Degrees Of Distortion (Distortion Series Book 1)

by Aimee McNeil

  “Wait, I guess. What else can I do? She didn’t tell me anything.”

  “Wow! I still can’t believe your mother was involved in something…dangerous,” Stephanie said in disbelief.

  “You and me both. Let’s talk about something else. I need to get my mind off this craziness.” Lexie sighed, rubbing her forehead.

  “How can we talk about something else? It’s like a huge bomb went off.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s not the first time it’s felt like this,” Lexie said sadly. Stephanie immediately quieted on the other end of the line. “I really need a distraction before I go crazy.”

  “Okay…How about the fact that Evan has been calling me nonstop, looking for you? What happened between the two of you? He seems a little panicked like you’re upset with him,” Stephanie asked cautiously. The night Lexie was trying to pretend didn’t happen settled in the forefront of her mind and refused to be ignored.

  “Hold on a sec!” Lexie called out from the shower. The insistent knocking became impossible to ignore. Fear of something wrong caused her to jump out of the shower and hastily wrap a towel around herself. “I’m coming!” Lexie called out as she made her way toward her door.

  When she looked through the peephole, she could see Evan leaning against the doorframe. She unlatched the lock and pulled the door open. “Evan? Is everything all right?” Lexie questioned. As soon as she noticed his unruly hair that looked as if he raked his hands through it too many times and his bleary eyes, she knew he was drunk.

  Whenever she looked at Evan, she couldn’t help but think of Alex. They both had the same mouth, dimples, and green eyes. Evan’s hair was darker, but there were many similarities that made it painfully obvious they were brothers. A dull ache throbbed in her chest at the sight of him.

  “Hey, Lex.” Evan drew the words out slowly. A lazy smile curled his lips.

  Lexie sighed. “Come in.” She opened the door wider and waved him in. “Just let me finish up in the shower and we can talk.” Lexie had known Evan since Alex came into her life. He was barely a year older than Alex. They had not only been brothers but the best of friends. Lexie had dated Alex for years, and Evan had always been part of the package. They had leaned on each other more than anyone when Alex had died.

  Lexie started toward her bathroom when Evan called her name. When she turned around, she wasn’t expecting him to be so close. “I need you, Lex.” He reached for her, wrapping his strong arms around her tiny frame. Lexie immediately wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. She knew the turmoil in his heart. He was the only person who understood the depth of her own pain. He held her tightly. His fingers caressed her still damp shoulders. “I need you,” he whispered against her ear.

  “I’m here, Evan. I’m always here for you.” His touch slowly became more than merely seeking a comforting embrace. “Evan?” He kissed her neck, and then his hands dipped under the material of the towel. “Evan? What are you doing?” Lexie pushed his shoulders back, searching his expression.

  “I miss him. I miss him more than anything, Lex.” Evan searched her eyes.

  “Me too, Evan.” Lexie reached for his hand.

  “But…sometimes I think that maybe since he’s gone, you won’t see me as just Alex’s brother anymore.”

  A lead weight dropped in Lexie’s stomach. “Evan…”

  “Don’t say anything. Just let me finish…I loved my brother, and I loved that you made him happy but…I want you. I have always wanted you. I’m in love with you, Lexie. I have always been in love with you.” Evan placed his hands on the sides of her face. His eyes were full of emotion. “I don’t want to pretend that I just want to be your friend anymore. I need you.” The desperation in his eyes terrified her.

  Tears threatened to surface as she watched him confess something she wasn’t prepared for. His eyes dropped to her mouth, but before she could say anything, his lips were against hers. Shock clouded her senses as she tried to register what was happening. Lexie pulled away from his hold, looking at Evan for answers.

  “Lexie, I need you. Please.” Evan stepped closer, backing her against the wall. His fingers wrapped around the towel, pulling it free. Lexie felt numb; she couldn’t register his touch as he ran his fingers along the skin of her side. It felt like she was immersed in water as the world seemed to blur. Evan’s hands explored every curve as his breathing became heavy.

