“Put Kayleigh and Holden’s in Kayleigh’s room, and Brandon’s in the guest room across the hall.”
“That’s really not necessary. We can take them up.” I contest.
She waves me off dismissively. “Nonsense, dear. Besides, there’s something for you in the powder room.”
I roll my eyes. “Bathroom, Mom. You can say bathroom.”
Ignoring her response, I walk into the nearest ‘powder room’ and scoff when I see it. Sitting on the countertop is a home drug test. I should’ve expected this.
“She’s just worried about you.” Holden murmurs, catching me off guard.
“Or she’s looking for a way to force me back here so she can play Mother-of-the-Year some more.”
He shrugs. “Either way, you’ll pass and end up returning to Maine with me.”
I don’t argue it, because he’s completely right. Now, how do I do this?
EVERYONE STARTS TO ARRIVE for the swanky party my mom insists on throwing every year. Holden, Brandon, and I are hanging out in my bedroom when there’s a knock on my door. I excitedly jump off my bed and run over to unlock it, already knowing who it is.
“Em!” I shout as she leaps into my arms. “I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you, too!” She exclaims. “I swear, Ivy League girls don’t compare.”
Holden snickers from where he’s seated on my bed. “You two just saw each other last month.”
“Says the guy who had to bring his boyfriend along because he missed him too much.”
Brandon chokes on his drink as Holden’s jaw drops. “It was your idea!”
I throw my head back in laughter as Emily looks confused. “Wait, you two…”
“They’re best friends.” I explain. “Not actual boyfriends.”
She chuckles. “Oh. I was going to ask if I interrupted something. I mean the door was locked.”
Face-palming, I shake my head and go over to sit back down on the bed. Brandon looks at Emily intently, almost as if he’s trying to figure something out.
“You look familiar. Where do I know you from?” He asks, causing Emily to shrug.
I take Holden’s phone and go to his photos, knowing he has the video of Emily fighting Jade saved somewhere. As soon as I find it, I pass the phone to Brandon. He watches for a second before his eyes widen.
“This is you?!” He looks impressed. “You are a dangerous and incredible woman.”
Holden and I laugh as Emily blushes, looking down at the floor and then back up at him. Oh, this should be fun.
THE CLOSER IT GETS to midnight, the more I get antsy. Being around all these people always manages to trigger my anxiety. However, every time we try to escape, my mother tells me that we need to come back downstairs. It makes me so uncomfortable. Pretending to remember people I really don’t give a shit about is far from my favorite thing to do.
“It’s almost midnight.” Em points out. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Holden and Brandon look perplexed as I smile at my best friend. “You get the blankets. I’ll get the key.”
“Key? What key?” Holden questions.
Instead of answering, I grab his hand and pull him into the kitchen. It takes a few minutes of digging through drawers but I finally find it. I drag my confused boyfriend up the stairs as his bewildered counterpart follows.
“Are you going to tell us where we’re going?” Brandon asks while Holden looks too amused to care.
“The roof.” Emily and I answer in unison.
I unlock the door and the four of us walk outside and into the cold. I shiver immediately, and grab one of the blankets from Em. She takes one for herself, and passes the other ones to the guys. We walk over to the lawn chairs that were left up here from a few years ago, when Emily and I used the roof to sunbathe in the summer. I sit on one with Holden, and Emily and Brandon share the other.
“So, this is your hiding place.” Holden acknowledges. I nod and smile at Emily, remembering all the times we’ve spent up here – all the tears that have been spilt in this very spot.
“Is there a reason we’re out here now?” Brandon quips. “Not that it’s not nice, I’m just wondering why you chose fifteen-degree weather to come up here.”
“Wait for it.”
Within seconds, you can hear the people inside counting down from ten. As soon as it hits zero, and everyone shouts ‘Happy New Year’, fireworks shoot up into the sky – bursting above us. The view is magnificent.
“Happy New Year.” I whisper to Holden.
He smiles and kisses me softly. “Happy Anniversary.”
The two of us watch the fireworks, cuddled up together in each other’s arms and warm blankets. It isn’t until I glance at Emily that my jaw drops. Neither Em nor Brandon are watching the fireworks. Instead, they’re taking part in what looks like an intense make-out session. I quietly nudge Holden and nod over toward our friends. His eyebrows raise before he shrugs and grabs my face, bringing his mouth to mine and kissing me just as feverishly.
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL and getting into the swing of new classes makes the month of January pass by in a blink. After New Year’s, Emily and Brandon started dating. With her attending Yale, they’re a lot closer to each other than I originally realized. The way Emily talks about him to me, and Brandon talks about her to Holden – we’re both completely on board with it. They’re adorable together.
I’m currently packing an overnight bag. There’s a tasting at Skylar and Dawson’s wedding venue and they both want Bree and I to attend. Being as it’s an hour away and there will be alcohol, we’re spending the night in a hotel.
“I don’t want you to go.” Holden pouts.
I smile sadly. “It’s only one night babe. I’ll be home first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I know. I just miss you when you’re gone.”
“I miss you, too.”
