Stubborn

by Jeanne Arnold

  I yelped. Before I could control my anger, I pushed my hand forcefully into his bruises.

  “What’s wrong with you?” I stumbled off the chair, too stunned to smack him in the face.

  He groaned and held a hand to his lower ribs as he curled over in agony. In a deep, hushed drawl, he said, “Avery, I’m just testing your loyalties. You know he’ll try and pound me into the ground if you tell him about us. You don’t wanna see me hurt more. I know you don’t. I can prove you don’t. You like me being here in the house. You like me, period. Fess up already.”

  His ego had grown to the size of a blimp. There was no us.

  Though he was deviously fascinating, he made me sick to my stomach. Something stirred in me whenever he came near. It was a totally different sensation than the butterflies Gabe triggered in my belly. Caleb was calculated. He always seemed to have an accurate sense of the control he held over me. I told myself it had to be the similarities between the brothers. My brain couldn’t always tell who was who. I allowed myself to think for half a second that maybe I wanted both of them rolled up in one.

  I waved away the deplorable thought, embarrassed and ashamed I dared to think it.

  “You’re despicable,” I growled through my teeth. It wasn’t fair of him to do this to me.

  He laughed. “I’ve been called worse, legs. You still haven’t said you don’t want me.”

  Gabe shouted from the second floor. “What am I looking for?”

  I shouldered past Caleb and hollered around the doorway and up the stairs in the steadiest voice I could hold. “Lotion. Look in her bathroom. It’s a blue bottle.”

  Caleb slithered up behind me and held me to the door jam with his shoulder. I froze, petrified like a beam of wood. He was stronger than I thought he was. I wanted to ignore him. I wanted to scream, to yell to Gabe to come down. I knew I should. But I didn’t. I choked on my words. I swallowed them like bitter pills.

  “Aren’t you at all curious about me?” Caleb sung into my ear. His warm breath caressed my shoulder, made me twitch. He kissed the back of my earlobe, my neck, my most sensitive skin. I shuddered helplessly. My insides rolled. “I’ll tell you how I think about you night and day, how beautiful you are. You’re letting me do this right now. Right here. You must want to know.”

  I gasped.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “No!” I turned quickly and shouted in his face. I slapped his cheek so hard he toppled backward.

  Gabe charged down the stairs empty-handed. “Av’ry? What are you yelling for?”

  His eyes narrowed. His gaze cut from my face to Caleb’s face and back. He must have known instantly what was happening by the worked up look on my face and the red handprint on Caleb’s. His brother was too close to me for anything good to be going on.

  My face burned with a combination of shame and guilt and panic. The nerves in my hand stung like crazy.

  “You got it coming,” Gabe spoke into Caleb’s face.

  Caleb took a hesitant step away from Gabe while holding onto his half-wrapped chest. “Aw, shove it, little brother.”

  “No, Gabe, just leave him alone! He wants you to hit him,” I screamed and grabbed Gabe’s arm.

  He forced past me and got in his brother’s face again. Then he slammed him up against the kitchen table and knocked the furniture into the wall. Before I could do anything else, Gabe rammed a fist into Caleb’s stomach and then stormed out the back door.

  My eyes studied Caleb as he keeled over in pain. He spit on Meggie’s kitchen floor like an animal. Nobody had hit me, yet I felt the gut wrenching pain. I sucked in a breath and burst through the kitchen door to chase after Gabe. He heaved his body into his pickup as I hit the driveway, and he tore off the property like he was running from the law.

  “Gabe!” I cried, unfazed by any onlookers. “Stop!”

  The black truck vanished.

  Molly pulled in as the dust settled. Before she had the opportunity to climb out of her truck, I opened the door and hauled my trembling body into the cab. We sat in silence while she waited for me to calm down.

  I couldn’t tell Molly what happened, so I made up a story about Gabe getting all moody on me. By the time Molly stopped at Albertson’s to pick up her paycheck and buy some snacks for the lake, I’d returned to my best phony normal. Yet my insides were pummeled into a slushy mess. I couldn’t iron out my thoughts. There were too many categories to file things under, when there should have been only one. I willed myself quiet and forced a show face, knowing it was best I didn’t stay home alone with Caleb. Plus, I already had on my two-piece bathing suit under my clothes.

