Control You

by Snyder, Jennifer

  Paige was too good for him anyway. Surly, she’d realize it sooner or later.

  The cream-colored two-story office building, with the sign “Owens and Keller Attorneys at Law” hung above the door, looked exactly as it had when I’d first started coming here. I parked in front and cut the engine of my car. Swiping my hands across my pants, I pulled in a deep breath, and resisted the urge to light up another cigarette and smoke it before heading inside. Every time I signed these fucking papers, I got nervous. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but I wasn’t.

  I opened my car door and climbed out. Walking up the three concrete steps from the road to the sidewalk, I crammed my hands into my pockets. Pulling another deep breath into my lungs, I gripped the cool handle and opened the door to the building. Stairs were one of the first things you saw when you walked in the door—beige carpeted stairs leading up to the offices on the second floor. To the right was a black leather bench seat pressed against a dark-paneled wall, and two matching chairs with a small table between them sat along the farthest wall from the door. A cutout area for a receptionist was beside that. I started toward the blond puff of hair barely visible behind it.

  “Nice to see you again, honey,” Trish said once she spun around in her desk chair to see who’d walked in. Trish was Mr. Keller’s wife. She’d been the secretary here for as long as I could remember. “Scott is in his office, waiting on you.”

  I smiled at her and nodded. “Thanks.”

  Starting up the stairs, my heart pounded. Each time I came to see Scott, the process of signing my papers was always the same. There was no reason to be as nervous as I was. Nerves were just one of those emotions you couldn’t explain the reasoning behind sometimes. The fourth step creaked under my foot as I expected it to, and I smiled. This small sense of familiarity relaxed me. Rounding the corner at the top of the stairs, I headed straight for the first door on the right.

  Scott’s office wasn’t large. It was painted the same shade of boring beige as the carpet and there were no pictures on the walls, just his degrees framed in black. His desk was made of a dark wood and virtually free of any clutter.

  “Cameron, how have you been?” he asked once I crossed the threshold into his office. He sat behind his desk, dressed in a navy blue suit with a reddish tie around his neck. His hair had gone a little more salt than pepper since the last time I’d seen him, but that was the only thing that had changed about him.

  “Good, I guess.” I sat in the black leather chair that was the same as the ones downstairs in the waiting area. “I see you still haven’t taken my advice about letting Candace spruce the place up any, huh?”

  Scott’s lips twisted into a smile, and I wondered how his mustache hairs didn’t tickle his nose. “Nah, and I don’t know that I ever will. She can decorate the house, but this is my space.”

  “You can still pull off the serious vibe and have color splashed here and there,” I insisted.

  “I’m sure, but you and I both know that’s just not me.” Scott smiled. His eyes locked on mine and the smile faded. “So, honestly, how have you been lately? Still doing okay?”

  I knew what he was asking without him saying the words. Maybe this was why I got so nervous about coming here, because I knew it wouldn’t just be about signing papers. It never was. “I’m fine, yeah. Things have been pretty decent lately.”

  “Have you managed to stay out of trouble?”

  “Yep.” My jaw tensed. That wasn’t what he was really asking either. It was a roundabout way of finding out if I was using again.

  Scott’s eyes skimmed over me. “You look good, Cam—healthy. I’m glad you decided to straighten yourself out some. I’m proud of you, and I know your parents would be too.”

  I swallowed hard. His words touched me in that soft spot I’d been trying to harden since this morning, when I’d found myself standing in front of my old house. They made that ache in my chest I’d felt lately swell to new proportions. “Thanks.”

  Scott nodded and slid some papers across the desk to me. “Here they are. All I need is your signature.”

  I pulled a pen from his holder in front of me and readied myself. “I went by the house this morning.”

  “I thought you stayed the night there? I talked to Craig earlier, and he said you’d invited a slew of friends over on Saturday night.” Scott raised an eyebrow at me. He didn’t appreciate my throwing parties in his house.

