Turn To Stone (The Stone Series Book 1)

by Ariana Rose

  “You don’t have to say it. It’s okay.”

  “She considers herself my partner, Lex. I need you to know, I want you to know, that I don’t feel the same way. There are certain external forces at play that are pushing us to be something I don’t want.”

  “What does that even mean, Julian?”

  My hands begin to shake as Father’s voice starts booming in my head. Don’t tell her. This is family business. You should do as you’ve been instructed. “The truth?”

  “Isn’t that what I deserve?”

  Her words slice into me. God, you deserve that and so much more. “Yes, of course you do. How much do you know about politics, Alexandra? We’ve never talked about it.”

  “I’m not active or anything. I vote, but I just go with my heart and not some party line.”

  “Well, in my family, politics is big business. My father…my parents have a home here, but we are from New England. He’s running for office this term. It’s been in the works for nearly my whole adult life. He built his business with this in mind. He married my mother with this in mind.”

  “What does this have to do with you? I don’t understand.”

  I rub over my face with my hands, trying to collect my thoughts. “He uses everything around him to his advantage, some angle to gain traction and power toward that goal. Alexandra, Lainey and Quinn’s family are from money. Not the kind that I have or that my parents have, but old money. Their father is an entrepreneur and has strategically built his empire to gain influence over Washington. When I met Lainey, it was always and only about her. I didn’t know about her family, her money, or her connection to anything but my heart.”

  I twirl the flower in my hand. It’s certainly a metaphor for how my mind is right now. “My father was pissed that I decided not to join him in his bullshit and do my own thing. It’s driven us apart since I was old enough to have my own ideas about how things should be or how I felt about life. He’s always thought my acting was a whim. I was being indulged. He never understood my passion. The only thing he did understand is, when he found out the potential influence Lainey’s father had, there was something in it for him. ‘There was money to be funneled into his quest, if I acted right,’ he said.”

  “If you acted right? Julian, are you saying that he wanted to use you?”

  “He wanted to play nice, so Lainey and I would be the connection to the old money and the notoriety being linked to it would mean. A marriage would have solidified it. I wasn’t home from the hospital after the accident more than three days and he’d already come up with Plan B.”

  I watch as she connects the dots. Her face falls and even turns a bit pale. “He wants to substitute Quinn for Lainey in the deal. Fuck me.” She runs her fingers through the brunette waves around her face.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking. I need to know.”

  “Julian…how did someone like you come from a man like that?”

  And there it was. She didn’t condemn me. She didn’t judge me. She saw me as separate. “I’m my mother’s son.” I smile at the thought of her. “She is one of the strongest humans I’ve ever had in my life. If I had one wish for my mom, it would be for her to leave him.”

  “I don’t know what to say besides I’m sorry and thank you.”

  “Thank you? You’re thanking me for what? Not being strong enough? Not walking away?”

  “No, Julian. For trusting me enough to tell the truth. Trust me when I tell you, I know all about not being able to walk away.”

  The way she molded that phrase, I know she does. We both remain silent, letting the world around us do the talking. She inches closer, sliding her arm under mine, resting her hand in my lap. Seconds later, I feel her head tipped over on my shoulder.

  ***

  Pulling myself closer to him made me feel safe. I hope it did the same for him. “Julian, you asked about my scar. You were right. It was a man who did it.”

  He rubs his hand slowly back and forth over mine. “I didn’t tell you my truth to gain yours, Alexandra.”

  “I know. I’m just ready now.” I take a quiet deep breath. “His name is Hunter. He’s my ex. We were together for as long as you were with Lainey; almost exactly, I think. When we met, he was larger than life. He was intelligent, loving, and interested in what was important to me. But, the longer we were together, the more that changed. He would dress me like a doll and tell me what to say in social situations. He was prepping me to be a trophy wife, even right down to a proposal on my graduation day.”

  “You were to be married?!”

  I can’t look at Julian. I can hear the shock and maybe even the disappointment in his voice.

  “My last straw was a couple of weeks before Diesel ran me over. We were at a party to celebrate his elevation to partner. I forgot to say he and my dad are in the same law firm.”

  “I’m beginning to see this bastard’s MO. Marry the daughter, get partner, right?”

  “That was part of it, yes. He wanted the status and the control. He needed me, in his mind, to be a certain way. If I balked, or if he thought I embarrassed him, I was punished.”

  “Punished?” He curls and opens his fists repeatedly. I lay my hand gently over them to get him to stop.

  “Sometimes it was with words, sometimes with his hand, sometimes with sex, and sometimes objects that shatter against the wall millimeters from my head, cutting a permanent reminder into my skin. The night I was referring to, I was talking too long to an old friend. Connor was sharing with me that he’s finally getting married to his partner of five years, David. Connor and I have been friends since we were teens. It took focus away from Hunter. He took exception and took it out on me… with sex. I couldn’t do it anymore. Going to work for Jordan was my ticket out and my chance at freedom. I took it and haven’t looked back.”

  For the first time in my confession, I look over at him. He’s studying my hand pressed between his. “Julian, I need you to say something.”

  He brings my trapped hand to his lips. “I wish I were as brave as you.”

