Shameless

by Teresa Mummert

  “I need another drink,” Gigi called out as Lucas held open the door to the building and we slipped inside.

  “Everywhere is closed,” I whined as I ran to the elevator, slipping in before the doors closed.

  “I might have something in my room,” she whispered, even though the three of us were the only ones in the cramped space.

  “You’ve been holding out on me?” I drew back with mock offense.

  She laughed, hitting the button for her floor. “I’ll grab it and meet you upstairs.”

  The doors popped open, and I giggled, shushing her as she took off running down her hall, singing loudly.

  Lucas hit the door close button rapidly so we wouldn’t get in trouble with her.

  “Addy went to the beach for the weekend so you can crash on her bed if you want. She won’t be home until late tonight,” I mumbled, glancing up at him, hoping I didn’t sound completely pathetic.

  “I’d rather sleep with you,” he whispered, causing me to giggle like an idiot as the doors sprang open but he didn’t take his eyes off mine.

  “I have an extra sheet we can throw on, so you don’t have to lay on her stuff,” I added, but I knew my cheeks were burning red.

  “Who’s that?” Lucas asked, nodding his chin up the hall. I followed his gaze, and my feet stopped, nearly causing me to stumble over myself as I looked at the guy sitting against the wall, his arms resting on his knees. I thought I was seeing things until he pushed to his feet.

  “Rhys Porter,” I whispered as if saying his name too loudly would make him evaporate into thin air. I glanced up at Lucas before my feet began to move again toward him. He met us halfway, wrapping his muscular arms around my waist and lifting me from the ground, squeezing me so tightly I felt like I was going to crumble into dust.

  “Surprised to see me?” He had asked before my toes found the cold tile again. I took a step back, clearing my throat as I looked him over. His hair was dark like Lucas’, but shorter and his eyes were a deep brown with flecks of gold. His muscles were thicker than they were when we’d spent time together.

  “How did you know where my room was?” I asked.

  “Your mother.”

  Of course, my mother was behind this.

  “Who’s your friend,” Rhys asked, his eyes going to Lucas who was a few inches taller than he was.

  “This is Lucas,” I replied.

  Rhys smiled, holding out his hand to Lucas but the tension was thick in the air. “I’m Rhys, Henley’s boyfriend.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face as Lucas took his hand, shaking it once. The elevator doors dinged behind us and slid open. I heard Gigi’s voice call out, “Oh, shit.”

  Oh, shit was right.

  A few seconds later she was by my side, sliding a bottle of clear alcohol into my hand. “Gigi, this is Rhys. Rhys, my best friend, Gigi.”

  He smiled his charming, lopsided grin and I was sure she was seconds away from melting into a puddle at his feet. He’d always had the effect on women.

  “We should go in my room,” I spoke up, wanting to chance a glance up at Lucas but I was too chicken. The night I’d called him away from a fun night with two girls under the guise of teaching him a lesson replayed in my head on an endless loop. I told myself he deserved it, but if I was honest, I was jealous. Karma had just come back to smack me in the face tenfold, and she hit like a motherfucker.

  I grabbed my key from my bag and slid it into the door handle with trembling fingers before twisting the knob and shoving it open. We filed inside the room that now felt suddenly so small. Rhys took one look at the two sides of the room before sinking down on my bed like he had every right to be on my covers, and under my skin.

  “Where you from, man?” Rhys asked, tipping his angular jaw up to Lucas who had his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

  “London.”

  Rhys nodded, impressed. “You going back there after you graduate?” He asked the question that had been burning a hole in my mind since I’d met him.

  Lucas’ glanced to me before looking back at Rhys. “I haven’t decided.”

  “Who wants a drink?” Gigi asked as she grabbed the bottle from my hand and held it in the air.

  Lucas’ eyes lingered on me as he sank down on Addy’s bed.

  “Where are you from?” Lucas asked as I grabbed a few cups and Gigi began to pour. I knew he was just being polite because he had to recognize Rhys from my prom picture, but I was thankful all the same. I grabbed my cup and drank down the contents, wincing at its sour taste before she filled it again.

  “Henley and I grew up together. High school sweethearts. She moved away for a few years but came back during her junior year.”

  I glanced over at him, forcing a smile. “Former high school sweethearts,” I corrected.

  “Right. We aren’t in high school anymore. It certainly shows.” His eyes dragged down my body, and as much as I struggled to fight against it, I felt my skin heat under his gaze.

  “What are you doing here, Rhys?” I asked, holding out his drink for him before sinking down on the edge of the bed, careful to keep some space between us.

  “I took leave. I wanted to see how you liked college.”

  “Leave from where?” There was more venom in my voice than I’d intended but the alcohol I’d consumed all night had drowned my filter.

  He hung his head, running his palm against his jaw as the muscles beneath his skin jumped. “I know I screwed up, Henley. But things are different now. I’m different now.”

  “So am I,” I replied, but there was no confidence behind my words. The truth was, I’d spent months crying over Rhys. I had loved him. That was a lie. The ache in my chest from the moment his brown eyes locked onto mine let me know I still very much cared about him.

  “Do you want us to go?” Lucas asked.

