Collide (Two Hearts, #1)

by Melissa Toppen

  Emma on the other hand, loves the attention and re-emerges from the closet two minutes later walking across the room like she's on a cat walk. “Seriously Em, you realize my brothers will be here right?” I ask, taking in her small frame with next to no black material covering her girly bits.

  “Isn't that the point?” She purrs, pulling on a sheer black wrap and grabbing her sunglasses from the bed. “Well come on already.” She says impatiently.

  I laugh and then peel myself off the bed and make my way inside the small walk in closet to change. Thankfully there is a full body mirror and I am able to make sure that I am completely covered in all the important areas.

  Emma's right of course and the bathing suit fits perfectly. I sometimes forget we wear the same size because I am so much curvier than her. I feel like a cow when I stand next to her. She's lean and toned while I am, well nothing but boobs and hips. I used to say that the only reason I didn't topple over in a certain direction is because my ass and boobs evened out each side. While some girls think curves are what's hot, I disagree greatly. Maybe because I have always viewed myself as too curvy.

  I can't deny the red of the bathing suit really does stand out against my pale flesh making me look not quite so albino. Deciding it makes me feel a little less naked, I leave my long, wavy, dark hair down. At least it provides me with some what of a shield. Reluctantly, I exit the closet and do my best to cover my body.

  Emma whistles from the doorway, pulling her sunglasses down to rest on the bridge of her nose. “Holy shit Gracie, you look hot!” She exclaims, a wide smile across her face.

  “I feel ridiculous.” I whine, searching for something to wear over the bathing suit. Again, I'm not ashamed of my body but I hate walking around in next to nothing. While Emma may be completely comfortable doing just that, I am the more conservative of the two of us.

  “Here.” She says, stepping next to me, a white bathing suit cover in her hands. “I am nothing if not prepared.” She winks, giving me a knowing smile. I take the wrap from her and pull it over my head. It's a halter style dress cover, cutting off just past my mid-thigh. I smile at her graciously and then grab my sunglasses before following her back down the stairs.

  Emma, with tanning lotion and beach towels in hand, leads the way onto the back stone patio. The area is a large oval, decorated with a six person table with a large blue umbrella and chairs. A propane grill and a picnic table is set up on the far left side. I love sitting out here at night after everyone has gone to bed. It's so peaceful here and I love looking out over the dark water.

  “Where are you going?” I ask Emma as she starts heading down the concrete stairs to the dock below.

  “There's too much shade up here.” She says, gesturing to the trees that shade a good portion of the grassy area. “Let's go down to the dock.”

  Deciding there's no point in arguing, I simply nod and follow her down the stairs. She lays out the beach towels side by side and takes her spot on one, stretching out onto her stomach. I mirror her actions and do my best to relax.

  The sun feels amazing on my back and I close my eyes, loving the sound of the water lapping just below us. I don't know how long we lay there like that. Neither one of us speaks and I know that Emma is enjoying the peace just as much as I am.

  Unfortunately it's short lived as our silence is interrupted by the sound of car doors closing and a man's laughter. I know it's Ian without a second thought. His contagious laugh echos through the air and I open my eyes to find Emma staring at me, a mischievous grin plastered across her face.

  “Let the fun begin!” She sings, pushing herself to her feet and taking off in a full sprint towards the house.

  While I am excited to see my brothers, I don't share Emma's enthusiasm. Instead of joining her, I lay my head back down on the towel and decide to enjoy my last few moments of peace while I can. Knowing full well that I will get very little of it from this moment on. Besides my late night escapes, the house will be buzzing and I am in no rush to partake in the family bonding.

  Truth is, as much as I love Emma and my family, I would much rather be alone. It's the only time that I don't have to pretend that everything is okay. I don't have to pretend that Kyle never existed or that my life is perfect. It's during my time alone that I can let myself feel the pain and the loss that plagues me every second of everyday.

