by Dani Evans
What the fuck! Why am I glued to this sick show? Why am I torturing myself? But the last video in the file, blows what little relief I had right out the window. It’s the only one not dated before I met Jax. It was recorded after we, he, broke up with me.
I watch as she strips, but he’s fully clothed. He kisses her, but then he pushes her away and I think she probably curses because she looks pissed. He gathers her clothes and shoves them into her chest and points toward the door. The gal scrambles to get dressed and then she storms out the door. The camera goes back to Jax who’s now sitting on the edge of the bed with his head buried in his hands.
Then the footage is outside the room and I see Jaden stir, and then his head snaps up at the sound of footsteps. The angle of the camera changes and I’m looking at the hall by the elevator. I see the girl, who had apparently been kicked out of Jax’s… room. She’s pressing the elevator button frantically. I know who she is. He took that skanky bitch, Timber, to the room.
Though part of me feels sick, I feel relief knowing he kicked her out without letting her touch him. His lips were on hers and that’s just nasty, but hey. I can deal with that.
I open the second file of videos. Watching, I see a female reaching her hands behind his head. I don’t know who he is yet because his back is to the camera. I know it’s not Jax. The guy has dark hair. The woman drops her head back as he shoves his hands down her pants. I can’t believe this. I close my eyes, shake the ill, and when I open them, I see the girl is flat against the wall, face to the side. He shoves her pants down. This is sick. As soon as he drops his jeans, flips the girl around and pushes her on the bed, he smiles at the screen.
Kolby?
Oh. My. God!
I’m seriously going to be sick. My own fucking brother! I idolized him! I can’t believe this. My own goddamn brother. How am I ever going to look at him the same way again? He didn’t want me around his friends because I might learn of the shit he’s doing. Well, this is bullshit.
I’ve seen all I need to see and close out of the files. I shut down Jaden’s computer and decide to leave it in my dorm. Let Kolby find it. Better yet, maybe I’ll deliver it.
“You’re all sick. All of you. So wrong.”
My lungs feel tight and my heart hurts, but I can’t. I just can’t let myself cry.
I can’t believe Jax had the balls to flip out and break up with me because I lied about who I am, like he’s some kind of perfect. Well, sorry, but this thing that they had going on, it’s all kinds of terrible.
KOLBY COMES WALTZING into the living room with a huge grin plastered on his face. He wouldn’t be smiling if he knew someone swiped Jaden’s laptop. I’m not smiling. The repercussions of what’s on that, if the thief can hack it, could ruin all of us. Jaden is flipping out trying to figure out who had access to the funhouse and why they’d want to steal his laptop. Timber came to mind but we quickly ruled her out because she left via the elevator and was never near Jaden or the laptop, unattended. Who then?
“Brothers,” Kolby says and claps his hands, twice. “I’ve got tickets to one of the hottest dance off contests. I have enough for the house. Who wants to see some sexy as hell, kick ass dancers sure to have your dicks rising?”
Of course, the house fills with ‘fuck yeah’. I could care less and push off the couch. Kolby grabs my arm as I pass him.
“Dude, you’re going,” he informs me. I shake my head, but he insists. “No is not an option. Be ready by five-thirty. This shit starts at six.” He releases me. Guess I’m going whether I want to or not.
DAMN. WHY HAVEN’T I come to one of these shows before? This shit is hot! Or maybe it’s because this is the top ten in the dance off. The final team is up and the curtains open with Enya’s Only Time opening their routine. They’re gliding on the stage, and I nearly lose my shit when I see Kimber front and center! I’ve known her for how long, and she’s never mentioned anything about being in dance.
They’re lying face down and begin to roll in waves across the floor. Then they sprout up and they’ve got on some white fluffy things that flow with their moves, like flowers blowing in the wind. It’s dainty, and delicate. Almost sweet.
They begin swaying in sync at first, before every other row begins to sway in the opposite direction, kind of like wind swirling the flowers every which way.
The girls wilt to the ground, slide on their stomachs, and then ripple their bodies in billowy movements—
There’s a loud Screech! Like a record scratching to an abrupt halt.