  “No.” My response came with urgency and Rhys didn’t miss my tone, his eyes narrowing at Lucas.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  LUCAS

  Rhys sat his cup down next to a stack of books at the end of the bed, not bothering to drink his shot.

  Coming to America was supposed to offer clarity about my life, not complicate it further but after last night, there was no denying that there was something between Henley and I.

  Henley looked incredibly uncomfortable, but I didn’t know if it was because Rhys was here or because I was. I expected her mother to pull something like this, but I didn’t think it would happen this quickly.

  “So, you’re in the military?” I asked, wanting to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen in the room.

  “Army,” he replied, looping his arm around Henley’s waist and pulling her closer to his side. “Just like Henley’s dad.” He smiled at her proudly, and she cringed.

  “Yup. Just like my stepdad. He disappeared too.”

  “I’m here now.” His eyes narrowed slightly before his expression became unreadable again.

  “How long you in town for?” I asked, trying not to sound annoyed by his presence.

  “I don’t have to report back until Monday. I thought maybe we could spend some time together,” His grip on Henley tightened, and my hand flexed, wanting to throw him out but it wasn’t my place. Henley would have to tell him to go if she didn’t want him here and it didn’t look like that was going to happen.

  “I have a roommate,” she spoke up.

  He chuckled, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. “I got a room just off campus for the night. I thought we could use the privacy,” his voice lowered as he leaned closer to her ear. She blanched, her eyes flicking up to mine before dropping to the floor. “But I didn’t think you’d be out so late. You never used to be a party animal.”

  His words reminded me of the first night I’d met Henley, convincing her to come out with me. There was something else behind his words, though, he wasn't playful as I had been. There was accusation in his tone, and as his eyes met mine, they narrowed. It also made me wonder what had ha
ppened after Henley’s prom that she didn’t want to talk about.

  “I have plans with my friends.”

  “They don’t have their own rooms?” He asked, his eyes looking from me to Gigi, silently pleading with us to give them privacy.

  Gigi cleared her throat and began to stand from where she’d sat beside me. I grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down before draping my arm over her shoulders. “This is Gigi’s bed, mate, and it’s nearly morning.”

  He eyed me for a moment before visibly relaxing and nodding his head when he realized I was here with Gigi and not Henley. “You’re right.” His eyes danced between us. “I don’t want to disrupt anything.” He turned to look at Henley who was now smiling. “I’m going to head to my room, and I’ll come by tomorrow. Is that okay? We need to talk. Alone.”

  Henley nodded as he pressed his lips against her forehead, his fingers ghosting down her cheek where my lips had been the night before.

  “It was nice meeting you,” He nodded as he pushed to his feet and made his way to the door. Henley stood behind him, tugging down her shirt before folding her arms across her chest.

  “Drive safely,” she whispered as he pulled open the door. He slipped out into the hall, and when she closed the door, she twisted the lock before her forehead fell against the wood.

  I removed my arm from Gigi’s shoulders, and she cleared her throat, sliding away and creating more distance between us. All of my questions for her would have to wait for another time.

  “You all right?” I asked as Henley turned to look at me, glassy-eyed with shoulders slumped.

  “Of course,” she replied, forcing a smile as Gigi grabbed the bottle.

  “I should get to bed,” Gigi called out, stifling a yawn. “Unless you want me to stay.”

  “No. I’m fine.”

  Gigi walked over to Henley, giving her a quick hug.

  “You sure?” She held her back at arm's length to look her over.

  Henley nodded, and we stared at each other as Gigi slipped out into the hall.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, and she quickly turned, digging in her small closet and pulling out a sheet for me.”

  “Nothing to talk about.”

  I nodded, spreading the sheet out over the bed as she turned out the light. Grabbing my shirt, I tugged it over my head and tossed it on the stand before sliding off my trousers.

  Henley slipped into her bed, and after a moment her breathing became labored as quiet sobs wracked her body. I wanted to be angry, but I knew Henley had nothing to do with this tosser showing up tonight. She hated it as much as I did.

  I listened to her for nearly an hour before the sound was becoming too painful to ignore. I pushed out of bed and slid behind her in hers. Her body stiffened.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice wavering.

  “Holding you,” I whispered into her hair as I pulled her closer until her back was pressed against my chest. She relaxed, and a few tears fell onto my arm. I felt horrible because I knew that he would show up eventually, I just didn’t know it would be so soon. I shouldn’t have gone to her room last night, and I shouldn’t be here now, but I couldn’t seem to just walk away.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I shushed her. “Don’t apologize for crying.” I should apologize for not warning you that your mother was going to interfere in your life because of me.

  She twisted in my arms as she spun to face me, her face only an inch from mine. “I didn’t think I was ever going to see him again.”

  I brushed her hair from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  She didn’t answer. Instead, her chin lifted, her mouth hovering dangerously close to mine. My hand moved lower, palming the back of her neck as my eyes began to adjust to the darkness.

  “Thank you for staying,” she whispered, her warm breath fanning against my skin. “You’re a good friend.”

  I pressed my lips against her hair as I closed my eyes, “That’s what I’m here for.”

