A small smile forms on her face when she takes notice of me standing below her. "It's just me," she says sweetly. Her eyes stare into mine as if she's trying to remember something in them. "My name is River Holland, I was . . .um." She pauses to swallow.
"A friend of Adric's," I point out before she can answer. I grab onto the rope suddenly feeling weak. How did she know to come here? We never took anyone here. She must have been really important to him or Kellan. I clear my throat and force a smile. "I remember you from the bar. You ran away."
Taking a seat on the edge of the entryway, she dangles her legs over the side, clutching something in her hand that is hanging around her neck. It's a small silver chain, but I can't see what's dangling from it due to being gripped inside her hand. She stares down at her hand for a moment before reaching up and unhooking it behind her neck, holding it out for me to see. It's a silver guitar pick with Adric's named sketched into it. She places it in my hand and smiles.
I look up at her for a second, confused. Adric was very picky about who got his picks. He cherished each and every last one he used. "What is this?" I ask while bringing my eyes back down to my hand. "I mean . . . I know it's Adric's but..."
"Flip it over," she whispers.
Without hesitation, I flip it over and my eyes widen when I read what's sketched onto the other side. "Adric Winters loves River Holland forever and always. My one true love." I cover my mouth as a sob escapes it. I never knew Adric loved anyone. I never even knew he had a girlfriend. Not once did I think to ask. My heart breaks for her.
"Adric was the love of my life. I loved him with everything in me. He gave that to me the night he told me he loved me. I keep it around my neck so it can be close to my heart." I look up and she smiles, but I see sadness in her eyes, confirming she still misses him more than she'd hoped to. "He was my second boyfriend and so far my only love. I haven't found anyone who even comes close to comparing to him and the way he made me feel. He was special."
I rub my thumb over the guitar pick, feeling sad over something he kept from me. I don't understand why he wouldn't tell me he had a girlfriend. "I don't understand," I say softly. "He never mentioned he had a girlfriend. How come I never met you?"
River grabs onto the rope and climbs down to stand next to me. On her way down, I can see a gray tattoo on the back of her neck. It's a heart fully formed, but full of cracks as if one touch would shatter it to pieces. Above it says, Shattered July 4, 2005 with the death of my beloved. Below the heart says Adric Winters. I gasp as I read it. It's beautiful. It makes me wonder if Kellan is the one that did it. They seemed to know each other. My heart aches. I can't imagine losing the one you love to death. It hurts enough losing Kellan, but at least he's alive somewhere.
"Things weren't as easy as we would have liked. He needed to concentrate on getting his life together and his family's and so did I." She grabs my hand intertwining her fingers with mine. All I can do is stare down at our hands feeling warm and fuzzy inside. "You should have heard the way he talked about you. His little Phoenix. He loved you so much that I always hoped one day I would get to meet you and Zoe and grow to love you guys as my own sisters. I had some family issues that kept me away most of the time. The times that I could sneak out to be with him were tough. It was usually really late and I never wanted him to drag you out with him."
I squeeze her hand and look into her eyes. They look so pained. "Did you guys date for long?"
She smiles at the memory and closes her eyes before continuing. She exhales a breath and laughs softly. "We dated for about six months. It was the happiest six months of my whole life. We even talked about marriage one day when we were free of all the ties that bound us here. There will never be anyone else like him. I will be alone for the rest of my life. I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of trying to be with someone else. The only time that I ever truly felt safe. His arms . . . " She lets go of my hands and hugs herself. "They felt so warm and safe around me. When he held me, I almost believed that everything bad in the world melted away. Have you ever felt that?"
I let out a deep breath and hide my hands behind my back so she can't see how badly they are shaking. I just nod my head.
She smiles as if she knows all the answers. "With Kellan, right?"
My head snaps over in her direction. Why would she even guess him? She'd never seen us together. "How did you know?" I ask, stunned and insanely interested in what she'll say next.
