Текст книги "Somewhere in Between"

Автор книги: Samatha Harris

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

Drew stared at me for a minute. “I figured I would come by and see how you were before I headed to Sean’s. You look nice. Guess you’re feeling better.” He put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to one side.

“Yeah, I’m feeling much better. I told you earlier.”

“Right.” He nodded. “So, where are you going?”

“Dinner.”

“With who?”

“With me.” We turned to see Peter coming down the hall. He leaned past Drew and kissed my cheek. “Hey, Alex. You look beautiful,” Peter said, ignoring Drew and focusing on me instead. To say it was awkward was the understatement of the century. I glanced at Drew. He was staring daggers at Peter. If looks could kill…

“You ready, babe?”

Peter held out his hand to me. Drew flinched when he heard Peter say babe. I figured I better take Peter and leave before things got even tenser. I took his hand and looked apprehensively at Drew.

“Bye. Have fun at poker.” I pulled the door shut and turned to follow Peter down the hall. Drew took a step to follow and reached for my arm.

“Red, text me when you get home.”

I looked down at his hand, which was still wrapped around my arm, then back up into his face. “Okay.”

“Promise?” There was something strange about his eyes. They were sad and a little angry, but there was something else there I couldn’t figure out, like maybe fear.

“I promise.” I gave him a small smile.

Drew dropped his hand and I followed Peter out to his car. I got in and looked out the window to see Drew standing on the stoop. He didn’t move as we pulled away from the curb. I couldn’t help but watch him as he shrunk away in the mirror. I looked at Peter, hoping I hadn’t just made a huge mistake.

***

Peter pulled up outside this little Italian place. It was nice, if not a little cheesy. It was one open room with brick columns spaced here and there. The whole place smelled of garlic and parmesan cheese and fresh baked bread. The comforting smells seemed to warm the air.

The light was dim. Wine jugs with candles in various stages of melting dripped wax down the sides of the plump bottles on every table. A waiter with an impressive mustache showed us to our table while an accordion player strolled around the room playing “That’s Amore!”

This place was great, but such a cliché. Where a man takes you on your first date says a lot about him and his intentions. If he takes you somewhere he loves, somewhere that is unique, it shows effort, that you mean more to him than just a casual fling. A place like this takes no thought or effort. There are a bunch of these cookie cutter first date restaurants that will work regardless of the women. The fact that we were here spoke volumes about Peter and the kind of man he was. I couldn’t help but giggle. I knew he was full of shit.

“What?” Peter asked, wanting to be in on the joke.

“Nothing.” I dismissively waved my hand. Peter picked up his napkin and set it in his lap.

“Something that makes you smile like that isn’t nothing.” He reached across the table to take my hand. I couldn’t help myself. I laughed, biting my lip in an effort to hold back the guffaw threatening to escape.

“It’s just that—” I giggled, “—this place.” I covered my mouth, trying to hold in the laughter. “I expect Lady and the Tramp to be out back pushing a meatball with their nose.” I couldn’t hold back any more. I burst into laughter.

“Then,” I snorted, “you said that line…”

I trailed off as my laughter became hysterical. Tears leaked from the corner of my eyes. I couldn’t stop. My stomach was aching. I finally got a hold of myself and took a breath. A stupid smile was still stretched across my face until I looked at Peter, who did not look amused. I coughed, the smile slipping from my face.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t been feeling well the past few days. I’m not myself.” Ugh, nice save McCabe.

“It’s okay.” He shrugged. “If you want, we can go somewhere else? Maybe some place that doesn’t serve dogs in the alley?” Well, what do you know, he made a joke.

“No, no, this is great.” I smiled. I was determined to enjoy myself despite my reservations about Peter. Who knows? I could be wrong.

The waiter came over and handed Peter the wine list. He said something I didn’t understand and picked a wine with a complicated name, from a place I couldn’t pronounce. The waiter brought the bottle, and I tried desperately not to laugh when he sniffed and swirled and swished and every other pretentious thing you could do with a glass of wine before nodding his approval.

