I packed quickly.
It was several hours later when we pulled up to a black wrought-iron gate.
“Are you sure this is the place?” I asked skeptically. I knew Chloe’s aunt was loaded, but a security gate seemed a little much.
We stopped next to a guardhouse.
“Only one way to find out,” Logan said as he rolled down the window.
A moment later, a man appeared at the window. “Can I help you?”
“We’re Chloe’s friends. Can you let us in?”
“Miss Richards?” he asked.
Logan nodded. “Yeah.”
“What are your names?”
Logan gave our names and waited as the man scanned a piece of paper on a clipboard.
“I don’t see either of you on the list. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you in without permission.”
“You can’t be serious,” Logan said, irritation clear in his voice. “Let me call Chloe.” He grabbed his phone out of the console and dialed Chloe’s number. When she answered, he spoke, “Chloe, it’s Logan. We’re at the gate, but the guard won’t let us in.”
I tried to make out what Chloe was saying, but I couldn’t hear her.
Finally, Logan took the phone from his ear and handed it to the guard. “She wants to talk to you.”
“Miss Richards?” The guard glanced at us as Chloe spoke to him. “Certainly. Sorry to bother you.” Finally, he nodded. “Miss Richards has cleared both of you. Please pull forward when I open the gate,” the guard said before disappearing from sight.
A second later, the gate swung open.
“About damn time,” Logan grumbled as he pulled through.
We drove up the long driveway. Finally, an actual mansion appeared. It put my parents’ home to shame. It was a three-story adobe-style home with red Spanish tiles. The driveway looped around in front of it, and a fountain sat in the center.
We parked in the front and started climbing out. Chloe threw open the front door and hurried to meet us as soon as we were out of the car. Even in the dim lighting, I could see that she looked like hell. Her clothes were wrinkled, and her hair was a mess. The only makeup on her face was eyeliner, and it was smudged around her eyes. Any other time, I would’ve given her hell for her disastrous look but not tonight.
Logan took off in her direction the moment he saw her. I followed closely behind. As soon as we reached her, he threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here sooner,” he whispered to her.
“It’s all right. Jordan and Danny have been taking care of me,” Chloe said as she hugged him back.
Feeling left out, I quickly joined in on the hug. We just stood there and held each other for several minutes. I closed my eyes, emotions clogging my throat. No matter what happened, it would always be the three of us. We leaned on each other when one of us needed support. Now was no different, no matter what had changed between Logan and Chloe.
Logan pulled away first. “What happened?”
Chloe looked away. “Why don’t we get your stuff inside, and then I can explain?”
He kissed her forehead and turned back to the car. “Sure, but it might take a while. Amber packed like she might never go home.”
I snickered. “Of course I did. I knew you’d be around to carry it for me.”
He scowled as he pulled two bags from the car. “Gee, thanks.”
Chloe and I walked to the car and each grabbed a couple of bags. I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on her face when she picked up one of my bags. She looked like she was about to fall over.
“Jesus, this one weighs a ton!” She groaned as she started hobbling toward the house.
Logan held the door open for us as we passed by. “That would be Amber’s. The other one is mine.”
“Of course it is,” Chloe huffed as she set both bags down.
Two guys appeared from the living room and looked at the bags Chloe had just put down. Then, they moved their gaze to Logan and me.
“I take it that we have guests?” the first one asked.
Without a doubt, I knew that this must be her cousin, Danny. I could see the resemblance between him and Chloe. They had the same blondish hair and blue eyes, but while Chloe was pale, this guy looked like he lived at the beach, which he probably did. He stood several inches shorter and not nearly as built as the other guy. Her cousin was definitely attractive, but he wasn’t my type.
I glanced at the other man, who must be Jordan, Danny’s best friend. He was a big guy, probably around six feet five inches, and built like a football player. His dark hair was cut short, and he had a face with a strong jaw, dark eyes, straight nose, and full lips that made me want to stop and stare. I wanted to fan myself as I looked him over.
“Um, yeah, these are my best friends, Amber and Logan. Sorry I didn’t tell you they were coming,” Chloe said.
“Not a problem. While you’re staying here, this house is yours, too,” Danny said.
I pulled my eyes away from Jordan long enough to see Danny smiling at us.
“Guys, this is my cousin, Danny, and his friend, Jordan,” Chloe said.
I smiled while Logan shook both of their hands. He seemed to be studying them.
“Nice to meet you,” Jordan mumbled before looking at Chloe. “You should have told me they were coming. I would have let them in so that you could get some sleep.”
“I’m fine. I really needed to see them,” Chloe said as she glanced at him.
Jordan stayed silent, his gaze following Chloe’s every move, as Danny crossed the room and grabbed a few of our bags. I raised an eyebrow. Obviously, Jordan had a thing for Chloe. That had to be awkward as fuck. I glanced back over at Chloe. She didn’t seem to notice how he was watching her. That was my girl—blissfully unaware.
“Let’s get you guys settled in.” He glanced between Logan and me. “Do you each need a room? Or would you prefer one together?”
I felt my cheeks heat in embarrassment as Logan laughed. The thought of Logan and me was just so…awkward.
