I pull into Micky’s and I immediately recognize most of the vehicles in the parking lot. Marcy, Andy, Gabe, Bobby, Conner. My heart flutters. I pull into an empty spot by the door and take a quick look around before getting out and rushing inside. When the doors close behind me I feel safe once again but I can still feel the adrenaline pumping through my body. I need to calm down. The last thing I want right now is for people to notice something is wrong and have them asking questions.
I clear my throat, push a few curls back from my face and casually walk toward the bar. I never realized how difficult it is to act casual when you’re forcing yourself to do it. I make my way to the bar and slide up onto a stool. Marcy’s eyes meet mine and she starts toward me. She tosses a coaster on the bar in front of me and sits a glass of beer on top of it.
“Hey, haven’t seen you in a while. Where have you been hiding?”
I give her a small smile, “Oh, I uh, I went to visit with my parents for a few days.”
“Yeah? That sounds nice. How are they?”
“Good,” I nod, “They’re doing good.”
“Glad to hear it. That healed up fast,” she says, gesturing to my eye. My fingers instinctively reach to my cheek. My bruise is a yellowish color now but is almost completely gone and barely noticeable when I wear makeup, which I realize now that I’m not. I suddenly feel very self-conscious and start fidgeting with myself. I didn’t cover my bruise and my hair is a mess. I wasn’t planning to come out tonight so I didn’t do anything with myself.
And I rushed out the door so quickly that I didn’t even think about it. I quickly pull a hair tie off my wrist and sweep my curls up into a ponytail on top of my head. I look around the room to see if anyone else saw me when I came in. My eyes scan the room and my heart skips a beat when they land on Conner sitting across the room. He’s at a table with Bobby and a pretty, petite brunette. His back is turned to me so I doubt he saw me come in.
I watch him intently. Conner didn’t respond to my last text. I actually haven’t heard from him since the day I got to my parent’s house. I watch the brunette smile brightly at him and flip her hair around. They all keep talking and it looks like every chance she gets she touches his arm and laughs or slides her chair closer to his. I roll my eyes and shake my head at them. Well that didn’t take long. Looks like Conner Smoak is back to his usual, playboy, self. And I only had to leave town for five days.
I fight the urge to be bitter about it. As much as it hurts to see I’m glad he is. It’s what I told him I wanted. Besides, if he’s done professing his love for me, that means we can get back to being friends. And I can get back to suppressing my love for him. What could possibly go wrong with that plan? I continue watching as she excitedly rises from her seat.
Ah, here it comes. Time for him to spin her around the dance floor until she’s dizzy in love. I know, all too well, how this goes. I know because I’ve watched it unfold so many times before. Not to mention he’s done it to me more times than I can count. I watch closely as she takes his arms and laughs while she tugs on it. I wait for him to get up, to take control, and to pull her into his arms and get her love drunk on his cologne. But instead his reaction is completely unexpected.
I watch him wave his hand at her and shake his head from side to side. Is he telling her no? She tilts her head to the side and gives him a pouty but playful look before taking his hands and trying to pull him off his seat again. He shakes his head again and smiles politely as he twists his hands from her grasp. What the hell is happening? The girl looks annoyed. Or maybe surprised? I can’t tell but either way she definitely looks like a girl who doesn’t get turned down very often. She makes a disapproving face at Conner then shrugs and walks away. I watch Bobby stand up and follow her to the bar. I have got to see what’s going on here.
****
Conner
“You really screwed up this time, Smoak. Looks like Bobby’s about to swoop in on your new flame.”
I hear the voice coming from behind me and I know who it is without turning around. I want to smile and hug her but I manage to control my excitement. I’m still mad at her. She just up and left after everything that happened. She basically told me I either needed to be her friend or not be in her life at all. What kind of bullshit ultimatum is that? Regardless of how angry I am, I love her. And it’s so much harder to stay mad at her when she’s sitting here next to me.
“I highly doubt that,” I chuckle back to her.
“You that confident in yourself?”
