Broken Butterfly: Fallen Brook Series: Book 3

by Jennilynn Wyer

  “You marked me last night,” she says, pointing at her neck to the love bite I gave her. “So, I’m marking you. I’m claiming you. You’re mine, Ryder, just as I am yours.”

  “I have always been yours, Elizabeth,” I tell her and pull her on top of me. She nestles her wet heat on top of my hard length. I cradle her gorgeous tits and she gives me a smile of delicious awareness. Just as she lifts up to take me inside of her, a loud, thudding knock jolts us and we both scowl at the door.

  “It’s noon and I’m bored!” Fallon shouts from the other side.

  “Hold on!” I yell back, sitting up, and kissing Elizabeth’s laughing mouth. “Get some clothes on, baby.”

  We quickly dress and I unlock the door. Fallon struts in, looks between the two of us, and grabs Elizabeth by the waist, flinging her over his shoulder.

  “Fallon!” she shrieks.

  “Sexy time is over folks. I have a car coming in an hour to pick us up. Your parentals want to spend some time with us before we leave. Chop, chop! Before I forget, hoss, I had someone pick up your car. It’s parked at Elizabeth’s.” He disappears downstairs with my girl. I listen to her sweet giggles.

  I’m not going to ask how he got my car seeing as I have the keys. Fallon has his ways and I rarely question them. We’re heading back to CU today. Back to our regular life. I’m looking forward to having Elizabeth under the same roof with me again. Just the two of us. And hopefully no more cockblocking distractions.

  Chapter 20

  It’s Sunday afternoon and classes resume tomorrow. Fallon, Ryder, and I got back yesterday evening. We ordered takeout and watched movies while piled together on my living room sofa. Fallon left around midnight to go back to his frat house. Ryder and I took advantage of our first night back. I woke up this morning totally blissed out, a little sore, and so much in love with Ryder. It wouldn’t surprise me if I’m surrounded by a cloud of sparkly rainbow glitter as I walk across campus to the freshman dorms. I see a few people I know from class and wave. Chelsea, a girl in my organic chem class who sits next to me and Julien, stops when she sees me entering McKlellan Dorm, Meredith’s dorm.

  “Where have you been?”

  “Hey, Chels. I was out of town.”

  “Oh. I thought you’d dropped out or something. You’ve been gone for like a month and that really hot guy, Julien, that you hang out with wouldn’t tell me what happened to you.”

  She and I walk together to the elevators. “Anything new going on in class?”

  “Only the test that was on the syllabus. Oh! You missed Heath’s firebomb in the lab.”

  The elevator doors open, and we step inside. I press the button for the third floor.

  “What happened?”

  Chelsea has long, straight black hair that she’s always twirling around her finger when she talks. I don’t think she realizes that she does it.

  “He dropped a ball of potassium in a beaker of water and it exploded.”

  “Was everybody okay?” Heath is the class clown. I guess every college has them, just like high school.

  “Let’s just say, Heath won’t be returning to lab. The professor kicked him out. He’s also under academic probation because he snuck into the storage lab to get the potassium without permission. Did you go on a trip or something?”

  The elevator stops and we get off. I lean back against the wall. “Fallon took me to London, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, some town in Iceland that I can hardly pronounce correctly, Venice, and Sydney…” I trail off when I see her eyes go Jupiter-wide. “What?”

  “Fallon? As in Fallon Montgomery?” she practically shouts, her voice getting higher and higher as she says his name. Several girls walking down the hall cut-off in mid-conversation and look at us.

  Oh boy. “Um, yes. He’s a friend. My boyfriend, Ryder, came with us for the last half.”

  “Ryder Cutton?” Again with the shocked yelling, and more girls staring at me. I nod slowly. “You’re friends with Fallon Montgomery and you’re dating Ryder Cutton? Fuck my life!” She throws up her hands in the air. “You lucky bitch.” Then she grins sheepishly when she sees all the other girls eavesdropping in the hallway.

  I’ve now become the campus prized pony. Perhaps an accident on the side of the road based on all the rubbernecking going on in the hallway right now. I narrow my eyes at each of the eavesdropping girls. They break away, whispering excitedly, as they walk down the hall with an occasional head swivel back our way.