She grabs onto the rope and runs her hands along it, looking totally relaxed with me. "I saw the way you looked at him that night. I also saw the way he looked at you. Adric looked at me the same way. I will never forget that look. When I saw you looking at each other, I stared at you thinking of how much you reminded me of Adric. I couldn't help myself; I had to meet you." She exhales through her mouth and smiles weakly. "I have to say, Kellan is a hard one to hold down. I've seen many girls in the past try and fail. I wasn't around him all the time, but with him being Adric's best friend, we ended up at a lot of parties together. I had never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at you. There was true love in his eyes. You two belong together. Don't let anyone keep you apart."
I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head. She's wrong. If he loved me, he'd be here. "If we belonged together, he would still be here. He's not. He took off a couple weeks ago and I have no idea how to even contact him."
Her face turns pained and a tear slides down her cheek. "I know how hard that is. I'm so sorry. I know Kellan and he's facing a lot of demons himself. Cut him a little bit of slack. I'd be willing to bet he'll come back for you. Sometimes love stuns us and it takes us a little while to accept that we truly love someone. It's a scary thing to be that vulnerable to someone else. He may be sorting some things out. Take it from someone that knows from experience; sometimes we need to experience an attempt to living without them before we can accept how much we need them."
I wait for her to say more, but she doesn't. I wonder how much she really knows.
"Were you and Adric together when he passed? I don't remember seeing you at the funeral."
She shakes her head back and forth and nervously plays with her braid. "I don't know what we were at that point. I left a couple weeks before he passed. I left because I had to get out of this town. It was the only way I'd be safe. I asked him to come with me. Actually, I begged him to come with me, but he didn't. He said his family needed him here. When I first left I was afraid to contact anyone from home. I was afraid my father would find me. By the time I got enough courage to call Adric, he never answered. I tried for weeks and then eventually the phone was cut off. I was so scared to come back, but I knew something just didn't feel right. He loved me, I knew that. He would answer if he could."
She wipes at her wet eyes while I listen. "I came to your house when I got back and was greeted by a head full of red curls. I smiled down at the little girl that I knew just had to be Zoe. I asked her if Adric was home. She gave me a blank look, tilted her head and said Adric is in the ground with flowers. Lots of flowers. I crashed to the porch on my knees and cried until I couldn't breathe. I knew exactly why he never returned my calls. He was dead. My Adric was dead. Zoe must have thought it was best to just close the door, because the door stayed closed until I left. I ran to the cemetery and found his headstone. I slept next to it for two days before I returned back to my childhood home. The one I wanted so long to get away from, but my dad was the only family I had left since Adric was gone. He beat me and treated me like dirt, but at least I was close to Adric. I would have rather stayed and took the beatings and gotten more time with Adric, but I can't change it now."
By the time, her story is done, I find my arms wrapped around her, comforting her. My heart breaks so much for this woman. The one and only woman Adric ever loved. I don't want to lose her. I don't want her to be alone. "You're not alone," I whisper. "You still have family. A sister."
She pulls away from me and smiles. "I can see why he loved you so
much. Thank you."
I smile back as she pulls away. "I can say the same about you. Adric never really showed much interest in many girls. At least, never enough to have a girlfriend. You must be special. I want a chance to get to see why." I open her hand and place the guitar pick in her open palm before closing it. "I hope I'll get a chance to see you again."
She closes her hand tightly around the pick and walks past me. She stops and flashes me one last smile. "I'll be seeing you soon, Phoenix. I'm glad to have finally gotten to meet you."
"Same here," I whisper to her back as she walks away. Same here.
* * *
When I get home that night, I grab Zoe's backpack and stuff some clothes into it. For some reason, I just need to feel as close to Kellan as I can at the moment. I need some time to remember the happy moments before I'm ready to completely let go and move on. I've decided to stay at Kellan's house for a few days and see if I can get used to being there. Why leave his beautiful home sitting there with no one in it? It deserves company now that Kellans gone and Rayne is staying with Tyler. I'm sure it will be a nice escape.
