Amazed (Tempted Book 3) (3 page)

“I’m so glad ya’ll done the dirty,” Maddie squealed, clapping her hands together.

The waiter looked at her as if she had lost her mind and at that point I was starting to think the exact same thing. West was rubbing off on her.

“Don’t get so excited,” I said, looking down at the grilled chicken salad sitting in front of me.

“Why?” Emma asked, raising her eyebrows in confusion.

“Because it was a one night stand. He barely spoke to when we woke up and he had some creep drop me off.”

“Did you see him at school this morning?” Maddie asked, sipping on her sweet tea.

“Yeah, but he acted very weird.”

“How so?” Emma asked, munching on her fruit cup.

She was still trying to lose the last of baby weight. I thought she had but she told me that the last ten pounds was the most stubborn. I just thought she was crazy, she looked beautiful and I knew Roman was agree with me.

“Treating me like nothing happened and hanging all over other girls.”

“That slut,” Maddie said, picking her phone up from her lap.

“What are you doing?” I asked frantically, feeling my heart beat faster because I knew what she was doing.

“Calling Ethan’s slutty ass,” she said, dialing his number and raising the phone to her ear.

“No, please don’t,” I pleaded.

“Why?” she asked, quickly ending the call.

“Because I don’t want him to know I’m still thinking about him,” I said, feeling guilty for being that girl.

You know, the one who has steamy one night stands with people and then becomes clingy and desperate after he’s made if crystal clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Yeah, that was me.

“I’m so sorry you’re going through this, Grace.” Emma said, scooting her chair closer to mine and rubbing my shoulder.

“Me too. Hey, what if we have a girl’s night out tonight. Ems, do you think your mom would keep Kate?”

“She jumps at the chance for time with Kate,” she replied, picking up the check the waiter laid on the table, “Where are we going to go?”

“A party, duh,” Maddie said, pulling money from her wallet and tossing it on the table, “It’s on me.”

Parties were never my scene. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t make myself enjoy them but Emma and Maddie didn’t know that. They only knew party girl Grace, so I decided to go along with it.

“Which party?” I asked, pretending to be maybe a tad bit too excited.

“Some party on the college football field. Some sort of tradition or something,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Had she gone mad? The torturous girls night out was supposed to take my mind off of Ethan, not throw me on a football field with him and alcohol. Yep, that was not a good mixture.

“Seriously? The college football field? Ethan’s going to be there,” I told them, shaking my head.

“You don’t know that,” Emma said, getting up from her chair.

“He’s the star quarterback, Ems. I’m positive he’s going to be there,” I said, following her.

How could she not have pieced that together? I mean, seriously. Kate would have figured that out and she was a newborn.

“Yeah, you got a point there but don’t worry you’ll have us,” Maddie said, checking an incoming text on her phone, “And West apparently.”

“What happened to girl’s night?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

“He said he doesn’t want to be alone,” she said, doing her puppy dog face.

“He has Roman,” I told her, not looking at her expression.

It was like magic. It always worked in her favor.

“Nope, Roman wants to come too,” Emma said, smiling at her phone.

“So, I’m going to be the fifth wheel?”

“A superhot fifth wheel,” Maddie said, with a strained smile.

She was trying to make me feel better but she sucked at it. She always had.

“It’s going to be fine, Grace. We got you and Roman will kick his ass if he says anything to you,” Emma said, unlocking her car.

Roman definitely wouldn’t approve of his brothers behavior. Sure, Roman was king slut but Emma and Kate changed his whole world.

“Okay, I’ll meet you guys there at seven,” I called over my shoulder, starting toward my car.

Getting in, I put the key in the ignition and sped back toward my apartment. I had literally just signed my soul over to the devil. Shaking my head in disbelief, I couldn’t believe I had actually agreed to go to a party. A party where Ethan was going to be with cheerleaders rubbing their pompoms on him. And by pompoms I meant their boobs.

