“I don’t know.”
“Do you love me, Winter?”
“What?” I asked. I inched away from him. “What did you just ask?”
Noah stared at me.
He moved at me and kissed me hard.
He kissed me fast.
His body against mine.
“I just need to know,” he said, his mouth still touching mine.
We kissed again.
I kissed him back.
I wanted him.
I wasn’t going to answer his question.
How could I?
There was no answer to that question.
But it proved that Noah was desperate for love.
That made him weak.
We kept kissing.
My mind raced, torn between thinking of ways to ruin him and ways to get him on top of me and inside me.
Noah started to move on top of me.
My body ached for him. Ached to feel good. Ached to just forget all this craziness in my life for a little while.
My hands moved to his back, pulling at him.
It wasn’t even about wanting at that point. It was more of a need.
As Noah’s right hand moved down my body and under my shirt, I heard a noise.
I quickly moved and nudged Noah away.
Then came the sound of someone clapping.
I sat up a little and saw Easton standing near the end of the bed.
A smile on his face.
“Good morning,” he said. “Anyone need some coffee?”
Noah jumped out of the bed and went after Easton.
Easton danced around to my side of the bed, laughing his ass off.
He jumped on the bed, over me, bouncing, sitting next to me.
“My turn,” he said with a laugh.
I made a fist with my right hand and hit Easton in the face.
I got him good enough on the nose that he started to bleed.
“You deserved that,” Noah said. “You’re lucky it wasn’t me. I’d smash your nose through the back of your skull.”
I sat up more in the bed and was between Noah and Easton.
“Oh, damn,” Easton said. “I just wanted to see if anyone wanted some coffee. We all had a long night.”
“You’re an asshole, Easton,” I said.
I felt my face burning ten shades of red.
My mind and heart flirting with what would have happened with Noah.
But the moment had been there and was way gone now.
I threw the covers off my body and got out of the bed.
“Look at those shorts,” Easton said. “And those legs.”
I stopped and turned. “What is your problem this morning?”
“Nothing,” Easton said. “You’re beautiful, Winter. Did Noah tell you that too?”
I looked at Noah.
He was enraged.
I shook my head. “This is sad to see. You two. Fighting.”
“Over you,” Easton said.
“No. Not over me.”
Noah looked at me.
He was sad. Angry. Dangerous.
His eyes hinted at that L word he dropped which I refused to think about.
I walked away from the massive, comfortable bed, and went to the bathroom.
I opened the door and was hit with steam and the smell of men’s soap.
The smell tickled my nose and tickled everywhere else on my body.
I guess that meant Xavier had gotten back and showered.
I went to the sink and ran the cold water.
I splashed a little on my face, bringing myself back to normal.
That had been close with Noah.
I wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to let myself slip. Or even if it wasn’t a slip, I wasn’t so sure I should do it anyway.
When I lifted my head, the mirror was still fogged up.
I grabbed a towel and wiped down the mirror.
I screamed when I saw someone standing behind me.
I spun around and saw Xavier standing in a towel.
“You can’t knock?” he asked.
“The door was unlocked.”
“I was in the shower.”
“The water wasn’t running,” I said.
“I was drying off.”
I opened my mouth but my eyes took over.
There was no hiding as my eyes moved all across the parts of Xavier’s body that were exposed.
I felt myself blushing as I looked at the muscles.
They. Were. Everywhere.
He was built like… wow.
“Did you go for a run or something?” I asked.
“A run and weights,” he said. “What I always do.”
Xavier liked to run. Just like his sister.
Whoa.
I noticed a few droplets of water on his right shoulder.
My fingertips begged to touch and wipe the water away.
“I guess you need the bathroom,” he said.
He took a step and I moved in front of him. “No. Sorry. I just had to get away from the other two. They, uh, were kind of fighting over me.”
“What?”
“It’s stupid. I punched Easton in the nose. He’s bleeding.”
“Nice,” Xavier said. He took another step closer to me. “Want to punch me?”
“Maybe,” I flirted.
“Think you can make me bleed?”
“At least if I do you’re already naked and can just jump into the shower.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Maybe you could join me next time, Winter.”
I let out a weak sounding haha and Xavier walked around me.
He left the bathroom and I followed a few seconds later.
I was burning in more ways than I wanted to admit to myself.
I rushed to the kitchen and found comfort over a hot cup of coffee.
When I realized it was already after noon, shock rippled through me.
Time was flying by up here.
Which was a good thing.
I felt like I had enough information to figure out my next step with the guys.
Little hints of truths were all around me. I just needed some time alone to put it all together. Or time with Gia. And Talon. I could pay that Troc one more time and then be done with him for good.
