7. Molly
Isplashed water on my face and looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, not surprised to see dark circles under my eyes. I didn’t sleep much last night. I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened in Atticus’ room. I didn’t want to like what I saw, but after a couple of hours lying in bed and thinking about it, I had to admit to myself that I did. I liked it. My nerdy brother was hiding a hell of a body under his loose clothing. Even without getting a great look at his cock, I had the impression that it was big. Aside from that, he had a physique that made women drool. A broad chest and toned ab muscles. He even had that V-shape at his hips that I kept imagining tracing with my tongue.
All of this wasn’t really what kept me awake. If it was just sexual frustration I was feeling, I could’ve taken care of that, or fallen asleep to have an amazing wet dream.
The real reason I was up most of the night was that I was pissed off by my own thoughts. I didn’t want to find him attractive. He was such a nerd, not at all my type. I was into athletes. Jocks who were confident and had grown-up interests.
And, of course, he was my brother. That made my thoughts even more forbidden and frustrating. But it also turned me on in a sick, twisted way.
There was a knock on the bathroom door and Jenna’s voice came through.
“Molly? You almost done? Your mom says that breakfast is on the table.”
“Uh, yeah.”
I pulled my brown hair into a messy bun on the top of my head and came out of the bathroom. The smell of bacon lightened my mood, and I looped my arm through Olivia’s as we followed Jenna down the stairs. Taking our seats, we all filled our plates with pancakes and bacon. My aunt carried in a pot of coffee and started filling the mugs while my dad brought out more pancakes. I was sure that my mom was in the kitchen, making even more. There were a lot of people here to feed this weekend.
But one person was absent.
Atticus wasn’t here. The seat across from me was empty.
I wasn’t sure why I was surprised after what happened last night that. He probably left. Firmly reminding myself that I didn’t care about whether he was present, I focused on eating and chatting with everyone at the table. My uncles weren’t present, and I had to wonder if that was because they were both dealing with hangovers.
“I want to go to Nico’s today,” Jenna said, referring to a boutique on Main Street in town. “I saw a pair of heels in the window the other day that I can’t stop thinking about.”
I rolled my eyes. Jenna had more shoes than any other person I knew, but she was always looking to buy more. She was one of those girls who would blow a whole paycheck on shoes if they were the “perfect pair.”
Olivia met my eyes and chuckled. “We could always check out the lingerie section,” she suggested, knowing I was a big fan of all things lace and silk.
I was tempted, but I shook my head. “Maybe I can catch up with you guys later,” I suggested. “I need to find my phone today and I’ll be better off if I’m in the house alone. No questions that way.”
My parents would be upset if they knew I had snuck into his room to embarrass him. They didn’t understand why I couldn’t stand my brother.
Olivia and I had looked around Atticus’ room for a while last night, but we never found my phone. I could tell that Olivia was tired, and I was too freaked out to linger for long in the room. But in the light of day, it seemed like something I could handle. Besides, Atticus wasn’t here anymore.
Jenna and Olivia seemed a little put out over my decision not to join them, but they just shrugged and let it go. They understood it was nearly impossible for a twenty-year-old girl to go without her phone for an extended period of time. I promised them I’d text later, once I found it, and meet them in town.
After breakfast, my friends left, and my parents dragged all of my aunts and uncles out to go antiquing. I was alone in the house, and I headed straight for Atticus’ room. In my heart, I knew the phone wasn’t there, but I searched every inch of the room, anyway.
When I didn’t find it, I double-checked the hallway, thinking that I might have actually dropped it on the way back to my bedroom. I was so panicked that anything seemed possible. Of course, it wasn’t there.
The sound of the cabin’s landline phone ringing cut through the disappointment I felt, and I rushed downstairs to answer it. “Hello?”
“Molly.”
How Atticus said that one word sent a shiver down my spine. There was a strange intensity to it.
“Do you have my phone?” I asked, putting some extra sass into my voice to cover up that effect.
“No friendly greeting for your big bro?” He chuckled, and there was something sinister to it.
“Just answer my question.”
“There’s a cabin across the lake from you. It’s the one with a red door. Take one of the cars in the driveway and come over.”
“What are you?—”
There was a click on the line as he hung up. Putting the phone down, I walked to the huge bay window facing the lake. There, on the other side, I saw the small cabin he was talking about. Why was he there?
I hesitated, a sense of foreboding washing over me. Whatever Atticus wanted, I had a feeling it wasn’t nearly as simple as returning my phone. He wouldn’t ask me to come to a strange cabin on the other side of the lake just for that. What would be the point of it? Slightly inconveniencing me?
There had to be something up this sleeve. I didn’t know what he wanted, but I couldn’t deny that I was curious. Atticus was up to something. I could feel it.
So, I swallowed my pride and did as he commanded. Whatever secrets my brother was hiding beneath that nerd exterior, I had a feeling I was about to catch a glimpse of them.