Finding Strength: A Club Dark Novel

by Reagan Hollow

  “You’ll just have to wait and see.” He offers, threading his fingers through mine. My cheeks grow hot with our proximity. My reactions to him seem to be stronger today. Almost like my hormones are running haywire. Doesn’t help that I’m anxious about going on a date. I don’t even know what to do with myself.

  “Just relax, Lacey. You’ll have a good time, I promise.” He gives my hand a gentle squeeze. Sinking into my seat, I do my best to relax.

  I hadn’t even realized I had nodded off until I feel Cory’s hand gently tugging on my hand, jolting me to attention.

  “Wake up sleepy head, we’re here.” He say’s playfully.

  At first, all I notice is the round-about we are currently parked in; a huge water fountain as the focal point in the center. My mind’s still a bit fuzzy from my nap, but I soon realize where we are. Excitement begins to bubble in my chest, and a child-like sense of giddiness takes over me.

  “Oh. My. God, Cory!” I squeal, but I can’t help it. I’m just that happy. “You brought me to the Space Needle.” Unable to contain myself, I hop from the car.

  “Lacey, wait.” I can faintly hear Cory laughing from the car. Once he makes his way around to my side, I throw my arms around his neck, too hyped up on adrenaline to acknowledge the pain.

  “What would you like to do first?” He whispers into my ear. A shiver races up my spine at the feel of his warm breath tickling the tiny hairs at the side of my neck.

  Craning my head back, I take in the beauty of the place I’ve been dreaming of seeing since I was a little kid.

  “I want to do it all.”

  “Then let’s go.” He kisses the crook of my neck, his lips barely touching the soft sensitive skin there, yet somehow, it feels more intimate. My stomach tightens as arousal and need takes over me. He keeps this up and I’ll never be able to concentrate.

  Taking my hand in his, he leads me to the front doors where we are immediately ushered around to have our pictures taken. We look to be on the second floor of the building, overlooking a giftshop. Once our pictures are taken, we’re sent to a yellow elevator around the corner.

  “Ready to go up?” He asks as we make our approach. Is that even a question? Of course, I’m ready.

  He laughs at the look I give him and leads me into the elevator. There’s a lady dressed in uniform standing just inside the doors. She greets us with a warm smile and welcomes us to the Space Needle. A crowd of people I didn’t even notice were behind us, gather in and the lady presses the button to shut the doors.

  “Good morning, and welcome to the Space Needle. My name is Andrea, and I’ll be your guide for the next forty-one seconds. We will be ascending at ten miles per hour to approximately 520 ft. The trip takes less than a minute. Once at the top, you’ll be able to view downtown Seattle, as well as the Olympic and Cascade Mountains. The rotating SkyCity restaurant is located just below the observation deck. Enjoy your stay and please let us know if we can be of assistance.”

  The elevator begins to move. Cory turns us both until my back is to his front and we’re staring out through the glass walls. His hands are placed on my hips, but I feel him all over. My nerves and senses on high alert. Can everyone else sense it? I can faintly hear the woman speaking behind us, but all my focus is now on Cory.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” The deep vibration of his voice sends chills down my body.

  “It’s amazing. I could look out at this all day.” I sigh into him. The scenery really is stunning. The city coming into full view, the cars and street becoming smaller as we climb higher.

  “I wasn’t talking about the view, though it’s an added bonus.” My entire body heats under his observation, my eyes lock on our reflection in the glass.

  Our connection breaks as soon as the elevator comes to a stop. The lady manning the doors informing us that we were at the observation deck. Cory takes my hand again, and leads me out. We’re lead into an open room that seems to span around the entire building before we’re brought to a bar and concession area and a door that leads outside. There’s also maps set up along the inside to help you pinpoint the places you are looking at once outside.

  Too anxious now that we are at the top, I tug on Cory’s arm, encouraging him to head for one of the doors.

  Walking out onto the observation deck, I’m instantly smacked by the wind that seems to have picked up since arriving.

  There’s many people here today, but I don’t mind.

