Under The Same Sky (Horseshoe Bay Book 1)

by Tamsyn Bester

  “You did this?” I ask Jessica, barely hanging on to my fury. I knew coming with her was a mistake, that breaking the promise I made four years ago was a mistake.

  Before Jessica can reply, Reese shoves me. “You asshole!” She screams. “I waited for you! For over two hours! Was it a joke to you, too? Did you do it on purpose?”

  I reach for her, but she slaps my hand away. “Reese, I didn’t—”

  Jessica cuts me off. “No, he didn’t.” Her smile turns facetious. “But I did. For old times sake.”

  With lightening speed, Reese slaps me across the face, hard enough that I know it’ll leave a mark. “I hate you, Thorin Decker.” She turns to Jessica. “This is the last time, Jessica. We’ll see who gets the last laugh.” She spins on her heel, and runs for the exit. Jessica grabs my arm, and sneers. “Go after her, and we’re over, Thorin.”

  I snatch my arm from her grip. “We’ve been over, Jessica. And I’ve finally realized the girl I love, isn’t you.” She gasps, but I’m already running after Reese. I catch her in the parking lot, hurriedly climbing into her dad’s car. “Reese! Wait!”

  “No, Thorin. I’m done waiting. When I got that note I thought you remembered, ‘under the same sky’, right? But the joke is on me, yet again. But don’t worry, after tonight I’ll be out of your life for good.” She slams the door shut, and peels out of the lot. Damnit. I need a damn car. We came in a limo, and it’s not scheduled to pick us up until midnight. I run back inside, and find Benji. “Dude, I need your truck. Now.” He looks pissed, but rather than tell me what a dumbass I am, he hands me the keys. I’m out of there in a heartbeat, and drive like hell all over town, wondering where Reese would go. If her parents are home, that’s the last place she’ll be. I skid to a stop in our driveway, the sound drawing my parents outside.

  “Thorin, what’s wrong, Son? What are you doing home?” My dad asks, his brows furrowed.

  “Is Reese here?”

  “No, honey,” Mom steps outside, “she got ready here, and then said you’d fetch her at her house. Is something wrong?” She got ready at my place? That makes zero sense.

  “Fuck!” I yell. I pull out my phone and call her. Goes straight to voicemail. “Do you know if her parents are home?”

  “No idea, but how about you tell us what’s going on and we can help?” Dad offers.

  “I screwed up,” I tell them. “But I have to go.”

  I’m back in the truck, and fishtailing it down the driveway. Going to Reese’s house is a risk if her parents are home, they hate me, but it’s worth a shot. I check the time, and realize I’ve been driving around like a lunatic for almost an hour. My body sags in relief when I see Reese’s dad’s car stopped at the curb outside their house. Lights are off, so I pray it’s just Reese. The door’s unlocked—odd—but when I hear the sound of rushing water, I race upstairs. I snuck inside many times as a kid so I know Reese has an en-suite bathroom. I rush through her room, and shove her bathroom door open, almost slipping on the tiles. I look down at how much water there is, and then flick my gaze to the giant clawfoot tub. The water overflows, tinged with red. Reese’s limp, underwear-clad body lies adrift, her arms hanging over the edges.

  My heart stops.

  “No, no, no, no…” I kneel down, and, fuck, I don’t know where to touch her. There’s so much fucking blood. Reese’s wrists are slit, vertical cuts. Blood runs down her arms, and one look at her pale skin tells me she’s already unconscious.

  “Reese!” I scream. “No! Please.” I cup her face. “Open your eyes, Reese!”

  Nothing.

  “Fuck!” Tears run down my cheeks unchecked, and I can feel my heart splitting open. This isn’t happening. “Please, God, no!”

  I fumble for my phone and call 911, and then I call Benji. The EMT’s are pushing me away ten minutes later, and when they find a pulse—a weak one—they carry Reese out on a gurney. Benji and I follow in his truck, my hands shaking, covered in dry blood. My suit is ruined, but I don’t care. As long as she lives. My pulse skitters when she’s rushed into the ER, and I almost take out a male nurse when he tells me I have to wait in the waiting area before I can see her. “She has to be okay,” I tell Benji. He takes a seat next to me and we wait. And wait. And wait. I expect Reese’s parents to show, but they don’t. Mine do, and when they take one look at me, Mom’s in tears and Dad’s telling me everything will be okay. I want to believe him, and when they finally allow me to see her, I think he might be right. Except when she wakes up, hours later, and sees me, her words send my world crumbling to pieces.

