“I missed you, too,” she said, tilting her head up to me, her lips parted ever so slightly.
God, those lips…
She broke into my thoughts by saying, “I have to go, Sawyer. I told Will I’d help him settle in.”
I knew what that meant. I knew what she was saying without saying outright. It was unreasonably hard for me to imagine Ash with Will when I felt like a stranger to her, having missed so much in her life late last semester.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll see you later, then.”
“Yeah. That would be nice.”
I gave her a smile before leaving, though the moment I was out in the hall, the smile faded. The last thing I wanted to do was leave her, let her go to Will. While it was selfish of me, I wanted to stay in that room and acquaint myself with every part of her. I wanted to hear her whisper my name while I was inside her, feel those nails on my back. Ash could get crazy; I bet she was wild under the covers, too.
Shit. Shouldn’t be thinking about that.
It wasn’t just sex, though. I wanted everything she had to give.
One step at a time.
Chapter Three – Ash
Sawyer was back. Sawyer was back and he looked hella good. Like, how he should’ve looked all last semester. A clean Sawyer was a ridiculously sexy Sawyer, apparently. I could not believe how much my body responded to his. I wanted to yell at that place between my legs, scold it. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been getting plenty of dick with my multiple boyfriends—I didn’t need anymore.
But it was Sawyer, and I’d always had a thing for Sawyer.
Damn it. That was no excuse. That was like cheating on Will, Declan, and Travis, and I wasn’t that kind of girl.
No. I had to keep my body and my thoughts in check when it came to Sawyer. Things were finally good now, and the last thing I wanted to do was screw up and ruin everything.
I waited in my dorm room for a few moments, hoping that Sawyer had left before heading out and going to meet Will and Declan. Will had to get an apartment just off campus, since the school year was already in full-swing. That was fine though, because it meant privacy. He could’ve stayed in their house, but…Will didn’t want to live in that house alone. The house, I thought, only reminded him of his father. I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to be there more than he had to be.
It was okay. The place was literally right off campus, just two streets away, in the opposite direction as Sawyer’s house. And Will’s place was an actual apartment, not a house, surrounded by other apartments. It’d be a nice change of scenery.
As I walked to the apartment building, I swore at myself in my head. Shouldn’t have hugged him. Shouldn’t have touched him at all. Feeling his strong body against mine was…there were no words for it.
Bad, bad Ash. Keep yourself in check. Remember the fact that you are in three relationships right now. Yeah, three. You already have enough to deal with. The absolute last thing I needed right now was more dicks in the picture.
That’s what I told myself, anyway. Whether it was true was anyone’s guess.
Sawyer…I’d always felt something for him. I’d always liked him, even though I shouldn’t. Even when I hated his guts for the shit he pulled, I still crushed on him. Fuck. I should’ve known things wouldn’t be easy this semester. With Sawyer being back, things were on track to be complicated as hell.
I headed into the front doors of the apartment complex, heading straight to the elevator and hitting the third-floor button. All the while, I wrestled with my thoughts as the elevator took me up, trying to push down the emotions warring inside.
Damn. I’d have to tell them about it. If I kept my little meeting with Sawyer to myself, that was too much like lying. Too much like cheating. There would be no more lies between my guys and me, for the sake of my sanity. The good, the bad, everything had to be out in the open.
Hadn’t confronted Declan about his cutting yet, but I just hadn’t found the right time.
My feet took me to the door, and my fingers curled into a fist. I knocked.
It wasn’t but a moment later when the door opened, a dimpled, smiling Declan answering it. He wore light jeans that fit his slim frame, a white t-shirt without a single speck of a stain on it. His brown hair was shaggy and messy, his chocolatey eyes warming my gut up immediately. Such a kind, loving stare. I couldn’t even remember the times when we were just friends.
“Hey,” I said, immediately giddy as I stepped inside the apartment.