  “Thanks for that,” I tell her.

  Chelsea has the presence of mind to look sincerely apologetic. “Sorry. But holy mother of all that’s hot and sexy. You are in the inner circle of two of the hottest guys on campus.” Her phone dings. “Oh, crap! I was supposed to meet my boyfriend like ten minutes ago. See you in class?”

  “You bet.”

  “And we’re definitely having lunch together soon. Maybe a double date,” she calls as she rushes back to the elevators.

  I walk down the long hall. Finding the room number that I’m looking for, I tentatively rap on the door. Several other dorm room doors are open and the sounds of talking and music filter into the hallway. I knock a little louder. Seconds later, it opens.

  “I’m so freaking mad at you.” Meredith stands with her hands fisted against her hips like a pissed-off fairy. In the month since I last saw her, her hair has gotten longer.

  “I know. I came to apologize. I brought you presents,” I add, holding out the bag of wrapped items I bought for her while in Europe and Australia.

  She taps her foot, waiting.

  “My memory returned.”

  “Well, shit. Come in,” she huffs and backs up to allow me to enter. Before the door closes, she throws her arms around me. I’m seven inches taller than she is so it’s like hugging a little sister.

  “I’ve missed you, Mer.”

  “Apology accepted.”

  My body trembles with laughter. “Just like that?”

  Meredith shoves me over to her bed and pushes me down to sit. “Just like that. That’s what friends do. But you still owe me an explanation. And give me that bag.”

  I hand it over. “That I do.”

  “Did your memory really come back?” she asks while tearing into the wrapping paper of the first present.

  “All of it. I have a lot to tell you.”

  “Elizabeth, this is gorgeous!” she exclaims when she opens the box and sees the silver charm bracelet I got her.

  “I picked out a charm for you at every place we stopped.” I show her. “An NYC for New York City, a snowflake for Iceland, a Union Jack for London, the Eiffel Tower for Paris, a windmill for Amsterdam, a flower for Barcelona, a gondola boat for Venice, and a kangaroo for Sydney.”

  “I definitely forgive you now,” she says and clasps the bracelet on her wrist.

  “But you said you already forgave me.”

  “That was my metaphorical forgiveness. This is my literal forgiveness.”

  “I missed you, Mer,” I tell her again. She leans over and hugs me again, and we both giggle.

  “Selfie!” she says, taking out her phone. We press cheek-to-cheek for the picture, sticking our tongues out, and making devil horns with our hands. She shares the picture with my phone, then types out something I can’t see before putting her phone down.

  Meredith walks over and grabs her hairbrush and some hair clips from her desk. “You know I’m not a keep-still-kind-of girl with my ADHD. Have to stay busy. So while you spill, I’m going to play with your hair. What happened to the pink?”

  “It faded out. I’m thinking of maybe doing blue streaks next, or possibly green to match my eyes.”

  She glides the brush down my hair. “I really liked the pink.”

  “Pink it is.”

  While Meredith twists and messes with my hair, I tell her everything. I don’t leave anything out. By the time my voice is tired from talking, Meredith has given me a hairstyle fit for a debutante ball.

  “Holy shit, Elizabeth
. That’s a lot to take in. Like, a lot, a lot. I think I need a drink.” She goes over to a minifridge and pulls out a wine cooler and offers me one. I decline since I drove here, but that doesn’t stop her from guzzling hers down.

  “Enough about me. What’s been going on with you? How’s Trevor?” There’s a knock at the door and then it opens.

  “Speaking of Trevor.”

  “Heard my wildcat is back.”

  “Trevor!” I squeal and jump into his hug. He squeezes me tight and lifts me up. “How did you know I was here?”

  “I texted him,” Meredith says.

  “Heard my brother kidnapped you.”

  “Other way around. I kidnapped Fallon. Do I need to apologize to you too?”

  “For what? Taking a trip?” He sets me back down and grabs the beer Meredith holds out to him. She’s younger than I am. How does she have a secret stash of booze in her dorm room?

  “That trip pissed a lot of people off.”

  “Well, that’s just stupid as fuck,” he says.

  “I hurt a lot of people with my sudden disappearance, but I appreciate your comment.”

