Etched in Stone (Six Degrees Series Book 2)

by Statham, Mayra

  He didn’t say anything, so she added, “I guess I should just be glad that I talked her into coming home rather than make the worst mistake of her life.”

  Allison knew she had Hunter on the line.

  “Is everything all right with Molly?” he asked, heightened with concern but managing to keep his volume down.

  “You must think I’m awful. After all, you don’t even know me and here I’m talking ill of my friend.” Allison rubbed her hands up and down her arms trying to warm them but knew the move had her sweater riding up ever so slightly and exposing her belly button ring.

  And Hunter didn’t miss it, either.

  “I don’t think anything, but you can’t say something like that and not explain.”

  “Okay, but I trust you, which is crazy since I don’t even know you, but you seem like a nice guy.” Allison looked toward Molly, who was still occupied, and then leaned in closer to Hunter. “When Molly and I first met, we really hit it off. Like instant BFFs, but then suddenly she didn’t have time for me anymore. She was with a different guy every other day, not coming back to the dorm room at night. I tried talking to her about it, but she just said she was having fun and enjoying college life. She told me she was going to some island with a couple of the guys by herself over break and I got really nervous. I begged and begged her not to, but it didn’t seem like anything would change her mind. But then a couple of nights before we came here, I assumed it was going to be a repeat of the previous week where she didn’t come back to the dorm room, when all of a sudden, the door swung open and she entered looking so haunted.” Pausing for dramatic effect she continued, “She didn’t want to talk about it, but given her appearance and the fact that she looked a little…rough, I could only guess. Suddenly her break plans had changed and she begged me to come home with her. Saying she needed to decompress.” Allison stopped and looked toward Molly, who was completely unaware she was being her silent accomplice by grabbing onto one of the guy’s forearms as she laughed and blew a kiss to an another. “When we heard about the bonfire, she said she couldn’t wait to go. I told her that I wasn’t really up for it, but she said she was going with or without me, so here I am, and looking at the way she is enjoying herself over there with the attention, I guess I was right.”

  Allison observed how Hunter’s head whipped around to focus on the growing number of people now centered around Molly. He interpreted it as she did seem to be flirting, with obvious enjoyment to the attention.

  Allison knew her words were taking hold of Hunter and given the way Hunter’s jaw was tensing, there was no denying that he did not like what he heard.

  “So, a new guy every night?” he asked pained.

  “Yeah, pretty much, and none of them real winners if you catch my drift.”

  “I’m suddenly not in the mood for a fire. How about you?” Hunter asked sarcastically.

  “Not really, but it looks like my ride is going to be a while.”

  “I can take you home,” Hunter offered as he stood. He extended his hand to help Allison up.

  His hand was strong and warm and flexed just when their hands connected.

  This may be a shutout.

  “You sure you don’t mind?”

  The smile that was gracing his face now was wide and warm, and Allison had to admit, quite sexy. She knew it wouldn’t take much to know how warm his lips really were.

  They walked toward where Molly still stood and when they reached her, she looked toward the two of them and the hurt Allison saw there was evident.

  “Allison, where are you going?”

  But before Allison could answer, Hunter did coldly, “Don’t worry about Allison, I’ll make sure she gets home. Seems you are keeping yourself busy enough.”

  Hunter reached for Allison’s hand and looked at Molly for the last time. He wanted to say something, but instead, he just shook his head and mumbled under his breath. He pulled Allison along in his wake as he headed back down the hill toward the car lot.

  Allison, perfecting her role, smiled widely, winked, and mouthed to her friend, “I’ll see you later.”

  ***

  The next few days, Molly saw little of Allison. She seemed to be spending an awful lot of time with Hunter. And enjoying every minute of it. He made a point of never looking in her direction on the few times she did see him either picking Allison up or dropping her off. It was Molly’s worst nightmare coming true and with Allison to boot.

  Molly just wanted to get the hell out of Clearwater Falls. Here her dream crashed and burned. She needed to flee.

