by Tijan
11
Blaise
Goddammit.
Cross had to show up now? Right when Aspen’s about to go off and camp alone for who knows how long? She said four nights, but Jesus. She finished school. She could be out there an entire week.
How long had she been doing this?
How many other nights had she gone camping? Been alone?
Where the fuck were her parents?
They just let her go out there? Alone?!
But now I couldn’t get answers to my questions, because my brother was here and his woman was in my face. She yelled at me, tugging me away from Aspen, and all I wanted to do was grab Aspen, drag her into my Wagon, and peel the fuck out of here so I could be sure she wouldn’t do something fucking stupid.
But first, Christ.
Bren—that’s her name—was almost hissing at me. Her hands dug into my arms, and she pulled.
I turned to find Cross right there. “Get your woman off me, or you and I are going to have problems.” I didn’t have any patience today.
His eyes narrowed, but he moved forward, maneuvering himself between Bren and me. He began to pull her back. “Bren!”
“He’s got his hands on her. Aspen, are you okay?” Bren looked around Cross, her eyes wide and alarmed.
Shit. She knows Aspen.
I looked down, and Aspen hadn’t moved. The blood had drained from her face, and she looked up, meeting my gaze.
“What is happening?” she whispered. Her forehead dropped to my chest.
Thunk.
I felt something falling into place at the same time I heard it. And it wasn’t her forehead. It was me, realizing something had just happened, and it moved me. I didn’t want it to move me, but fuck it, I was moved.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I didn’t like this.
I stepped back, lifting my head, my eyes closed, and I cupped the back of Aspen’s head.
What was happening here? She shuddered in my arms.
Ignoring the sudden silence around us, I bent down and murmured, for her ears only, “Do not leave. Please.”
She nodded, her forehead not moving from my chest, and then I motioned for Jamie.
When he came over, I handed her off. “Put her in my car. Don’t let her leave.”
He nodded, taking her arm.
I sighed. “Babe.”
Jamie paused, a grin starting.
“Keys,” I said to Aspen.
Her eyes were still closed, her head down, but she dug into her pocket and pulled out her keys. I swiped them, nodding to Jamie. “Get her phone,” I told him. “Have her text me.” I wanted her number.
He nodded. A moment later, after she was in the car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Then Jamie locked the doors and sat facing us, his back to Aspen, blocking her view.
I sighed and turned to face my brother.
Cross was my half-brother, but we looked so much alike, we could’ve been twins. It had been a shock when I saw him the first time, and it was a second shock when I realized later that he knew about me. I hadn’t known about him, not until I saw him with his group, facing off against Zeke. They’d been fighting—all of them, even Bren—because that’s what they did.
His group of four loved each other.
They were tight, but not the kind of tight that was a show. They were legit tight, and he and Bren were a unit like I’d never seen in my life. He had it all, and as I looked at him now, I wanted what he had.
I mean, I didn’t want his woman. She was gorgeous and all—a rock-tight body and dark hair—but she did nothing for me. But I did want friends that would step in front of a moving car for me, and that’s what he had. Was that what I had? Maybe.
Zeke would do it. He’d said as much.
Maybe I was the asshole, taking what I had for granted?
Either way, this wasn’t the time for these thoughts.
“Bren knows Aspen?” I asked.
Cross frowned, looking torn. He didn’t talk to me. I didn’t know if it was a rule, it was just the truth.
My blood had cooled, but I still didn’t have much patience. “Don’t make me say it again. I wasn’t hurting her. I like her, so tell me what you know.”
Bren moved around my brother, her eyes flashing a warning. “Yeah, we know her. She helped us out of a bind once. How do you know her?”
I settled back on my heels, taking a calming breath. My hands went into my pockets. We were communicating. Good. “We go to the same school.”
She frowned, looking at Cross. They seemed to share a whole conversation before she moved back, sighing and cursing at the same time. Then my brother stepped forward. It seemed he was the chosen spokesperson now.