The waiter poured me a glass and left the bottle. I was curious to see what the fuss was about so I took a sip. Peter was saying something about a smoky taste or an oaky finish. It sounded more like describing pulled pork than wine, but it tasted good, so I just nodded.

We placed our orders and the conversation was casual. Nothing riveting, but I was having a nice time. He told me about his time in London and about Christmas in Paris. It all sounded great, but I found myself counting the stripes on his suit jacket to pass the time, tuning in enough just to get the gist of what he was saying.

The waiter brought our food out and it was incredible. I quickly forgot all of my snide comments about the place. I would’ve happily eaten this in the back alley with Lady.

I stuffed myself on pasta ‘til I was too full to move. Peter seemed shocked that I was eating so much. He must only date the salad eaters. You know, the people who go out on dates and order a small garden salad and then go home and gorge themselves on pizza-flavored Pringles and M&M’s. Ooh, note to self, get Pringles and M&M’s.

“I’m interested in seeing what kind of ideas you have for my loft. Maybe you can come by on Saturday, take a look?” Peter asked, wiping the napkin across his lips. “I’ll make us dinner.”

Smooth—using decorating to secure another date and get me alone at his place. I knew what he was doing. He had discovered my weakness and was using it to his advantage. Well played, Mr. Russell, well played. I figured, why not? I was having a nice enough time. Maybe in his own place, he would loosen up a bit.

“Sure, that sounds great.”

The waiter came by with the check and a couple of mints. Peter handed him his credit card. Once he signed, we headed out to the car. He opened the door for me, waited until I pulled my legs in, and closed it behind me before jogging to the driver’s side. Such a gentleman.

Peter walked me to my door and lingered for a bit while I got my keys out and put them in the lock. He was clearly waiting for me to invite him in, but I wasn’t going to.

“Thank you, Peter. I had a lovely time.” I leaned in and kissed his cheek. Then I turned the key and walked through the door, softly closing it behind me.

I kicked off my shoes, grabbed my phone, and shot off a quick text to Drew to let him know I was home, as promised.

As I hit send, there was a soft knock at the door. I pulled it open and Peter stepped inside. “We can do better than that,” he said with a sexy grin.

He pulled me to him, pressing his lips against mine. He brought a hand to the back of my neck, his tongue seeking access to my mouth. He shrugged out of his jacket and dropped it on a barstool as he slowly walked me backwards into the apartment.

I gave in to the kiss. It felt nice. It wasn’t even close to the kiss I had with Drew, but it still felt good and I welcomed the distraction. I needed something to take my mind off Drew. You know what they say. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.

Peter was easy. There was no effort with him, no doubt. I didn’t really care how Peter felt about me. I wouldn’t wake up tomorrow wondering if everything was ruined because I kissed him. Fooling around with him was fun and uncomplicated.

My knees hit the back of the couch and Peter eased me down to my back, his lips moving to my ear. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “I’ve been thinking about this since I saw you at the gala.”

He kissed his way down my neck as his hands began to roam. He dragged his hand down my arm, to my side, to my hip, then my thigh. His lips returned to my mouth as his hand reached the hem of my dress. He tasted like peppermint, sweet with a little bite. He seemed to be a little over zealous with his tongue, but eh, that could work in my favor in another capacity.

He slipped a finger under the hem of my dress and I sighed. Taking the sound as encouragement, he started to move his hand higher and higher, pushing my dress up and exposing more of my thighs.

My head was saying this is far enough, but my body was screaming, “More, please!” It had been so long since I had gotten laid, I was ready to just give in. I didn’t particularly want to have sex with Peter, but what’s a little after-dinner foreplay going to hurt?

I kept my eyes closed, focusing on the sensation of his fingers tugging at the edge of my panties. I was just about to hit the brakes when I heard, “Shit!”

