Chapter 2 #2
“I’m not gay,” he repeated, and I took his hand and gave it a squeeze.
“I know. You can like girls and Jensen at the same time.”
“He’s my best friend. It’s not like I want to sleep with him,” he replied and screwed up his nose as he placed our joined hands on his thigh. “I came in here to comfort you, not the other way around. I wish you’d tell me what was wrong.”
A sigh left me, and I dropped my head onto his shoulder, closing my eyes for a second.
“How did we get here after all these years, Luke? Crying in a spoiled rich boy’s bathroom and hating each other.”
“I like you, I just suck at showing it,” he murmured. “You really won’t talk to me about what’s got you so upset? I’m a vault, I promise. You could tell me you murdered someone and I’d still keep it to myself. I won’t even tell Jense, and I tell him everything.”
My tense was automatic, and I forced out a laugh. “Murder? How did you come up with a wild idea like that?”
“Rory,” he said in a low voice, releasing my hand to tilt my chin up gently so he could meet my gaze. “Did you kill someone?”
A wet laugh left me as I shook my head, tears burning my eyes. “What? No. That’s insane. I couldn’t do something like that. Murder?”
A sob left me and he cursed, wrapping his arms around me to haul me onto his lap.
“Jesus Christ,” he said under his breath as I buried my face in the crook of his neck. “Is that why you were with Skeet last night?” I kept sobbing and he pressed a kiss to my head. “I’ve got you. We’ll figure this out.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tried to say, but he cut me off by holding me tighter.
“I said I’ve got you,” he said firmly, the door cracking open and making me jump. He held me tightly, glaring over my head. “Out.”
“What’s wrong?” Caden bit out, ignoring him. “I swear to God, you’d better—”
“If you don’t shut your mouth, walk out, and close that door behind you, I’m going to put Rory down and beat the shit out of you, Holloway. I’ve got her, so leave,” Lukas threw back without waiting for him to finish, surprising me slightly.
Lukas liked throwing hands, but he sounded ready to tear his friend's head from his shoulders.
Caden cursed at him but left the room, slamming the door behind him and leaving us alone. I lifted my arms to thread them around Lukas’ neck, and he grabbed the front of my towel as it fell, putting it back in place to cover me before hugging me back.
“Let me call Skeet,” he whispered, and I shook my head.
“No. I promised I’d be fine, so—”
“I’d be worried if you were fine right now,” he muttered. “Get dressed. We can lay around your room today and I’ll beat up the guys if they don’t stay out.”
“I still don’t trust you.”
“That’s fine. Let me prove you can,” he said softly, helping me to my feet and steering me into the bedroom to rummage in my closet while I stood awkwardly by the wall. He looked uncomfortable as he handed me some panties, and I chuckled as I took them from him.
“They’re just panties.”
“Yeah, your panties,” he snorted, averting his eyes to give me some privacy.
I dropped the towel and slid the panties up my legs, noticing Lukas turn his body away from me as I took the shirt from his outstretched hand.
He didn’t turn back around until I was covered, then he took my hand and gently tugged me towards my bed. “Get comfortable.”
At first, I thought he was going to just sit on the edge to talk, but he switched the TV on and curled up beside me, sliding his arms around me for comfort. He didn’t bring up the murder again, being more than content to just lie there with me and watch TV.
Lukas
Rory passed out after the second movie, her head on my shoulder with her arm and leg over me. Her thigh was pressing against my damn dick, and I willed myself to stay soft.
Every time she wriggled in her sleep, it became a challenge though.
I lifted a hand to brush her hair from her face with the tips of my fingers, cursing under my breath as she squirmed and rubbed against my dick again.
I’d spent my whole life wanting her to touch my dick, but that day wasn’t today. I didn’t want her waking up and finding me hard against her like a fucking twelve-year-old.
Someone opened the door, and I went to growl at whoever it was, but Jensen put his hand up in surrender.
“Just letting you know I’m heading home. Caden’s stomping around like an asshole and I’m kind of over it.” He ran his eyes over her before continuing. “How is she? Caden said she was hysterical.”
“I’ve got her. She doesn’t want to talk about it,” I said firmly, and he nodded.
“If either of you need me, call me or let yourself in at my place. You’re both welcome there.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, and he gave her one last glance before silently closing the door and leaving us alone.
Footsteps kept walking past the door over the next hour or two while Rory slept, and I knew it was Caden pacing. He hated being cut off by her, but knowing she’d chosen me to curl up with was probably killing him a little.