  On the third morning, Molly woke to a thump and then a not-so-quiet curse. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she scooted up into a sitting position to see Allison bent over massaging her foot.

  “Allison? What are you doing?” She looked at the bedside clock. “It is not even 4AM.”

  Molly prayed she wasn’t just getting in from being with Hunter.

  “Praying to God my foot isn’t broken.”

  Normally, such a smartass comment would have Molly’s mouth tipping upward. But, adding in the fact that Allison wasn’t home when she finally fell asleep a couple hours ago and the fact that she knew who Allison had been with had all appreciation gone from the situation.

  Molly brushed her blond locks out of her face, and that is when she noticed Allison’s bags on the chair all packed.

  Confusion and dread filled her. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “I didn’t want to wake you so I was just going to leave you a note. I’m going to head back to Boston today.”

  “Boston? What? How?”

  The answer should be clear by one look at Allison. She looked like she was going to a photo shoot. Just like always, her silky ebony hair was perfectly styled, and she wore flawlessly applied makeup. Not to mention clothes that fit her like a second skin.

  And Molly knew. Her stomach began to churn with nausea, and she could begin to taste the bile at the back of her throat. This was worse than she could have ever imagined. And she was helpless to do anything about it.

  “I’m heading back with Hunter…he needs to get back to Yale early and is going to stop off at Boston University to meet with admissions for med school.” Allison turned, picking up her large bag while throwing the smaller one over her shoulder. When she turned back, she had a look of complete euphoria. “I know it sounds crazy, but Hunter and I have gotten to know each other, and I don’t know, it is probably crazy, but I think we are talking the ‘L’ word here.” Allison clutched her chest as she bit down on her lower lip before running over to Molly and sitting down on the edge of the bed, embracing her stunned friend.

  The small internal ache Molly had been nursing for days grew in intensity until it threatened to swallow her whole.

  With one final squeeze, Allison released Molly, stood, and twirled in the small room. “He is amazing and so sweet. I mean, you know guys like Hunter aren’t in every Cracker Jack box. He is gorgeous, gentle, and debonair, like one of those silver screen actors my grandmother used to swoon over. Not to mention, the way he can get my body tingling with one of those smoldering looks of his. Throw in the way my body reacts when he sweeps his tongue against mine.” She feigned embarrassment but was unable to hold her vicious and hurt filled words. “Oh, Mol, I’m sorry, you don’t want to hear all the kinky details, but let’s just say there isn’t anything I wouldn’t let him do to my body. I’ve gotten a sneak preview of his talents, and I just hope I will survive the erotic perfection of Hunter Dennison.”

  Molly thought her world was going to crumble. Her insides were screaming out their despair as her heart broke into a million pieces. Her eyes filled with tears threatening to spill over.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” Allison inquired.

  The most honest truth fell from Molly’s lips. “I’m happy for you. Hunter is one in a million.”

  With one last hug and a kiss on Molly’s cheek, Allison jumped up, grabbed her bags, and headed out the door. Just
before crossing the threshold, she turned and said, “Molly, I owe falling for Hunter all to you.” Then she was gone.

  Molly was frozen in place; the tears ran down her face as if she was standing outside in a monsoon. She began to rock back and forth, trying to soothe herself from the inside out. When nothing seemed to help and the pain just got more agonizing, she slipped down into a lying position as she pushed her lips together hard to stop the excruciating moan from escaping.

  Who knows if it was minutes, hours, or even days that she lay there, but then finally, after her body was spent from the physical despair, she moved a shaking hand to inside her pillowcase and removed the well-worn photograph that never strayed from where she slept. She looked down at the multi-creased 4x6 that was years old. And the memory flooded back. It was from the night before New Year’s Eve three years earlier, a snowy and cold night. The restaurant had its usually overzealous Christmas decorations inside and out. The bright Christmas lights reflected off the snow, creating a prism effect around the windows and door.