When I pull into the driveway, my phone goes off, startling me. I struggle to pull it out of my pocket and laugh to myself when I see a message from Aiden asking me to hang out with him tomorrow just as friends. Instead of responding, I shove it into my purse and grab the backpack of clothing, pulling it over my shoulder. Sitting here in the driveway makes me feel anxious. I need to realize I have to do this alone now. As hard as it is, he's gone. He's never coming back no matter what River said. I know Kellan well enough to know when he makes a decision it's final.
Stepping into his bedroom, the smell of oak moss, satinwood and amber hit me hard reminding, me of his intoxicating cologne. The smell is sexy, making me wish he were here, naked with me in his bed. The thought is pure torture. Being here is going to be harder than I thought. I hate this.
I toss my clothes aside and fall onto his bed face first. I lay there for hours just doing nothing before finally, I reach over for my purse and pull out my phone. What do I have to lose? Maybe hanging out with Aiden won’t be such a bad thing. It's just as friends, so I send Aiden a text.
Phoenix: Sure . . . I'm free tomorrow. Just friends?
A few seconds later, he responds back.
Aiden: Perfect. Yes, just as friends so . . . tell your boyfriend to take it easy. I just miss you, that's all.
Phoenix: I don't have a boyfriend. There won't be any problems. I've kind of missed you too.
I slap myself for adding the last part. Sure, I've missed him being around, but it's nothing more than that. The next text comes right away.
Aiden: It's so good hearing that, baby. :) I'll text you in the afternoon with details.
I sigh, wondering if this is the right thing to do. Things can only go up from here. There's no room to go down. I'm already at my lowest.
Phoenix: Sure, talk then.
I drop my phone down beside me and curl up into Kellan's silk sheets, taking in his scent still lingering on the bed. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm out like a light.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Phoenix
Staring at my complexion in the mirror, I realize that I've lost some weight over the last couple weeks. The thought scares me, opening my eyes to just how far I’ve let myself go. I can't let myself drown in my own misery anymore. It's time to push every thought of losing Kellan from my mind. I have to before I lose myself.
Maybe spending the day with Aiden will be a nice distraction. We did always have fun in the past. The only thing different about today is we won't be a couple. Just friends.
Aiden picks me up around four, but I refuse to let him inside when he comes to the front door. No matter what, this is still Kellan's home. I won't disrespect that by letting ex-boyfriends in. Just the thought of it makes me feel guilty for some odd reason.
He takes me to his house where he has prepared us a home cooked meal of steak, fried potatoes, corn on the cob and macaroni and cheese. I have to admit, the food is damn delicious and I'm actually enjoying his company.
Right now, he's looking at me from across the table with a huge smile, as I shove my cob in my face working on the last few pieces of corn. "I have to admit," he says teasingly, "I always did find it kind of cute when you shoved food in your face as if you were the only person in the room."
I roll my eyes and laugh. I never really thought about it before, but he's right. I must look like a pig when I eat. I set the empty cob down and scoot my plate away. "Is that right? That's actually kind of gross. You have some weird fantasies," I say teasingly and throw my balled up napkin at him.
We both laugh as Aiden stands up to clear the table. I stand up as he reaches for mine and stop him right before he grabs my plate. He brings his eyes down to mine and flashes his perfect smile. "I brought you here as a guest so sit down. Besides, I have a dishwasher. Cleaning up is easy."
"Are you sure?" I'm half way standing, half way sitting while waiting for his confirmation. Somehow, not helping makes me feel bad after all he’s done today. "It's not a big deal. I can help."
He places his hand on my shoulder and gently guides me back to my seat. The thing is, if it were Kellan, he would have been rough and sexy about it. Not Aiden though. He's always just been . . . sweet. "Just relax, beautiful. I'll clean this up and then we can head to the bar. Alright?"
Caving in, I lean into my seat and watch as he clears the table. If it were Kellan, we'd be making love on this table.
