Requiem (Remington Carter Book 2)

by Emma Cole

  The deviousness taking up residence on his face has me trying to dart away, but I’m drawn up short when I realize I’ve been cornered up against the island with nowhere to escape.

  I shriek when his fingers find my ribs, tickling me mercilessly. I can’t catch my breath to fight back and without thinking, yell for my secret weapon.

  “Dylan! Help!” I shock myself with the quick knee jerk response, but Beck just keeps on until we’re in a heap on the floor. That is, until he’s tackled off me. I expect Dylan but find Ethan instead.

  Regaining my composure quickly, I get up off the floor and finish putting the rolls together, rolling the triangles and sorting them in the pan. The tussle has now turned to Beckett rolling over to straddle Ethan and has gone from playful to sensual, with Beck pinning Ethan's hands above his head.

  Feeling uncomfortable at the display, both because I'm equal parts intrigued and jealous, I can't help but think I'm intruding. I pull the oven door open enough to slide the rolls in and nearly burn myself pulling my arm back out in my hurry. I avoid looking at the pair and scoot out of the kitchen, nearly colliding with the body in the doorway.

  Looking up enough to register it's Dylan but not making eye contact, I turn sideways at the last moment and slide past him. His arm brushes across my chest as I go, and it raises goosebumps across my flesh. By now the guys have noticed I'm leaving and call out for me to wait. I ignore them.

  Bypassing Eli's room, I quicken my pace to get into the bedroom I had before, where all my belongings are. Shutting the door on the calls to come back, I lean back against it, squeezing my eyes shut as I berate myself. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! What are you doing Remi? Don't be an idiot and ruin the one relationship that hasn't fallen instantly apart."

  I go in the bathroom and wash off the tackiness the dough has left on my hands. Probably should have done it in the kitchen, but I just needed to get out of there. I calm down and splash water on my still flushed face from the tickling and pull my hair up into a loose bun. I don’t have long until the rolls will be done baking, so I force myself out of the bedroom, hoping the kitchen has cleared out.

  No such luck. Even Eli is back and parked on a stool at the island. At least Beckett and Dylan are embroiled in a video game. Ethan is leaning up against the counter, looking at something on his tablet.

  Eli glances up as I beeline for the oven. “I was just about to take those out, the timer went off right before you came in, but they didn’t look quite finished.”

  I thank him for watching them for me and take the pan out to cool before moving them to a serving basket.

  “She teach you to cook, too?” Ethan directs the question to Eli.

  Eli grins. “She sure tried. Most of it stuck, I think.”

  Before I can think about the audience around me, I say, “I figured you were just using cooking lessons to get in my pants.” I freeze for a second before deciding I don’t care. They can get used to it or not. They invited me back here, and if I have to listen to Dylan and Samantha get it on, he can deal with me and Eli.

  They all can.

  We decide to eat at the large dining table since everyone is here. Ethan and Eli help set it, while I bring in the food.

  Ethan yells at the twins. “Come on, you two, pause that and come eat. Don’t be rude.”

  When they're settled and everyone is dished up with a round of thanks, Ethan broaches the subject he's obviously been waiting on.

  "We would like to know if you'll work part time for us as an administrative assistant, Remi."

  I'm confused. “Why?”

  "You're qualified and you're trustworthy. In this instance, anyway." Ethan tacks on the last part, full of disdain.

  What the fuck does that mean?

  "In this instance? Is there some other scenario that I'd be untrustworthy?" I push my plate back and cross my arms over my chest. "Explain that," I demand.

  "Well, love, you dropped us all like hot rocks the instant we were gone from your immediate vicinity."

  I switch my attention from Ethan to Dylan at that statement. "I did not. You ghosted me. All three of you!" Three of them look surprised, the fourth, Eli, doesn’t.

  "Told you she wouldn't do that," Eli says to them.