  Brave? He thinks I’m brave.

  I take another step. “You are brave, Julian. You’re still standing and you’re here with me. I’ve told you once and I’ll say it again… You. Are. Brave.”

  We lock eyes. There is no way I can hide what I’m feeling right now. His eyes darken. They become like that first day in the rain, but without the edge. We want each other but who will break first? I know the answer to that question. I lean in and take his lips with mine. We go soft at first, but the heat around us drives to a darker place. He slowly pulls me to a stand; our lips never break apart. My roses tumble safely to the ground at my feet. Our bodies press together as one on that top step, out in public, free from worry on either side. This is what freedom is for both of us right now. We need to seize the moment.

  With his right arm wrapped at my waist, he lifts me from the ground at the same time his left is dialing the keyless entry on the front door. The beep lets me know we are entering our even more private bubble. The door closes out even the beautiful world we’ve created here. He lowers me back to the floor and our lips finally part.

  “Julian…”

  “You don’t want this?” he asks.

  “No! God, no, I do.” I realize my emphasis seems very needy. Well, it is. “I just wanted to say one thing.”

  He pulls the stray curl back that’s hidden my left eye. “What did you want to say?”

  I take a deep breath and look him in his eyes, deep within them. “I know what this city and what this home means, and has meant, to you. This was your respite with Lainey. If you feel that you can’t… if you feel that it’s not right for us to… I will understand and honor that.”

  His head tilts slightly. I think he’s pondering what I’ve just said, and I think his response stuns himself as much as it does me. “Alexandra, since that night at the beach, our connection has been different. When this first began, it was very primal for both of us. It was forc
e drawing us in. That force is still there, but it’s changed. The universe chose us and now we are making the choices. You were right in that I feel Lainey here stronger than anywhere else. But, I feel you stronger here too. The fact that you consider me first above yourself…” His voice trails off.

  “It’s because I care.” I more than care. I can’t admit that to myself, let alone him.

  “I can do this here. I want to make love to you if you let me. Let me, Alexandra.”

  My tiny hand cups his chiseled jawline. “Make love to me, Julian.”

  He slowly moves his lips back to mine. The softness of his touch is like a feather grazing my skin. He bends and scoops me into his arms. Our lips never part; my free hand rests against his chest. While his outer appearance is at peace, I can feel his heart race. It’s beating nearly as fast as mine. In the short time we’ve known each other, we’ve built this connection. I don’t know how to describe it and I don’t think he does either. Even if we did, neither one of us is ready to.

  He effortlessly glides with me up the two flights of stairs to the bedroom. The twilight has turned to night. The pale moon filtered by the Spanish moss is our only light. In the mirror, I catch a glimpse of us. We are this beautiful silhouette. In some ways, I can’t tell where he ends, and I begin. When I bring my eyes back to him, the one startling thing I feel is that the way he’s looking at me in this moment is how my father always looked at my mother. There was the dream, the fantasy. My dream, my fantasy; it was happening right now.

  He carefully sets me down on my feet and in an affectionate gesture, rests his cheek on the top of my head. I can feel him inhale deeply. I slowly begin to open each button on the white linen covering his chest. His warmth radiates toward me. He remains still as his shirt falls open. I step out of my gold slip-on sneakers and kick them to the side. When I sink another two inches in height, he smiles. I return his smile and lean in, placing one kiss over his heart. He exhales audibly, and I feel his hand slide up to my waist. He toys with the knot of my black maxi dress.

  I reach up and stroke the back of his head. I know he loves that nearly as much as I do. I feel the fabric of the tie slide free and my dress fall open. His hands reach inside and caress my skin. The speed at which we are moving is painfully slow but equally frenzied. His eyes glance over me as if he’s seeing me for the first time. He doesn’t look up for a long time. His eyes follow his hand along my collarbone, stopping at my shoulder, sliding my dress away. His head bows forward, pressing a tender kiss on the newly exposed skin. I give his hair a gentle tug, signaling my silent approval.

  My hand begins its journey over him. It begins at his heart, which is the most beautiful thing about him. I press my palm flat for just a second, wanting to feel the beat. Before it was racing. Now, it is slow and even. He’s more certain. I step inside his arms, slowly wrapping both of mine around his back until you couldn’t separate us. He sways us back and forth gently a couple times before it becomes the beat of our walk to the edge of the bed. I can feel the duvet at the back of my thighs as my dress falls completely to pool at our feet. Not to be outdone by how bare I feel, he gives me another small smile and lets his shirt fall. I climb backward up the bed to rest in the middle, surrounded by a cloud of down in my pale periwinkle lace. I can feel the ache begin to build inside me. I want him. I need him more now than I ever have before, if that is possible.

  He follows me into our heaven; crawling his way to hover over me. “Alexandra, I want this to last all night if we can.”

  I respond, “I want that too. So much.”

