Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
Rhett
Fifteen Years Ago
W hen Lainey and I left the park and got into my car, the diamond R necklace now hanging from her neck and the tattoo on my arm no longer a secret, the clock on my dash showed she still had thirty minutes before her curfew.
We weren’t far from her house; it would take me no time to get her home.
Before I turned on the car, I looked at her. I knew she’d had the best time tonight, that she had been surprised by everything I’d planned. She appreciated that I’d taken her to the park and brought food and her gifts. But underneath her happiness and the way she’d loved up on me, there was something eating at her.
It was Penelope.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get her sister off her mind. She was worried about what Penelope was doing at Elijah’s party, the unknowns endless since she wasn’t there to keep her eyes on her twin. And she was nervous that Penelope wouldn’t get home in time for their curfew.
Before we had gotten to the park, I had given Lainey the choice of going through with our date or going to the party. She had chosen the date, and I believed that was what she’d truly wanted.
I also knew that if Lainey got home and Penelope wasn’t there—and she wouldn’t be—she’d feel sick until her sister showed up.
I had the power to ease that.
“Rhett, what’s wrong?” Her voice was soft, her hand moving to my face as I continued to stare at her silently.
It was obvious something was going on since I still hadn’t started the car.
“We’re going to stop by the party and check on Penelope. I’ll give her a ride home if she needs one.”
“Really?” I could hear the surprise in her voice even though her tone hadn’t gotten any louder.
But what had changed was her grip. It became more loving, if that was even possible, her thumb rubbing the side of my mouth.
“Yes, really.”
Even though it was dark in the car and we weren’t under a streetlamp, I could sense the relief in her expression.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I linked our fingers together, and I pulled her hand up to my mouth, kissing the tops of her knuckles as I started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
“All you had to do was ask, and I would have taken you. You know that, right?”
“I know.”
Then, why didn’t you ask?
Lainey was doing everything in her power to stop mothering Penelope. She was trying to insert space between them, hoping that would help when they separated for college and Lainey wasn’t there to oversee every move Penelope made.
That was why she hadn’t asked.
The size of her heart and her caring nature were two things I loved the most about her.
Lainey wasn’t the type of girl who just held my hand, like we were doing now. She was the type who stroked my skin at the same time because she knew it soothed me, because it showed even more love.
She didn’t have to try; it just came naturally to her.
“We have to leave Elijah’s at about ten to twelve to make sure I get you home in time.” I’d never been late dropping her off, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. “I’m saying this because once we show up, everyone is going to be throwing drinks at us, trying to get us to stay and party, and it could turn into something wild.”
“And they’re going to be so wasted.”
“Exactly.”
“Do you know what it’s like getting away from a wasted person? They’re like an octopus, they cling, and they don’t let go.”
I laughed. “Which is why we need to be fast. We’ll divide up so we can cover double the ground in the same amount of time. When one of us finds Penelope, we’ll text the other person. If she needs a ride, then she’ll leave with us. We’ll slip out the back if we have to in order to draw less attention. Cool?”
“Perfect plan. But what if she’s not there?”
I quickly glanced at her. “You really think she’s not there?”
“Anything is possible when it comes to her.”
“True.” I pulled into Elijah’s neighborhood. “But something tells me she’s there.”
There were cars on both sides of the street, parked on every inch of spare curb, which told me Penelope’s description had been right when she called Lainey and said everyone was there.
“Penelope wasn’t kidding,” Lainey said. “It looks like the whole school is here.”
“You’re in my head. I was thinking the same thing.” I was still holding her hand up to my face, breathing in her skin, and I nipped the back of her palm. “But I’d much rather have been at the park with you than here with them. I’d choose you any day over this.”
I heard her smile when she said, “Same.”
I found a parking spot several houses past Elijah’s, and we climbed out and hurried toward the front of his mansion. As I opened the door, the blasting music hit my ears, and all I could smell was weed.
And people—they were everywhere.
Lainey walked in first, and I shut the door behind us, turning her toward me.
I put my hands around her ear, hoping to block out some of the noise as I said, “Most of my football team is here. The second they see me, it’s going to be hard to pull away from them. That’s why I’m going to go upstairs, where I assume it’s much less crowded, and check the bedrooms and bathrooms for Pen. Why don’t you stay down here, look outside by the pool, go into the parents’ bedroom and bathroom, dining room, living room, and media room? I even think there’s a wine cellar. It’s a big place. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
When I pulled away, she nodded.
