“He won’t find out,” I said firmly. “Anyway, you told me to come home.” I glanced at my dad. We got our height from him, Connor looked more like our mom, softer. I had my dad’s sharp angles, hard planes, shrewdness. There was no way he could deny I was his son. The only main difference was I’m slightly taller, my eyes a lighter shade of green. Apparently, I got the green from my grandmother as dad’s eye colour was more muted. I had the same vibrant green that made people look twice, questioning the authenticity of their naturalness.
“I told you to come home to your brother.” He glanced at me in resignation, “I didn’t tell you to come home to go straight to her.” His tone was disapproving.
“Ari’s too gentle, Dad. There was no way she knew what was happening.” I sighed and dropped my head in my hands. “You know this as well as I do. It’s one of the reasons you don’t like her,” I reminded him.
“She’s too soft,” he agreed. “She’s no good for you. Weakness is no use in our world son.” A moan from Connor brought our attention back to him. “Even without this complication, she will never be a good fit for you. You need someone strong. Like you.” He clasped my shoulder as he went back over to Connor and crouched down beside him as Connor began to stir properly.
Arielle wasn’t weak; she was strong. She just didn’t know it yet. I watched as my dad helped Connor to his feet, my little brother glared at me as he pushed his hair out of his eyes. I shrugged as he cursed at me. I loved my brother, I did. He was my little brother, after all. I had been looking out for him since he was born. When our mom died, I became more than his older brother—I was his protector, his confidant—in a way I became his other parent. Wherever I went, he went. Yes, he was a pain in the butt, he wasn’t as sharp or as clever as Matt or Theo, but he wasn’t stupid. He fit in well, the only thing that let him down was his temper, and his selfishness. But he was my brother. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. That we wouldn’t do for him.
I hated the fact that out of all the girls in Big Sky I had gone and fallen for his girlfriend. I hated the fact that he treated her with such disrespect and I absolutely loathed the fact that Arielle let him. In the beginning it was simply just a crush and you could tell she was a bit in awe. The night I met her, she looked like a rabbit in the headlights. She was so out of her depth I had found it amusing and I hadn’t spared her a second glance. Then he brought her around again. She was still so unsure, but Connor was captivated with her. Then Matt and Theo began to hang out with her, not because of Connor, because of her. She was quick-witted, clever, and fun.
Then one day it happened. She was sitting at the pool, in cut-off jeans, a tank top, a weathered paperback glued to her hands and headphones on. A full party was happening around her and she was cut off from it all, in her own world with music and a book. Connor handed her a soda and she took it and put it to the side. It was grape, she hated grape and I remember I frowned at this; I knew that she hated grape soda, why didn’t he? He was being his usual boisterous self, showing off for friends, who weren’t really his friends. Matt and Theo were flirting with one of the cheerleaders and I knew the cheerleader was about to go inside with both of them. I needed to remind them to use the guest bedroom, they weren’t doing that shit in my room, not again.
I had a girl on my lap, she was rubbing against me and although she was making all the right moves, she wasn’t doing a thing for me. I was watching Ari, waiting to see how long it would take her to get up from under her book and change her soda. I picked the girl up off my lap and put her aside. Standing I caught Theo before he disappeared inside and reminded him where the rubbers were and which room to use. I went to the pool bar and got a Coke. Walking past Ari, I took the grape soda and gave her the Coke instead. Huge grey eyes looked at me in gratitude and she smiled. I stopped and looked at her, and just like that, I was as lost to her as the rest of them. Connor doused me with water breaking her spell, covering both me and her with the water. Soaking her book. As a result of Connor’s unthinking actions that day, when it was her seventeenth birthday, I got her an e-reader. You would have thought I had given her the sun, moon, and stars. I fell harder for her that day because, the smile and hug she gave me, you would have thought she had given me the sun, moon, and the stars.
After the birthday party, Matt, Theo, and I had headed to the car and even now, I remembered their teasing of how I felt about Ari.
“Jesus, you’ve got it bad,” Matt said as we left Ari’s house.
