Conflicted (Secrets and Lies)

  Ethan groaned and tossed his hands in the air. "I don't understand what that has to do with taking a chance on something that you want. Don't for a second tell me that you don't want this with me."

  If he doesn't drop it soon, I'm going to end up shouting at him at the top of my lungs or punching him in the face. I'm leaning towards the latter.

  "I can't do this with you. I need to get back to my desk to finish the day," I said icily.

  I took another step back willing the anger to stay strong. He pissed me off but my body was struggling to remember. Ethan inched forward with every step I took backwards until I backed right into the shelves that lined the wall. I braced myself against them and he placed his hands next to mine. He towered over me and kept his body within inches of me. It left me with no room to move away. The problem with the entire position was that it was the on switch for my body. His behavior this week had made me more than horny. This particular position sent all sorts of naughty thoughts throughout me as my body overheated with its need for him. My heartbeat skyrocketed and my breathing was raspy at best.

  Son of a bitch! Stupid betraying body!

  His eyes remained glued to me but the rage started to subside as cockiness took over. Ethan trapped me there for what seemed like an eternity absorbing every loud beat of my heart. Before he pulled away, Ethan leaned in one last time.

  "Go finish your day. Monday, you're mine."

  Ethan strode backwards to the door never taking his eyes off me. He stood at the door for a moment before giving me a parting glance. I inhaled deeply several times after he left. I was very thankful that I was bracing myself with the shelves because my knees were about to give out on me. The reality sunk in that it was only a matter of time before I did something stupid around him again. Even when I was furious with him, my body remained drawn to him.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  When I got home that evening, my anger was back in full force. On my way in, I tossed my heels to the ground. A huge thud echoed around the room when they crashed and skidded across the floor. The chuckling from the hallway startled me. I looked up to see Bri on her way out of the kitchen.

  "Ethan?" she asked nonchalantly.

  "Yes," I fumed.

  I threw my purse towards the wall with the same force. I stormed into the living room and flopped into the recliner. My hands flew to my head to massage the tension. Bri sat on the couch next to me. She tried to stifle her laughter but gave it a minimal effort.

  "Are you going to tell me what has you so wound up or do you want me to let my imagination wander? You know all the dirty little scenarios I can come up with on my own."

  I glared at her. She held up her hands innocently.

  "He did the unthinkable today."

  "And what would that be?"

  "He pulled me off my team to work with him."

  Bri pulled her lips together to keep a smile from spreading across her face but failed miserably. It made me even more irritable.

  "It's not funny Bri. This last week has been torture. I can't imagine what Ethan has planned for me when we're alone with each other the entire day," I snapped.

  "It's kind of funny Mia. What did you expect?" Bri questioned.

  "Oh, I don't know. I thought by deflecting all his attempts and going out of my way to avoid him would send a strong message," I vented.

  She scoffed. "Seriously, you thought that acting like it didn't happen would be enough to deter him. He's a powerful guy who wants you. You shouldn't be surprised that he did what he did today. He has the upper hand in this game."

  "I held my own against his advances all week. Why can't he just let it go already?"

  "He made it clear to you that he wasn't going to give up. It was only a matter of time before he used his authority over you," she countered.

  "Bri, you're not helping. What the hell am I going to do now?" I inquired.

  "I don't know. All I can say is that next week is going to be one for the books," she mused.

  "Stop acting like you aren't amused by this entire situation," I sniped.

  Her head shot up as fury flashed through her eyes. I flinched and sunk further into the chair.

  "Mia, you got yourself into this. I don't know what more you want me to say. If I thought you listened to me at all, I'd be less amused. I warned you about him just as I warned you that taking this offer from Harrison was a bad idea," Bri snapped.

  "I'm sorry. You're right. I'll figure it out."

