The Line That Binds Series Box Set

by J. M. Miller

  Until last night.

  The morning was damp, with a colder-than-average temperature that had me wishing for the summer warmth again. The sun’s early rays were weak vines woven into the sky, slowly gaining the strength needed to bust through the trees and overtake the night.

  I pulled my bike out of the barn and parked beside LJ’s house. She ran out the front door a minute later, carrying her backpack along with the helmet and riding jacket I’d bought for her. I yanked my helmet off to fully enjoy the view. Her jeans molded perfectly around her tight legs, but I was a little disappointed her hoodie was hiding her ass from me. She stopped beside me and leaned down, letting her hair fall to the side of my face. I inhaled her sexy almond smell. “Morning, gorgeous. You look and smell amazing.”

  “Morning, and thank you,” she said before pressing her sweet lips to mine. “You okay?”

  “I am now.” I held her pack as she tugged on her jacket.

  She tilted her head. “You sure? You look tired.”

  “Thanks. Don’t you know that’s just another way to tell someone they look like shit?”

  She laughed—a sound that had become so hypnotic to me. “Aw, I didn’t mean to ruffle your panties so early in the morning.”

  “I’m not wearing any panties,” I said in my best girl voice.

  She growled at me dramatically then chuckled. “No, seriously. Didn’t you sleep well?”

  I handed her pack back. She situated hers while I resettled mine on my chest. “Not really. I’m starting to think that I might just damn the risks and keep you in my bed after all.”

  Her eyes widened at my admission and she ran her fingers into my hair. “I like that idea as long as we give equal visitation to my bed,” she whispered and kissed me again.

  “I guess that could work,” I replied with a smile. “Now get on the bike, woman. You know we don’t have many strikes left at school.” The suspension from last month’s fight had garnered us strict warnings of being on thin ice and blah, blah, blah. Tardiness was mentioned somewhere in there. I wouldn’t usually care so much, but I didn’t want LJ dealing with any avoidable problems. She had enough to handle already.

  “Don’t remind me,” she said before we put on our helmets.

  I helped her on the bike and she slid her hands between my stomach and backpack, running her fingers below the bottom of my jacket to tease me before hugging me tightly. I moved my hand to her knee then slid it back around to grab her ass. I wanted to feel it since I couldn’t see it. Her muted giggles continued well after I returned my hand to the bars and kicked the bike into gear.

  With only days before my favorite holiday, decorations were on full display through town. Pumpkin leaf bags lined driveways, fake ghosts hung from trees, and stringy spider webs were draped over bushes, inside doorways, and on mailboxes. We passed homes and businesses completely decked out, some with full graveyard scenes and others with giant blow-up Charlie Browns and Jack Skellingtons.

  We parked in the student lot and LJ hopped off the bike. “You weren’t joking about Halloween around here. People were busy this weekend.”

  “Didn’t they decorate in Summerlin?” I asked as I dropped the bike stand and swung my leg over.

  “Yeah, they did. It just looks different here. Grittier, if that makes sense. Everything about where I used to live was cookie-cutter. The country clubs dictated what kind of decorations houses could display. They didn’t want their neighborhoods looking trashy. It was all very bland. At least this place has variety.”

  “I’m glad you like it. Just wait ‘til you see what we do for Stockton Estate.”

  “We decorate?” she asked excitedly.

  I grinned as we walked toward the school’s front entrance. “Hell yes we do. Janine loved Halloween. It’s my favorite, too.”

  “Tell me you dress up!”

  “To give out candy,” I confirmed, holding the door open for her. “And for the party.”

  “Party?” she asked with a quirked brow when we entered the main hall.

  “It’s a tradition Janine started. Everyone dresses. The whole town is invited. We have temps sell food and drinks with no cover to get in. Simone has kept it going. I think she secretly enjoys it.”

  “Is she doing it this year?”

  “She hasn’t said anything. But I’m pretty sure she’s running everything as though Janine were still here, until you take over.”

