by Nicole Dykes
His shoulders shrug as he closes the fridge. “It’s one fucking night. They’ll be fine.”
I’m not at all sure about that.
This is bad. Like, really bad. Horror movie bad.
There’s one “bed,” which is also a couch. Our dinner was a sandwich and chips. Blair is probably going to actually kill me for dragging her on this trip. At this point, I wouldn’t blame her one bit.
There’s no television, No wi-fi, no cell service, and it’s only seven o’clock.
Blair, who’s sitting on the floor up against the wall, stands up and walks to the small kitchen area. “Fuck this, there has to be something to do.”
“Blair, just sit your ass down.”
She, of course, ignores Rhys and opens the cabinet next to the fridge, searching and then pulling out a half-full liquor bottle. “Jackpot.”
“Put that shit away.” Sean’s voice fills the room with a warning, his eyes drifting to Rhys.
Blair rolls her eyes, twisting off the cap. “He’s a big boy.” Her eyes slide maliciously to Rhys as she puts the bottle to her lips. “I’m sure he can handle being in the presence of temptation.”
She tips the bottle back, taking a long, purposeful drink of the honey-colored liquor. She’s gone to a dark place.
This is so not good.
Sean jumps from his spot on the floor next to Rhys and grabs the bottle from her. “Knock it off, Blair. I fucking mean it.”
I’ve never seen Sean this angry, but Blair has no fear. “You two are so fucked-up. Seriously. He’s a grown-ass man, and if he doesn’t want me to drink, he can tell me.” She yanks the bottle back and takes another drink.
“He’s a fucking addict, and I’m his brother. I’ll make sure his ass stays sober for the rest of his fucking life, and that includes protecting him from bitter, angry, spoiled brats throwing a tantrum.”
I stand up now and move to her side. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
His furious eyes meet mine, bright green and lit-up by his fury. “She causes him to fucking use again, I swear to God, I’ll . . .”
“You’ll fucking what?” Blair gets in his space, but she’s looking over Sean’s shoulder at Rhys who’d stayed in his spot on the floor.
Sean’s jaw ticks, and I see something darker in him than I’ve ever seen before. “Don’t.”
“What’s the matter, Rhys? Can’t fight your own battles anymore? Too fucking weak?”
Sean doesn’t move, and I stare at him, feeling the anger coming off him in waves. I’m stuck in the most tense situation I’ve ever experienced. “Blair, maybe we should put it away.”
She turns to me. “Or maybe, you should have my fucking back and take a drink.”
“She wouldn’t fucking dare.”
My eyes move to Sean. “Excuse me? Is that a threat?”
“No.” His look hasn’t softened. He’s alert, and he’s angry.
But now, so am I as I take the bottle from Blair. “Don’t you dare tell me what to do. You don’t own me, not one single part of me.”
I take a quick swig of the whiskey, the liquid burning my throat as it goes down. I let out a hiss as I look Sean in the eyes.
“How fucking childish are you?”
“Her?” Oh no, Blair will always come to my defense. Her finger pokes his chest, and her eyes are like lasers, threatening to burn a hole through him. “What about you? Playing games with her heart.” She doesn’t know about last night. We haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet. “Spouting off so many weak-ass lines and promising her the world to get your way and then leave her all alone in a park the next morning.” Her chin tilts upward, strong and true. “That make you feel like a big fucking man?”
“You don’t know shit about it, Blair.”
Rhys stands now, moving beside Sean, massive arms folded over his chest, but he doesn’t say anything.
“I know plenty. You think it gives you power, making women feel shitty. It makes you feel a little less shitty so you can put a smile on your face. But it doesn’t help for long, does it?”
“Shut the fuck up, Blair.” It’s a simple growl from Rhys, but it sends a chill down my spine.
“Make me, Rhys.”
“Blair!” I’m begging her to shut up. We’re all alone out here. What if she pushes Rhys too far? I look at Sean. Hell, maybe him too. What do we really know about them?