  I didn't question myself often because of my stubbornness but I was seriously questioning my choices now. Thinking about it made me very exhausted with everything. I was always hiding something from someone and it was wearing me down just as much as Ethan. Bri sighed and got up from the couch. She grabbed my arm and pulled me up on her way for the stairs.

  "I know what will take your mind off things for the night."

  I was fine with having no thoughts for a while. As we climbed the stairs, I couldn't overlook how quiet it was around here. "Where are the guys?"

  Bri almost missed her footing. She was ahead of me but her back tensed and she balled her fists. Her behavior confused the hell out of me. Bri regained her footing on the landing upstairs. "They stayed on campus to catch some game. Trey was going on and on about it but I zoned him out after a while. He said they planned to stop at the bar but he expected to be home at a decent hour."

  "Good luck with Jackson in that trio," I remarked.

  "Yea, it's what I was thinking too," Bri admitted.

  When we passed Trey's room, I noticed her uneasiness as she glanced at his closed door. I'd been a crappy best friend to her by not paying better attention. Something was on her mind and Trey's absence tonight bothered her.

  "Hey, talk to me. What's going on?" I asked, grabbing her arm to stop.

  She leaned against the wall. I rested against the opposite one.

  "We've been off lately. I mean we're together but there is this space there. I'm not sure what it is but I don't like it," Bri said as her eyes drifted to the floor.

  "Are you two having problems because of me?" I asked softly.

  "It's not because of you. It's new for us...for him. I don't think he knows how to handle having a label on our relationship. It's just not a good time for him to be having doubts."

  Bri paused as sadness washed over her. I watched her carefully and full of concern. "I don't want to talk about it Mia. Yes, there is tension with everything that has been happening around here that you've been a part of but it's not the root of the issue with us. I just want to go out tonight and forget about everything as much as you do," she pleaded.

  The desperation behind her eyes begged me to drop it. Whatever was going on between them was hurting her. My guilt climbed for not noticing something was wrong sooner.

  "What did you have in mind?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Bri perked up. "If the boys want to have a boy's night, then we should have a girl's night. Go get on one of your clubbing outfits and meet me in the bathroom."

  The way she was looking at me made me wonder what else she had up her sleeve but I didn't question it. She needed a break as much as I did. We carried on to our rooms to find our clothes for the evening. I decided to go with a short black mini skirt with a low cut studded tank top in deep purple. Both revealed more skin than acceptable for a public place but I didn't care. I found a pair of matching heels with my short black jacket to complete the ensemble. When I strutted into the bathroom, Bri let out a long whistle.

  "Mia, you look hot. Nice choice," she squealed in delight.

  She looked fantastic but that was no shock. Bri was a fashionista after all. She selected a very simple but very eye catching dress. It was an open back sheath dress in bright red. It gave the viewer little to mistake as it clung to her tightly. Her hair was up and she switched her earrings to ones that dangled with several long silver necklaces entwined together. Bri had already done her makeup and was waiting for me. I gave her the signal for perfection.
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  "You should talk Sass. This is going to be a fun night."

  "That's the plan girly," she agreed, shoving me playfully towards the vanity.

  ~

  We decided to forego any clubs that were on campus. We went to Skye because it was the hottest one downtown. It had been awhile since either one of us had been to this part of town to party. It was pricey so staying closer to home usually won every time. If you drank too much downtown, the cab fare back to the burbs was astronomical.

  Skye was phenomenal. There were two stories so you had the choice if you wanted to dance your ass off on the huge dance floor on the first level. If you sought for more seclusion from the crowd, there were booths to chill in upstairs. A glass staircase took you up the second level where there tables and booths scattered throughout the floor. The view from the second level allowed you to see the entire first level. The walls of each side whether you were upstairs or downstairs had a long bar to place your drink order. Tucked away in the back was a DJ booth. Every several feet were pillars to keep the dance floor separate from the bars. Both floors had lighting on the surface in vibrant shades of red, blue, purple, and yellow. The light spread from the floors to the ceiling. It was a fine mix of sophistication but not so stuffy that you found yourself bored.