  OUR LAST DAY in Savannah begins with her in my arms. When the light broke through the window, this house looked different. For the first time, it’s become a home. Alexandra has made it a home. It’s how it always should have been. I do feel strong mixed emotions. This was supposed to be my home with Lainey when we were completely free. But, in her absence, Alexandra has made it a reality for me. Every now and again, I get these pangs of guilt, then the sun peeks through and warms them away. Before we leave, I have one last place I want to take her; a world within a world. It’s like Royal Street in New Orleans, but Savannah-style. The food and music draw you in and you never want to leave.

  “Good morning,” she whispers.

  “Did I wake you?”

  She snuggles in closer to me. “No. Not at all. What time is it? I feel like we saw the sun come up, then we passed out again.”

  “That is true. It’s half past ten.”

  “Holy crap, Julian! We’ve nearly lost the whole day.”

  “Alexandra… breathe.”

  “Are you really telling me to slow down?” She giggles. “You realize the irony, right?”

  “Trust me, it’s not lost. Are you up for one last adventure?”

  I can feel her mood alter. “Last. We might not get another chance like this again.”

  I don’t argue her point. She may be right. “I want to enjoy every minute, regardless of time. I had an idea if you were game.”

  “This is really your city, Julian. I want to see whatever you show me. If it was my city, then I’d have something to say.”

  “So, you just said nothing?” I tease.

  She reaches behind her for her pillow and whacks me with it. “That’s what you get for being a smartass.”

  “Smartass, you say?” I take the pillow and hit her back.

  “Oh! You so did not just do that.” She strips the pillow from under my head and starts swinging.

  “You are done for!” I claim. I perch up and begin giving as good as I get. Her giggles turn into full belly laughs. The sound rings through the entire room. I don’t think I’ve loved a sound more in a very long time.

  ***

  We lock up and say goodbye to 815 for now. For now. I already want to bring her back. She is as much a part of this place as I am or as Lainey was. It belongs to all of us. As hard as it was at first, I feel like Lainey would approve of her being here. Is that strange? I’ve asked myself that question a thousand times, and I still don’t have an answer. With the car loaded, I guide Alexandra into a small lot off the main square. She seems confused.

  “These buildings seem very industrial or office-like. You said it was like an artist village.”

  “Do you trust me, Lex?”

  “Is that a real question?”

  “It’s one block in. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

  She responds, “I haven’t been disappointed in anything.”

  That is true. I know it to be true. She looks at things with such an unjaded eye. I don’t know how she manages it. She’s been through so much yet is so eager to put herself back out there. We wander around the corner and the street is packed with loose business meetings, lunchtime strollers, and college kids getting in one last ray-filled day before finals. This is the activity I was hoping for her to see.

  “Well? What do you think?” I ask.

  “It’s amazing, Julian!”

  She becomes quite silent, but I can nearly hear her smile with my eyes closed. She’s taking everything in and memorizing its feel. Just a few feet away is a horse drawn carriage. She lets go of me to walk around to greet their faces. The larger of the two horses whinnies as Alexandra strokes its nose.

  “You’re like the animal whisperer. They adore you.”

  She looks over at me, slightly embarrassed, “I know you’ve likely done this before, but I’d like to take the tour if that’s okay.”

  I put out my hand to her. “We can. They run on a schedule. There’s one in an hour. I’d like to show you one of the buildings while we wait.”

  I walk her to the steps going in. Once she’s inside, we pause. She’s studying all the art this place has to offer. “You like it?”

  “God, Julian, this is so interesting. The type of drawings and paintings they have. It’s really a statement.” She walks along the wall, studying every artist’s work, when her shiny object syndrome takes over. “What is this?” She notices a jewelry store
just reopening after lunch. “I need to go in here.”

  I motion for the opening door. “Your wish is granted.”

  She steps inside and is immediately in awe. “I don’t know where to look first. Oh my God! All of these pieces are so unique.”

  “If they aren’t antiques, they are replicas so close a jeweler would have a hard time. I got a watch for Lainey here once. What do you want to shop for today? Necklace? Watch? Ring?”

  “A ring.” She gravitates toward a very specific case. They are men’s rings. They are all different shapes, sizes, and stone colors.

  “Your dad would love one of these?”

  “I’m not shopping for him. He won’t wear any rings other than the one my mother gave him. I’m looking for you.”

  “Me?” I ask.

  “Before you say no, hear me out, Julian. This has been the most wonderful weekend. I didn’t know where things would sit after what nearly happened on that road, what did happen on the beach, and all the baggage we brought to the table. We came together as friends, lovers, and… whatever we are, even more in this short time.

  “We have to go back to reality today. We have to put our game faces on for everyone else. I don’t know what it will be like in the least. The one thing I do know is that I want you to have something of me on you all the time. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I feel like when you are nearly ready to break, and I can’t openly help you in the way I want, you can look down at your hand, see a piece of me, and know that I’m right there.”

  I take her face in my hands and slowly lean in. “I have two habits where you’re concerned.”

  “What are they?” she asks.

  “One, I have this nasty affliction of watching you sleep.”

  “And two?”

  “I don’t think I could ever say no to you. I will wear it. Choose what you like. The word amazing doesn’t cover you, Alexandra.”

  Our lips finally meet in front of the case in the back corner. I don’t think we would have let go of each other if the owner had not cleared her throat before asking us if she could show us anything we were interested in.