  “This should tide us over,” said Molly as she tossed a grocery bag on the seat. “There’s a barbeque later, but I don’t trust any of those kids to cook anything. So, do you wanna talk now?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean I’m fine, thanks.”

  Molly’s hair bounced around her face. She had a bandana around her neck instead of in her hair.

  “Avery, I’ll let you in on a little secret. The Haldens—I can read them better than anybody. I know what’s going on. You won’t hurt my feelings talking about it. There’s so much more happening than you can imagine. When I go back to school, I have an entirely different life, friends, boys. I’m just having fun.”

  I believed her, yet remained guarded. I also believed she had the wrong impression of me.

  “I thought I was like that too,” I told her, sounding like an idiot.

  What else was going on?

  “When I first saw you, knowing you were staying at Meggie’s, I knew Caleb would be all over you. I’m not surprised. He’s shameless,” she said, laughing. “I tell him all the time.”

  A blush warmed my cheeks. I concentrated on her face and got on the defensive. “I did nothing to encourage him, except kick him and slap him.”

  Molly laughed loudly and struck the steering wheel with an open palm. “He likes that kind of attention. Don’t do that anymore.”

  “No problem,” I murmured. “I can’t shake him. Gabe punched him in the gut before when he thought something happened in the kitchen. He’s in a lot of pain.”

  “I can’t blame you if you like him—or Gabriel. Caleb’s really hard to resist with all that charm, that smile, and that body. He’s got a lot of energy. It’s unrelenting. Trust me. Boys are not all like that at college. Most just care about drinking and re-enacting Jackass: The Movie. I think I prefer older guys,” she said offhandedly.

  “But I don’t...I mean...I like Gabe more. I love Gabe,” I told her.

  Molly raised a shapely eyebrow. “You wanna have his baby kinda love? Or you just want a boyfriend that’s like him?”

  I took a moment to ponder her question.

  “Yes and both,” I told her in all honesty.

  I had been allowing myself to think off-the-wall things like how I wanted to be with Gabe forever. How I would even marry him the next day if he asked me. I would’ve done everything with him that I always swore I would never do with a boy.

  Something was seriously wrong with me.

  “I told you once that he was a little messed up.” She glanced quickly and returned her eyes to the rear view mirror. “I warned you. You fell for him.”

  I rolled my eyes dramatically. We shared a laugh and Molly pulled out of the parking lot and into a line of tractor-trailers. Every other one was owned by HalRem.

  “And you were right about Mr. Halden. He’s not so bad.”

  * * *

  I recognized Josh’s truck buried behind three rows of vehicles when we arrived at the lake. If he wanted to get out, he would need a crane. I followed Molly’s heels as she scaled a sandy embankment in the direction of lively music. She stood atop the highest point and gazed over a crowded fire pit on the shore. My flip-flops slipped all over. A slight sting in my bad ankle warned me to take it easy. Molly knew a lot of people, and when she reached the crowning peak, she began waving and calling out to friends.
Glancing over the blue lake, I spied several powerboats pulling water skiers. Kids floated around in tubes.

  Soon my thoughts began to dwell on Gabe. I was uninterested in the party, so I mulled over the conversation from the ride out. Something bothered me. Molly referred to older boys. Was she trying to tell me Caleb was out of the picture? I found it odd that she hadn’t been over to the house much to see him. Lost in my musings, I wandered away from the gathering, scuffed my feet along the shore and kicked rocks into the water. I hoped Gabe had calmed down.

  “Hi, Avery.”

  The voice jolted me. Jordan and two girls I had seen around town were crossing my path, strolling back to the fire. A strong gust blew hard, and we all raised our hands to our heads to protect our hair. I was mostly concerned with covering the faint writing that was still visible on my forehead.

  “Are you heading out? It’s kind of lame. I know,” she said.

  Her girlfriends kept walking, in spite of the fact that she stopped. I studied the bruising on her face. It was much lighter. She covered it well. What alarmed me was the brace she wore on her wrist. It didn’t appear to be anything heavy-duty, but it was there.