  "They sent letters after my texts and emails and calls were rejected,” I explained to Eli. “Then I got the Dear John responses." I can only lead with my suspicions. "I found out after Ethan disappeared, that my dad orchestrated it. But I didn't think he'd go that far." I shake my head in futile disappointment. "But that doesn't explain why you didn't try after my dad was gone. It made the news all over the East coast!"

  "We could ask the same, Reese Cup," says Ethan evenly.

  "Your number was disconnected, your email address deactivated, and my own letters returned. My dad said he talked with yours, and you decided it was a mistake." I pause before spitting out the next bit. "Because you weren't into girls."

  That statement hangs there for a moment.

  "I can see how you'd believe that," Ethan finally responds. "Except that doesn't explain the others."

  "It was pretty much the same thing,” I answer. “Minus the girls’ part. Or my dad explaining part. It was just zero communication. After I got a tattoo!"

  Eli swivels his head to me at that, instead of glaring at the twins. "I still want to see what this tattoo is."

  I glare at the twins.

  "They didn't tell me everything,” Eli adds, “Promise."

  I'm slightly mollified and explain with as few words as possible. And then, of course, Ethan pops up with the fact he “knew” there was a slight discoloration on my inner hip when we were together.

  "Never mind my tattoo!” I bite out. “You know why I didn't get in touch. I couldn't. I tried. Now what's your excuses? I find it odd that you all ended up here. Together." I even lump Eli in, my hand gesture encompassing them.

  Surprisingly, Beckett answers.

  "Well you know we all went to school together, right?" I nod. "And you know Eli's family is in the area." I shake my head. I did not know that. "He can go over that later."

  Can bet your ass he will.

  "We decided our senior year,” he goes on, “when Ethan and Beck got together and since we'd been friends for years, that we’d to go to college together. Ethan found out about this place, and the rest is history. As for us not getting in touch… we'd planned on it once our parents and yours couldn't do anything about it. We just didn't share specifics with each other. It was more of a closure thing, than anything else. We, as in none of us, knew you and Alex planned on coming here. That was just a happy accident. Yes, we saw the blow up about your dad, and yes, we individually, in Ethan's case and jointly in mine and Dylan's, decided not to get in touch at that time. It didn't seem like a good idea with us just starting out to get in the middle of a scandal with the man that strong-armed our parents into staying away from you. Not that our parents were at all innocent. While we thought it was at your insistence, it still could have wrecked our career plans on the longshot that you actually wanted to talk to see us. I'd imagine Ethan found out at the same time we did that you were here while we were gone on a job."

  We sit in silence while I digest his words. I can understand it all. It's all even plausible. It doesn't mean I have to like it.

  "Okay, I get it. I hope you understand my side as well. If you want me staying here and working with you, I can do that. And I suppose we should at least try to be friends after everything." I look at Eli before I say the next part. "I'm with Eli. I won't say I didn't have pipe dreams about any of us meeting again and what that could mean if we did. I'm not really sure where to go from here."

  And I wasn't. It was all very confusing for me. On Halloween, I'd told Eli that I loved them. It was also in a 'never gonna happen, so doesn't matter' kind of way. But they're here now, and it does matter. To me at least. And I'm sure to Eli, too.

  I get up and start clearing dishes. It's not completely out of earshot of the dining area,
but with the noise of loading the dishwasher and cleaning up, I can't quite make out what's being discussed. When I'm done instead of going back to the table, I go to my room and get into pajamas. I do my nightly routine, and on my way back out, grab a sweater and the book I need to read for English.

  I make it to the living room and curl up on one of the giant pillows and open the book where I'd left off. I reread the same page twice before I give up. I can't concentrate with the pow wow going on in the other room.

  I go to the kitchen to put up the pans that I had hand washed and store the drain board under the sink. The dishwasher isn't finished yet, so I set up the coffee pot on a timer to brew in the morning. When I've done everything I can think of in the kitchen, I look back into the dining area to find four sets of eyes watching me.

  "What? Why are you all staring at me?"

  "Remi, babe why don't you come sit back down. We need to go over a few more things."

