We all stared at the walls, mouths open as I continued to scroll around the room. I could feel the time ticking, the invisible clock heading toward the end.
“Yeah, that looks hard.” Doug downed the rest of his beer, pulling out another one from his other pocket.
“Are you going to help us at all or just sit there?” Jones tossed his arms out, motioning at his friend.
“I’m gonna sit here.” He held up his beer. “And drink.”
“Wait. Is that an option? I’ll do that.” Stevie took a step toward Doug, but Jones blocked her from getting to the cot, the tight space feeling like it was getting smaller with each passing second.
“If you aren’t helpin’, then shut the hell up.” Jones took off his hat, rubbing his head before putting it back on. Doug responded with a chuckle. It was getting hot in here, aggravating the tension clouding the space.
“You know what? Screw this.” Chris moved to Doug. “I’ll wait the time out.”
“Figures you’d give up,” Stevie snorted derisively.
“Me?” He swung to her, tipping his head, staring back at her almost threatening. “That’s rich coming from you.”
“Ohhh, you did not…” Stevie lurched for him.
“Whoa. Whoa.” Hunter grabbed Stevie, holding her back.
“Wasn’t it you walking over here? Giving up?” Chris pointed back at her, his temper higher than I’d ever seen in the easygoing Aussie. It made me realize there was much more to their story than Stevie let on, the anger overly raw for it to be such a mutual ending. “Different if you do it, right? That’s the Stevie way. But I’m the one who’s an asshole.”
“Fuck. You,” she seethed, leaning past Hunter. “And yes, you are an asshole.”
“Okay. Whoa.” I held up my hands. “Let’s all calm down.”
“Why?” Hunter’s irate timbre twisted my head to him, my ponytail snapping my arm. “Sounding familiar to you, Jayme? Hitting a little close to home?”
“Excuse me?” I felt indignation surge, gritting my teeth.
“ENOUGH!” Jones yelled, his pale skin flushing with heat and anger. “How about everyone calm the fuck down.” He looked at each one of us. “Except you.” He motioned to Doug. “Any more and you’ll be comatose.”
“Told you I’d be a great zombie.”
“Back to the game, so we can get the hell out of here.” Jones rubbed his face, muttering under his breath. “It will be fun, Jones, they said. Just come.”
“I still think if they all screwed each other right now…” Doug shrugged, taking a drink.
“Dougie, shut up.” Jones pinched his nose, taking a deep breath before stepping closer to the wall. “Find a pattern or code. Now!”
We all rocked into action at Jones’s demanding tone. I hated how easily Hunter could rile me. It was humiliating.
We went silent as I rolled the light over the wall again, glowing words popping out at us. More time passed, slipping away quickly as we searched for a hint.
“Wait. Go back, Jayme.” Hunter came behind me, his nearness tensing my frame, dripping more sweat down my neck. “There.” He pointed, his arm brushing mine. “Letters are missing.”
My gaze rolled over the sentences and words, realizing there were a few letters missing in each group.
“You’re right.” I touched one of the words. “That’s it. The missing letters are our clues.”
“Does anyone have a piece of paper or pen?” Hunter scanned the room.
“Paper.” Chris ripped off one of the decorations. “But no pen.”
“Someone here have a good memory?” Jones asked.
“Since she can’t even remember names, I wouldn’t ask her,” Chris scoffed, flicking his head at Stevie.
“I remember the ones worth my time,” she swiped back.
“Guys—” I was cut off by lights above our heads bursting to life, red spinning around the room, and an alarm ringing loudly against the metal interior.
My hands slammed against my ears as a voice came from a speaker. “Warning! Warning! One minute before you find the cure or die a slow painful death.”
“Oh, thank god.” Stevie flung up her arms to the ceiling, eyeing Chris. “Melting away by acid rain sounds amazing right now.”
“Warning! Warning! This building is contaminated! Thirty seconds to escape.”
We all stood there, knowing we had no hope of getting out. We had only gotten to clue two. It had to be a record for the worst team ever.