  I have not been the same since that day five years ago. The day that I try so hard to push out of my mind. The day I try to forget. The day that haunts me everywhere I go, no matter how much I pretend that it doesn't.

  Chapter Three

  “Grace Ellen Morgan. Get your ass up here!” Ian's playful voice cuts through my silence. I peek my head up to see him standing at the top of the stairs, tapping his foot. Even from here I can see the wide grin across his face. I wave him off and lay my head back down. He can wait a few more moments.

  “You just gonna hide out here all day baby girl?” Alec's smooth voice fills my ears just moments later, startling me. I shoot my head up and pin my eyes on my oldest brother. He smiles at me lovingly and takes a couple more steps down the dock until he is standing just feet from where I am laying.

  “If it means avoiding Ian's taunting for a few minutes longer, then yes.” I say, smiling widely at him. He nods, knowing full well what I mean and closes the distance between us. He sits down next to me, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

  I pull my sunglasses down onto the bridge of my nose and peer up at him. While Ian made it out to my graduation with mom, I have not seen Alec in almost a year. Even still, time has not changed him. He looks almost exactly as I remembered him. Rumpled brown hair that hangs across his forehead, his large toned frame dressed in tan cargo shorts and a white t-shirt. He crosses his muscled arms in front of his broad chest and meets my gaze.

  “How are you Grace?” He asks. “I mean really.” He adds, knowing full well that I will tell him everything is wonderful no matter what is going on with my life. Even with that knowledge, he still pushes for the truth. Unlike Ian, Alec has always had a way of reading me, even if he doesn't admit it.

  While Ian is my cute, playful, snowboard loving, free spirited, artist of a brother. Alec is the more serious one. While I like to think that I know him well, like me, I know that he never truly lets people in. But he is my protector. The one who stepped into my father's shoes even though he was already away at college when dad passed. Being ten years older than me, he has always been very protective of me and that fact increased one hundred fold when he became the eldest man in the family.

  “I'm good.” I finally answer, sighing loudly and resting my chin on hand. “How's New York?” I ask. While the main reason I am moving there is for Emma, it doesn't hurt that my oldest brother also resides there and will give me some sense of home in the craziness that is New York. “How's the business?” I tack on, referring to the software development company that he started a few years back with his college roommate. While he doesn't brag, I know that they have managed to be very successful. Creating and selling various apps for smart phones and other devices.

  “It's good.” He says, being completely modest by how well he has done for himself. I mean, I don't know what kind of money a business like that brings in but from the way mom describes his downtown penthouse, I would say he makes more than he would ever need.

  “Sorry I couldn't make it out to see you graduate. Hell, I barely got away to come here for the week.” He shrugs. “We both know mom would have killed me.” I can only nod my head in agreement, knowing full well that my mother would have been heartbroken had he not been able to make the trip. None of us has missed a year yet.

  “No worries. It wasn't that big of a deal. Besides, my part lasted a whopping thirty seconds. The rest of the time you would have had to sit there and listen to them call out hundreds of names and I can only imagine how dreadfully boring that would have been for you.”

  “It would have been worth it baby girl. You're a college grad
uate now. That's something to be very proud of.” He says, smiling down at me.

  I shrug. “Yeah I guess. I'm just glad it's over honestly. I mean, it was a great experience and all but I am ready to start living my life. College was just a necessary step. I need publishing houses to take me seriously, having an English major is the first step in achieving that.”

  “Hey Alec.” A man's voice I don't recognize interrupts us. I twist my head to the side and instantly my mouth falls open. Holy hell. Zayne Evans. My brothers college roommate and best friend has always been a looker but I certainly was not prepared to lay my eyes upon the sex god that is now hovering just feet from where my inappropriately covered body is laying. “Your mom and Rob are here.” He says casually, his eyes finding mine for a fraction of a second before turning back to Alec.

