Settling Ashes: A New Adult/College Romance (The Ashes Series Book 2)

by Gardin, Diana

  My eyes zeroed in on the reddish-brown stain flowering his shirt and I gasped. “You’re hurt!”

  He glanced down at himself and then back up at me. He bent over and kissed my lips gently. “Don’t worry, babe. I’m okay. I mean, I think I hurt my shoulder and maybe a rib or two like you, but that’s it. I’ve been worried about you. You were unconscious and we didn’t know…it was rough there for awhile.”

  His voice was gruff and a little desolate, so I reached for his hand and squeezed it. “I’m fine. But ugh, I’m back in the damn hospital.”

  He sighed. “Yeah.”

  “I never wanted to see another one of these places.”

  “I know,” he commiserated. “They said you only have to stay a couple of days for observation, and that you were really lucky. I’ll stay with you every second, I promise.”

  “I’m holding you to that,” I smiled up at him.

  Knowing that he would be here with me made the prospect of staying in a hospital again more bearable. Last time, I was alone and I had just lost everything. This time, it was just an accident. Just an accident. I was okay and Clay was okay and everything was going to be fine in a few days.

  I noticed that Clay’s left shoulder was slumped, and he was only holding my hand with his right.

  “Clay?” I asked, frowning. “What’s wrong with your shoulder?”

  He glanced down at it, tried to roll it and gritted his teeth with the attempted movement. I tried to sit up again at the sight of it and my own chest forced me back into the flat hospital pillows.

  “Clay,” I said. “You’re really hurt.”

  I pressed the nurse’s CALL button.

  “You don’t need to worry about me,” he protested. “I want to focus on getting you better.”

  I shook my head firmly. “Nope. We both get better.”

  The nurse came bustling in again, and I instructed her to look at Clay.

  “I’ll have to take him off to his own exam room,” she said, smiling. “He refused before.”

  “Of course he did,” I muttered, glaring at him.

  Then my frown transformed into a smile because he wasn’t willing to leave me, even to get himself checked out after a car accident.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he protested, and I shot him a look.

  “Yes, you are,” I corrected. “You’re in pain, Clay. You need to take care of yourself, too. Send Gillian in. I know she’s out there somewhere raising all kinds of hell. She can keep me company while you’re gone.”

  He hesitated, and the deliberation was apparent in his eyes.

  “What? You’re really that worried about leaving me alone with my best friend for half an hour while you go get yourself fixed up?”

  “It’s not that,” he said, scrunching his mouth to one side in contemplation. “I’m trying to decide if I should tell you that Beau is here too, or if I should keep that little tidbit to myself.”

  “Oh,” I said, stunned. “He is? Who else is out there?”

  “My parents,” he said. “Drew, Rob, Tima. Everyone has been terrified during the hours we’ve been waiting to hear about you.”

  “Okay,” I sighed. “Send in Gill first, please. Then go get yourself together.”

  He nodded, finally rising from his perch in the chair next to my bed.

  “Clay?”

  “What, baby?”

  “Just tell me if you don’t want me to see Beau.” I nibbled my bottom lip as I stared up at him. He’d been waiting in agony for hours for me to wake up from the accident. He’d waited for me for over a month while I hid from him in another town, thinking he’d done something he’d never even thought about doing. I wasn’t willing to make him wait in pain anymore than I already had. Even if it meant not seeing my friend tonight.

  He gazed down at me, a torn expression in his eyes as he stared into mine. Then he ran a hand over his hair and sighed heavily.

  “He’s been waiting,” he said finally, rubbing the shadow that had begun to grow on his chin. “It wouldn’t be right for me to keep him from seeing you. I’m sure he drove all the way from Haygood when Gill called him about the accident. And I’m sure he’s as much of a wreck as I’ve been. So, no, I don’t want to keep him away. But later, when you’re feeling better and we’re at home…we’re going to have a discussion about him. Okay?”

  “Okay, I agreed softly. “I love you Clay. With my whole heart, every little piece of it.”