His group remained beside their huge-ass truck, waiting to see how this ended.
Cross’ hands went into his pockets, and I grimaced, realizing how much we looked alike. I pulled mine out, but didn’t move. I just waited.
“We crossed paths with her once. She was camping.” He indicated behind him with his head. “Bren was worried about her. She thought she might’ve been homeless.”
I snorted. “She’s not homeless.”
He frowned. “You don’t know—”
“She owns this car.” I knocked on the hood of the sickest car ever.
His eyes widened. He hadn’t been expecting that.
“And trust me,” I added. “I know her parents. She’s loaded.”
“Oh.” He nodded, accepting that, which surprised me.
I would’ve thought he’d want to argue just to argue. He seemed the type. Anything I said he’d have to go against, but maybe I was wrong on that.
“As long as you don’t mess with her,” he said. “Bren cares about her. And Bren cares about, like, five people. You get me?”
We shared a long, menacing look. But I got him.
If I hurt Aspen, for whatever reason, that would piss Bren off, and then he and I would have problems.
I was about to tell him to fuck off or that he didn’t need to worry—I hadn’t decided which yet—when another car sped into the gas station.
Cross stiffened. His friends straightened up too, and the tall one came over. “Dude.” His eyes were trained over my shoulder.
Looking, I cursed. Zeke. But before I could even figure how I wanted to play this, since I knew Zeke did not get along with my brother, Jamie came hurrying over.
“Your girl’s freaking,” he said.
“What?” I looked, and Aspen’s face was a white color that didn’t seem good to me. I could see tears rolling down her face.
What the hell?
I remembered how she’d freaked before when she started to tear up. It’d been the one thing that broke her, and she got out of there immediately. Right now her eyes were glued to Zeke’s truck, and as Zeke got out, frowning at us, I could see Mara and Penny climbing out too. And Brian and Branston.
“We can run interference, or I can let Bren handle your girl,” Cross said.
My brother had assessed the entire situation as quickly as I had, and knowing his rep, maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Zeke meandered over, his gaze landing on Aspen’s car. “Sweet ride, man. Whose is it?”
Shit.
His friendly, but cautious grin faded fast when no one answered. “Blaise?”
Aspen didn’t want to deal with them. I could see that.
So I decided. I took her keys and gave them to my brother. “Get her out of my Wagon and drive her somewhere safe. Tell her I’ll call as soon as I get rid of them.” I hesitated, then added, “She doesn’t like people seeing her cry.”
Cross took the keys, his eyebrows shooting up, but he nodded. A second later, we broke away.
I turned to Zeke. “Can we talk inside?”
Jamie seemed to be on my same wavelength because he hollered, “Yo! I gotta show you guys something inside.”
Mara and Penny had started to scowl, eyeing Aspen in my Wagon, but at Jamie’s shout, they smiled.
The guys brightened too, and they all went inside the gas station. Zeke watched them a moment before turning back to me. “What’s going on?”
I motioned ahead. “Inside, man. Okay?”
He went with me, but slowly, and he glanced back over his shoulder. As soon as we were heading toward the gas station, I sensed movement behind me. Once we were in, I looked back over my shoulder, and Cross and Bren had Aspen surrounded.
Good. I didn’t know why seeing my friends had put her in a panic, but it had. I’d have to get that figured out as soon as I could. But first, damage control.
Zeke went to grab a soda and water before finding me again. “Okay. Your diversion worked. Whatever chick was in your G Wagon is gone. Want to tell me why you’re wearing that shirt?”
I looked down. “You aren’t pissed?”
He gave me an incredulous look, and then smirked. “Your problem ain’t me. Daniels saw your chick.” He whistled, shaking his head. “You got problems if you’re hoping to get head tonight. I’m sure you could still pull out a finger bang, but not head.” He flashed me a grin and patted my arm before heading to pay for his purchases. “Good luck with that, and just to be clear, we are partying tonight, right?”