My lips went close to her ear again, my arms wrapping around her, my hands on her ass. “Have your phone out and text me if you find her.”
“You do the same.”
“See you in a sec?—”
“My two favorite people,” Timothy said, cutting me off and stopping us from leaving.
The guy had come out of nowhere, his arms going around my shoulders and Lainey’s shoulders, holding us all close together.
I could smell the booze on him, and the weight he was bearing down on me told me he was having a hard time standing up.
“I was losing hope that I was going to see you fools tonight,” he said. “Don’t tell me, you went on a date and told each other how much you love each other.”
I didn’t take my eyes off Lainey when I replied, “I told her that a long time ago, but nice try.”
“I don’t blame you for keeping her away from this party.” His gaze was fixed on Lainey. “I wouldn’t bring her around these fucking vultures either.”
He readjusted his position, and his hand dangled past her shoulder, hanging over her chest.
I didn’t like it.
And if he wasn’t a friend, I would have broken his fucking wrist.
“Watch your fingers there, Timothy,” I warned.
He pulled back, locking those same fingers on her shoulder. “You’re worried I’m going to touch her titty?” He laughed. “Nothing I haven’t felt before.”
“You haven’t felt hers,” I barked.
“Her sister’s. Same thing,” he said.
“ Ewww . Gross, Timothy,” Lainey moaned.
They weren’t the same thing.
Not at all.
“Have you seen Penelope?” I asked him.
“Earlier, I think. I’m not sure. I stopped keeping track of that one a while ago. She’s nothing but fucking trouble.” He huffed at Lainey. “No offense.”
Before I could respond, he was gone.
In his wake, Lainey’s expression turned extremely somber.
Shit.
I would get her head straight and apologize for Timothy being a dick, but right now, I needed to focus on finding Penelope and getting us the hell out of here so Lainey would be able to sleep tonight.
I pulled Lainey against me and said into her ear, “I’m going upstairs. Be careful of the vultures around here, as Timothy put it.”
After she nodded, I gave her a kiss and took off for the staircase. It wrapped around the whole side of the foyer with a catwalk across the middle that separated the two wings. From the upstairs landing, I had a direct view of the party downstairs—not all of it, just the living room and kitchen and hints of the patio.
It was packed, wall to wall, with people. Lainey was going to have a hard time making her way through.
I began my search on the right wing, rushing toward the end of the hallway, where there were at least eight doors on both sides.
I didn’t knock. I didn’t have time to wait for a response. I just opened the door.
What was inside didn’t surprise me.
There were three people on the bed—two chicks and a guy. Naked. All getting it on. They didn’t even notice that I’d opened the door or that I was standing there.
Since I was positive each of these rooms had their own bathroom, I needed to go in.
Fuck .
As I went past the bed, I looked at the faces of the girls just long enough to prove that neither of them was Penelope before I checked out the bathroom.
It was empty.
As I was making my way around the bed again, I heard, “Rhett, come join us,” from one of the girls.
I didn’t turn around. I didn’t even stop long enough to respond. I closed the door behind me and moved on to the next room.
The vibe in here was completely different. There were about eight people, either sitting on the bed or standing around it. There was a full-length mirror resting across the bottom of the mattress with a large mound of white powder on top of it. Some of them were busy dividing the powder into lines. Some were snorting the lines that had already been cut.
I studied each of their faces as I got deeper into the room, and once I confirmed Penelope wasn’t in the bathroom, I got out of there.
But as I left, a part of me was surprised she hadn’t been in there.
The third room was much quieter than the last two.
There was a dude in the bed without a shirt on, holding his phone, looking like he was typing on the screen.
I knew him.
He was on the lacrosse team.
“Is Penelope in here?” I asked.
He slowly glanced at me, my voice gaining his attention but the opening of the door hadn’t. “Who?”
“Penelope Taylor.”
He was staring at me like he didn’t understand what I was asking, and he wasn’t saying a fucking word.
I didn’t have time for this.
I went around the bed and peered inside the bathroom.
Even though the light was off, there was enough coming from the bedroom that showed a shadow of a body bent in front of the toilet.
I flipped the light switch, and long hair and a thin frame came into view. So did the bareness of her back and arms and legs.
There was no question in my mind …
It was Penelope.
I had known she’d be at the party. I just hadn’t wanted to find her like this.
Damn it, Pen.
