The Sound of Shooting Stars (18 page)

“You look hot tonight, Beckett.” At his words my middle does a complete flip. I take a step out of his grasp and tell him angrily under my breath, “You can’t say shit like that Brett. Just act normal for once.”

A frown crosses his face as I move away, but a smirk lifts at my words.

“Come on Beckett, you know you want me.”

I say incredulously, “The deal is off.” And I turn to leave.

He grabs my arm and pleads, “Okay, I’ll be good, I promise.”

This whole thing pains me but as I turn back toward him I notice half a dozen pairs of eyes with their focus intently on us. I grab his hand roughly and huff toward the door.
Fuck Beckett, get it together.

When we enter the front room, a handful of people come up to us greeting Brett and making small talk with me as If they just talked to me yesterday. I’m shocked that I’ve been treated like a leper for a month. A few ask me if I’m dating Brett now and I nod very slightly.
What the hell? This is all it took?
I knew this would happen but maybe a tiny bit of doubt had sprouted as to whether it would really work. Suddenly I need something to drink. I look over at Brett a few feet away as he’s talking to Gabe and Brandon eyeing me while I’m sure boosting the lie. Yeah, this definitely can’t last long. I close the distance and tell him quietly, “I think I need a drink.”

Immediately, he leaves his friends behind, pulling me through the house to the kitchen. He grabs a couple of beers from the fridge. I glance around as I wait for him to find a bottle opener and spot Jamie across the room just as he was the last time I was here in this exact spot. The only difference is that Jake is missing and Sam looks miserable. A small part of me wants to go over and hang out with them instead and confess to Sam that I never meant to hurt her. But the cold glass bottle against the skin of my arm brings me back.

Brett asks, “Do you want to go out back?”

I frown up at him and shake my head. Is he crazy? I know I made myself clear. I ignore him momentarily and glance around for the real reason I agreed to come to this place again. To my dismay the girls aren’t here yet. When I look back over at Jamie he is staring at me. His eyes flatten to a glare as I feel an arm around my waist and lips against my cheek. Involuntarily my face contorts in a wince but I don’t push him away. Jamie’s glare turns into a question before he looks away with an expression of disgust that I’m sure mirrors my own.
Great Beckett.

A few minutes later I turn toward sounds of commotion through the doorway at the front of the house and suggest to Brett that we go to the living room. He follows like a puppy dog. I need to keep in mind that he’s a very scary big dog in actuality.

We walk through the entryway to find Dani and Trina making a grand entrance. They must still be teasing Gabe judging by the frustrated look on his face. I quickly turn and place my hands on Brett’s chest as I plant a kiss across his lips. His hands rush around my back pulling me closer to deepen the kiss. Every molecule in my body screams at me to pull back and run as far away as I can get but I let him explore my mouth with his. A minute later a throaty voice comes up behind me.

“Well, well, Beckett, how are things? Obviously better now that
someone
has forgiven you.”

I pull away quickly and spin clenching my fists at my sides. I’ve never seen the side of Dani that has surfaced over the past month. Obviously she’s always been like this and I’ve never noticed. Just seeing her snarky face makes me want to lash out at her. She’s had a huge part in my misery and now that I know about Jake, I hate her.

As sweetly as I can, I respond, “Yeah, Brett found it in his heart to take me back, I’m very lucky.”

I want to choke on my words but I’ve learned that that’s all they are, just words.

She laughs, “He’s obviously not thinking with his head, or at least not with the one on his shoulders.”

It’s so hard holding my body back from launching at her and clawing her eyes out but I refrain. The only way I’ll get everything back is with Dani’s approval. One thing I’ve learned in the past few weeks is that Dani has more influence than I ever knew. No one seems to sneeze without her permission. If things play out the way I want them too, she will soon fall from that pedestal.

I smile, “You could say that I guess.” My hand moves to his cheek in a caress which causes him to pull me flush into his chest. Parts of Brett I would choose not to feel make themselves known to me.

Dani turns as she calls back, “Well don’t think other people will be so easily swayed.”

Trina glares at me as she trails after her. When they approach the kitchen, Jamie is walking out into the wide space. Brett wraps his hands around me from behind just as Jamie looks over. Relief spreads across his face as if he were looking for me but it quickly turns to an angry scowl. Trina notices him and wraps her arm around his shoulders with a smile. She begins whispering into his ear. As much as I want to, I can’t tear my eyes away. He averts his gaze and nods to her delight. She grabs his hand and pulls him behind her. My heart starts hammering in my chest as if I just lost something. Then I realize that Brett is kissing on my neck. I step away and call back, “I need some air.” Boy do I need air. How in the hell can I go through with this? Jamie Grey is something I didn’t make a plan for and he could be the downfall of the entire thing.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jamie Grey

Perseus – The Greek Hero

Perseus decapitated Medusa using his shield to see her reflection, as he could not look at her directly without turning into stone. The myth goes, when Medusa died, the winged horse Pegasus and the warrior Chrysaor, fully armed, sprang fully grown from her body.

~*~

After my brief exchange with Beckett I was actually relieved that she accepted my apology for asking her about Jake. It was asinine of me to even consider that she would do that to Sam again. Now that I know the two of them have history I’m really seeing a different side of Beckett.

I sidled up to my room wondering if I should try and talk to her but I decide we’ve exchanged enough words today. I shouldn’t push my luck with her moodiness. My feet move to my bed and fatigue spreads at the sight of it. I collapse and stare up at the ceiling thinking about Beckett’s ceiling. The day we stared at her stars I noticed Ursa Major and the Big Bear which are constellations commonly found in the night sky but I also saw Cassiopeia. I wonder if there’s a reason that she chose to put that one up there. The chances that she’ll be able to see that in the real sky are slim to none. My eyes start to feel heavy as the shy look on her face before she ran into the house this afternoon, flashes across my eyelids.