Despite inviting him to come with us, there’s a party tonight at Kappa and him being the president – he needs to be there. A little more than a month ago, I probably would have been panicking at the thought of him being at a party without me. However, after my short talk with Brandon, I’ve experienced no issues with trusting him again.
THE FOOD AT THE venue is mouthwatering. After we’re finished, we hang out and talk as they provide unlimited drinks. I guess when you’re spending the amount Skylar’s parents are to have a wedding here, it’s the least they could do.
“The party looks like it’s getting intense.” Bree points out as she scrolls through her phone. “Have you talked to Holden?”
I pick up my phone and see that he still hasn’t answered my text from a half hour ago. “We were talking for a while, but he stopped answering.”
She looks up at me and studies my face. “That doesn’t freak you out?”
Shaking my head, I take a sip of my drink and swallow it down. “No. We’re in a good place. He’s probably just busy, or fell asleep.”
Dawson smiles, happy for my happiness, and Bree just nods. “Well, good. I’m glad.”
THE NEXT MORNING, WE all make our way back to campus. I’m slightly worried because I still haven’t heard from my boyfriend. Not that I think he’s cheating, but more concerned that something might have happened to him. Perhaps he got too drunk and is passed out on his bathroom floor. So, instead of bringing me back to my dorm, I have Dawson drop me off at Kappa.
“Text me to let me know he’s alright.” He requests.
“I will.”
I climb out of the car, walking up the driveway and into the house. The new guys are all cleaning up, but I don’t see Holden anywhere. Assuming he’s still sleeping, I go up the stairs and down the hallway to his bedroom.
“Babe?” I call out as I open the door, but what I see is not what I expected.
Laying in Holden’s bed isn’t my boyfriend, but Abby – half naked in nothing but his t-shirt.
Chapter 28
Idrop my bag in the doorway and slowly step into the r
oom. Abby sits up, looking completely shocked to see me. I glance around the room for any signs of Holden, but there aren’t any.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I spit.
She stands, pulling down his t-shirt in a failed attempt to cover herself. “Kayleigh. I’m so sorry. We didn’t mean for you to find out this way.”
“Find out what?! Where’s Holden?”
“He went to pick up breakfast. I guess after last night, he built up an appetite.” She bites down on her fingertip, smiling at the thought of their affair.
I shake my head in disbelief as my anxiety grows to immeasurable levels. “W-why… You knew we were dating! Why would you do that?!”
“We tried to resist each other, but last night we were drinking. He started talking to me about his parents. One thing lead to another and we gave in.”
I can’t listen to any more. The feeling like I’m going to either vomit or break down takes over my entire body. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing me lose it, I turn around and book it down the hallway. I run as fast as I can down the stairs, and I’m just about to reach the door when it opens and Holden steps inside. Not having enough time to stop, I collide directly into him.
“Hey. You’re back.” He greets me, but I rip myself from his hold.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” I shout.
He appears concerned, and bends his head down to get a better look at me. “What?! What’s wrong?!”
“You! You’re what’s wrong! You lying, cheating, sack of shit!” With every name I call him, I punch his chest. Riley moves to pull me back, but Holden shakes his head.
“Babe, what are you talking about?! I haven’t cheated on you!”
He takes a step toward me, but I push him away. “Then how the fuck do you explain Abby in your bed?!”
“Abby?!” He’s outraged. “Are you out of your mind? I haven’t even spoken to her in weeks!”
I look at him and try to read his face. I’ve known him long enough to know that when he’s caught, he apologizes – he doesn’t play stupid. Still, that doesn’t explain why she’s up there in his room, wearing nothing but his t-shirt.
“If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself.”
Holden looks at the stairs and then back at me before grabbing my wrist and pulling me with him. I contemplate fighting against it, but I need to see what happens here. So, I reluctantly allow him to drag me back up to his bedroom.
As soon as we get to the door, he swings it open to find Abby standing in the middle of the room, putting her clothes back on. His jaw drops and his face turns beat red.
“What do you think you’re doing?” He growls.
She looks surprised to see him, but recovers quickly once she notices me. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was I not supposed to tell her?”
“Tell her what?! Nothing happened!”
Abby puts her purse on her shoulder, and walks towards us. “Babe, you don’t need to deny it. Last night was amazing.”
“What are you talking about?!” He screams. “I wasn’t with you last night!”
She puts her hand on his arm and gives him a look. “You must not remember. You did drink a lot. Give it time, it’ll come back to you.” She goes to kiss his cheek but he moves his head away and pushes her back. She rolls her eyes in response. “I have go to, but I’ll call you.”
“You’re absolutely insane.” He tells her. “Nothing. Fucking. Happened. We didn’t sleep together! I told you in August, you and I will never be anything more than friends – and now, you can say goodbye to even that.”
Abby doesn’t react, pushing past both of us and walking down the hallway. I honestly don’t know what to believe. Most me wants to believe Holden. I mean, if he wanted to be with her, he knows he could have. Then again, Abby sounded really convincing – and how do you explain her attire in his bed?
“Baby, babe. You have to listen to me. I swear, nothing happened. I wasn’t even here last night.”
I sigh, exhausted and confused. “Then where were you?”
