by Amelia Shea
“Emory, I didn’t know. You didn’t…you never said…I didn’t know.” He rushed the words out with complete sincerity.
“Would it have mattered? You know now, Ethan, does it change anything between us?” Her sobs grew louder. Poor Emory.
“Em, please stop crying. You’re killing me here.”
Her voice was so low, so vulnerable. “Does it change anything, Ethan?”
There was silence. Not a word was spoken. Come on, Ethan, say something to her.
Seconds passed in silence.
Emory snorted and her tone dripped with disdain. “Yeah, that’s what I thought! Forget it, Ethan, forget we ever had this conversation.”
One set of footsteps ascended down the hall and then stopped. Sadie mashed her ear closer to the door. The silence continued as she placed her hands on the door. Who left? She assumed it was Emory. The footsteps returned, coming back to the bathroom door.
Ethan whispered softly, “Em, I’m so…” and then silence. He stopped mid-sentence.
Sadie couldn’t hear anything. What were they doing? Did they leave? This was so strange. She cracked the door slightly and peeked through. Sadie froze, her eyes widened and she held her breath. Oh my God! She blinked and her lips quirked up.
Ethan and Emory were locked in a passionate kiss. Their hands were all over one another. His hands were in her hair, trailing down her spine, sweeping over her ass and her hands were around his waist pulling him into her, one hand gliding up his chest to his neck, curling her fingers through his hair. Her legs were straining on her toes. His arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her body up to him. All the while, their lips fused together in a frantic desperate kiss. A soft moan, a deep groan, their bodies stroked one another.
Sadie slowly and very quietly closed the door behind her. She leaned into the door again. Wow! Go Emory! That was hot. She was a little aroused watching them. The chemistry between those two was explosive. Sadie heard light footsteps and she pressed her head against the door once more.
Emory’s voice was composed and even, almost void of emotion. All traces of vulnerability were gone. “Now I’m done…try and forget this conversation.”
Pounding steps descended down the hall.
“Fuck,” Ethan muttered. Sadie could her Ethan’s footsteps retreat down the hall.
Seconds later Sadie heard a sinister giggle. Nina, the bitch.
When she made her way back to the dining room table, everyone had taken their seats. There was a single empty seat between Stone and T that she assumed was meant for her. She walked to the end of the table. There were also two more empty seats at the opposite end. She noticed Emory and Roxanne were nowhere to be seen.
She took her seat between Stone and T. Stone was leaning on the table with his elbows, listening to something his cousin Will was saying. When she rested her hand on his thigh, his arm came off the table and his hand wrapped around hers. She didn’t know why she did it, maybe she wanted him to know she was there. Or maybe she was just trying to stake claim. After all, evil cousin Nina was across from Stone and she was currently fixated on him. Sadie looked over to Ethan, who was seated next to Nina. He looked uncomfortable.
Behind her, the front door opened and slammed shut. Sadie’s back was to the hallway so she couldn’t see who came in but everyone across the table looked up.
“Sorry everyone, BFF emergency,” Roxanne said with a fake laugh.
“Is everything okay with Emory?” There was concern in John’s voice.
She rounded the table and passed behind John.
“Yeah, family thing, you know. She sends her apologies.” She shrugged as if it was no big deal and took her seat. Sadie looked at Ethan, who was staring at Roxanne. His face read a combination of concern and guilt. Roxanne never looked at him.
“All right, then let’s join hands for the blessing of the food, shall we…” John put out his hands in either direction.
Stone brought their clasped hands up to the table and to her left was T’s hand being offered to her. She gently put her hand in his. His hands were hard and calloused, and he barely held hers. They all bowed their heads and John began his blessing.
An hour later, after too much food, too many laughs and a lot of teasing, dinner was officially done. Sadie had always been a light eater but she definitely gorged on this amazing meal. Everything was so good. Everyone sat around still talking and some even picking at their plates. Sadie couldn’t eat another bite.
Dinner had been great with a few uncomfortable moments.
