Текст книги "Triangle: The Complete Series"

Автор книги: Susann Julieva

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He only grins in response. I look at him, gorgeous as ever in the warm sunlight. Statuesque

perfection. Like he was created by ancient Greek gods for the sole purpose of being admired. I would

still love to paint him some day, how weird is that? And I still get a little nervous when he’s this close to

me. How could you not be? He just has that effect on people. I should hate him for it, but somehow I

don’t. I’m not sure I’ve forgiven him for what he did to me, but then again I’m really not sure there’s

that much to forgive.

“You really like James, don’t you?” I say quietly. “That’s not like you.”

He laughs softly. “Don’t presume you know me, Mills, just because we made out once.”

“No, I wouldn’t know you because of that. You’d make out with anyone if it suited your plans.”

He looks at me with a sly smile, not offended. But his expression changes when I continue. “I know

you because you didn’t hit me that time when I tried to hit you.”

“And what does that tell you about me?”

“A lot.” It makes perfect sense, now that I’ve had time to think about it. “For one thing, you knew

James would never forgive you if you had.”

“Go on, I do enjoy a good amateur psychoanalysis.”

“And it shows just how controlled you are. You never let go, do you? You can’t. You always seem so

laid-back, but you’ve got to be in control, at all times.” I look at him pensively. “No wonder you study

acting. And you are one hell of an actor already.”

He smiles, and the smile seems genuine. He studies me thoughtfully with those amazing dark eyes.

Why does he never do what you expect him to? Shouldn’t he be mad at me for saying that or

something? Maybe he is right and I know nothing about him at all.

I feel self-conscious all of a sudden, and try to hide it behind a half-joking remark. “You could at

least admit defeat, you know.”

Rizzo laughs, and practically radiates that aloof, mysterious confidence of his that makes me feel

like a mere school boy. “Oh, but I’m not defeated, Mills. This little game of ours, it’s only just begun.”

“I hate you,” I sigh.

He grins. “Don’t you wish you would?” He climbs to his feet, and as he stands there in the bright

sunlight, he throws a deep shadow over me.

“See you around, Mills.” Without looking at me, he saunters away, and I stare after him, a strange

chill lingering in the air. I shudder.

Chapter 17

Invincible

JAMES: Well, this is it. The semester is officially over. I don’t know why the end of term always

makes me feel down. Maybe because you can never be sure that when you return in a couple of months

time things will be the same. Campus never changes, but people still do. I have a feeling that this time,

it might be me doing the changing. Tomorrow morning, Casey, Rizzo and I will go our separate ways.

Not for too long in Casey’s and my case. He invited me to come and stay. His family has this awesome

lodge by a small idyllic lake, not far from where he lives. And this year, he promised we would have it

to ourselves. Two weeks of quality time with my Casey to look forward to definitely makes going back

home easier to bear. My Casey. It still feels weird to think about him that way. I can’t get over the fact

how incredibly amazing he is.

I remember talking about this with him a while ago, about people never being able to hold on to

happiness. And I recall him saying something that I thought sounded not like Casey at all at the time.

“Maybe happiness is not really a long-term thing. It’s only moments. And maybe love isn’t about

eternal bliss either. It’s all about finding someone who makes it easy for you to experience and share

those rare moments of happiness. And that’s all there is to it.”

I remember his words so accurately because it surprised me that a hopeless romantic like him should

believe something like that. But I think he was right.

Rizzo is not amused, that much I can tell. It’s hard to think of him as Rizzo now, because the name

just doesn’t seem intimate enough. I tried to call him Danny once, but he just laughed and shook his

handsome head, his brown eyes turning into sparkling gold in the sunlight. “I like the way you say

‘Rizzo’. It’s sexy.”