Not that I cared. Okay, maybe I cared a little. Fine, I cared way too much.

I thought that I could possibly force myself not to care about him or his stupid face. Or the way he made me feel. And I really didn’t want to care about the way he devoured me with one kiss or our one night of intense passion.

Letting a shaky laugh escape my mouth, the realization bitch slapped me across the face. How in the world was I going to forget about him? He had this way about him that pulled you in and never let go. It was like I was constantly playing a game of unwinnable tug a war. I had been pulling so long I my hands were sore.

After arriving at my apartment, getting prettied up, and giving myself an over exaggerated pep talk, I found myself standing in the middle of the football field waiting on my friends. The smell of the grass and the beaming light took me back to watching him play in high school.

I thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread and I still did. Hearing someone yell his name, I tried to stay focused on my strappy wedges and my red toenails. I knew that if looked up and saw him in his red football jersey my knees would buckle and my heart rate would speed up immensely. But even my stupid toe nail polish reminded me of him. Red because of his jersey, red because of his passion, and red oozed sex appeal. Everything I looked at had ties to Ethan, so that meant I needed to get drunk.

Drunk enough to forget.

“Yo, Gracie!” West’s loud mouth shouted from across the field.

I ran to them like I was trying to score the touchdown in wedges.

“Whoa, slow down. Where’s the fire?” West asked, wrapping his arm around me.

“Over there,” I whispered, tilting my head in Ethan’s direction.

“Still got the hots for golden boy?” he said, wiggling in his eyebrows up and down.

“Shut up! He’ll hear you,” I whisper yelled, smacking him on his chest.

“If he can hear me from here his ears should be in Ripley’s believe it or not,” he said, chuckling and shaking his head.

“You look hot, girl. Are you trying to show Ethan what he’s missing?” Maddie said, cat calling me as she made her way toward us.

“No.”

Yes.

I always dressed for him, hoping that he would give me a glance or even a compliment. And being Ethan he always did but that was before he got what he wanted from me. I knew that was pathetic but hey, I never claimed to be proud of it.

“Okay, that’s enough. Leave her alone,” Roman said, standing hand in hand with Emma.

“Thank you, Roman,” I told him, shaking myself free from the weight of West’s arm.

A quick look in Ethan’s direction I saw the he seemed enthralled with his team members and I prayed that he would stay with them. I didn’t want to have to go through the awkwardness of attempting a conversation with him again.

“Here comes your boy,” West said, nudging me.

“He’s not mine,” I mumbled, feeling my heart do that annoying jump that has become normal when he comes around.

But I wished he was.

“Hey, guys,” Ethan said, folding his arms over his chest flexing his muscles in the process.

I hated when he did that. He was totally doing it on purpose.

“When’s your first game?” Roman asked him, doing that weird handshake hug thing that guys do and think looks cool.

Just for the record, it doesn’t look cool at all.

“Friday,” he answered, looking anywhere but at me.

“What’s your problem?” Maddie said with venom dripping from her voice.

I loved that girl.

“My problem? What’s your problem?” he asked, looking at her in complete shock.

“Yeah, Angel. What gives?” West inquired.

Looking over at me, she mentally asked if she could tear him a new one. Shaking my head, I let her know to let it go. She didn’t look happy about it but she respected my request.

“Are you on your period?” West whisper yelled.

“What? No. Leave me alone,” she said, mumbling something else under her breath.

I couldn’t make out what she said but I had the feeling that it wasn’t good.

“West, you’re such an idiot,” Emma said, giggling and rolling her eyes.

“Thank you,” he said, shooting her a huge smile.

“Hey, Grace, can I talk to you for a minute?” Ethan asked, sliding his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“Yeah.”

I wanted to say no and walk away as some empowering song blared from the speakers but my stupid mouth said yes. Following Ethan, he led me to the bleachers. He sat down and patted the space next to him. I stared at the seat so long I’m shocked I didn’t burn a hole through it. Sitting down, I rubbed my overly sweaty, clammy hands on legs. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous to talk to him when we had seen each other naked.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked with a shaky voice.

