The pact, p.6
The Pact, page 6
She laughs. “Okay, so you hit the jackpot. Brava bellissima. Your message seemed urgent. Sorry, I was a little tied up with Anthony. What’s going on?”
Yeah, I know what that meant. Tied up was her code for getting railed. Normally, I’d laugh or tease her. However, I’m too invested in scoping out this room.
Curiosity has always been a weakness of mine. I open the drawers of the nightstand, empty. Then I check the other nightstand, the same. Not one hair tie, false eyelash, or lipstick left behind. There's no way I'm the only woman that’s been in this room.
They must have an excellent housekeeper.
“Long story short, Cole had to drive my truck to his house. I almost hit this guy, he went crazy. There was also a weird note. I’ll have to explain later.” My words are rushed. “I was a little nervous to come here, for obvious reasons, and was going to see about staying with you for the night.”
I turn the faucet off, the steam rolls off the surface of the water. An hour ago I was dead set on leaving as soon as I heard from Cassie, but now…I’m not so sure.
“You’re welcome anytime, although I know you. It sounds like you don’t want to leave. Is tonight the night?” Her voice shifts to excitement.
“No, no, nothing like that. I kind of want to stay, though. There’s a guest room, so it’s not like I have to sleep in the same bed as him or anything. I still want to take it slow.”
Cassie sighs. “You already know what my answer is.” I do. She’ll say to go for it. “Just send me your location in case you go missing and I have to track you down.”
“God, you’re so twisted sometimes. I love it.”
“It’s a blessing and a curse,” she states flatly. I’m sending her my location as she says goodnight. I strip off my clothes and sink into the hot water, savoring the burn against my skin.
Cole’s clothes don’t fit like they should—men’s clothes never seem to. The gray sweatpants hug me snugly while being entirely too long at the same time. I resort to folding the waistband over a few times, making the fabric tighten over my wide hips even more.
His shirt is worse. The white fabric stretches tightly over my chest and I know it won’t fit him the same again. I look ridiculous, but putting on my dirty hiking clothes was out of the question. I do put my sports bra back on, as much as I hate to. It’s that or give Cole and his brother a show they won’t soon forget.
Opening the door, I’m hit with the smell of something delicious and my stomach growls, reminding me I haven’t eaten a decent meal since breakfast. I’m towel drying my hair as I bounce up the steps, eager to see what Cole is cooking.
When I hit the landing, I see Damian talking to someone clad all in black. From his leather boots and jeans to his hooded leather jacket. It all makes sense when I see the matte black motorcycle helmet on the table.
Must be another one of Cole’s brothers.
Damian’s ice blue gaze focuses on me as he stops mid-sentence. Turning to see what caught his brother’s attention, I lock eyes with someone I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again.
My lungs refuse to breathe for a moment and I think I might cry. Goosebumps break out over my skin. And I run to him.
We collide. Throwing my arms around Sutton, I bury my face in his neck as he spins me around. A tear slips out and I hold on tighter. His familiar scent of lavender and sandalwood pulls forward hundreds of memories from the past.
He sets me down and I pull back, staring into my friend’s amber eyes, framed by rounded glasses. We exchange a thousand words with that look.
Sutton’s the same, yet entirely different—we’re both older. He must be thinking the same thing about me.
My eyes travel over his warm brown skin, noting that he’s grown his facial hair some. But it’s the two silver hoops circling his bottom lip that surprise me the most. Those are new. The piercings suit him nicely.
Everything about him is familiar. From the slight natural arch in his dark brows, his wide nose, and his full, well-defined lips. His hair is still cut short, just like it was back then. Even the feel of his body is the same, lean and tone.
While that familiarity is comforting, there’s something else there—something we didn’t explore all those years ago. That old electricity buzzes to life at our closeness. Thoughts of running my hands over his body, kissing him, fucking him flood my mind. All things that we never acted on. And we absolutely can’t act on now. We never could get the timing right.
I hug him again, then realize we must seem like lunatics to Damian and Cole. Stepping back, I see that I’m right. Both of them frozen, watching Sutton and I, absolutely bewildered.
Clearing my throat, I announce, “Sutton and I went to college together.” Looping my arm around his waist, I lean on him, needing to know this isn’t some kind of delusion.
“I’m going to need an explanation. How are you here?” Sutton stares down at me, mirroring my disbelief. It takes me a moment to process his words, because the lip rings aren’t the only new piercings Sutton has. I spot two silver balls sitting on either side of his tongue. I pull my gaze from his mouth and bring my attention back to his words. “Gavin?” I pat his arm and heave a breath.
“We have plenty of time to talk about all of that, but first I need to eat.” I peer around him. In the kitchen, Cole now has his back to us, stirring something on the stove.
Realizing that Cole might be put off by my excitement at unexpectedly seeing an old friend, I make my way to him. Walking past Damian, without giving him so much as a glance, I stand next to Cole and rest my cheek against his arm.
“Smells amazing. What did you make?” I feel him relax a little.