So Rizzo it is. Maybe he needs that kind of distance. Maybe we both do. I think he has been

avoiding me all week, and who can blame him. I’m always with Casey, and hell, couples that just got

together are always annoying. But sometimes I catch him looking at Casey with the cool interest of a

surgeon contemplating which organs would be most painful to remove. And Casey, on the other side,

can be surprisingly possessive. I just want for them to get along. Because I’m a selfish bastard, and I

want them both in my life. There, I said it. But damn it, it’s the truth. I don’t know how or when Rizzo

became important to me, I just know that he is. It’s like he’s that one piece of the puzzle that doesn’t

quite fit, but you know you need to place it for everything to come together and take shape.

Okay, Foley, let’s make a deal. You will stop thinking about crap like this right now. You will simply

lean back and try to enjoy tonight. And pray that Casey and Rizzo won’t kill each other. Ack. Suddenly

celebrating the end of term together doesn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.

***

We took Rizzo’s car and drove down to that all-year fair by the sea where all the bars and cafes on the

boardwalk have clearly seen better days. There’s a trace of decay in the warm, humid night air, a dusty

melancholy that I like. Always at the peak of summer, you can smell fall blowing in on a lazy breeze,

waiting to paint the leaves rust and gold. I like fall better anyway, because it’s a time of change. Change

is something I can believe in. It’s much harder to believe that things are going to last. Rizzo got a bottle

of cheap red wine from somewhere. It’s really bad and horribly sweet, and we drink from it in turns as

we lean on the balustrade and lazily watch a wild party that’s in full swing on the beach. There is a

young couple in love walking close to the water, and every time the waves crash to the shore the chick

runs away with a shrill giggle you can hear from over here. I smile when she does it again.

Casey moves a little closer to me and puts his hand on my back. His gentle touch heats the spot

where his fingers are lying immediately, but despite it still being unbelievably hot so late this evening

and my T-shirt sticking to my skin already, I can’t say that I mind. Rizzo is on my other side, holding

the bottle of wine in one hand, a smoke in the other, looking unusually pensive as he gazes at the

mysterious dark waters in the distance. The evening has been lovely so far, and both Rizzo and Casey

seem to be willing to bury the hatchet. Well, more or less. I feel exceptionally good tonight, almost

peaceful. Maybe it’s the wine. Maybe it’s the two gorgeous men framing me.

Okay, it’s the one million dollar question, James. If you could have sex with either of them right

now, who would it be? Geez. What is it with sex and heat? I can’t think of a more powerful aphrodisiac.

Violently dragging myself out of thirteen-year-old-walking-hormone-me, I catch a bit of friendly banter

between Casey and Rizzo, and wonder why both of them are suddenly grinning as I glance at each of

them, one eyebrow arched because I have no idea what they are talking about.

“He’s definitely Oscar.”

“He’s not.”

“Who is? Which Oscar?” I ask, and have a feeling they are talking about me.

“You are,” Rizzo answers promptly with a mischievous grin without further explanation.

“So who are you, then? Miss Piggy?” Casey grins and snatches the bottle of wine from his hand to

take a swig.

“That’s Muppets, dumbass.”

“Wait a minute, I’m Oscar from Sesame Street?”

“Rizzo thinks you are, I don’t.”

“In Henson-verse, I’d rather be Pepe,” I frown slightly, and they both laugh.

“You are Statler and Waldorf, combined in one person,” Rizzo chuckles, his eyes warm and in sharp

contrast to the cheeky words as he looks at me.

I smirk dryly. “Sadly, that’s probably true.”

He winks at me and with a quick motion reaches over and steals the wine back.

Casey looks at him with a small, cool grin. “I got it. You’re Rizzo, the Rat.”

“Ooh, clever. Did you come up with that all by yourself, Fozzie?”

I can’t help laughing out loud. “Fozzie? He’s not!”

“Well, who’s he then? Beaker?”

“God, you’re satanic.”

Giving Rizzo a look, Casey simply leans in to kiss me, and I return the kiss with a smile. Well, this

round goes to Casey. Sorry, Riz.

Music is carried over from the crammed bar behind us. They are endlessly playing Southside

Johnny’s greatest hits on repeat, but I don’t mind. It’s exuberant and at the same time bittersweet.