“So, Sadie how long are you visiting for?” Stone’s other aunt asked.
“I’m not sure,” Sadie answered, feeling extremely awkward. Stone had asked her to stay but they hadn’t talked further about it.
“Well, we hope you can stay long enough for us to get to know you better.” She smiled.
Then his cousin Ryan asked what Sadie did for a living.
“I’m a waitress.” Sadie took a deep breath. She was not used to being the center of attention.
His Aunt Judy chimed in. “Well then, you must be a hard worker, Sadie, because that’s no easy job.” She nodded. Sadie smiled back at her in a silent thank you.
The tension between Roxanne and Ethan was pretty thick. He tried to engage and include her in conversation but she remained quiet, at times she outright ignored him. As soon as the meal was done, she jumped up from her chair and headed to the kitchen announcing, “I need to do some prep for dessert.”
Now, they were all sitting around the table enjoying the last of Thanksgiving.
“So, Stone, when are you going to invite me over to see your new condo?” The sickly, sweet voice came from across the table.
Sadie’s eyes darted to the voice and she saw Nina leaning on the table across from Stone, her cleavage practically pouring out of her dress. She wore a seductive smile and her eyes were on Stone.
This bitch was grating on Sadie’s last nerve.
Sadie looked to Stone who gave her a warm smile. “I don’t know, we’ve got a lot going on. When we get settled, we’ll have everybody over. Right now, I just got to get shit done, you know, unpack, get stuff out of storage. Then, get Sadie’s things moved down here. We’ll let you know when we decide to have everyone over. Right, babe?” He turned to her. This was Stone’s way of telling her that her time to think about it was up.
She stared at him and he lifted his brows. They had only known each other for a few weeks. This was crazy. Then Stone’s words popped in her head
“You’ve been alone all your life, Sadie, you need more time by yourself? Look, think about it, you know what I want, I want you here with me. Just think about it, but baby, decide how you feel, what you want, not what everyone thinks is ‘too soon.’ Fuck ’em, this is about us, you and me, no else gets a say in our life.”
“Wow.” A sarcastic laugh came from Nina. “That was quick.”
Sadie whipped around to look at Nina who was smirking at them. She leaned into Stone and stared straight at Nina with a smile on her face. “When you find the one, why wait! You’ll understand if it ever happens to you,” Sadie said in an even tone. But Nina knew what she was saying. Nina lost her smirk and replaced it with a glare. Sadie smiled bigger.
She started to get up to help his aunts clear the table but she was pulled back down onto Stone’s lap. Her back was now facing the table. His hands touched her face and he drew her lips to his to give her a soft sweet kiss. She pulled back and he whispered, “So, that’s a yeah?”
Sadie leaned in, kissed him again, whispering against his lips, “That’s a hell yeah!”
The rest of the evening went on without a hitch. The women, minus Nina, all cleaned up. Nina excused herself to take a business call. Roxanne just rolled her eyes. Sadie assumed that was her common practice for family gatherings. With the four of them, it didn’t take too long and she was treated to a few of Stone’s childhood stories from his aunts. They loved him, it was obvious.
Roxanne was qu
iet. Besides giving Sadie direction on where everything went in the kitchen, she didn’t say much. Her aunts tried to engage her in the conversation. She was polite but definitely not Roxanne. Her mind was somewhere else.
The desserts were placed on the table and everyone who had room helped themselves. Sadie did not, she was still stuffed. The rest of the evening people were scattered around, talking with one another. Sadie stayed with Stone who always had a hand on her somewhere. She, too, was always touching him.
By eight, everyone had said their goodbyes and the last guest was putting on her coat. Nina. She gave all the guys hugs, as she watched, they were normal family hugs. Sadie half expected her to start humping Stone but she didn’t. When she made her way to Sadie, she reached in to kiss her cheek and leaned back with a smile. “Sadie, it was a pleasure to meet you. I’ll see you soon, I hope.” She said it with sincerity, no malice or sarcasm.
