Finding the Green Room (The Sutter Family Book 3)

by Heather D'Agostino

  “You stay with me the whole night,” I murmured as she cupped me through my pants. “We’re here together, but there are no strings here. Got it?” I groaned when she squeezed me.

  “Got it.” She leaned up and kissed my neck.

  “Jesus.” I pulled back. “You make me feel like a thirteen-year-old,” I hissed.

  “I want you to think about me when you see her.” She giggled. “Think about the fact that you can come to my place tonight and I’ll let you do whatever you want.” She grinned up at me.

  I whistled as I blew out a breath, “You’re testing my patience tonight, Brin.”

  “I know.” She smirked as she lifted the bottom of her dress up to reveal the fact that she wasn’t wearing panties. “Let’s go get a drink.” She laughed as she opened the door to the shed and stepped out. “You coming?”

  “Fuck! I hope so,” I groaned as I followed her to the stairs. When we reached the top, I slapped her ass before wrapping my arm around her. I needed this to look like we’d been dating forever. We’d been fucking for years now so it kinda felt like we’d been together forever.

  “Two o’clock,” Brinley mumbled as she took my hand in hers and laced our fingers together. My eyes swung to the right, and there she was. She was standing at the bar waiting for a drink. I knew by the shape of her ass that it was her, and holy hell did she look good. A light peach sundress skimmed her body, clinging to it in just the right places. Her hair was pin straight and hung all the way down her back. Long tan legs that I remember running my palm up, flexed as she swayed on a pair of ‘fuck me’ heels.

  “Looks a little pretentious to me,” Brinley mused, making me realize that I muttered a few of those thoughts aloud.

  “Yep.” I pressed my lips together as memories of the last time I was on this deck with her came rushing back. “Let’s get a drink.” I pulled Brinley in the direction of the bar, and just as we were within a few feet of it, Jess turned around.

  Her hand was holding a wine glass and as I looked at her long fingers wrapped around the goblet, visions of her stroking me flitted through my mind. She stumbled, but quickly recovered as she stared doe-eyed at me. I watched as she forced herself to swallow and her eyes blinked a few times.

  “Jess! It’s great to see you!” Brinley broke the moment and hugged Jess, catching her off-guard. “I’ve been following you on Instagram. Congrats on the latest sponsor.”

  “Thanks.” Jess smiled and I could tell it wasn’t a real one. I knew her, and I knew what she looked like when she was happy. Happy was not the emotion that she was feeling right now. Anger was, and it was directed at me. Good, I thought. Be mad at me. Be anything because feeling something meant she cared.

  “Are you back, or just visiting?” Brinley smiled as she wrapped one arm around my waist and leaned into me. Jess’s eyes darted between us before she composed herself.

  “Just a visit. I have to go back soon.” She looked around like she was hoping someone would save her.

  “Well it was great seeing you.” Brin poured it on thick. “Let’s get some food. I’m hungry.” She looked up at me and pouted.

  “Sure thing, babe.” I began to turn us. “Nice seeing you, Jess.” Before she could say anything else, I walked away. My heart was pounding as I put distance between us, but all my discomfort was worth it. When I glanced back at where we’d been standing, Jess was nowhere in sight. I’d won this round, and for some sick reason it felt good.

  ooooooooo

  “I think she bought it,” Brin grinned at me as we sat side-by-side on a pool lounger. We’d had a few drinks at this point, and I was feeling great. I’d forgotten all about her for a few hours, but Brin was bringing it all back now.

  “Oh, I know she did.” I smirked. “I don’t really want to talk about her right now though. How about we blow this joint and go back to your place?” I was already standing at this point.

  “Sounds good to me.” Brinley winked. “I think I’ve punished you long enough. I can’t really drive though. Too many of these.” She held up her martini glass and giggled.

  “I’ve had six beers. How do you plan on getting to your place if you don’t drive?” I frowned as I thought about the fact that she had gotten me hard multiple times already tonight, and I just wanted to fuck her. At this point I’d be fine getting a blanket and going out on the beach.