  He tilts his head to the side taking me in, and it reminds me so much of Fallon that I can’t help but smile. “I like your hair,” he says in amusement.

  “I did it,” Meredith chirps happily.

  I sit back down on Meredith’s bed and Trevor takes the spot next to me. Meredith sits in her desk chair.

  “Look what Elizabeth gave me.” She shows off her charm bracelet to him.

  “I have something for you too,” I tell him, “but I wasn’t expecting to see you today. I’ll bring it to class tomorrow.”

  “Tell him about Iceland. Actually, tell him everything. I want to hear it again.”

  “A lot of it involves Fallon,” I tell Trevor.

  “Yeah. Lay it on me.”

  And I do. In the middle of my retelling, Meredith’s roommate, Sara, joins us. She was going to do my Halloween makeup before I left with Fallon. I apologize profusely to her for bailing at the last minute, but she waves me off like it’s no big deal. The four of us sit and chat for a while, catching up on things. As I get to know Sara better, Meredith goes through another wine cooler or three. Sara’s from Iowa and is an art history major. We’re laughing hysterically at a cow-tipping story from her high school days, when my phone pings as a text comes in.

  MyBoyfriend: Hey, babe. When u coming home?

  I changed Ryder’s tag from Hellcat to MyBoyfriend yesterday. Fallon gave me back my phone the morning after Ryder arrived in Venice. I’ve been overly protective of it ever since.

  Me: Didn’t realize the time. Have been here with Meredith, Trevor, and Sara. Leaving soon. Want me to pick up anything?

  MyBoyfriend: Made dinner. Just waiting for u.

  That wonderful man. I decide that he’ll get treated to a blowjob in the shower when I get home. Dinner can wait.

  Me: Give me 15. Put food on to warm. U get dessert first.

  MyBoyfriend: Dammit Elizabeth. You can’t say stuff like that to me when ur not here for me to get my hands on u. Hurry home.

  I hit video call. Ryder’s handsome, unshaven face pops on screen. I don’t think I’ll ever want him to grow a full beard, but the stubble I like very much. I have stubble scratches between my legs and all over my torso from last night.

  “Hey, baby!”

  “Now you’re just being a tease. I said I wanted to get my hands on you, not look at you on a video screen.”

  “Is that Ryder Cutton?” Sara loudly whispers to Meredith.

  “You’re quite the infamous man on campus today. I had about a half a dozen girls swoon in the hallway at the mention of your and Fallon’s names.”

  “And just think, you get me all to yourself.”

  “Damn straight! Ryder, this is Sara, Meredith’s roomie.” Sara turns every shade of red and pink imaginable when I turn my phone’s screen her way then back to me.

  “Your hair looks very nice,” Ryder says to me.

  Meredith yells out, “I did that!”

  “How are you doing, man?” Trevor asks him offscreen.

  “Better now I have my woman back. Thanks for everything, by the way.”

  “Wait. What did you do?” I poke Trevor’s leg.

  “For me to know and for you to find out.”

  “Now I’m curious.” Meredith sticks her head in the camera view. “Hi, Ryder.”

  “Hey, Meredith.”

  “Elizabeth and I kissed and made up. Well, not really kissed, but you get what I mean. I promise not to blow up your phone anymore.”

  “Leave the poor guy alone,” Trevor tells her.

  “Geesh, just because you sleep with a guy once or twice, he thinks he can boss you around.”

  I splutter and Trevor’s face heats. “She really needs a filter,” Trevor says.

  “She may be a little tipsy from the three wine coolers she guzzled,” I point out.

  Meredith falls over on top of me, hugging me fiercely. “I’m glad you’re back. We need a girl’s night.”

  Ryder gives up trying to have a conversation with us. “Hey babe. I’m hanging up. Hurry home. Love you.”

  Trevor takes my phone and points it down at me and Meredith. Meredith presses her cheek to mine and we both grin up at Ryder. “Be home soon. Love you back.”

  Meredith and I purse our lips in twin kissy puckers at Ryder.

  “You guys are so fucking cute,” he chuckles again and hangs up.

  “Trevor, a little help here,” I plead when Meredith starts kissing my cheek enthusiastically.