Sadie nodded politely back. “It was nice to meet you, too.”
Sadie didn’t get her. One minute she was practically flashing her tits to her man and the next she was being kind? She walked to Ethan who was standing by the door, reached up and put her arms around him in a more than friendly hug. He lightly touched her waist before quickly but gently scooting her away from him. She whispered something to him and he nodded with a harsh look. She walked out.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The men had all gone to the study when she headed up the stairs. She repacked all her things. Stone and Sadie were going to his condo in the morning. They needed to talk and he said they would. She sensed his weariness about discussing his job but when they talked, he needed to lay it all out for her. They still hadn’t talked about moving in together in great detail. The idea of living with him excited her and freaked her out at the same time. She was so used to being on her own. It would feel strange to share her life with someone else. But on the flip side, she would wake up with Stone next to her. She would get to share the couch and fall asleep on it with him during football season. She’d get to share a dinner table with him. She’d get to share her life with him and he’d share his with her.
Her things were packed in her bag except for tomorrow’s clothes and her toiletries. They were leaving early. He only lived about twenty minutes away he said. She knew Bogs lived there too, but not in the same condo, he assured her. Bogs teased her that he could keep Sadie company when Stone was away for work. They all laughed except for Stone. Stone glared and threatened Bogs with bodily harm.
It was crazy but sometimes life called for a little craziness. She had a lot to do when they got back to Cedar Bluff. She hadn’t even thought about her own work until now. She’d have to quit Bernie’s and find a new job in Texas. She’d have to give notice and get her stuff and bring it back. Would Stone come with her? She’d also have to deal with her mom. Sadie knew she should probably call her and diffuse the situation, especially since she’d be face to face with her soon. The longer she waited to call, the angrier her mom would get. She’d call tomorrow and deal with her. She wanted this day to end as her best Thanksgiving ever.
Sadie was ready for bed when she decided to check on Roxanne. She would just go down and make sure she was okay. She was so quiet after Emory left. She knew she had something on her mind, probably worried about Emory. Sadie quietly walked down the staircase and turned left at the bottom and went to her room. She passed by John’s study and saw the light still on from the bottom of the door. She passed by to hear muffled voices.
Once Sadie got to Roxanne’s door she knocked lightly, hoping not to wake her up if she was sleeping. Sadie waited.
“Yeah?” The quiet voice came through the door.
“Rox, it’s Sadie. Just wanted to make sure everything is okay.” She talked softly to the door.
“Come on in, Sadie,” she called out.
She opened the door slowly and walked in, closing the door behind her. She smiled at Roxanne, who was sitting at the head of her bed cross-legged. She had her hair up in a messy bun and had changed into her pajamas. She had a pair of glasses propped at the end of her nose. She looked adorable. She had a few thick books lined up in front of her.
“Hey.” She walked further into her room and had a seat on the edge on her bed.
“Hey,” she replied.
“Studying hard?” Sadie asked with a smirk and gestured to her books.
She nodded. “Yeah, well I’m trying.” She picked up a book and placed it on her lap. Sadie had interrupted and she got the feeling her inviting her in was to just be polite. She stood up from the bed. She needed to leave her to her studying.
“I’ll let you get back to your studying but I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. You seemed really quiet during dinner and after Emory left, well…” She paused and looked up to Roxanne. “I just wanted to check on you, I was a little worried about you, and Emory, too.”
Roxanne just stared at her with a content face. She didn’t say anything. She knew why Emory left but she wouldn’t say anything.
“Okay well, I’ll go. Good night, Rox!” Sadie rushed toward her door. She grabbed the doorknob but stopped when she heard her name. She turned back to Roxanne who was still in the same spot but her face had changed.
“Thank you for checking on me, Sadie.” She gave her a sad smile. “I’m okay, just got a lot on my mind, you know?”
She nodded. “And Emory? Is she okay with her family emergency?”
They both knew there wasn’t a family emergency. Best friends like Emory and Roxanne shared everything, the good and the bad.
