“I have to work so I won’t be able to make it. ” I’m sitting in the recliner spinning my beer bottle between my hands. This is awkward.
“What do you mean you have to work? Did you go through your grandparent’s inheritance already?” She storms across the room, the look on her face intense.
Her eyes connect with mine as I stand up, and her hand goes up immediately to cover her face. Without a doubt, I’m pissed, but I would never hit her or any woman for that matter.
I will not tell her that I’m a lifeguard because that would be degrading in her social standings. “We haven’t had any contact since I walked out after Brady’s funeral.” I’m trying desperately to fight the rage that’s consuming me. “The only reason you had children was so that you could groom us to take over the family business. Well, one is dead and I don’t want any part of either of you or the company. ” My fists clench as I head towards the bedroom.
“Where are you going?” She’s angry because I walked away from Erin Davis, CEO of Davis Records Co.
“I’m going to change. I need to get out of here, and so do you. ” Closing the bedroom door I lean against it. My gaze drifts over to the bed where Riley lay sleeping just an hour ago, the sheets still crumpled from our tangled bodies. Her pillow remains curved where her head lay; the smell of vanilla mixed with a touch of coconut still permeates the air. Snatching her pillow I bury my face in it as I inhale her sweet scent. My heart seizes in my chest. What have I done?
Riley
I’m so angry at him right now for causing this pain that’s tearing my heart into tiny bits. The sad part is I still love him and I thought he loved me too. So why would he lie to me about something this important? Running away isn’t going to give me the answers I so desperately need. But seeing her standing there, looking at me like I was one of his one-night stands, was intimidating.
When I heard him begging me to open the door, I almost did. Then he wanted to break down the door, I’m not going to lie, I wished he would. When I heard my dad’s angry voice, I knew he would make Hunter leave. That broke my heart.
Someone’s knocking on my door, which makes my heart leap inside my chest. Do I want to see him now or should I make him suffer a few more days? Hesitating for only a brief moment I jump out of bed to open the door. My heart’s thumping wildly in anticipation… what do I say to him? In a split second all the air in my balloon deflates in one loud pop. It’s my dad.
“I can see by the look on your face that you weren’t expecting me. ” He steps into my room as I sit on the edge of my bed.
“I should have known that he’s too much of a coward to face me now. ” My tears burn my eyes once again.
My dad laughs, which is very rare. “He would have sat by your door for days if that’s what it took for you to talk to him, but I sent him home. ”
“Why would you do that?” I see he’s torn as he rakes his fingers through his hair.
“So you both had time to calm down, to think things through. Hunter’s like a son to me, so that’s why I’m going to share this with you. ” He looks tense, nervous.
“If it’s going to jeopardize your friendship then don’t tell me. ” Maybe I don’t really want to know.
He holds up his hand to stop me. “When he turned eighteen his main focus was Brady. He wanted custody of him so he could live here. ”
“You met his brother?” Suddenly I want to know everything.
“Yes, he stayed at the apartment quite a few times; he was an amazing young man. I think that’s why the both of you have formed this bond in such a short time, Hunter had the same kind of childhood that you did. He was a loner, much like how you describe yourself growing up. They had nannies to take care of them when they were younger, but when Hunter was in high school he insisted on taking care of Brady himself. ” My dad looks up at me. My mouth must be hanging open.
“Why weren’t his parents involved in taking care of their own flesh and blood?” I would never dream of having someone else raise my children.
“They have a successful business to run, so they let their staff be responsible for their children. My point in all this is his brother was his world, so when he died, Hunter died with him. Until you came along. Now he has a reason to live again. I know you two love each other and as much as I want to fight it because I think you’re too young, I see how happy he is again, how happy you both are. ” He walks over, kissing the top of my head as he gets ready to leave.
“Dad, while you’re here I need to tell you that Parker’s out of rehab. ”
He closes his eyes and listens patiently to my narrative before he storms out to call Jim so he can find out what the hell happened.