  The first thing we see as we step up to peer out, is the expanse of the city, the Needle overshadowing all the other skyscrapers around.

  Walking the perimeter, I take in the skyline, sea-front, and even Mt. Rainier, which we were told is an active volcano.

  It’s all so breathtaking. My heart swells and I look to Cory, who’s standing to the side just staring at me.

  “What?” I question after it was obvious that he wasn’t going to say anything.

  He shakes his head and smiles, “The look on your face, you’d think it was Christmas morning. I’m just realizing that I’d like to see it more often.” He walks into me, his hard body molding against my soft. “I love you.” He says gently, and before I could respond, his mouth is on mine swallowing my reply.

  He pulls back all too soon, leaving me hungry for more. A sly grin breaks out across his face.

  “Come on, let’s go eat.” He says, leading the way back inside.

  After having lunch at the SkyCity restaurant, which was exquisite and everything I thought it would be, we headed back to the limo. The restaurant was perfect. We were seated at a two-seater next to the window, giving us a perfect view over the city.

  We drive for another twenty minutes or so, before we pull up beside a beach.

  “Welcome to Elliott Bay, this is Alki Beach Park.” Cory clues me in as he climbs from the limo. I stay in my seat this time, knowing it makes him feel good to be a gentleman.

  He holds his hand out for mine when he gets my door open. “You do realize I’m not dressed for a beach, right?” I’m in a dress after all, and he’s in a suit.

  “You can remove your shoes.” That’s all I get from him as he sheds his suit jacket, dumping it inside the limo, and begins walking toward the crowded beach area. This time of the year, Seattle seems to be swarming with people.

  There’s a jogger’s path that seems to run along the side of the beach as well as several volleyball nets set up throughout. Slipping off my shoes and holding them in my hands, we begin a lazy stroll down the side of the beach.

  I link my arm through his, taking in the view around us. The beach is beautiful and well maintained. I can spot a replica of the Statue of Liberty a little way down and a platform that sets out over the water with plenty of room for onlookers to sit and just watch.

  We spend the duration of the day here, until we are both too tired to walk anymore. Though, I’m sure I tired out much quicker than he did, I never said anything. Not wanting to lose the moment as I’m almost certain he’ll close back down once we return, I pushed through the muscle aches and pain. I’d do it all over again if it meant spending another day like this with him.

  The next week passes in a blur. Cory’s been gone a lot, having to spend extra time at the club saying he plans to make some big changes soon. I don’t question him, but I hardly get to see him. Lately, it’s made me overly emotional and I don’t like it.

  Today, however, I get the entire day with him. But not to myself. This is also the day I get to meet his family. To say I’m nervous is an understatement. Not that I’ve ever really cared what anyone thought of me, for some reason, I want his parents to like me. Why do I feel like they won’t?

  Meeting Cory at the bottom of the stairs, all thoughts of pleasing his parents escape my mind. He’s wearing another suit, this one a charcoal grey with a black tie and tailored to frame his body. He looks sexy as hell and it’s all I can do to stop myself from drooling right here in front of him. Standing beside him, I feel inadequate. Nothing fancy for me to wear
, just a simple black knee-length, pencil skirt with a white blouse. I’ve paired the outfit with a pair of plain black flats. See? Inadequate.

  “You look beautiful.” He pecks my cheek once I’ve stepped off the stairs.

  “You’re not looking bad yourself, Mr. Lewis.” I try for a playful attitude, hopeful that it’ll cover up all the nervous energy radiating inside me.

  He smiles down at me and gives me the crook of his elbow. Linking my arm through his, he leads me outside to his limo.

  We pull up to some sort of stadium about thirty minutes from Cory’s home. We didn’t talk much during the drive, both content to just be near each other. My nerves are a tangled mess in the pit of my stomach and I’m not entirely sure if they’re from being so close to him or the fact that I’m about to meet his family for the first time. Either way, there is no getting out of it now, so all that’s left to do is take a deep breath and try to relax. His driver drops us off near the entrance, for which I’m extremely grateful for. Anxiety has already creeped in at seeing how many people are here. Adding a long walk across the parking lot on shaky legs with so many eyes staring at the cast I’m sporting seemed way too torturous for me to handle.