“I was in the hospital with Riley.” He grabs my hand and pulls me to Riley’s bedroom. “Ry, can you please tell her where we were last night?”
“Emergency Room. Someone must have slipped something in my drink.” Riley looks up from his phone and reaches over to the packet on his nightstand. He stands up and brings them over to me. “Here are the discharge papers. Holden stayed with me all night.”
Skimming through the pages, I see that he got there around the time Holden stopped answering me. He wasn’t discharged until half an hour ago. The story seems to check out.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask Holden. “And what was she doing in your bed?”
He leans against the doorway, looking relieved. “I lost my phone in the commotion of getting him to the hospital. I would have used his but I don’t have your number memorized. And as for why she was in my room – your guess is as good as mine.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “She planned this.”
“What?!” Holden and Riley ask in unison.
“Think about it. Someone drugs Riley, and your phone – which is always in your pocket – gets lost as you’re trying to get him to the hospital? It hardly seems like a coincidence.”
Holden sighs, looking at Riley. “Man, I am so sorry.”
He shakes his head and waves him off. “Nah, it’s not your fault she’s crazy. Don’t worry about it.”
I smile sadly at Riley before walking back down the hallway toward Holden’s room. As soon as we get inside, I go to sit on the bed when he stops me. He strips off the sheets and goes down the hallway to get new ones.
“Who knows what she may have done in here.” He explains.
The two of us spend the next hour going through everything in his room, making sure nothing is out of place. It amazes me how much someone would go through, to try to ruin our relationship. First Bianca, and now Abby – it’s really starting to get old.
When everything is done, I throw myself backwards onto the newly made bed. Holden exits the shower and comes into the room, dripping wet with only a towel around his waist. His hair is damp, making it obvious he just ran his fingers through it to push it out of his face. Beads of water accent the definition of his abs. He is, by far, the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in my life – and sometimes I need to let myself acknowledge that.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” He questions as soon as he’s done pulling his sweatpants on.
I hum. “Is it an important question? Because if you want me to take you seriously, you may have to put a shirt on.”
He chuckles and sits on the bed next to me, then looks me in the eyes as he grabs my hand. “Do you trust me?”
“I think so. Why?”
“I don’t know. You were just so quick to believe Abby without even speaking to me first.” He looks hurt, like me thinking he would cheat on me is burning a hole in him.
I sigh, sitting up and making myself eye level with him. “I know, I’m sorry. It just looked really bad, and she said you were talking to her about your parents. How does she even know about them?”
“She’s friends with Jo, remember?” He points out. “They’ve been friends since middle school, and my parents’ death isn’t exactly a secret back home. Speaking of my sister, though, I should call her.”
Leaning over to kiss me once, he grabs his phone and presses on her contact – preparing himself to tell her what her so called “friend” just tried to do.
A FEW DAYS LATER, I’m standing in front of the mirror, fixing Holden’s jersey so it hangs on my shoulders just right. It’s unnecessarily large, but he insists on me wearing one of his, and not ordering my own that fits. My boyfriend comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my stomach.
“I will never get over how good this looks on you.” He murmurs, checking me out in the mirror. “I’m sorry we’re spending our Valentine’s Day at my game. I wish I could have gotten out of it.”
�
��No, don’t worry about it. Really, it’s fine.”
We finish getting ready and as we’re walking down the hallway, we stop at Jason’s room to grab him and Josephine. We’re all riding over to the area together. They get up from his bed and come out into the hallway.
“Aw, we’re twins.” Jo coos about our matching jerseys.
“Except for the captain patch.” Holden points out, rubbing in Jason’s face that his doesn’t have one.
Jo and I laugh as we all walk down the stairs. However, as soon as we get outside, the smile falls off my face.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I snap, seeing Abby standing in the driveway. Holden’s grip on my hand tightens.
She opens her mouth to answer, but Jo walks around Holden and down the stairs. “I invited her.”
My jaw drops and Holden looks angry. Yet, before either of us can ask why, Jo approaches a smug looking Abby and punches her directly in the face. The three of us gasp as Abby stumbles to the ground, holding her cheek. Jo stands above her, mentally daring her to get back up.
“That’s what happens when you mess with my family.” She warns. “Stay the fuck away from my brother.” She turns away from Abby to face us. “Ready to go?”
A bark of laughter leaves Holden’s mouth and I happily skip down the stairs, wrapping my arms around Jo and hugging her tightly. “You’re my favorite person ever right now.”
She chuckles as I let her go and climb into the car. Jason wraps his arm around her and kisses her cheek. “That was so hot.”
JO AND I ARE leaning against the wall near the locker rooms, waiting for Holden to bring us our tickets, when a player from the opposing team comes walking down the hallway. We only make eye contact for a second, but it causes him to stop and put his hand on the wall next to me.
“Hey there, gorgeous.” He greets, trying to sound sexy.
I narrow my eyes. What kind of pig says that to someone he doesn’t even know? “Can I help you?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure your number wouldn’t hurt.”
“Sorry, I have a boyfriend.” I reply, attempting to let him down easy.
Endless December (Sleepless November Saga Book 2) Page 18
