Broken by Love (The Basin Lake Series Book 2)

by Stephanie Vercier

  “Uh huh… and how was that?” She’s talking to me, but she’s more interested in Stephen who she’s practically mooning over. I’m guessing she spent the better part of the morning in bed with him.

  “Good,” I say.

  “Hey, Emma,” Denny says, momentarily taking his eyes away from the TV screen where animated zombie heads are getting blown off.

  “Yeah… hey there,” Stephen adds.

  “Hi, guys.” I return.

  Angela gets up, stuffs herself next to me and then spends the next ten minutes whispering to me about the size of Stephen’s penis and her anticipating she won’t be able to walk properly after tonight. It would be one thing for her to tell me in her room or mine, but with Stephen and Denny just feet away, it’s embarrassing, and I keep hoping John will come and rescue me.

  When he finally jogs down the stairs, he laughs, standing with his hands on his hips in front of Angela and I. “Hey, I think that’s my spot.”

  “He’s a territorial one,” Angela says with a suggestive flair, loud enough for everyone to hear. Then she hops up and snuggles back up to Stephen.

  I gladly scoot over for John who sits where Angela had been and then, keeping his eyes on mine as if to be sure it’s okay, he pulls me onto his lap.

  “I had to call my dad back,” he says quietly, one of his arms around my waist, his hand landing on my right thigh. “I hope you didn’t feel like I’d abandoned you.”

  “Of course not.” I blush because there is an unmistakable bulge right in the middle of John’s legs that is pretty much impossible not to feel the way I’m sitting on him.

  John looks slightly embarrassed and remains still, as if this natural reaction to our bodies pressing closely to one another is vulgar and unwelcomed by me. He offers a slight smile, and I turn my eyes away from him for a moment, catching Denny looking at us with a stark expression. He must miss something on the game because Stephen nudges him and says, “You just totally killed yourself there!”

  As he turns away from us, the doorbell rings, and it feels like a save.

  “I’ll get it,” Denny says, handing his console off to Angela who looks at it like its some curious ancient artifact.

  Loud female voices fill the hallway as soon as Denny opens the door, and I recognize them as belonging to Meg and Court, the girls from Rampage, before I actually lay eyes on either of them.

  Meg, the girl with the jet-black hair walks into the living room, holding a bottle of wine. “Denny invited us! And we brought alcohol!”

  “And board games,” Court says, already in the dining room, her heels making loud rapping sounds against the hardwood floor as she scurries about the house that I’m guessing she feels pretty at home in.

  Stephen and John both rattle off greetings to the girls while I simply smile at Meg. In the next second, I get up off of John’s lap and sit on the less intimate arm of the chair while Angela heads upstairs, probably to put something more respectable on than Stephen’s shirt.

  “Emma, right?” Court says, charging into the living room and taking Denny’s place on the couch.

  “Yes,” I say with a smile. “And you’re Court.”

  “You remembered!” She beams at me. “That makes us fast friends.”

  “How about me?” Meg asks, having quickly dropped the wine off in the kitchen before returning to the living room.

  “Meg,” I say, glad that remembering their names seems to endear me to them.

  “That’s right!” Meg looks past me to John who, when I follow her gaze, looks unhappy.

  “What’s got you looking so glum?” Court says to him.

  “I’m not… glum,” he answers, sitting up in the chair and sliding his hand behind my back. “It’s just the two of you that Denny invited, right?”

  After a few ticks, I get what John is asking, whether or not Madison might be joining us as well.

  “It’s just us,” Court says like she’s annoyed he’d think otherwise. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Madison’s in Canada for the weekend, so she won’t be crashing.”

  I literally feel the tension rise away from John’s body. I’m relieved too, but his breakup with Madison is still so recent, and sometimes those things have a way of reigniting, especially if she’s in the same social circle.

  Once Angela returns, fully dressed, pizzas are ordered and alcohol is consumed. John appears somewhat concerned about providing alcohol to a minor, and so I sneak several shots in the kitchen while it’s his turn to kill some zombies on the couch.

