Tamed (Cherry Grove Book 2)

by Cole Lepley

  He laughs. “Things getting serious again with the Reed girl?”

  I nod.

  “I thought so.”

  This snaps me out of me silence and I scoff. “How does everyone seem to know how I’m feeling without me saying anything? Am I that transparent?”

  “No, but this is how you act when you care about a girl.” When I don’t respond, he keeps going. “You acted the same way in high school when you were trying to pretend you weren’t.”

  “Yeah, well you see how that worked out.”

  “So do it better this time,” he says simply.

  I grit my teeth, already frustrated. “Everyone acts like it’s so easy. That I never should have questioned the right thing to do.” I lift my hand, palm up. “Look at Elliot. She’s barely out of high school and already knows who she’s supposed to be with.”

  The server returns with our drinks, and I down it and order another. My father orders the special for both of us and gives me a look. “That’s the last one until you eat something. I don’t need you crying and causing a scene in that poor girl’s driveway.” He looks thoughtful for a moment. “How’s Judah doing?

  “He went back to school. Found a nice girl.”

  He nods. “Good for him. He would have made an excellent son-in-law, but I’m happy he’s found someone.”

  “You don’t like Hunter?”

  He pauses for a moment. “I like Hunter just fine, but he’s a bit intense for Elle. She’s young, and I worry he may pressure her into things she’s isn’t ready for.”

  I laugh. “Don’t worry. Neither one of them has any interest in marriage.”

  “But you do.”

  I almost choke on the piece of bread I just shoved in my mouth. “Excuse me?”

  He takes a sip of whiskey and eyes me carefully. “You want to marry this girl.”

  These are statements, not questions.

  I shove more bread in my mouth and nod.

  “Like I said, that’s what I thought.” He flashes a smug smile as our meals are placed in front of us. He cuts his prime rib and nods to server, who turns and leaves again.

  I, however, am still trying to remember how to swallow.

  “You want my advice?”

  “Yes.”

  He takes a small bite, chewing slowly. I still haven’t even picked up my fork.

  “Stop being a dick. You’re going to do things to piss her off and she’ll push your buttons right back, but you can’t retaliate every time. You have to pick your battles and fight for the important things, ignoring the small shit that doesn’t really matter.”

  I look down at my plate. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

  “It’s hard, Oliver. You’re not a weaker person if you admit it.”

  “It is hard,” I say after a moment. “It’s harder than I thought it would be, but I’ve never wanted something so badly. She makes me want to be better.”

  “Then you’ll be better,” he says, winking at me. “I believe in you. Sometimes it takes a pretty girl to help motivate you, but you’re coming around.” He nods to the banquet room across the hall where my mother is still fluttering around with last minute details. His eyes practically twinkle when he looks at her. “I should know. I’m exactly the same way.”

  I laugh and pick up my fork, pausing before I take a bite. I cock my head at him. “How did you know I wanted to marry her?”

  He shrugs. “I know everything. The sooner you realize it, the better off we’ll all be.”

  Chapter 42

  If I Never See Your Face Again

  Charlotte - Then

  I’ve been sitting on my front porch for what feels like hours. It hasn’t really been that long, but I’m already wishing I didn’t give Ollie his jacket back.

  But I know it would have only made me cry harder. His scent still lingers on my sweater everywhere it touched. I hate that he always smells so good. I hate that the way he makes me feel overpowers every time he hurt me. I hate that I could never stay mad at him even though I should have. And most of all, I hate that I love him so much.

  Those words have been on my lips so many times I’ve lost count. I was afraid to tell him. I was afraid to complicate what we have with words I knew would terrify him. I knew it would be the end of us—and I was right.

  My hand drifts to my stomach, still flat and obscured. It’s quite possible I could make it to the end of the school year without anyone finding out. I wouldn’t even have to tell Ollie. Not that he would care anyway. If he doesn’t love me, how could he love the baby growing inside of me?

