by SM Olivier
Crew had told me how Coach expected the guys to participate in community service; it was a condition for remaining on the team. Zane had been able to use the dance studio as community service credits since he wasn’t technically paid for his time there. Crew didn’t have the same luxury, so Coach had given him the option to assist the junior-high school football team from time to time.
Yes, they did have a big game tonight, but I didn’t understand why Crew was just informing us about it now. It wasn’t like him to forget important things like that. My gut was still telling me something wasn’t right.
“Is that the man that wanted you to try out for a music video?” Zane finally inquired.
I nodded. “Grandpa said he checked him out. He’s legit. I just don’t know why he’s here again. He made it sound like the music video would be filming around this time. They should have already done the auditioning process by now.”
“Who knows, maybe they didn’t find the man or woman they really wanted,” Paxton said encouragingly.
I smiled and nodded, hoping that was the case. I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Never did I imagine being scouted at a dance competition on my own. My previous school had a similar situation occur, and I had thought that was a one-off invite for the school as a whole. Now, when the opportunity was knocking once more, I couldn’t believe my luck. But again, I didn’t want to get too excited just yet.
Grandpa and Mr. Brady started heading towards as, and I felt myself physically vibrating with anticipation. Golden slid up beside me and placed a reassuring arm around my shoulders. I looked up at him and attempted to give him a grateful smile.
“Hello, Peyton, it’s great to see you again.” Mr. Brady smiled at me, then looked at Zane. “And it’s my understanding you’re Zane Chapman? I don’t recall seeing you at the last competition.”
Zane accepted his outstretched hand and shook it. “I just started dancing again,” he explained briefly.
“I see, I see.” Mr. Brady nodded before turning towards me. “I’m gonna cut to the chase since I know it’s been a long day for you, but I would really like for you to come to the city on Monday and do an audition for that music video I spoke to you about previously.”
“You haven’t already cast the role?” I asked in surprise, barely containing my excitement.
Mr. Brady grimaced. “We have,” my face must have fallen because he quickly amended with, “Let’s just say the lead girl that was cast has given us reason to doubt her abilities to complete the video to our expectations, and our male lead landed himself into the hospital, so…” He looked over at Zane. “I was hoping you’d come as well. It’s just for one day, initially. I called our choreographer to get you up to speed, and if she likes you and the band's manager takes a shine to you both, work begins next Monday.”
“And how long does the actual music video take?” Zane asked with a frown.
I was filled with mixed emotions. I didn’t know how the school would take it if Zane and I missed any more days of school. However, I was excited with the thought Zane would be there with me. This would be my first “real” job, and if he could be there with me, it would be beyond amazing.
“Counting Monday? Two days, three days tops,” Mr. Brady stated with a kind smile. “We’ll put you up in your own rooms. Food will also be provided for on set, all day.”
“I can talk to Principal Fanning,” Lochlann murmured as if he understood part of my dilemma. “You’re both on top of your studies, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“I think I’ll call my mother, and I need to tell Coach I’ll be missing some practices,” Zane said hesitantly but then looked at me and smiled. “But three days shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Do you have a contract I can review?”
“I already sent it to my lawyer,” Grandpa replied, giving Zane a delighted smile. “He’ll review it, and if it all pans out, we’ll let you know our decision no later than tomorrow. I have all your contact information.”
I hadn’t thought about contracts and all that jazz. I’m glad Grandpa and Zane had clearer heads because I was filled with too much elation to think clearly.
“Perfect.” Mr. Brady smiled, holding out his hand once more. Grandpa shook it first before Zane, and I did as well. “I hope to be seeing you both bright and early Monday morning.”
“Did that really just happen?” I grinned as Mr. Brady walked off.
Kyler grinned. “It did, and you deserve it. Now, let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
I moved back towards Lochlann’s car with an extra hop in my step.
22
●
Unraveled
“Hey, love, we’re here,” Lochlann said softly as he gently shook me.
I blinked for a few seconds, attempting to get my bearings. Everything came rushing back to me, and I sat up abruptly.
“I fell asleep,” I moaned. “I’m so sorry.”
Grandpa took us to this amazing Indian restaurant. They served their food family-style, so several large platters had come out to the table at once. We got to try a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I had my fill of all their delicious curries and naan bread. I had to have eaten my body weight in naan alone.
The moment we got back to the car, Lochlann had turned up the heat, both in the car and my seat. I remembered feeling sleepy, but I also remembered us talking. Had I fallen asleep mid-conversation? How rude was that?!
Lochlann chuckled softly and shook his head. “You had a long day, and I didn’t mind. Although, I think the boys have been blowing up your phone. I’ve seen Paxton’s name pop up several times.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I am not surprised. He was sulky that Clay ‘took his spot’ at dinner, and he’s trying to convince me to let him go to the city with Zane and me. I really am sorry I fell asleep on you. I feel like we get so little time together as it is, and I just wasted your time on sleep.”
He leaned over the center console and framed my face with his hands before dragging his nose against my cheek and caressing his lips with mine. I felt just the tip of his tongue sweep across my lips before he was pulling away. I blinked up at him, disappointed by the abrupt end.