“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning innocence. He and Theo both laughed.
“You can bullshit with anyone else Cole, but not us.” Theo nudged my shoulder. “You’re head over heels.”
“I dunno what you mean,” I opened the SUV and we all got in. I started the car and we waited.
“She’s definitely someone to fall in love with,” Matt said softly as we watched her come out of the house holding Connor’s hand. He wrapped her in his arms and buried his head in her neck. I looked away, the stab in my chest wasn’t something I wanted to feel, especially about my own brother.
“You like her?” I tried to keep my voice neutral. The burn of jealously was back; I couldn’t compete with Matt. Ari adored him.
“I love her,” Matt said easily. “She’s like the sister I actually like.” He grinned at me from the passenger seat. “Your brother needs to treat her better or we’re going to have a problem.” His eyes were hard as he watched them.
“A huge problem,” Theo agreed from the back seat.
“Don’t tell me you love her too?” I mocked, looking at him in the rear-view mirror.
“She’s Lil Bit,” Theo shrugged. “She’s one of us.” Like that explained everything.
“Huh,” I grunted.
“Let’s put it simply bro,” Theo leaned forward. “We don’t feel for her like you do. Hell, not even like your brother should.”
“You really shouldn’t say bro,” I muttered as I turned to watch Connor kiss her. She turned her head away and he kissed her cheek instead. I felt strangely satisfied that he couldn’t kiss her, that she didn’t want his kiss.
“Well I can’t do anything about it,” I said softly as I watched Connor walk over to the car. “He’s my little brother and she’s everything to him.”
“He’s going to fuck it up,” Matt muttered. “If he hasn’t already.”
“Colton, your help would be appreciated,” my dad’s voice brought me back to the present and I went over to him and Connor. “Family meeting,” Dad said as he left the pool area and I rang Matt.
“You drop her off?” I asked as I watched Connor follow Dad out. “She okay?”
“Yeah, her dad just left. Think him and the mom are fighting again. You want me to stay?” Matt asked.
“No, family meeting. I might need you here. Think Con’s pissed and I dunno Matt… I might hit him again,” I admitted.
“Well I wouldn’t want to miss that.” Matt chuckled and I heard him start the engine. “Bit’s said I’m good to go. I’m on my way.”
“You can’t keep acting like this Connor,” Dad said tiredly as he took another drink of bourbon. “I can’t keep paying your classmates to look the other way.” He looked at me and I fought the eye roll.
“Connor—” I began.
“I’m not talking to you,” he cut me off.
I snapped my mouth shut before I said something that would make the situation worse. I looked at Matt once, but his head was bowed, his knuckles white. Yeah, he wasn’t going to be much help here. “I’m sorry I hit you.” My dad looked at me in surprised gratitude. “You came at me Con, you know I’m going to swing first and think later.” My jaw was going to break if I clenched it any harder. Matt’s head had snapped up and he was staring at me. He better shut his mouth, or he was going to give the game away.
“You don’t mean it.” Connor was looking at me with suspicion.
“Of course, I mean it. You know I would never hurt you.” Dear Lord, forgive me for my lies. We
weren’t religious, Mom had been, and she used to take us to Sunday school. When she died, Dad had stopped attending saying that there was nothing to believe in. Anything that could take her from us wasn’t worth believing in. I tended to agree with him but sometimes, like now, I slipped.
“Why didn’t you stop him?” Connor turned accusing eyes on Matt.
“I was worried you might hurt Ari,” Matt said simply. No sugar-coating it, nothing. I glared at him. His eyes met mine and I could almost see him shrugging at me.
“I would never hurt Ari!” Connor was angry again.
Fuck me.
“Well it didn’t look like that to me.” Matt sat down on the couch and stretched his legs out. Absolutely unbothered with the whole situation. “I moved Ari. If you’re gonna raise your fist to someone, be prepared for them to hit you back. Jesus Con, it’s basic fighting one oh one.”
I snorted. I couldn’t help it. Matt grinned at me.
“You’re both pricks.” Connor stormed out. Well that went as expected.