  He bent down to brush his lips against my forehead, my nose, and finally my lips. “I love you too, Paige. And I don’t even have my heart anymore. You own it.”

  He followed the nurse out the door, and a few minutes later Gillian burst into the room.

  “Listen up, chick,” she started, jabbing a darkly polished fingernail at me. “If this is how the rest our lives are going to be…you giving me one gigantic heart attack after another, you can just forget it! I can’t take this drama!”

  “Gill,” I said tearfully. “I’m so happy to see you!”

  She ran over to the bed and climbed right in with me, hugging me as gently as she could.

  “I know about your ribs,” she whispered against my hair. “That’s why I’m not squeezing the life out of you. But oh my God, I was worried.”

  A soft knock sounded on the door. Gillian and I both looked up. She smiled wryly.

  “I made him give me a five minute head start,” she pouted. “I guess time’s up.”

  The door opened slowly, and then Beau was stepping into the room, shutting it softly behind him. He stood by the door for a full minute, just looking at me.

  “Well,” he said finally. “When I left you earlier tonight, I didn’t know I was just gonna have to come running right back here. You planning on making this a habit? If so, I’ll just get me an apartment in Rutherford.”

  I laughed, and then winced at the strain it put on my throat and my ribs. “Ow.”

  He frowned and came over to take Clay’s chair next to the bed. “I hate seeing you in pain. What can I do?”

  I shook my head sadly. “Nothing. I guess I’ll just have to heal. Am I the most unlucky person in the world, or does God just hate me?”

  They both scowled at me.

  “Neither,” Beau said, reaching out to touch the bandage occupying a large amount of real estate on my forehead. “He just knows you’re strong enough to take it.”

  “But enough, already!” Gillian shouted, looking toward the ceiling.

  “Seriously though, girl,” Beau said, moving his hand down to my chin and taking it in his hand firmly. “I’m so glad to see your beautiful face it almost hurts. You okay?”

  “I’ll be okay eventually,” I said. “Thanks for coming, Beau.”

  “Wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he answered. I thought the frown lines marring his handsome face were a shame.

  Gillian looked between us like she was watching an especially riveting movie. Then she said, “I have to admit something, Paige. This whole thing is just too weird. I’m calling foul.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked her, yawning.

  “I mean that you really can’t be this unlucky. Something doesn’t smell right. I’m not blaming Clay for this, like at all, but he does seem to be a common denominator here. Really? A car just smashes into you guys at a red light? In Rutherford, for heaven’s sakes? First Hannah, and now this. It doesn’t feel right.”

  Beau’s frown deepened with every word Gillian spoke.

  “You’re saying you think someone did this to them on purpose?” His voice was deadly calm, and each word was laced with simmering anger.

  It reminded me of an incident in high school, where some guy had cornered me in front of a tree at a bonfire and demanded my intimate attention. Everyone knew Beau and I were together, and no one from our school would have had the nerve to mess with me. But the guy was drunk, and he attended the rival high school. Beau had let loose a hailstorm of fury upon him when he’d gotten to us, and I’d never seen the guy again. T
hat was just Beau; he was fiercely protective of his own. And when he decided that something or someone he loved needed his guard, he was like a Doberman behind a fence, stalking the perimeter in watchful sentry.

  “I think we need to get everyone together to talk about it. And by everyone, I mean you, Drew, me, Paige, Clay, Tima, and Rob. And then maybe Clay can share what he wants with his parents and his lawyer later. I’m calling a team meeting.”

  I yawned again. “What team?”

  “Team Keep Paige Alive.”

  Clay

  “Clay! You didn’t have to make Rob carry me! I can walk.”

  Paige’s voice bordered on annoyed as she glared at me over Rob’s shoulder.

  “You can walk to your bed when you get inside,” I said. “My only concern is you and your welfare. I’m only pissed I couldn’t carry you myself.”

  Rob looked pointedly at my arm, which was stuck in a heavy white sling. “With that thing? You’d both have gone down in a heap on the sidewalk.”

  I growled. He laughed.

  Gillian flung the door open as we made it to the step, and Rob carried Paige inside. He laid her on the couch gently, and then brushed off his hands.