  “Not that house, my parents’ old house.” I signed the first paper and slid it over to him without meeting his stare. I moved on to the next in the stack. “It looks good. You’ve been maintaining it.”

  “I have, and my offer to let you live there still stands, as always. All you have to do is ask and the keys are yours.”

  My heart picked up pace. Did I even want to step inside again? Could I ever handle living there without them? “I’ll think about it.”

  I finished signing the last of the papers, and slid them across the desk to him. When I glanced up, I realized Scott was staring at me.

  “Just let me know what you decide, okay?”

  “I will. Thanks.” I stood and left the room—the building—faster than I ever had before.

  Once outside, I pulled a cigarette from my pack and lit it. Inhaling the rich taste of nicotine and menthol into my lungs, I felt myself calm. Closing my eyes, I thought of the night I gained the scar on my right wrist. It had been a year ago.

  “I’m such a fuck up.” My voice had cracked when the words came out.

  “So change…”

  Eva’s words echoed through my mind. I had changed. I’d taken her advice and checked into rehab. No one knew besides her and Scott; I’d kept it a secret. I’d even kept my failed attempt at suicide a secret. I’d been sober now for a year, and had been slowly working my way back to becoming someone my parents would have been proud of. Hearing Scott say those words to me today had meant more than he would ever know.

  Taking a drag off my cigarette, I smiled.

  After pulling out my cell, I dialed the one person I needed to be with tonight. She answered on the third ring.

  “You know you shouldn’t call me at five o’clock unless you’re going to take me out to eat,” Eva muttered as a greeting when she answered.

  I chuckled. “That’s exactly why I was calling. So, what’s your answer?”

  “I get to pick the place and you can pay the bill.” I could hear the playful smirk in her voice as she spoke. We both knew she’d be paying for her portion of the meal. Eva never let me buy her anything, but it was fun to joke about it anyway. When I’d paid her rent for the year, she hadn’t even known until she attempted to make a payment a little late one month.

  “Sounds fine by me.” I put my cigarette out and dug in my pocket for my keys. “I’ll be there in fifteen.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” Eva said in a singsong voice before she hung up.

  I grinned like a fool as I slid into my car. She was going to be so fucking surprised at dinner tonight when I pulled out the bracelet I’d bought her. Hell, I might walk away from dinner with a black eye after she beat the shit out of me for buying her something. Tonight was a celebration of when she’d saved my life though. Eva didn’t know it, but I was about to pamper her ass for the night whether she wanted it or not. She deserved it.

  CHAPTER NINE

  PAIGE

  Blue Agave was a new Mexican restaurant in Norhurst. It opened in the last month or so, and none of us had eaten there yet. We all had been a little hesitant due to the fact Blaire had first told Jason she was pregnant at Verde Guacamole—the best Mexican restaurant in Coldcreek—and were unsure if coming to another would be a reminder of that moment. Thankfully, they’d both been up for trying the place out. As we stepped inside, I prayed the food would taste even a fraction as good as the food at Verde Guacamole. The décor seemed authentic and the music fit well. However, the margaritas and food would be the decision maker for me.

  “This place is cute,” Lau
ren said. She slid into her chair as she glanced around. “I really like the light fixtures. They’re different.”

  Craig pulled my chair out for me and I sat. His attitude tonight had me on edge already, and I hoped after a margarita he’d chill out and loosen up. “They would look really cute hung in your bedroom from the ceiling above the nightstands on either side of your bed,” I said, glad some sort of conversation was starting to flow.

  “Oh, you’re right! And if they had dimmers, that would be even better.” She reached for Johnny’s hand on the table and slipped her fingers between his. “It would be something to set the mood.”

  “Something we hardly need any help with,” Jimmy said. His voice was sultry with a heavy European accent.

  I could see why Lauren was so smitten with him and didn’t care if their relationship was all about sex. The guy was the definition of sex—tall, leanly sculpted muscles, olive skin, dark hair that fell over his ears in silky locks, and electric blue eyes. He was one of those guys who were so gorgeous and had such an amazing accent, they could say, “I stepped in dog shit,” and it would sound hot.