Will must’ve been in his bedroom in the back, because I didn’t see him when I walked in. The door was in the kitchen, the living room area directly to the left, where a hall sat. Just one bedroom and one bathroom, and a closet where the washing machine and dryer were. Everything in the place screamed modern and updated; it was a pretty place. I’d never be able to afford a place like this.
They had the heat cranked up in this place, and I worked to take off my hoodie. Declan took it from me, and then I had to untie my shoes. Felt weird walking around in shoes when Declan wasn’t. I bet Will wasn’t, either. I left my sneakers near the door, on a small rug, where two sets of shoes already were.
“Wow,” I said, glancing around the place as Declan went to hang my hoodie on the metal hanger screwed to the wall near the door. “You guys have been busy, huh?” I’d seen Declan early this morning, when my mom dropped me off. Pretending like we weren’t together even though we were was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. He left to come here while I unpacked and had to get my books.
Will…this would be the first time I’d seen Will in a while.
I saw no boxes in the living room or the kitchen; everything looked put away, like Will had been living here longer than the last twenty-four hours. He’d had to break his lease at his old place, but it was a necessary evil for him to come to Hillcrest.
“Oh, yeah, you know. Unpacking. So much fun,” Declan spoke with a smile, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. He wore long sleeves, hiding the scar on his right wrist.
I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. Declan’s arms were firm in how they held me, comforting and warm. He tore off my beanie, tossing it to where our shoes sat before he buried his face in my hair. With my back against his lean chest, it was all too easy to lose myself in his presence.
“I bet,” I mused, grinning to myself. “I, for one, love packing and unpacking.”
“Only monsters love packing and unpacking,” he whispered, kissing my cheek before releasing me.
After he let me go, I gave him a wink before sauntering down the hall. I found Will in his bedroom. His bedroom was not nearly as clean and unpacked as the rest of the apartment was. His clothes still sat in boxes, and it looked like he was currently trying to hang some pictures on the wall.
He wore sleeves too, but unlike his brother, he had them pushed up to his elbows, allowing me to see the veins throbbing in those toned arms as he lifted a hammer and pounded a nail into the wall above his bed. His hair was a bit lighter than Declan’s, a bit shorter, to boot. Will was a handsome guy, anyone with eyes would notice.
I was glad he was here, at Hillcrest now. After everything that happened last semester, it didn’t feel right to have us at separate campuses. We needed to be together, all of us.
Sawyer…
No. I wouldn’t think about him right now.
Right now it was time to greet Will.
I waited until Will set down the hammer behind him, reaching for the canvas picture leaning near him on his bed. A black and white buffalo head. Simple, and definitely not something I’d ever see in the Briggs’s mansion in Midpark, but somehow it suited him. Different, but tough.
Moving to the side of the bed, I crawled on, reaching for the hammer. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man look so sexy while using a hammer,” I remarked. Boxes of clothes sat on the floor near the open closet. His bed was a queen, so there was plenty of room for the both of us…and even Declan.
Will took his tim
e lowering himself to the bed, no longer standing on it. He flipped to face me, giving me a small smile as he leaned closer to me, kissing me first before saying, “Only when using a hammer?”
The tiny kiss had set my heart ablaze, and I ran my fingers along the wooden handle of the hammer, lifting an eyebrow at him. “Don’t get cocky, Will,” I warned him. “I don’t like cocky guys.” Okay, that was kind of a lie.
“I’ll tone it down, then,” Will said, his hazel eyes taking in my appearance. My posture, how I leaned toward him on the bed, my lips parted. Oh, he especially stared at my lips, like they held the answers to the known universe. Maybe to his universe. His, Declan’s, and Travis’s.
Did my lips hold the answers to Sawyer’s universe?
No, I shouldn’t be thinking about that fucktard while I was with Will.
He reached for me, lightly running his fingers down my arm until his hand rested atop mine on the bed. “It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you.” His eyelids took on a half-lidded look, and before I could respond, he leaned in for another kiss. This one was not just a peck like the previous one.
