly.

  “I... this is all very confusing,” I admitted, wrapping my arms around myself.

  “You should go talk to him. I’ll be here.”

  My brow quirked up at that and he grinned. “Not here here. I should probably show my face at home at some point. But you can always text me... if you want to,” he quickly added.

  “Thank you.” I seemed to be saying that a lot to him lately. “I’ll text you later.”

  Hands shoved in his pockets, he nodded before mouthing, “Bye.”

  As I walked away from him, part of me wondered what he saw when he looked at me. I was broken in so many ways I didn’t know if I’d ever feel whole again. Yet, in my moment of desperation, I’d texted JB and he’d come, no questions asked.

  That had to mean something, didn’t it? I just wasn’t sure I was ready to look too closely at what it meant. Especially not when Rick was still standing there, shooting JB daggers.

  He pushed off the hood of his car as I reached the edge of the parking lot. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” he ground out.

  “Don’t, okay, just don’t.” I shot him a scathing look and went around to my car, ripping the door open. “I’ll see you back at the house.”

  “Summer, I—”

  But the rumble of the engine drowned out his words.

  Maverick could save his apologies because I was done letting other people dictate my life.

  MAVERICK FOUND ME IN the pool house. It had been his once, before he left for college. Now it was neutral territory. A place we all liked to congregate whenever my brothers and sister were all back from college. Usually, we all crammed inside: them, their partners, Kyle’s half-sister Kiera and her boyfriend, Trey. Me and Nick. I guess that was just another thing I’d have to get used to, being the odd one out. The spare wheel.

  My brother cleared his throat from the door where he stood against the door jamb, arms folded over his chest, the rigorous training he underwent obvious in his defined biceps and shoulders. “Ready to tell me what’s really going on?”

  “You know,” I said, unable to keep the wistfulness out of my voice. “I always wanted to be more like you and Macey growing up. You were so confident, so strong. You didn’t care what anyone said or did. I envied you both so much.” They walked the halls of Wicked Bay High and people moved aside. Even if they hadn’t asked for the spotlight, they’d commanded it. But I’d always preferred the shadows.

  “Summer, come on, work with me here.” He came inside, dropping down on the armchair opposite the couch where I was sitting.

  “But I also resented you. The way you all wrapped me up in cotton wool, treating me like glass.”

  “Sum, that’s not—”

  “Just let me finish.” I inhaled a ragged breath. “Deep down, I was happy to let you shelter me because I had Nick. Because I knew I wasn’t strong enough to walk in the spotlight like you all did. Nick was my safe place. My future.”

  I was the youngest. I always knew that, one by one, they would leave home. Leave me. But I had Nick, the person I thought I could always count on as much as them.

  Rick grumbled something under his breath, something I knew I probably didn’t want to hear.

  “You all went off to college to live your lives and suddenly I didn’t have you anymore, but I still had Nick. And he...” Pain clogged my throat and my hand drifted to my neck. “He hurt me in the worst possible way and then I...”

  “You what, Summer? What aren’t you telling me?” The helplessness on my brother’s face broke me and I burst into tears.

  Rick was there in an instant, pulling me into his arms, whispering words of comfort. Even in my moment of despair, it didn’t escape me how much he’d changed, all thanks to Lo and their love for one another.

  “I found out I was pregnant, Maverick.” The words were barely audible, but the way his body locked up told me he’d heard me loud and clear. Gently, he pushed me back to look at me. “Y- you’re pregnant?”

  “Was...” The word hung between us like ice, chilling my blood. “I lost—”

  “Fuck, Summer.” He gathered me into his arms again. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

  My fingers twisted into his t-shirt, clinging onto him like he was a life raft and I was drowning.

  Maverick didn’t push for more, even though I knew it was probably killing him not to ask questions. He let me purge my grief until my eyes were sore and puffy and my body ached.

  “I’m sorry,” I said meekly, finally leaving the comfort of my brother’s arms. “I’m a mess.”

  “When Mom said there was more to it... fuck, Summer, I thought you were sick or something. I went back to SU but couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to it. But I didn’t think...”

  “You and me both. It was a huge shock when
the doctor told me.”

  “Does he know?”

  I shook my head. “I haven’t been able to tell him, and then someone told him about me leaving The Shack with JB and he got angry.”