  Craig shifted in his seat beside me, and I could feel the tension emanate from him. The butterflies in my stomach grew to gigantic proportions. I wanted him to enjoy himself with my friends tonight. The only other times we’d all hung out had been at parties, where we were all getting smashed. Maybe a conversation just needed to flow for us to all loosen up.

  “So, Jason, how’s the moving going?” I asked.

  Jason had inherited his grandfather’s lake house when the man had passed away a few months ago. It had shocked him and his mother when a lawyer from Coldcreek had contacted them after his grandfather’s death. There was a will and testament Jason and his mom knew nothing about. In it, Jason’s gramps had left him his house and ten grand. He’d also left Jason’s mom nearly a hundred grand in CDs and stocks he’d never cashed out.

  “It’s going. The house is in good shape, since I spent all summer fixing it up to sell.” He smiled and glanced at Blaire. “I think it might need some color splashed around here and there to liven it up though. At least that’s what I’m told by a certain someone.” He nudged Blaire with his elbow, and grinned.

  “All I said was that it looked like a color-blind person lived there. Everything you have is black, gray, or brown.” Blaire smirked at him as she ticked the colors off her fingers.

  “My mom’s an interior designer. I could have her come look at the place for you as a favor to me if you like,” Craig offered.

  My heart sank. I hated the way he’d worded that as well as the tone he’d used. It sounded like he was doing charity work or something. I prayed he hadn’t offended anyone.

  “She does an amazing job. His parents’ house is beautiful,” I added, hoping to smooth over any awkwardness his offer may have caused.

  Blaire met my eyes from across the table, and I knew she’d taken offense to Craig’s tone. I would be hearing about it later. This would only add to the long list of things she didn’t like about him. Awesome.

  “All right, I’ll think about it.” Jason nodded. “Thanks.”

  Our waiter walked up then and took our drink orders—margaritas all around. Thank God.

  “Oh, and could we please have an order of cheese dip?” Blaire added before the waiter walked away.

  “Wonder if it’s as good as Verde Guacamole’s?” I asked.

  “That’s what I plan to find out.” Blaire smiled. “There are two staples a town has to have when it comes to restaurants. One is a great Italian place and the other is a great Mexican place. Let’s hope this is it, because that place you two took me to the other night had some awesome Italian food.”

  “It was good,” Lauren agreed. “We’ll all have to go there next.”

  Jimmy leaned on his elbows. “Italian food has to be authentic. It all starts with the sauce.”

  “I agree,” Jason said. “And the bread—the bread has to be garlicky and crunchy.”

  “A man after my own heart,” Blaire gushed. Bread was her favorite thing. My mother would say she was a carbaholic.

  I laughed and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear while glancing at Craig for a split-second. This night would be okay if he would relax; his tension was making my heart pound.

  “So, Craig, what are you majoring in?” Jason asked. A small sense of relief trickled through me. I was glad Jason was trying to include him in some form of conversation.

  “How to be an asshole 101,” a familiar voice said from behind us, and Jason burst into a fit of laughter.

  My skin prickled and I bit my bottom lip, knowing exactly to whom the voice belonged. I turned in my seat, and Cameron stood behind me. My eyes barely brushed over him before they shifted to the person standing beside him. A gorgeous woman with silky brown hair and the longest legs I’d ever seen. I smoothed my hair away from my face and sat a little taller after assessing her with my eyes. It was no surprise that this was the type of woman Cameron went for. She was stunning.

  “Actually, I’m pre-law.” Craig gritted his teeth and locked eyes with Cameron before shifting his attention back to Jason. “You’ll have to excuse Cameron. He’s known for saying smart-ass shit in an effort to embarrass people.”

  “Aww, is that what you’re calling our banter today, some smart-ass shit?” Cameron grinned. “Looks like you guys have room for two more, mind if we join you? We were on our way out, but wouldn’t mind chatting with some of Craig’s friends who look like they have personalities.”

