by E. L. Todd
I couldn’t believe I was listening to this. “He played you, Meadow. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself and his dick. He couldn’t care less about you. He said he wouldn’t have a problem firing you if you were weird about sleeping with him.”
Disbelief was still in her eyes.
“Meadow, you’re smarter than this.”
She unlocked the door and stepped inside. “You heard him wrong, River. Now drop it.”
What the hell was I supposed to do? She didn’t believe me and it was clear she never would. She was in complete denial, hung up on a jackass. How would I protect her from him? What could I do? “Fine. Good night.” I walked away, feeling my arms shake in anger.
If she wouldn’t see him for what he really was, that was fine. Because I would make her want me instead.
***
I signed in to the rehab center then was led to a grand living room with a burning fireplace. The windows overlooked the ocean. People sat in comfy couches while they read books quietly. It didn’t feel like a rehab center at all. It was like a hotel.
A nurse escorted Sarah down the stairs and into the armchair across from me. Her hair was washed and cleaned. It had a silky look to it, like she actually brushed it. She wore khaki pants with a white t-shirt. Being sober made her almost unrecognizable.
“I’ll come get her in an hour,” the nurse explained.
“Thank you.”
She walked away, leaving us alone in front of the fire.
Sarah stared at me, her eyes blue for the first time in years. She looked at me like she actually recognized me. There was no aggression or confusion in the look.
“How are you?” It was the only thing I could think of.
She shrugged.
“You look really pretty.” I meant it. She cleaned up well.
Her eyes searched mine for sincerity. When she realized I wasn’t teasing her she loosened up. “Thanks…”
“How are you liking it here?”
“No alcohol…”
I nodded. “That’s the point, Sarah.”
“It’s really nice…I’m sure it’s expensive.”
“As long as you get better, I don’t care about the price.” This place was already worth every penny. Seeing her sober and calm was a gift in itself. It was peaceful here, and the other patients seemed subdued. “They’re treating you well?”
“Everyone is really nice,” she whispered.
“How have you been sleeping?”
“On and off…”
For the first time, I felt sympathetic toward my sister. “I know it’s hard right now but you’ll get better. And I’m not letting you leave until you truly are better. You can live here for the rest of your life if you have to.”
“I don’t want to live here forever…”
“Well, you aren’t going to leave until you swear off alcohol. When that day comes and your counselor agrees you’re ready, we’ll talk.
She nodded. “Then why are you here?”
“To check on you…see how you’re doing.”
“Oh.” She seemed genuinely surprised. “I figured you hated me…after everything I’ve done to you.”
“Would I have put you in here if I didn’t care?”
She averted her gaze. “You’ve been better to me than I’ve ever been to you.”
“I’m your older brother,” I said. “I’ll always take care of you.”
“I’ve stolen from you…taken money out of your wallet.”
I smirked. “You think I didn’t notice?”
“You never said anything…”
“I let you think you were getting away with it.” I rested my elbows on my thighs. “But nothing escapes my notice.”
“Oh…I’m sorry, for what its worth.”
“I know, Sarah.”
She fidgeted with her hands. “Mom and Dad want nothing to do with me. I pushed them too far…but you’ve always stayed.”
“We’re family.” I didn’t need to explain it further than that.
“I really hate you for putting me in here but…thank you for taking care of me. I appreciate it.” Her eyes watered and she blinked her tears away quickly, hoping I wouldn’t notice.
“I got your back, Sarah.”
She stared at the fire for a while. “Who’s that girl?”
“What girl?”
“The one at your apartment,” she said.
The only girl I’d had at my place was Meadow. And that was the only girl my sister had any interaction with. “Meadow.”
“How’s it going with her?”
My sister didn’t usually ask me about my personal life. “You know how I am. I send them on their way once the fun is over.”
Sarah turned her head and stared at me. Her old self flickered alive deep within. “I know how you are. I’ve known it my whole life. But she isn’t like the other girls.”
How did she figure that out? She was drunk off her ass when she saw her. “What makes you say that?”
“Because she doesn’t look like a slut,” she blurted.
I chuckled lightly. “She’s definitely not.”
“Which means you really like her.”
I shrugged, trying to deflect the subject. “She’s just a friend.”
“River, I’m your sister. You can’t lie to me and get away with it.” A slight smile was on her lips.
I knew I’d been found. “Fine, I admit it. I have a thing for her.”
“She’s cute.”
“I’m surprised you noticed,” I jabbed. “You seemed too drunk to notice anything.”
“I’m aware of things… Is it serious?”
“We’re just friends, like I said.”
“Then why don’t you stop being friends?” she asked. “You get every girl you have your eyes on.”
“Well, she’s into some other guy—who’s a dickhead.”
“Make her into you.”
“You think I haven’t tried?” I snapped. “And I know she is into me. She’s just blinded by that douchebag.”