Kimber snaps her head toward the audience with a dirty, naughty expression, and then shoots straight up to standing as Christina Aguilera’s Dirty filters through the sound system. The rest of the team snaps up, they all tear off the lacy white get-up to reveal black spandex thigh hip huggers and bustier.
My eyes are glued on Kimber who has noticed me in the crowd. She’s so serious, almost as if she’s pissed off once she’s seen me, but damn, she’s fucking hot as she pulls one side of her spandex down past the crest of her hip, pulls it up as she pulls the other side down, then back up… the others follow in the same fashion, in perfect sync. It’s not dirty, yet it is… but sexy as hell and perfectly teasing.
The crowd goes nuts when they really start dancing hot and sexy. Sandy and Kimber are shimmying together, as in chest to chest, and then twist into a back to back. They’re all partnered up, grabbing said partner’s hands, pulling them straight above their heads, and they’re tit-to-tit, and then shimmying against each other, but it’s tasteful and professional, almost like backup dancers for some famous pop artist.
Then they’re back to gyrating their hips and doing acrobats and back flips. They’re fucking amazing.
It pisses me off when assholes whistle… and some dickhead behind me says he’d like to tap that. Nobody’s tapping her but me. I’ll have her back if I have to kidnap her and get her to listen to me.
Then that same dickhead behind me says, “I’m taking her out tonight.”
It takes everything within me not to turn around and punch a fucking hole in his face. Yeah, he’s probably a lying sack of shit anyway.
Once their dance is over, after the crowd calms down, we sit and wait, and wait and wait. Finally the judges announce third, second and… Kimber’s team takes first place. That was a given. Holy fuck can they dance!
AFTER THE CROWD disperses, Kolby excuses himself to go find Sandy. I make my way toward the back of the stage and wait for Kimber to exit.
She comes out in a pair of skintight jeans, a loose shirt that hangs off one shoulder, and a bag and her purse slung over the other. She isn’t watching where she’s going as she chats excitedly with some girl from her team and she walks straight into me.
“What the—” she startles when she glances up at me, her hands pressed against my chest, which I grab so she can’t push away from me.
“We need to talk,” I demand.
“Talk? Talk? Oh, no. I’m done talking to you, Jax. Now let go of me and get out of my fucking way,” she hisses.
I drag her against her will into an empty hall. Kimber is glaring at me.
“What the fuck are you doing and why the fuck are you ignoring me? Are you fucking other guys?”
She laughs snottily. “As if that’s any of your business, Mr. Fucking suck-for-a-buck. Or make that five-grand—” She slaps her hand over her mouth.
It takes me a minute to figure out what she meant by her comment. My eyes go wide and my jaw slack. In my stupefied state, she manages to break free of me and practically runs down the hall, but pauses midway, flips around and takes baby steps backward, her eyes clicking with mine.
“You!” She points her finger at me. “You have some nerve! Calling me a liar, breaking up with me, then buttering me up so you could get your way with me. You have some fucking nerve, Jax Nash!”
I’m stumped. I have no comeback because she’s kind of right, accept I didn’t butter her up. I wanted her and still do. Hope she’s happy to be rid of me. “
I wanted more than what you think I wanted, but don’t worry. I’ll be leaving soon enough. Your little ploy, your little white lie has gotten me kicked out of the fraternity. Kolby’s only keeping me until our final game and then it’s over. All of it.” I walk toward her, and pass her as she stands in complete silence. I take a step back, lean down, and whisper in her ear. “I may not have said it, but… I fucking wanted you. And pictured us having a future somehow. I hope you’re happy. Have a nice life, Kimber.” I pat her on the back and leave her standing in the hall.
I leave the facility and whoever rode with me, behind, and head home. To my house.
Forty minutes later, I’m lying on my bed but all it does is bring back memories of me taking her right here, for the first time, in this bed. I can’t sleep, can’t deal with the images of her with another man… or men. I’m struggling to push her out of my head, to get rid of the nagging ache constantly tugging at my heart, but I’m failing miserably.