Somehow it fits the moment perfectly. They just don’t write songs like that anymore. Lost in my

thoughts I listen, and take Casey’s hand in mine, squeezing it gently. I can sense Rizzo looking at me,

and our eyes meet.

Rizzo smiles, and looks away. “Okay, my turn with a question.”

“I have a feeling this isn’t gonna be about Muppets.”

“You can bet your tight little ass on that.”

We laugh, even Casey does.

“First time you had sex. Let’s hear it.”

Casey and I look at each other. “How about you start?”

“Sure. She was gorgeous, a friend of my mother’s. I was fourteen.”

I snort. “Yeah, right.”

“Could you be any more of a cliche?” Casey grins.

Rizzo shrugs nonchalantly. “What can I do. Chicks love me. Your turn, Jimmy Boy.”

I groan. “Fine. Justin McEvan. Captain of the baseball team.”

“School team?” Casey asks.

“No. The team I was on.”

Rizzo almost chokes on his wine. “Wait a minute – you were on a baseball team?”

I glare at him. “I was made to, alright?”

“I can’t believe you were a jock!”

“I can’t either,” Casey admits.

“Moving on,” I say, giving them both a look. “So, this guy Justin. He pretty much cornered me in the

changing room after a match. I thought he was gonna beat me up.”

Rizzo laughs, and claps his hands.

“Yeah, I’m glad you find my life so amusing.”

“James, you really don’t have to…” Casey starts, but I shrug. I don’t really mind.

“Anyway, that was it. My first time. I was fifteen, and fool enough to believe it would change things.

Like the team wasn’t gonna give me hell anymore after that. Like Justin would start to treat me like a

person. Well, he didn’t. Next time he wanted some, I punched him in the face and told him that if he and

his dick ever came near me again, I’d cut it off.”

Rizzo is almost pissing himself laughing. Casey is smiling, too, but at least he’s trying to hide it.

“I’m sorry. That must have really hurt you, to be treated like that.”

“Not that much, no. He was a jerk.”

Rizzo is still grinning. “Mills, your time to amuse us.”

Casey actually blushes. “Oh well. My girlfriend in high school, she didn’t believe in sex before

marriage. So my first was actually…” He looks at me. “James.”

I smile and lean over to give him a little kiss.

“I think I’m gonna heave,” Rizzo grins.

“And I,” Casey announces, “am gonna go and take a leak.” He kisses me again and walks away,

looking for a bar or place that doesn’t look too shabby.

I watch him leave, then I turn to Rizzo. “Okay, you. The truth. What was your first time really like?”

He laughs softly, and his eyes are sparkling mischievously. “Swear that you won’t tell.”

“Cross my heart, et cetera.”

“Fine. I’ll tell you. It was at some garden party our parents had dragged us along to. I don’t think I

even knew her name. She was cute, a few years older than me. We were bored. So we did it in the

bathroom.”

“What was it like?”

He grimaces. “Oh you know, first time. Kinda awkward.”

I laugh, but I know that my eyes are shining warmly when I look at him. Damn that boy and his

devilish charm.

“So you never scored with your mom’s friend.”

“Oh, that did happen. Just wasn’t my first time.”

“And was that kinda awkward, too?”

“Far from it.” He grins.

“You’re impossible.”

“And you like that about me.”

“Well… maybe a little bit.”

“A lot. Admit it.”

We laugh, and I’m glad to get around an answer because Casey returns. He joins us and makes a

little motion with his head towards the beach. “Let’s get away from the crowd.”

***

We don’t have to walk far to reach a spot where the beach is completely deserted. After all the noise on

the boardwalk, the night seems strangely quiet, the only sound being the rhythmical surf licking at the

wet sand beside us as we stroll along.

Rizzo backs away from the dark water and beckons us to follow him up to the dunes. It’s exhausting

to walk on the soft sand, especially with it being so damn hot tonight. When we reach the top, Rizzo

leads us through the rough, high grass and we flop down in a hollow between the dunes, panting softly

from climbing up here. The heat makes me feel slightly dizzy, thoughts are slow, molasses-thick.