Suddenly needing fresh air I step out onto the balcony and see Hunter out of the corner of my eye. He’s just getting back from his run, his muscles taut as the sweat glistens on his hard body. His blue eyes stand out against his tanned skin, even from this distance. I take a step back into my room; I don’t want him to see me watching him. He bends over, his hands on his knees, trying to pull more air into his lungs. All of a sudden he tears his shoes off, then his socks, as he goes racing into the ocean. I can’t take my eyes off of him when he swims through the waves as they break over him. His arms are so powerful. Soon he is just a speck out on the water. I search the surface; I can’t find him… my heart stops. Then I see his head pop up closer to shore. My heart thumps wildly in my chest. For a moment I thought…. No he wouldn’t do that, would he?
Hunter
As I’m running down the beach all I can see is the haunted look on Riley’s face as she raced out of my apartment. I’m so pissed at myself right now for keeping her in the dark about so many things. I can trust this woman with my heart and soul, so why is it that I can’t tell her about my past or my future? I can’t let this go on too long… I’m afraid that if I do she will shut me out and won’t let me back in. When I get home from work tomorrow, I’ll explain to her why I don’t consider my parents my family. Hopefully she will understand. She has to.
I had no idea my parents even knew where I lived. That was a stupid mistake on my part. After all these years, why would they want to make contact with me now? That’s what’s been troubling me since I saw my mother; she’s using a memorial service as a diversion. There has to be some other reason why they’re here now. I’m going to have to use my contacts to find out more.
As I stumble out of the surf, my eyes immediately glance up to her balcony. I don’t know if it’s my eyes playing tricks on me, or wishful thinking on my part, but I could swear I see her shadow moving behind the curtains. I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next twenty-four hours without talking to her, kissing her, holding her, making love to her.
I bend down to grab my socks and shoes. My head snaps up as I see her standing on the balcony; our eyes lock for a minute before she retreats back to her bedroom. Did she want to talk to me then change her mind? Or did she want me to know that she was watching me? It takes every bit of self-control not to run back upstairs and make her listen to me. As I walk around the corner of the house, I glance over my shoulder one more time to see her staring at me from the doorway. It makes me uncomfortable. “Riley, please meet me by the pool in an hour so we can talk. ” Then I walk away, not really knowing if she heard me or not.
After taking a shower I decide to make a few phone calls. I want to get to the reason why my parents are really here. Grabbing a beer from the fridge I open it and take a few long pulls before sitting at the island and punching in a number I haven’t had to use in quite some time.
“Hunter, it must be serious if you’re calling me on a Sunday. ” I hear the amusement in Jack’s voice.
“Hey Jack, I was wondering if you could do a little digging to find out why my parents are in town. I had a surprise visit from my mother today, using a memorial service as her reason. I call bullshit on that one. ” I hear a chuckle from the other end.
“That’s funny. They actually hired me to find you, Hunter.
I hope there’s no hard feelings, but money is money. ” I hear my cell go dead and know he hung up on me. Dick.
I met Jack a few years ago when I needed to hire a private investigator. The man’s an asshole. But I never thought in a million years that he would sell me out. I guess I was wrong.
Heading down to the pool I can feel my heart thudding in my chest. I wipe my sweaty palms down the front of my shorts before sitting down in one of the lounge chairs. I’m a little early so I lean back and close my eyes. My muscles ache from all the running and swimming I did today but I can feel my body start to relax. It doesn’t help that I haven’t been getting much sleep the last few nights, but I’m not complaining because she’s so worth it.
Sitting up I look around as my eyes adjust to the darkness that’s surrounding me. Someone’s screaming my name over and over again.
The voice is so familiar that it causes a prickling sensation to run up and down my spine. Suddenly, a feeling of dread washes over me; my heart bangs wildly inside my chest.
Getting up from the chair, I stumble because my legs feel like lead.
I follow the voice as he chants my name. Hunter, Hunter, Hunter. The waves crashing against the beach are no match compared to that deafening wail.