Oh, no. This kiss was earth-stopping, full of fiery passion and heated desire. This kiss made my wandering mind freeze and my body become jelly. Not everyone kissed like Will—like he was afraid each and every kiss we shared would be our last.
With everything that had happened, I didn’t blame him for thinking that, but I’d be damned if I let anything come between us now. We’d been through so much, and we would continue to be together through so much more.
Our mouths connected still, we both fell sideways onto the bed, hugging each other close, our bodies melding. It became all about greedy hands and ragged breaths. I ran my hands up his chest beneath his shirt, feeling his muscles tense under my touch. Will let out a moan, right into my throat, his hands holding my lower back.
I could feel a growing hardness between us; it never took much from me to get Will worked up. I had each and every part of him, I knew, just like I had Declan. And even Travis—as much as any girl could really have Travis. I loved them, and they loved me. That was that.
It could’ve been more than that, though, only Declan strolled into the room, coughed, and said, “What are we doing for dinner?”
Will and I pulled apart, and I sat in front of Will to hide his erection. Not that it mattered much. Declan had walked in on us before, and there was that time with him and Travis, together…
Still even though all that had happened, Declan’s cheeks were twinged pink at what he saw. His embarrassment was adorable, something I loved about him. His dark eyes moved to me as Will was slow to sit, resting his hands on his lap.
“We could order a pizza,” Will suggested, running a hand through his auburn locks. “Or go to campus and get something.”
“Pizza,” I decided, and they both agreed.
While Declan went off to order the pizza, I started to help Will with his clothes. He had a lot of them, but I supposed all rich kids did, because they were born with money flowing out of their asses. Me? My closet was never overflowing with clothes, and when I got something new, I wore it until it got holey, and even for a while after that. When things got holey was when I liked them the best.
“Why do you have so many clothes?” I asked, tossing a glance over my shoulder. I hung his shirts and jackets in his closet, while he went through the boxes with his socks and boxers and undershirts, folding them before putting them into the dresser.
It was as Declan walked in that Will answered, “Oh, you know. Never know when a change of clothes might come in handy. It’s always best to be prepared.”
I grinned as I reached into the box, pulling out a thick black hoodie. It didn’t scream William Briggs to me, but then again, who was I to say what was Will and what wasn’t? It wasn’t like I’d seen him every day last semester; I didn’t know what he wore and what he didn’t wear. I said nothing as I hung up the hoodie.
Declan sat on the bed, reclining and looking quite comfortable as he watched us both work. “What’s your schedule like?” He stared at Will, so I assumed the question was geared toward his brother and not me.
“Oh, I’ve actually been thinking about that.” Will stopped folding, pausing to meet his brother’s stare. “I think I might change my major.”
“What? Why? Then—”
“Then I’ll have to basically start over,” Will said, glancing at me. “I know, but it wouldn’t be so bad, would it? To start over? That way, I could be with you guys for longer.”
I kicked the empty box away from me, moving to sit on the edge of the bed near Declan. Will probably felt like an outsider in Hillcrest, especially after what happened with his dad. I couldn’t blame him for wanting to start over. “Whatever’s best for you,” I said, wanting to be supportive.
“That’s being with you,” Will replied easily, smoothly.
Declan grabbed a pillow from behind him and threw it at his brother, saying, “Flirt.”
Letting out a laugh, Will caught the pillow and shot me a smile. “A flirt? Me? Only to Ash.”
“Now you’re being a suck-up,” Declan accused, though I knew the last thing he was was annoyed. The two brothers had a great relationship; they were there for each other when the world turned its back on them, and I would stick around for as long as I could.
If you didn’t already know, I wasn’t the type of girl to flit from relationship to relationship. When I was in a relationship with someone I loved, I tended to stick around. Ray’s relationship with me had been tumultuous, but I’d been so head over heels in love with him that I hadn’t even cared at the time.
