Fading Away (Hardest Mistakes #1) (12 page)

CHAPTER 18

Sammy

“Sammy, this is Kiera and Chloe. They’re in my anatomy class at the university.”

“Nice to meet you.” I nod at the extremely drunk girls leaning on each other. It’s starting to get late, or should I say early, and a lot of people have left. The ones that are still here are completely wasted. I spot Riley over on the deck and walk over to him. He’s hardly come near me all night.

“Sssammmyy,” he slurs as I get closer. Okay, so he’s one of the drunken ones. He tilts dangerously on his chair and leans forward as if he’s about to pass out.

“Let’s go upstairs,” I suggest, reaching under his arms and helping him walk inside. Once we make it up the stairs and into my room, I help him onto the bed. Kai is curled up in the far corner, growling low in his throat. “Would you please stop that?” I snap at him, trying to help Riley out of his shoes so he can lie down. Kai stops abruptly and turns away from us.

Riley suddenly grabs the back of my neck roughly and smashes his mouth against mine, pulling me down on top of him on the bed. I forget myself for a moment and let him kiss and touch me, until I remember he’s completely wasted.

“Riley, stop.” I gently push him away. He grunts a response then closes his eyes, passing out. I sit up and glance over at Kai. His silver eyes peek over at me before turning away again.

***

I wake to an aching back and a splitting headache. I didn’t drink last night, how do I have a hangover? Rolling over, I realize I’m lying on the cold hard floor beside my bed. Oh, that’s right.

Riley is snoring on my bed. I twist my head to find Kai awake and staring at me.

“What?” I ask, sitting up slowly. He shakes his head and gets up to leave the room. “Wait, Kai,” I whisper, he stops at the door and looks back at me. “I’m sorry for snapping at you last night.” He turns back to trot down the stairs. I sigh heavily and heave myself off the floor.

Riley’s honey colored hair is spread out around his head on my pillow. I smile to myself and decide to go and start breakfast for all the hungover people still hanging around the house. Something greasy. I grab a huge bag of bacon out the freezer and start defrosting it.

“Oh god, turn that noise off,” Ashlee tip-toes up behind me and whispers. I open the microwave door to stop the dinging. Ashlee leans on me. “Let’s never have a party again.” I chuckle, helping her to a seat at the dining table and handing her a glass of water with two aspirin.

Around midday all the party stragglers have eaten some of my greasy bacon and eggs and made their way home. Riley emerges from my room just as I’m washing dishes.

“Hey beautiful.” He walks up behind me and wraps me in a hug.

“Hi yourself.” I giggle. Riley’s breath tickles my throat. I twist in his arms to face him. He kisses me soundly on the lips and takes a step back.

“I have to go, see you in class tomorrow?” he asks. His green eyes sparkle in the light coming from the kitchen window. I try to hide my disappointment and smile at him.

“Sure, see you then.” He leans in and kisses me again before turning and walking out to the front door to his car.

***

“Will you come over to my place this weekend?” Riley asks from behind me. I’m trying to keep my attention on Professor Zedic, but I’m failing miserably. Giving up, I smile and spin in my seat.

“Okay, but I have work on Saturday.”

“I’ll cook you dinner on Friday night then?”

“You cook?” He nods with a grin. “Then yes,” I answer. He lifts his pen and continues writing notes down in the book in front of him.

After class I stroll over to the community college. Professor Mosley is just locking his door as I approach.

“Professor Mosley, wait,” I call after him as he turns to leave.

“Oh, Miss Stevens. Nice to see you again.” He adjusts his shoulder bag and pulls out some paper. “The assignment that your brother turned was very well done.” He hands me the papers. “Here are his results and the notes from the last few classes, I’ve emailed them, but just in case you see him anytime soon, I printed out a copy.” He smiles at me and spins around to walk away. I beam down at the paper in my hands. Kai got a top score, just wait until I tell him.

