Obsession (20 page)

“Ursa Major, the big dipper, is named
after Callisto, one of Zeus’ lovers. She had his child, which
pissed off another Greek goddess, Hera. Hera turned Callisto into a
bear because of it.”

“That’s a bitchy thing to
do.”

Mitch grinned. “Maybe if Hera wasn’t
married to Zeus.” My eyes widened. “Zeus and Callisto’s son, Arcas,
saw Callisto in the woods one day, and tried to spear her. So Zeus
changed Arcas into a bear, Ursa Minor—”

“The little dipper,” I said before he
could make some smart remark like I hadn’t been paying
attention.

“Yes, and placed them both in the
sky.”

“Bet that made his wife happy—mistress
and love child out of the picture.”

Mitch shook his head while laughing.
He began pointing out more constellations, and I was fascinated by
his knowledge of what lay among the stars.

“My favorite is the Milky Way though,”
he smirked, turning to his side so we were facing each
other.

“Why’s that?”

Mitch licked his lips, and I could
only imagine what story was going to come from his mouth. “The
Milky Way came from Rhea, Cronus’ wife. Cronus was crazy. Right
before he killed his father for the Greek throne, he was warned one
of his children would overpower him.”

“Sounds like karma,” I
chided.

“Well, he decided to
swallow all of his children, except one. Zeus.
Rhea
hid Zeus, then wrapped a rock in a blanket to fool Cronus.
Before Cronus swallowed the rock, Cronus wanted Rhea to nurse the
baby one last time. He pushed the rock to her tit and POOF—milk
shot everywhere. Hence, the Milky Way.”

“No way!”
I
laughed
,
sitting up.

Mitch shrugged, sitting up with me.
“It’s true in Greek Mythology.”

“And what would a scientist
say?”

“Scientists are boring,” Mitch
scoffed. We both laughed again, then stared quietly out at the
city. It had to be well past midnight. We’d been gazing at the
stars for a while, but I wasn’t ready for the night to be over. I
could sit out here in the slight breeze, listening to Mitch and his
love of other worlds, even if I thought they were a bunch of
stories.

“
This gravel isn’t very
comfortable,” I winced, wishing we had something softer to sit
on.

“Here.
” Mitch began unbuttoning
his shirt, peeling it from his arms to hand to me. “It’s not that
thick, but it’
ll help.
And it’s getting colder.”
I took the shirt gratefully, sliding it on, enjoying smelling his
woodsy scent as I curled myself into it more. He lay back down,
wearing only his white undershirt, a look I was used to seeing on a
daily basis in Miami. It formed his well-built upper body. His one
bicep bulged as he put it under his head, and the other flexed as
he reached for me, guiding me down to lay on his chest. I stiffened
at first, but let him lead me, shutting my eyes as my head met his
broad chest.

Mitch gently ran a hand through my
hair as he gazed up at the sky. “Tell me more about you,” he
whispered.

“There’s not that much more to say. My
life isn’t that interesting.”

I heard him laugh under his breath.
“You’re the most fascinating woman I’ve ever met.”

“Maybe,” I playfully
agreed.

He laughed again. “Tell me about your
reckless years.”

“Who said
they’
re
over?
”

“You’re such a smart ass.”

I insinuated being offended, but he
knew me better than that. “Tell me about yours.”

“Well
, I’d say they ended when my
d
ad
died.
”
Mitch
’s hand
stilled in my hair, his chest expanding as he took a deep
breath.

“Losing someone you’re close to
sucks,” I murmured, huddling my arms to my chest, feeling the deep
hole in my heart that had never been filled.

“It hit me harder than I ever thought.
Losing my parents had always crossed my mind, but you don’t expect
it to feel the way it does. There were so many things I wish I
could have said to him.”

“Or wish you wouldn’t have said.” I
gulped, my words barely a whisper.

Mitch rolled to his side,
causing me to move as well. He was leaning on his elbow now, deep
in thought. “Yeah, I remember saying some really stupid shit to him
before he died. He’d always applauded me for being…
promiscuous.
” He turned his head,
a slight hint of shame coming from his face. “Then, for whatever
reason, he wanted me to change my playboy ways and settle down like
Tyler. I laughed it off, but he got really angry with me for not
taking his advice seriously, and I got angry back.”

I sat up, pulling my knees to my
chest, feeling that familiar tightening that would form whenever my
pent up emotions began to show.

“I just wish he knew I actually heard
his advice and took it to heart, just not right away.”

Words escaped me as my own demons were
rising inside of me, remembering what Rod stole from my
life.

“Who’d you lose?”

“What?” I turned to Mitch, startled by
his question.

“You said losing someone you’re close
to sucks. Have you lost someone?” His eyes were sincere, patiently
waiting for me to open up to him.

Shaking my head was the only answer I
was willing to give him. “I was only saying it figuratively.” I
needed to change the subject. While he was baring his heart, maybe
he’d be honest with me about my real reason for saying yes to this
date.

“Mitch, I have to ask you something.”
He listened, and I decided giving it to him straight was the best
way. “Are you hiding drugs?”

His eyes searched my face then his
head dipped low. “That’s why you said yes to coming tonight, isn’t
it?”

I couldn’t lie to him, but
only gave him an apologetic look.
He sighed deeply.
“No. I tried to hide drugs, but I was horrible at it.
Eventually Chino got fed up because I could never tell the stupid
bricks apart and couldn’t remember where I hid them.”

As terrible as it was, I let out a
giggle, and he shockingly chuckled with me. “My conscious did get
the best of me though, so I bailed. Got a nice shiner from it,
too.”

“Better that than a bullet hole,” I
teased, although the possibility of that happening was probably
high if this crowd were as dangerous as Nathan and Tyler
thought.