“Too hot,” Casey moans and rolls onto his side to rest his head on my shoulder.

Rizzo holds out the bottle of wine to him, but he tiredly shakes his head. I grab it, and take a long

swig. Not that it helps much, but at least it’s something fluid. Rizzo props his back against a wall of cool

sand and watches Casey and me lying there together, his eyes fathomless in the darkness. The tip of his

cigarette glows brightly when he takes a drag, like a firefly under a sky sparkling with a billion stars.

“So what are you up to this summer?” I ask after a while when the silence gets uncomfortable.

Rizzo shrugs and flicks ash from the tip of his cigarette to the ground with a lazy, well-practiced

motion. “Nothing you kids wanna know about,” he grins.

I just arch an eyebrow. D’oh. I thought we were past the snide remarks, but apparently not. His eyes

are smoldering darkly as they quickly drop to Casey at my side, then they get warmer as they come to

rest on me again. “I think my folks are going to Europe, France or somewhere, so I’ll have trouble-free

digs.”

“France… wow. Why aren’t you going with them?”

“Hell,” he chuckles. “James, are you mad? I’m glad I don’t have to hang with those idiots and play

family.”

“Fair enough,” I grin and hand him the wine. Our fingers touch when he takes the bottle, and he

stares into my eyes for a second before he downs the rest of the rich, bittersweet fluid. Gah.

Casey stirs beside me and slowly sits up, wiping a few drops of sweat off his forehead. He slides his

hand under his white cotton T-shirt absent-mindedly. “God, I’d sell my soul for a cold shower right now.

I think any kind of clothes would be too warm tonight.”

Rizzo and I look at each other, chuckling softly, and I have a feeling we’re both thinking the same

thing. There’s a sparkle in Rizzo’s dark eyes when he proposes matter-of-factly: “So take off your

clothes, Mills.”

Casey laughs, then pauses and stares at him, taken aback. I swallow, and Rizzo licks his lower lip.

We all know that was not a joke. It was a dare. I mentally fan myself. All of a sudden it seems twice as

hot as before. The air is thick, heavy with expectation, tension and… sex. I could feel this thunderstorm

brewing on the horizon all evening, ever since we got into Rizzo’s car, but it was still possible to ignore

before he brought it up. I guess there is always sex in the air as soon as two of us get together, let alone

all three of us. And now Rizzo has got that hungry, predatory look in his eyes. Oh Jesus. A threesome?

Is he serious?

I can feel Casey’s gaze on me and turn my head towards him. The question is in his eyes: Is that

what you want?

“You don’t have to,” I whisper into his ear after quickly sitting up beside him. I know that this

dangerous rivalry between him and Rizzo could make him do a hell of a lot of things he normally

wouldn’t. I don’t think threesomes are really his thing. But still… Shit, the mere thought of watching

him with Rizzo… or even having them both… Skin, and sweat, and muscles flexing with every motion,

and soft moans… The aching stirs, deep and red and fiery between my legs. Suddenly I’m very aware

of Rizzo intently watching every move we make, and I have a flashback of the night he made us kiss in

front of everyone. Oh heaven help me.

Casey’s eyes soften. Does he understand? Does he know? He takes my face in his hand and pulls me

close for a soft kiss. He still continues to look at me after we part. And then he smiles and simply takes

off his shirt.

With a sly grin Rizzo effortlessly strips off his own shirt and crawls over to join us. God, his is a

body to die for. Watching impatiently as Casey raises my arms and pulls my T-shirt over my head,

Rizzo’s fathomless eyes are black with lust. Looking at me, he gives Casey a good, unexpected push,

and he falls over backwards, landing on his back on the cool sand. Rizzo’s hand reaches out to Casey’s

jeans, still without turning his eyes from my face. The sharp sound of the zipper being opened rips

through the electrified silence as Rizzo grabs me and passionately buries his tongue in my mouth. For a

moment my mind goes totally blank, and I just feel. Feel him exploring me, the kiss deep and hungry,

tasting like wine and cigarettes, but for once I don’t mind.