“No,” I answer, then take a sip of my beer, “I’m just that confident that the girl is Bobby’s cousin and he’s not trying to swoop in on shit.”
Her jaw drops a little as she looks to the girl then back to me again. She’s obviously never met Hope before and had no idea she was related to Bobby. She pushes my shoulder playfully, “So what’s the problem then? She’s clearly into you.”
I know what you’re doing Brooke and it’s not going to work. “There is no problem. Just not in the mood tonight,” I shrug.
She stares back at me in disbelief. I probably could have lied better but I don’t care that she doesn’t believe me.
“You never answered my text.” She said it like she was waiting for a response.
“You said you needed space. I was trying to give you space.” I finally bring myself to look at her and she looks sexy as ever. I can tell she didn’t do her hair or makeup but she has a beautiful glow about her. Like she spent some time in the sun this past week. Her new tan brightens those deep green eyes. Damn it, Brooke. You’re fucking gorgeous.
I look away again and refocus back down on my beer. “So I guess you don’t need space anymore?”
She shakes her head. “I think the time at my parent’s helped.”
I had a feeling she went to her parent’s cabin. Especially after she told me she might not have reception. That also explains her tan. She was probably on the deck with her mom or on the boat with her dad. The image of her laying around in a bikini pops into my mind and I feel a goofy grin start to tug at my lips. Save it for later, Conner.
“So what now? We’re just friends again?”
“If you still want to be my friend. I’d hate to lose you, Conner.” She reaches up and rubs my forearm where it’s resting on the table. I tap my finger against my glass as I think. This is it. Decision time. Gabe’s words creep back into my mind. If you can’t do the same for her then you have no business telling that girl that you love her. You have no business using words you don’t understand. My own thoughts follow closely behind his. So what’s it gonna be, Smoak? Do you love the girl or not?
I watch her hand resting on my forearm. I glance over at her and she’s staring back at me with large pleading eyes. I notice she’s holding her breath and I don’t know if she realizes it or not. As my lips part to speak I feel her squeeze tightly to my arm. I close my mouth again and my lips curl into a smile, “We will always be okay, Brooke.”
She leans over to me from her seat and throws her arms around my neck. I welcome her touch with open arms and squeeze her tightly against me. I bury my face in her hair and breathe in her sweet scent. I could never not have this.
“So how does this work exactly? I don’t really know how I’m supposed to be friends with you when I just picture you naked every time I see you.” I try to lighten the mood with a joke but I’m not actually joking. I have already thought about fucking her three different ways since she’s been sitting here.
She releases her grip on me and slaps my arm playfully.
“Well you can start with that,” she says, smiling and gesturing to Hope. I glance to the bar and Hope is nonchalantly looking over at us every few seconds. I smile and nod my head as if I agree but in my head I already know that I don’t. Is this really what she wants? She wants me to go home with another woman? I get up from my seat and make my way to the bar.
“You need a refill?” I say into Hope’s ear. I look over and spot Bobby shaking his head an
d finger at me with a big smile on his face. I was actually a little surprised that Bobby was cool with Hope and I. He wasn’t nearly as protective of her as I would be if it were my cousin. I shoot him a smile then turn back to Hope.
“Sure, one more I guess,” she answers and bats her eyes at me. I buy her some fruity cocktail and get myself a beer. As I sit on the stool beside her, we finish our drinks, and I can tell she’s soon ready to leave. She keeps licking or biting her lips and playing with the straw of her drink. Rolling it from side to side using her tongue. Doing whatever it takes to draw attention to her mouth. Under the bar her hand finds mine and she pulls it over onto her bare leg.
Her skin is soft but her legs are cold from the air conditioning. I give her a small smile. She begins pushing my hand up her leg until I’m inches from her pussy. Holy shit.