  “Hey?” Cory grabs my uninjured arm before I have a chance to make a break for it and dive back into the car. “Are you okay?” Feeling his hand wrapped around my arm feels like I have something to anchor myself to. Something to lend me strength and make me feel just a little bit stronger.

  Forcing a tight smile, I nod and grab his hand before he has a chance to completely pull away.

  “Uncle Cory!” A high-pitched squeal sounds from behind us. We turn just in time for a head full of blonde curls to collide with his chest as he kneels to catch her in a hug.

  “Emily!” He laughs with the little girl, making my heart squeeze at seeing the tender, carefree side to him I haven’t seen before.

  The little girl steps back and looks up at me. “Who is she?” She asks. Cory stands, with my hand still in his, giving it a slight squeeze.

  “This is my girlfriend, Lacey.” He looks over at me. “Lacey, this is my beautiful, yet bratty niece, Emily.” Again, he smiles down at the little girl and before she can say anything, a couple walking arm an arm, stroll up beside us “Emily Louise, you know better than to just run away from us like that.” The woman scolds the little girl before looking over to me and Cory.

  “You must be Lacey, I’m Ansley, this is my husband Rhet, and our son Sam. You’ve met our daughter Emily, sorry she can be a bit of a handful at times.” The woman says with a smile. So, this is Cory’s sister. Even though they have the same color hair, I would’ve never known they were related. She’s tall and rail thin, her hair is cut in a short, pixie type style, giving her an Alice vibe from the Twilight movies. She’s just as gorgeous, with high cheekbones and a straight nose.

  “You have beautiful children,” I say, giving her a smile.

  “Thank you,” she replies. I notice her husband doesn’t say anything. Whereas she’s tall and skinny, he’s short and stocky. Not in the, he’s eaten one too many donuts, kind of way. More like he’s spent way too many hours in the gym lifting weights. His stare is a bit unnerving, almost like he’s trying to dissect my every thought, which would normally set off every radar in my mind as bad news, but it only makes me more curious about what he does for a living.

  Cory shifts beside me and clears his throat, “Where’s mom, dad, and Lance?” He asks his sister.

  “They’re already inside. We were actually waiting for you to get here before we went in.”

  He grabs me by the elbow and begins guiding me toward the entrance, his sister and her family walking closely behind us. She seems nice enough, her little family cracking a tiny sliver in my heart, the part that longs for that type of connection.

  My anxiety picks up once again as we draw closer to the double doors. The rolling sickness from before sets back in, making me wish there were less people and a clear shot to the nearest restroom in sight. I’ve never felt nerves like this before and I don’t know why I’m feeling them so strongly now. I mean, it’s only his parents I’m meeting for crying out loud, not the fucking President.

  Before we can make it all the way to the doors, a small crowd parts in front of us, making way for the older couple that comes tearing through just moments later. There’s a deep scowl planted across the lady's face, making her look as if she’s willing to take down anyone who gets in her way. If the way she’s carrying herself wasn’t enough to alert me to the fact that these are Cory’s parents, the gentleman fighting to keep up with her is.

  Looking at this man, I see an almost exact replica of his oldest son, only taller; a good few inches at least. There’s a light in his eyes, even though he’s chasing after the angry ball of energy in front of him, that says he doesn’t have a care in the world. I instantly hate him for it.

  “Mom, Dad? Shouldn’t you guys be inside with Lance?” Ansley says from beside me just as an older boy comes walking up beside the parents.

  “Yes, we should,” the mother says with such venom that it takes all my willpower to not take a step back. This lady is very intimidating. “However, your brother has insisted he come outside and indulge in this filthy habit he seems to have acquired.” Now I understand the anger radiating from her.

  My gaze flicks to the kid in question to realize he’s been standing there, staring at me.