Rizzo breaks the kiss with a smug grin, then he turns his attention back to Casey, who used our

momentary distraction to get completely naked. Something in the way Rizzo’s eyes wander over

Casey’s skin sends a hot shiver down my spine. Casey has been watching us with more than interest, I

notice with pleasant surprise as my eyes drop to his crotch. He starts to sit up to join us, but with a quick

motion Rizzo grabs him by the shoulders and pins him to the sandy ground.

“Oh no, you don’t,” he orders him to stay down and climbs on top of him. Now straddling Casey, he

pins his arms to the ground at his sides with a grin. A small gasp escapes from Casey’s lips.

“Well, who would have thought,” Rizzo chuckles softly and glances at Casey’s arousal. “Little

Casey’s a naughty boy after all.” Something dark flashes in his eyes as he bends down, his lips

temptingly hovering above Casey’s, never touching. “Do you like it? Would you like to see me and your

boyfriend get it on?”

“Screw you,” Casey squeezes out and there’s a flash of a smile on his lips before he grabs the back

of Rizzo’s head, pulling him down for a kiss. Rizzo more allows it than welcomes it, looking at me all

the while. Something in his eyes gives me goosebumps, and I’m hot all over. I can tell he’d much rather

be kissing me right now. I don’t know why that does such wild things to me.

Casey frees a hand, signaling for me to join them. He puts his right arm around me when I lay down

by his side and his fingers play with my hair while he is kissing Rizzo. This is one of the moments you

wish you could freeze time and pause to simply enjoy the sensation. I lean back a little to get a better

view, and my heart is beating madly. God, what a picture. Their skin glistens in the silver moonlight

with every move they make. Casey’s scent fills my nostrils, and Rizzo’s eyes are still fixed on me, dark

with desire.

As soon as Rizzo begins to move downwards, kissing, licking a trail along his neck, Casey draws me

close and lustfully slides his tongue into my mouth. His eyes are glazed over.

No words are spoken, but the night air is filled with the sounds of our breathing and soft moans, a

song of passion. Instinctively Casey’s fingers dig into my back as Rizzo’s playful tongue and soft kisses

reach his bellybutton and he stops for a moment before he continues to tease the soft, white skin,

moving further down towards Casey’s crotch. Casey’s hips rock slightly in response, and he’s

practically begging for more. I can almost feel the yearning, his body radiating with a fire burning

underneath as my fingers caress his chest. I look down to Rizzo in the exact moment he takes Casey

into his mouth.

“Oh god shit,” my boy moans, and instinctively his body curves up to meet the touch. His breathing

accelerates rapidly as Rizzo begins to work his magic. Jesus, this is hot.

I’m now so painfully hard and so ready that I almost can’t bear holding on without touching myself

to ease the ache. Glorious… The word runs through my mind and I hold on to it as I watch Casey writhe

with pleasure for minutes until he comes. Glorious, and otherworldly, and the most beautiful thing I

have ever seen in my life. Rizzo wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, and there’s something

predatory in the way he looks up at me that makes me shiver.

“Your turn,” he commands with that soft, sensual voice, and climbs down from Casey, fishing for

something in the back pocket of his jeans. Christ. Does he always carry lube, or did he speculate on

something happening tonight? He’s got condoms, too. Rizzo needs only one moment to get rid of his

denim. Then he moves over to me, both of us on our knees. I glance at Casey, who gives me a small,

exhausted but content smile. I’ll take that as a yes then, alright? Because honestly, even if I wanted to

stop now, with Rizzo looking at me like that before he grabs me and pulls me close, I don’t really think

I’d be able to.