Shit! There I go again thinking about Kellan. I swear, it's a curse. I just love hurting myself. When I know, what I should be doing is forgetting . . .
Afterward, Aiden drives us over to the bar and we walk inside to find Jen and Kade working.
Jen smiles at me, looks at Aiden and then pretends to go about her business as we find a seat close to the pool table. I try my best not to make eye contact with Kade, but I can't help but to feel his eyes burning into us.
I look over Aiden's shoulder pleading with Jen to come wait on us before Kade has a chance to. The last thing I need is Kade ruining my mood just as I'm starting to feel better about things.
"So what are you drinking tonight?" Aiden leans his head down to look at my face. He knows my attention is somewhere else and I almost feel bad for not thinking about his feelings when he's been nothing but nice all day.
Seeing that Jen is on her way over, I set my gaze on Aiden and sigh in relief. "Probably just beer for now. I don't want to start out with anything too heavy. It's been a while since I've drank so I'm probably a lightweight."
"Good idea." He beams as Jen walks up beside us smiling.
He jumps to his feet and instantly grabs Jen's arm pulling her in for a hug. Jen stiffens at first, surprised by Aiden's boldness, but then relaxes and hugs him back. I guess she sort of forgot what he was like since he's been gone. He's a damn hugger.
"Aiden. It's . . . ah . . . good to see you," she stammers as they pull apart. "Here with Phoenix." She looks at me questioningly. "What can I get y'all?"
Not noticing Jen's awkwardness, Aiden takes his seat and pulls out his wallet smiling ear to ear. He looks at me waiting for me to place my order first.
"Give me a Miller Lite, Jen. I'm going to take it easy for now." I nod over at Kade who is watching us with an evil grin now. "No shots. I’m not here to get drunk."
"I'll take the same," Aiden confirms. "Just bring me two to save you a trip. I'm pretty thirsty tonight."
Nodding, Jen walks away to grab our drinks.
Eying the pool table behind me, Aiden stands up and grabs my hand. "How about a game of pool? Remember those days?" He looks at me with a smirk.
Of course, I remember those days. The person that wins gets to kiss the other person wherever they want to, no questions asked. I'm not trying to play that kind of pool.
I nod my head, reaching for the beer I desperately need at the moment. I smile at Jen. “Thanks, love." Then I turn back to Aide
n. "I don't think that's a good idea." I shake my head and take a gulp of my beer. "In fact, it's a horrible idea."
Ignoring my rejection, he pulls me over to the pool table with a smile. "Just relax. Maybe you will change your mind by the time we get to the end."
"This is supposed to be just as friends," I remind him as he racks the balls.
He laughs but doesn't turn to look at me. I watch the back of his head and take another gulp of my beer. For some reason, even though Kellan is gone, the thought of kissing another man makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don't want another man’s lips to taint where Kellan's has been. I like knowing that I can hold on to a piece of him knowing he was the last to touch me there amongst other places.
He hands me a cue stick and leans against the table with a smile that says he’s sure of himself. He used to have a way with me. Not now. I won't cave in to him this time. Even if he does look good with his dark fitted jeans, blue shirt and baseball cap. He's very attractive in a clean and preppy kind of way. His skin is too flawless for me. I used to think that was what I wanted; what I needed to be happy because he was so different from Adric and Kellan. I was wrong.
I want Kellan's rough, sexy edge. I want his dark interior and mysterious exterior. I want someone that can take me for a ride into the unknown. I want someone that can keep me on my toes; handle me as if I'm anything but breakable. I guess deep down, I need his bad boy persona. After staring at the beauty of his art, I crave it.
"You break," he says. "You were always good at that."
"If by good, you mean sucked. Then yes. I am good at breaking balls." I laugh at myself and position myself to break the balls. Too bad I might be breaking his balls tonight as well.
Just as I’m about to make my move, Aiden comes up behind me, brushing my hair behind my ear, pressing his body against mine. I pull my shoulder up to meet my ear, uncomfortable with him touching me, so he backs away without a word.
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