  This was the same person that had consoled her for hours, a constant by her side as they both tried to work through the grief of their loss. Her heart loved him, but as a friend.

  She closed her eyes. She had told Evan countless times that she would do anything for him, but she never imagined he would ask this of her. Tears fell. She could feel them running down her cheeks. It was the only thing that felt real as Evan’s lips found her breasts.

  “I can’t do this,” Lexie sobbed. Evan wiped her face and kissed her lips.

  “Just tonight, no expectations, no promises.” Evan placed gentle fingers under her chin and tilted her eyes up to meet his. “I just need to feel something good.” He was still the same person, and she trusted him. Those soulful green eyes that he had shared with Alex stared back at her.

  “Just tonight,” Lexie whispered.

  Evan pulled his shirt over his head and took her hand, leading her to the bed.

  “He showed up at my place a few days before we went away, drunk and a little emotional…he probably just wants to make sure things are good,” Lexie said in the most casual voice she could manage.

  Lexie knew Stephanie was trying to read between the lines. She never usually held anything back where Stephanie was concerned, but Lexie couldn’t bring herself to talk about what happened yet.

  “Is that what brought it on? The nail polish incident?” Stephanie asked cautiously. She was referring to the night she found Lexie an emotional mess, the very episode that brought on their last-minute road trip.

  “Maybe…” Lexie grew quiet.

  “I’ll let it go for now, but will you promise to talk to me about it later?” Stephanie always knew what Lexie needed. She was a better friend than she deserved.

  “I will. I promise.”

  “Tell me something good about this whole scary situation. There has to be some light in this shitstorm,” Stephanie said hopefully.

  “I’m still trying to come up with something. Will you have a drink with me? I need the company,” Lexie asked, leaning back in her chair. Just hearing Stephanie’s voice was enough to allow her to feel a bit more grounded.

  “I’m already with you. On my second glass.”

  “Do you think my life will ever be able to go back to some kind of normal?” Lexie asked thoughtfully as she stared up at the stars.

  “I fucking hope so.” Stephanie sighed.

  “Me too.”

  “Can I come to you, so you’re not alone?”

  “No, definitely not. As much as I would love to have you here, until I know what’s going on, I need to listen to my mother and wait for her. I couldn’t risk bringing you into the middle of this. I probably shouldn’t have called you…”

  “What? No way. Stop talking like that. I was ready to call the police in a complete panic until you called.”

  “Don’t call the police. That was one thing my mother did say.”

  “I can’t help the scenarios going through my head. She actually said not to involve the police?”

  “Yep.”

  Lexie tipped the bottle of wine up to her lips and drained the rest of the contents before she grabbed bottle number two. “Well, I am certainly glad I bought two bottles of wine, because one was not enough to make me numb.”

  “Slow down, Lexie. I’m not there to help if you pass out on your face.” Stephanie laughed.

  “That’s okay. I have an incredibly hot neighbour that apparently likes to be helpful,” Lexie joked.

  “Say what now? Hot neighbor?” Stephanie asked with excitement. Lexie couldn’t help but smile when she heard Stephan
ie hiccup. It was a sign she was nearing the end of her bottle of wine. “I think we might have just found a light in this fucked-up situation. Let’s pretend nothing else happened and you just tell me about this hot neighbor. We can pretend to be normal for a little while at least.”

  “I ran into him earlier. He walked me home and carried my groceries, even after I spilled his coffee all over him when I literally ran my cart into him. He is seriously like fell-out-of-the-heavens hot.”

  “And?”

  “He fixed my sink.”

  “And?”

  “We played cards.”

  “And?”

  “He’s a cop.”

  “What? How weird is that? So I’m guessing you didn’t tell him why you’re there.”

  “Definitely not.”

  “What else happened?”

  “Nothing. When he left, it felt like goodbye. I can see his driveway from here. Hasn’t been back all day. For all I know, he’s long gone.” Lexie drew out her words slowly.

  “Did he mention leaving?” Stephanie asked.

  “No, he’s not much of a talker when it comes to himself. Maybe I should call him…”

  “You have his number?” Stephanie’s voice squeaked and was followed by a hiccup.