I looked back outside. Aspen’s car was gone now, and Cross’ friends were coming inside. Bren and Cross were behind them. I sighed. That meant Aspen had taken off alone.
Zeke was waiting.
“Uh, yeah,” I managed.
I locked eyes with my brother, but he didn’t say or do anything. He stared back for a split second, his face a blank wall. Bren was the same as the other two loaded up on food and beverages before heading to the front to pay. My friends were in the same section. A few smartass comments were exchanged. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last. Bren and Cross hated Zeke, and they hated anyone who was friends with him. After the insults grew heated, the manager sent Cross’ group packing.
“What a shock.” The tall one whistled, rolling his eyes and grabbing his stuff. “The Roussou kids get targeted once again.”
The manager’s face grew redder by the second. He pointed at the door. “Out, or I’ll call the police.”
At the mention of the Fallen Crest Police, everyone snickered. The force was mostly corrupt, so they were laughingstocks around these parts.
Realizing his mistake, the manager yelled, “Someone get out! I can’t have any damages to my property.”
“Yeah, yeah. We’re leaving,” Cross said. He paid for his and Bren’s items and disappeared out the door.
I had moved behind Jamie in line, still needing to pay for my gas.
Zeke stood beside me, watching them go. He shook his head. “Your brother’s an asshole.”
I agreed.
Cross had never once looked at me again. He and Bren climbed into the back of the truck as the other two took the cab. A second later, they barreled out of here.
I grunted. “Fuck him.” And I meant it. He helped Aspen. He helped Bren. He didn’t do that shit for me.
After we all paid for our stuff, Jamie came with me. The rest went with Zeke. Mara had stood beside me for a minute, and I knew she’d been waiting for a nod or some signal. I gave her nothing. I’d been making out with Aspen moments earlier. It felt wrong to do anything with Mara. And I knew she would’ve done anything I wanted, despite what Zeke said. That’s just how Mara was.
After getting in my Wagon, I texted Aspen.
Me: You okay?
12
Aspen
I was on my second night camping, and had some distance from the whole gas station debacle now, but I couldn’t shake the Owens. Those are my blues, when I’m sad.
I’d freaked out at the gas station because of Blaise. He was so intense, so right there, so in my face. He cared. He actually, seriously cared, and I’d fallen apart. Then as I’d watched how he faced off against his brother, I was amazed. I couldn’t believe that was his brother, because I knew his brother. I’d met his brother. I’d met his brother’s whole group, and Bren. I remembered her. She was nice.
They’d been in the woods at a bonfire one time when someone called the cops. I helped them out, though one guy had been mean to me.
But back to Blaise.
Gah. Blaise.
The kissing.
The looks.
He’d been pissed that I spent time alone, but I hadn’t had time to explain that I preferred to be alone. Some people are just loners. Since Owen died, that was me. Life was easiest this way, and I’d made my peace with it. I’d accepted it. I’d probably never date or have someone love me, and that was okay. For real.
But then there he was, getting angry—not at me, but for me.
I’d felt myself swooning all over again, and then Blaise’s friends drove up. They were a splash of cold water. I saw Mara looking at me, and there was such sadness in her eyes.
Mara Daniels was gorgeous.
I knew she had a history with Blaise, current history, actually, and if she was looking at me like that, what hope did I have? I already was crushing on him, and now? Now I was gone.
Done.
Hook, line, sinker. Actually, I’d already been hooked and lined. I’d just sunk. Kerplop. All the way to the bottom of the ocean. There I was, falling for him.
He was so hot facing off against his brother. And his brother was hot too, but Blaise was hotter than hot. He had this golden, rich-prick aura around him that I knew shouldn’t have made him hotter, but it did because it made him a badass too. Dangerous.
I shivered, remembering how it felt to touch him, be pressed up against him. And man, I had the Owens again because I couldn’t go there.