“Nah, she steals the covers,” Logan said as he continued to laugh.
I punched him in the arm. “Shut up! We’re just friends, nothing more.”
Danny laughed at my embarrassment. “All right then, follow me.”
Logan and Jordan split the remaining bags and carried them up the stairs with Chloe and me following closely behind.
Danny stopped at the room directly across from the one Chloe pointed out as hers and opened the door. “This one is free, and so is the one beside it. Make yourselves at home.”
The boys deposited my bags inside, and Logan carried his to the other room. Chloe and I walked into my new room. I wasted no time, and I started unpacking before my clothes could wrinkle. I hadn’t taken the time to fold them earlier since we were in too much of a hurry.
Chloe sat on the bed and watched me.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I hung my clothes in the closet.
“Not really, but I will be. I think I’m in shock right now more than anything. It just doesn’t seem real.”
I gave her a sympathetic look. “Understandable. I mean, she was horrible, but she was still your mom.”
“You want to know what the last thing she said to me was? What a horrible person I am.”
I walked over and threw my arms around her. “Oh, Chloe, you know that’s not true.”
“Yeah, but it’s what she thought of me. She called me and told me that the same night she died.”
I could hear the pain in her voice.
“I feel bad speaking badly about the dead, but your mom was a crazy bitch. She tried her hardest to break you, and she didn’t stop until she took her final breath. But you won, Chloe. In the end, you won. You have an amazing boyfriend, friends, and family who love you more than anything, and that’s something she never had.”
I released her and went back to putting my clothes away. I knew Chloe, and she wasn’t someone I could c
onsole with a hug.
Chloe pulled her phone out and frowned.
“Nothing I just said should make you frown,” I complained.
“No, it’s not that. I tried calling Drake earlier, and he never called me back. It’s not like him.”
“He doesn’t know yet?” I asked, surprised that she’d contacted Logan and me first.
“No, that’s why I was trying to call him. He still thinks I’m leaving tomorrow to meet up with him. I hope he’s okay.”
“I’m sure he’s fine. He probably just turned his phone off or something.”
She frowned. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I just really need him right now, and he’s nowhere to be found.”
“I hope you’re not talking about me. I’m right here.”
We both jumped at the sound of Logan’s voice. He gave us a small smile as he entered the room and sat down next to Chloe on the bed.
“No, she can’t reach Drake, and she’s worried,” I said as I finished putting my clothes away. I walked over to where they were sitting and dropped down on the bed next to Chloe.
“Oh,” Logan said as he looked away.
“So, do you want to tell us what happened?” I asked, not wanting to talk about Drake any more than I had to around Logan.
“She killed herself,” Chloe said flatly.
My mouth dropped open at the same moment Logan’s eyes widened.
“I…oh, wow. I don’t know what to say,” I squeaked out. Of all the things I’d expected her to say, it definitely wasn’t that.
Logan wrapped his arm around Chloe and pulled her close. She winced as if in pain.
His brow furrowed as he noticed her discomfort. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed as she ran her hand through her disheveled hair. “I haven’t told you two anything that’s happened this summer.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her. “Am I going to be really mad at you when you do?”
“You will be.”
Chloe started speaking, her voice hollow, “You both know I only planned to stay here for a little while to make sure that my aunt didn’t give my mom anything. Well, when I got here, my aunt told me that she hadn’t planned to give my mom a dime. She’d simply used my mom to track me down. I told my aunt I didn’t want the money, but she was…persuasive. I finally agreed to take the money and to stay until she passed to help Danny. Drake was upset that I was staying, but he understood why. He was less than thrilled to leave me with Jordan though. He tried to tell me that Jordan had feelings for me, but I laughed it off. I now know that he was right. Jordan and I…our friendship is rocky right now.”
I raised an eyebrow. Maybe Chloe wasn’t as blind as I’d first thought.
“Anyway, my aunt passed away. It was really hard on Danny, but Jordan and I helped him through it. An old girlfriend of Danny’s, Kadi, showed up to help, too. I really liked her at first.”
I didn’t miss the bitterness in her voice.
“But it turns out that she was a lying bitch. She didn’t care about Danny at all. She was only here to get proof that I was cheating on Drake with Jordan.”
“Wait—how does this girl even know Drake?” Logan asked.
“She used to live in Morgantown. They used to hook up.” She looked pissed over that little tidbit. “Anyway, she tried to break up Drake and me. Kadi had taken some photos of Jordan and me and made them look…dirty when they weren’t. Jordan and I went to see Drake, and he didn’t want anything to do with me. Once we cleared everything up, I drove back here to bring Jordan home. Kadi was here when we made it back. I went off and beat the ever-loving shit out of her.”
I grinned and smacked Chloe on the back. “Way to go! I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Neither did I,” she mumbled. “Kadi’s gone now, thank God.”
“Sounds like you’ve had a crazy summer,” Logan said.
“You have no idea. I haven’t even told you about my mom.”
“Well?” I asked when she didn’t continue.