“Uhhmm…,” I clear my throat and pull my hand away, “You ready to go?” I ask with a smile.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she replies, a sexy smirk spreading across her face. She hops off of her stool and I put my hand on the small of her back and lead her towards the door. Before walking out I spot Brooke sitting at the table by herself. She smiles brightly at me holding up her drink but there’s a sadness in her eyes that strikes me to my core. I’m sorry, Brooke, but this is what you said you wanted.
Four
Brooke
I wake up and feel completely exhausted. I stayed at Micky’s until last call just so I wouldn’t have to be home by myself. Then after I got home I checked all my doors and windows twice just to make sure they were all locked. I fell asleep with a baseball bat in my bed but my sleep didn’t last long.
I tossed and turned all night. Every little sound jolted me awake. I am so thankful to have work today so that I don’t have to sit here at home by myself being terrified. I roll out of bed and shamble to my dresser. I pull out a pair of jeans then blindly tug a t-shirt out of my draws. I don’t have the energy, nor the desire to put effort into my appearance today. I slip my jeans on. Then pull the t-shirt over my head.
I check my reflection in my mirror. “Yup, you’re still a fucking mess, Brooke.” I pull the band from my hair and shake it to get the couple strands of hair that are stuck in it loose. I flip my head over and let my curls hang upside down while I gather them in my hands. Once they are all pulled together, I slip the band off my wrist and repeatedly pull and twist until the band is holding everything together tightly.
I throw on my sneakers and head down stairs. I move timidly through the house looking every direction I can before entering a room. Brooke, you are being paranoid. Even if Ian did leave that note he probably did it when he was mad and it could have been left here days ago. I haven’t seen or heard anything from him since that night at Micky’s. He’s probably a million miles away by now.
I think about making myself a nice big breakfast but I really just want to get out of my house and to work. I pop a waffle into my toaster and check my phone while I wait for it to heat up. I think about texting Conner and asking how his night went but I stop myself. That is none of your damn business and certainly not information you want to know. He did what I asked. He’s being the friend he’s always been, the Conner I know and love.
A sick feeling builds in my stomach when I think about him leaving the bar with her last night. I let out a sigh and slip my phone back into my pocket. The toaster pops and the noise makes me jump. “Damn it, Brooke. Get yourself together. No one is out to get you.”
I hold the waffle in my mouth as I gather my car keys and wallet and head out the front door making sure to lock it behind me. It’s such a strange and eerie feeling to be locking my door. I have never once felt the need to lock my door in this small town and now I feel like I need to lock every door and window. I take two steps away from my house and freeze in place almost dropping the waffle I’m holding in my mouth.
The driver’s side window of my car is smashed in. There’s glass all over. My heart starts pounding as I frantically look one way down the street and then the other. But I don’t see anyone. I’m about to turn and run back into my house when something on the front seat catches my eye.
Don’t do it, Brooke. This is exactly what happens in horror movies. People get too curious and end up dead! I shake the intrusive thoughts from my mind and take a deep breath. “Don’t be ridiculous,” I say quietly to myself. “I’m practically in the middle of town in broad daylight.”
I move slowly and carefully toward the driver’s side door and peek in the broken window. The nauseous feeling returns to my stomach when I clearly see what was catching my eye. There’s a large knife sticking out of the driver's seat. As I get a closer look I see that it’s pinning a burnt picture of a house...my house! To the seat.
A gasp escapes my lips and I cover my mouth with my hand. What the fuck? I start shaking immediately as my eyes scan my surroundings again. I take a few steps backward away from my car before turning and running back to my door. It takes me a minute to get it unlocked especially when my hands are shaking uncontrollably but once I’m in I slam the door shut behind me.
“Oh my God. Th-that was a knife. A real knife. What the hell am I going to do?” My chest rises and falls rapidly with my breathing. I need to get out of here. I need to get away from this house. But my car. Obviously I can’t drive it. Somebody will ask questions and then… The words written in the note come back to me. If you try to tell Conner or anyone else about this, you’ll just be digging their graves too. Don’t be stupid, Brooke.