“Really? That’s your help?” Dad asked us.
“Sorry,” we both muttered. I bit back my grin. Matt’s head was down, but I could see he was grinning too.
“I’m going to the country club. Try to have this mess sorted before I come back.” Dad sighed, “Please.”
“Yes Dad.” I waited until he was gone before I sat beside Matt. “Basic fighting 101?” I snorted again and then we were both laughing. I heard Connor’s phone ringing. It was on the mantelpiece. “He left his phone,” I muttered. The ringtone was a generic one. “I suppose I could shout for him.” I got up and instead of calling for him, I answered it.
“Hello.”
“Connor?” Her whispered voice sounded wrong, but I knew who it was, I was instantly alarmed.
My eyes flew to Matt’s. “Ari? Arielle are you okay? It’s Cole. Ari, tell me what’s wrong.” I could feel a knot of panic in my throat.
“I killed my mother, Colton.”
“What? Ari? Ari!” I was shouting. I knew I was shouting; I was also running for the front door. Matt wasn’t far behind me and I heard Connor running down the stairs.
“Is that my phone? Why do you have my phone?”
“Shut up.” I redialled the number. “Matt, drive!” I got in the SUV. The phone rang and rang. “Fuck.”
“What’s happening?” Matt was calm beside me, but I could see the muscle ticking in his cheek.
“I don’t know,” I growled out. “Why the fuck isn’t she answering?” The question was rhetoric, they didn’t know anything more than I did. I slammed my hand against the dashboard.
“Are you giving me my phone?” Connor demanded.
“No.”
“It’s my phone.”
“I swear if you don’t shut up, I’ll throw you out of this fucking car, Con.” I tried her number again. “C’mon Ari, answer the phone.”
“You’re freaking me out Cole,” Matt said softly. “I need to know what we’re walking into.”
“She said she killed her mother.”
“What the fuck?” Connor who had been leaning forward, slumped back. “Do we phone the cops?”
“No!” Both Matt and I answered.
“No,” I repeated. “I need to see what we’re dealing with.” I ran my hand over my hair. I tried her number again.
“We’re here,” Matt said.
I was out of the car and across the road before he had fully stopped. I ran into the kitchen and pulled up short. A body ran into the back of me and made me stumble forward, my arm shot out stopping them from moving forward.
“Ari!” Connor cried, as he tried to get past me.
“Don’t,” I warned. “Matt.”
“Got him.”
I nodded as I took step forward. What the fuck happened in here? It was too much to process. There were broken plates and glass everywhere, the harsh glare of the kitchen light shone off the crockery and the glass. I saw Ari lying in a heap beside the phone. I fought every molecule in my body that screamed at me to run to her. The blood. Oh God, the blood was everywhere. My eyes couldn’t take it in. I couldn’t process it all. Her mother lay slumped over the table, blood still dripped from the table onto the floor, a bottle of whiskey lay at her feet. Her dead eyes stared at the hall door. She was definitely dead, I could tell that from here. I looked at the floor. Where the fuck did I put my feet?
I needed to get to Ari. “Call the police,” I told Matt. I picked my way over to Ari. “Don’t come in. It’s bad enough I’m going in.”
I crouched down beside her, turning her over, her eyes closed, her usually pale face was bone white, but she was breathing. She was covered in blood, I checked her quickly, her hands were cut, some small nicks to her arms, nothing that seemed serious. The blood must be her mothers. I lifted her and carried her to a chair that wasn’t overturned and wasn’t covered in debris. I sat and settled her onto my lap. She shouldn’t be on this floor; it wasn’t safe for her. Why wasn’t she coming around? I looked up at Matt who was still in the doorway and he was still holding Connor back as he spoke on the phone. His taller frame blocking Connor’s view, I took advantage and dipped my head into her neck, breathing her in.
Come on baby, why aren’t you waking up? Wake up for me.
“Is she okay, Cole?” My brothers voice pulled me out of my selfish desire. His voice was quiet, he sounded scared, concerned. I was a bastard.