  “You should have let me die,” she whispers. “Now leave, and don’t ever come back.”

  Carson snaps his fingers in front of my face, reminding me of where I am. “Yo, Thor, did you go to Asgard again?” He chuckles, and I slap his hand away. “Sorry, zoned out.” Benji watches me, and I swear he knows exactly where my head was at seconds ago. He knows I haven’t exactly been myself since the bonfire, and why Reese’s song choice would wreck me, even days later. It triggered something in me, and I haven’t been able to wrangle my own feelings into submission. I straighten, plastering a grin on my face. “What were we talking about?”

  “The old barn on the ranch,” Fletch replies. “You really want to turn it into a recording studio and have this be our home base?”

  I shrug. Easy answer. “Doesn’t have to be your home base.” I sip my now warm beer. “But I’m ready for it to be mine.”

  Hours later, I’m stopping outside Ryan’s house—well, I guess it’s now Reese’s—and notice the stable is open, lights on. I frown. Ever since the staff left, I’ve been cleaning it up, and looking after the horses. Maybe Reese is doing the same, but at this hour? And on her own? I climb out of my truck, and walk towards the open doors, taking in the scent of my childhood. I hear sniffling in the farthest stall, where we keep our mare, Bonnie. She was Reese’s favorite when we were kids, and Dad used her to teach Reese how to ride. I round the corner, my steps faltering when I see Reese curled up against Bonnie. Reese rubs her snout, and then wipes her face.

  “Hey.”

  She startles, but when she sees its me, she goes back to rubbing Bonnie.

  “Are you okay?” I ask. My mind goes to Eli. “Where’s Eli?” It’s not my night with him, but it’s rare that I see Reese without him.

  “Mya’s looking after him.” She sniffles again. “I just needed some time alone.”

  I suck my top lip into my mouth, trying to decide what to do. I had fun with the guys, but something sizzles beneath the surface of my skin, I just can’t place exactly what it is.

  “You wanna talk about it?”

  Reese looks up, and if looks could kill…

  “Not with you,” she says quietly, dropping her gaze. That stings, but I’m not exactly chomping at the bit to have a heart-to-heart with her either. God, she’s as confusing as she is infuriating, which is why it’s in my best interest to steer clear of anything that isn’t platonic.

  “Fine,” I snap, agitated. I spin on my heel, and then something hits my head. The fuck? I turn, and notice a notebook on the floor. I pick it up without looking at it. “What was that for?”

  Reese’s lips form a thin line, like she’s trying to hold something back.

  “You got something to say, Reese? Fucking say it.” Jesus, why do I feel like I want to kiss her right now? Might be the look of righteous indignation in her blue eyes, anger that’s clearly directed at me. Without a word, she stands, dusts herself off, and walks out, locking the stall behind her. She’s visibly upset, but I sure as hell won’t kiss her ass and beg her to tell me why. She brushes past me, and I watch her go, utterly frustrated with our situation. That’s when I look down, and notice the book in my hands. I flip through the pages, and realize it’s the book we wrote our songs in, the one she carried around with her. I thought I lost it years ago, searched for it like a mad man for months. Never once did I think she’d kept it. I flip through the pages, reading some of the w
ords we penned together, and then see that she added a few things. Her last song was Under The Same Sky, and just below that, in black ink, is Thorin Decker is an asshole. Looks fresh too, like she might have written it as recent as tonight. And to say it bothers me is an understatement. I growl, flick the lights of, and stomp my way back to the house. If I had any inclination to apologize to her for how I’ve behaved over the last week-and-a-half, it just disintegrated into dust.

