by Pamela Ann
Just when I was about to start the car, I get another text from her.
Josie: Hey hun, I’m leaving the party, but he’s in Jet’s pool house. He’s been staying in the other bedroom. He comes out once in a while. Just saw him once, though. He looks rough. Be safe. Love you.
Grey looked rough? Define rough? Rugged rough? Or rough like he hadn’t showered in days kind of rough?
Replying to Josie’s text, I hurried my response.
Me: Wait up. I need backup. Moral support. Please?
Gearing up my car, I shoved the phone on the side of the seat and drove off. I saw the great advantage of fast cars. Five minutes didn’t even crack for me. I made it in three.
Parking right behind the long line of cars, I rushed to gather my phone and my purse before locking the vehicle and going inside Jet’s sprawling house.
His home sat on top of a hill. It had a modern design with glass everywhere. The pool house also used the same concept with two bedrooms. Most guys in my school stayed in their pool house. Not only was it convenient, it provided just enough privacy to party away from prying eyes.
From the looks of things though, the main house was full of people, too. That could only mean one thing; Jet’s parents weren’t home.
He had one older brother, but I’d heard he was studying on the East Coast. The large mansion was dark other than a few glow-in-the-dark lights, which lit up the house in a soft glow. They differentiated from blue, yellow, purple, green, orange—basically anything bright and colorful, it was there.
It took a full minute or so for my eyes to accommodate to the psychedelic flash of colors.
Noting the unknown crowd, no wonder the party was full. They must’ve had the entire south of the boulevard schools there. People squashed and pressed against me as I walked along. My ears were ringing from the loud thump of the bass-based house music. I was just squeezing past an overeager dry-humping couple when I saw him.
Sure he looked rough, but it only added to his sexiness. His hair was a tad longer with a little scruff on the side. His back was to me with two girls right before him. Both of his arms braced the women as they talked closely to each other. If one of the girls would say something to make him laugh, he would face to the side and release that deep-bellied laugh.
Even though I stood a few feet away from them, his laugh lingered in me. It affected me in a way I hadn’t expected it to; like something had been taken from me.
After half a month of not seeing him, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to tell him. Sure I wanted to talk, but now that I was here, I wasn’t sure what to say. Most especially after I had harshly pushed him away.
Reaching out to him would be the first step, the rest I could play along later. First I had to get his attention, though.
Stepping closer with jittery legs, I cleared my throat.
“Grey?” I called after him, and when he spun around, his easy smile vanished in a flash. “Can I have a minute?”
He looked away as if he couldn’t bare glancing in my direction. “I’m busy,” he finally managed to say before walking away with both women chasing behind him, losing me in the crowd.
I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt someone grip the side of my arm, and when I checked who it was, it was Josie with a worried face on.
“He’s hurt—I think—but he won’t say anything. It’s Greyson we’re talking about here. Give him time.”
“But he’s been absent.” Wherever I’m present, I silently added.
She gave me a tight smile. “Well, at least you can give him points for not being a clingy guy, right?”
Points? I sure as heck hadn’t been thinking about a point system. “Thanks for staying.”
She looked away before meeting me in the eye. “Well, I had another motive for staying—and I think it’s best to ask you first.”
Her question sent alarm bells. Was it about Grey? “What is it?” I rushed out, frowning.
Josie suddenly looked awkward. “You see—the other night… I, uh… ended up kissing Gavin. I just want to ask if it’s okay to go out with him.”
Gavin? “What? Of course it’s fine! At one point there I thought you were talking about Grey.” Steady my beating heart. All was safe. “He’s a nice guy. You have more than my blessing, babe.”
She grinned, hugging me tight. “God, you’re awesome. Okay, he’s waiting for me outside, but I suggest you go home. I don’t trust these people here; they’re too crazy for my taste.” She bunched up her nose as if she smelled something foul.
The crowd did look it. Crazy that was…
“I’m going home soon.” I paused, looking around. “I’m just going to try one more time.” The blinding lights made me dizzy. How the heck did they manage to dance around with it like this, like they were getting lost in the music, jumping around as if nothing mattered? I would always wonder.
Josie’s smiling face started to worry again. “If you can’t manage to make him listen, get out of here fast, okay?”
I crossed my heart. “Promise.”
After another round of hugs and sweet goodbyes, I watched after a retreating Josie. I knew my way around here, so it didn’t take me long to find Jet’s mini, adjacent residence.
The “it” crowd came to mind as I watched the women that went in and out of the place. Hot, scantily clad women were coming and going as if owning the place. Jet’s room was on the left, so Grey’s would be on the opposite side, to the right.
It was no better in the lighting department, but at least the dimmed lighting and the “space-like” ambiance made it cozy. The music was different, too. Trip-hop was more like it; it had the heavy beat of bass with the ethereal-esque sound, instead of the hectic trance-like music. There was a projector placed somewhere that had shooting stars and the rest of the universe thrown all over the room.
I was so busy taking everything in that I didn’t realize I’d bumped into someone’s chest until my nose hit the hardness of it. The scent was different.