She was such a pain in my ass. I hated the way she always guilted Lainey into stuff that my girl didn’t want to do, but she was Lainey’s sister, and Lainey loved Pen more than anything. My girl would forever worry about her, so I handled Penelope the best way I knew how.
And now, that was getting her out of this bathroom.
As I approached, I smelled the vomit. It was on the floor where she was sitting, on her legs and arms, and on the seat of the toilet, where she was resting her face.
Since she was only wearing a bra and panties, I grabbed a towel from the rod by the shower and wrapped it around her.
“Penelope,” I whispered.
“Leave.” She tried to push me, but there was no force or energy in her hand. “I’m sick.”
“It’s me. Rhett. I’m going to help you and take you home.”
“Rhett?” she whimpered. “ Mmm . My lover boy.”
Hair was stuck to her forehead and cheeks, which were pale and sweaty.
“Are you okay?”
“No.” Her eyes stayed closed, but her mouth was open as little bubbles formed on her lips. “I hurt.”
“What hurts?”
“Head. Stomach.” She moved her mouth off the seat and into the openness of the toilet. Nothing came out when she heaved. “Spinning. Everything is.” She dry-heaved again.
“Where are your clothes?”
She attempted to raise her hand and point.
“I’ll be right back.” In the bedroom, I said to the guy, “Where are her clothes?”
He didn’t respond.
“Where are her fucking clothes?”
He gradually looked from his phone to me, and like before, he just silently gawked at me.
What the fuck is wrong with this guy?
I didn’t bother waiting for the motherfucker to answer.
I searched the room instead and found a heap of clothes on the floor, almost under the bed. I grabbed the whole pile and brought it into the bathroom, dropping it on the counter, sorting through them until I found a dress. Before I could put it on her, I picked up a towel by the sink and soaked it under the faucet, adding some hand soap.
I knelt beside her. “I’m going to clean your face, all right?”
She let out a groan as I dragged the towel over her lips and cheeks, trying to clean off some of the puke that had dried before rubbing the coldness over her forehead. I hoped the water would cool her down a little. I was sure she was hot based on how clammy she felt. I then washed her arms and legs.
“I see why she loves you.”
As she looked at me, her pupils were blown, her expression pulled, like she was half with it and half gone.
“Come on, Penelope. Let’s get you dressed.”
I pulled at the neck of the dress and positioned it over her head, helping her guide her arms through.
“My body is better than hers, isn’t it? My tits are bigger. My ass, better.”
I tugged at the material until it was covering her back.
“I’m never jealous of her.” Her voice was scratchy and thick. “But I’m jealous that she has you.” She was wobbly as she released the toilet. “I should have gotten to you first.”
This was the booze talking and whatever else she’d ingested tonight.
I wasn’t listening to a word of it.
I put her arm around my shoulders and helped her onto her feet, yanking the dress as low as it would go. “Can you walk?”
She turned her body, putting her other arm on my shoulder, and she stood in front of me. “I wish you were mine.”
“Penelope, can you walk?”
“I wish you were going to NYU for me …”
If I tossed her over my shoulder, turning her upside down to carry her, something told me she’d feel even worse and probably puke on me. So, I put my arm behind her knees and one on her back, and I lifted her against me.
She folded her arms around me and rested her face in my neck. “Right where I’m supposed to be.” She sighed, and it sounded like it was full of pain. “I love you.” The scent of vomit was almost too much for me to handle. “I love you so much … Rhett.”
Jesus Christ.
As I got us into the bedroom, I said to the dude, “You’re a fucking asshole.”
“I’m the asshole?” He folded his arm behind his head. “Looks like you’re the one who’s taking her for round two. She likes it doggy style, if you don’t already know, and her ass slapped nice and hard.”
I flipped him off as I walked us out of the room and down the hallway to the stairs. As I reached the bottom, Lainey was almost at the first step.
“You forgot to text me when you found her.” She held Penelope’s bare feet. “Is she okay?”
Too much shit had been happening, and I’d forgotten.
“I found her in one of the bathrooms. She’s sick, Lainey.”
I’d give her all the details—most of them anyway. I just wasn’t sure telling her the things Penelope had said to me was such a good idea—but not here.
Lainey rubbed her hands over Penelope’s shins. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll get you home and get you straight to bed.” She looked at me. “Should I go look for her shoes?”
“You’re absolutely not going up there,” I told her. “Lead us to the car. I need to get you both home.”
Lainey turned toward the door, and as I followed, Penelope whispered, “My hero,” in my ear.