  Trevor lifts her up and off me. “Coffee for you, my friend,” he tells her and hands her off to Sara.

  Meredith hugs Sara like she was hugging me. “I have the bestest roomie and the bestest friend and the bestest fuck buddy.”

  “Don’t even ask me how she is at parties,” Trevor deadpans.

  “Walk me out?” I ask him. I know Trevor is big on that kind of thing as he usually walks Meredith to her dorm after our study sessions. “It was so nice to finally meet you, Sara,” I say, flashing a friendly smile as she struggles to push a very affectionate Meredith off her.

  “You too, Elizabeth. Hope to see you around.”

  “Why don’t we all go to Belly’s this Friday night?”

  “I love their karaoke nights,” Sara replies. “I’m in.”

  “Me, too!” Meredith excitedly agrees, leaping off Sara and engulfing me in another hug.

  Trevor, once again, has to pry me free of Meredith and pushes me out into the hallway. As we walk to the elevators, two of the eavesdropping girls I recognize from earlier are walking toward us. They stop and gawk as Trevor and I get on the elevator.

  “That’s one of the guys, Trevor Montgomery. What a slut. Can you believe five guys at once?”

  Hearing what the girl says, Trevor throws his hand out to stop the elevator doors from closing. “You bitches need to watch your mouths.”

  The Trevor before me is the one from Fallon’s party. The one who said he would hit Maria and Jacinda if they didn’t apologize to me. This Trevor is a bit scary. And since when did I become the hot topic of campus gossip? I feel like I’m missing something.

  “Now fuck off,” Trevor angrily tells them, and the two girls scamper quickly down the hall. “Sorry about that,” he says to me as the elevator doors close. “Do you know what in the hell they were talking about?”

  “Not a clue,” I answer. “I appreciate you standing up for me, Trevor, but you can’t go around threatening girls all the time.”

  “They disrespected you. Besides, I would never lift a finger against a woman. But I’m not going to filter my words when a girl is being a straight-up bitch. Come on. Let me walk you to your car.”

  “How did you know I drove here?”

  “Wildcat, you always drive to campus.”

  True.

  “Hey Trevor? If I asked you to do something for me with no questions asked
, would you?” I want to start working on my plan to build a bridge between Fallon and Trevor.

  “Let me turn that around on you. Do you trust me, Elizabeth?”

  I give him a hard, considering appraisal. “Yes-ish?” I laugh at his facial expression, and he shoves my shoulder in jest. “Yes, Trevor. I trust you.”

  “Then, the answer is yes to your question.”

  We reach where my car is parked in the student lot. Trevor leans on the hood as I fish my keys out of my pocket. “You look good, wildcat. Happier.”

  “Fallon is a big part of that. Ryder too. You know Meredith likes you, right? Why haven’t you asked her out?”

  He shifts from one foot to the other. “I’ve got some stuff I need to finish. Things to deal with before I graduate. Besides, I’ll be out of here in a few months. Why start a relationship that I would just have to break off in May, you know?”

  “If you really like someone, you could find a way to make it work. But what you’re saying makes sense.”

  “Besides, the best girl on campus is already taken.” He winks at me and I punch his arm. “See you in class, wildcat.”

  “Bye, Trevor.”

  I text Ryder to let him know I’m on my way. I get in my car and lock the door, then I flip through a few texts that I haven’t read yet.

  Tatiána: Eduardo won’t let me do anything. He thinks pregnancy means I’m helpless.

  Tatiána and I have been texting each other almost daily since she and Eduardo left Barcelona and went back to Madrid.

  Me: They say pregnancy hormones make you horny. Go screw his brains out. Men will agree to anything after sex.

  I hit send knowing it’s the middle of the night in Spain, so she won’t see my text until the morning.

  I read Fallon’s text next. He’s checking up on me. I send him a response and tell him I’ll drop by his frat tomorrow after my chem class. I read Jayson’s text. He wants to do breakfast tomorrow morning. I send him a thumbs up, but I don’t tell him that I’ll be there early to catch Julien as he leaves for his morning run. I may be ambushing Julien, but enough is enough. This ignoring each other crap is getting old.

  Then I read the last text.

  Unknown: I’m coming for you.