  “I was daydreaming and walked off. What happened to your hand?” I asked as I tried to conceal my horror.

  Jordan threw her luxurious hair over her shoulder and a phony laugh rolled off her tongue. “Oh, that. It’s nothing really. I tripped on the stairs. I’m really clumsy these days.”

  Her eyes widened as if she was trying her best to look innocent.

  “Jordan.” I tried to be sincere.

  She must have taken me for stupid. Maybe she wasn’t playing with a full deck. I was surprised Gabe dated her. Then again, she was stunning. Her comely looks would intoxicate any boy. I cringed as I imagined them together and what they did and how he kissed her.

  Still, I knew that the scumbag Hunt Barrett was hurting her.

  “I won’t tell. Did Hunt hurt you?” A fire sparked inside me. I could befriend Jordan and get her to turn on Hunt. I could convince her to tell the truth about Eli’s accident and Gabe could finally let go of his anger. It was genius, brilliant. I knew I could make him happy. I’d already stumped Jordan good.

  “Oh no,” she exclaimed. She ran a hand over her windswept locks. “That’s not...oh, no.” Her shaky voice held a nervous quality.

  I let it go. She knew I was on to her and that was all that mattered. My gaze fell to my feet, and we took our time strolling.

  “Your friends left. Sorry I distracted you.”

  Jordan shrugged her shoulders. “They’re not my friends.”

  “Oh,” I said as I tried to figure out the situation. “So, who are you here with?”

  “Some of Hunter’s men brought me. I kind of hang with them when he’s not around.”

  I wanted to poke my eyeballs out. Was the guy with the red truck around? Or the guys who set fire to the oil well and ran Caleb and Josh off the road? Or the jerk who stabbed Gabe?

  My heart thudded in my temples. “Where is he?” I asked coolly.

  Jordan shrugged again. “Off doing something with his business. He’s gone a lot. He isn’t around much lately.”

  An eerie feeling filled the air. I referred back to his beady eyes and the disturbing way he stared me down in court.

  She didn’t seem like the brightest person, so I pressed further. To my advantage, she seemed more than willing to talk. “He’s older, right?”

  “He’s twenty nine.”

  “Oh.” He was really old. “And you guys are serious?”

  Jordan fidgeted with the zipper on her purse. “Uh huh. He says he loves me. He gave me these earrings.”

  She tipped her head back and flashed the sparkly rocks. She was superficial. Without question, Lane was right. I was beginning to understand her pursuit of the two wealthy families.

  “They’re beautiful. Do you love him?” I asked boldly. Or did she love the money?

  “He says he loves me,” she stated redundantly.

  A breeze passed over the beach and cooled my feet from the hot sand and silt.

  “I’m living with him over there.” Her bandaged arm floated upward. She extended a finger.

  My eyes spanned the lake and narrowed in on an impressive estate. I hadn’t noticed the log cabin earlier.

  “It’s a 25-room lodge. You can get lost in there. I’ll take you if you’d like. We have boats.”

  Red flags shot up high and bright and flashed furiously in front of my eyes. But my need to fix things for the Haldens was much greater than my need to follow orders. Gabe warned me to stay away from Hunt, and I had no intention of going near him. Jordan wasn’t Hunt, though I knew very well Gabe would probably punch a hole in a concrete wall if he found me talking to her.

  My voice softened. The words came way too easy. “I’d like that. Do you like it there?”

  “Uh huh.”

  I thought she was a terrific liar.

  “I have my own suite. I decorated the whole thing. I’d love to show you. Nobody ever comes over. It’s just me and the guys. We’ll come right back. Did you come here with Gabe?”

  I suppressed a groan, surprised she brought him up. “No. I came with Molly. My cousin’s here too. They won’t miss me.”

  We approached the festivities. I skimmed the crowd. Molly and Josh were nowhere in sight. I had the perfect opportunity to sneak away, to spend time persuading Jordan. Against my better judgment, I climbed in a very long, very ritzy, very shiny speedboat. Waves swished and slapped at the sides. I slid in beside Jordan and pulled my sunglasses over my eyes. Thankfully, I didn’t recognize the driver and I didn’t think he recognized me. Jordan hardly said a word.