  “It’s nice to see you again.” Denny startles me after I’ve just slugged my second shot of vodka down.

  “Oh… you too,” I say, nearly choking on the liquid as I turn to face him, he and I not having said much to one another in the two hours I’d been here. “How are things?”

  “Pretty good.” He leans against the counter and crosses his arms. “I’m starting med school soon, so there’s that.”

  I’d never imagined being surrounded by future lawyers and doctors. “Isn’t that like crazy stressful?”

  “Yeah, but I can handle it,” he says, looking at me with an intense gaze. “When I really want something, I can sort of put blinders on and put all my energy into getting it.”

  “Oh, right,” I say, uncomfortable with his wording, wondering if he’s not just talking about his medical degree.

  “Well, so things are going well with you and my buddy over there, huh?” He relaxes, tilts his head toward the living room and the couch John is sitting on.

  “Yeah, I think they’re going really well, actually.”

  “Just be careful,” Denny warns. “He’s like a brother to me, but he and Madison have a long history. I wouldn’t—”

  “Why are you doing this?” I don’t generally just cut someone off like that, but I’m overcome with a need to know exactly what he’s trying to tell me.

  “Doing what?” He looks taken aback, but I think that’s for show. He must know.

  “Trying to put a wedge between John and I.” I crane my neck forward and focus intently on him. “I know… well, I think you like me, Denny, but if this is because you’ve decided I’m not good enough for John, then maybe you’re right, but—”

  “Hey, hey.” Now he’s the one interrupting. “I don’t think that, that you aren’t good enough. I just don’t want to see you get hurt when John decides to get back together with Madison.”

  I let out an exasperated breath and lose some of the confidence I’d had after my day with John at the park. And suddenly I’m the girl I was just a couple of weeks ago, the one that just wanted to numb herself to pain. Without trying to hide a thing, I grab for the bottle of vodka on the counter and pour the clear liquid into the shot glass I’d been using. Right in front of Denny, I throw one back, then another. I want to keep on going, but I don’t want to risk puking my guts up the way I did the night I’d met John.

  “You might want to slow down,” Denny says, still watching me as I finish the last drink.

  I return his gaze with a hard stare that I can’t keep up. I don’t want to dislike Denny, but he’s single-handedly brought my mood back to its usual, low place.

  “What’s going on here?” Court lightly punches Denny on the shoulder and looks at me with wide, doe-like eyes.

  “Just giving Emma a lay of the land,” Denny says, the goofy smile I remember seeing on him at Rampage returning.

  Court looks slightly confused. “Does she need one? We aren’t that complicated, are we?”

  Denny laughs. “You and I? No. But when you consider the power couple that was once John and Madison… well, that takes some navigating.”

  I have an urge to slap Denny and wipe that stupid grin off of his face, but I’d have to down a few more shots before I’d be capable of something like that.

  “God, you’re so dramatic.” Court rolls her eyes, and then offers me an assuring look. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just being a Debbie downer.”

  “I think maybe I shou
ld get going.” All of a sudden, I have a need to get away from these people, not wanting to be the girl John’s friends take bets on to see how long I’ll last until he goes back to his ex.

  “Oh, no, you can’t,” Court says. “We brought games, and we are going to play them.”

  “Maybe Emma doesn’t like board games,” Denny says, as if he’d have any idea what I like and don’t like.

  “I like them fine.” I’m getting tired of Denny and am willing to say the exact opposite of what he does, even if it’s not completely true.

  “Well, good, because we are playing.” Court scoots away from the counter and then says, “Gather round,” just as I fill one more glass to steel my nerves and knock it down.

  It appeared to take a great deal of effort for Court to tear Stephen away from his video games, but once she did, all of us are sitting around the sleek, rectangular black table in the very brightly lit dining room. John is sitting right next to me. He holds my right hand with his left, our joined hands resting on my thigh. The buzz of the alcohol messes with the natural joy I feel at his touch, and I find myself wishing that I’d abstained, but I am glad to be here, glad I didn’t let Denny scare me away.