He chuckled once more. “It’s alright. If you’re not too tired, I have dessert waiting for us inside. If not, we can always just retire to the room and watch a movie until we fall asleep.”
I looked at the clock and realized it was almost eight p.m.
I laughed and shook my head. “You wouldn’t be disappointed if we didn’t have sex? It seems to be a waste to spend all this money just for us to hang out and sleep.”
He delved his hands into my hair and pulled me close once more. This time when my lips softened against his firm insistence, his tongue tangled with mine. With each second that passed, a warmth spread in the pit of my stomach, and his kiss became more demanding. We were breathless when he finally pulled away.
“This weekend isn’t about sex, Peyton,” he said, making sure to maintain eye-contact with me. “I just wanted you to myself for a little while. Where we’re not changing dirty diapers, putting kids to bed, making dinner, cleaning, or being interrupted by the others.”
My heart softened at his words. Our lives were always on an ever-constant treadmill, with no sign of slowing. Even when I was recovering, life hadn’t stopped. We still had children to care for, laundry to wash, cleaning, cooking, and when we had any extended period of non-interruptions, it seemed only to occur when we were sleeping.
But even then, Clay was known to wake in the middle of the night from time to time, and Maisie was in that stage where she had to get up several times for any excuse to prolong the inevitable. She wanted some water, an extra hug, inquired about her lunch the next day, or was reminding us if something was occurring at school. It was all stall tactics, but it happened on the regular.
“Thanks for making this weekend possible, Loch. I wish we could have stayed for more than a day, though.” I leaned in to brush my lips ac
ross his.
“I’m just glad you agreed and I can finally take you out to breakfast tomorrow morning without the whole town beginning to talk,” he admitted. “I can hold your hand while we check out the town. I can kiss and hug you whenever I want to as well.” He smirked.
We had already determined to keep our relationship secretive in public. We didn’t go out together if it was perceived as a date. The few times we went to the grocery store or picked up food, we always had someone else with us or the children− not to forget one or both of my bodyguards. I wanted to make sure he was well established in his schooling before giving the townies more fodder.
I abruptly pulled back and laughed when I noticed Desmond and Sal were standing right outside Lochlann’s window with their duffel bags thrown over their shoulders.
“Show me this amazing place.” I smiled as I turned to grab my door handle.
“I can’t wait until you see it tomorrow morning,” he said before opening his door. “The views here are amazing.”
I stretched and yawned as I got out of his car. The cold air made me shiver slightly. I scanned our surroundings and saw nothing but trees. For a brief, horrifying moment, my memories threatened to suffocate me. Memories of another cabin secluded in the wilderness.
I had to take in some deep, calming breaths. Paxton and I had been working on this. I anticipated this trigger, so I had asked him to take walks in the woods with me with our cameras− once I was permitted to leave the bed. The woods surrounded my house, my grandfather’s, and Lochlann’s.
I had a feeling if I were to space out for a moment I could easily slip into my memories. I didn’t want the rest of my life to be determined by those monsters. I didn’t want to live in the suburbs or city just because I gained a fear of the woods.
“Peyton,” Lochlann said quietly but firmly before he placed an arm around my shoulders and drew me in close. I could see him mentally berating himself. “Will this be okay? Because we can go back into town and rent a bed and breakfast, if not.”
He must have retrieved our bags from the trunk while I got lost in my head. He softly rubbed my arms and kissed the top of my head. I closed my eyes and shook off the irrational fear before I looked up at him and grinned. I was thankful that he was highly perceptive. I also didn’t want him feeling guilty for choosing a secluded location without realizing it could be a trigger for me.
Hell, I was still finding out there were some triggers that I couldn’t anticipate. It was like my mind was filled with landmines, and with one false step, anything could make it blow. I had nearly gone the whole day without thinking about my ordeal, and I foolishly assumed I could continue avoiding my memories.
I tried to force conviction in my words as I looked up at the cabin. “It’s going to be perfect.” I quickly noted all of the differences and promptly tried to find ways to cope with the memories without them ruining the rest of my night.
This cabin is not the same, I mentally rebuked myself.
I realized the quaint cabin was newer despite the faux rustic appearance. The walkway leading to the front door had solar lights. Quirky characters like solar gnomes, frogs, and fairies provided additional lighting among the white stones and bushes. The front porch was illuminated with large bulbs strung across the rafters. There were even ceiling fans installed over well-cared-for rocking chairs and hammock.
“It’s beautiful,” I informed Lochlann.
I was relieved to realize I was able to pull myself back from the ledge. I didn’t want anything to ruin our short getaway. I wanted another good day like today.
Actually, I was still floating on a slight high. After placing so high today, seeing my family out there supporting me. And, of course, I couldn’t forget about Monday when Zane and I would head to the city to audition for a music video.
Anya had been more than supportive and excited by the offer. The money we would make off the job was an additional incentive. None of us even cared who the music video was for or even if we liked the artist. We were just excited about the opportunity that had been handed to us.