The vast amount of trauma they’ve suffered in their lives is buried but still simmering under the surface, just waiting for something to send them over the edge.
Sean doesn’t move, but they’re locked in some sort of silent communication. Then Rhys turns to him. “Let’s go.”
Blair places a hand on her hip, ever challenging. “Where the hell are you going to go? It’s raining again, it’s dark, and you don’t have a car.”
Rhys’s lip curls, his head tipped in her direction. “Don’t worry about it.”
Sean doesn’t argue. These two share an unbreakable bond. He follows Rhys out the door, shutting it behind them.
“Fucking stubborn assholes.” Blair takes another drink and hands me the bottle.
The rain attacks the roof above us. I have no idea what the hell they’re thinking by going outside in this. “What was that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“With Rhys. I thought it was just sex, Blair.”
“It was, but that’s over. So it really doesn’t matter.”
She takes another drink, and I yank it back just to stop her from drinking the whole damn thing. “That didn’t look like nothing. That was scary.”
She rolls her eyes, carefully sitting on the edge of the pullout mattress and crossing her arms over her lap. “It was nothing, and I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Blair . . .”
“I love you, Melody. But I don’t want to talk about Rhys. I just don’t.”
I take a small sip of the liquor and take a seat next to her. “He really got under your skin.”
“He’s a prick.”
I wrap an arm around her. She takes another drink, followed by me taking another one.
If she doesn’t want to talk about it, I get that. Tonight, I really just want to forget.
Rhys zips his hoodie and pulls the hood over his head while we stand under what little cover the cabin’s roof offers.
“This was a shitty plan.”
He stares out at the black sky, not saying a word.
Though, I don’t mind standing out in the rain and letting everyone cool down. That was ugly. Blair made me want to fucking drink, so I can’t imagine what that shit did to Rhys.
“I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you don’t want to talk about it.”
He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to.
We both jolt when two high-pitched screams come from inside the cabin, followed by more hysterical screaming.
“Shit!” I look at Rhys. “Do we have to?”
He shrugs. “Whatever it is, it’s doing us a favor.”
I share his opinion, but we both know we can’t not go check on them. I open the door, and we walk in. Blair and Melody are standing on the bed, clutching each other, the whiskey bottle still in Blair’s hand.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Rhys asks as I look around the room. They’re the only ones here, and we just came in the only entrance.
Melody points a shaky finger toward the bathroom. “M-m-mouse.”
Are they fucking kidding? Rhys and I share the exact same look. “A fucking mouse?” Rhys’s head tips in Blair’s direction. “Snakes eat mice for breakfast. What the fuck are you worried about?”
Her middle finger raises in his direction. “Just catch it and kill that fucker!”
Melody nods her head emphatically, and we both roll our eyes, walking toward the bathroom. Neither of us is afraid. We grew up surviving mice, cockroaches, fucking every kind of infestation you can think of.
I pull open the white curtain covering the bathroom d
oorway and instantly see a small hole in the corner. Rhys nods when he sees it too. “He’s gone.” He turns back toward the girls, still cowering on the bed. “You two can come down.”
The both look at us and then each other. They finally decide to climb off the bed as Blair frantically brushes off her clothes as if she’s being attacked by a million mice. “This place is disgusting.”
Melody takes the bottle from Blair and takes a long swig, looking slightly buzzed now. Blair looks out of it as she flops down on the bed.
Jesus, we weren’t outside that long.
“I just want to go to bed and get out of here.” Melody sits on the bed next to Blair. I share her sentiment.
Blair looks over her shoulder at the bed and then back at us. “Where are we all going to sleep?”
“I’ll take the floor.” Rhys is serious. I know there won’t be much sleeping tonight.