Once I’m down by the shoreline I desperately search for the person who’s beckoning me. He’s lying on the sand about fifty yards away and even with the blackness of night there’s no doubt in my mind. It’s Brady.
Instinct takes over and I’m running as fast as I can. Dropping to my knees I can’t help the desperation that consumes me. There’s so much blood… no…no…no…no…no! Taking him in my arms I cradle him against my chest as my tears join the blood that’s congealing in the sand.
Brady keeps telling me over and over again how sorry he is, then there’s only silence.
The guttural scream that’s clawing at my chest is finally set free as I look up to the heavens for answers. The sky’s blanketed with a twinkling of stars that are gazing down at me, my only light in this now dark world. They are the only witnesses to the gut wrenching pain that rips through me, body and soul.
Jerking awake I feel the sweat dripping down every crevice of my body. My heart’s pounding against my ribs. My throat’s parched, sore; it’s hard to swallow. I tell myself it’s just a nightmare, but it’s just me reliving his death over again.
Taking in my surroundings, I realize I’m still sitting on the lounge chair by the pool, waiting for Riley. I guess she never showed up, or maybe she never heard me when I asked her to meet me here. Yeah right.
As I stagger around the corner I see Riley getting into Scott’s car. Her eyes lock on mine for a brief second before turning away. Climbing up the stairs I grab my phone so I can text Connor; I so need a diversion tonight and it starts with alcohol. Then we’ll see what else comes up—no pun intended.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Riley
I wanted to meet Hunter by the pool yesterday like he told me to, but a part of me wanted to hurt him like he hurt me. I know that’s childish and I don’t usually play games, but he broke my heart. I thought that if you loved someone then you wanted to share everything with them, both the good and the bad.
So when my dad asked me to go out to dinner with him, I said yes. It gave me an excuse to leave, in case Hunter came to find me. But when I saw him walking around the house, and our eyes met, he looked haunted. So I felt guilty.
We ended up going to The Sands for dinner. Dad said they had the best clam cakes and chowder on the whole strip, and he was right. We talked about college, which is soon approaching, and when he told me he’s giving me his Gold Card so I can get some new school clothes, I just about freaked out. Then he tells me he’ll get me my own credit card for school supplies, personal needs, or anything else I want to use it for. Does he realize I’m just an eighteen-year-old girl…?
We were waiting for the waitress to bring us our check when I see my dad’s back stiffen against the seat. He reaches over, placing his car keys in the palm of my hand. “Riley, why don’t you head out to the car. I’ll pay the check and meet you in a few. ” He tries to smile but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
I’m wondering why he wants to get rid of me so fast, so I nod as I slide out of the booth. As I glance up to leave, I see Hunter sitting at the bar, tossing back a shot. When he slams his glass down and demands another, his blue eyes connect with mine in the mirror. He slowly spins his body around so he’s facing me. I can feel my heart slamming in my chest. It’s then that I notice Connor sitting on one side of him, but it’s the blonde slut who’s suddenly wedged herself between his thighs, running her hands over his incredible abs, that has me seeing red. I feel my legs moving straight for her, when a hand reaches for my elbow, guiding me in the opposite direction.
“Sweetie, you don’t want to cause a scene in a public place. Too many witnesses. Remember what I said about doing and saying things you can’t take back,” Dad reminds me as he ushers me outside. Taking the keys from my hand he unlocks the door before glancing over his shoulder. He must think Hunter will come after me but I know he found someone else to keep him up tonight.
So I didn’t sleep a wink last night because I keep playing it over in my head. I remember the look on his face yesterday when he came around the house, and yet I still left. What if he needed me, needed to talk to me about something his mother told him?
I felt guilty all night for not meeting him by the pool. I’m sure that’s the reason he went out drinking—I didn’t show up like he had wanted me to. But I have no one else to blame but myself. If he hooked up with that girl last night, it would tear me apart.