“Is he a jerk?” she asked.
“A really big jerk.”
“Then win her over.”
“I’ve made the intent.”
“Don’t give up,” she said. “My brother actually likes a girl…she must be special.”
“She’s very special.” I was still pissed off that Meadow didn’t believe me about Nathan. The guy was a total asshole. Why was she blind to that? She knew him her whole life but that didn’t mean she really knew who he was.
“Do you love her?”
I rolled my eyes and looked into the fire. “Why do girls immediately jump to that conclusion?”
“Because it’s the only emotion strong enough to change a man set in his ways.”
Meadow
River wasn’t the type of guy who would lie. He was brutally honest, and he didn’t care who he offended. Believing him wasn’t the issue. I just think he misheard what Nathan said.
Nathan isn’t perfect and I’m aware of that. He ditched me at that charity event and hooked up with some blonde. He wasn’t always conscious of other people around him. But he would never hurt someone on purpose, especially me.
He and I were friends and we’d known each other forever. I was the last person he would ever disrespect. He wouldn’t lie to me and get me into bed then never call me again. If he just wanted to sleep with me and never speak of it again, he would say it to my face.
He’d been paying attention to me during the workday but he’d never aggressively flirted with me. That was why I thought I would be different to Nathan. He could do whatever he wanted with a bimbo then throw her out on the street. But I wasn’t a bimbo and he couldn’t do that with me.
Nathan approached my desk before lunchtime. “So, River seemed nice.” He always started conversations this way, broaching a subject without actually asking a question. He was basically interrogating me subtly.
“He’s a great guy.” I kept up my façade like Rive
r told me to do. Since all his advice worked, I continued to follow it even if his last words to me were a little off. “We have a good time together.”
“If you brought him to meet your parents you must be serious.” Again, he didn’t ask a question. He was always analytical and intelligent. But he danced around subjects, never showing his hand.
“I wouldn’t say that…”
Nathan stared at me with hard eyes, like he was studying a financial report. It was hard to tell if my answer was what he wanted to hear. Since he was being vague with me, I was being vague back. And he didn’t like that. “Well, I hope everything works out.”
“Yeah…”
“Are you busy for lunch?”
“Don’t have any plans.” My heart raced in excitement.
“Would you like to join me for a bite?”
“Sure.” I tried to pretend I wasn’t over the moon about it. It was so hard to be someone I wasn’t. I had to pretend to be indifferent and emotionless. That wasn’t me at all. But it was a small price to pay to have the man of my dreams.
“Let me wrap up a few things then we’ll go.”
“Okay.”
When he turned his back on me, I did a little dance in my chair. “Yippie…” I clapped my hands in excitement. I tried to get back to work and remain productive until he was ready.
Then the elevator doors opened and River stepped out, wearing slacks and a collared shirt. His body was outlined, and the memory of his naked body came back to me. It was an image I didn’t want to erase, but I would never tell him that.
He approached my desk, looking like an underwear model with this strong jaw and perfectly sculpted shoulders. “Hey, beautiful.”
Sometimes I got lost in his eyes and didn’t remember what I was doing or saying. “Hi…”
He leaned over the desk and cupped my face, giving me a deep and long kiss. He sucked my bottom lip then gave me a small amount of his tongue. River was such a good kisser that he quickly changed my thoughts and made me forget about everything else in the world. Then he gently pulled away. “I could kiss you all day.”
I didn’t catch what he said. “Huh?”
He chuckled. “Yep…still got it.” He leaned back and put his hands in his slacks. “Let’s get lunch.”
“Okay,” I said without thinking. Our earlier fight was forgotten. I was excited to spend time with him. Not talking to him for a few days felt odd. “What are you in the mood for?”
“Tacos?”
“Sure.” I stood up then grabbed my purse. Then I realized I already made plans with Nathan. “I can’t go…Nathan already asked me.”
“So?”
“Well, that’s rude.”
“And he didn’t have a hard time being rude to you at that charity event,” he snapped.
“But he didn’t hurt me on purpose. If I did it to him, it would just be spiteful. And that’s not okay.”
River didn’t seem to think it was morally wrong. “What did I say before?”
“About…? You say a lot of things, River.”
“A guy doesn’t wait for a girl who waits. So, let’s go.”
“I can’t just leave without telling him,” I argued.
“You walk your ass out of his office right now.” He gave me that look that told me he meant business.
“I…can’t.”
He rolled his eyes. “Being the sweet girl is going to get you crushed, Meadow. Nathan isn’t a nice guy.”
I didn’t bother getting into a debate over Nathan’s morality. It wouldn’t go anywhere except above another octave. “Have lunch with us.”
“I don’t share.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What it means,” he said. “I’m not spending anymore time with that asshole than I have to.”
I sighed in irritation.