I froze and pulled away, thinking it was Peter who said it, but he looked just as confused as I was. I looked over his shoulder and Drew was standing just inside the door, livid. You could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears.

I scrambled out from under Peter, fixing my dress as I sat up.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Peter muttered under his breath.

Once I was sitting up with my dress back down where it belonged, I addressed Drew. “What are you doing here?”

He looked at me, confused. “I…I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t know you had company.” He shot a nasty look at Peter.

“Maybe I should go.” Peter got up from the couch. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He leaned down to give me a quick kiss. He picked up his jacket and walked out the door. Drew’s eyes followed him the entire trip from the couch to the door. He stared at the door long after Peter shut it.

“Drew, why are you here?” I was angry and a little embarrassed.

He turned toward me, running a hand over his face. He looked flustered. Maybe he was just as embarrassed as I was.

“I don’t know any more, Alex.” He threw a hand up in frustration. “I came over to talk to you. You didn’t answer when I knocked, so I tried the knob, and I come in to find that son of a bitch all over you.”

“I’m sorry that you busted into my apartment in the middle of the night because last time I checked, this is my apartment.” I can play naked twister with a room full of Bronies if I wanted to in my apartment.

“Were you going to sleep with him?” he demanded.

Was he serious? Was he seriously trying to dictate who I could and couldn’t have sex with? I shot to my feet. “That is none of your goddamn business!” I shouted, pointing a finger at him. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

His face went red. I have never seen Drew this pissed. “I’m trying to look out for you. That guy is complete shit. I’m just trying to protect you,” he screamed, taking a step in my direction. “If you…”

“Fuck you, Drew! I don’t need your protection.” Protect me? Was he kidding?

“You know what? Forget it! You want to fuck him, go right ahead, but when he…” He paused, his beautiful face so full of fury.

“When he what?”

“Fuck this!” He threw his hands up and stomped out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

I sank down to the couch. What just happened?

Chapter 13

 

 

Drew (Then)

“I never got the point of this movie,” I said, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

“What do you mean the point?”

“I mean, this old chick trains this girl to fuck with the guy’s head and he just takes it? What a pussy!” Red just looked at me like I was crazy. “What?”

“It’s romantic!”

“This is not romantic.” I pointed at the screen. “This is stupid. The old hag tells him she will break his heart. She is engaged when he finds her again in New York, and he still practically begs at her feet. It’s pathetic.”

“He loves her so much that he spends his life doing everything he can to be worthy of her.”

“Why isn’t he worthy of her in the first place?” I pointed out. “He’s a nice guy.”

“It’s a gesture. He wants to prove his love, like what your mom says.”

“That is nothing like what mom says. You fight to be the man the girl deserves after she loves you, not to make her love you. That guy is an idiot. He falls for the first girl to kiss him, and she does nothing but use him and fuck with his head.”

“Then why did you agree to watch it?”

“Gwyneth Paltrow gets naked.” I shrugged.

“Nice.”

“So,” I tried to steer the conversation toward her date with Russell without sounding too interested. “You never told me how your date went.”

“Eh.” She shrugged.

“Eh? What does that mean?”

“It was okay, but there wasn’t really anything there. We have nothing in common.”

“Well, that’s too bad.” I tried and failed to hide my smile.

“I think it was mutual anyway. He hasn’t called me, so no big deal.”

I told that son of a bitch to stay away from her. Looks like he heard my warning loud and clear. “I’m sorry, Red.”

She looked at me with a smirk on her face. “You are not.”

“I didn’t like the guy, sure, but I do want you to be happy.”

“Well then, I guess it worked out for everyone, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” I chuckled.

***

I woke up on the couch. The TV was still on and Red was asleep on my chest. We must have fallen asleep and shifted during the night. Her breathing was soft and her head rose and fell with my breathing.