No. No. I can’t bring Conner into this. If anything happened to him… A lump builds in my throat and I stop my thoughts in their tracks. Okay, think. I suck in a deep breath and close my eyes. I’ve got it. I grab a towel from my closet and rush out the door. Pulling the knife out of the seat I toss it on the passenger's side. I throw the towel over the glass on the driver’s seat and jump in. I start the car, put it in drive and whip it around the house, parking it out back.
I jump out of the car and run back inside. Pulling my phone from my pocket I search for Conner’s name then tap it. Two rings and finally an answer.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Conner. You’re working today, right?” My words come out faster than I intended and I’m still a little breathy from my sprint back in my house.
“Yeah…Are you okay? You sound…”
“Oh, yeah. I’m fine,” I say, cutting him off, “I just finished my workout.” Shit. He knows I don’t work out.
“Uh, huh… And you were just calling to see if I was working today?” he asks, sounding confused.
“Oh, umm, no. Actually, my car won’t start and I was hoping you could give me a ride?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna be leaving here in about five minutes. Are you ready?”
“Yep. Ready when you are.” I try to hide the anxiousness in my voice but I’m not sure it worked. Okay, Brooke. Keep it together. You have to calm down. The last person in the world you want to raise suspicion with is Conner. I try to coach myself but it’s no use. I’m panicking. I’m usually pretty skilled at hiding my feelings. Hell I hid my love for Conner from him for over ten years. Maybe my skills don’t extend to hiding pure terror about being stalked by a complete psychopath. But I have to at least try.
****
Conner
I hang up and look at my phone. My brow furrows. That was… weird. What’s gotten into her now? I shake the thought from my mind, take Bruno out then head to my shed. I open up the rickety white wooden door and grab my tool box. If her car won’t start she’s probably gonna ask me to look at it. Once Bruno is back inside I head out the door.
Her car isn’t here? Maybe she took it to a garage already? Not that quick. She only called me ten minutes ago. I mull over the mystery in my mind when I see her emerge from inside. I watch her close and lock her door behind her. What? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her lock her door before. Actually I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone in this town lock their doors before.
&nb
sp; Her hair is thrown on top of her head in a ball of curls. She’s wearing her usual jeans and a t-shirt. It’s one of my favorite looks on her and I smile as I watch her make her way to my truck. She climbs inside and buckles herself but doesn’t look at me… or say anything. Her breathing is rapid and her cheeks are flushed. Something is wrong.
I eye her curiously.
“Hi… Good morning… How are you?” I ask in a drawn out way as if showing her how conversations are supposed to go.
She gives me a quick look and smile but looks away immediately.
“Hey. Good morning.”
“Everything okay?” I ask, putting the truck in drive.
“Yes,” she blurts out barely letting me finish my sentence.
“Alright. What’s going on?” I put the truck back into park, cross my arms in front of my chest, and stare at her.
Her eyes grow large and she looks panicked. What the hell is happening?
“What do you mean?” she asks. Her voice is calmer now but I can see she’s struggling to keep her hands still. I can tell she’s definitely trying to hide something and it’s unsettling. Last time she was hiding something it was that she loved me for the last ten years. But this time I can tell it is different. She looks afraid. Her body language alone makes my adrenaline begin pumping.
“I can tell there’s something wrong why don’t you just talk to me about it.” The panic stays painted on her face.
“Conner, it’s really nothing. Nothing you have to worry about. Honest. If it was, I would tell you. I just had a rough night, that's all. Didn’t sleep well and now I’m a little jittery.”
“Jittery? Brooke, your fucking hands are shaking. What is happening?”
Her voice grows loud and angry, “Look, I don’t want to talk about it right now! Can you just drop it? Please?!”
I shake my head as a ragged breath escapes my mouth. I throw the truck back into drive and pull away, almost spinning my tires as I do. I can feel my jaw clenching and my knuckles are turning white from the grip on my steering wheel. I know something is wrong. She looks terrified. Why the hell won’t she just talk to me? Maybe I can help. My heart is pumping hard in my chest.
There's Danger: A Friends to Lovers Romance Page 3