I took my coffee from the bedroom and saw Noah, Easton, and Xavier on the opposite end of the room. Standing near the large fireplace. They all looked at me. None of them made a face or gestured toward me.
It was kind of cold.
Again, that was a good thing.
They all had their desires for me. Which I didn’t quite understand.
Just like with the dresses, they probably wanted me to choose.
And just like with the dresses, I was going to make the choice I wanted. Which was the one that would piss them off and hurt them.
I went back to the bed and got my phone and sent a text to Gia.
Please tell me you can talk.
I inched toward the window and thought about opening it and going to sit on the ledge.
Down on the ground, there were several workers rushing around.
The same tent was in place but the workers were taking everything out of the tent.
I figured that was to make it look completely different. Because the rich and powerful could never experience the same thing twice. It all had to be new, different, bigger, better.
We were all just chasing a high.
Noah, Easton, and Xavier rode the high that they believed I had no memory of them. They rode the high of trying to get with me. I rode the high of revenge. Everyone else at this mansion rode the high of deals, backstabbing one another, and having affairs.
Face it, we were all terrible people.
I felt like I could cry.
That’s when Gia called me.
“Do I even want to know how it’s going?”
I shut the bathroom door and locked it.
It still smelled like Xavier’s soap.
“It�
��s crazy,” I said. “I just have to get through tonight.”
“Get through?” Gia asked. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s just a lot to take in at once up here,” I said. “I think I have enough of what I need here. It’s intense.”
“I’m sure it is,” she said. “Are you okay?”
“I will be,” I said. “I can’t wait for them to see the dress. That’s going to throw them off for good.”
“Do you need me to come up there?” Gia asked with a laugh.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” I said. “Come on up. You can probably run up here. You’ll be here in like an hour. Speedy.”
“If you stick with running, you’ll get there too,” she said.
“I don’t know about that,” I said. “Thanks for calling me.”
“Of course. I’ve been waiting to hear from you.”
“Are you bored without me around?” I asked.
Gia laughed. “No, not at all. I have tons of best friends who are faking having amnesia while they all but fool around with the three guys that tried to kill them. I mean, that’s totally normal.”
“When you put it like that, it makes me sound like I’m some crazy bitch,” I said.
“Well, you are, Winter,” Gia said. “That’s my favorite part about you. You make me feel normal, and that’s saying something.”
“Ohmygod,” I said with a laugh. “I’m hanging up now.”
“Unpack your common sense,” Gia said.
“Love you too,” I said.
“Goodbye,” she said in a singing voice.
I hung up the call and looked at myself in the mirror.
Unpacking my common sense.
Did that include almost sleeping with Noah this morning? Or having Easton cruising into second base last night like it was nothing? Or eye humping Xavier as he stood in a towel?
“Winter, what the hell are you really doing here?” I asked the reflection in the mirror.
I shook my head.
Maybe I just didn’t know.
Chapter 22
crazy
By the time I ate and was settled from the morning, it was time to start getting ready. The ball - if that’s what it was really called - started around six. Everyone had to make their way to under and around the tent. All sides were opened for this event, giving everyone a chance to stay under the tent or walk the vast property.
This was the serious part.
Where people made deals. Secured affairs.
Or in my case, figured out the final pieces to an epic revenge.
There was a knock at the door and when Noah opened it, a man in a tuxedo pushed a silver cart into the room.
He left and Noah smiled at me.
“What?” I asked.
“A little bit of food to pick at while you get ready,” he said. “We’re going to leave.”
“Leave?” I asked.
“We have to get ready too,” Noah said. “I mean, I’m fine with staying and watching you get dressed.”
“Right,” I said. “You better go then.”
Easton walked by me with a cigarette dangling between his lips.
It was unlit.
“We going?” he asked.
“I’m ready,” Noah said.
Easton looked at me and winked.
Xavier was the last to walk to the door.
All three looked at me and then left the room.
When the door shut, I felt like I could breathe for the first time since arriving.
I had the place to myself.
There were crackers, cheese, and grapes on the platter.
Along with a plate of chicken tenders and fries.
That made me laugh.
They had hearts.
Which was maybe the most shocking part of it all.
They had hearts.
But it didn’t take away the wrong that they did.
I still had to-
There was another knock at the door.
I frowned and moved to the door.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Hair and makeup,” a woman’s voice said.
I opened the door a few inches. “Who are you?”
“Hair and makeup, Winter,” she said. “Mind if I help?”
“Uh…”
“Xavier sent me up here,” she said.
I studied the woman.
She was not my age. Nowhere near it.
I opened the door a little more and she slipped right into the room.
She looked around and sighed. “I love this room.”
“I’m… who are you?” I asked.
The woman looked at me and smiled.