  “Can’t we just stay here?” She wobbled as she stood up.

  “No. My parents were nice enough to let me drink at their party. They are not going to let me have a girl stay over. They know I do this shit,” I waved my hand between us, “but they don’t want to be the ones encouraging it.”

  “Can I convince you?” She stumbled toward me and I backed into a dark corner. Most of the guests had left at this point and it was mainly family left. “I really want to suck this,” she grabbed my dick and squeezed as she raised up on her toes, “and then I’ll let you put it wherever you want.” I swallowed as my eyes squeezed shut. Brinley was testing my restraint and she was winning. “Still don’t want to go in your room?”

  “I need my dad to let me keep living here. I can’t do that.” I hissed as she started to tug at my zipper. “Wait!” I grabbed her wrist to keep her from moving. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this, but come on.” I rushed for the stairs and pulled Brinley behind me down to the storage shed. “This is what fucking kids do.” I opened the door, and pushed her inside.

  As soon as I got the door shut, I put some things in front of it to block it so it wouldn’t open. I laid my phone on the shelf where my board hung and turned on the flashlight app on so we could see. Then, I raced to get my pants down. Brinley nibbled her lip as she watched me. “You always make me feel like a fucking fifteen-year-old. Sneaking into the shed, making girls jealous.” I grinned. “Anything else you wanna do?”

  “There’s plenty I wanna do.” She eyed my cock before dropping down on her knees. “I wanna start with this, Ry, and you are most certainly not fifteen.” She gripped my cock before leaning forward and taking me all the way into her mouth, causing my eyes to roll back and my mind to forget most of what I was upset about.

  Chapter 9

  Jessica

  The wedding is today, and as much as I know it’s going to hurt I can’t seem to stay away. Seeing him last night was one of the most painful moments I’ve experienced. It wasn’t that it had been so long or that he’d said those things to me all those years ago, it was more of the fact that I was back in the place of our demise and he was there with her. Brinley had had a thing for Ryan since we were twelve. She would show up on the beach and watch us surf. When we started dating, she’d show up on our dates. It was like she was looking for a crack to form between us. I confronted her once and she admitted that she’d do whatever it took to get him. I guess she did.

  I don’t know how he can stand to be with her. She has no class, or standards. I’m willing to bet that as soon as I left she tried to replace me. What she doesn’t know is that he’s using her. I could tell when I saw them last night. She was all over him, but the look on his face said he still felt what I felt, he was just too mad to show it. It doesn’t matter though. I’m leaving tomorrow night anyway. I have to get back for an event, and I need to get Ryan Sutter as far out of my mind as possible.

  I opted to walk down the beach to the wedding today. I wanted the solitude, and I could leave later this way. My parents had left a little bit ago, and I was still trying to decide what to wear. Finally deciding, I rushed around my childhood room to get ready. I’d settled on a pale blue dress that fell almost to my ankles. It was a sheer material that was only lined enough to cover the important stuff. I’d worn it to a photo op last year, and gotten lots of compliments, so I’d decided to bring it here. The plunging back showed off a little more skin than I was used to, but I knew I looked good in it.

  “Here goes nothing,” I whispered as I grabbed my clutch and began my walk down the beach. I’d brought a pair of silver sandals, but opted t
o carry them since I was going to be on the sand. I figured when the reception started on the Sutters’ deck, I could slip them on then.

  ooooooooo

  When I reached the site where the chairs had been set up, I took a seat on the bride’s side. I knew both Brock and Emma, but I was here because Emma invited me. I picked a seat that was in the middle to avoid being in Ryan’s direct line of sight. I knew that he knew I was coming, but I really didn’t want his stare on me all night. If anything, I wanted to try and have a good night without any awkward moments at all.

  “Hey.” She smiled when she plopped down in the chair beside me.

  “Hi.” I plastered a fake smile on my lips before turning to face her.