“I don’t know,” my voice was gruff. I cleared my throat. “Are they coming?” I asked Matt. He nodded. Connor took advantage and ducked under his arm and was in the kitchen. Matt went to grab for him and missed.
“Holy fuck, what happened?” Connor looked around in awe. “Jesus Christ, what did that crazy bitch do?”
Matt swore and ended up following him in. The two of them stood in the middle of the kitchen dumbstruck, both of them stared at Ari’s dead mother.
“There’s no way Bit did this,” Matt said to me.
“Of course not,” I grunted, my arms tightening on her.
“Why won’t she wake up?” Connor demanded. “You should give her to me.”
“I’m not moving her again,” I couldn’t meet his eyes. I wasn’t giving her to anyone, they would need to fight me for her. “I probably shouldn’t have moved her in the first place.”
“Elle! Elle!”
Her dad came running through the door the same time the police arrived. Chaos ensued. I felt them all, I felt their stares but all I could do was watch her, I saw her eyelids flicker.
“She’s waking up,” I called to her dad. She stirred, automatically pulling away from me. That wasn’t happening. “Shh, Lil Bit, I’ve got you.” Wide grey eyes met mine and for a brief moment, I saw her relax before she looked around the room and the horror of the evening came rushing back to her.
“Elle baby, it’s me, can you tell me what happened?” Her dad was in front of us, crouching down, looking at her. He looked fucking terrible. I felt sorry for him.
“Daddy? She’s dead?” Ari’s soft whisper had me strengthening my hold on her. Her dad started to cry as he nodded his confirmation. She turned her head into my shoulder as the sobs ripped out of her. I rubbed her back as she cried, trying to give her whatever comfort I could.
“Shh, I’ve got you. You’re safe,” I whispered. I felt her leaning into me more, she seemed to relax even as her arms tightened around my neck. Her face burrowing into the crook of my neck made me want to just stand up and carry her out of here. Take her home and wrap her up in my bed and hold her until she slept. Until I could fight this nightmare away for her. Suddenly she jerked back away from me and tried to get off my lap. She took me by surprise and I almost let her go. Her dad calling her name startled her, she turned to look at him, forgetting she was trying to get off me.
“What happened here, honey?” he asked her.
“It was me...” she started to say. The room gasped as one, I cursed her and her stupid honesty. I saw Jeff recoil.
“It was Elle that found her like this. Can’t we let her get cleaned up and the body moved before we do this?” I cut through their dramatics and theatrics. Anyone looking at Ari would know that this was never her. They were all idiots.
“Coroner has to get here, and we need to examine the witness for evidence,” the detective said.
“Her name’s Arielle. Not witness and not suspect,” Connor griped at him, did he know he wasn’t helping? He had tried to touch her earlier, but she’d shaken him off. In fact, she had almost glued herself to me, not that I was complaining, but in the presence of my brother, I felt more guilty than ever.
The detective reprimanded Connor, which to be fair he deserved. He suggested she be moved to another room. She tried to stand but her gasp of pain had me lifting her into my arms again. Her feet were sliced up, there was no way she was walking like that, so I carried her through to the dining room. I sat her in a chair and sat next to her. The officers looked at me and I looked back. They could fuck off if they thought I was leaving her. Ari grabbed my hand and entwined her fingers with mine.
“Can he stay?” she asked them.
I wasn’t leaving you baby. I squeezed her hand letting her know I was there. I checked her head when she told us about the bitch hitting her with the bottle, that’s why she was out for so long. I almost wish I could bring her back from the dead so I could kill her again. I could feel my anger building. I heard Ari relate what her mother had said about Ari and me, I kept a hold of her hand and met the speculative looks from her father and the cops head on. Had her mother seen the way I looked at Ari when Connor wasn’t looking? Had Ari? I pushed the thought from my head. This wasn’t the time or the place.
“We’ll take you to the hospital,” the detective told her. “You can let go of him now,” he said it jokingly, nodding at our hands. Ari stared at him uncomprehendingly. “Okay then.” With a soft whistle the detective left us alone.
Cole: A Boulder Series Novella Page 2