  We had been there a little under an hour spending plenty of time on the dance floor shaking our asses. We were at the bar getting a well-earned refreshment. Since we were downtown without the guys, I tried to make a conscious effort not to drink too much tonight. I ordered a Miller Lite. Bri huffed before she shouted her order.

  "Vodka tonic. Make it a double. And bring two tequila shooters."

  "Really Bri...Shooters?"

  She scowled with a hand wave to the throat. Her stink eye kept me from pressing her on it. "We're out to have fun. You said you were up for anything. I need this and so do you."

  "I just don't want either of us to get so drunk that we do something stupid tonight like go home with a random. Lord knows I've hit the stupid quota for both of us. I want to have fun so promise me that you'll let me know when you've hit your limit," I requested.

  Bri gave me an exaggerated roll of the eyes. I arched an eyebrow.

  "I'll be sure to tell you when I'm ready to pass out or have sex with a stranger."

  The bartender that took our order was back with our drinks and shots.

  "To not passing out or having sex with randoms," I kidded, toasting her shot glass.

  Bri laughed before tossing hers back. She ordered two more shots not easing my concern in the least. I gave up on figuring her out. Bri engaged in casual flirting with the bartender as she placed our order. I turned around to watch the people in the club.

  "Second round," she said, sliding my shot to me.

  "Thanks," I accepted, downing it quickly.

  She glanced over every so often as she swirled the drink in her hand. I downed the rest of my beer and set the empty bottle back on the bar. She finished hers and I did the same. "See anything you like out there. You haven't danced with anyone since we got here. It's been awhile since I've seen someone shuffle out of your bedroom," Bri pointed out.

  "You haven't danced with anyone either. Regardless if you're in a relationship, it's never stopped you before," I countered.

  She grabbed my hand on our way back to the dance floor. Arguing with her wasn't an option so I followed without a word. We were out in the center of floor with a dozen male followers hot on our tails. Bri dropped my hand to turn into one of the hot bodies next to her. A soft hand came down on my shoulder. I looked behind me to find its owner and smiled at the handsome stranger. His eyes were full of hope as he gestured for a dance. I nodded and fell in beat with his tall, lean frame.

  The songs that the DJ played were off the hook. I danced indecently with hot and mysterious for several songs before stopping to find Bri. She was with a circle of suitors with a wide smile on her face. She was having a real good time and that was the plan. I caught her eye and tilted a hand to my mouth. Her smile grew even wider as she separated herself from the guy behind her to follow me. When we reached the bar, I placed the same drink order as earlier.

  "I'm glad you've given up on being so responsible," Bri remarked.

  Her mood was far more upbeat than it had been all night. Her smile grew when our drinks and shots appeared. I laughed with the cheeriness in her voice. If this was what she needed to let loose, who was I to get in her way or not support it.

  I raised my shot glass to hers and said, "To being in our twenties...the only time you really get away with being young and stupid."

  "To being young and stupid," Bri toasted.

  She rolled the shot glass across her lips before tilting her head back to take it down in one gulp. By the time we finished this round, the warm and fuzzy effects of the alcohol were starting to surface. It was going to make this time around on the dance floor even more interesting.

  We headed to the dance floor and found a new group of guys to dance within our circle. We switched partners as the songs changed. As the current song came to a stop, the guy I had been dancing with excused himself to the bar. It was a damn fine idea so I walked over to get Bri. As we approached the bar, I caught the attention of the cute bartender that had been taking our order all night.

  "The usual," he shouted.

  I smiled and nodded. In a matter of minutes, our drinks appeared and we grabbed them with enthusiasm. I took down the shots back to back before diving into my beer. Bri was way ahead of me with both shots gone and her mixed drink almost finished. It wasn't a good sign.

  "Bri, maybe we should call the guys to meet up with us," I suggested.