“No, she’s not okay. But she will be.”
She nodded and Sadie nodded back.
“Well, if you ever need to talk, I’m here for you. I’m a good listener.”
She smiled big, put down her book, and hopped up from her bed. She strode over to her and wrapped her in a hug. Sadie smiled and hugged Roxanne back.
“Thanks, Sadie,” she whispered.
“For what?” she asked.
She pulled back with a genuine smile on her face. “For being you.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The hallway was dark with only a small dim light shining from the kitchen ahead. Sadie rounded the corner and was just about to pass the study when she heard voices. She heard Ethan’s but it wasn’t his voice that stopped her, it was his words.
“It’s been taken care of, Dad. Trent and Dec assured me, he won’t be a problem. This job is officially closed,” Ethan said in a low serious tone.
“There’s going to be brush back from this, E. I don’t like it. How do we know this guy’s gonna keep his fucking mouth shut? We don’t know.” It was Stone’s voice this time and he was mad.
“Trent and Dec covered it. Shaw isn’t going to say shit. He can’t, Stone, we got him by the balls,” Ethan said, matter of fact.
Sadie took two steps backward which put her directly in front of the door. She leaned in closer holding her breath. She didn’t know who or what they were talking about but she knew she wasn’t supposed to be listening. If Stone caught her, he’d be furious, he had secrets that he wouldn’t share. This conversation was leading her to believe they were very bad secrets. Secrets that could change them or possibly end them.
“God, you’re a nosy pain in the ass!” A quiet angry voice from behind startled her. It was T and he was mad as hell. Sadie recognized this look that she had only seen once before, the night she met him. Sadie gasped in surprise and fear as he gripped her forearm tightly and pushed her through the cracked door. He let go and she fell into the room. Sadie stumbled but caught herself and straightened up. She looked around to find shocked stares all aimed at her.
“What the fuck, T?” Stone shouted. He was walking to her but abruptly stopped when T spoke.
“She was listening at the door! Now, I want to know exactly what she heard!”
Oh shit! Her hands started sweating and her legs trembled.
“Sadie? Sweetheart, what did you hear?” The deep and scary voice ca
me from behind a desk in the corner. It was John.
Scared, she looked to Stone who openly glared at her.
“I heard Ethan and Stone.” She shivered. Her eyes scanned the room, all eyes on her, and none of them friendly. “I’m sorry, I was coming back from Roxanne’s room and I heard voices and I…” She stopped because her voice had become so shaky she couldn’t finish.
The room remained quiet. As she looked to each of them, she watched. They seemed to be having a silent conversation. Sadie turned back to Stone, whose eyes had not left hers, nor had his scowl. She mouthed, “I’m sorry.” She got no reaction from him.
“Look Sadie, I think you misunderstood our conversation. We…” Ethan started but was interrupted by Stone.
“Don’t lie to her,” Stone barked.
“Stone…” Ethan interjected.
“No! Don’t fucking lie to her.”
“Stone, son…I don’t…” His dad started to intervene but was shut down by Stone also.
“I want everybody out.” Stone’s eyes were penetrating through Sadie.
One by one everybody filed out of the study. T left first, followed by Ethan, Bogs, and finally John. When the door shut, they were alone, just Stone and Sadie. Her heart raced with fear. She wasn’t afraid of Stone but afraid of what she was going to hear.
****
He stared at Sadie. His Sadie. The only woman he had ever let see him. The only woman he ever let get inside. The only woman he ever loved. And this is how it ends.
Stone’s eyes still held hers as she stepped toward him.
“Do you want to know the real reason Ethan came by your house that day? Not what he told you but the truth?”
Sadie stopped immediately, halted by the tone of his words.
She nodded.
“He went to talk to you because I refused to lie to you, Sadie. I refused to look you in the eye and lie, so Ethan went to see you that day. He did what he always does; he smoothed things over with half-truths. He charmed you and you bought it.” Stone kept his voice calm and his eyes remained on Sadie.