***

Riley texts me his address on Friday afternoon. I nearly crash my car in nervousness on my way over. I’ve never done this kind of thing before. He opens his door and waits for me as I pull into his driveway.

“Hi,” he greets me as I walk up the path to him. “Dinner is nearly ready. Come inside.” He places his hand on the small of my back and guides me into the dining room. Mark passes us and grabs keys from the entry way table.

“Hey Sammy.” He smiles. “Is Ashlee home?” I nod with an encouraging grin. The door closes with a snick behind him. Riley pulls out a chair for me and helps me sit. The table is set with two burning candles and a beautiful red table cloth. Riley heads into the kitchen and comes back out with a large pot, which he places in the center of the small table.

“Wow, Riley, this looks amazing,” I declare as he scoops thick, chunky soup into my bowl. Raising my eyebrows in apprehension, I put a spoonful in my mouth. The chunks of pork melt in my mouth around the white sauce. It tastes so good that I moan. Riley chuckles beside me and starts spooning his own share into his mouth.

When I’m nearly bursting at the seams, full of pork stew, we retire to his living room. Riley puts a disc into the DVD player and settles onto the sofa beside me. I don’t remember the beginning of the movie, because as soon as the beginning credits start Riley is leaning over me with his mouth pressed firmly on mine. His hands start getting grabby and roam my body, making me uncomfortable. I push on his shoulder to stop him.

He sits back and frowns in confusion.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize, reaching for his hand. “I’m not really comfortable with that sort of stuff yet.” He nods and settles back into the cushions with his arm around my shoulders.

Before long, the end credits roll across the screen and I stretch. Riley walks me out to my car and places a chaste kiss on my forehead. I smile and wave as I pull out of the driveway.

Kai

If memory serves me correctly—which it might not, because I’m pretty sure I’m losing my mind—today is my birthday. The day I turn nineteen and no one knows, or even cares, for that matter. To be fair, it’s not like I can remind them, or tell Sam.

All the lights in the house are off and I’m lying in the kitchen staring out the window at the stars barely visible through the trees. Ashlee is upstairs with Mark again. I’m trying to tune out so I can’t hear the giggling and other noises they’re making.

The front door creaks open and I stand up to investigate. Sam tip-toes in the door and freezes when she sees me watching from the kitchen. Her mouth moves, she’s speaking. I tilt my head and focus on what she’s saying.

“Kai? Did you hear me? Where are they?” she whispers, the door closing quietly behind her. I tip my head up toward the stairs and snort under my breath. She smiles. “Okay, I’m heading up to my room. Coming?” she asks in a louder voice, climbing up the stairs.

I sigh and follow her slowly. She’s already closed herself in the bathroom to get changed by the time I curl up on her bedroom floor. She comes out and quickly jumps into her bed, glancing over at me to say goodnight. The moonlight shines on her bed, and before long her breathing slows in sleep.

Happy birthday to me.

Sammy

Ashlee and I drive to work the next morning in her red sports car. I quickly get the hang of waitressing; it’s so close to what I was doing at the coffee shop, only difference is there are full meals to be served instead of just coffee and cakes.

Dylan frowns at me every time I walk close to him. Geez, what did I ever do to him? There’s another girl working with us now as well; Chloe from the party last week. She seems to enjoy reminding me of the fact that she and Dylan are apparently an item…like I care. By the end of my shift, I’ve been cracked on the elbow with serving trays or chairs, sneered at, and frowned at. I exhale a sigh of relief as I slide into Ashlee’s car.

Kai is in the backyard when we get home. Ashlee heads into the kitchen to pour us both a glass of Coke while I go outside to check on him. I get close to him and he turns to me. He looks feral, just like the night I found him bleeding out on the deck. His pupils are so small I nearly can’t see them. I scowl, cautiously taking a step closer. He growls low in his throat and lowers his head, ears pinned back to his neck. He’s starting to scare me.