“Chino still calls me from time to
time, asking me if I want in, but I decline. I know my dad wouldn’t
want that. Every time I try to talk to my brothers about it, they
never believe me, so I get frustrated, and play along. It’s dumb, I
know.”

“They only care about you.”

“Yeah, they just have a weird way of
showing it.”

I laughed.
“Well, we are talking
about Nathan.”

Mitch smiled, his eyes finding the
stars again. “Are you into him?”

“Who?”

Mitch gave me a patronizing look.
“Nathan.”

“Honestly, I was before I knew he was
gay, and maybe a little after that, but not now. I care about him,
but like a brother, not a lover.”

Mitch nodded, and visibly relaxed. I
knew it got to him whenever Nathan and I were close, and I’d used
it as a weapon against him a few times. The immaturity of it was
embarrassing now that I looked back at my wrong doings. “Why would
it bother you if I were interested?”

Mitch slowly moved his hand to my
forearm, delicately tracing the pattern of the fabric to my
shoulder. The kind gesture was soothing, making me want to melt
into his hand by the time it reached my earlobe. My hair blew in
the wind, revealing the side of my face to him. His thumb gently
rubbed along my ear, while his other fingers massaged the back of
my neck. I couldn’t contain the content sigh that escaped me,
enjoying the cherished feeling his touch was bringing
me.

“Because I am
very
interested in you,
Jamie.”

My eyes fluttered open, meeting the
intensity of his gaze. “You don’t want me,” I whispered, my words
biting into my own skin, reminding me just how hard my heart had
become. My past screwed me up, afraid of what might happen if I got
close to someone.

He pushed up on his other arm so he
could look closer into my eyes. “Let me be the judge of
that.”

Looking into his eyes felt too
intimate. He was baring everything to me tonight, and my walls were
crashing down, shattering beyond my control. I turned my head into
his hand, wanting his touch. He moved his thumb from my ear to my
jaw, grazing to my chin. The touch I’d craved turned into a slow
burn and I gulped, my skin prickling with every slow inch his hand
moved. His fingers brushed my cheek, cautiously making their way to
the top of my throat. My breath held as the pads of his fingers
gently slid down the front of my neck.

Before they reached my collar, I
batted his hand away, moving my hair to cover the exposed area
while dipping my head into my knees. The feel of his calloused hand
as it traveled down my neck brought back my demons, reminding me
how much being naïve and weak destroyed my life.

The pea gravel underneath us rustled
as Mitch stood, wiping the gravel from his pants. “I think there
are a few blankets downstairs.”

I wanted to tell him not to bother,
that it was time for me to go home, but I was too shaken and
mentally lost in my past. I wanted to lock myself away in a tower
where Rod could never infiltrate my head.

I barely registered when he returned
with a few heavy blankets and pillows. He laid them down on the pea
gravel, doubling them to make a softer place to sit. I couldn’t
move though, my arms firmly wrapped around my knees.

“That’s better,” Mitch said, letting
out a content groan.

Biting my lip uncomfortably, I glanced
back in his direction. He was leaning back on a pillow, his hands
behind his neck, legs crossed over one another. His body language
was calm and relaxed. Everything I wasn’t. He didn’t press for me
to come join him, but began telling me more stories about the
stars. It took a few Greek gods before I finally craned my neck
toward the sky to see where he was pointing.

“Jamie, it
’d be easier if you were
lying down next to me so you could follow my hand.”

Waiting a moment, I finally crawled
toward him, resting my head on the other pillow.

“Convenient
that you have bedding
at an unfinished condo,” I murmured as the softness of the blankets
and pillow eased my discomfort.

“I spend the night on-site
a lot, and it can be two or three in the morning before I’m
finished. It’s easier to blow up an air mattress and pass out. I
swear Tony always thinks I’ve been drinking and passed
out.
” He chuckled as he turned to
look at me. “Do you think I normally coax women to rooftops to have
my way with them?”

I hadn’t thought of it
before, but I wouldn’t be surprised. He was a
womanizer
. My stomach sank, wondering
if he’d hoped that for me tonight. If I were being honest with
myself, earlier I’d secretly hoped it would take that
direction.
But not now.
My scars felt like they’d been scratched raw, and they’d
barely come to the surface.

Mitch reached for my hand, lacing it
with his and holding it over his heart. “I left them downstairs for
a reason. I didn’t want you to think I’d planned on seducing you
with candles and stars.”

My voice was scratchy. “I believe
you.”

Mitch slid his arm under my pillow,
curling it around my shoulders and pulling me to his side. I rested
my head on his shoulder and soon molded into him. My body leaned
into his side instinctively as his large hand ran from my shoulder
to my back. He hummed in contentment when my body went tranquil,
his chin resting protectively against my forehead.

The wind blew gently, covering our
silence under the perfectly lit stars. We were surrounded by
beauty, but both painted with our own scars. Mitch showed me his
insecurities along with a new side to himself; a side that showed
he wasn’t just a cocky asshole looking to get laid. Guilt filled me
momentarily as I realized I’d never really let my guard down as he
asked. But I was selfishly here, enjoying being tucked to his side
among the stars, my body feeling safer than it had ever felt
before.

Chapter Fifteen

Jamie Past, Age 17.

“I can’t keep covering for you,”
Landon said in frustration as he rummaged through his
desk.

“Please,”
I begged,
“just for tonight. You won’t have to cover for me
ever again!”

It had been six months of sneaking
around, and Rod was becoming more and more impatient. No amount of
time was enough for him, and if he’d get into one of his moods,
he’d flip a possessive switch, intensifying every aspect of our
relationship. His actions were taking a toll on me, and I wasn’t
sure how much more I’d be able to put up with.