  “JB was there? When it... happened?” He gulped over the word, and I nodded. “Shit.”

  “I know you two have bad history, but he’s been a good friend to me, Rick.”

  “And I’m grateful, I am, but you’re vulnerable right now Sum, you shouldn’t be letting someone like Holloway take advantage of that.”

  “He isn’t taking advantage of anything. If you must know, it’s me who asked him to stay, me who texted him earlier to come and see me.”

  Maverick narrowed his eyes. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. You can’t possibly imagine what the last few days have been like for me.”

  “We could have been there for you, if you’d have called. We could have—”

  “This isn’t about you or Kyle or Macey, Rick, it’s about me. About my life. You have everything you ever wanted. Basketball. Lo. A bright future. So does Kyle and Macey. And I wanted that. I wanted it so much and now...”

  “I know it hurts. I know you didn’t think things would turn out like this, but you can still have a bright future, Summer. You’re only eighteen, you have your whole life ahead—”

  “Oh my god, you sound just like Mom. You think I can just move on and pretend none of this happened? I was pregnant, Maverick; I heard my baby’s heartbeat.” I doubled over, the memory hitting me like a wrecking ball to the stomach.

  “Fuck,” he ground out. “I... I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here. Everything is coming out wrong.”

  “You don’t need to do anything. But this is why I didn’t tell anyone yet. I need time to deal with it. I don’t need everyone thinking they know what’s best for me. Even I don’t know right now. But what I do know is I can’t think about college or the future or what happens next. Not yet. I need time.”

  Maverick eyed me warily, as if I was a wild animal he didn’t know how to tame. And I hated it. But I couldn’t resent him, not really. Not when this was something you had to experience first-hand to understand. And I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Not even my worst enemy. Because nothing was worse than feeling—knowing—you’d lost a part of you.

  A piece you would never get back.

  Chapter 12

  JB

  I had an undetected brain injury. That was the only explanation for my actions of late. Driving back from San Diego because Summer had texted me saying she needed me was one thing. Standing by her side when Maverick turned up with murder in his eyes was another. But driving to her house and parking my truck in the shadows, waiting for her signal that it was safe to sneak into her yard, was a whole other level of lost-my-fucking-mind.

  I’d watched her walk away from me at the beach, watched her and Maverick have heated words before she climbed into her car and drove away. I hadn’t expected her to text me two hours later asking me if I wanted to ‘come over’.

  I should have said no.

  I should have told her this thing between us was a one-way street to shitstormville.

  But I didn’t.

  Because somewhere along the line, Summer Stone-Prince had bewitched me. She’d buried herself so far under my skin I wasn’t sure I’d ever dig her out.

  And if I was being honest with myself, I didn’t want to.

  My cell vibrated and I snatched it from the center console and read the incoming text.

  Summer: I’m in the pool house. You can’t miss it. The code for the gate is 1485

  Me: You’re sure about this?

  It’s not too late to back out, I wanted to add, but didn’t.

  The three dots were right there, so I knew she was replying. But seconds passed and still no message appeared.

  Shit, was she having second thoughts? I was about to fire up the engine and head home when my cell finally bleeped.

  Summer: I’ll see you soon xo

  I fought a grin, feeling like a twelve-year-old getting his first look at a porn mag. Shaking my head, I climbed out of the truck and pulled my ball cap down, ducking into the shadows. Like my house, the Stone-Princes had a big winding driveway. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized there was only one car in the driveway, and it was Summer’s.

  Going around to the gate, I entered the code. My heart was beating so hard, blood pounding between my ears. To my relief, it clicked open and I slipped inside like a thief in the night. The pool shimmered under the moonlight; the whole yard lit up with little solar lamps. It reminded me a lot of my house. Big. Ostentatious. But something told me it was a place of happy memories. Something we didn’t have a lot of in my house.

  My eyes flicked over to the pool house tucked away to one side and I smiled when I saw Summer had left the door ajar. With every step, my heart crashed harder against my ribcage. I couldn’t remember a time I’d been so nervous about being around a girl. It wasn’t like anything was going to happen between us, not here. She was still healing—physically and emotionally—and I didn’t want to be that guy. But still, just the idea of being close to her, spending time with her in her territory, did all kinds of crazy things to me.