Cole points to each dish on the stove. Herb crusted chicken, garlic parmesan broccoli, and rice. My mouth waters as I take it all in.
“Hey.” He looks down at me and I hook my finger into the neckline of his shirt, gently pulling him down to meet my lips. I let him know with that kiss that he still has all of my attention. His arms pull me close against him.
Pulling away a little, he whispers in my ear. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you look in my clothes, love?”
“I do now,” I answer as I stare into his hazel eyes. I kiss him once more. “What can I help with?”
Cole gives me some plates and silverware, while he brings the food to the table. I purposefully choose the seat next to him.
My earlier feeling that there is some history between all of them that is adding to the tension at the table returns. I’m curious to know more.
SUTTON
I never thought I’d see her again.
My heart is still pounding as I watch her kiss my brother. That’s why she’s here. She’s dating Cole. He didn’t mention it. Damian is probably pissed, however, I don’t care about that right now.
The moment she threw her arms around me, the countless memories of late nights and early mornings came rushing back. It took me too long to get Thea out of my head. Now, here, she is undoing it all.
She’s still unbelievably beautiful. Her hair’s longer, yet everything else is the same. That sparkle in her eyes when she gets excited is still there. I saw it when she realized who she was looking at. Damn, she looks real fucking good in those sweatpants and that tight shirt.
I remind myself that those are Cole’s clothes and that Thea is here with him.
I move my helmet off of the table as she comes over to set it. As she walks by, I get a whiff of her freshly shampooed hair—coconut and vanilla. I want to wrap my arms around her and sit by the fire all night, catching up. But I restrain myself.
Instead, I watch from a distance as she places the plates down, thinking back to the last time I saw her.
The memory isn’t especially pleasant. We spent the first two years at the University of Georgia joined at the hip. Those are my favorite memories. The last two years were much different.
Thea met Gavin in our Junior year. Young love and all that. She wrapped her whole life up in him. I was jealous that I never told her how I felt. There were so many chances when I thought she was feeling the same as me. I was too much of a pussy—scared of rejection. So I watched as she found someone who had no problem taking what they wanted.
At first, we still spent a lot of time together. Then, Gavin got jealous. He’d call repeatedly whenever we hung out. She started seeing me less and less. I know it hurt her just as much as it hurt me. We’d see each other on campus and she’d give me a pained smile. I’d return it.
The last time I saw her was at graduation. She was standing there after the ceremony with her parents, Gavin, and who I assume were his parents. They were all talking and laughing, but Thea wasn’t. She was standing there as if she didn’t belong.
I wanted to run to her, grab her hand, and take her away. I didn’t. I chickened out again and I’ve lived with the consequences of it for over a decade.
She is the one that got away and now here she is, although under very different circumstances that I don’t think even she understands.
8
THEA
“… and we had to run across campus barefoot to get my assignment in on time,” I say, hardly able to get the words out through the laughter. Sutton chuckles at the memory.
He adds, “If Stattenguard could have seen you in a full sprint, you might’ve gotten an A.” I roll my eyes, remembering that I barely squeaked by with a C.
I pop a piece of chicken in my mouth and another memory surfaces. “What about that one night we stayed up until like two in the morning studying and forgot to eat, so we walked to Bucko’s because it was the only thing open?”
“You mean when you said it was only half a mile away, and I told you it was definitely farther?” I level a knowing gaze at Sutton. Both of our phones died. We were going off of pure memory, which was dangerous combined with a lack of sleep and hunger pains. “And I wanted to prove I was right, so I let you lead the way.”
“We walked for over an hour and never even made it. We had to settle for those disgusting gas station hotdogs. I was sick the whole next day.”
His head drops and he peers up through his dark lashes, smiling nostalgically. “I brought you soup and Buckos the next day…”
“And you let me pick all of my favorite movies until I fell asleep.” My hand reaches instinctively across the table and grasps his. The realization of the familiarity that I felt on my date with Cole when I saw his ring hits me. I had seen it before, Sutton wore it all those years ago. My eyes flick up and he’s still staring at me.
We’ve both changed so much and not at all in some ways.
I’m suddenly all too aware that we aren’t the only two at the table and I pull my hand free. I glance at Cole as he finishes his glass of wine. Resting my hand on his leg, I give a slight squeeze. “Did all of you meet in school? Cole told me you grew up together.”
Cole opens his mouth to speak, but Damian cuts in. “We were all born and raised here in Willow Hill. Went to the same elementary school. Once we met, we all just stuck together.” His voice holds no emotion as he leans back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest.
“You all must be really close to live here together.”
I catch Damian giving Cole a look. “We’re very close. What’s mine is his and what’s his is mine. None of us wants for anything,” Damian replies, his eyes shifting to me.
“That’s nice!” It’s a rare thing to stick with the people you’ve known since childhood. “I bet your parents love that you all stayed friends. Holidays and parties must be huge events.”
The men look between each other and this time, Cole answers. “No. Nothing that idyllic.” His words from our first date resurface. We grew up together and took care of each other when nobody cared enough to claim us most days. I assumed he meant the kids their age, although it’s becoming apparent it might have been their families that neglected them.
“Oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t realize.” I remembered meeting Sutton’s parents a couple of times when they visited him in college. They were pleasant and kind. Maybe he was the exception.
Shifting the course of the conversation, Sutton says, “Out of all the places to end up, how’d you find yourself in Willow Hill, Thea?” He leans forward, waiting for my answer.
Sutton is the only one here who’s met Gavin. The only one who saw that relationship start. I can tell he wants to ask about it, and I can only ignore my past for so long.
“Clearly, Gavin and I are no longer together.” I motion to Cole. “We broke up about a year ago. My friend Cassie lives here. She convinced me to move so that we could start a photography business. Three months ago, I pulled the trigger and haven’t looked back.”
Sutton seems genuinely perplexed. “How have I not seen you around these past three months?”
“You and I both know that you’re a recluse. You’ve probably been holed up reading, forgetting that the world around you exists.” I give him a teasing grin.
Cole lets out an unexpected laugh. “She’s got you figured out, brother.”
“Hey, I’m a whole new man, Thea.” Sutton leans back, resting his hands behind his head. “I own a bookstore in town and interact with the public all day long.”
“Lies,” Damian says bluntly. “You hide away in your bookstore, cursing anyone who bothers you.”
Sutton abruptly sits straight, throwing his hands up defensively. “Fine, you’ve got me there. But at least I leave the house once in a while, Damian.” Cole and Sutton laugh while Damian scowls at them.
Warmth fills my heart at the playful interaction. Is this what it would have been like if I had siblings?
It’s easy to see why they call themselves brothers. I can imagine them younger and rough housing, getting into mischief, and covering for each other when they needed to. They may not look like family, however they chose one another over all others—to me, that’s stronger than any blood tie.
That’s something I had in common with them. I chose Cassie. She was more like family to me than my own parents ever were.
“So, a bookstore owner, a baker, and…” I study Damian, who’s been staring at me the entire night like some kind of serial killer. I wait for him to tell me what he does.
Damian waits a second before deciding to answer. “Tech.”
Whatever that means. I’m about to dig further when Cole speaks up.
“Have you heard from Cassie?”
I pause, trying to find the right words to tell him I want to stay the night. “Yes.” I glance at the time on the stove. He follows my gaze. “Would it be okay if I stayed? I can leave first thing in the morning.” Regret swells as soon as I ask.
My curiosity is piqued. Knowing that Sutton lives here and can vouch for Cole, I feel much safer. I want to know more about these brothers and I want to catch up with my old friend.
Cole smiles. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” I confirm as a yawn escapes.
His fingers intertwine with mine on his leg. “You can stay any time you want.” I hold Cole’s stare, although I can feel Damian and Sutton watching me.
We clear the table. After he walks me downstairs. “I’m going to finish cleaning. Then I’ll be in the room next to you if you need anything,” he assures me.
I’m leaning against my door and the only thing I want is him nearer to me. The short distance between us feels like miles and I know that he’s trying to be respectful—I appreciate the thought, but I need something else right now.
I reach my hand out, hooking my finger through his belt loop, pulling him closer.
Cole’s hand finds the frame. His other cups my cheek. Heat courses through me as fast as the vulgar thoughts race through my mind. He leans down, pressing his mouth to mine.
I move my lips against his insistently, snaking my arms around his back, bringing his chest to mine. I’m playing with fire, knowing my heart wants to take things slow, yet my body’s making that resolution more and more difficult.
His hand runs up the back of my neck, his fingers gripping my hair gently, eliciting a moan from me. Cole’s lips leave mine and he trails kisses over my jaw before nipping at my ear, sending a shiver through my body.
My hand finds the doorknob. Twisting it, I step inside, waiting for him to follow.
“Thea… you don’t know how much I want to, but…” He trails off. “You haven’t dated in a while and I don’t want to rush you. We have plenty of time.” My ego takes a bit of a bruising at his words, although I’m thankful that one of us has some self control. I’m sure if he came in, I’d be able to stop before it went too far, however he’s not taking any chances.
“I understand.” I force a smile. Cole kisses my forehead, lingering a moment before backing away.
“Goodnight, love. See you tomorrow.”
I watch as he heads upstairs and I give myself a second to regain my composure. I’m about to close my door when I hear my name mentioned from above. Nosiness is one of my weaknesses and I’m not overcoming it tonight.
Walking to the bottom of the stairs, I listen intently. The voices are muffled, so I tiptoe up until I can hear them clearly.
“…gluten or anything with flour. It can make her sick.” It’s Cole’s voice.
“I’ve seen her exposed to it before. She was in bed for days until it was out of her system,” Sutton chimes in.
There’s a momentary pause. “I’ll have Jessie come tomorrow instead of Friday. She can remove everything that has gluten in it and I’ll have her sanitize the kitchen afterwards.” It’s Damian speaking now and his words shock me. “If she’s going to be around. If this is going to be serious, then I don’t want her exposed to anything that will make her sick. Is this heading that way, Cole?”