  ***

  Hunter was getting ready to return to school in Connecticut. Molly’s mother insisted that he stop in at the restaurant before heading off so she could stock him with food; homemade meals that he could heat in his dorm microwave. When he arrived, the restaurant was fairly busy, so Florence had told Hunter to head into the kitchen and Greg would get him all set up. When he entered, he found not Greg in the kitchen but Molly.

  Stumbling over her words, she pointed to where his care package was and watched intently as he moved. He looked very James Dean-ish; with jeans and a white t-shirt under an open leather jacket. His well-worn black boots clunked across the cement floor and just the faintest sound of fabric brushing against itself could be heard as he moved across the space. He lifted the box and turned to where Molly was standing and seemed like he was about to say something.

  But then Molly’s mom walked in.

  “Molly, where is Greg? Oh, doesn’t matter. Hunter, I see you found your things.”

  “Yes, Florence, this is all too kind of you. I will have to keep them under lock and key to ensure my dorm mates don’t eat them all on me.”

  Florence laughed aloud but told him if that were the case, she would be happy to send some more to him.

  Hunter was just about to head out the door when Florence called him back.

  “Oh Hunter, will you get in a picture with Molly. I have this new camera, and I’m determined to get a picture of everyone. Somehow, you two have been the only two who I haven’t captured.”

  “Sure thing.” Hunter placed the box down again and stood next to Molly. He leaned in close, causing her to get a wonderful whiff of his cologne. And in the second before Lorraine clicked the camera, Hunter placed his arm around Molly, letting his powerful hand rest on her hip. The particular sweater she wore that night was shorter than she usually wore, but for some reason or another, she had picked it for that night. Because of that, she felt exactly how warm his hand was. She could have sworn he squeezed his fingers when he too was surprised by the skin-to-skin contact. But then Florence said smile, and that moment of wonder and beauty was caught on a brand new 35mm camera.

  Florence then headed out of the kitchen leaving the two alone once again.

  “Molly, would you mind carrying that bag out for me?” Hunter asked as he picked up the heavy box once more and made his way to the swing door that led to the restaurant.

  Molly didn’t answer, just grabbed the bag and followed him. He held the door for her to precede him as well as the one heading to the outside. They walked in silence to his car across the street. Hunter placed the box and bag in the trunk, slammed it shut, and looked at Molly.

  There was an awkward silence between them, which had Molly further wrapping her too thin sweater around herself. Hunter stood in front of her, extremely close, looking down toward her and she could feel her body reacting. She could again smell the spice of his cologne and see the lines of his lips. What she would give to be able to feel those lips against her own?

  Hunter’s jaw tensed, and he let out a long breath, but he didn’t turn away or give her any space.

  Molly found the strength to tear her gaze away and caught the gigantic spruce tree in the town square beautifully brilliant with all its twinkling lights. She loved Christmas and to her one of the most magical and enchanting sights was a tree aglow.

  “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” she spoke, before realizing how silly she sounded.

  She didn’t dare look back toward him, afraid of the facial result of her immature statement.

  “Never,” was spoken softly and just what she needed to get her feet moving so she wouldn’t embarrass herself anymore.

  Molly began stepping backward, and when she was three feet away, she said, “I better get back in there. Drive safe, Hunter. I’ll see you around.”

  She turned and hightailed it back inside. By the time she had the courage to look out the window, all she could see was two bright taillights heading toward the large Christmas tree. Away from town, and away from her.

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  Chapter One from Breaking Dragon:

  Nicole

  It’s Sunday. That shouldn’t be a momentous thing because you get one of those every week, if you’re lucky enough to survive. Still it is. It is because today is the day that Dani and I are picking up the last of our boxes and moving out of Blade. Blade, Kentucky was a small hole in the wall with less than one hundred people living there. Bet you didn’t know places like that existed, did you? Well they do. We have a city hall, one bank, a gas station-outlet tobacco store and a volunteer fire department. That’s the grand total of all the buildings in Blade. The few kids that live in Blade are driven by their parents to a school one county over. I’ve lived here my entire life and even though it may sound like it, I’m not really complaining. I love Blade. It’s living near my parents I don’t enjoy.