But because I apparently wanted to make myself even more Owens, I pulled up the text messages.
Blaise: You okay?
No. No, I wasn’t. But I hadn’t replied to him.
Thirty minutes later:
Blaise: Can you let me know if you’re alive?
Five minutes later:
Blaise: Seriously.
Two minutes later:
Blaise: You scared to text? Or should I start calling hospitals? I’ll do it.
And to that, I had to respond.
Me: I’m camping. I’m fine.
He didn’t reply for five very long minutes.
Blaise: Good to know.
I sighed, replying after that because I was a sucker for punishment.
Me: I freaked. It’s hard to talk.
Blaise: I get that, but I was worried.
Me: I’m not used to people worrying.
Blaise: Well, that’s fucked up. Even my non-bio dad who hates me would worry.
Me: That’s…fucked up too? I dunno.
Blaise: It’s cool. As long as you’re okay.
I hadn’t known how to respond to that, so I didn’t.
Then twenty minutes later:
Blaise: Download this app.
Me: Okay. Done. Why did I do that?
Blaise: So I can find you if you stop texting me because a bear has eaten you.
Ooooh. A whole wash of warm emotions had come over me, and I’d choked back tears as I replied.
Me: Oh.
Blaise: Talk later. Have fun camping, now I won’t worry so much.
Damn.
Damn!
Damn. That was nice of him.
I’d flicked away a tear.
Me: Okay. You too.
I hadn’t asked what he was doing that night, and I hadn’t asked all day long today. He’d sent a couple texts checking in, asking how my night was, if I was cold, what did I actually do when I camped… And because I didn’t want to go deep and potentially depressing, I’d told him the surface stuff.
I read. I relaxed. I enjoyed the water.
But mostly, I felt close to my brother out here. Except on this trip. For some reason, on this trip, Owen wasn’t being all Owen-y, and I wasn’t feeling him with me. Instead, I was thinking about Blaise, remembering Blaise.
&
nbsp; Blaise distracted me.
What was Blaise doing?
Was he partying?
Was he drunk?
Had he kissed Mara Daniels?
Had he done more than that with Mara?
I shouldn’t have been thinking like that. We’d kissed. Once. We’d hooked up. Once. One time. There’d be no repeats, not for wallflower girls like me. We didn’t get guys like that interested in us. But every time I thought that, I’d pull up our text messages.
If he didn’t care, why was he texting me?
Blaise DeVroe was not a good guy. I mean, he was being a good guy to me, but he wasn’t normally known to be nice, caring, or sweet. He was known to be blunt and a dick, and I’d seen enough to know that was accurate.
My head swam, all confused. What did this mean?
As if he knew I was thinking about him, my phone buzzed.
Blaise: I’m coming to hang out with you.
I jerked upright.
Me: What? No.
Blaise: Then you come back. Shit. Did you have to go camping so far away? That’s over an hour drive.
My heart beat fast. My palms were sweaty.
Me: Don’t come here. I camp alone. It’s what I do. Alone.
Blaise: I’m tired of my friends and I want to hang out with you. Either you pack up and come here or I’m coming there.
I was going to have a heart attack. I felt my chest tightening.
Blaise: I don’t have to stay the whole time, just for the night.
Blaise: Please.
Okay. Heart-melting moment here. I smiled before I realized I was smiling.
Me: Fine.
I frowned.
Me: That app really leads you to me?
Blaise: Yep. I’m only thirty minutes away. Buckle up, be there soon. I’m bringing booze.
Oh great. I didn’t drink, like ever. He was violating my camping-alone policy, and if he brought alcohol, I’d probably succumb and have one, so there went my no-drinking policy too.
Me: You’re a bad influence already.
Blaise: Tough shit.
Of course. Typical badass response. This shouldn’t have sent me even deeper into my crush, but it did because I was just another stupid girl.