She looked so beautiful. I ran a hand through her hair and she stirred. She turned her face up to mine and opened those beautiful green eyes, focusing on me.

“Good morning, Red.”

She pushed herself off of me and sat up. “Hey.” She wiped a hand across her face. “We fell asleep?”

“Yeah.” I got to my feet and stretched out my back. “You want some coffee?” She shot me an are-you-kidding look. “Right, I’ll start a pot.”

Sean came out of his room and headed into the kitchen. “Good morning.” He shot me a wink. “You two looked cozy on the couch last night.” He stuck his head in the fridge.

“We fell asleep.”

“Sure you did.” He winked at me, sounding less than convinced.

“Whatever, man.”

Red came in the kitchen and yawned, rubbing at her face. “I have to get going. I’ll see you later.”

I nodded. She grabbed her bag and headed out. I watched her leave, keeping my eyes on the door long after she closed it.

Sean leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee. He shook his head at me.

“What?”

“You got it bad, dude.” He took a sip from his mug.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee.

“Yes, you do.” He set his cup down and turned to face me.

“Look, yes, she is beautiful…” I started, but Sean cut me off.

“That girl is gorgeous, inside and out.”

“It’s not like that. We are friends.”

Sean dropped his head and sighed. “Whether you choose to admit it or not, you want her.” I started to argue, but he held up a hand to stop me. “I just hope for your sake you don’t fuck it up. Someone like Alex has longevity, my friend. Before you make a move, you better be ready.”

“You know me. I don’t do relationships, man. It’s too much pressure. Besides, Red is not into me anyway. She thinks I’m a player.”

“She’s not wrong.”

“I’m twenty-two. What’s wrong with enjoying a little variety?” I smiled.

“Nothing, but just make sure you don’t enjoy that particular variety,” he said, gesturing toward the door Alex just left through. He slapped me on the back as he headed into his room.

Alex was beautiful, smart, and funny, but I was not going to go there. She was becoming way too important to me, and whether I wanted to admit it or not, Sean was right. If something ever happened between us, it would be something big, not just a one night stand.

I was thinking about this too much. Red was my friend, nothing more. I shook off my concerns and went to take a shower.

***

The cold weather had let up enough that some of the guys decided to play some touch football in the quad. As I headed over there, I sent a text to Red.

Drew: Hey there, Red. Got a game going in the quad. You down?

 

Alex: For what?

 

Drew: Football.

 

Alex: I can’t play with you goons. You will crush me.

 

Drew: You don’t have to play, just come hang out.

 

Drew: We usually go out for beers and some food after.

 

Alex: I have to study.

 

Drew: Come on, Red. Bring your shit and you can study there.

 

Drew: It’s finally warm enough to venture outside. Take advantage.

 

Alex: Fine, be there in 10.

 

We were still picking teams when I saw Red heading our way. She dropped her backpack next to a large oak tree and took a seat. I smiled and waved at her from the field. She nodded, grabbed a sketch pad from her bag, and set it on her knee.

“Who’s the girl?” Chuck said, eyeing Red with interest.

“Re—I mean, Alex.”

“You hittin’ that?”

Chuck was not one for subtlety. I wouldn’t call him a friend, exactly, but we hung out in the same crowd. I would run into him at parties now and then, but I knew one thing for sure. I didn’t want him anywhere near Red.

“No, she’s a friend,” I said, my voice coming out a bit more intense than I intended.

Chuck took a step back, holding his hands in the air. “If you say so, man.”

The game was rough, but it felt good to run again, stretch my muscles a bit, and have some fun. Between plays, I snuck a peek at Red, who was engrossed in whatever she was sketching. The look on her face was so intense, I couldn’t help but admire her focus.

She had her long red hair piled up in a bun on top of her head with a pencil stuck in the side. She was working with colored pencils, but every once in a while she would rip the pencil out of her hair and make some adjustments, then shove it back into her hair.