  I took LJ’s hand and led her through the mess of people in the hallway. The first week back after our suspension, we’d gotten some shocked stares when people saw us making out. It died down fast enough. The only stares we got consistently now were from Emily, Ryan, and Adam. Everyone else no longer cared.

  “Why hasn’t she discussed anything about the estate with me?” LJ asked, biting her lip and wrinkling her brow. “I think I deserve a chance to learn the business before I take it over.”

  We stepped up to her locker and she opened it to exchange books. I thought about Simone’s plan to buy the property. She hadn’t talked to me about it in weeks, which I supposed was because she knew LJ and I were dating.

  I leaned back against the lockers and propped a foot up under me. “She wants to buy Stockton Estate from you after you sign the paperwork.”

  “She told you that?”

  “Right after you moved in. When we were all still skeptical,” I admitted when LJ raised her eyebrows.

  “Oh.”

  “It’s an option for you. She does a good job, you know?”

  She stared at me incredulously. “You want me to sell?”

  “No. That’s not what I meant. I’m just saying that you have options if you decide to go to college, or if you simply don’t want to be the owner.”

  “I’m not planning to sell, Ben,” she huffed as she finished stuffing her jacket inside her locker. Then she slammed the door shut. “I don’t have anything else.”

  “Hey.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me, tipping my face down to hers. “I don’t want you to. I kind of like our arrangement at the moment, but I’m not sure where your head is. With everything else that’s been happening lately,” I said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, “I just want you to be happy. Having options is a good thing.”

  Her eyes stared blankly into mine. She cracked a tiny smile and her arms tightened around my back. “I don’t want to be in the dark anymore about the property. I hardly knew Janine. I don’t know the traditions or future plans. I don’t even know how many employees there are.”

  “Breathe.” I grabbed her face in my hands and ran my thumbs over her lips. “It’ll be fine. Just talk to Simone about it.”

  She pulled back like I’d smacked her. “That’s easy for you to say. She likes you.”

  “You are so wrong there. Simone doesn’t like anyone.” I laughed at my own joke, but LJ just rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. Do you want me to talk to her?”

  “No way!” she yelled a bit too loudly. Everyone in the hall looked at us for a moment, waiting for a fight. When it didn’t come, they continued walking to homeroom. “I don’t want you to talk to her for me. I can handle myself.”

  “All right, all right,” I agreed, putting my hands up to surrender. “You really shouldn’t worry about it.” I slipped one hand under her hoodie and settled it on her waist, flicking one of the belt loops on her jeans with my thumb.

  “I know. I just don’t want her doing something vindictive after we discuss my ‘hostile’ takeover. I’m afraid she’ll quit and leave me with no information.”

  “She’s just as nervous as you, believe me. I think she’ll work with you if you just talk to her.”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to her later.”

  As if she’s heard our conversation about Simone, Emily happened to pass by. She’d come back to work with Simone after the suspension was up, but she was no longer working every weekday. According to Simone, Emily had found another part-time job.

  An exaggerated smile spread across Emily’s lips a
s her eyes roamed my body, not even glancing at LJ. I, on the other hand, kept my eyes glued to LJ. I wouldn’t give Em the time of day anymore. “Hey, Ben,” she practically sang. “Can’t wait to see what you’re wearing to the Halloween party this year. I’d tell you what I’m wearing, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun, like last year.”

  LJ’s eyes narrowed as she watched Em walk away. Her lips pinched together, fighting to keep a few words locked behind them.

  “Don’t let her get to you. She’s still trying to recover after you demolished her designer cred.”

  Her face relaxed and she smiled at the memory of embarrassing Em in front of the whole cafeteria. “Still. I wish she would’ve been humiliated enough to leave school and quit her job. It’s hard enough to think about working with Simone, but possibly having to work with her…” She grunted in frustration. “What did she mean by that anyway? Last year?”