  Chapter Twelve

  Reese

  Mya is officially on my shit list. Not because she’s bad at her job, oh no, but because she thought it was ‘okay’ to allow Thorin and his band to use my home gym for a few hours without asking me. I can feel her stare on the back of my head, but I’m pretending to be too busy with Eli’s ‘tummy time’ to notice. After last night, the last thing I wanted was a group of rowdy rockstars in my house, invading my space, but after learning that I had all the right equipment, Mya told the guys they could use the gym. Not my idea of a fun time, but Eli’s proving to be a great distraction. He wriggles around a little, and after a few minutes, I roll him over, and smother him with kisses until the sweet sounds he makes become a balm to my fragile heart. Mya finally got me in front of a camera, with Eli in my arms, telling my Youtube followers why I’ve been absent. Talking about Ryan and Mel’s death was hard, but what I struggled with the most was the onslaught of memories that came with it. When it was over, Mya took Eli, and I sought refuge in the stables with Bonnie. Her inability to talk was what made it the right decision, a bit of time to myself that didn’t involve Mya telling me everything will be okay. I was angry with her, but I also wasn’t. She made a valid point about me having to get back to work, but that didn’t make it any easier for me to spill my guts and share more of my personal life. She reminded me that it came with the territory, that what I do for a living is, in fact, sharing my personal life with millions of people, but I just didn’t want to hear it. So, she gave me some space, and time alone, and then Thorin showed up. His look of concern when he found me only fueled my ire, and because everything inside me felt raw, and so very broken, I lashed out. Wasn’t my finest moment, but in my humble—and very subjective opinion—he had it coming. We’d reached a silent impasse without me even realizing it until last night. Neither of us were prepared to budge, and I wasn’t sure how well that would bode with our tenuous relationship, but I didn’t care. Now, I realize I’d behaved foolishly, and without much thought for how we would move forward in a way that is best for Eli. Nevertheless, I ignored Thorin when he came in, and stayed focused on Eli. He’s growing every day, sleeping longer through the night (thank you, baby Jesus), and eating more. He’s more aware of his surroundings, and becoming more responsive to what he sees and hears. Including mine and Thorin’s voices. Of course, the latter annoys me more often than not.

  “You going to ignore me forever?” Mya asks from the kitchen. She walks over, and plops down next to me on the white shag rug in my living room. She hands me a cup of coffee, and I begrudgingly take it. “Peace offering,” she states. I snort. She knows I can’t stay mad at her for long, and eventually, I give in. “I hate you,” I mutter.

  “Not right now,” she laughs, “but in about fifteen minutes you will.”

  “What have you done now?” I groan, placing my coffee mug on the table. I play with Eli’s feet, and smile. “What is your Aunty Mya up to, huh?” I coo. He gives me a toothless grin, and watches me intently, his eyes lighting up. I snatch my phone and snap a few pictures, and then the door leading to my home gym flies open. The guys laugh, slap each other on the back, and as soon as they see Eli, they flock to him like flies to honey. Of course, he just laps up the attention, and even Mya and I laugh when Carson, Fletch, and Benji pull faces just to get a reaction out of him. Yep, he’s got the Decker charm, even at only almost four weeks old. Mya shoves Fletch when he gets too close. “Ew, you guys stink! Hit the showers!”

  “You sound like our high school football coach,” he snickers.

  “My dad was a football coach,” she tells him. Technically, her dad owns a football team, but I’m not about to point that out. “Now, seriously, go shower, all of you. Then you can come play with Eli.” She pats Fletch’s head, which is quite a sight considering she’s almost an entire foot smaller than he is. He grins at her—a smile I’m sure many girls have lost their minds over—and stands. Her returning smile has me frowning. Were they just flirting? Before I can think too much of it, she’s looking at Thorin. “You, big man, need to stay, though.” His brows furrow, and he puts his hands on his hips, his shirt clinging to his sweaty chest. I try my damndest not to look, because honestly, it’s like looking directly into the sun, but damnit, he’s got a chest so wide, with muscles for days, and I’m only human, okay! “Why?” His voice is terse, his posture rigid. You’d think after a good workout he’d be more relaxed, but I suspect he’s just as uncomfortable being around me right now, as I am him. Stupid impasse.

  “Because we have business to discuss, and it can’t wait.” Mya is as unflappable as the day is long, and I know no one is impervious to the almost stifling tension rippling between me and Thorin.

  “C’mon,” Benji slaps Fletch on the shoulder. “Let’s head out.” He looks at Thorin, gives a slight nod, and then drags Carson and Fletch out. And then it’s just the three of us, and Eli, who I’m positive Mya is going to use as a buffer of some kind.

  “Now that I finally have the two of you in the same room,” she starts, “I’ve spoken to our rep at the clothing company, and at the company who’s developing your app, and they want Thorin to do your men’s clothing line, and the men’s exercises for the app.”

