Gifted Connections [Book 2]

by SM Olivier

  I looked through my drawers and found a tank top to pull on and a pair of yoga pants. I looked through my closet and found a pair of sneakers. They were bright pink. I hated pink. It was an aversion I had passed on to my sister. Further confirmation that this wasn’t my life. I didn’t belong here. I would have never purchased, or let anyone purchase, pink for me.

  I left the bedroom to find Collin sitting on the couch, talking to someone in hushed tones. He stopped abruptly when I walked into the room.

  “Hey, babe,” he said, giving me a fake smile. “Where are you headed?”

  “I need to go for a run,” I said brightly. “Today was so overwhelming. New school, new people, harder classes,” I lied. “Running helps me.”

  He gave me a concerned look, before it quickly disappeared. “I didn’t know you liked running. You hated gym class in high school.”

  I grabbed my head. “Maybe we should go to the hospital,” I frowned up at him. “If you said I hated to run, why do I want to run now?”

  He let out an uneasy laugh. “Babe, that isn’t necessary. I’m sure you’re fine. Did you feel extra tired today, nauseous, did you throw up?”

  I looked down, trying to hide my eyes. “No,” I said as meekly as possible.

  “There ya go,” he said enthusiastically. “Why don’t you go for your run?”

  “Okay,” I said hesitantly. “If you think I should, with this headache. What exactly happened?” I probed him.

  He had his answer ready and said smoothly, “I’m not sure, babe. We went out drinking with some friends of mine, and one minute you were there, and the next you weren’t. We found you out by the car. You kept complaining about hitting your head, but I didn’t see any bleeding or felt any lumps, so we thought you were fine.”

  “Hmm okay,” I shrugged. “Well I’m going out for that run.” I turned to leave the apartment. It felt like the walls were closing in on me the longer I spent with him.

  “Blake,” he called suddenly as my hand went to turn the handle.

  “Yeah?” I called back over my shoulder.

  “Do you have your cell phone? If you get lost, I want you to be able to call me.”

  I closed my eyes in frustration. “Okay,” I said with forced cheerfulness. “Good idea.”

  I went back to my room, feeling his eyes on me the whole time as I left the apartment.

  l felt exhausted, winded, and disheartened after only one mile. I wanted to give up and turn back, but I knew I would be cheating myself. I needed to get back in shape. I needed to take back something they had taken away from me.

  I found my feet running north. I had traveled this way many times. If I stayed on this road for another five or so miles, I would see the imposing gates that led up to the Bell estates. You couldn’t see the house from the road, but the gates were daunting enough to deter any trespassers. The only way you were getting in was through the key pad, the pin number only known by the residents, otherwise you would have to be buzzed in.

  My mind wanted to run all the way there, prove to them I knew them, but if I couldn’t convince Gavin, how was I supposed to convince the whole family? I could show them my mark, but the guys had tattooed over them long ago to allay any suspicions. Anyone who knew the family intimately knew that the guys all sported the η on them. No one realized, except for the guys, that it was a connections mark. After all, they were an anomaly. We were an anomaly.

  My legs and lungs couldn’t push past the two-mile mark, so I turned back around and started my long trek back. I used to run over 6 miles and it came easily. Not anymore. I found my eyes wanting to tear up once more.

  Once upon a time, I was considered almost cold, aloof. After years of abuse, I had built walls to protect my heart, protect my mind. In little less than two months of knowing the guys and becoming a somewhat dysfunctional family, those walls had slowly but surely tumbled. I became more sensitive and emotional. It was easier having a frozen heart, because the thought of being separated from them was tearing me apart.

  I barely made it back to the apartment complex. My legs hurt, and my lungs were on fire. I cooled down by walking the moment I got to the parking lot. I breathed heavily, raising my hands above my head, clasping them. I tried to inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth, but my breathing came out jagged. I could feel rivulets of sweat pouring down my face, my back, my legs. I was thankful for the nip in the air right now. The cool breeze danced across my overheated skin.