  “Are you enjoying your time here?” Brinley had this look that I couldn’t quite figure out. It was like she was sizing me up; like I was competition to her or something. Little did she know that I didn’t want what she had because he didn’t want me.

  “Sure.” I shrugged. “It’s nice to see everyone again. How long have you an Ryan been together?” I might as well bite the bullet and get as much info as I could from her. I mean in the past she’s never made it a secret that she wanted to be with him. This way she can brag, and I get the info I want.

  “Almost a year now officially. We got together long before that though. It wasn’t long after you left.” She smiled and could see right then that this ‘friendship’ that she was pretending we had was all so she could throw barbs at me. “He wasn’t getting what he needed. I gave it to him.” She shrugged again. “It’s been great talking to you, but I need to go check on him before the ceremony starts.”

  She stood up and walked away as quickly as she’s appeared, leaving me sitting there stunned. I knew she was talking about sex. Ryan had been trying to get me to have sex with him for months before I left. I just wasn’t ready though. We were sixteen, and I’d been told since I was younger that you just know when it’s the right person and you’re ready.

  When Brock and the minister took their positions at the front of the rows of chairs, everyone got quiet. Soft music played as the attendants began to walk down the aisle. The girls wore soft purple dresses and carried bouquets of white and purple flowers. The guys had on black pants with white shirts and purple vests. When Ryan walked down the aisle I could feel his stare, but when he took his place at the front his eyes never met mine. He looked off in the distance and maintained an indifferent look.

  Brock and Emma had written their own vows, and had everyone seated sniffling before they were finished. As they said their heartfelt words to one another, I thought about how long Emma had been waiting for this moment. I remembered when we were younger and she would watch Brock on the beach. Back then I thought she was crazy for being so set on one boy. Ryan would tease her, but I knew how she felt. I’d been right beside Ryan all those years, but we couldn’t have been more apart. He’d always seen me as a friend, and now I didn’t even think I had that.

  I blinked as I came back to the moment just as Brock bent Em back and placed a deep kiss to her lips. The music started back up, and the attendants followed the newlyweds back down the aisle. An announcement was made to make our way up to the Sutters’ deck for the reception and the wedding party would soon join us after pictures. I weaved through the crowd, desperate to get away from him. I wanted to say my congrats, and then escape home. It was a chicken move to make, but my heart couldn’t handle much more. It was a miracle that I made it through the ceremony.

  ooooooooo

  Ryan

  She looked breathtaking, that was the simplest way to put it. Her hair was in soft curls resting on her shoulders and flowing down her back. The light blue dress clung to her in all the right places and was sexy yet understated. I’d seen her in it before when I Googled her last year. I know she doesn’t know it, but I’ve been following her career since she left. Call me a stalker, I don’t care, but some small part of me can’t let go.

  I tried with everything in me not to look at her during the ceremony. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done. The few times a chanced a glance, she was looking away. Our eyes never met, but I know exactly what she looks like today. When the guests went up to the deck, I wanted to go after her. I’ve been working on gathering my courage all day to tell her not to leave tomorrow. I want to tell her that I still care; that everything I’ve done to her the last two days wasn’t me, it was my hurt talking. I want to tell her how proud I am of her; how Brinley doesn’t mean anything to me and that I’ve been using her to bury the pain of losing her.

  Brinley. Brinley’s my date tonight. It’s funny, she’s wearing a blue dress too, but it’s not at all like Jess’s. Brinley’s is tight where Jess’s is loose. Brinley’s is a deep royal that clings to her curves. Her breasts almost spill out of the top. She looks like she’s ready for a red-carpet event, not a wedding. During the ceremony, I watched as she stared at me, a little smirk playing on her lips. Every once in a while, her eyes would dart over to where Jess was sitting. They were so different. I could tell when Jess saw us together the other night that she was hurt, but she hid it and was nothing but nice to Brinley. Brinley, on the other hand, has made sure I was focused on her. When she was stepping into my bedroom before the wedding to ‘check on me’, I was a little taken aback. We weren’t dating, she knew the rules about this weekend, but it seemed she was changing them.