“I’m Deb… Xavier’s mother.”
My heart still raced even as Deb worked on doing my hair.
She talked so much and so often, I had no chance to get a word in.
All I could do was study her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she worked.
As bad as it sounded, she and Xavier looked nothing alike. Which was the whole point since she wasn’t Xavier’s mother.
I told myself maybe this was a test. Or a trap.
I needed to keep all my lies and secrets in line.
Deb stopped for a second and looked at me in the mirror.
“I’m talking your ear off,” she said. “Sorry. I’ve always wanted a daughter.”
My heart sank a little.
I kept a straight face.
“I’m sure raising Xavier was a pain in the neck,” I said.
She laughed. “That’s right. Oh, I could tell you stories, Winter.”
“I wish we had more time for that.”
“Me too.” She touched my shoulders. “Hey. Between you and me, I don’t want to be here. The mask party is weird. And this ball thing is just plain dumb.”
“Then why are you here?” I asked.
“Well, I can’t let Forest have all the fun,” she said. “He’s Xavier’s father. My ex.” She stuck out her tongue. “But at least I have Rich with me. That makes things awkward. My ex and my new man. Talk about drama.”
I let out a quick laugh.
Deb liked drama?
Well then, no wonder she was okay with the truth about Xavier.
“Now, I have to ask this because all I’ve heard from Xavier was Winter this and Winter that… the accident… you don’t have your memory?”
Deb squeezed my shoulders a little tighter.
“No,” I said. “No memory. I mean, some memory. Bits and pieces of my life. It’s so weird. Like I’ll randomly remember something from when I was a kid. Yet I can’t remember the accident or people I’m supposed to know.”
“My goodness,” Deb said. “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry you’re going through that.”
“Thanks,” I said. “It’s just…”
“Well, let me get you finished up here,” Deb said, overpowering me with her strong voice.
She went back to talking about herself, her life, the ball, and a bunch of other things I really didn’t care to hear about.
I had to give her credit though. While the rambling about nonsense was annoying, she saved me a lot of time and annoyance by taking care of my hair. She had it pulled back and twisted a little. It was down, but out of the way.
As far as makeup went, I declined.
I wasn’t going to have myself painted up like a birthday clown.
“Does this thing go all night?” I asked Deb.
“As late as you want it to,” she said as she started to move toward the door.
“Can you zip up my dress?” I asked.
“Of course I can,” she said. “You know, Xavier is looking forward to this with you.”
I paused mid-walk. “Oh?”
“He’ll get mad at me for saying anything, but what mother doesn’t want to embarrass their kid, right? I think he likes you. A lot. It’s non-stop talking. That’s why I offered to help. I had to see you. Privately. I know when we all get down there, it’s different. We all act an
d talk differently. Anyway, I just wanted to meet you. And for the record, you are freaking gorgeous, Winter. And… if Xavier ever does anything to piss you off or hurt you, you better come find me. Got it?”
I laughed. “Got it.”
I walked to get my dress.
My cheeks were flush.
Piss me off? Hurt me? How about him trying to kill me? Does that count?
I took the dress into the bathroom and stripped down to get ready. I had to be careful with my hair. I should have gotten in the dress before Deb did my hair.
Oh well.
I got situated in the purple dress and caught myself smiling.
I liked the dress.
I felt good in the dress.
I actually felt pretty.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Deb was waiting for me.
She let out a gasp and covered her mouth.
“Wow,” she said. “You are stunning, Winter.”
“Thanks,” I said.
I turned and Deb touched the zipper.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked.
“Sure.”
“Why does Xavier have that shop?” I asked. “I mean, everyone is rich and can do whatever they want…”
Deb laughed. “Well, Forest hates it. He always hated it. Xavier was a wild kid. Always getting into trouble. So I made him focus on things. He took to cars for whatever reason. He put his energy into taking them apart. Building them. That kind of thing. He actually wanted to go to school for it but Forest refused. Even Rich told me it was a bad look for our kind. So I said fuck you to both and helped him open a shop. Then I had people from across the country fly in and teach him. To me, it was simple… keep him busy and out of trouble, you know?”
“Wow, that’s amazing,” I said. I turned around to face Deb again. “You’re a good mother. Like, a really good mother.”
Deb smiled. “That means a lot to hear.”
“Thank you for your help here,” I said.
“Anytime. You’re the prettiest one here, Winter.”
Deb touched my shoulders again and that was it for her.
She exited the room and I moved to the window.
It was starting to get a little busy down near the tent.
My heart started to race again.
It was time to go to this dumb ball thing.
And it was time to show off my dress.
I walked down the stairs and knew they were waiting for me.
Damaged Love (Bay Falls High NEXT Book 2) Page 19