I was so busy watching Red that I didn’t see Frankie headed straight for me until it was too late. He hit me hard in the chest, taking me clear off my feet as he raced toward the end zone.

I went down hard on my back, which forced the air from my lungs. All I saw was sky as I lay there, blinking, trying to catch my breath. Then Frankie’s face appeared. He asked if I was okay, but he sounded weird, like he was talking in slow motion. Red’s face appeared. Her big green eyes were wide with fear.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice coming in a little clearer than Frankie’s.

I nodded and Frankie offered me a hand. He pulled me up. My chest ached from the impact, but my head was clear. No real damage except the wound to my pride.

“Dude, didn’t you see me coming?”

“Not until it was too late.” I chuckled.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Red asked.

“Yeah, I’m good, Red.” I gave her a small smile. She was cute when she was worried.

Red refused to take her eyes off of me the rest of the game. I could feel her watching me, afraid I would drop dead any moment. I caught her eye and mouthed, “I’m fine.” Finally, she seemed convinced and went back to sketching.

When the game was over and my team had lost by six, I grabbed my bag and headed over to Red. I dropped my gym bag at her feet and she jumped at the sound.

“What are you working on?” I looked down at her pad.

“It’s a design concept for my residential design class. I’ve been working on a master suite. What do you think?” She held it out for me to see.

I knew nothing about interior design, but her talent was pretty clear from the sketch. “It looks great to me.”

I pulled my shirt over my head. It was soaked with sweat and covered in dirt from running all over the field. I used the dirty shirt to wipe off my face and chest before I grabbed the clean one stuffed in my bag. I noticed Red’s eyes were focused on my chest. I smiled a bit, liking the fact that seeing my body had gotten a reaction out of her.

I was having too much fun not to mess with her, so I dropped the wet shirt next to my bag and rested my hands on my hips. “Like what you see, Red?” I asked, smiling down at her.

She blinked and started to gather her stuff. “No!” Her voice sounded a little rattled as she got to her feet.

“No?” I took a step toward her. “Then why were you staring?” Her face flushed, and let’s just say I was feeling way more than amused by her reaction.

“I was checking to see if you had a bruise from where you got hit,” she said as a cover, but her eyes were telling a very different story.

I took another step toward her, resting my hand on the tree behind her head. “Oh really? So, you were just concerned for my well-being? How considerate of you.”

I stepped closer as she backed herself up against the tree. I was so close to her I could smell the delicious scent of her shampoo.

She swallowed as my eyes dropped to her full, pink lips. A few more inches and I could taste them. I looked back into those beautiful green eyes and saw nothing but panic. That one look brought me back to reality. What was I doing? I pushed off the tree and dug into my bag for a clean shirt.

“Don’t worry, no girl can resist.” I tugged the shirt over my head and winked at her.

Her face went from stunned to pissed instantly and I laughed as she pulled the pencil from her hair and threw it at me. I watched it sail a foot past my shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you a beer.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She playfully swatted at me, but eventually relaxed, letting me lead her toward the bar.

The guys were already a pitcher in by the time we got there. We made our way back to the cluster of little tables they commandeered in the back. When we approached, the guys started chanting, “MVP,” and slamming their fists down on the table, mocking me for how shitty I had played. I nodded, raising my arms in the air to encourage them.

“All right, all right. I suck, I get it.”

“Nah, maybe a little distracted,” Frankie said, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I shot him a don’t-go-there look. He shook his head and drank his beer.

“Guys, this is Red.” I gestured to Alex, who was standing at my side.

“Alex,” she said, giving them all a little wave.

The guys appraised Red like vultures circling a fresh kill. I was starting to regret bringing her.

I grabbed a couple of chairs for us and poured some beers from the pitcher. Chuck leaned over the table to address Red, nodding in my direction. “What are you doing with Drewfus over here?” He really is an idiot.

“Eh, my slutty roommate introduced us. Haven’t been able to shake him.” She shrugged and took a sip from her beer. Chuck laughed and smiled at her. This could be trouble.