MY PLAN FOR chilling with the girls after our big win is thwarted after my run in with Jax. I can’t let him get kicked out of the fraternity. It’s entirely my fault and this is not what I wanted for him. Yes, I was pissed, wanted revenge, but only because I was devastated after the deal at the cabin. I don’t know what to believe anymore. And now, I’ve let it slip. Jax obviously knows I swiped Jaden’s laptop. He surely knows I know what shitty bet they had. Is he going to tell Jaden? Worse, Kolby? God. My brother will flip the hell out and probably kick down my door.
I need to do something. I need to rectify the situation. I need Tiffany!
No, no. I’m not going to ruin her evening. I know she’s probably with Vincenzo.
Dragging myself off my bed, I collect my phone, purse, Jaden’s laptop, and head to the frat house.
I’m a nervous freaking wreck the entire trip there.
What will Jax say? Will he ignore me? Does he hate me now, because I don’t think I can handle that.
I haven’t stopped wanting and yearning for him. How sick is that? Even after watching those fucked up videos, I still want him. After what he said… does he still want more for us? Or have I ruined it?
Taking deep, calming breaths, I park my car, force myself to get out, and let myself into the house. The door is open anyway. There are a lot of people here, but it’s not as packed as it usually is. I glance around nervously for him but when I don’t see him, sick thoughts fill my head. He could be locked in his room with… Uh. The bitch. Or some other girl. Would he?
“Firecracker!” I’m blindsided by Jaden wrapping his arms around me from behind and swinging me in a circle. He must not know yet, or he wouldn’t be treating me so… brotherly.
“Jaden, put me down.” He does. I turn to face him, then grab him by the ear, tugging him down to me, and whisper, “Is, um. Is Jax here?”
Jaden pulls back and shakes his head. “Nah. That asshole left me at your show. I had to sit on that fuck-stick, Nick’s lap. Fag. Any who. What’s up?”
How to tell him? “I need to talk to you. In private.”
“My room’s available.” He chuckles lightly.
“No. Not here. Kolby won’t appreciate that and I don’t want him breathing down my neck, or yours. Meet me at The Brewed Force, the coffee shop down the road?”
“Uh, yeah, okay?”
I don’t bother answering his uncertainty. I turn and walk out.
Twenty minutes later, I find an open table and slide into the outside chair, saving the one against the wall for Jaden. I may need a quick escape and being trapped between the table and the wall is NOT a quick getaway. Jaden could easily capture me if he were in the outside chair.
I’m facing a colorful wall with clouds, a darkened sky, stringed lights that form lightening, and a road laced with a fiery background. Normally, I love this place, but right now, I’m nervous. I examine each wall to distract myself. I glance at the wall behind me and analyze it. Jupiter, stars, a math equation, DNA... then I shift to examine the back wall. A parrot perched on a branch does NOT fit. It’s completely out of place and next to it is a set of chemistry beakers. Hmm.
My heart rate spikes when the doorbell jingles, but when I turn to see who has entered, I sigh with relief when I see a couple of girls and no Jaden.
“Firecracker!” Jaden startles me as he grips my shoulders and squeezes tightly. I turn to look up at him. He smirks.
“You ass! You scared the shit out of me. How did you get in here without me seeing you?”
“I’m slick like that.” He grins. “I slipped in with those girlies and quickly darted your way before you turned toward the door.” He eyes the empty table. “What? No coffee?”
“I thought I’d wait for you and get us both some brew. What would you like?” I slide out of my seat to stand. Jaden has one brow scrunched and one raised. “I dragged you down here so I insist. My treat.”
“All right then. I’ll take a cinnamon latte. Tell the barista NO frothy hearts and shit. That’s for girls and pansies like Nick.”
I shake my head and laugh at Mr. I-don’t-have-a-feminine-side. “Only that one guy, Dylan, I think, makes those cool drinks. He’s not here so I think you’re safe, soccer stud.”
Okay, so maybe this won’t be so bad. Maybe Jaden won’t kill me after all.
I step up to the counter and I’m greeted by a sweet African American girl with a nametag Tammy, pinned to her green polo with the tan logo The Brewed Force. She’s a little on the chubby side but her smile is so infectious that I imagine everyone she greets instantly feels welcome.