  “Yes…I found it scribbled across a notepad in the kitchen.”

  “You’re so drunk, Lex.” Stephanie giggled.

  “So are you!” Lexie took another drink. The flavor was no longer distinguishable on her tongue.

  “That seems like a strange coincidence—him being a cop.” Stephanie trailed off thoughtfully.

  “You think he could possibly have something to do with this?”

  “I don’t know. It might be worth doing some investigations.”

  “I’m drunk. What could I possibly investigate right now? Besides, if he’s doing some undercover stuff like they do in the movies, he wouldn’t have told me he’s a cop,” Lexie argued.

  “Go into his place. Have a quick little look around to see if anything looks suspicious.”

  “What the hell? That seems like a sure way to get myself into trouble when I’m trying to lay low.”

  “You said he’s gone and you’re in the middle of nowhere. What could happen? At least then you would know if he’s on to you.”

  “On to me? Oh god, Stephanie. You watch too many bad movies,” Lexie complained.

  “If you get in there and the place is clean…”

  “What?”

  “Yes,” Stephanie said like she’d just concocted a fool proof plan. “How else would you know if he’s undercover and he’s looking into your mother who is involved in this big conspiracy?”

  “You are suggesting I commit a felony,” Lexie complained.

  “It’s quite the coincidence that a cop shows up next door when all this happened. Don’t you want to make sure? You should have told me this before I was drunk, but since you didn’t, this is the best I got.”

  Lexie took a deep breath. “Hold on.” Lexie tipped the bottle up to her lips and let the wine flow down her throat. “Okay, screw it. Just so you know, if I get arrested, I’m naming you as an accomplice. I’ll prove he has nothing to do with this.”

  “Keep me on the phone. If I’m going to be named as an accomplice, I want in on the details.”

  “Heading over…whoa, I think the ground is spinning…I think I overdid the wine,” Lexie complained, squeezing her eyes tight to focus her vision.

  “Whatever you do, don’t pass out in his house.”

  “I’m good. I’m good. Don’t worry. I can hold my liquor.”

  “Yeah right. You forget who you’re talking to.” Stephanie laughed.

  Lexie walked up to the thin line of trees that separated the two cottages, hesitating for a moment. Jackson was intimidating, dangerous, and ignited something deep within her she didn’t know existed. She wanted to embrace it even for a fleeting moment because it overshadowed everything else. It felt like a blissful escape when her thoughts were with Jackson.

  The entire cottage was dark, consumed by the late night hour, still no sign Jackson had returned.

  “Okay…here goes,” Lexie said before she pushed off a tree and quickly walked toward Jackson’s place.

  “Oh my god! I need to pour myself another drink,” Stephanie squealed. “What do you see?”

  “Nothing at all. It’s completely dark,” Lexie whispered. Lexie pressed herself against the outside of the cottage and moved closer to a window. “There are definitely no lights on.” Lexie couldn’t see anything inside, not even shadows. She grabbed the doorknob of the back door and slowly twisted it. “Holy crap, it’s open,” Lexie said in a rush.

  “At least you don’t have to break in! That will definitely lessen your sentence,” Stephanie joked.

  “You’re not helping,” Lexie whispered. She walked in, closing the door behind her. “I can’t see anything. It’s too dark. I have to use my phone as a flashlight.” Lexie held the phone up to shine around the room. The layout was identical to hers, though there was no sign that anyone was staying there. It looked recently cleaned with no personal items lying around. “I think he’s gone. It looks too clean,” Lexie whispered. “Ouch!” Lexie bumped into the table. A few items scattered across the surface of the table and dropped to the floor. She slapped her hand over her mouth to stop the gasp that erupted. “I just ran into the table. I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Lexie dropped down and picked up a small round salt shaker and placed it back on the table. “I can’t find the pepper.”

  “What?”

  “I knocked the salt and pepper shakers off the table, and I don’t know where the pepper went.”