“I’ve been thinking about us,” he said before stopping mid-sentence as if he was trying his hardest to locate the appropriate words.

That lit a hopeful spark inside of me. I just knew in my heart that he was going to say that he couldn’t live without me.

“And?”

“And Grace, it was amazing but it can never happen again. We’re just friends that’s all we’re ever gonna be,” he said as pity took over his ever feature.

Raising from the hard, cold bleacher, I walked down the stairs without making eye contact with him.

“Wait, don’t you wanna know why?”

Did I?

“No,” I said stopping dead in my tracks but not turning around to face him.

“Why?”

“Because I won’t allow you to break me any further. You’ve already done enough unrepairable damage,” I told him, walking to the middle of the football field without waiting on a reply.

I wasn’t just broken, I was crushed into smithereens.

The blaring ringtone of my phone woke me up. Dragging myself from the bed, I pulled it from the charger. My uncle’s name flashed across the screen. He never called so something had to be up.

“Hello?” I said, fighting to keep my eyes open.

“Grace, were you sleeping?” My uncle’s

It was 9:00 on a Saturday morning of course I was sleeping.

“Yeah,” I said, yawning.

“I’m sorry to have woke you. I wouldn’t have called but it’s important,” he said and I could hear worry dripping from every word.

“What’s wrong?” I asked not feeling tired anymore.

“Trent assaulted Holland last night. They kept her in the hospital for observation she got out early this morning.”

That asshole. I knew Trent was a bad apple from the minute I laid my eyes on him. He had this stalker vibe about him and not in a sexy book boyfriend way. I’m talking if I can’t have you no one can stalker.

“He hit her?” I choked out, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach.

How could he have laid his hands on her? I could imagine her beautiful skin all bruised from his hands and it made me want to hurt him.

“Yes. Grace, I need a favor,” he said, sounding like he was on the verge of tears.

Holland was his whole entire world.

“Anything.”

“Holland needs to get out of Atlanta, away from Trent. Do you think she could stay with you?”

“Of course,” I said, shaking my head even though I knew he couldn’t see it.

“Thank you so much, sweetheart.”

“How long before you get here?”

“We’re at your door,” he said, knocking so I would open, “I know you love Holland as much as me and you wouldn’t say no.”

Sprinting to the door, I forcefully opened it and saw my beautiful cousin standing there with a blackened eye, busted lip, and bruised jaw. How anyone could hurt her was a mystery to me. It still is.

Taking in all the markings, my phone slipped of my hand and hit the floor.

“Holl, how could he do this?” I asked, wrapping my arms around her as we slid down to the floor.

She blubbered out an answer but I couldn’t make out a word. She was crying uncontrollably.

I’m talking full on shoulder shaking cry.

“Why don’t you girls go inside and I’ll start bringing Holland’s things up,” My uncle said, reminding me that he was standing there.

Looking up at him, I could see in his eyes that he was heartbroken. He loved Holland more than anything and he hated to see her hurt. He always said he knew Trent was trouble and he always had a bad feeling about him. That made two of us but right then wasn’t the time for Holland to have to go through the “I told you so” speech. She needed comforting and that was what I was going to do.

“Okay,” I told him, picking my cousin up from the floor.

Walking through the door, I led her to the couch. Once we got seated I took a better look at her battered face. Holland was an ethereal beauty. She always had this glow around her that I couldn’t quite describe and she had an equally as beautiful spirit. But just from one look I knew her spirit was broken.

“I never thought he’d hit me, Gracie,” she said, placing her face in her hands and sobbing, “I thought he loved me.”

What was I supposed to say to that?

“He’s not worth the tears, Holl. Don’t give him anymore time because he doesn’t deserve it.”

“I know.”