  “My work here is done,” he announced.

  “Not so fast,” Gillian snapped. “We’re having a meeting, remember?” She bent down to kiss Paige’s cheek. “Welcome home, roomie! I’m making steaks for dinner.”

  Paige grinned. “My favorite? How sweet! I knew I was keeping you around for a reason.”

  “Oh, that’s not the only reason,” answered Gill with a snide grin. “Your closet thanks me.”

  I sat next to Paige, placing her legs on top of mine and squeezing them with my good hand. She wiggled happily under the soothing pressure my fingers created.

  “Who’s coming to this meeting?” I asked Gillian suspiciously.

  I hadn’t been alone with Paige nearly enough since she’d been back from Haygood. We’d had one night together. The date I’d planned had been obviously ruined by our car wreck. Rob had been driving me to and from the hospital for the past three days, and had taken me to pick up Paige. My dad had promised me that a new car was on the way. I felt strange about accepting it now that I was close to graduation and being self-sufficient. But I had to have a car to get around. So I let him buy it. I was trying to think of it as a graduation gift, even though I knew something else for the purpose would come along soon enough.

  Paige had to stay in the hospital for three days, and I spent every night there with her. Now that she was home, I was chomping at the bit to have time for just the two of us. It wasn’t just about the sex. Although that aspect of our relationship was mind-blowing and on another level of perfect. I’d been with a lot of girls before Paige. I was actually ashamed at the amount. But I hadn’t been in love with a single one of them. And actually making love to this woman was something completely new and totally addictive.

  More than that though, I just wanted to spend time in the same space where she thrived, healthy and happy. She made the air around her shimmer with a warm glow. I was lucky to be in her orbit at all, and I needed all of that glimmer back full-time. I was lost without it.

  But now Gillian wanted us to meet to talk about some conspiracy theory she was having. I was concerned about Paige, but I had a hard time believing someone wanted to hurt her, much less because of me. It just seemed far-fetched. I’d much rather believe that this was an accident, a completely isolated incident.

  “Well,” Gillian answered. “The usual crew. Me, you, Rob here, Paige. And Drew is coming, of course. And Tima.”

  Her gaze slid to the floor as she busied herself with pushing the carpet fibers back and forth with her toe. “And Beau.”

  I stifled a groan. Barely. Suddenly, now that I had Paige back in my life, it seemed I had to have Beau, too. His obnoxious face was peeking out from around every corner. He wanted my girl, and was brazen as hell about it. And I was not okay with that.

  Paige squeezed my hand in hers, reading my thoughts.

  “Hey, Gill?” she asked suddenly.

  “Yeah?” Gillian replied, looking wary.

  “Can you, uh, stay at Tima’s tonight? Me and Clay need some alone time.”

  “Ugh,” she said. “I suppose. I don’t want to be here for that.”

  “No,” Paige said, smiling wickedly at me. “You definitely don’t.”

  My chest clenched with adoration for her; her words and the indication behind them made me want to yank her up and carry her to her room right then, throw her on her bed, and tear all of her clothes off with my teeth. I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions and my manhood. Epic fail on both accounts.

  Paige felt the tightening in the crotch of my jeans under her calves, and she chuckled quietly. She leaned down to whisper in my ear.

  “Oh, I have the cure for that; later, my love.”

  “You just got home from the hospital,” I grumbled. “You might not be up for it, Paige.”

  “I was released from the hospital because I’m okay,” she insisted. “I’m up for it, Forbes.”

  “Anyway,” Gillian was saying. “Everyone will be here around five. We’ll cook, and then we’ll talk. Got it?”

  Rob agreed and made a quick exit. Gillian went into the kitchen to start cutting up vegetables and preparing meat. I leaned my head back on the couch and tried to get ahold of my desires, and Paige closed her eyes and fell asleep, a small smile spread across her lips.

  ~**~

  We sprawled out around the living room after dinner, everyone glancing at everyone else with curiosity and apprehension.

  “Well,” I said to Gillian impatiently. “You called this meeting. Get on with it.”