A sound spat from above, jerking my head toward the sprinklers. Without much warning, water sprayed down on us, soaking our clothes and hair, plastering them to our bodies.
Doug leaped up like a kid, opening his arms and mouth, lapping at the water, and shaking his head. “Whoo-hoo! Feels awesome.”
Actually, the night was so warm and being trapped in a small metal box made the cool water pouring down feel amazing in this muggy, airless space. Stevie and I looked at each other, her blonde-and-fuchsia hair sticking to her face, a grin tugging on the side of her mouth. We started laughing.
Jones took off his hat, letting it fill up a bit before flinging it at us.
“Oh man.” Chris chuckled as he and Hunter both shook their heads.
War on.
All the guys had caps, which they quickly used as buckets, slinging water at each other. Hunter’s hand wrapped around my wrist, pushing me out front, hiding behind me.
“What the hell? I’m your human shield?”
“Sacrifices have to be made in war.” He smirked at me.
His words took me back to our pillow fight long ago, the masked attraction hidden behind a child’s game.
A splash of water smacked my face, whipping me back to Chris. “Oh! You are so asking for it!”
“Bring it on, princess.” Chris tapped at his chest.
Reaching around, I yanked Hunter’s hat from his hands and flung the cap full of liquid at the Aussie, slapping his face with water.
“Ohhh. You. Didn’t.” Chris tilted his head, feigning a look of shock as Stevie’s laugh howled in the tiny space.
“I so did.” I winked at Chris with a cocky shrug.
“Don’t let her tiny innocent look fool you. The girl is brutal.” Hunter chuckled, grabbing his hat back and chucking more water back at Chris, ducking behind me again, his hands holding my waist so he could easily move me.
“Hiding behind her? Oh, hell no!” Chris grabbed Stevie, dropping behind her, her laugh filling my heart. I hadn’t seen her this happy in a long time, despite her carefree façade. That was who Stevie played herself off to be. Someone with no worries. I knew better.
The door banged open, halting us in our attacks on each other. I flinched against the bright streetlight pouring into the small room. Clusters of people stood outside our pod watching with amusement. Dry.
“You guys were the only ones to not make it.” Will laughed, waving us out, taking in our drenched appearance. “Looks like you guys had fun though.” He clapped his hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Bonfire is over there, and if the winner wants to share their booty, drinks as well. But everyone, be safe. We’re now a genuine business and don’t want reason for the cops to shut us down. Have fun!”
“Should have gone with us.” Stevie’s Disney beauty came over to her, her attention running up and down Stevie’s soaked form, a frown dipping her mouth when her gaze landed on Chris behind her. “We won. Out in twenty minutes.”
Stevie patted her wet hair, the remnants of joy still glowing her face. “No, I was good.”
Maybe even five minutes ago we didn’t feel that way, but staring around at my war buddies, smiles on all our faces, I knew we had the most fun. When we let go, our group was magic.
The problem was, it could never last. Reality would reconstruct those walls the moment we left here. But perhaps, for tonight, we could all be friends again.
Chapter Seventeen
Fire crackled and flickered, reaching for the stars, the parking lot
full of people talking and laughing, the noise humming around me. Like Hunter and I had done, the winners shared their prize with everyone, a huge water trough full of all kinds of drinks, creating a jubilant atmosphere.
I was still not recovered from the tequila the night before, so I sipped a soda, wishing it could numb me like alcohol.
My lingering feelings were too much. I hated how I yearned to touch him, kiss him. But I couldn’t get my feet to walk away either. Jones and Doug were off talking to a group of girls who all came together for a ladies’ night, leaving Stevie, Chris, Hunter, and me.
Not awkward at all.
Stevie sipped her drink, looking around as if she wanted to do a dive roll out of here, the tension between her and Chris sprouting like weeds in manure. Neither one talked to the other, which put the burden on me because Hunter never minded strained silence.
“You like New York?” Chris finally spoke, each word like it was being ripped through his teeth.
Stevie’s head jerked to him, her defenses rising.