  “So, this is called Secrets and Lies,” Court announces, opening up one of the board games and shuffling through a deck of cards.

  John turns to me, looking apathetic about having to participate, but he smiles like he’s willing to be a good sport for his friends.

  “You want us to play a game called Secrets and Lies?” Stephen crosses his arms over his massive chest and looks amusingly annoyed.

  “Give it a chance,” Meg says, her eyes piercing his. “We’ve played it before, and it’s hilarious.”

  “And naughty,” Court adds with a waggle of her brows.

  “Sounds like my kind of game,” a now fully clothed Angela says, straightening up her posture and looking brazen.

  It sounds too much like Truth or Dare to me, and I personally couldn’t think of a worse game to play. The only reason I’m not having a panic attack is because whatever the premise, I’m sure everyone will exaggerate and lie their way right through it.

  Court and Meg pass out the cards and detail the object of the game. The cards offer categories, like Second Dates, Make-out Sessions, Dump or Date, and Brutal Breakups. When it’s your turn, you roll the dice and must tell a brief story from the corresponding category. Depending on whether it’s true or not, you will place either a Secret Truth or Lie card face down. Then everyone has to make a guess as to whether you are being truthful or “lying your ass off,” as Court says.

  Meg goes first.

  “Lover or loser!” She beams after drawing a card. “Okay, so, hmm… all right. Senior trip… Italy. I met a guy named Giovanni.”

  “I remember this story,” Stephen says with a smirk.

  “Hush!” Meg warns. “He was tall, tan, an accent to die for, and I spent two nights with him. So… was he a lover or a loser?”

  “Easy,” Stephen says.

  “Shut up,” Court warns, throwing him a death glare while Meg chooses her card and puts it face down.

  “Emma?” Meg says, looking at me.

  I’m still not entirely clear about how to play this game, but I just go with saying, “Umm… how about lover?” With a name like Giovanni, I’m assuming he had to be.

  Meg goes around the table. Angela and I both say lover while Court, John, Denny and Stephen give their answer as loser.

  With a very satisfied grin, Meg announces that Giovanni was indeed a lover.

  “No way,” Stephen argues, shaking his head. “You told us all nothing happened with that guy.”

  “You did, Meg,” Court adds. “What aren’t you telling us, and most importantly, what didn’t you tell me?”

  She bats her eyelashes theatrically. “Giovanni is still the best I’ve had, but Joshua was insanely jealous of any of my past relationships, so I just made sure everyone believed that Giovanni was like one of those crummy prom dresses people order from China instead of the couture ones we wore for prom.”

  “Joshua is her ex-boyfriend,” Court explains to Angela and me. “But you didn’t date Joshua until way after Giovanni,” she says to her friend, “so why did you tell me he was a dud?”

  Meg shrugs. “I was being considerate since you didn’t get any on that trip, probably because you were pining away for Denny.”

  The table literally falls silent as soon as those last words leave Meg’s mouth. Denny is as red as I’ve ever seen anyone, and Court looks at Meg like she could murder her. I catch Angela grinning mischievously.

  Before it can get any quieter, Meg announces, “That’s a point each for Emma and Angela!”

  And then everything is back to normal with grumbles coming from the rest of the group and John congratulating me on my point with a squeeze to my thigh and the words, “Good job, Emma.”

  After several more rounds of Secrets and Lies, and plenty of drinking by everyone but me, it’s my turn. I’d really love to sit this one out, but I don’t want to disappoint John.

  I roll the dice, get a five, and my corresponding category is First Loves: Was it Love or Lust?

  Perfect.

  “Oooh, that’s a juicy one,” Meg comments.

  I can feel my face start to flush. I’d thought I could pretend my way through this, but now I’m not so sure. I catch sight of Angela who is pursing her lips and looking away from me.

  So much for friendly support.