“What can I get for you this fine evening?”
“Um. One regular cinnamon latte without the hearts and pretties on top, and a frozen mocha, please.”
“Small, medium, or large?” she asks and I stare at her stupidly. “The frozen mocha, what size do you want?” she clarifies.
“Oh! Duh. Regular, please.”
“You’ve got it.” She rings up the total and I hand her my credit card. After she hands it back with my receipt, she says cheerfully, “One regular cinnamon latte, no pretties, and a regular frozen mocha coming right up.”
I glance over my shoulder as Tammy works on my order. Jaden is watching me, wary and suspicious, I think. He smiles and shakes his head, then turns his attention to his phone. I watch him while I wait. His dark hair is unruly in a just fucked kind of way. God. I hope I didn’t ruin any plans he might have, like sacking some chick, but then I’m sure he wouldn’t have agreed to meet me if he had someone to bag tonight.
“Your cinnamon latte and frozen mocha, ma’am,” Tammy says and startles me. Gah! I’m so freaking jumpy, my nerves are going to be fried before the night is over.
“Thank you.” I drop some bills into the tip jar, and take our drinks.
After setting our drinks on the table, I slip into my seat. Jaden’s eyes lock on mine. He’s got some amazing long dark lashes and he’s blinking, no doubt he’s pondering over this little encounter.
“So. What’s going on? You in trouble or something?” His curious brown eyes instantly change to worry.
“Um. I don’t know. I just did something that was wrong but it was one of those things that I couldn’t stop myself from doing. You know what I mean?”
He sniggers. “Uh, yeah, I do that shit all the time.” God! He’s smiling so sweetly, so brotherly at me.
I lean over my drink, my hair tumbles down creating a curtain, and take a few swigs of my mocha, searching for the right words to break the news to Jaden.
“Hey,” he says as he leans forward and rests his hand over my fisted hand on the table. “I don’t know what’s bothering you, but you can talk to me. I know you want to or we wouldn’t be sitting here in this coffee shop. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad, and if it is, well, I’ll help you work through it, okay?”
“Even if it has to do with you?” I mumble, still unable to look at him.
“Even if it has to do with me,” he says, his voice low but I hear the waver of uncertainty in his
tone.
“I took something.” There! I said it.
“All right. So you took something. It has to do with me. I’m all ears, Kimber.”
Why can’t he just figure it out? I took something, he’s missing something. His damn computer. But no, he continues to sit quietly and wait for me to respond.
“I know what you guys are doing upstairs. At Muze,” I say barely above a whisper.
Jaden’s silence is eating away at me, so much that I lift my head to face him. He smiles smugly at me. “And…?”
And? Is that all he can say?! “And,” I repeat. “Is that all you can come up with?”
“Kimber, everyone knows we bring chicks up there to bang. That’s no surprise.”
I stare at him. I’m angry and no longer feel bad for swiping his damn computer. “We? Oh no, Jaden. Not we as in all of you brothers. I know what YOU do, what you watch, what you monitor, and what certain brothers are in, what they forked out for… said bet. Five fucking grand to be exact.” There. I’ve given him enough to figure out how I know.
We’re in a stare down. Jaden’s previously tender eyes shift into small slits as he puts the pieces together. His body goes rigid, his chest heaving up and down. Okay so now I’m a little frightened and consider bolting but then he grabs my wrist and he’s squeezing it so hard it hurts.
“You… you took my computer?” he hisses through gritted teeth.
Incapable of forming words, I nod my response.
“Why the fuck would you do that? Why. The. Fuck!” He releases my wrist and shoves it away from him. “Does anyone know… have you told or…” he stops speaking and begins to laugh. What a dick. “Of course you didn’t share. No way could you access my login. Now where the fuck is it?”
His attitude is pissing me off. “You’re not the only genius, Jaden. I hacked your password. I saw the disgusting videos.” I glare at him glaring at me. “Five points for this, ten points for that. Jax, Kolby. My own brother. I don’t know which is more disgusting. What they were doing or the fact that you were listening, watching, and getting off on it!”