  Having met Craig’s lifelong friends the other night, I stifled a laugh. Cameron had been dead on—those people had no personalities. As I turned back around in my seat, I realized the only available chairs at the table were the ones beside me—one of them being the seat directly beside me. I prayed Miss Model sat in the one closest to me and not Cameron. I didn’t think I could stand being sandwiched between Craig and him for long.

  “No, not at all. Have a seat,” Blaire offered. She smiled at the two of them, and then dropped her eyes to me. Excitement danced clearly within them. I was positive it was because she was anxious to find out who Cameron was. Anyone who bad-mouthed Craig to his face was a friend of hers. “I’m Blaire and this is my boyfriend, Jason.”

  Cameron nodded and scooted out a chair for his date—the chair that just so happened to be farthest from me. “Nice to meet you, Blaire. Thank you for being so generous and allowing us to join you.”

  Craig stiffened beside me, and the tension emanating off him strengthened tenfold. Why the hell did he hate Cameron so much? From the little bit of time I’d spent with him earlier today, he seemed nice enough. Shit. Would Cameron bring up the fact that we’d hung out earlier? Surely not, not with his bombshell of a date sitting right beside him. My eyes flickered to her again, taking in her exotic eyes and perfect facial features. There was not one single imperfection on her.

  “I’m Eva.” The gorgeous woman smiled at no one in particular.

  “Lauren.” Lauren waved. “And this is my guy, Jimmy.”

  I smiled, loving how she introduced him as her guy instead of her boyfriend. Cameron slid into the chair beside me, and I instantly felt that side of my body heat. His presence was definitely known to every single cell on my left side. I took in a deep breath and began toying with the napkin wrapped around my silverware, wondering when my drink would get here.

  “Is that a nice way of saying he’s your fuck buddy?” Cameron asked Lauren pointedly.

  My cheeks burned and I was sure my lips parted in shock. Had he really just asked that? My eyes snapped to Lauren and Jimmy; the question hadn’t seemed to faze either of them. In fact, Lauren glared at Cameron and smirked.

  “As a matter of fact, it is,” she answered. She pointed between Craig and him. “So, how do you know Craig?”

  “Oh, we go way back,” Cameron informed her. “I’m an old family friend.”

  “Our parents were old friends,” Craig corrected him. His hea
d was down, and he was digging his thumbnail into the tablecloth in an attempt to scratch off some goop left by the previous occupants. “You and I are no such thing.”

  Two waiters with our margaritas and cheese dip came to the table, saving us all from hearing any more hostility float from the mouths of the guys I was sandwiched between.

  “You had two more join. Can I get you two something to drink?” our waiter asked, eyeing Cameron and Eva with a smile.

  Cameron leaned against the tabletop and stared into Eva’s blue eyes. “Wanna have just one margarita with me, sexy? I know I said I wouldn’t drink tonight, but one won’t hurt.”

  A burning sensation slid through my stomach at the sound of him calling her sexy. Prickles of unease swept through me as I was caught off guard by my reaction. Licking my lips, I took a large swig of the margarita that had been placed in front of me. Its frozen coldness slipped down my throat and chilled the emotion bubbling in my stomach I had no right to feel.

  “Absolutely.” Eva smiled.

  “Two margaritas, please,” Cameron ordered. He nudged his shoulder with mine, and I felt sparks of electricity shoot through my body from the touch. “Is it any good? There’s this place I used to go to, Verde Guacamole—in Coldcreek. It has the best margaritas I’ve ever had in America.”

  “I love that place. It’s the best.” I smiled as I met his stare. His eyes were so much greener than brown right now. It was as if they absorbed the color of his shirt and reflected it back to me.

  “You have good taste, then.” He leaned on his elbows a little more and shifted in his seat. His knee brushed against mine from the motion for only a moment before he pulled it away and repositioned himself. “So, how’s the margarita? Does it compare?”

  I took another sip, wishing he’d left his knee in place. I liked the sensation that coursed through my body from the contact. “It’s good. Really good.”