  When I got to the steps leading up to the apartment, I gripped the handrail in my hands to get my balance momentarily before grabbing my toes with one hand and pulling my ankle up to my rear, stretching my quad. After counting silently to thirty, I grabbed the opposite foot and did the same movement on the opposite side. I did this once more on both sides, before I bent over from my waist and touched my palms to the sidewalk, my knees together, stretching out my hamstrings.

  “With flexibility like that, you must be a dancer or gymnast,” a familiar voice said from behind me.

  I let out a startled yelp, before turning around. 5 feet from me was my Noah, I mean Noah, I thought ruefully. He looked as handsome as he ever did, with his wavy auburn hair and laughing hazel eyes. Today they were more on the greyish, green, gold side. His eyes were known to change from day to day, depending on his mood and what he was wearing. The freckles that sprinkled his nose and cheeks could almost be considered boyish if it wasn’t for his strong masculine features.

  I felt a sharp pang when I noticed he looked a lot like he had when I first met him. Healthy, robust, normal. His eyes weren’t blood shot from imbibing in one too many drinks. They danced with an inner light that had been unique to him. His skin tone was no longer wan and pale, but the tan of summer still clung to him. I fought the urge to hug him, tell him I missed us, the us we were before things got complicated.

  Instead, I put a self-conscious hand to my hair, knowing my hair had begun to tumble down from the high messy bun I had put it in. My tank top clung to me like a second skin because of the sweat that was still running down my body. I was almost positive my face was bright red. Some girls glistened and looked attractive when they worked out—I looked like a hot mess.

  My eyes wildly searched his, hoping for a spark of recognition, praying something within him would realize who I was. Even though we never got around to making our connection, there was a time we were in sync and had a chemistry that couldn’t be denied.

  “Dancer or gymnast?” he queried with a knowing grin. I’m sure he thought I was dumbstruck by his dashing figure in his light khaki pants, moss green button up shirt, dark brown pea coat, and a warm-toned scarf casually draped around his neck. The guys always dressed nicely when they were out in public, like they were off to a photo shoot. Today was no different.

  “Neither,” I finally said after clearing my throat. “I mean,” I added quickly, hoping to drum up a conversation with him. “When I was younger I took dance and gymnastics, but it’s been years.”

  “Sometimes our muscle memory, never leaves us,” he said with a wicked grin and I couldn’t help but notice that he was checking me out. Even being the sweaty, casual, hot mess, that I was.

  I knew he had once been a dancer. The guys had made fun of him, but he was never without a date in middle school or high school because of it. He had taken advantage of the fact that the male to female ratio in the typical dance class was in his favor.

  I tilted my head to the side, playing naïve. “It sounds like you are an expert on the human body,” I said in a flirting tone.

  I used to be so socially awkward and kept most people at arm’s length. Watching and being around Noah, Jaxson, and Troy had taught me the fine art of flirting. I had always been a quick thinker and somewhat witty, but they had given me confidence to flirt with ease.

  His lips tilted even more. He seemed more than receptive to my flirty overtures. Part of me was annoyed that he was so easily won over, but the other part of me knew at this time in the past, h
e had only known Stacey for a small period of time. They hadn’t dated that long before I came into his life. It was his need to give me ‘time’ and ‘space’ that had pushed their relationship even closer. The closer I had gotten to the other guys, the further I had pushed him in Stacey’s arms. I knew I was to blame for not creating our connection. If I had, maybe I wouldn’t be here.

  Slowly, realization sunk in and I remembered Ella’s words, make your connections. Was it too late? Was there a possibility if I seduced Noah and Troy I could reverse this mess we were in now? Hope blossomed in my chest, followed by apprehension. With Stacey living in this building, I’m sure I could ‘accidentally’ continue to pursue him, but Troy was a different matter altogether. He was a successful business man. He was rarely home. He had made it a point to see or visit me as often as he could, but I didn’t live in the Bell household anymore. Would he visit as often now? I knew he loved his family, but he was determined to get his company a worldwide success, not just locally.