  I'm hesitant to follow Eli's request. It seems ominous. I retake my seat at the mahogany table and clasp my hands on top of it, waiting.

  "Initially, I told the guys sharing was out. Hear me out," Eli says to me, holding his hand up. "You were straight with me before they showed up, and I'm going to be straight with you. You know I love you. I won't speak for them, but they're my best friends and family. We planned to stay together from the beginning and that hasn't changed. Now, this is hard for me but it's my decision, what you choose to do is yours. Just know it's not me holding you back. I don't want to lose you, and I know, after talking with the guys the last couple weeks, that they at least want to be friends. If more than that happens, then we'll deal with it as it comes. I think this is a little backwards, and we probably should have had individually discussed this with you, but this way we're all on the same page. Anyone want to add anything?"

  Everyone shakes their heads no except me. I'm angry at the implication.

  "And how would something like this work?” I ask. “I'll just bed hop? Join in with Beck and Ethan? Maybe have Dylan when his bed isn't already occupied? What about you, Eli? You just gonna draw the short straw or bow out altogether while this all happens? You're right, this should have been discussed in private. Between you and me first, before you sprang this on me."

  I turn my attention to the others at table. "I'm so glad you all discussed this like you have any idea who I am anymore. It's been four years for you and five for them. I…fuck!"

  Chapter Fifteen

  Too upset to continue on, and not knowing quite why I'm so mad, I slam back the legs of the chair, making a sharp noise on the floors as it slides back. Standing, I stalk out of the room back to my own. How dare they discuss me while believing the worst! It's then that I realize what has me so upset. They'd thought I was cruel and yet still wanted the option to get back together. With them all. At the same time. It made me feel dirty and disrespected. Like they had no standards and I was the bottom of the heap to be convenient. Whether that's what they meant or not, and even in my fury, I could admit it probably wasn't. But I was still hurt. Two things you don't want a hormonal female to be is hurt and pissed at the same time.

  Eli catches up to me before I can close the bedroom door and slips inside, closing it behind him.

  "Talk to me, Remi girl. I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong." He really is the best. All the tension flows out of me as fast as it came when he wraps me up in his huge arms. I breathe deeply and catch his comforting, familiar scent. Haltingly, I try to explain the whiplash of my emotions. As well as the guilt I felt for messing with Ethan and ogling Beck earlier. Secrets aren't going to do either of us any good.

  "Babe,” he says, “I love you. You never lied to me about your feelings."

  "But I don't get it, Eli! You were so jealous and pissy a month ago, and now it's alright to declare a free-for-all on my ass?"

  That gets a chuckle out of him "Hardly a free-for-all, but I wouldn't mind getting in that hot ass of yours."

  I immediately slap at his arm. "Eli! You're scandalous. Good girls don't have butt sex." He cocks an eyebrow as if to dispute that statement. "Besides, you wouldn't fit."

  At that, his eyes darken and heat, completely focused on me, and his voice is perfectly serious as he informs me that, indeed, it would. In detail. Fuck me, that's hot. In abstract. Not in my ass. But, maybe. One day.

  "I can tell you're considering it,” he says. “I'll be sure to pick some stuff up. I'm sure Ethan or Beck would have great recommendations." He sees his mistake right away when I feel my expression harden on my face. "Does it bother you that much? Them together?"

  A jerk of my head in the affirmative, and he shifts us to sit on the bed, pulling me across his lap.

  "You know," he begins, "they struggled with it for a long time. And I should probably let one of them tell you but I'm going to at least give you the cliff notes’ version. I knew there was something, someone, holding them back. They love each other like we all do, and while they're closer, I don't believe they're as in love as you think. I'm nearly positive they'd give it up if they thought they could have you. I know Ethan would. He was crushed when school started back that year.” Eli pauses, before continuing.