Her white blonde hair was pulled up in a messy bun showcasing the shiner on her left eye and her swollen, busted lip. I wanted to kill him, I wanted to ring his neck.

We sat there as my uncle brought in everything from his truck. After he hugged and kissed Holland goodbye he told me to try to take her mind off of everything. I told him I would but I had a feeling that that was going to be easier said than done.

I had to ask her what happened before I could let it go.

“I know you probably don’t want to rehash everything but what lead him to do this?”

“I was talking to his friend, Brody, at a party the he drug me to. He said that I was throwing myself at Brody and showing him just how big of a slut I was. Then, he forced me into his car and started hitting me and pulling my hair. I begged him to stop but instead he punched me and pulled over to the side of the road. And you know what he did next? He got out and pulled me from the car. He left me on the side of the road bleeding and alone,” she said, staring into space.

After hearing her recollection of what happened all I could see was red. I knew he wasn’t a man and her face only proved it.

“I don’t want to talk about him anymore. What’s going on with Ethan?” she asked, wiping the tears from her face.

“He’s an asshole. End of story,” I said, getting up and walking into the kitchen to get a bottled water from the fridge.

“You know what we need?”

“Alcohol?”

“What? No, we need to have a slumber party like we did when we were little. I’m talking pizza, Chinese food, makeovers, dancing, movies, truth or dare, and forts. Yeah, you heard me, forts. Let’s be carefree like we were back then,” she said, smiling and for the first time in a while it met her eyes.

She was right that was just what we needed but I had forgotten I was supposed to hang out with Maddie tonight.

“That sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Do you mind if Maddie comes over tonight? Her husband, West, had to go out of town with his grandpa and she was going to come over. But I can tell her we’ll hang out another night if you’d feel more comfortable.”

“I don’t mind at all. Tell her to bring comfortable pajamas,” she said before turning to walk to her new room, “I’m going to unpack a few things.”

She was trying her hardest to be happy but I could still feel the hurt radiating from her.

“Okay, I’m going to make a grocery run in bit. Do you want to go?”

“I can’t go with my face looking like this. It’s so embarrassing,” she said, looking the mirror on the wall in front of her room.

“We can cover it up and it’s nothing to be embarrassed over. You done nothing wrong. Trent should be embarrassed but knowing that jerk he’s probably proud of himself. ”

“Okay, I guess I’ll go,” she said, pretending like she didn’t hear the part about Trent.

I knew that she felt like what they had was real because she gave him years of her life but that wasn’t the case. At least not on his end.

“I’ll come get you before I leave.”

Nodding, she picked up a box and walked out of sight.

Walking toward my room, I scanned my closet for something to wear. It was sweltering outside, so I decided against jeans. I needed shorts and I know what you’re thinking, no I didn’t want to wear cutoffs in case I saw Ethan somewhere. He didn’t even cross my mind. It was just really hot outside and that’s they only reason I decided on my short shorts.

I was a fingertip away from turning on all men. Were there any good ones left? From where I was sitting it didn’t seem like it.

After I was ready I walked down the hall until I reached Holland’s door. Knocking, I checked my appearance in the mirror.

Holland opened the door wearing a sundress and her makeup covered everything but her lip. It was swollen, so amount of makeup would hide it.

“You look beautiful,” I told her, trying to build her confidence but I knew her self-esteem had been broken and beaten for years, so I knew it was going to take a little while to strengthen it again.

“Thanks,” she said, looking at me like I only said that because I felt sorry for her, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, let me grab my keys and we’ll head out.”

Grabbing my purse and keys, I walked out the door with Holland following behind me.

Stopping in front of the elevator, we waited on it to arrive on our floor and as we stood there I thought of the best way to ask Holland why she stayed with him so long but I couldn’t think of one.

Even if I had thought of the right way to ask I wasn’t so sure that she would want to talk about their so called relationship. I couldn’t really blame her. I had only had sex with Ethan and I couldn’t stand to talk to people about our run in.