  I was left with a feeling of hope and hopelessness.

  “I’m well aware of the human anatomy. Quiet intimately, in fact,” he murmured suggestively.

  I returned a smile to him, hoping it was just as provocative. “That’s always a good thing. What makes you such an expert?”

  He took a step forward, grabbing one of the curls that had escaped my messy bun. My breathing hitched as my senses were assaulted by his masculine scent. He was known to change up his cologne, but this scent had been one of my favorites, Cool Water. He had more expensive ones, but this was still one of my favorites.

  “Mm, Cool Water,” I looked up at him, a twinkle in my eyes.

  His eyes widened slightly, he was clearly intrigued by my flirting. I knew girls generally threw themselves at the guys, but with my look of innocence, I’m sure it came as a surprise. “Like it?” he whispered in my ear. “I’ll make sure to wear it more often. I used to be a dancer. You should take it back up. Maybe I can give you private lessons.”

  I smiled up at him, genuinely. “That would be nice…very nice. I like to run, but I always like introducing my body to challenging things,” I said with tongue in cheek. I couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of my mouth.

  I had flirted with the guys and I had my moments where I liked to be forward, but I don’t recall ever being this blatant with my words.

  He visibly gulped, his eyes grew hooded, desire sparked in his eyes. “I’m sure I could deliver,” he said softly.

  “Blake!” Collins voice came from behind me, his voice laced with panic and anger.

  I stepped back hastily from Noah and tried to school my features to go blank. “Hey Collin,” I said turning to look at him.

  His features were now curious. The anger and panic were not evident on his face. I knew instinctively he didn’t like the fact I was talking to Noah. What did they expect when they put me in a school with some of my guys? Even though Jaxson was on the high school side of campus, both Drake and Noah was on this side. Did they expect me never to run into them? Especially since Noah was dating a girl in this building. Once again, I wondered what their motives were.

  “Hey, Collin,” Noah said smoothly. “This a friend of yours? I’ve never seen you around,” his eyes danced mischievously at me.

  “I-” I began before Collin cut in.

  “Blake’s my girlfriend, Noah,” Collin said with forced cheerfulness.

  Noah’s eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed almost accusingly at me. I knew before he started dating Stacey he had been faithful. He liked to play the field, but when he decided to truly date a girl, he was faithful and true to them. Yes, he was my connected, but I had encouraged him to continue dating Stacey, and I’m sure his panic and mental angst with our situation had made him act unlike himself, and he had started cheating on Stacey, but that was before. This was now.

  I started to panic. I didn’t want to lose any leverage with him. I needed him to realize that I wasn’t some slut that lived with her boyfriend while I tried to pick up other guys. I looked up at Collin and forced a laugh of airiness. “We don’t even share the same room, and we just started seeing each other, right?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “Didn’t you say I chose to move in with you because you were helping me out?”

  Collin seemed flustered for a moment, before he came down the steps. He put an arm around me and I tensed. “Maybe you should hop in the shower,” he stated. “We should go out to eat. It looks like I still need to work on my wooing,” he said with forced flippancy. Then he turned to Noah. “Are you here to see your girlfriend Stacey, Noah?” he asked pointedly.

  It was Noah’s turn to look slightly embarrassed. “Yeah,” he said clearing his throat, he looked like he wanted to say something more, before he shook his head and took the stairs up to the apartment, two steps at a time.

  “How was your run?” Collin asked, once Noah was out of sight. “How long have you been back?”

  Once again warning bells went off in my head. Why did it feel like he was setting me up? Like he wanted me to lie to him.

  “It was good,” I said neutrally. “Umm, maybe 5 or 10 minutes,” I shrugged noncommittedly. “We don’t have to go out, if you don’t want to. I can always cook. I don’t mind.”

  He shook his head with a smile, seemingly satisfied with my answer. “You don’t have to do that, babe. I’m in the mood for a good steak. Plus, we need to do some grocery shopping. The refrigerator and cabinets are pretty bare.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, although silently I didn’t feel like going out to eat. I wanted to start on that paper for English Literature, even though it wasn’t due for another week. I didn’t want to continue playing this game of pretend.