  After a few more minutes she finally passed out from exhaustion, and I was able to close my eyes to a night of restless sleep.

  ***

  I awoke just after sunrise. Henley was still snuggled against my chest with her leg thrown over my hips, her skirt ridden up to her waist. I placed my palm against the smooth flesh of her upper thigh to move her, but she groaned, sliding her face up until her lips were against the crook of my neck and her leg hitched higher.

  I closed my eyes, rolling to my back as I removed her leg. She mumbled something, and I was able to get her to roll over so I could slip off the mattress.

  I grabbed the sheet draped over the other bed and laid it on her, not wanting to pull on her skirt while she was sleeping.

  I dressed quickly and slipped out of her room before she could wake up to regret having been pressed against me all night.

  ***

  The biting cold of the morning air did little to quelch the fire burning inside of me after spending the night holding someone who now seemed to belong to someone else. Part of me wanted to fight for her and show her that I wasn’t the guy she thought I was, but I also knew that my plan was to walk away from this place and never look back. Did I really want to put Henley through that?

  There was still the lingering question about Henley’s motives nagging at the back of my mind.

  I hurried up the stairs to my flat and slipped into my room, grabbing some money I had saved up for bills. I felt like shit for not just leaving her alone, and now I knew the guilt of what we’d done together was eating her up inside. I just wished I knew if she had been waiting for him to come back all along like her mother made it seem. Was she really just using me until he returned?

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  HENLEY

  I rolled over, groaning as my fingers fanned out over my bed, my hand gliding over the empty sheet.

  I reluctantly opened my eyes, blinking against the harsh intrusion of the light as I inhaled the lingering scent of Lucas’ cologne.

  I pushed myself from the bed and grabbed some supplies, hurrying down to the shower so I could wash the stale smell of smoke and liquor from my skin.

  ***

  “You’re back,” I said, clearing my throat, my voice hoarse from a night of partying.

  Addy spun around as she put in a gold hoop earring. “Yeah, it was too cold to even go in the water.”

  “Sorry,” I muttered as I put away my shower stuff and hung my damp towel up over my closet door to dry.

  “Some cute guy stopped by to see you.”

  I spun around, smiling as I thought about Lucas’ tattooed arms around me all night.

  “Yeah. When I told him you weren’t here, he asked for your roommate Gigi,” her eyebrows pulled together before she shook her head. “And her boyfriend, Lucas.” I felt the color drain from my face. Rhys was here.

  “What did you tell him?”

  She shrugged, tugging her top down before pushing her bra up higher to reveal more cleavage. “That he had the wrong floor for Gigi and the wrong girl for Lucas.”

  “The wrong girl,” I repeated. Suddenly, everything I’d drank last night threatened to resurface. I sank down on the edge of my bed with my hand over my mouth. “Did he say anything else?”

  “No. Just told me to let you know he’d see you later. Swank at five.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered, pulling on a pair of jeans and a plain gray t-shirt. “If he stops by again can you tell him I had to run some errands?”

  “Sure,” she replied with a smile as I twisted my damp hair up into a bun and secured it with a hair tie.

  ***

  I dug my phone from my bag and sent a text to Gigi about the latest nail in my coffin as I made my way to the bar to do some prep work and get in a few extra hours. I struggled to keep my mind off of Rhys and what it was that he needed to talk to me about.

  I’d been dreading the day he would show up at my door, but
it had been so long I assumed he’d moved on with his life.

  “You okay?” Milo asked as I looked up from my work.

  “Fine. Why?” I plastered on a fake smile, and he shook his head.

  “You just put the lemons in with the olives.”

  I glanced down at the mixed dish. “Shit.” I grabbed the slices and lifted them from the container. “I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Want to talk about it?” He asked, taking the knife from my hand and slicing up the last two lemons.

  “I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” I groaned as I turned to the small sink and washed my hands. “Speaking of which, do you think I could get off for a few hours tonight?”

  “It’s Halloween weekend, and I have the new buyer coming by for a walk through.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

  He stared at me for a moment before he shook his head. “Fine. But let’s not make a habit of it.”

  “Thank you.”

  ***

  Around three my phone vibrated with a text from Lucas asking me what I was up to. I sent him back a quick message letting him know I was at work for a little bit longer. I wasn’t surprised when he slipped through the front door of the Dive Bar.

  “Fancy a drink?” I asked, giving him a smile. He laughed, pulling out a stool at the bar.

  “I thought you were on cleanup duty, yeah,” he said with a wink as I handed him a bottle.

  “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

  He nursed his beer while watching me clean. “When are you meeting your boyfriend?”

  My good mood deflated as I ran the rag across the counter. “Five. He’s taking me to Swank.” I raised an eyebrow.

  “I thought that was our thing.” He feigned being hurt, and I tossed the rag at him.

  “You’ve never taken me there.”

  “I let you bite my stuffed mushrooms.”

  I sighed, shaking my head. “How did you manage to make the sound like a euphemism?”

  His lip twisted up in a smirk as he winked and suddenly I was smiling again. “It’s the accent.”

  I rolled my eyes as I pulled open the dishwasher, a roll of steam billowing out over the top and into my face.