  “Thanks man.” Alec says, pushing himself to his feet. “Come on baby girl.” He says, holding his hands out to me. I push up on my knees, doing my best to make sure all areas are covered before taking his hands and letting him help me to my feet.

  I turn, feeling ridiculously awkward and very self conscious, to face Zayne. The moment my eyes find him again, I have to mentally force myself not to drool. I haven't seen him since he came home for Thanksgiving with Alec my senior year of high school. Even then he was something to admire but I was just a kid then. Now, words can't even describe the man before me.

  He's tall, at least six feet or so. His shoulders are broad and his tight fitted gray t-shirt clings to every perfectly defined muscle across his chest and stomach. When my eyes finally make it to his face, I falter. Oh my god, this man is beyond gorgeous. How do I not remember him being so beautiful? Piercing blue eyes with lashes so thick that the shade is only that much more intense. His dark hair is short and messy and has what Emma would call 'the just fucked look'. Instantly I am envisioning running my hands through his hair, pulling his body flush with mine and kissing him hard. I take a shaky inhale and try to gather my barrings. I have not thought about a man in that way since Kyle and the thought is more than a little unsettling.

  “Zayne right?” The question sounds stupid but considering it's been five years, it doesn't seem completely ridiculous.

  “Good to see you again Grace.” He nods, his smooth voice dripping with seduction. His eyes rake over my nearly naked torso and then back to my face before he quickly turns back to Alec. The action causing my insides to bubble.

  “I'll see you up there.” He says, quickly turning and making his way back up the steps, two at a time. I can't help but watch him. The way his back flexes with each step, his massive calve muscles clenching with the movement.

  “Why.... Why is Zayne here?” I turn to Alec, hoping my voice doesn't sound too shocked.

  “We are in the middle of a huge deal with a major seller over this smart phone app Zayne and I have been working on. Like I said, I barely made it here. Lucky for me, Zayne agreed to tag along so we could work out some of the details before we are set to sell the rights next week.” He says, leaning down to retrieve my bathing suit cover. He hands it to me and I quickly slip it over my head before following him up the stairs.

  I trail behind my brother trying to figure out what the hell just happened. I mean, I've seen Zayne before and while yes, I thought he was gods gift even then, he didn't affect me then the way he just did. Or maybe that's because our interaction was limited to one dinner together and I was in such a state of depression over Kyle, I barely saw anything happening in front of me.

  I mean sure, I plastered on a smile but honestly, I feel like a large piece of me died the day Kyle.... I can't even finish the thought. Still, to this day I feel like the small remnants of the girl I was fade little by little as time passes.

  Maybe that's why I am so beside myself with my reaction to Zayne, with my bodies reaction to him. It's not like me to see people. I mean, really see them. But when I looked into his eyes, I felt like a part of me was staring back at me. It's the strangest thing really and I do my best to push it down as we climb the last remaining steps and join the rest of my family on the patio.

  “Alec Morgan. Get over here and give your mother a hug.” My mom demands on a huge grin. Her eyes find me next and she smiles again but I don't get the warm embrace that Alec does. Then again, my mom just saw me less than a week ago and hasn't seen Alec in months.

  I am the spitting image of my mother. All except for the blonde hair, which she keeps in a shoulder length bob. While Ian took after mom in that department, me and Alec have our fathers dark, thick hair. Alec wraps her in a quick hug before releasing her and shaking Rob's hand.

  Rob is a short, stocky guy. He keeps his brown hair in a buzz cut and always dresses in khakis and polos. While I wouldn't classify him as attractive, he's not ugly. I guess I am just programmed to think that any man that is not my father is not good enough for my mom. They made the perfect couple. Both strikingly beautiful and more importantly, completely in love. But since that love was ripped away, I can't help but feel anything but grateful to Rob. Mom met him about five years after dad had passed. They started out as friends and then eventually started dating. They finally eloped two years ago and I have to admit, I have not seen my mom this happy since my dad was alive.