“Yes. I love it there. It’s everything this place is not,” she snipped. I flinched, despite myself. It was a simple question. He was trying. As though she could hear my thoughts, she huffed, “What about you? When are you going back on tour?”
Chris took a long swig of his beer. He and Hunter were propped against the car, all of us back together like magnets. Even though it felt like hell for all of us, we gravitated toward each other. What a difference a year and a half made. There had been tension then, giddy and forbidden. Heartache, too, but it was innocent then. Now it seemed years and endless baggage sat at our feet.
“Gonna take a break for a while.” Chris shrugged, downing the rest of his drink, not looking at Stevie. My friend’s head tilted, her gaze digging into him as if she knew he wasn’t telling her something.
“Why?” She folded her arms. “You love it and you’ve been in the top ten all season.” Did Stevie realize she had given herself away as someone who still cared enough to watch his races and know his standing?
“I’ve wondered the same thing.” Hunter twirled the water bottle in his hand. “Don’t be in a hurry to come back here.” His eyes went to the ground, a wince of bitterness laced through his voice.
“I just want to take a break,” Chris snapped, running a hand over his short brown hair. “Jesus, sorry I didn’t ask for approval.” We all stared at him in surprise. Besides Doug, Chris was one of the most laid-back guys I’d ever met. His short temper seemed ill-fitting on him. He blew out a deep breath, shaking his head, pointing at Hunter. “Like you’re doing so bad. You own a garage and have doubled the business.”
“What?” I faced Hunter. He owned the garage?
“Partial owner.” Hunter shifted uncomfortably.
“You bought it. Just because Doug’s name is on the front doesn’t make it any less yours,” Chris snapped.
“You bought the garage from old Frank?” I probed, wanting to hear any tiny insight into Hunter’s life since I left. Frank had owned the garage before I was even born.
He shrugged, glancing to the side. “Needed to invest my earnings from racing in something. Frank wanted to retire, and I needed a job.”
The last word made him swallow. The agony of not being able to race anymore pinched his features. I tried to imagine what he must have gone through the last six months. As if he hadn’t already lost enough when his twin brother was taken from him.
I watched the condensation from the soda can dripping onto my hand. My heart thumped in my chest, and I choked back the urge to wrap my arms around him, which seemed as natural as taking my next breath.
“I still don’t get it.” Stevie hadn’t taken her critical gaze off Chris. “I know how much you love racing, more than you ever let on. It’s the middle of the tour, you are doing great, and you leave?”
Muscles coiled down Chris’s shoulder’s, an expression flickering over his face too fast to read.
“Fuck, woman. Why do you care?” Standing up, he chucked his beer bottle into the garbage, the glass shattering into pieces against the metal. “You’re not my fucking girlfriend. You made that clear, so get off my ass.” He strode past her, clipping her shoulder.
She spun around, fury clenching her hands. “You’re right,” she screamed after him. “I don’t care!”
He ignored her, walking toward Jones and Doug.
“Fuck you,” she yelled, stomping off the opposite way. “Think I might revisit Pocahontas.”
“No, Stevie… don’t.” I tried to reach out, but she slipped from my grasp, on a mission to find the girl on the other side of the campfire, the girl who was already watching Stevie’s every move like a surveillance camera.
Cringing, I watched her over my shoulder. “Crap.”
“That a regret in the making?” Hunter crossed his legs, leaning into the car, motioning to Stevie.
“Oh yeah.” I nodded, turning back to him.
“Ah.” Hunter nodded, his gaze returning to mine with an intensity that made my mouth run dry.
Leave, Jayme. Walk away. It’s better for both of us. But neither of us moved, tension twisting through me.
“That’s amazing you bought the garage.” I shuffled my shoes against the gravel.
He scoffed, taking a drink.
“It’s not?” My brow curved up.
“Gee, Jayme, I don’t know. I’m doing exactly what everyone imagined I would.” His lids narrowed. “Not moving farther than this town, working at the garage, having a kid… It’s all stuff people predicted, even my father. And here I am.” He opened his arms, looking around with disdain. “Not quite twenty, and I fulfilled everyone.”