  That’s not what hurts the most. It’s the fact that I wasn’t even an option. He never considered what it would be like to have a relationship outside of high school. I was a pit stop on his way to greatness, and a teen pregnancy scandal would only hold him back.

  Maybe he wouldn’t leave if knew. He might say he loves me and wants to take care of us, but it wouldn’t feel right. It wouldn’t be because he actually wanted to. We would be an obligation. Something he never wanted, but was forced to ‘deal’ with.

  I think we deserve better.

  I’m about to drag myself inside where it’s warm, when headlights flash in my driveway. A flicker of hope ignites inside of me and I curse myself for hoping he changed his mind. But I do. I want more than anything for him to come back and say he didn’t mean it.

  I don’t get my wish. The silver truck belongs to someone else, and I quickly wipe my eyes as Liam makes his way up the sidewalk. It’s a futile effort. I’ve been crying so long my eyes are no doubt puffy and red—the telltale signs of heartbreak everyone probably saw coming.

  His face falls when he sees me, and he quickens his pace. “Charlie.” He says my name in a whisper and sits down beside me on the porch. “What happened? I heard a bunch of guys talking at Jimmy’s, and I had to see if you were okay.”

  I laugh bitterly, not meeting his eyes. “Why? Did Ollie go back to the party?”

  When he doesn’t answer, I look over at him. It’s a mistake, because I hate the way he’s looking back at me. He feels sorry for me. For me. The heartless asshole who ripped his heart out and expected never to suffer because of it.

  After another pause, he shakes his head. “No, he didn’t.”

  I sniff and wipe my nose on the sleeve of my sweater. “Then what were they saying?”

  “That you guys were fighting. I wanted to make sure you were okay. You always come to Jimmy’s.”

  I laugh again and he looks at me like I’m crazy. Crazy people laugh when they’re slowly losing their mind.

  “Things change, I guess.”

  I risk a glance at him, and anger flashes in his eyes. He leans forward and rubs his hand on his jaw. “I fucking knew this would happen.”

  “What?”

  He throws his hand out. “That he would fucking hurt you. I knew that once you got together, he would be done. The chase would be over, and he’d leave you like all the others.”

  It’s no secret that Oliver parades through life trailed by a string of heartbroken girls. The ones who thought they could convince him they were special. As insane as it sounds, I never considered myself one of them. I thought what we had was so much more.

  A fresh set of tears starts to fall, and I let them roll down my cheeks. “He doesn’t care about us,” I say, my voice sounding foreign and hoarse. “I thought he did, but I was wrong.”

  Liam doesn’t say anything for a moment, and I realize my mistake. He’s studying my face when I turn to him. I don’t want anyone to know, especially him, so I think fast.

  “He doesn’t care about anyone,” I whisper.

  Liam shakes his head, taking my hand in his. “He’s an asshole, Charlotte. He never deserved you, I can’t believe you even dated a guy like him.”

  “I’m not a good person either,” I say, pulling my hand away. He looks wounded by my actions, but it wouldn’t be the first time. “I’m not.”

  “That’s crazy. You’re the swe
etest girl I know.”

  This makes me laugh. “Sweet? I deserve everything I get for what I did to you. It’s the same, isn’t it?”

  He swallows roughly. “I never felt like you did it on purpose. I just assumed you loved him more.”

  “But then I shouldn’t have been with you in the first place.”

  Liam lets out what sounds like a growl and stands up from the swing. He paces in front of me for a moment and then stops, leveling a hard look down at me. “He’s manipulative. I don’t blame you for what happened. I blame him.”

  It’s easy to blame Ollie, though. He’s the guy who has it all. Every girl wants to date him, guys want to run as fast as him or throw a pass as far as he does—but I never looked at him that way. Maybe that was my problem. I gave him too much credit.

  I don’t say those things because Liam wouldn’t understand. Maybe I don’t even understand anymore. It’s hard to defend the person who just ripped your heart out.