“Kai, snap out of it,” I whisper-shout at him. He shakes his head and his pupils dilate, returning to normal. I kneel in front of him and touch his soft cheek. “What’s happening to you?” He holds my gaze a moment longer then dismisses my concern by walking past me and into the house.

“Sammy!” Ashlee calls from the deck. I stroll over to her, take the glass she offers me, and have a sip.

“Has this got something in it?” I eye her curiously.

She smiles. “Yes, you’re at home. It’s fine. I’m going over to Mark’s place tonight. Do you want me to send Riley over if he’s there?” I glance at Kai, standing in the doorway watching us.

“No, I have a few assignments I need to get finished.” I take another sip of my drink and follow Ashlee back inside. She leaves half an hour later with an overnight bag. I relax into the sofa cushions with a bag of chips and my Coke, and switch the TV on. There’s a new show starting tonight, and I really want to catch it, the ads have me intrigued.

“You really like this crap, don’t you?” Kai asks from behind the sofa. I move my legs so he can sit down.

“Yes, I do,” I answer, passing him the bag of chips. I take another sip of my drink; my head feels a little fuzzy.

Kai glances over at me and narrows his eyes. “What are you drinking?”

I purse my lips. “Nothing.” He frowns and reaches for the glass. I gulp down the last of it before he snatches it out of my hands. I know I’m acting like I child, but I can’t stop myself. He sniffs the glass and places it on the table.

“Ashlee should know better. Since when did you start drinking?” He pauses and looks back at me. I sit up and teeter awkwardly toward him, a little dizzy. He catches my shoulders before I end up in his lap. “All right, I think it’s time for bed.”

I’m suddenly lifted into Kai’s arms and he’s carrying me up the stairs. I press closer to his chest and breathe in his smell. He sighs and lays me gently on the bed, taking off my glasses and placing them on the nightstand. I reach up to grab a hold of his shirt to drag him down with me, but he tugs my fingers out of his shirt and throws the covers over me. I cuddle up to my blanket and Kai sits down on the edge of the bed facing me.

“What are you thinking about?” I whisper into the quiet.

Kai looks up at me in surprise. “Sorry?”

“You were staring off into space all quiet and brooding.”

He hesitates. “I was actually thinking about my father.” His voice cracks on the last word and he looks away. “He was always kind to me. Not like my mother. I can still remember the way his voice sounded when he said, ‘Son, you do whatever makes you happy in life. Choose the path you want to follow, not what your mother chooses for you.’” He stops and stares at the wall, then suddenly he lifts his head and looks over at me.

“Sammy?”

I sit up expectantly. “Yes?”

He bites his lip and slides closer along the bed. Reaching out slowly, he carefully pulls the hair band from my hair, releasing it from my ponytail, then he gently runs his fingers through the soft strands before suddenly snatching his hand away and looking down at the floor beneath his feet.

“Sorry, you better get some sleep.” I scrunch my face up in confusion. What was that? He pauses at the door, glancing back over his shoulder at me. The last thing I remember before falling into one of the best sleeps I’ve ever had, is the glowing silver of his eyes.

***

I’m stacking trays at the Deli the next morning, just minding my own business, when Dylan suddenly appears beside me. I raise an eyebrow at him. He hasn’t spoken a word to me, not since school ended. Well, to be honest he didn’t even speak to me at school. I always thought he seemed a bit shy.

“I’m sorry if I’ve come across as mean in the past, but you’re kind of hard to approach.” Chloe is watching us, I can see her out of the corner of my eye.

“Can I help you with something, Dylan?”

He hesitates. “I was just wondering if maybe we could get a coffee or something after work one day.”

I frown, suddenly confused. “Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Chloe is too far away to hear us, but she’s glaring at me now.

“Who, Chloe?” Dylan asks. “No, we had a one night thing once, but it’s been over for a long time. Besides, I was only asking as a friend.”