Our lips meet with so much passion it’s almost painful. His hands are everywhere, almost violent,

needy, possessive, and something raw, animal springs to life inside of me. There’s unmistakable

devotion in his kiss… and something else, almost submissive, or burning for submission. A wildcat,

begging to be tamed. I’m panting from an overload of desire. With a quick, fluid motion, I force Rizzo

down on all fours. He allows it with a low, sensual moan. Never taking my hands off his back, I position

myself behind him. God, the most gorgeous ass the world has ever seen, and no doubt about it. I bend

down and teasingly lick at the silken, salty skin of his back, and he curses under his breath as a soft

tremble runs over his body. Rizzo dying with desire for me to take him, that’s definitely not something

you get to see every day, and it turns me on more than I can say. I admiringly run my hand along his

back and over his ass, and he makes a small, almost painful noise that gives away the full depth of his

craving for my touch. I’ve never been with anyone this beautiful, and there’s something amazing,

almost surreal about it.

As I carefully prepare him, he makes another low noise in his throat.

“God, James, come on,” he curses almost desperately.

Not that I really needed another invitation. Rizzo, as far as he’s concerned, seems to almost glow

with ecstasy even before I begin to move in him. Oh god, this is unbelievably good…

* * *

With a loud bang Rizzo closes the trunk of his car and flashes a sexy little smile at Casey and me. We

are all dead tired the next morning, and for good reason. A grin steals onto my lips just thinking of it.

Casey and I came down from my room to see Rizzo off, and now we are standing beside his shining red

ride, arm in arm, and Casey has his hand in the back pocket of my jeans. His dad is going to pick him

up in two hours, and I’m taking a bus home this afternoon. I get a cold, nervous ball in my stomach

thinking about leaving here and what awaits me, but I push these thoughts to the back of my head.

“You know,” Casey says spontaneously as Rizzo squeezes past us and opens the driver’s door,

“James and I are gonna go to my family’s holiday lodge for some time in a week. Why don’t you give

us a call and come by some time?”

Rizzo arches an eyebrow and looks from him to me, a sly grin appearing on his lips. “Maybe I will.”

His eyes linger on my face for a moment. He looks like he is going to say something else, but then he

just smiles and gets into the car. I think I understand anyway.

Rizzo starts the engine and Casey and I wave as he speeds away, raising a cloud of dust that

encircles us completely. Slowly the feeling sinks in that he is really gone. It feels like he has left a wide

gap. Casey and I exchange a look and he smiles a little.

“That was… interesting.” Casey sounds both pensive and amused as we turn around and go back

inside the building.

I’m not sure if he’s taking about Rizzo’s exit, last night, or maybe this whole semester, but he is

definitely right. I laugh softly and pull him close for a long, tender kiss. When we part there’s a trace of

sadness in his eyes that surprises me.

“Do you think he’ll really come by?” he asks quietly.

“Hey, this is Rizzo we’re talking about. ‘Course he will,” I grin, trying to chase away the melancholy

that seems to hang heavy in the air now.

Casey nods and smiles a little, his hands warm on my chest as they slide down to rest on my hips. He

doesn’t look at me when he speaks again, softly. “I knew you wanted him.”

Startled, I just stare at him for a moment, then I vehemently shake my head, very serious now.

“Casey, all I want is you, don’t you know that?”

The blue eyes light up when he looks at me, and he smiles in a way that touches my heart. “Maybe,

yeah. But it’s okay, James. Because you’re with me.”

I swallow, and force myself to smile. “I sure am.” God, I feel like such a creep. I knew it. Last night

was a mistake. Somehow, instinctively, Casey now seems to sense that there’s a part of me that needs

Rizzo almost as much as I need him. I don’t know why it is that way. It shouldn’t be, because Casey is

the one I love. But Rizzo… Man, it’ll take more than a good lay to get him out of my system. Exorcism

or rehab, either way, there’s something I have to do about it.

“You kinda looked like you wanted him too,” I tease him.

“Nooo,” he lies with a grin.

We both laugh, and it’s just a tiny bit awkward, but he looks so cute.