  “Hey Grace.” Rob says, nodding his head in my direction. I return his greeting and then wrap my mom in a quick hug before scanning the area for Emma. “She ran to the market with Ian.” Rob says, realizing who I am looking for.

  “Fantastic.” I say, smiling sarcastically. While Emma and Ian are both very fun, flirty people. The last thing I want is for Em to end up hooking up with him or Alec for that matter. She never sticks to the same man for long and I would hate for something, like her hurting one of my brothers or vise versa, to come between our friendship. Besides, she's been part of my life for so long they are practically like her brothers too and it would be just plain wrong for her to cross that line.

  “I'm gonna go change. Do you need any help with dinner?” I ask my mom, noticing several ears of corn laying across the picnic table.

  “No, no. Me and Rob will take care of dinner.” She says, shooing me away. I smile, knowing full well that she could use my help but doesn't really want it. It's no secret that I am a disaster in the kitchen.

  I throw my towel on the back of one of the chairs before heading inside. I peer around the large open floor plan before my eyes find their way to the second floor landing that oversees the first floor. Completely alone.

  I let out a loud sigh and proceed to climb the stairs to the second story. I turn and head towards my bedroom but then stop immediately when the door before my room opens and Zayne steps out, nearly walking right into me.

  “Oh, sorry.” I say, a little too excitedly. Zayne's eyes meet mine for only a fraction of a second before he breaks contact and steps around me.

  “No problem.” He says, walking down the stairs without a backwards glance. I stand there for a moment, watching him walk the length of the first floor. He barely even looked at me. I can't help but feel a little offended.

  What is it about this man that has my whole body seizing up? I mean, of course there's the obvious physical attraction. You would have to be blind not to want to mentally undress that man every time he steps into a room, but that's not it.

  There's something about him. Something about the way the air changes when he's close. Like a magnetic field pulling me to him. I shake my head, knowing full well that a man like Zayne Evans would not give me the time of day. And since when do I care about a man giving me anything? I have had zero interest in relationships since Kyle and now I'm practically drooling over my brother's best friend. What the hell is wrong with me?

  I mentally slap my stupid ass in the face before making my way into my bedroom to change. I have got to get a hold of myself. The last thing I need is to be distracted by a man that probably has had more sex partners then I have had manicures and that's saying something.

  I am a twenty-two year old woman. It is per
fectly normal to find a man sexually attractive no matter how out of the ordinary it is for me. But what is really throwing me for a loop is that since the moment I looked at him on the dock, all I can think about is having him take me into an empty room somewhere and doing unspeakable things to me. I have got to get a grip here. One week. It's only one week, how hard can it be?

  Chapter Four

  The first couple of days go by without a hitch. While I still have not recovered from my first encounter with the impossibly sexy Zayne Evans, it's been somewhat easier by his constant absence. Him and Alec have spent a good portion of their time locked away in the first floor study, leaving me plenty of time to distract myself with other things. Other than coming out to eat, I have not seen or spoken to him.

  I didn't realize how much that would bother me. For some unknown reason I want him around. For the first time in years, I feel like a normal twenty-two year old. Pining after my older brothers best friend like a love sick school girl. How cliché. It does make me feel better to know that I am not the only one affected by the man.

  Emma spent the entire first day after meeting him, talking about how sexy he is and all the things she would like to do to him. While it was entertaining to hear her go on and on, I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. At least Em could have a shot with him if she wanted. Lord knows he hasn't looked my way in the last two days.

  In fact, during mealtimes, when he finally makes an appearance, he manages to talk to everyone but me. I try not to be offended. I am, after all, just his best friends baby sister. But that still doesn't dull the sting over his obvious avoidance of me. Hell, he hasn't spoken one word to me since that first afternoon.

  Deciding not to dwell on it, I agree to go out on Rob's boat with Ian and Emma. I love being out on the water and the more distance I put between myself and the sex god sleeping in the room next to mine, the better.