I physically felt Lochlann relax beside me. He looked satisfied by my answer and turned my face to meet his gaze. He seemed to be weighing my words and must have seen the truth in my eyes. The excitement started entering my soul once more. This was my first official “date” with Lochlann.
“I texted you the code to your place,” Lochlann informed Salvatore and Desmond. “I made sure that your refrigerator and pantry are fully stocked. Help yourself to whatever you wish. I even had the manager put a case of beer in the fridge as well. We’ll be good from here.”
Sal looked at me, and I smiled, giving him a reassuring nod. I appreciated how Sal seemed to respect my input and decisions. Plus, it helped that I never saw him express any judgment towards my situation with the guys. I was pretty confident he had filled Des in as well because the man no longer looked at us like he was busy trying to dissect us. Des never did it rudely, but you could definitely tell he was forever confused and baffled, especially in the beginning when he’d witnessed our interactions at home.
“We’ll let you know when or if we plan to head into town tomorrow morning,” I informed them.
Lochlann already explained that he was going to allow me to decide what we were doing. He had our cabin stocked with plenty of food, but just in case I wanted to eat out instead of one of us cooking, we had that option. He also said the town was a huge tourist attraction and if I desired to explore it, he’d be happy to indulge me.
For now, I was going to wing it. Maybe later I would decide to stay-in until we had to leave tomorrow afternoon. However, if I changed my mind, I had packed my wig. I kind of liked the idea of going out in public with some anonymity.
“Sounds good. Night, Lochlann and Peyton.” Sal grinned and waved before leaving.
I barely noticed the cottage approximately a hundred yards up on a slight hill. They must have parked first and walked over, because I hadn’t spotted their vehicle behind ours. I could smell smoke on the crisp night air and inhaled deeply. I loved the smell of chimney smoke, especially when the nights got colder.
“Should we do a walkthrough in the cabin just in case?” Des frowned at Sal’s retreating back.
“If you wish.” Lochlann held his hand out towards our cabin.
I had to bite back a sigh. I just wanted to hole away with Lochlann until we decided if we wanted to emerge from our nest for the next sixteen or so hours.
Lochlann linked his hands with mine and led me to the front door of the cabin. He pushed in a code in a lockbox before retrieving a key. He inserted the key and opened the door. He allowed Des to go in and inspect the cabin as we patiently waited on the porch.
I relaxed into the curve of his body as I looked around.
Des came out less than five minutes later. “It’s clear. Keep in touch if you need us. Goodnight.”
I smiled and shook my head. I was glad he took his job seriously. However, it was annoying at times. I longed for the day when personal security was no longer necessary.
“Thanks, Des,” Lochlann replied. “Night.”
Lochlann never seemed to be bothered by my Shadows. If anything, it seemed like they brought him comfort. He never seemed inconvenienced by their presence and even went out of his way to better accommodate them at times.
Lochlann gently guided me through the open door, and I immediately smiled at its appearance. It wasn’t large by any means, but it was still beautiful. Two of the four walls were nothing but windows and doors. I was sure they afforded us a beautiful view during the daylight.
It was a mainly open-concept, so I could easily view most of the rooms. To my left was a kitchenette with a breakfast bar attached to it, with seating enough for four people. The living room was wide open with plenty of seating to enjoy the various views as well.
“There’s a bedroom and bathroom upstairs,” Lochlann informed me as he pointed to a spiral staircase to my right.
I hadn�
�t even noticed it. It was tucked away in the corner. I looked up and realized we had to be standing under the second level because the rest of the ceilings were vaulted.
“Our room’s this way,” he continued as he led me to the right of the kitchen.
I gasped when we entered the bedroom. It was stunning. A massive fireplace dominated one of the walls and a king-size bed the other. The other wall had windows up to the ceiling, and French doors that opened up to the back of the house. But what truly drew my attention was the tub built into the floor in front of the windows and off to the left of the fireplace.
The tub could easily fit six fully grown men. Candles surrounded it. It was also filled to the brim with bubbles, and red rose petals floated on the top. With the roaring fire and lit candles, the whole ambiance surrounding me screamed romance.
I turned and smiled at Lochlann. “How?” I inquired, slightly speechless at the thought he had put behind pampering me.
“The property manager was leaving as we were pulling up,” he grinned, not even pretending to misunderstand my question, “and I asked her to have it ready by the time we got here. Go ahead and get in. I hope the temperature is to your liking.”
I was eager to get in. I was sure the warm water would feel heavenly on my sore muscles. I walked over to my bag and decided I would quickly brush my teeth before I hopped in. I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste before heading to the closed doors. The first door had a small walk-in closet with a dresser in it. The second door opened up to the bathroom.
It was a decent size, with a large stone walk-in shower. I was slightly surprised to notice that one of the shower walls was entirely made of glass. I couldn’t imagine feeling comfortable getting naked in front of a plate of glass. Who knew if someone could walk by and see me?
I put toothpaste on my brush and walked over to the shower. I laughed around my toothbrush when I looked out at the view. The moon was full, and the stars filled the sky in its awestruck brilliance. I could see the reflection of the moon on a large body of water down at the bottom of the cliff we sat on.