Throwing on my running gear I grab my iPod and set it to my favorite playlist—“Fallen,” by Evanescence. It’s great for running and has just the edge I’m looking for to take my mind off of a certain someone.
I’m sneaking out the front door so I don’t have to run into anyone this morning. I’m not in the best frame of mind for a conversation right now anyway, but I did notice Hunter’s Jeep was gone.
After a few stretches by the pool I head for the beach. I start by jogging first so I can loosen up a bit. After about a mile, I start running as fast as my legs will carry me, pushing myself to the max. I feel the pounding of my feet against the sand as my arms pump vigorously beside me. The sweat’s trickling down every crevice of my body; the hair that’s fallen from my ponytail’s plastered to my face. That’s when it hits me, I forgot to bring water with me again. Shit. I start slowing down because I’m coming up on my turning point when I see a body fly by me, then he stops suddenly. When he turns around to look at me my heart flutters. His chest’s heaving, he’s out of breath and just as sweaty as I am, but he’s still gorgeous.
Hunter saunters over to me and my knees become weak. “You forgot to take water with you again today. ”
I pull my ear buds out. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” I can feel my face flush even redder if that’s even possible.
“You forgot to take water with you today. Here, I brought you some. ” He hands me a water bottle and my heart melts at my feet. Did he go out running just to bring me water?
“Thanks… you didn’t have to do that. ” I pull back the top letting the cold liquid slide down my throat. It feels wonderful.
He takes a long drink from his and then we speak at the same time. We look at each other and laugh.
“You first, Riley. What’s on your mind?” His eyes search mine so intensely it feels like he can see right through me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t meet you by the pool yesterday; it’s all my fault. ” Maybe it’s the lack of sleep but I feel the tears stinging the back of my eyes.
He’s standing in front of me in a matter of seconds. He lifts my chin with his fingertips. “I’ve told you a thousand times to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens—nothing is your fault. It’s all mine. ”
I shake my head and gaze into his eyes; the emotions swirling in their depths t
akes my breath away. “I ran away like a little girl instead of facing my fears like I’ve done all my life. I had to grow up really fast with the kind of mother I had, but I was hurt because you lied to me, just like everyone else has. ”
He scrubs his face with his hands before looking up at the sky. He takes a deep breath, grabs my hand and interlocks our fingers. “Walk home with me baby; I’ll try to answer any questions you have about my parents. But please understand that I’m not ready to talk about Brady yet. ” I hear his voice break at the mention of his brother’s name. He puts our clasped hands over his tattoo; his heart’s beating wildly in his chest, so I nod.
Hunter
We start walking home, hand in hand. I’m so glad I decided to follow her this morning. Even if I’m nursing a hell of a hangover. Connor had to take me home last night because I was too drunk to drive. I’ll have to go pick up my Jeep later when he gets out of work. I took a drunk day.
“Did you sleep with that girl from the bar last night?” She whispers it so quietly I almost didn’t hear her.
“I didn’t sleep with anyone last night; my girl was tucked in her bed all safe and sound. ” I bring her hand to my lips and press a kiss to each knuckle.
“I’m still really mad at you right now… or maybe more hurt than mad. You should have told me about your mother. ” She shrugs.
“You have every right to be mad at me. I should have told you the truth from the beginning. You have to understand that my parents didn’t play a big part in my life, so it was easier for me to talk about my grandparents. I told you everyone I loved was dead and that’s the truth. I feel nothing for my parents. ” My emotions surface so I force them back down.
“So who was actually killed in the car accident, or did you make the whole thing up?” She’s not letting me catch my breath in between these tough questions.
“I didn’t make anything up; the bus driver had a heart attack and lost control of the bus. It slammed into my grandparent’s car, killing them instantly. I received the phone call because I was listed as their emergency contact. I even made all the arrangements. My parents were too busy with the business to take care of it,” I say as I choke back the bitterness in my voice.
Because of You Page 12