  My parents really shouldn’t have settled down here. After all, there are no country clubs, no private dining facilities, none of the amenities befitting their station. Yes, that is sarcasm you detect. Those are words I’ve heard a million times coming from my mother’s lips; lips that had never kissed the top of my head when I was sad, nor spoke words of encouragement when I failed, lips that have been painted deep ruby red for as long as I could remember, and brought to mind a cold and lifeless corpse.

  You might be realizing there is no love lost between my mother and me—you would be right. The simple truth is my parents remain in Blade because my dad, Marcus Samuel Wentworth the second, owns the sole bank in the city and the one in the neighboring area of Burkesville. Here, my parents are important, specifically my mother. If she moved away, she would lose that distinction, and Gwyneth couldn’t handle that. Father too for that matter, he was a step or two up from mother dear, but that’s not really saying much. Sometimes, I wonder how I could be their daughter. I would have thought I was adopted except for my hair. The dirty-blonde hair I have is the same color as my mother’s. For that reason alone, I put dark caramel color through it, darkening it so now it looks nothing like hers. She hated it. I celebrated it.

  I’m getting all dragged down talking about the parental units. That’s enough to depress me and that can’t happen on this awesome day. Today, Dani and I are moving to London, Kentucky. See? Momentous!

  Okay, well it isn’t that far away to be honest, but it is at least three hours and that’s good for now. It’s a two bedroom house on the outskirts of the city and it’ll be far away from my parents. Dani and I have jobs. I’m going to be a waitress at the Wolves Den, she will be dancing. I’d never have the nerve to dance for several reasons. First, Dani makes me brave, but she can’t make me believe I don’t have mega flaws. Dani is drop dead gorgeous. Me? That’s reason number two, I have boobs that are a little too large, and my ass is just a tad too wide. My th
ighs aren’t my favorite thing ever. I’m a size fourteen. I’ll never fit into Dani’s size eights. I used to want to, but as I got older I decided I like who I am well enough. So screw it. Plus, I’m pretty outspoken at times, but I’m way too freaking shy to be a dancer. My girl makes me brave, but there’s not anyone able to make me brave enough to bare my boobs and ass to a bunch of strangers. It’s going to be hard enough getting used to the mini booty shorts and black tank that shows way too much of the aforementioned boobs, but I’m determined.

  I want to branch out into real life and live. So I’ve made the decision to not let my conscience get the better of me and just experience the different things that are out there. It’s silly, and a decision that may bite me in the ass.

  I’ve never really been the type to want to go to college. That’s an issue my parents bring up regularly---as just another one of my failures among a long list. I’ve never really had aspirations to do something with my life other than enjoy it. Maybe I’ll make plans later on. I don’t know and frankly at twenty-four I probably should, but I don’t really care right now. It took too long to break away from Blade. I’ll figure it out as I go along.

  “Woo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Dani hollers, as we’re speeding down the interstate in my convertible Mercedes.

  Her hands are waving in the air and I can’t help but laugh over the pounding of the radio. I love my car. It’s a shit hot baby blue Mercedes E350 Convertible, and it’s the only thing my parents gave me that I love. It’s the last gift they gave me. It was when I was graduating from high school and they still thought they had a chance of molding me into who they thought I should be. Luckily, it was in my name and paid for when they gave me the keys. One month later, they found out I wouldn’t be going to college to find myself a future doctor or lawyer as a husband. Yes, that was the reason given for why I should enroll in college. I refused, and then I was pretty much cut off. Luckily, I had Dani. She had always been there for me. We are as different as night and day and honestly, there is no reason why Dani and I are friends. Some things just happen. Dani walks to the beat of her own drum. She is a force of nature, a hurricane, a category five hurricane. She inspires me. She scares me. She makes me happy. I love her. She took me in and I lived with her and her brother Roy, who was a nice guy and cute as hell. Too bad he was also gay. That was just my luck.