  He raises both his eyebrows and gives me a very mischievous smile, before settling his attention on his mother.

  “Do you know how long it’s going to be before we see the outside of those doors again?” Without giving her the chance to respond, he gently pulls my arm from Cory’s hold and brings the back of my hand up to his lips, planting a chaste kiss on my overly sensitive skin. Instantly, heat fills my cheeks and the little shit smirks.

  “I’m Lance. You’re Lacey, I presume?”

  “Yes, I am.” I answer on a whisper, thankful when he releases my hand. I’m not feeling like myself right now and I know this is Cory’s family, but having a stranger touch me, kissing me, has an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of my stomach.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, but I’m afraid I have an appointment I must keep.” There’s laughter in his bright green eyes that strangely helps to relieve some of the queasiness taking up permanent residence inside me. His eyes shift over to Cory, whose presence has acted as a solid reinforcement, keeping me grounded. I notice some of the laughter dims when Lance addresses his older brother.

  “Cory.”

  “Lance.” He responds. I’m picking up a bit of tension between the two of them, making me curious as to what put it there and why Cory hasn’t said anything about it.

  “She’s a beauty.” His brother winks at me before turning on his heels and racing across the parking lot.

  Cory shakes his head, letting out an audible sigh.

  “Since when does he smoke?” He directs the question at his sister.

  “I found them in his room about a year ago. We got into a big fight where he stormed off and didn’t come back for two days. With him being seventeen, Cory, there wasn’t much I could do. I’ve made it clear I don’t want it in my home.”

  “There’s plenty you could have done, Ansley. Like, I don’t know, beat some sense into him. Hell, why didn’t you think to call me? I’d beat the urge out of him.” I’m astonished by the amount of anger and emotion he’s putting out right now.

  “What would you have done? By the time he was caught, he was almost old enough to legally buy them and it’s not like he’d listen to you anyway.” I feel his flinch, letting me know my suspicions concerning him and his brother were right.

  “Ansley is right, son. It’s all water under the bridge now and he could be into a lot worse. All we can do is count our blessings,” his father chimes in. I had completely forgotten Cory’s parents were standing here. “I keep trying to tell this to your mother, but you boys had to get your stubbornness from somewher
e.” He laughs, and it’s such a hearty sound, that I find myself smiling with him.

  Damn, I wanted to hate this man and all his happiness. But it’s clear that’s never going to happen.

  “Enough about your brother for the moment, he’s got the rest of the day to steal the show. Aren’t you going to introduce us to your girlfriend?” He smiles over at me.

  “Yea, sure. Mom, Dad, this is Lacey.” He gives me a tiny nudge and I look up at his mom, not realizing I had been staring at the ground. “Baby, these are my parents, Jackie and Grant Lewis.” I hold my hand out like expected, I’m not at all surprised when Mr. Lewis is the first to grab it. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” I say, not sure what else would be appropriate. His giant hand completely engulfs mine, yet he’s strangely gentle.

  “The pleasure is ours, sweetheart.” And like his youngest son, he raises my hand and plants a small kiss. Only this time, I’m not as uncomfortable or taken aback. There’s a certain calm about him that makes it hard to feel anything but good around him.

  “Well, let me get a look at you.” I hear his mother say, causing me to turn and place her into my view. To say I was procrastinating speaking with her is putting it mildly. She radiates self-control and authority. I stand idle as she looks over me from top to bottom, scrutinizing every part of me. My body begins to tremble at her intensity. Fuck me, but I’ve got to get myself out of this funk. I’m not this goddamn weak and I’ve damn sure never had an issue with anyone judging me.

  I watch carefully as she straightens, a look of curiosity crossing her features. “You sure are a beautiful young lady, you’re positively glowing with it.” There’s a tone in her voice I can’t quite place, almost like an accusation, though what she could be accusing me of is beyond me.

  “Let’s get this show going.” Lance startles me when he comes bouncing back in between his parents. His cap now placed on his full, wavy, sandy-blonde hair. He’s shorter than the rest of them, almost as short as Mrs. Lewis.