“That’s not true.” I put my hand on my hip. “And when did you start caring what other people think?”
He shook his head, tossing the empty water container over my shoulder into the recycle bin.
I could feel his rage right under the surface, the bitterness of his lost dreams. On the outside, I couldn’t deny he fulfilled what people expected, but at the same time, he was nowhere close to the “loser” the high school crowd tagged him. What he had already accomplished and lost was immense. And his losses were more than anyone should bear for his age.
“Hunter, you’ve achieved more than most will ever do in a lifetime. Do you know how famous you were? Guys in Italy knew who you were.”
“Guys?” His head punched up, then he wagged his head, standing up. “And the operative word is were.” He stood over me, his look telling me to move out of his way, but I didn’t budge.
“Your life isn’t over because you can’t race anymore.” I planted my hands on my hips, my neck cranked back in a challenge.
“Really?” He leaned over, his body encompassing, his mouth only a few inches from mine.
“No.” Heat ballooned under my damp clothes. I itched to rip them off, to feel his naked skin against mine, to lose myself in his touch. “Your life doesn’t end because your dream had to change.”
He blew air through his nose, his eyes drinking in my face. “Always the cheerleader.” A twisted smile hitched up his mouth, inching even closer to me. “And Jayme? My dream left me months before the accident,” he rumbled, sliding by me, walking away.
My mouth gaped open, and I stood there, his words like a hand plunged in burning coals. I had to grit my teeth to keep my emotions in check. Did he really mean what I thought?
Peering over my shoulder, I watched him greet his friends like he didn’t have a care in the world. No matter what we might still feel or not feel for each other, it didn’t matter. Time and circumstances had changed. His life was here with his kid—soon to be kids—and mine would be moving on in two months. We had gone through so much to be together only for fate to laugh at us and take it all away. He would be always be that hole in my soul.
My desire for him was still so strong. I knew the only thing I could do was stay far away from him. After I got my jeep back, I needed to cut all ties to Hunter Harris. Daggers d
ug into my heart at the thought, but my feelings no longer mattered.
He had a kid coming. Nothing competed with that.
“You look nice.” Mom smiled at me as she stepped into the living room, handing Grandma Penny a glass of water and some pills. My grandma’s leg was propped up on pillows, and she was glaring at my mother like an insolent child. She was not following the doctor’s orders to “take it easy” very well.
“Mom, stop being a baby. Take your pills.” Mom dumped them in my grandma’s palm.
“They make me feel sleepy.”
“Exactly.” Mom sighed, as though she wanted nothing more than for my grandma to sleep.
“Amy, I’m old and don’t have many days as it is. I don’t want to sleep them away.” She frowned, glancing at me like I’d back her. “Sleep when you’re dead, right? Just because you act my age doesn’t mean I have to.”
“Mother…” I could hear the exasperation in my mom’s voice.
“Ammmyy,” Grandma sighed back, mimicking her. “See… now you know when Jayme uses that tone on you how annoying it is.”
Mom’s mouth pinched together, her attention going to me. “What are you up to today that has you looking so nice?”
I brushed down the pretty, soft yellow summer dress I barely ever wore. I was a jean-shorts-and-tank kind of girl, but today I had to put my best foot forward.
“I’m going to look for a job.” Even though I was only going to be here for a few months, I needed money to pay for gas and to bring some funds with me to college. My scholarship to Virginia Tech only covered some of my tuition. We scraped by, but my parents made just enough to push me out of running for a full scholarship. My grandparents helped with my tuition, or I would never see the inside of a college classroom. I was lucky they wanted to help so I didn’t have to think about being saddled with student loans.
“Where are you going?” Mom perched herself on the arm of the sofa next to Grandma. The house was silent of giggles and screaming. My parents decided it was in everyone’s best interest to sign Reece up for camp this week, letting her exuberant energy work itself out in a larger space with friends. She was a handful lately, driving the house a bit mad.
Broken Love (Blinded Love Series Book 2) Page 17