  “Summer?” I rapped my knuckles against the door, waiting on the threshold.

  “Come in,” her soft voice floated over to me, electrifying the hairs along the back of my neck.

  I moved inside, closing the door behind me. It was late, a quarter past midnight, but I was buzzing, restless energy zipping through me.

  She was laid out on a couch, blonde hair fanned out around her. “Hey,” she smiled up at me dreamily.

  “Hey, are you okay?” I eyed the bottle beside her. “Is that vodka?”

  “I only had a couple of drinks.” She sat up, swaying gently.

  “Whoa there.” I rushed to her side, dropping to my knees. “You’re drunk.”

  “I’m not.” She hiccupped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Okay,” Summer leaned in conspiratorially. “Maybe I am, just a little bit. But don’t tell anyone okay? I don’t drink much.”

  Of course she didn’t.

  Because she was good and pure. And she didn’t deserve any of this.

  “Come on,” I said, pulling Summer to her feet, my heart fucking breaking for her. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  “You like me,” she sang, her body falling against mine, and shit, if she didn’t feel good there. In my arms. Her soft curves pressed close to my hard lines.

  “I like you, yeah,” I whispered, so quietly I knew she couldn’t hear me.

  The pool house was made up of the living space and small kitchenette and a hallway leading to a bathroom and a bedroom. Pushing the door open, I scanned the room. It was simply furnished: a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand.

  “This used to be Rick’s room,” Summer said, her voice a lot more slurred now.

  Shit. She was wasted. I’d dealt with my sister enough to know how to handle a drunk girl, but this was different. That was family. This was... well, I didn’t want to put a label on whatever the fuck it was.

  I laid her down gently on the bed, but Summer’s hands were like a vise round my neck and I stumbled down on top of her, barely catching my weight with my hand before squashing her. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

  “You’re like a big blanket,” she sighed dreamily, rubbing her face into my shoulder.

  “Summer, maybe I should—”

  “Noooo, stay. I need you. You make it hurt less.” Her arms were back to gripping me tight. Summer stared up at me as if I hung the fucking moon.

  “Okay,” I said, sliding her arms from around my neck, and clambering off her. “Let’s get you into bed.” I glanced around the room. It didn’t look like she stayed out here regularly, no sign of girly shit strewn everywhere.

  Summer lifted her ass off the bed, her fingers sliding to her jean button. I watched, amusement tugging at my mouth, as s
he struggled to get it undone.

  “Here.” I leaned down, nudging her fingers away, silently telling myself to focus on anything but the fact her shirt had risen up revealing a flat expanse of skin that called to me like a siren calling to sailors lost at sea.

  Slowly, I peeled the jeans down her legs, pulling her shirt down to cover her simple white panties.

  “You’ll stay?” Her head rolled to the side, blue eyes piercing me right in the chest.

  “I can take the couch, yeah.” No way was I just going to up and leave until I knew she was okay.

  “No, JB, I mean will you stay... here... with me.”

  She had no idea how much her words affected me. It was a cry for help, her own pain too much to bear. But it didn’t matter. The second the words fell from her lips, I knew I’d agree.

  I was beginning to think there wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for this girl.

  “Scoot over,” I said gruffly, as I began to peel my t-shirt over my head, kicking off my sneakers and jeans next. Summer shuffled back giving me space to climb in beside her.

  I’d fucked a lot of girls, often found myself in a different bed every weekend in freshman year, but I’d never felt this before. The buzz of anticipation beneath my skin, the thud thud thud of my heart in my chest.

  I slipped under the covers, careful to leave space between us. But Summer had other ideas, curling into my side, her hand resting on my stomach. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered.

  “Get some sleep,” I choked out, forcing down the words I really wanted to say.

  We lay in silence, moonlight pouring in through the blinds, making shadows dance on the walls and ceiling. Summer was still beside me and I thought she’d fallen to sleep until her fingers began to trace circles on my skin, gliding across my abs, skating lower and lower.

  “Summer,” I rasped. Her touch lit me up inside, making my skin burn.

  “I just want it all to go away, make it go away, JB, please.” Her hand grazed lower, catching the tip of my semi-hard dick. Snagging her wrist, I rolled onto my side, pulling our hands between us. “You don’t want to do this. Not here, not like this.”