  “I'd arrived early after getting into it with my two older brothers over a girl. They and some friends, along with her and her best friend, had one hell of a weekend orgy while I was at football camp. I came back early from spraining my ankle. “The only problem was, we'd been dating a year almost. Long distance. And I find my oldest brother balls deep, spit roasting her with my other brother. They claimed I wouldn't listen, and they were going to prove she was a two-timing bitch. They were partially right, on the me not listening part, but it still sucked.”

  I sift my fingers through his hair in sympathy and comfort. What a bitch! And his brother’s weren’t much better.

  “Back at school, Ethan and I bonded over losing our girlfriends. Then when he got the letter from you finally, he was jacked up. Tore it right up in the lobby and it was like his world fell out from under him all at once. He held it in until he got to his room, but I caught him with red-rimmed eyes several times over the next couple days. A week later, he and Beck started hanging out, and soon after, they were covertly dating. It wasn't something you wanted to advertise at an all-male military school, no matter how progressive they were. Most everyone knew about it and few cared, but those that did could have made problems, and the school didn't tolerate scandals.”

  “Anyway,” Eli blows out a breath, “the point of my story is his girl didn't do what he thought, mine did. While I wasn't as invested as he was, I was still leery of any other serious relationships. Until I met you. You told me off, you didn't try to conglom’ onto me for what I could do for you. You made me want to have a relationship. If Ethan felt or still feels half of what I do, I think he deserves to have a chance. I'd be devastated if it were me. Knowing the twins, I'd imagine it's about the same for them as well. I can't take you away when they've just gotten you back, I care about you all too much."

  "Damn it, Elliott, you're seriously perfect, you know that, right? I swear, your heart is bigger than the rest of ours put together. We'll see how it goes, alright? And if at any time you have a problem speak up. It's not up to you to be a martyr."

  He leans in to brush a featherlight kiss across my forehead. "Okay, so you ready to go back out there?"

  "I suppose so." We disentangle, and when we stand up, I twine my arms around his neck.

  "Elliott Michael McAdams, I love you to pieces." I stand up on my toes and drag his lips to mine for a leisurely, deep kiss.

  Going back down the hall into the living room, I wonder how many times I can have a fit in one day. With these guys I might just find out.

  They're all on the sectional, spread out playing a video game but pause when we come in.

  "You guys seriously have the best friend—" I start to say.

  "Brother" Dylan interrupts.

  "Okay, brother a guy could wish for. I hope you
know that."

  Dylan looks back and forth between us. "So, we're doing this?"

  "Remi, is considering it. We'll just see how it goes. No pressure. On anyone." Eli makes eye contact with each of them, garnering nods of agreement all around.

  Changing the subject, I ask, "So about this job. What is it that you need help with? I do have several jobs lined up before Thanksgiving break. I'm also planning on going to see my mom for the holiday."

  Ethan explains what they're looking for. "We need general administration help, emailing, calls, etc. We handle a lot of it on our own, but there are times we can't. As for your obligations, I'd rather one of us be with you if you're not in class or here. Until we know what those people are up to, I want you chaperoned. I have inquiries into your dad's case. I'm a US citizen now. All of us are, so it's only a matter of time until someone gets back to me on why you're being harassed. It doesn't appear they've been talking to your mom. Have you heard anything from her?"

  I think about my recent calls to my mom. "No, she hasn't said anything, and I didn't want to worry her by bringing it up. She's had enough of the situation. As for having one of you with me in public, I’ll ask the coordinator that sets up my jobs.. haven't entered into any agreements yet. I'm not sure what to do about Thanksgiving. What are all of your plans?"

  I'm not sure how well it will go over with my mom if I show up with all of them in tow. Will be weird, for sure.

  "All of us, except for Eli, are finished with our schooling. Eli, are you going home for break this year?" Ethan asks.

  "I hadn't been planning on it. It's not expected of me, and I was going to use the time to help catch up whatever needed to be done here. Or go with you, Remi, if you wanted me too."

  Well I guess this is happening. I shrug in defeat.

  "I'll let my mom know we'll have company,” I say. “How many of you are going?" Of course, they all raise their hands.