  Instead, I stand up and face him. “I’m sorry, Liam. I’m sorry for everything, and I wish I could take it all back. I wish I never agreed to go on a date with you when my heart was already promised to someone else. Because that was never fair to you.” I take a shaky breath. “But most of all, I wish you didn’t feel sorry for me. I was selfish, and I deserve everything I get.”

  My body starts to shake and step around him toward the door. I can’t stand the look on his face and there’s nothing either one of us could say to make this better.

  By the time I get to the top of the stairs, he’s backing out of my driveway. I walk slowly past my grams’ room and listen at the door for movement, but I don’t hear any. Usually I don’t have visitors this late. Unless, of course, they come through my window.

  With that thought fresh in my mind, I stalk toward the window and close the latch at the top tight. I turn around and my eyes scan the wall of photos behind my bed. They make me angry because all of them feel like a lie.

  Who would feel sorry for the homecoming queen, the cheerleader—the quarterback’s girlfriend? I’m a walking fucking cliché and it disgusts me. I have everything everyone ever wants and right now I’m completely miserable.

  I want to cry and rip every photo off of my wall and curse this world that left me all alone. But then I remember I’m not.

  My hand drifts down to my stomach once more, and for the first time all night I take a full breath. I will be strong, even if I have to do it alone. No matter how hard it is or how much it hurts, I will find a way to get through this.

  I’m shaking when I reach for my cell phone and scroll to my sister’s number. Despite how empowered I feel in this moment, I know I can’t do it here. I need to be as far away from him as possible, and hopefully I’ll never look back.

  Chapter 43

  Certain Things

  Oliver - Now

  There’s a ring in my pocket.

  I have no idea how such a small piece of stone and metal can feel like it weighs so much, but it does. It’s important, and absolutely fucking terrifying.

  It’s like the feeling you get right before the snap. Your heart beats faster, anticipation trickles through every vein, every muscle, just waiting to make the pass that could change everything. That’s where I am right now. This is my Hail Mary pass.

  Charlie’s sister is still in town and although we’ve always gotten along, I’m sensing some hostility. I can’t blame her though. Charlie went to live with her in upstate New York when she left Cherry Grove. I can only imagine the conversations they had about what an asshole I was, and how she was better off without me. All totally warranted, but it still sucks.

  I’m sitting across from her at the dining room table, my plate still mostly untouched. I better get this shit under control soon because I’m about to start losing muscle mass. Who knew love could dick with your appetite so much?

  Scarlett looks very similar to Charlie. She has the same light blonde hair, but hers is now cropped in a silvery bob. I think it makes her look more severe and to be honest, I’m a little afraid of her.

  “So, Oliver,” she drawls, cutting her steak into unnecessarily small pieces. “I hear you and my sister are having sleepovers again.”

  “Scarlett,” Charlie warns.

  “What?” Scarlett says, shrugging her shoulders. She motions to me. “He obviously stays here with you. I just want to know what his intentions are this time.”

  Charlie looks like she wants to argue further, but I reach over and give her knee a reassuring squeeze under the table. “It’s okay,” I say to her. I look over and meet Scarlett’s expectant gaze. “I get that you feel the need to protect her from me, but I assure you I have every intention of making it work this time.”

  Scarlett doesn’t look convinced. She shuffles her food around on her plate for a moment. “And what was it that didn’t work for you last time? The commitment? Or were you just not feeling it?”

  Evan cringes in his seat beside her and shoots me an apologetic look.

  Charlie releases a frustrated sigh. “Seriously, that’s enough.”

  “I’m the only one left to look out for you. It’s my job to make sure you’re okay, and last time you were with him, you ended up not okay.”

  They lock eyes in a heated stare across the table and I start to sweat a little. If I propose to her tonight, it will seem like I was somehow forced into it. Talk about ruining a guy’s moment.

  “Look, I get it,” I say, breaking the awkward stand-off. I bring my hand to my chest. “I was a dick, a total fucking asshole. But I swear it’s the one thing in my life I desperately want to change. Losing her was biggest mistake I ever made, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to her, if that’s what it takes.”