  “Forget about the pepper. Just be careful! Check the bedroom,” Stephanie whispered. Lexie took a quick look around with the same conclusion. The bedroom was bare and the bed made.

  “Nothing…” Lexie sat on the bed and leaned down close to the pillow. “No pictures pinned up on the wall or cop stuff lying around. This is ridiculous. What should I be looking for? Our pictures with targets painted on them?” She knew she was way too drunk to think clearly. Wandering around his place was a stupid idea. “He must be gone,” Lexie stated disappointedly.

  “In the movies they always find the clues.”

  “Because it’s a movie.” Lexie shook her head.

  “I guess him being a cop is just coincidence then,” Stephanie said quietly.

  “I’ll call you back.”

  “What? Why? Did you find something?”

  “No. I just want to look around a bit more.”

  “You better call me back,” Stephanie pleaded.

  “I will. I promise,” Lexie assured her before ending the call.

  Jackson’s delectable scent hit her in a rush. She didn’t think a man could smell so delicious. Her nervousness had faded away, and excitement had taken its place. She couldn’t resist pulling back the covers and lying down for a moment. Lexie bit her lip as her drunk thoughts swirled in her head. She decided to throw caution to the wind. She began thinking about his lips and how they felt on her hand. She wanted to know what they would feel like on hers. She wanted to know what would have happened if he had stayed. His words from earlier began to heat her blood. Lexie flipped on the bedside lamp and looked around the room to confirm she hadn’t missed anything. She was surprised by the strange feeling that held her insides. The idea of never seeing Jackson again was hard to accept.

  She found she wanted to reach out to him in a way that would get his attention. She didn’t want him to forget about her—she would always remember him and wonder what would have happened had circumstances been different. She could only think of submitting to these feelings and desires. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her shirt over her head. Unclipping her bra, she dropped it on the floor. Her shorts followed before lying back on the bed. Once she positioned herself, she slipped her fingers under the waist of her panties. The thrill of doing something completely out of character had her reeling with height
ened emotions. Holding out her phone, she snapped a picture.

  Looking at the picture, she liked the girl who was looking back at her, a seductive smile upon her lips. She wished she was that girl. The girl in the picture didn’t look like she had a history that threatened to tear her apart. She wanted Jackson to have a picture of who she wished she was when she was with him.

  Lexie pulled up Jackson’s number on the phone.

  You didn’t say goodbye.

  Lexie attached the picture and hit send. She leaned back against his pillow. She could seriously fall asleep surrounded by Jackson. Closing her eyes, she let herself relish in the moment. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but the sound of the front door opening snapped her into motion. Lexie jumped off the bed. She didn’t have time to grab her shirt before Jackson filled the doorframe.

  Lexie stared at him through the haze of alcohol that currently clouded her senses. She wore only a lacy pair of panties. Her bare chest was covered by her hands as she stood in the bedroom of a man that both terrified and excited her. She wondered how she ever thought this was a good idea.

  “Hi,” Lexie said nervously.

  Jackson held onto the doorframe, his knuckles turning white. His eyes looked dark and perilous.

  “Hi,” he said tightly.

  “You didn’t leave?” Lexie asked, ignoring the fact that the answer was staring back at her.

  “I didn’t leave,” Jackson confirmed. He clenched his jaw, his gaze never leaving her.

  “I had a few drinks…maybe a lot. This seemed like a good idea a few minutes ago,” Lexie said in a rush of words. “Are you going to arrest me?”

  “No.” A grin pulled at his full lips. He was so beautiful, it was impossible to look away.

  “So…can we pretend I didn’t just get naked in your bed? Because I’m not sure why exactly I thought this was a good plan.” Lexie smiled nervously.

  “Definitely not, Lexie.” The way he said her name made heat pool in her stomach.

  Jackson picked her shorts up off the floor and knelt down in front of her. He held them up for her to step into. He pulled them slowly up her legs, his fingers grazing her skin the entire length. The contact was intoxicating; her head swam and her body felt too hot. Excitement twisted through her core, and her body wanted to be closer to his. She wanted to touch him, wanted to know what he felt like.