Melody looks troubled and sighs, shaking her head. “It’s cold. There are no blankets and it’s a wooden floor.” She looks over at Blair, who’s pretending to look bored, and then back up at us. “You guys can sleep in the bed with us. It’s big enough for four.”
“Mel! What the fuck?”
Melody stands her ground with Blair. “They’re not sleeping on the floor. That’s ridiculous.”
Blair glares at Melody, and then her eyes lock with Rhys’s. “Fine. You can sleep at the foot of the bed like the dog you are.”
“Blair, good lord.” Melody seems appalled by her friend, but Rhys lets it slide.
“I’d rather sleep on the floor than anywhere near you.”
Melody’s eyes meet mine as Rhys grabs a cushion and lays down on the floor, using it to add padding under his head.
Solidarity.
I zip my hoodie up to my neck, grab a cushion, and lay down on the floor near him.
“Fucking idiots.” I hear Blair’s voice as she stands up from the bed, grabbing her suitcase and unzipping it, pulling out a nightgown similar to the one Mel had on last night.
There’s a sheet covering the mattress and one blanket, but that’s it. It’s early spring, and it’s not warm in this fucking cabin, not even close to warm. If she’s planning to wear only that, she’s gonna freeze to death, but that’s none of my business.
And there’s no way in hell I’m going to point that out.
Rhys is staring up at the ceiling. Whether I want to admit it or not, I’m afraid for my friend. Blair has no idea the amount of fire she’s playing with when she pushes Rhys like this. I need to get him to a fucking meeting and away from her.
Blair’s fingers move to her leggings and push them down, causing me to look away instantly. What the fuck?
This chick seriously has no boundaries.
I hear Mel’s voice. “Don’t you think you should change in the bathroom?”
“You mean behind the fucking curtain where a mouse lives? No, thank you.” Her black leggings land next to my arm on the floor. “If they want to look, let them."
Rhys doesn’t move, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling. I hear Melody’s sweet voice as I close my eyes. “I’m sleeping in my clothes. You’re going to freeze in that.”
At least one of them has some fucking sense. Come on, tomorrow morning.
“Okay, we have you all taken care of. Should be ready for the road now.” The friendly man from yesterday places the car keys in Sean’s hand and nods back to the cabin. “You all sleep okay?”
“Yes,” he lies for us. “Thank you.”
I don’t think any of us slept much. It was cold, the guys stayed on the floor despite my offer to sleep in the bed. And we all tossed and turned all night.
No one speaks to each other as we thank the man again and climb into the SUV, Rhys finding the highway and starting us toward Adele’s grandma’s home.
Last night was bad. This whole trip was awful. I couldn’t stop thinking about how angry Sean was. Then, it finally clicked in my head that his anger stems from fear. He seems so strong and confident, it’s hard to imagine him being scared, but he is.
He’s terrified Rhys will relapse. I didn’t know Rhys when he was using. I’m not sure what he was like. And honestly, I’ve never been around addicts, so I only have movies and television as a reference. It must have been ugly for Sean to fear it so badly.
And Blair tempting Rhys on purpose is not the woman I know. She seems like a cold-hearted bitch on the outside, I get that more than anyone, but she’s not. Sometimes I think her heart was too big from birth. It’s been shattered and repaired, but it was put back together haphazardly with all the wrong tools, and it came out a little wonky.
Rhys pulls up to the home and parks at the curb. I halfway expect Adele to run out instantly for a hug as if she’s been waiting for us the whole time.
I miss that crazy Aussie.
I think Sean does too because he doesn’t wait and climbs out of the vehicle, maybe thinking she’ll do the same thing.
We all climb out of the SUV and walk up to the front door, but there’s no sign of Adele yet.
Sean opens the screen door and a white piece of paper falls to the ground. He reaches down and picks it up.
“Did she go out for a moment?” I have to ask because the suspense is killing me.
He shakes his head from side to side, looking disappointed. But as he continues reading, a smile passes over his beautiful full lips. “She left.”
