Sierra
Chapter thirty-three
Waking up, my body crying in pain, I look around, confused.
How did I get into my bed? Then all the memories come flooding back.
Cyrus, telling him the truth, the kiss, and, oh my god, the bath.
He saw me completely naked, bathed me, and caused me so much pleasure without even knowing it.
The way his fingers danced along my skin as he dragged the sponge over it had my core begging for his touch.
Reaching behind me, I feel for him with my hand, only to find the spot empty and cold. I’m alone. Where is he?
“Cyrus,” I call out, my voice hoarse from sleep.
He doesn’t respond, but I hear his footsteps as he makes his way down the hallway. “Well, good morning, sleeping beauty. How are you feeling?”
He’s got on a tank top but has lost his pants and is wearing only his boxer briefs.
My eyes slowly scan his body, starting at his feet, going up his muscular legs, and skipping over the sizable bulge in his boxer briefs.
Though I’d love to stay there. His six-pack abs are the kind that make women drool and add to it the delicious V of his Adonis belt.
“Eyes up here, baby, not that I mind. You can stare at my body any time you want. Stare, touch, lick, kiss, anything.” He winks, grinning from ear to ear.
“Ss-ss-sorry. What time is it?”
“It’s about nine-thirty. Mrs. Butler stopped by.
I like the old lady. She’s going to be back here any minute actually, to sit with you.
I’m going to run home and pack some clothes and stop by the hardware store for a new lock for the front door.
She likes me since she found me sleeping on the couch when she popped in this morning.
She thinks I’m a perfect gentleman. Do you need to use the restroom? ”
Oddly, I didn’t until he said something, now I have to with urgency. “Umm, yeah, I do.” Moving the comforter off of me, I go to sit up, but he’s immediately at my side.
“I got you.” He scoops me up and carries me to the bathroom. At this rate, if he keeps doing this, I’m going to lose complete function in my legs.
“You know I can walk, right? It may be slow and painful, but I can. You really don’t have to carry me everywhere.”
“I know, but I like doing it. It makes me happy. So, Lilac, can you let me be happy?”
God, this man. His touch electrifies me. I can feel the heat radiating between us. I still don’t understand why he insists on calling me Lilac when he knows my real name. Shit, at this point, he knows every part of my body.
“Yeah, but I think I should walk some, too. I mean, I’m going to have to get used to it, especially since I need to go back to work and school.” His expression changes from happy-go-lucky and sexy to grumpy and angry as he furrows his brows.
“You’re not going to school or work, not anytime soon. You’ve been injured badly and need to heal. That's not going to happen, fucking spinning around a pole or lugging a book bag around.” He sits me down on the toilet and squats in front of me with a serious look on his face. “Cyrus…”
“Cyrus nothing. Now listen to me. Mrs. Butler already called the school and they’re going to have your teachers get your assignments together for the week and have them sent to you. Rico already ordered me to keep you home until you are pain free,” he tells me, placing his hands gently on my knees.
“But I need to work. I have bills to pay,” I confess as the tears spill over, falling down my cheeks. When did I turn into such an emotional mess?
“They’ll be paid. You are to do nothing but heal, no stressing allowed. Now, I’m going to let you use the bathroom in privacy and then I’ll be back for you.”
He stands and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.
I just sit there, processing everything he just said, until my body screams at me with the need to piss.
Gripping the counter, I stand slowly to slip my panties down and handle my business.
Once I’m done, I wash my hands and brush my teeth, embarrassed that he smelled my morning breath when he was talking to me.
Opening the door, I take advantage of Cyrus not standing there, to walk myself to the living room.
I’ve barely made it two steps when he appears in front of me, his lips in a thin line and jaw clenched.
“I told you I’d be back. You were supposed to wait.
” He scoops me up, but this time I don’t even complain, there's no use.
“I’ve got the couch made up and some pancakes already waiting.
I have another pain pill for you to take after you’ve eaten.
Now, while I’m out, is there anything else you need?
Anything you want to eat? Snack? Do you need any tampons or anything?
” I can’t help it. I burst out into laughter, pushing the pain I’m feeling to the back of my mind.
“What's so funny?” Cyrus looks at me with his eyebrow raised and I just stare for a minute, dumbfounded. He really doesn’t get what I’m laughing at.
“Tampons! You really just asked me if I needed tampons.”
“And? Do you use pads instead? Either way, I don’t get what's funny about it.”
“It’s just, do you always offer to buy sanitary products for your female friends?” I'm genuinely curious now. I’ve never had a man offer to buy them before.
“Well, I wasn’t sure. I would rather get it for you than have to leave you alone to go later to get it. I have no plan to leave you alone, at least until you’re completely healed.” A knock at the door halts our conversation as Mrs. Butler opens it and steps inside.
“Sierra, how are you feeling, sweetheart?” she asks as she hurries across the room to me.
“I’ll be back.” Cyrus leans over, kissing me softly on the lips before heading to the door and leaving. Mrs. Butler has a shit-eating grin on her face the whole time but doesn’t say a word until he’s out of the room.
“I like him. He’s a good boy, and he cares about you. I’ll even give him a pass on where he works, especially since he was sleeping on the couch when I popped in this morning. That's a big check mark in his favor. Now tell me, how are you really feeling this morning?”