“When my aunt died, her lawyer came to the house to read the will. Danny, Jordan, my mom, and I were there. When the lawyer told her that she wasn’t getting a dime, my mom threatened me and then stormed out. Apparently, she blamed me. We all thought she took off, but she didn’t. Instead, she waited until that evening when I was alone in the pool. When I climbed out, she attacked me and nearly killed me. The only thing that saved me was the fact that Jordan came outside while she was trying to drown me. I ended up in the hospital, and the police started searching for my mom.”
I was glaring by the time she finished. “Why didn’t you call us?” I yelled.
She stared at the floor in front of her. “I didn’t want to bother you guys. It’s my life, and I need to deal with it on my own. Besides, I had Jordan and Danny around to help.”
“Danny and Jordan are not your best friends!” I shouted.
“I know that, but you were hours away. I figured it would be easier for you if you didn’t know what was happening. I was thinking of you guys.”
“That’s bullshit, Chloe! You always do this to us. You keep us in the dark until the last possible minute. And might I add, it always turns out so well when you do that!” I said, my gaze going to Logan.
Both of them knew exactly what I was talking about.
“That’s not fair, Amber! I know what I did to Logan was wrong, and I’ll regret it for the rest of my life!” she shouted back at me.
“Am I interrupting?” Jordan asked from the door. “You all right, Chloe Bear?”
She nodded. “Fine. We were just having a discussion about my poor decisions in life.”
Jordan grinned as he entered the room and sat down in the chair by the desk. “I’d love to hear this.”
Logan cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not?” I growled. “Let someone else see how fucking stubborn Chloe is.”
“Drop it, Amber. It’s between Chloe and me—no one else,” Logan said, emphasizing the last part.
My eyes narrowed at him. “We’re all best friends, so that makes me a part of it.” I turned to Jordan. “Chloe here cheated on Logan with Drake. She kept everything to herself, just like she always does, and Logan paid the price.”
Jordan didn’t look surprised at all over what I’d just said. I got the feeling that he wasn’t Drake’s biggest fan.
“Is that true?” Jordan asked Chloe.
“Yes, I fucked everything up,” Chloe said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He frowned as he looked at Logan. “Drake has a way of really screwing things up, doesn’t he?”
“Enough!” Chloe shouted before Logan could respond. “You two can form an I Hate Drake club later. I have too much shit to deal with right now!”
She threw Logan’s arm off of her and stormed out the door. Logan started to stand to go after her, but I laid my hand on his arm.
“Let her go. She has enough shit to deal with. I shouldn’t have brought that up,” I said, feeling guilty.
“No, you should’ve kept your mouth shut.” Logan pushed my hand away and stood.
I watched as he disappeared through the door.
“Well, I sure know how to clear a room,” I mumbled.
Jordan chuckled. “Almost as fast as me. I’ll teach you how to do it properly one day,” he said, his voice flirty.
I gave him a death stare. “Don’t act flirty with me, dude. I know your rocks are hard for Chloe.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t fuck around, do you?”
I shook my head. “Nope. And I don’t fuck guys just to help them make my friends jealous. Move along, dude.”
He shrugged. “Let me know if you change your mind. It wouldn’t be just to make Chloe jealous.” He winked at me before leaving the room.
I rolled my eyes. Men were pigs.
Late the next day, the band’s bus finally pulled up to the house.
I pretended not to care about the fact that I would be seeing Adam again after two months of absolutely no communication between the two of us. I couldn’t lie to myself though. I was excited to see him again.
When Chloe had told me they were finally on their way, I’d dashed up the stairs to my room to find something to wear. I had no idea how Adam would react to seeing me, but I was determined to drive him nuts. I’d dug through the clothes I brought until I’d found an outfit I was satisfied with—a super short denim skirt and a low-cut tank top that showed off my belly.
Slutty? Yes. Effective? Hopefully.
Once I had gotten dressed, I’d taken time to apply my makeup. I’d overdone it a bit, but I didn’t care. If Adam wanted to see me, then I was going to give him something to look at. If he decided to avoid me, I would try my hardest to make him squirm.
When Chloe had literally run past my door a few hours later, I’d hurried to follow her, running down the stairs and out the front door. Logan and Danny had been close behind us, but I hadn’t seen Jordan.
I walked outside just as the bus pulled up in front of the house.
The bus hadn’t even come to a complete stop when the doors opened, and Drake came tumbling off. He literally ran to Chloe and picked her up. He spun her around, laughing. I wanted to vomit at the cuteness. He finally lowered her back to the ground, but they kept their heads together, whispering to each other. I wondered what it would feel like to love someone that much.
My attention went back to the bus as the rest of the band climbed off. My eyes met Adam’s. Pure heat shot through my body as we stared at each other. Nothing had changed during our time apart. I still wanted him just as bad as he wanted me. And I knew he wanted me. I could see it written all over his face. Without a doubt, I knew where he’d end up tonight—my room.
He looked away first, but only to pull Chloe into a hug, as did the rest of the band. She gave Adam a surprised look, obviously not expecting a hug from him.
“Don’t act so surprised. You kind of grew on us,” Adam said between chuckles.
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