  I finally looked away, seeking an escape that I knew I wouldn’t find. Sleeping with Emily was now one of my biggest regrets. I didn’t want to hurt LJ with my past, but I couldn’t lie to her. “I slept with her a few times,” I blurted out. “Not one of my finer accomplishments,” I admitted a little more softly as I looked into the depths of her eyes, worried what I’d find. They didn’t look surprised or angry, which shocked me.

  “I kinda figured that,” she said, fiddling with the zipper of my jacket.

  I sighed. “I know this is going to sound really cliché, but she doesn’t mean anything to me. She was just… among the distractions.” That was all I could say. Em was a distraction. Sex with her and the others helped keep my mind off Harper. I breathed in at the thought of Harper, grateful that I had the good memories of her, but relieved that LJ had granted my wish. I wouldn’t have had the strength to let her, or the guilt, go otherwise.

  LJ pushed her hands through my jacket, resting them against my chest. Her head soon followed, leaning her forehead just above her hands. “I know,” she said simply.

  I kissed the top of her head and held her for a silent moment. She flinched away suddenly and grabbed her head. “LJ?” I asked, though I instantly realized what was wrong. A headache.

  “I knew the silence wouldn’t last all morning,” she whispered.

  I reached up to her head, but she tipped it away, listening to something. She scanned each person as they moved through the hall. Without a word, she reached out and touched a blonde-haired girl’s arm. I didn’t know her, and I doubted LJ did either. She wore ripped jeans that were torn from age, her shirt was five times too big, and black liner smudged dark circles beneath her beady eyes.

  The blonde gasped at the contact, possibly thinking LJ was attacking her. Her shock rapidly switched to irritation. “What are you doing?”

  “LJ,” I said, pulling her arm, coaxing her to let the girl go.

  “Sorry,” LJ sputtered and dropped her hand before letting me hold her.

  The blonde shot us a nasty look then walked away.

  “What was that about?” I asked, stroking her arm. I knew she’d heard the girl’s wish and by touching her she granted it. What I didn’t know was why she felt she needed to.

  She opened her locker again, grabbed a tissue from her bag, and quickly pressed it to her nose. “Nothing,” she replied.

  “Really? You’re seriously not going to explain why you just did that? I thought we were closer than that.” I gripped her side so she’d focus on me instead of looking at the floor. “Have you been doing it a lot when I’m not with you?”

  “There’s a reason for all of this, right? I mean, beyond some servant girl’s heartbreak. On a larger scope. To be able to help other people, it’s a gift.”

  I cringed inwardly at the thought that jumped into my head. Memory loss. There was enough uncertainty left to make me nervous. If Janine was right, LJ could be paying a heavier price than she realized. I shook my head. If I did tell her, it couldn’t be here. I still had to convince her that this wasn’t something to take lightly, though. She needed to understand that much at least. “LJ, we don’t know enough about it. I know it might seem like a gift, granting wishes for other people, but we still don’t know everything.”

  She looked up into my eyes and held the gaze for a moment. “I guess you’re right. But she needed help, Ben. There are things that just shouldn’t happen to people and I wanted to… I needed to empower her,” she admitted, then pushed closer to me.

  I didn’t need the specifics. That girl needed help badly enough to water LJ’s eyes. That told me more than words could.

  Her eyes fluttered closed. I wiped away a single escaping tear and cupped her jaw in my hand. “It’s okay. I can’t even imagine what it’s like, but I can understand why you’d want to help. I’m sure you gave her what she needed,” I whispered. “How often have you done it after the fight?” I asked, still needing to know.

  She sniffed and straightened up, shaking off the sadness like a passing chill. “A few times.”

  Times that I didn’t know about. “I would love for you to promise me that you won’t do it again until we figure it all out, but that’s probably asking too much since I know how it’s affecting you. Could you at least promise me that you won’t do it unless it’s an absolute emergency? Life or death type stuff.”

  She opened the tissue to check that the bleeding had stopped. “I promise, only life and death type stuff,” she said with half a smile.