  “What route did you run?” he asked with interest. Again, I found it odd that he kept probing me.

  I continued up the stairs, opting out of taking the elevator. “I took a left out of the complex and ran towards the country,” I stated.

  He nodded, seeming content once more with my answer. “How long do you think it’ll take you to get ready?”

  “Not long, if you’re hungry,” I answered. The sooner we left, the sooner we could get back. “I can quickly get showered and changed.”

  He smiled. “The place we’re going is fairly nice. Can you dress up a little?”

  Normally I would have been annoyed by the request. If he was really my boyfriend, I would have put him in his place, but I had to play the game…for now. “Okey dokey,” I said flippantly.

  He suddenly grabbed my arm, “What’s wrong with you? I’m trying to be a good boyfriend, and it feels like you keep pushing me away; then I find you flirting with Gavin and now Noah.”

  It really was the wrong time for Noah and Stacey to come out of her apartment.

  Chapter 3

  I gaped at Stacey and Noah. Noah looked embarrassed, and Stacey was looking at me with narrowed eyes. I turned on Collin. “Jealousy is so unattractive,” I seethed. “Gavin is new to this school, I’m new to this school. We’re friends—just friends and,” I looked at Stacey beseechingly. “I wasn’t flirting with Noah. He was walking up as I was finishing my run. He introduced himself. He was just being a friendly neighbor.”

  I saw relief enter Noah’s expression as he gave Collin an arrogant smile. “Hey man, we’ve known each other for a couple of years. You know I’m friendly to everyone. I wasn’t trying to hit on your girl, and she wasn’t flirting with me.”

  Collin looked slightly embarrassed before he pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry, Blake. I can’t help but feel a little jealous. You’re a cute girl and I’m sure everyone notices.”

  Stacey cut a suspicious glance at Noah, whose expression was carefully blank. She let out a little laugh. “Collin,” she gently chided. “No girl likes a possessive boyfriend. Noah’s a friendly guy,” she reached up and caressed his cheek. “He’s always wanting to make people feel comfortable. It’s a good trait to have, especially since he’ll be a doctor one day.”
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  “Sorry, man,” Collin stuck his hand out to Noah, begrudgingly.

  Noah shook it and waved a hand. “No biggie. It’s hard when you have such a beautiful girl on your arm and not feel like every man wants them.” He put an arm around Stacey and smiled at her.

  I felt a sharp stab in my chest. Maybe Operation Make A Connection would be a bust.

  I had quickly showered and slid on a grey sweater dress. I put on some black tights and matching boots to go with it. I couldn’t find any hair care products or hair straightener to tame my long wild dark curls. I chose to put it in a loose bun at the nape of my neck, so it wasn’t bothering me for the rest of the night.

  “Tomorrow after school, I’m going to check the bus schedule and see if any local places are hiring,” I stated to Collin as I came into the living room.

  He looked at me with concern as he looked at my outfit in appreciation. “That’s not necessary, if you need anything, I can get it for you. You know I have plenty of money. We agreed that I would be taking care of you. You’ve been taking care of your step mom and Ella for far too long. Do you need anything in particular?”

  I picked up my jacket just in case the weather got chillier. “I can’t be indebted to you,” I demurred.

  “I’m your boyfriend,” he stated emphatically. “It’s my job. Now, what did you need?”

  I knew he wasn’t going to give in, so I had to think of a way to broach the subject later. “I don’t have a hair straightener, blow drier, or any hair care products to take care of this mop,” I stated as I blew a curl out of my face, that had already escaped.

  He smiled easily as he caressed the curl in question. “On the way home, we can stop at the store and get everything you need. Walmart okay?”

  I snorted. “I shopped at a thrift store for everything I needed for Ella and me. Walmart’s a step up.”

  He seemed momentarily taken aback. “Was life with your step mother that bad?”