Frankie bought a round of fireball shots. “Here’s to staying positive and testing negative,” he said, raising his glass to toast before taking the shot. We all tapped glasses and tipped them back.

Red got to her feet and said, “I got the next round.”

“I’ll give you a hand,” Chuck said. He got up and followed her to the bar.

I watched them go until Frankie said something I didn’t hear.

“What was that?

“I said, how’s your mom doing?”

I looked down into my almost empty glass. “Not bad, but not great either.”

“I’m sorry, man. No one deserves that shit, but especially not her.” He shook his head. I nodded and did my best to change the subject. Mom was not a subject I lingered on lately.

It had been a while and Red still hadn’t come back. I looked around and saw her leaning against the bar, smiling at Chuck, who reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. I could feel myself getting seriously pissed. I hated the idea of his hands on her. Hell, anyone’s hands on her.

I got to my feet and headed in their direction. “How are those shots coming, Red?”

“Oh, right.” She reached for the tray of shots. “Chuck and I were just talking.”

“No problem.” I took the tray from her and led her away from Chuck, shooting him a look that said hands off. He chuckled and shook his head as he followed us back to the table.

It was getting late and Red had a few too many, so I said goodbye to the guys and ushered her out of the bar. We stepped outside. The night air was crisp and a little cold. We stopped at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to change.

Red was starting to shiver, so I pulled her close to my chest, rubbing my hands up and down her arms to warm her up. She relaxed against me, dropping her head back against my shoulder as she let out a soft sigh. I wrapped my arms around her, breathed her in, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. This girl was getting under my skin. I’d never felt this way about anyone.

The light changed and I released her. I took her by the hand and led her back to campus. She stayed close to me as we walked and threaded her fingers through mine. I loved how easy things were with her, like this was how we were always supposed to be.

We walked in silence across the quad, toward her dorm. There were a few people milling around, but the night was mostly quiet. She leaned against me, a lazy smile spreading across her face. She looked happy and so beautiful in the soft light of the street lamps. I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. She had a power over me I couldn’t explain. It was amazing and terrifying, but I couldn’t get enough.

When we got to her room, she pulled the keys from her bag and tried to fit them into the lock but kept missing. I chuckled and reached for her hand, helping to guide the key into the lock. She turned the key and pushed the door open, almost falling into the dark, empty room. I grabbed her around the waist to keep her from falling as she laughed.

Once I was sure she had regained her balance, I let her go. She stepped away from me, dropping her bag next to her bed. She dropped down onto the mattress, kicked out of her shoes, and started to unbutton her jeans. I started to turn away, but she stood up too fast and lost her balance again, so I reached out to catch her. I held on to her as she stepped out of her jeans.

She pulled her shirt off like I wasn’t there and pulled open her dresser drawer, searching for something. I couldn’t help but stare at her as she rifled through the drawer. Her skin was perfect. The smooth slope of her naked back was begging for me to just reach out and touch her.

I turned my back to her and ran a hand over my face, trying to get a grip. When I turned around, she was wearing an oversized white t-shirt that was so thin, I could see she had taken off her bra. I swallowed quickly and blinked, resisting the urge to explore what that thin little shirt was hiding from me.

“You should get to bed,” I choked out, pulling back the covers of her bed.

She climbed in and I pulled the covers over her as she snuggled into her pillow. “Good night, Red,” I whispered. Her eyes were closed and I smiled as I turned to leave.

She reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me back down to her. “You know what?” she said, her voice soft. “I’d be lost without you, Drew.”

I smiled down at her. “Me too, Red.”

She was quiet, so I pulled away from her grasp and headed for the door. When I reached for the knob, I heard her mumble, “You should have kissed me.”

I headed out, softly closing the door behind me.

When I was safely in the hall with a locked door between us, I let out a breath. Fuck, I’m in way over my head.