  I was on a covert mission to save the Haldens from the evil villain Hunter Barrett. I knew I was playing with fire. Not just the regular kind, but the kind doused with gasoline.

  I held onto the chrome railing with fear in my grip. My ponytail whipped me in the face. Life vests were in reach, yet neither of us put one on. My eyes enlarged as we came upon the log cabin and slowed to a gliding pace. The fancy boat drew up to the dock where two men, dressed similarly in dark clothing, stood poised like guards. Inside my chest, my heart marched as I watched them moor the boat and step aside. I flinched at the yelping barks of their guard dogs.

  “We’re here.” Jordan’s voice sounded full of glee.

  I found it strange that she didn’t communicate with the men. We both climbed out and walked past as if they were inanimate objects. Jordan reached for my hand. Awkwardly, I gave it to her. As we climbed the steep stairs to the first level, my apprehension doubled. My heart jiggled in my chest and warned me that I had gone too far. But something stronger compelled me to follow.

  “Is anybody home?”

  My hand slipped out of Jordan’s grip.

  “Nope. Just the staff. Hunt’s out on business. He had court this morning and I don’t know where he went after that. Don’t worry. You won’t get in trouble with Gabe.”

  I wished she would stop mentioning his name. I was doing my best not to think about him touching her.

  The chill atmosphere of the expansive cabin prickled my skin. I tried not to gawk at the big black rifles mounted on the walls or the heads of dead animals leering at me. I was beginning to taste the fear in my mouth.

  “This is a big place,” I told her, foraging for small talk.

  Jordan’s grin grew wide. “It’s impressive, huh?”

  Didn’t she know Hunt was funding his lavish lifestyle by bullying, manipulating, and stealing from innocent people?

  “He’s got a compound down in the woods south of here. This is just the little lake house.”

  “Yeah,” I muttered as I squashed my true feelings. “Little.”

  We walked through a kitchen that was bigger than my entire house back in New York. The shiny cabinetry caused me to squint. Jordan poked her nose in the industrial-size refrigerator and then selected two drinks. We sat ourselves along a marble counterto
p, chatted, and snacked on pretzels like we were old friends. All the while my ears were pinned to the lakefront as I listened for boats.

  I could not believe I was sitting in Hunt Barrett’s house playing with Gabe’s ex-girlfriend.

  “Here’s my space.”

  She thrust open two glass doors after we finished eating. I half expected music to play. I stopped my head before it jerked back. The explosive pink décor caught me off guard.

  Jordan entered the princess palace and spun around like my little sister did when she tried on her costume dress. I wanted to gag. The colors were sickly sweet. Ornate white furniture clogged the frilly space. I stood in the doorway, stunned.

  “I like pink,” she said childishly.

  I was quickly reminded how much of a tomboy I truly was.

  “Uh, yep you do. My sister would love this,” I said truthfully. I hated pink. The only pink clothing I owned happened to be my North Dakota T-shirt. I only wore it the one time. The time Gabe said he liked pink. It probably reminded him of Jordan.

  “Oh, how old is she?” Jordan settled on the king-size bed.

  “She’s younger. I miss her.” I left out the part about her being a toddler.

  “I have a sister. She’s a year older than I am. And a brother who’s fifteen.” Jordan’s voice lowered. “Hunt doesn’t let me see them. He says they don’t want what’s best for me.”

  He was definitely a controlling boyfriend.

  “That’s too bad. Why don’t you tell him how much you want to see them?” I felt like I was talking to a child.

  Jordan tipped her chin and narrowed her empty eyes on my face. “I did.”

  “He did that? Because you asked to see your family?” My hands covered my mouth in disbelief. “Oh god. Why do you stay here? Nobody should ever hit you. I’m so sorry. I mean, I know it’s not my business.”

  There was very little chance I could manage to remain nonjudgmental. I couldn’t understand why she stayed. Did she stay for the beautiful room? The money? My head was suddenly pounding.