When I wake up, the afternoon sun has set and my room is darkened with only the glow from the numbers on my clock, lighting up the room.  I roll over off the bed and aim for the bathroom but my phone vibrates in my back pocket. When I pull it out a number I don’t recognize flashes across the screen. I briefly debate on whether I should answer it. Finally, I push the button on the third ring and hold it up to my ear.

A smooth accented voice questions, “Jamie?”

Crap, Trina.

“Hello.”

She stumbles over her words, “Uh, hi Jamie. I wanted, wanted to find out if you’re going to Gabe’s party tonight.”

I told Dani I would talk to Trina today but decided after that conversation that avoidance was best. Obviously she hunted me down.

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Well, it’ll probably be the last one for a while. You should go and meet me there.”

“I should huh?”

I can hear her smile in the words that follow, “Yes, maybe we can finish what we started the last time.”

Okay, this chick is way too forward. If I were attracted to her I might jump at her words but I feel nothing. I’m about to tell her no but my phone beeps with another call. I pull it away and look at the screen. Sam.

“Trina, maybe, I don’t know but I have to take this other call.”

She huffs, “Fine.”

The line clicks before I can click over to Sam. My phone rings again before my finger moves to answer.

“Sam, are you okay?”

“Hey Jamie, yeah, fine but I don’t think I can be alone tonight. Do you want to go to Gabe’s party with me?”

“Do you think that’s a good idea? Will Jake be there?”

“Probably but I can’t stay here with Elizabeth hovering like this.”

My breathing falters for a moment at her words. Elizabeth was never the coddling type of mother. It pains me to know that she’s changed and I missed out on what I could have once had.

“Jamie? Are you there?”

“Um yeah, the party is fine as long as you’re sure.”

“Why not? I’ll be with you, we’re invincible together, remember?”

A smile creeps over my mouth remembering when we were ten. We climbed up a tree and decided that nothing could harm us. I think we had just watched Superman or some super hero movie. We pretended to be super heroes just like the movie. Sam took it literally and fell out of the tree breaking her arm in two places. We quickly found out that we weren’t invincible but that was our saying anytime things got hard or I had a break down over my sorry existence. Her parting words when I had to go back into the system were, ‘Jamie, don’t forget you’re invincible.’

“Jamie, hello, anyone there? You keep going silent on me. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Sam. A lot on my mind. How about you come and get me at seven?”

“See you later.”

The phone clicks and silence fills my ears. I throw my phone onto the bed and make my way to the shower. Hopefully I can scrub away this uneasy feeling that has suddenly washed over me.

Sam doesn’t stop talking the entire way to Gabe’s. I think she’s afraid to let her mind wander and think about Jake. I’m glad for the chatter. It keeps my mind busy as well. But when we pull into the stone drive she falls silent. I look over and grab her hand. She meets my eyes with a worried expression.

“Are you sure you want to go Sam? We can go catch a movie or get something to eat.”

She shakes her head as she switches the car off, “Nope, I refuse to let him push me out of my life. This is where I would normally be.”

“Yes, but Sam, you just broke up. It’s completely understandable if you want to do something else instead. Maybe take some time to heal.”

“Jamie Grey, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think
you
are the one trying to avoid the party.”

A sigh leaks through my lips, “No Sam, I’m just looking out for you.”

She reaches for the door and pushes as she calls back, “Well I’m fine so let’s go.”

The uneasy feeling I felt earlier hasn’t left. It may just be because of what happened the last time I was here with Beckett and Brett. Luckily she will be far away from here tonight, probably the best place for her.

 Sam grabs my hand and leads me up the steps snaking her way through the house to the kitchen. She admits, “I need a drink, like now.”

When we enter the kitchen she climbs up onto the counter as I get a beer for each of us from the fridge. Gabe walks over with a surprised look. He quips while I open the beers, “Sam, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

She glares and grabs the beer I offer.

“And why is that Gabe? Did you think I’d be home crying my eyes out because Jake cheated on me, yet again? No way, he’s not worth even one more thought.”

Gabe holds his hands up in defense, “Sorry Sam. I was just making sure you are okay.”

“I’m fine, thank you very much.” She lifts the beer to her lips and drinks half the bottle.

I whisper, “Sam, hey slow down there. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine, didn’t we just establish that?” She downs the rest of the bottle and hands it over to me demanding, “More.”

I grab another and hand it over. My eyes shift as someone else enters the room. To my shock it’s Beckett and she’s pulling Brett closely behind. Her eyes meet mine with a look of embarrassment as he leans in to get drinks from the fridge. Her expression quickly turns to sadness but she’s pulled from my eyes as he hands her a beer. What the hell is she doing here? I was sure she wouldn’t be here. I watch as his hand gathers her into his arms and he kisses her cheek. My fist clenches almost causing me to lose the bottle in my own hand. I set it firmly on the counter causing the liquid inside to bubble up the neck. Sam looks at me startled and follows my gaze.

She leans into my ear, “Jamie, it’s not a good idea.”

Finally I break the trance and look into her concerned face.

“What’s not a good idea?”

“You know exactly what. I see that yearning every time you look at her.”

I shift my stance and turn away from her. I’m pissed that she talked me into coming here and furious at Beckett for making me feel this way.

She places her hand on my shoulder and urges me to turn back around.

“Come on Jamie, I’m sorry. It doesn’t seem like she knows what she wants. One minute she’s looking at you with the same expression…”