I didn’t manage to look up until the male in question cleared his throat, as if trying to get my attention.
Jet’s curious eyes met mine. Questioning.
He probably was wondering what in God’s name I was doing here. He was Greyson’s best friend, I was sure he probably knew about, or maybe had a great idea about, —what was going on.
“Great party,” I mumbled, guilt and confusion washing over me. Apart from the lamest line I could come up with, Jet didn’t seem all that convinced at why he was seeing me here.
This guy was too good… too smart for his own good. After all, hadn’t Josie mentioned that his family was packed with lawyers? Oh, yeah, he could probably spot a huge liar in the darkened crowd. I was guilty as charged.
“Can I help you with something, Olivia?” his voice was hard, but there was an edge to it that spoke heavily of suspicion.
I just wanted to talk; that was all. “Is Greyson around?” I nervously asked without meeting his eyes.
“Maybe, but I have a feeling that he won’t be all that happy to see you.”
Finally meeting his eyes, I saw that he was dead serious. What else did he know? I wasn’t sure how their relationship worked. Grey and I hadn’t discussed much.
“Is he busy?” I asked, fully aware of how “busy” he’d looked earlier.
“Go check it out for yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.” He cocked his head to the side towards where Grey had been staying.
The door was closed, but for some odd reason, it was as if it called to me. I glided towards it with clammy hands. In the back of my mind, I was certain that I would deserve it if I went in there to find him busy with the females that had been in his company earlier. A longing side of me was hoping to find him alone, though. Maybe then I could get his attention.
After not seeing him for such a long time, I felt like it was my fault that he hadn’t been home for this long. Greyson was notorious for a lot of things, but that one week with him had showed me
that there was more to him than all those rumors. There was a sweet guy underneath it all.
I hoped it was not too late to patch things up. Not in the romantic sense since Liam and I had made a promise to each other, but I wanted to be close to Grey. I couldn’t explain it without sounding irrational. He made me smile without applying any effort. It just made no sense, and yet when he was around, everything did.
It was hard to explain, but at this point, all I wanted was to bring him back home. I wanted to see him safe. In our home.
Lightly knocking on the door, I tried it a few times, but I wasn’t sure my knocks could be heard amidst the music and noise from out here.
“Grey?” I knocked again, but when I pressed my ear against the door and didn’t hear anything, I decided to turn the knob, letting myself in.
There was a small welcome settee inside, in contrast of black and white. A white lamp was switched on, the only lighting available. To my right, which I was assuming to be the bedroom, there was a door ajar, and from the loud noise I still couldn’t hear anything.
I stood in place, not knowing what to do. It was at that point that the bedroom door swung open and one of the women I had seen him with earlier came out dressed in boxers, which I was assuming were his, and a lace bra. She and I jumped at the same time, shocked to bump into each other. Well, from the looks of things, she saw me like I was an intruder.
“Can I help you? Are you lost? This is a private party.” Her smoky eyes gathered in my short jean shorts and my loose white shirt.
Sure my ensemble wasn’t screaming party mode, but I didn’t look like a bum either. I wanted to recoil and hide from the way she was scrutinizing me, but heck, I didn’t let that happen. No one was going to make me feel like a heel, even if she was looking like a lingerie model.
“Is Greyson Edwards available?” Finally, my voice resurfaced.
She smirked before pulling a cigarette out of nowhere and lighting it before me. “What if I told you that he’s busy looking for the Holy Grail in his bedroom, would you believe me?”
She was definitely fucking with my brain.
“He’s with Cheska.” She glanced behind her back towards the door before eyeing me up again. “You can check them out. I’m sure you’d be more than welcome to join them.” Her eyes gleamed. “Greyson, you have a little girl looking for you,” she yelled without breaking eye contact with me.
Little girl? She was fucking calling me a little girl? Infuriating bitch! I was about to snap out of my shell and call her names when the door was yanked open and Greyson, with smudged lipstick all over his lips and neck, scratch marks on his chest, donning his unbuttoned jeans and glazed eyes, emerged.
It didn’t take a moment to sink in that the woman hadn’t been lying when she’d informed me that Greyson was more than busy earlier.
“Olivia,” was all he said.
He didn’t look surprised, shocked nor embarrassed. He looked like he wanted to head back inside the room again.
Why wasn’t he reacting? One month ago, he had been all over me, yet now, he wouldn’t even spare me a second.
I ignored the nameless woman who was sucking her cigarette like it was the best tasting thing on earth and focused on what I had come here for. “Grey, I was hoping we could talk.”
“Olivia…”
He sounded like he was running out of patience, but I just couldn’t give up yet. Not yet. “Give me time—just this once. I won’t ask again.” I sounded like a whiny child, but I didn’t care. This was the only way I could get his attention—seeking him out, going out of my way to find him—and if this didn’t work, at least I could wipe my conscience of any doubt.
He studied me awhile, eyes burning deep gold as he bided time. The woman next to him made a noise, but I didn’t break my stare from him. I needed to connect with him somehow, and he looked like he was weighing things.