  Thorin looks like someone took a shit in his protein shake, and I, well, I think I look like fucking Medusa because this is so.not.happening.

  I say, “hell no” the same time Thorin says, “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Mya, on the other hand, looks like the cat who caught the canary. “I’ve already spoken to Alex, and arranged everything with Penelope.”

  “No, Mya. We’re not doing this.” I stand, and cradle Eli in my arms. I walk to the kitchen, and prepare a bottle. It’s the only thing keeping me from wringing Mya’s neck. And there it is, the buffer. She knows I won’t toss the baby out the water with an infant in my arms. “Again, what are you talking about?” Thorin asks Mya. In my periphery, I see Mya stand and face Thorin. “Reese is launching a fitness clothing brand, and a fitness app, and until now, it’s been for women. But, there’s an opportunity to engage with a male audience, and we’re going to use you to do it.”

  I shake my head, and get settled on the couch to feed Eli. “Mya, we never spoke about this.”

  “No, because you’ve been busy,” she tells me emphatically. “But, since I’ve been running things, I saw a chance, and your followers are already eating this up.”

  I glower at her. “You still should have discussed this with me first.”

  “You would have said no.”

  “For good reason.” I try not to raise my voice, but my emotions are running all over the place. “I appreciate your help in my absence, but this is taking it a step too far.”

  “I disagree.”

  Thorin waves his hands between us, and fixes his confused stare on Mya. “You still haven’t explained anything to me.”

  “Have you googled Reese at all since you got back?”

  “Should I have?”

  “Yes. She has over six million followers on Instagram, and over three million subscribers on Youtube. Her business is rather successful, and we’re expanding.”

  For a minute, Thorin looks stumped, and when he glances in my direction, I feel compelled to explain. “While I was in college, I started posting work-out videos, and nutrition tips on Instagram. By the time I graduated, Mya helped me turn it into a business. That’s my job.”

  And my life’s work, but I don’t say that. I also resist the urge to ask him why he hasn’t bothered to look me up, becau
se that’s just stupid. I shouldn’t care whether he knows what I do or not. I Should.Not.Care.At.All. Caring about it is the equivalent of sending the boy you like in middle school a note that reads, Do you like me? Tick yes or no.

  “And I fit into this how?” He asks.

  “Well,” Mya continues, “like I said, we have a chance to engage with men, and with your social media following and presence, you seemed like an obvious choice. I didn’t think getting a stranger would be a good idea, we need someone with a good image and reputation, and you, Thorin Decker, surprisingly fit the bill. Alex loves the idea.”

  “And you didn’t think to talk to me first? Like you should have Reese, since it’s her business?”

  “You would have said no, just like Reese would have. So, I went over your head, and now it’s as good as done. Contracts are being drawn up as we speak, and you’d both me dumb to decline.”

  “I’m not signing shit,” Thorin says before walking out, and slamming the door. Eli startles, and when he starts to wail, I’m quick to soothe him. “It’s okay,” I whisper, although I’m not sure if I’m saying it for his benefit or for mine. I run my finger down his forehead, and over his nose, and find that it settles him. He goes back to drinking his formula, while I stew.

  Mya doesn’t push me, she knows better, and it’s only after I’ve changed Eli’s diaper, put him in some fresh clothes, and put him down for his nap that I’m ready to talk. Knowing this, she sits on the couch, and waits me out while watching the latest season of Riverdale on Netflix. I drop onto the couch beside her and she pauses the episode. She watches me, her expression lined with patience. For a brief moment, I run through everything she said. Until now, my followers have been primarily female. I never set out to only help women, but I guess my content was more relatable to them than it was to men. I also never considered growing my audience to include men, but then again, all the business-type stuff I discuss with Mya. When it comes to analytics, and finding trends before they become trends, Mya’s a genius, and without her input, my videos, and posts, and website content would be nothing special. She’s also taught me a lot too, since I’ve had to manage things here three weeks of the month, so to say I trust her judgement, her decisions about what’s best for the ‘Simply Reese’ brand, is putting it lightly. We both have the business skills, but while I focus on creating the content, Mya focuses on getting it to the right people, and making sure they engage, and when they don’t, she re-strategizes and I follow. But, for my own sake, I have to know, “Why him?”