  By the time we were finished with pictures, I’d yanked my tie loose and rolled up my sleeves. I wanted to find her, and try to get her to talk to me. The dance floor was full of people, my parents were flitting from couple to couple thanking them for coming. My sister was completely absorbed in her new husband, and right when my eyes met Jess’s, Brinley showed up.

  “Hey.” She grinned up at me. “Wanna dance?”

  “Not really,” I mumbled as I continued to stare at Jess. She saw me, and hurt marred her face as she stared at where Brin was clinging to my arm. “I need to talk to her.”

  “Why?” Brinley released my arm and moved in front of me, blocking my view.

  My eyes darted down to focus on her, “This isn’t working. It was a bad idea, and I never should have asked you to do this.”

  Her face fell for a moment before her smile slipped back into place, “I get it.” She grinned at me before closing the distance between us.

  When she rose up on her toes to kiss me, I pushed her away, “No you don’t. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

  “But I thought?” She shook her head.

  “Game’s over Brin.” I stepped back. “I’m done.”

  “So that’s it!” She screeched, causing a few guests around us to turn and stare. “You fuck me, and then throw me out?” I stood there trying to not lose my temper as Brinley erupted. I knew my mom would have my ass if I let my exploits ruin this reception, but I didn’t know that she would change the game on me. “Fuck you!” she screamed one last time before she turned and stomped down the stairs. “Fuck and you and little miss perfect.”

  My shoulders sunk as I turned back around only to see my father pushing his way through the crowd as if he was on a mission. “Great,” I muttered. “Just fucking great.”

  “What was that all about?” he growled as he stopped in front of me. His collar was open too, and I could see the little blood vessel on his neck throbbing. He was pissed, and I was getting ready to see the full fury of Nick Sutter.

  “It was nothing.” I sighed as my eyes searched for Jess.

  “Come with me.” He turned and headed for the back door. I followed him reluctantly as he led me through the house, not stopping until we were in his and Mom’s room. He shut the door quietly, took a few deep breaths, and then unleashed on me. “I don’t know what the hell you’re doing here. I’ve tried to be patient with you. I want you to figure out your shit on your own, but you are fucking up your life, Ryan. There’s a girl out there who loves you. She’s not going to tell you that though, because you’re being a complete ass!” He blew out a deep b
reath through his nose.

  “Jess does not love me.” I sighed as I lowered myself onto the end of their bed.

  “The hell she doesn’t.” He flung his arms up and turned to face me again. “It’s killing her to be here. Can’t you see that? That look in her eyes when she sees you? How can you not see it?”

  “What do you know about any of this?” I yelled back at him and watched as he attempted to rein in his temper. I’ve seen my dad get mad. I’ve seen him blow up on my sister. I’ve been the cause of several big fights over the years, especially when I told them I was going to pursue surfing, but I’ve never seen this.

  He paced the room before turning to face me once again. “You may not believe this, but I used to be you.”

  I cut him off, “Yeah, yeah… heard this before, Dad.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Really?” he growled. “You’ve heard about how your mom left me behind? How she went off to follow her dream and just walked away from me? I told you about how it crushed me; how I thought we’d get married and she just up and left?”

  “You were gonna get married?” I sighed. They’d told us how they met when they were younger. We all knew about Mom going for the Olympics. We knew she got hurt and came home, and that’s when they got back together, but I didn’t know all the details.

  “Yes. I proposed, and she left.” He nodded. “See the thing is, Ryan, she asked me to go with her.” I didn’t know this part. “She wanted me to come to Atlanta with her, get married down there, and be together but I was too stubborn. I walked away, and by the time I realized that I should have gone, it was too late.” He leaned against his dresser and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know that you love her.” He pointed toward the deck. “I also know that she hurt you, but can you really blame her for leaving? If it was the other way around and you were the one who got the chance, can you tell me you’d have done it differently?” He had a point. I would have left too, and I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about it.