Finally, when I was about to crumble, he didn’t look away as he addressed the woman next to him. “Go inside. I have to talk to her.” She glanced at Grey then back at me before making a hideous snorting sound and walking off, slamming the door in her wake.
“You want to talk,” he started, his voice vibrated through me as if he was close, whispering the words into my ear, but he hadn’t moved closer to me at all, “here’s your chance.”
Why was I so nervous? And where the fuck was my voice? Even though he was covered with lipstick stains and scratch marks, his presence still affected me greatly. I felt sad… and I badly wanted to reach out to him in an attempt to explain things, although I knew it wouldn’t be of any use. We both had moved on after all.
Curling a strand of my hair to the back of my ear, I searched his eyes, hoping I’d find the strength in there to keep on going. When his eyes kept growing dark, as if he was getting angry, I gathered my wits and found my voice.
“You’ve been missing school and you haven’t been home. I’m worried about you.”
His nose flared, eyeing me like an enemy. “I don’t want your worry—or your pity. Look around you, can’t you see I’m happy?”
No, the last thing he looked like was happy. My heart reached out to him.
Slowly I moved as close as I could get to him. “I’m concerned. Why are you doing this?”
“I’m fine, Olivia. Look at me; don’t I look fine to you?” His tone held sarcasm.
He looked more than fine, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Obviously this effort had been pointless. What had I expected? Really? After how I’d shut him off, had I expected that he’d roll out the red carpet?
Sighing, I felt the heavy weight on my shoulders. I had wasted time for nothing. “You’re right. You’re okay. Sorry that I even bothered and interrupted your busy evening.”
I spun around, almost running to the door, holding my breath until I was safely out of sight. Maintaining myself long enough not to cry was becoming increasingly more difficult by the second.
If I broke down now, I had no one to blame except me. Besides, why did I feel the urge to cry? It wasn’t as if I was in love with Greyson. I wasn’t, yet the sadness that consumed me was crippling.
What was going on? I was asking myself the very question when Jet found me again, blinded with tears.
“Hey.” He pulled me against him. “Hey… it’s okay. Breathe,” he coached as I tried to keep my tears at bay. If they fell, I wouldn’t ever forgive myself for crying in the arms of Greyson’s best friend. “You’re safe.” He soothed my back. “Let it all out.”
That was all it took; I crumbled, as much as I didn’t want to. The second I heard his understanding, friendly voice, I was a goner.
Jet led us into his bedroom as I let my frustrations out.
The thing was, however, that one tear wasn’t enough.
I was crying a fucking river.
Chapter 23
Liv
A loud thud, a man yelling, and something being smashed was how I woke up.
I was beyond startled, scrambling out of bed as I attempted to make sense of everything that was happening.
Greyson had pinned Jet against the wall and was choking him with both of his hands, screaming in his face. “You fucking piece of shit! I should’ve known!”
Jet wasn’t fighting for himself, either. Why the fuck wasn’t he fighting him off? He could die… Grey’s hold on his neck looked like he was about to kill him.
“Please, stop,” I squeaked as I ran towards them, hoping to break them apart, but Greyson wasn’t paying attention to me. I had to punch and kick him before I finally got his attention.
And when I did… I wished I hadn’t. Because not only was he looking at me with hate, but he was also looking at me with pure disdain, like I was the worst thing that he’d ever seen.
“You fucking slept with my best friend! You fucking slut!” he hissed at me, fuming. His eyes looked wild, as if he was ready to choke the life out of me, too.
I flinched as if he had slapped me. I had been sober last night. Nothing had
happened between Jet and I. “Nothing happened, Grey. I swear.”
My glance shifted to Jet, hoping he’d back me up, but he was still staring at Grey, looking at him in a different light. “I thought you said you didn’t care about her; that what she does is none of your business.”
What the hell? Why wasn’t he helping? He was making the situation worse.
I yelped as if in pain, “Nothing happened. We were just talking—”
“Get your shit; I’m taking you home,” he addressed me before glancing back at Jet, still infuriated. “You and I aren’t fucking done. We’ll settle this later today,” he said through gritted teeth.
I barely managed to get my purse before he swiped me off the floor and carried me out of there. “Put me down! I need my shoes.” I was trying to kick him, but he held my legs with a tight hold. The more I tried to wiggle out of his hold, the more he grunted.
“Try to move one more time and I swear to God I will bend you over and spank you until your ass is red,” he threatened as we moved past the garden.
He wasn’t joking, and much to my embarrassment, I kept still, knowing that he was just as angry as I was.
After last night, I had vowed to never think of him, yet that was becoming difficult since the man in question was holding me tight with my tiny, jean-clad ass inches away from his face.
Once we arrived at Jet’s now-empty driveway, he reached in his pocket and deactivated his car alarm before dumping me on the passenger seat. He even made sure I was buckled securely before going over to his side of the car.
Without glancing at me, he revved up the engine. If three minutes had been my mark from the house to Jet’s, Greyson made it in over one and a half minutes. The guy was a maniac in the street.
It was a Saturday, so both of our parents were home, however it didn’t faze him because the second he parked the car; he was slinging me over his shoulder again and making his way towards his pool house.