  "We don't need to because they're already here," she said, pointing to the second floor.

  I looked up to see them sitting at a booth near the edge of the railing with several girls. Jackson's hands and lips were all over a busty blonde. Shane was talking with a pretty brunette next to him. Trey wasn't acknowledging the blonde seated near him. He was too busy staring at us with a fury in his eyes that wilted my insides.

  He's hit wrath mode. This does not mean good things for Bri or for me. Shit.

  "Did you call them?" I asked.

  I finished the rest of my beer to ease my nerves. I looked at Bri and her good mood had vanished. She was freaking out about Trey too. He made an extra effort to stare her down. She resorted to turning around to avoid the scrutiny from him.

  "No. What the hell are they doing here?" Bri muttered under her breath.

  "I don't know but we should go up there now."

  "I don't want to fight with Trey. He's pissed and fighting with him in a packed club isn't on my to-do list for tonight."

  "Bri, it's going to piss him off even more if we stay down here acting like he isn't here."

  She reluctantly agreed. We finished our drinks before heading to their table. I hoped having a peace offering with us would cool down Trey. I ordered up their favorite drinks along with another round for Bri and I and shots for all of us. The bartender took down our order and confirmed that the bar upstairs would deliver the drinks to the boy's table.

  As we climbed the stairs, I couldn't hold back the smile the crept upon my face. The boys looked smoking hot tonight. Jackson's hair was all over with strands brushing along his eye line. He was in a pair of faded jeans darkly washed with faded portions running down the front of each leg. A dark blue V-neck shirt was barely visible due to the tight black biker jacket he had on to finish off the outfit.

  Shane kept his hair finely combed. He was in jeans as well but they were more denim than the pair Jackson had on. He selected a black and metallic button down color-blocked shirt with the sleeves rolled at the sides. The black sprang from spots upon his shoulders and the pockets on each side of the shirt.

  Trey went with black jeans and a white T-shirt with graphics in black within the center of it. He finished it off with black zip up leather jacket that was tight around his arms. His hair was all over the place bu
t that had more to due with him running his hands through it every few seconds.

  Once we were at the table, Jackson pulled out his tongue from the girl on his lap. His mouth turned into a wide grin at the sight of us. Shane perked up with a crooked grin. The girls with them scowled at us.

  "I'll be damned if it isn't the two hottest girls in the club and they're at my table. I must have been a real good boy today," he joked, shooting me a wink.

  "Hey boys, funny running into you here," I greeted.

  "Yea, it's real funny. It sure looks like you're enjoying yourself," Trey snapped. He stared at Bri with such rage that we all felt sorry for her.

  "Whoa, easy...we're out for a girl's night out," I defended.

  Trey stormed past Bri towards a hallway that led to the bathrooms. She looked at the ground for a minute before following him. Her shoulders sagged as she walked away. Trey appeared to be on a mission to make her feel like shit for being here. I watched her for another minute before looking away. Jackson and Shane dismissed the girls that had lingered and I slid in next to Jackson.

  I glanced towards Bri and Trey. They were in a heated argument. Trey's face flushed as he kept his hands in tight fists. Bri's temper flared too. She raised her hands towards him on several occasions as she fought back tears. Whatever they were discussing wasn't pleasant. I shook my head that her evening went in that direction. I turned to the guys and nodded towards Bri and Trey. They shook their heads with no explanation. Our drinks arrived and I grabbed my beer taking it down in two gulps. I set down the empty bottle before picking up a shot.

  "Seriously, what are you doing downtown?" I questioned.

  "Idiot over there thought he'd have a better chance finding some ass downtown. He came to the realization tonight that he has more or less slept with the entire female population on campus. He had to widen the pool to increase his chances on getting laid," Shane said indifferently.

  I snorted. "Well, it was only a matter of time."

  "Both of you two can fuck off," Jackson snapped.

  Shane and I laughed even harder at the perturbed look upon his face.