“Love ya,” Casey says under his breath, once again knowing exactly what I need to hear right now. I

close my eyes to drink in the words. I put my arms around him and just hold him tight for a moment.

And it’s then that I know somehow that everything is going to be okay. I don’t know how or when, but

I’ll find a way.

Suddenly someone punches me on the shoulder, and I let go off Casey and turn around to see Anna

grinning at me. “See you next semester, dickhead.”

“Have a nice summer, you crazy dyke.”

On her way out she nods to Casey. “See? Got what you wanted in the end!”

I watch as the door closes behind her, smiling to myself. Casey is smiling too. It makes me feel

hopeful. They never show you what happens after the glorious happy end. They never show you that it

takes a continuous effort to love and be loved. And I’m sure Rizzo will somehow manage to turn my

whole world upside down again next time we meet. But you know, that’s fine with me. This certainly

isn’t the end of this story, but only the beginning. So just let him come. Let them all come. I’m ready.

For once, I know I really am.

End of Book 1

Back to Table of Contents

Book 2

Redefinitions

by Susann Julieva

Chapter 1

Pavlov’s Dog

DANNY: Alright, I admit it, I’m excited. He’s here. I can’t keep myself from checking out that

delicious ass of his as he strolls past me, into the hall. He stops right in the middle, drops his bag and

just gapes unbelievingly.

“Geez. You call this a house? It’s a freakin’ palace!”

Yeah, what can I say? I guess it is. I just shrug and give him my special grin that never seems to have

the same effect on him it has on every other goddamned person on this planet. J, you’re killing me.

I watch with a smile as he gazes around wide-eyed, moving carefully like a museum visitor in some

exclusive art temple. Most people are a little intimidated when they come to my place the first time, but

I think James is the only one who ever looked so lost. I can almost hear his brain working, planning a

surprising escape the moment I turn my back. Oh no, Jimmy, you stay right where you are. This time,

you’re not getting away so easily.

Feels weird, him being here. The original plan was to follow Casey’s invitation and pay them a little

visit, but the days went by and I kept putting it off, and finally I realized that I probably wouldn’t go at

all. Not that I didn’t want to see him… But then I would have had to share with Mills, and that little twit

is just not good at sharing. Come to think of it, I may not be either. Not when it comes to James. That’s

really irritating. That wasn’t supposed to happen.

Anyway, last week I decided that something had to be done to make him remember that I exist, and

gave him a call. And what does James do? He tells me precious Casey is visiting some relatives down

South with the family, which is why he is home and not with him. I can take a hint, especially when it’s

being made with a “Save me!” sign practically attached to it. He sounded so relieved to hear my voice,

it actually made me want to get into my car and just snatch him away from whomever or whatever was

making him so miserable. Still, even when I asked, I honestly never believed he would accept. But here

he is.

James turns around to look at me, a little frown on his handsome forehead. “I had no idea your folks

were that rich.”

“It’s my mom’s dough. Come on, I’ll give you a tour.”

He nods, looking terribly uncomfortable as he follows me down the corridor to the big living room.

Yeah, well. It’s not like I really love this place either.

Suddenly he stops dead and points at the painting we just passed. “Christ, is that real? Is that a real

Klee?”

“Better be,” I smirk and wink at him.

James stares at me like I just revealed to him that Santa Claus actually exists, then turns his attention

back to good old Paul’s doodling, completely and totally amazed. I had no idea he was so into this stuff.

I step to his side and watch him as his pretty blue eyes take in the painting, a look of awe chasing the

nervous frown from his handsome face.

“It’s so beautiful.” He pauses, takes a deep breath. When he continues to speak, he sounds

thoughtful. “I like how he cuts these thin, colored lines into the dark background.”

“Why do you think he does that?” I ask with a smile, more to catch his attention than out of actual

interest.

He glances at me, smiles a little, still in his own world. “People usually use bright colors on dark

backgrounds, but he does it the other way around, see? It’s only when you cut through the dark layer on

top that the beauty underneath is revealed.”