Nathan opened his office door then approached us, his hands in his pockets and his eyes scanning us. “Looks like you have company.”
River stared at him coldly. “I was just taking my girlfriend out to lunch.”
Girlfriend?
Nathan continued to stare at him. “I see…”
“Let’s go, Meadow,” River said to me.
Now River was just putting me in the middle. “I already had plans with Nathan. But you can join us.”
“No, it’s okay,” Nathan said quickly. “Wouldn’t want to infringe on your quality time together…” He drifted back to his office, his shoulders more tense than usual.
I shot River a glare. “What the hell was that?”
“Let’s talk later.” He headed to the elevator.
I grabbed my purse and followed him.
***
“The whole point of this is to spend more time with Nathan, not chase him off.”
“I’m helping you,” River said.
“I didn’t catch that…”
“The more unavailable you are, the more he’ll want you. Trust me on this.”
“Then why don’t we just get married?”
He smirked. “We should. But I want to consummate it.”
I wasn’t in the mood for his jokes. “River—”
“I’ve gotten you this far, haven’t I?” He didn’t touch his salad as he stared at me.
“Yeah…”
“Trust me on this. I’m doing the best thing for you.”
I sighed because it didn’t seem like it.
He took a few bites of his salad before he put down his fork. “Sometime this week he’s going to ask you out.”
“Like, on a date?”
“Yeah.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”
“I just do,” he said.
My heart raced at the possibility. We would finally go out to dinner and have a real date. It could be the beginning of a relationship I’ve always wanted.
“But you’re going to say no.”
My fantasy was shattered. “Why the hell would I say no?”
“Because.”
“Have I played this hard-to-get act long enough?”
“No.” He kept eating.
“River, that doesn’t make any sense.”
He stopped eating and stared at me. “Just trust me, alright? I know what I’m doing.”
“You’re asking me to trust you with a lot.”
He gave me a serious look. “You know I care about you, right?”
“Of course…”
“Would I ever hurt you?”
He was backing me into a corner. “No.”
“Then trust me.”
He wasn’t leaving me much of a choice. “Fine.”
He finished his salad then wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What are you doing tonight?”
I shrugged. “No plans.”
“Want to go to a pie-eating contest?”
Did I hear him right? “What?”
“There’s this restaurant where you have a pie eating contest with your date. It’s pretty fun.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“Then we’re doing it. You can’t back out.”
“What if I don’t like pie?”
He gave me a look that said, “Who the hell doesn’t like pie?”
“Okay…I love pie.”
“I can tell.”
“When?”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
I picked at my salad. “Good thing I’m eating a light lunch…”
He chuckled. “You have plenty of places to put it…and I like a girl with curves anyway.”
“More to grab onto, right?” I asked.
“Exactly.”
I sipped my tea then thought about River’s living arrangement. “How’s your sister?”
“Well.”
That wasn’t the answer I was expecting. “Well? Did she quit drinking?”
“No. I put her in a rehab facility. There’s this really nice place in the Hamptons. She’s been doing well, better than the other programs I admitted her to.
”
“That’s great, River.” I couldn’t deny my excitement. “She might get her life back together.”
“Yeah,” he said. “It was nice to talk to her when she was sober…I can’t remember the last time that happened.”
Without thinking, I put my hand on his, comforting him.
River took it a step further and interlocked our fingers together. “I have a good feeling about this.”
“If it’s in the Hamptons it must not be cheap…”
“That’s an understatement,” he said with a laugh.
“That’s really sweet of you to do so much for your sister.”
He shrugged. “She’s family, you know? I know she would do it for me.”
“I’m sure she would.” My fingers remained in his.
“So, what kind of pie do you like?”
I smirked at the change of subject. “All of them?”
“Good answer,” he said. “But my favorite is blueberry.”
“Can’t go wrong with that.”
“I can’t wait to kick your ass.”
“Excuse me?” I asked. “What makes you think you’ll win?”
“Come on,” he said. “You barely eat anything you order and I’ve never seen you finish a meal.”
“Hey, I finished off that pizza box we had.”
“My mistake,” he said as he rolled his eyes. “You finished something one time.”
“And I’m going to cream you.”
“Pun intended?” he asked with a laugh.
“Yep.”
“Do your worst, sweetheart. For I will do mine.”
“Count of Monte Cristo?” I blurted.
“Great movie,” he said. “You recognize the line?”
“It’s the most iconic line of the movie. Of course I recognize it.”
His eyes narrowed on my face and he watched me closely. A look was in his eyes but I couldn’t put my finger on it. “You know what?”
“Huh?”
“You’re the coolest chick ever.”
His words made me feel warm and I wasn’t sure why. He already said that to me at our slumber party. But now it made me feel differently. “You’re really cool, River.”
“The word you’re looking for is hot.”
I kicked him playfully under the table. “You act like a cocky asshole but you’re just a big sweetheart.”