Served the asshole right.
I’d fucked up by not having her back, and I was going to do everything to show her how sorry I was.
Rory jerked in her sleep, startling me as she let out a whimper of fear. She’d always had nightmares for as long as I could remember, but this was different.
I winced as her knee jerked and smacked into my balls, and I blew out a breath to try and stop myself from throwing up from the pain.
“Rory? You’re dreaming,” I said softly, trying to keep her close as she started to fight me in her sleep. My hand slid up the back of her shirt and my free arm dipped under her neck to pull her closer, attempting to soothe her.
After a minute or two of struggling, she buried her face in my chest and snuggled closer, seeking my comfort as her nightmares faded slightly.
My mind couldn’t make sense of the entire situation she was in, and I was itching to ask Skeeter about it, but knew I couldn’t. I had to prove to Rory that she could trust me, and I was pretty sure she hadn’t wanted me to know because she wasn’t supposed to say anything.
Bringing it up with Skeeter could get her killed if it was Psychos business.
I stared down at her like a creep, my fingers teasing her warm back as I just enjoyed the fact that she was letting me hold her while she felt safe enough to sleep beside me.
She’d never love me in the same way that I loved her, but if I could convince her to keep me close as a friend, I’d take it.
Caden
“Stop being so loud, Jense said she’s asleep,” Tyler bit out as I slammed the kitchen cupboard, turning to glare at him.
“Why won’t she tell me what’s wrong? She obviously told Lukas.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because she hates you, you broke her trust, and Lukas isn’t a piece of shit,” he answered flatly, and I narrowed my eyes.
“He fucked her over just as much as I did.”
“To a point, but they also have a lot of history already. He wasn’t there when we humiliated her at school, and he obviously said the right thing to make her let him in. Let it go, dude. As long as she’s confiding in someone, that’s all that matters.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“Hers,” he said with a snort, scowling at me. “Stop thinking about yourself for five minutes. Do I wish she’d talk to us? Of course, but it’s her choice. If something’s upset her, then it’s up to her to tell us if she wants to.”
“But she told him, not us, and they’re snuggled up together like nothing happened,” I growled, smacking my fist on the counter. I was fucking pissed. If Lukas thought I’d let him swoop in and keep her to himself, he had another thing coming. “I’m calling Skeet.”
“Jesus Christ, are you serious?” Tyler snapped, moving around the counter to stand in front of me. “Luke has her.”
“Something fucked up obviously happened or she wouldn’t be this upset.
Don’t you want to know why she’s such a mess?
She flew through the door in a fucking shirt and not much else.
I don’t believe her bullshit story about the Corvette, I think someone fucking hurt her.
What if one of the Psychos’ enemies took her and assaulted her?
Or if Slash did something to her? Hell, Skeet could’ve even done something for all we know. ”
“If you think the Psychos did something, then it’s a bad idea to call Skeet,” he hissed, swatting at my phone to try and knock it out of my hand. “Holloway, you’re going to get her hurt.”
“I’m trying to help her!” I said through gritted teeth, and he let out a bark of laughter.
“Help her? You’re trying to control the situation. This isn’t about her, this is about you. You’re being a jealous bitch because she let Lukas in.”
I was a little jealous, but I wasn’t going to admit that out loud.
“If something happened to her, I want to know,” I answered firmly, finding Skeeter’s number and calling him. It almost rang out before he answered, his voice low.
“I’m busy.”
“What the fuck happened to Rory? She’s a goddamn mess,” I said sharply, and I hated how he paused. Something had definitely happened, and he didn’t want me to know. “What the fuck did you drag her into, Skeet?”
“I didn’t drag her into anything,” he snapped, his voice louder as I heard a door slam shut. “Stay out of it, Holloway. I fucking mean it.”
“My girl came home from your house, in nothing but a shirt, I might add, had a mental fucking breakdown, and the only person she’ll confide in is Lukas. If I have to come to your shed for answers, I will,” I threw back, a chuckle leaving him.
“Sure, show up at the Shed. Bet you don’t make it through the door without looking like Swiss cheese. She confided in Lukas?”
“Yeah, probably told him everything too, but she won’t tell me.”
There were muffled sounds before Skeeter cursed, Slash’s voice loud in my ear. “Be there in five.” Then he hung up.
“Slash is coming over,” I said as I pocketed my phone, and Tyler shook his head at me in disgust.
“Congratulations. Your tantrum probably just got her killed. As long as you find out the truth, right?”