“I feel like death, but happy Sam wasn’t here to see it, or worse, have something happen to her.”
She just smiles at me before telling me I need to eat. She makes herself comfortable on the other end of the couch and opens up the bag she had on her shoulder that I hadn’t noticed, pulling out some yarn and needles, and begins crocheting.
Zander
Waking up this morning, I’m like a zombie.
I finally gave in at about three this morning and went to sleep, only to be back up at six to get ready for school.
The first thing I did was scramble around in my bed, searching for my phone.
Fuck, it’s almost dead. That little red line telling me I have three percent left, looking back at me like the killer in a movie ready to suck the life out of his next victim.
I quickly press the message button to see if she’s responded, and fuck. No, no, no… It powers off.
I go to stand, but my leg gets caught up in my sheet and crash to the ground, thankfully turning at the last second, so my back takes the brunt of the impact.
Recovering quickly, I jump up and plug in my phone.
The urge to impatiently wait while it charges hits, but I fight it.
I need to get ready; the sooner I do that, the quicker I can get to the school and find out what's going on.
Sierra always replies to my messages, even that one time when Brax messaged and pissed her off. Then it hits me like a battering ram, Colt. That fucking interrogation he did on her. She couldn’t get out of here quickly enough. I swear to god if he messes this up for me, I’m going to kill him.
Storming out of the room, I stomp myself past his door to the bathroom.
I need to keep my emotions and mouth under control until I talk to her.
Jumping the gun and being wrong would only fuck up my relationship with my brother, well more than it already is.
I love him, but he’s falling too easily for what Wes is telling him, with no proof to back it up.
Wasting no time, I take a quick shower and brush my teeth. All the things I would normally take my time doing, I do at lightning speed today. I’m just stepping out of the bathroom when I’m caught off guard by Brax leaning up against the wall. “Have you heard anything from her?”
My head falls, and I shake my head as I head to my bedroom with Brax on my heels.
“What do you think happened? She was having such a good time Saturday, she and Sam both. Well, until Colt kept pressing her about where she worked and then she couldn’t get out of here fast enough.”
Opening the door, I step inside, my eyes going straight to where my phone is lying.
The need to check it is powerful, but I know it needs to charge.
I need to show some restraint at this moment.
I’ll give it until I get dressed. Heading straight to my dresser, I drop my towel to the floor as Brax moves over and sits on the bed, eyes focused on my phone.
When I’m finished, I sit beside my brother on the bed. “Zan, I just got back in her good graces. Saturday was amazing. She didn’t hate me, and it was like we had moved past my stupidity.”
“We can’t assume anything until we see her. She could just be tired, or maybe something’s wrong with the phone?” I’m saying this to him, but at the same time, trying to tell myself. It could be nothing, and we are just overreacting.
Standing up, I head straight for my desk and pick it up. Powering it back on, fifty percent flashes at the top. Thank god for a fast charger. But still nothing, all my texts are unanswered. Hitting the contact button, I scroll to her name and hit call. Straight to voicemail. What the fuck!
“This isn’t good, man. Let’s go to her apartment.”
“We can’t, Brax. We don’t have a clue which one she lives in. Let’s just get to school and find her. She can’t run from us when we are right in front of her.”
Heading out of my bedroom, I almost crash into Colt coming out of his room. “What’s the hurry? Never seen you this excited to get to school.”
“Just want to see Sierra. Colt, I swear if you pissed her off on Saturday, I’m going to fucking kick your ass.” Brax jumps in front, spitting out at him before I can say anything.
“So this is how it is. A fucking chick with some used-up pussy is more important than your twin. I didn’t do a damn thing.
You were all there. All I did was try to get to know her, and see if what Wes was saying was true or not.
She’s the one who was defensive with the questions and did you see how she was throwing herself at Dad?
You two need to wake up. I’ll be downstairs and I’m driving today.
” Colt storms off down the hallway, mumbling under his breath.
Loud enough for us to hear but not make anything out.
“Don’t listen to him. He’s crazy and I know for a fact he liked her. Wesley’s poisoning him and he doesn’t even know it. Let’s just get to school and see our girl.” Brax places a reassuring hand on my shoulder before heading down the stairs.
Our girl. I like the sound of that. The fact we can see her with us, not making her have to choose. I love it.
The ride to school was normal. The tension from the hallway gone.
As if Colt saying his peace was the end of it.
During the drive, all he could talk about was some movie that he saw previews for on television about a bear and some cocaine.
It sounded stupid to me, but hey, who knows?
Parking in our spot at school, we get out and split up.
Colt heads to wherever Wes and his posse of devoted followers are, and Brax and I try to find Sierra.
She is going to talk to us whether she likes it or not.
She needs to know we are here for her and Sam.
I was excited to tell her about how much Dad talked about Sam after she left. He fell one hundred percent in love with her. If he were to adopt another kid, I know he’d want it to be a girl and to be just like her.
But with each minute that passes and we can’t find her, I panic. Then when the bell rings to start the day and she’s still not here, I’m frantic.
Pulling out my phone, I check for the hundredth time, but no response. It doesn’t stop me from sending another one, though.
Me: Sierra. Where are you? Are you okay? Please answer me.
Me: I’m worried…