  The first bell rang and everyone’s pace sped up. I leaned to her and kissed her forehead. “Let’s get you to homeroom.”

  “Your homeroom is right here. You won’t make it back in time. I’ll just see you at lunch.”

  “You’re sure you’re okay to go alone?”

  “I’m fine. No dizziness, and the headache is practically gone.” She grabbed her books and closed the locker again.

  “Okay. I’ll see you at lunch,” I agreed and quickly kissed her lips before she walked away.

  As I watched her hurry down the hall, I knew finding the last two stones was more important than anything else in my life.

  Ben was already in the cafeteria when I arrived for lunch. He had my chair pulled out with a sandwich and a tea on the table for me.

  I plucked out my earbuds. “You didn’t have to buy my food,” I said, trying hard to focus on him and not the headache suffocating my thoughts as it gained intensity. The pains stabbed my mind like a group of daggers during a target practice. I rubbed my temples and Ben frowned. Nodding at Izzy and Spaz and taking my seat, I said, “Hey, guys.”

  “Hey,” they both replied.

  Ben slid my chair closer to him and rubbed a hand over my knee. “Eat up,” he said. It was a gentle order. He knew the headaches killed my appetite, but he didn’t want me to risk passing out again. He kissed my lips gently while I unwrapped the turkey sandwich.

  Izzy smiled and swept her long bangs behind an ear. She set her elbow on the table and propped her hand under her pointy chin. “You guys are too sweet,” she cooed. “Why haven’t you bought me food, Spaz?” She backhanded his arm in jest.

  “Because you have a job, and I’m unemployed,” he replied between bites of his meatball sub. His blond hair was spiked today, the strands slicked back like a porcupine instead of upright like a pin cushion.

  “Your mom still gives you an allowance for watching your brother and half the time I’m the one watching him,” Izzy said irritably.

  “Babe,” he mumbled with a mouthful of food. She rolled her eyes and looked away. He swallowed the food and moved closer beside her to whisper in her ear. She blushed and giggled, which made me look away.

  “I wish I had the endurance to swim the two-hundred medley.” I looked over my shoulder at the brunette in the corner of the cafeteria whose voice I’d heard. She was looking at her phone screen with headphones on.

  “I wish I was smart enough to understand freaking calculus,” another voice said. It was from a guy at the table in front of ours. He was facing the other direction with his head ti
pped down. I couldn’t see him, but I knew it was his wish.

  Over the last few weeks, the origin of the voices had become easier to trace. It didn’t matter if I was buried in a crowd of people or across an empty hall. I was able to locate the source without much difficulty. The invisible link was clearer.

  Ben stared at me and smoothed his hand along my leg beneath the table. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” I lied to keep him from worrying, then glanced past him toward the popular table. They’d look over at our table sometimes, but hadn’t really bothered us since the fight. Actually, even though Emily had come back to work after the suspension, she hadn’t spoken a word to us either. Well, until this morning. A month must’ve been enough time for the embarrassment to wear off. Right after I’d looked at him, I caught the eye of Ryan—the panty raider involved in last month’s fight. He grinned at me. It wasn’t malicious or hateful. It was just a simple smile.

  Ben tracked my eyes. He noticed Ryan staring and his hand tightened on my leg. I couldn’t see Ben’s face, but I was pretty sure, by the smug look on Ryan’s, Ben was throwing punches with his eyes.

  He turned back to me with flared nostrils and a clenched jaw. “I can’t wait for this day to be over.”

  “Me either,” I admitted, grabbing some Tylenol from my bag and popping two.

  “That sleepover idea is sounding better and better,” he whispered, leaning over and kissing my neck. I let my eyes close around the feeling. His lips barely touched my skin, brushing the surface in a way reminiscent of his labored breaths the night of his birthday. That simple touch blanked the voices in my mind and willed my whole body to focus on him. I was tempted to take him by the hand and ditch the last few hours of school if it meant I could have more of that feeling. It was exactly what I needed.