  I was in a hurry for her to move the meeting along, because I was in a hurry to have Paige to myself. I’d been bristling all night because of Beau’s irritating presence. As soon as he walked in the door, he glanced at me where I sat next to Paige, her head on my shoulder and her broken arm huddled against her chest encased in it’s big blue cast. Then he’d leaned over and kissed her forehead in greeting.

  If he kept touching her with his damn lips, I was going to have two murder charges to defend, instead of just one.

  “Yeah,” Paige said sleepily. “What’s up, Gill?”

  Gillian glanced at Beau, who nodded at her encouragingly.

  “Okay, so,” she began. “I’m worried about you, Paige. Like, seriously, pooping my pants worried. I think someone wants to kill you. And I think”—she looked at me apologetically—“ it’s because of Clay.”

  My arm tightened involuntarily against Paige as I stared at Gillian.

  “Are you serious right now?” I asked her, my jaw dropping wide open.

  “Yes,” she said firmly. “Beau agrees with me.”

  “Oh, well if he agrees,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “Look,” Beau said, in that country-boy drawl that made me want to kick his Southern ass across the room.

  “I haven’t been around this situation that long, but it just seems to me that someone doesn’t want you with Paige, Clay. They got rid of her when Hannah was killed, and then she came back. As soon as she did, she was a marked woman again.”

  “Do you think this is connected to Hannah’s murder, too?” Tima asked with wide eyes.

  “Yeah, we do,” Gillian answered.

  I shook my head in disbelief. “Who wouldn’t want me with Paige?”

  “That’s exactly the question we should be asking!” Gillian exclaimed, clapping her hands together like Nancy Drew. “Do you have any idea? I mean…I know that Hannah didn’t want you together. But she obviously isn’t an issue anymore. It seems someone else didn’t want you with her, either. I think seeing you two together that night may have been what got her killed.”

  “Wow, Gill,” Paige said quietly. “You’ve really been thinking about this haven’t you?”

  Gillian nodded.

  “I don’t know,” I said du
biously, shaking my head slowly. “This just seems crazy to me. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want me with Paige. I have no other exes, other than Hannah.”

  “Maybe not ‘official’ exes,” Gillian said, cutting her eyes at me. “But you’ve gotten around, Clay. You know there are a lot of jealous girls on this campus.”

  “Gill!” Paige accused in a scandalized tone.

  “Well, I’m just being honest,” muttered Gillian.

  “She has a point, dude,” Drew piped up. He was still chewing on a mouthful of steak and potatoes. Everyone else was finished eating.

  Everyone’s eyes riveted to Drew and didn’t leave him immediately.

  “What?” he mumbled through his mouthful. “You bagged like, a ton of girls before you met--”

  “Okay,” I interrupted him loudly, leaning forward and unwinding my arm from around Paige so I could focus on Gillian. “What do you propose we do about this? I’m obviously not taking any chances with Paige’s safety until we figure this out. I’m actually going to ask my lawyer to put his investigators on it right away.”

  “I’m glad you said that, Clay,” Beau said, also leaning forward from his spot in the armchair. “Because I know a way we can keep Paige safe.”

  Gillian bit her nails nervously. I looked at her in suspicion. She clearly knew where Beau was going with this.

  “What do you suggest, Beau?” I asked, each word succinct and wary.

  “I’m not suggesting it. I’m insisting that Paige move back to Haygood with me, at least until this gets sorted out.”

  “What?” Paige and I exclaimed simultaneously.

  I jumped to my feet, wincing at the pain in my ribs as I did so.

  “Dude,” I said through clenched teeth. “I don’t give a fuck about the fact that my arm in in a sling. I will kick your ass if you suggest again that my girlfriend goes to live with you.”

  He stood as well, moving to stand across from me, the coffee table squatting between us. Rob stood up silently in the corner where he had been lounging on a beanbag. I didn’t need to look at him to know he had my back; he’d either help me kick Beau’s ass if needed or he’d hold me back from killing him. Whichever one I needed the most in the moment.