  It feels weird to be talking about Charlie as if she’s not sitting right beside me, so I turn to her and wait until she looks at me. “I mean it. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.” I lean closer, grabbing the sides of her face and speaking close to her ear. “You and me are forever. We’ve always been forever.”

  Instead of reassurance on her face, when I pull back she starts to cry. I’m slightly horrified, but Scarlett looks mildly amused.

  “I’m sorry,” Charlie says, wiping under her eye with her napkin. She gives a small smile and sniffs. “I’m seriously fine. It’s just been a long day.”

  “It’s okay,” I say, and then kiss the side of her head. I stand up from the table, placing my hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get you a glass of wine or something. I need a drink.”

  “No!” Charlie and Scarlett both say in unison.

  Now Evan looks amused and I keep getting more and more confused by the second. There must some hormonal shift from her pregnant sister to her, because she’s acting weird. She never cries when she’s happy, and I thought that telling her that I want her forever would be a happy sort of thing.

  I hold my hands out in surrender. “Oookay. I’m getting a drink.” I nod to Evan. “You want one, dude?”

  He nods emphatically and I crack a smile. Poor bastard. Scarlett’s wound pretty tight tonight—even for her. I get that she’s ten years older than us and probably feels more like a parent than anything, but this third degree is getting on my nerves. The only people who get to weigh in on our relationship is Charlie or myself. Period.

  I stand against the counter in the kitchen, practically chugging my beer, when Evan comes around the corner. I toss him a can and he cracks the top with an appreciative sigh.

  “Sorry about that,” he says after taking a long drink.

  I shrug. “It’s whatever. I’m used to it.”

  “She’s just worried, is all. Charlie’s like her only family and her emotions are all over the place with this pregnancy.” He leans in closer. “She’s on this kick where everything in our house has to be completely organized at all times. I threw my socks next to the hamper last week and I literally thought she was going to stab me.”

  I chuckle and take a drink of my beer. “That does te
nd to piss them off.”

  He runs a hand through his wavy blond hair and looks around the corner to make sure she can’t hear before turning back to me. “Listen, I think you’re a good dude. Nobody makes the right choices when they’re seventeen—I know I didn’t. Me and Scarlett didn’t even meet until college. I highly doubt we’d even be together if we did, so I think that means something. You and Charlie get a second chance and I’m happy for you.”

  This makes me smile. “Thanks, man.”

  He nods, and his expression turns a bit more stern. “That being said, I’ll fuck you up if you do it again. We clear?”

  I nod, all traces of humor leaving my face. Not because he threatened me—because honestly, I could take him—but because I would never dream of hurting her again. I’d punch myself in my beautiful face before I let that happen.

  “Crystal.”

  “Okay, good.” He smiles again, patting me on the back. “Thank you again for booking us a room at the lodge. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “It’s the least I could do. I know most of the furniture’s gone and nobody should be subjected to a chain hotel.”

  He laughs. “True.”

  Scarlett peeks around the corner with a less intimidating air about her, she looks almost calm. “Sorry about that,” she says and then moves to stand beside Evan. She wraps her arms around his waist and leans into him. “I think I’m just tired.”

  “It’s cool. I’m used to being the bad guy.”

  She leans over and pokes me in the chest. “I want you to be the good guy, okay?” She pulls her hand back and finally smiles. “I know you can be.”

  Her sentiment makes my chest squeeze. I never understood other people’s ability to have faith in me. Especially when I haven’t earned it. I want more than anything to be a good father and hopefully husband.

  “Don’t worry,” I say, flashing a smile. “I’ll take care of her.”

  After Scarlett and Evan leave, the tension subsides greatly. It’s almost too cold to be sitting out on the porch now, but I got Charlie a blanket to put over her lap. I need air and the burning in my pocket is starting to seem like a bomb. Time is ticking by and I still haven’t tried to say anything.