  “You don’t have to answer it,” John offers quietly.

  I turn briefly toward him, but I’m too nervous to make eye contact.

  “Yes, she does,” Court says. “Come on, Emma, was your first relationship real love or just lust?”

  Shit.

  “Ummm…”

  “I don’t think this is a good question,” John says to everyone at the table.

  “Why not?” Meg scoffs.

  “Just answer,” Denny says, and there is a cruelty in the way he speaks, a determination that makes me unsure of his intent.

  “Leave it the fuck alone!” All of a sudden John is up on his feet and pounds the table. “She doesn’t want to tell you, okay? Jesus fucking Christ!”

  I’m startled by John’s reaction… really startled, maybe even a little shaken.

  “Come on,” he says to me, gently pulling my chair out and offering his hand.

  Without a word from me or anyone else, I get up and walk alongside him, out the door and into his SUV. Once safely inside, he leans his head down toward the steering wheel.

  “I’m sorry about that, about my reaction.”

  “No… it’s okay. It got me out of having to answer at least.” I lay the palm of my hand on his thigh, and he turns to offer me a faint smile.

  “I thought maybe your first love was the guy in the alley… Ike?”

  “Oh.” I nod at the assumption. He was trying to protect me from having to mention the vile ex-boyfriend of mine that John had protected me from outside Rampage.

  “Not that I know for sure,” John says, widening his eyes. “I’m sure you had a lot of guys wanting to be with you in high school.”

  He’s waiting for me to respond, and I’m not sure what to say exactly. The truth of my first love is far worse than I think he could imagine. There is a part of me that wants to tell him right now, wants to get it out of the way and hope that maybe he’d be okay with it. But just as I’m about to whisper the first syllable, I retreat.

  “I’m not sure I’ve really loved anyone before,” I say instead. And I’m actually quite happy with the sound of it because I think it might be true. What I had with Mr. Thatcher was a bastardized version of real love.

  He reaches his hand out, caressing the side of my face. He is so soft and gentle, quite different from the way he’d been to his friends just a few minutes ago.

  “Do you know that I’m falling in love with you, Emma?” Just then, he eats up the space between us and brings his lips to mine.


  He’s falling in love with me.

  I close my eyes and feel the electric pulse of his kiss as it radiates from my mouth, down through my chest, to the tips of my toes and back up until it burns hot between my legs. With my hand already on his thigh, I move it upward, across his muscular flank until I’ve reached and am gripping his strong shoulder.

  “I love you too,” I let out in a breathy whisper when we finally part, afraid saying anything less wouldn’t convey to him what I’m really feeling inside, that it will somehow put doubt into his mind, and I don’t want that.

  I want him.

  It’s the one thing I feel sure of in all of my life.

  JOHN

  I walked Emma up to her condo like I did that first night I’d met her. Usually, she’d insist that I only see her into the front doors of the building, but tonight she hadn’t resisted my need to spend a few more minutes with her. Before that, we’d kissed and talked for at least an hour in my SUV before I’d felt sober enough to drive her home. I’d have preferred taking her up to my room, even if it had just been to hold her. But tonight wasn’t the night for that. I was still pissed off at everyone, Denny most of all.

  It was damn hard leaving her. I’d actually waited outside her door after she’d closed it, after our last kiss, thinking she’d open it up again and run into my arms. When that didn’t happen, I still had those words she’d spoken earlier.

  “I love you too.”

  I’d held back when I told her I was only falling in love with her. What I’d wanted to say was that I’d never met a girl like her before, a girl where everything just seemed to click. If someone had asked me to explain it all in words, I’m not sure I’d have been able to—it was a feeling that gripped me deep in my heart, a feeling that was definitely love.

  I also know that Emma isn’t perfect and that I’m not trying to create some unrealistic version of my dream girl in my head. There is a sadness to her just underneath the surface, that part of her that makes her blush with embarrassment, of a past that I imagine holds some pain. It makes me curious to know the missing details, the pieces of the mosaic that make up her life.