“What the fuck do you mean ‘she left’?” I didn’t think Blair would take it so hard.
His smile only grows. “She went back to California, says she’s sorry she couldn’t be here when we came through, but love can’t wait.”
My eyes meet his, my smile matching his. I miss her already and was hoping to see her, but she went back for the man she loved.
“Why are you two assholes smiling? She could have said good-bye.” Blair folds her arms, clearly pissy, probably because she liked Adele more than she let on.
I wrap an arm around her shoulder. “She loved her boyfriend. She went to make it right. That’s good, Blair.”
“You mean the guy she dumped like what, a week ago?”
I smile and look up at the white house. “She was scared.” My eyes meet Sean’s. “Fear does crazy things, especially when it comes to love.”
Rhys and Blair both roll their eyes and head for the car.
I turn to Sean. “I’m happy for her.”
He nods, giving me a slight smile. “Me too. I’m going to miss her, though.”
There’s a hint of jealousy in my heart when he says that, but I get it. I’ll miss her too.
We walk back to the SUV and make our way back to Kansas. Back to our normal lives.
Back to reality and ignoring the other one even exists.
Sean and Rhys dropped us off at my father’s house a couple of hours ago. Blair and I leave tomorrow to go back to college.
I can’t stop thinking about the trip.
About Sean.
His story about his father and the childhood that resulted from that. His apology, that I’m almost sure was genuine. His bond with Rhys, Logan, and Quinn. The fierce protectiveness they have over each other, because they’re literally all each other had growing up.
I zip my jacket and sneak down the stairs, past the guest bedroom where Blair is staying. There’s something I need to do.
I drive downtown to Sean’s studio, suspecting that’s where he’ll be. I knock on the metal door and hold my breath.
Will he be cruel?
Sean answers and stares at me in shock. The studio is dark as if he was leaving but is lit by the lights outside. He’s dressed in the same long-sleeved, heather gray tee and jeans he had on earlier today. “Melody. What are you doing here?”
My eyes glance behind him into his studio filled with his beautiful art and then back into his gorgeous green eyes. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“We said good-bye today.”
Some good-bye. Rhys pulling up to the driveway and tossing bags out on
to the pavement before flooring it the hell out of there.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but it was clear he wanted as far away from us as he could get.
“We didn’t.”
“Mel . . .” My hand brushes over his cheek, and he instantly stops speaking. His facial expression is shocked as if I burned him. He pulls back, and it stings as he walks away from me into the studio.
I follow, closing the door behind me, showing him I’m not leaving. He turns to face me, looking horribly conflicted. “Why are you here?”
I take a few cautious steps toward him, breathing him in, going back in time to the first night we met before anything ugly happened.
“Closure.”
“Why can’t you just fucking hate me?” He turns his back to me to look out the window of the studio, looking out over the street illuminated by the street lights and a few headlights from the cars below.
I walk to stand behind him, laying my right hand cautiously on his right bicep, my chin resting on his shoulder. “I wasn’t made to hate you.” I mean that, I couldn’t hate him if I tried. I’m not entirely certain why that is.
He looks at me over his shoulder. “I’m not who you think I am, and this won’t end well.”
“It’s not beginning.”
He turns to face me. “What?”
“I’m not the same person I was when we met.” I lift my chin, holding it up high. “I’m stronger.”
“I know that.”
“I’ll never lie to you. I won’t be here in the morning. I’m leaving tomorrow. Nothing can stop me.”
I watch his Adam’s apple slide along his throat as he listens to me, his hands holding my face as he holds me in place, looking in my eyes. “Then why come here?”
My hand rests over his beating heart. “Because this is how that night should have gone. I want a do-over.”
“You may not lie, but I am a liar.”
I nod my head, my lips nearing his as our noses brush lightly. “I know. So, don’t make me any promises.” My lips touch his softly, but neither of us move, both of us hesitant. Both of us afraid.