A lesson learned, but these brothers…let’s just say I didn’t want us to fight or bicker or break up, ever. I didn’t want tumultuous when it came to us. I wanted steady, sweet love. Hot, searing passion. A desire that kept me up at night.
And I’d have it.
“Come on,” Will said. “I think we both suck up to Ash.”
We all laughed at that.
The pizza arrived about thirty minutes later, and Will paid with cash. He didn’t like using the Briggs money, but now he had no choice. Now that Dean Briggs was dead, he and Declan were pretty much in charge of the whole shebang.
We arranged ourselves in the living room, turning on the TV for noise. Will got us all plates, and we dug in. I sat smack dab in between the brothers, and as I ate, I couldn’t help but wonder whether they’d be down for a sandwich without clothes. It was probably a daydream of mine that would forever remain one, but hey, a girl could hope, right?
I ate only one piece, reaching for another, when Declan spoke, “You think Sawyer’s going to come back?”
Okay, at that, I lost the rest of my appetite completely.
I nearly dropped the second slice of pizza on the floor, glancing at Declan. His dark eyes were on me, although they did glance to Will every now and then. Mostly, though, they lingered on me. A part of me wondered if he knew that I’d seen Sawyer today, or if this was something he was honestly pondering.
Will made a face. “Why wouldn’t he? Unless he’s still in rehab, trying to get his shit together, which wouldn’t surprise me. He never seemed like the kind of person who could ever really get his shit together.”
Okay, the animosity toward Sawyer, while well-deserved, was a little much.
I carefully set my plate on top of the pizza box on the coffee table, running my sweaty hands over my jeans. I’d text Travis later and tell him, but right now, if I let this conversation go on without adding the small fact that I’d seen him earlier, things would only get worse. I would not keep Sawyer a secret from them.
“Speaking of the dickbag,” I started, glancing between both brothers. “He is back. I saw him earlier—funny story, actually.” The way both Declan and Will looked at me right then told me they’d think it was anything but a funny story. The opposite. “He found me in the union, when I was picking up my textbooks.”
A muscle in Will’
s jaw clenched, an intense expression forming on his handsome features. “He was stalking you?” Such a serious question, considering everything that transpired last semester.
“I don’t think so,” I answered honestly, shrugging. “I think it was random, but…but he did take my books and force me to talk with him.”
“The bastard—” Will would’ve said more, but Declan cut him off.
“Let her finish,” he said, shooting his older brother a look.
“I think he just wanted to talk to me, see how I was,” I said, reclining back on the couch. “I don’t think there was any ill intent or anything. He seemed…better. He hardly seemed like the Sawyer I remember, which has to be a good thing, right?”
Declan’s expression softened, while Will’s remained almost venomous. Will truly did hold a grudge over everything Sawyer had done, turning the whole campus against Declan. I couldn’t blame Will for feeling that way.
“Then maybe rehab was good for him,” Declan murmured.
“Or maybe he’ll just go back to his old tricks again,” Will said, turning his body toward me. His hand found mine, squeezing perhaps a bit too hard. “Don’t listen to any of his lies. Sawyer is the king of douchebags. He’ll do and say anything to get what he wants.”
“And what do you think he wants now?” I asked. A spiteful part of me wanted to pull my hand away, but I let him hold it. Sawyer had been awful, yes, but there were always parts of him that were good. “You think he’s done going after Declan, and now he wants to go after me?” I sounded annoyed, and that’s because I was.
I…was jumping to Sawyer’s defense. Stupid, stupid me.
“I’m saying we can’t trust him,” Will clarified.
Declan was slow to take my other free hand, having set his pizza plate down on the cushion beside him. “Maybe, if Sawyer can prove that he’s changed—”
“Things will never go back to the way they were before Sabrina died,” Will cut in, frowning.
“I’m not saying they would,” Declan said, a sigh leaving his lungs before he continued, “but maybe we could move past it. Maybe we could look to the future instead of looking back.” His warm, dark eyes fell on me. “Didn’t we learn that after last semester?”
Liar: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 6) Page 3