“Why are you being so quiet? I don’t like it,” Holland asked, trying to get me out of my own head.

“Just thinking.”

“About Ethan?”

“No,” I told her, walking in the elevator and pressing the lobby button, “Okay, maybe a little bit.”

“Would he hurt you?” she asked, her voice sounding so distant.

“Physically? No. Emotionally? He already did,” I said just as the elevator doors swung open and I was face to face with Talon.

“Grace, I haven’t seen you around like you promised,” he said, smiling and hanging his thumb from his belt loop.

“I’ve had a rough couple of days.”

“Is everything okay?” he asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

That was refreshing.

“Oh, fine. No big deal,” I told him, seeing his eyes fall on Holland, “This is my cousin, Holland. She just moved in with me.”

I could see him staring at her lip but he never mentioned anything to her.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Holland. I’m Talon,” he said, holding his hand out for her to shake it.

“Nice to meet you as well,” she mumbled never making eye contact.

“You girls seem like you’re in a rush, so I’ll let you get going,” he said, turning to walk away before turning around,” Hey, Grace?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?”

Whoa, I wasn’t expecting that, I thought he wanted to know the time or something. I didn’t know why but when he asked me that Ethan popped into my head. I could go out with Talon if I wanted to.

Go away, Ethan!

“I’d love to,” I told him, smiling.

Ha! Take that Ethan.

“Great, I’ll meet you in the lobby at seven.”

Nodding at him, I grabbed Holland’s hand and walked to the door. I could feel her staring a whole right through me.

“What?”

“I didn’t say anything,” she said, biting her lip to keep from smiling.

“You didn’t have to,” I said, stopping at my car and unlocking the door.

Getting in, I heard her laugh. Rolling my eyes, I pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the local grocery store.

Could I actually go on a date with Talon without wishing he was Ethan? I wasn’t so sure but I had to find out. I didn’t feel like I should move on but I had to keep reminding myself that I didn’t really have anything to move on from. He wasn’t mine to get over and I wasn’t sure he ever would be. I had no reason to feel guilty.

The sign for Food Mart reminded me where I was going. Parking, we got out and walked inside. The automatic door swung open and a blast of cool air welcomed me inside.

“What are you the mood for?” I asked, grabbing one of the royal blue shopping carts.

“Salty stuff, nothing sweet,” she said, scrunching her nose up.

“I still don’t know how you don’t have a sweet tooth,” I said, shaking my head at her as I made my way down the potato chip aisle.

“I still don’t know how you do.”

“You’re impossible,” I mumbled as I watched her throwing bag after bag of chips in the cart.

“You love me,” she said over her shoulder.

“Who’s your friend?” I heard a familiar but not so welcome voice ask from behind me.

Turning around I saw Luca Davis standing there in all his evil glory. Hearing something hit the floor, I turned and seen that Holland had dropped the cheese puffs that was in her hand and she was gawking at him like he was god’s gift to women. He didn’t need any encouragement in the ego department but there she was giving it to him on a silver platter and the bastard was eating it right up.

“Luca, this is Holland. You know who she is. My cousin,” I told him, folding my arms.

“Holland? You definitely grew up, huh?” he asked, checking her out from top to bottom.

“Hi, Luca,” she said before turning her back to him.

She was concentrating on the various bags of chips like her life depended on it.

“Quit being a perv,” I told Luca, moving in front of Holland, blocking his view.

“I think she likes me,” he said, smirking.

That stupid smirk. It was infamous.

“She just got away from an asshole, she doesn’t need to get involved with another one.”

“Ouch, look whose feisty today. See you around, Holland,” he said, repositioning himself so he could see her again, “And Grace, I hope I don’t see you around.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

He walked away and took his bad vibes with him. But I couldn’t help but notice the anger flash in his eyes when he seen her swollen lip.

“He looks different but acts the same,” she said, turning to face me.

“I know it’s such a pity that someone that looks like that is such a jerk.”