Linden: Rocking Pleasure: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 3) (3 page)

“
Sorry, Thally, but I only just managed to get Dale to bed, and Sweets is still running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Have you made it home yet?”

“
Yes, I have, and I’m okay.”

“
Is that her?” I hear Cami’s voice in the background.

“
Yes,” Ave replies.

I can hear static, and then a loud rustling sound, and finally: “Have you lost your mind? That hitchhiker could have strangled you and buried you in a ditch!”

“
Cami, relax! He was injured, and he convinced me his hobbies are not murder and mayhem, okay? I took Linden to the hospital and then came home. Can I go to sleep now, please?”

She snorts, not completely mollified yet. “Yeah, yeah, good night. But call me again when you wake up, okay?”

“
Will do.”

“
I love you,” she adds, more placated now.

“
Love you, too. Let me talk to Avery again, please.”

“
Yeah. One moment.”

More rustling and static. “Yes? Thally?”

“
I’m sorry she kept you all awake,” I say. “I’ll forgive you for that craptastic party if you forgive me now, too. Okay?”

“
Sure. And, by the way … ” he added in a whisper. “That was only a pre-party, one might say. We’ve planned something bigger, but you didn’t hear it from me. Are we clear?”

“
Oh. Okay, yeah. Good night, and tell Delsin, Dale, and Hailey that I’m sorry.”

“
Sleep tight, Thally,” he says, and I can hear his smile.

I press the end call button and drag my ass into my bedroom. Utterly exhausted, I undress, slip my sleep shirt over my head and lie down. I can brush my teeth tomorrow. Ugh. As soon as my tongue moves over my teeth, I force myself to get back up and run into the bathroom. No matter how sleepy I am, I have to brush them.

I also quickly wash my face to get rid of the makeup, then I shuffle back to bed. About time. I fall asleep immediately.

Chapter 2

“
I don’t give a fuck,” I rant at my phone, which wakes me with music far too loud, mere minutes after I’ve fallen asleep. At least that’s what it feels like.
Note to self: Linkin Park is a dumb idea for a ringtone. Second note to self: Switch off the damn thing altogether if you want to catch some sleep!
I ignore Chester Bennington’s screaming voice.

But as soon as the song fades, it starts all over again. “
I’ve become so numb! I can’t feel you there! I’ve become so tired! So much more aware!
”

I blink and search for the phone, finally picking it up from the floor to answer the call. “I swear, if this is meant to be a joke, you’re on my enemy list forever!”

“
Hello, Miss Leroux. This is Alexis Kingston, and I guess we got off on the wrong foot, though I’m not sure why.” He sounds overwhelmed by my sleepy intensity.

I sigh. “Mr. Kingston, I have no idea what time it is, but you just woke me up.”

“
It is four p.m. in Miami, and my plane has just landed. You told me to call you when I got here.”

“
Where are you now?” I ask, sitting up.

“
I’m still at the airport, but I can take a taxi to the hospital. It would be nice if you could send me the address.”

Oops. I completely forgot. I meant to send it to him when I got home last night. “Mr. Kingston, if it isn’t too much of a drag for you to wait, I could pick you up in about an hour.”

“
I still need to get my luggage, so I don’t think I’ll be ready much earlier than that anyway,” he replies.

“
Great. Then go to the passenger drop-off area. I have a black Mercedes with a license plate that says ‘Fabulous.’ How can I recognize you?” While I speak, I get up and pull a dress from my closet.

“
I’ll send you a photo in WhatsApp.”

“
Okay. See you soon.”

“
Bye.”

We hang up, and I run into the bathroom, taking a record-time shower and trying to get my hair to look half decent. I won’t bother blow-drying it, because it’s always hot outside this time of year, so it’ll be dry within minutes anyway. Besides, once I have it all up in a ponytail, it doesn’t matter whether it’s wet or dry. I slip into the dress, and of course I need to put on a little bit of makeup, but I tone it down so I won’t look like a clown or a harlot.

Even though I’m still exhausted from going to bed at six a.m., I want to help Mr. Kingston. I also want to know if Linden is all right. He’s kind of cute, but also a little absent-minded, which of course might be due to the little problem of the amnesia.

I leave the bathroom and run smack into Draven. “Whoa, sorry,” I say.

“
Fuck,” he mutters. “Are you in a hurry again? Where are you going?” Draven is cute, too. He reminds me of Delsin, not because of his personality, but because of how he dresses. He usually wears tight pants and big shirts, but his hair is far too long for a young man. It’s longer than mine, for Christ’s sake!

“
Yeah, in a hurry. I need to pick someone up from the airport and drive him to meet his lost friend. I’ll be back later—and by the way, hands off my hair spray. I don’t want to buying a new bottle all the time, just because you’re too stingy to buy your own.” I say all this in one long, breathless sentence.

“
Wasn’t me. I think Nathaniel used it.”

“
Uh, Nathaniel’s hair is maybe three millimeters long. So don’t give me that.” I smile. His attempt at an excuse was really poor.

“
Okay,” he says guiltily. “I’ll buy you a new one if you want me to.”

“
Why don’t you buy a bottle for yourself?” I suggest with a wink. “I’ll see you later tonight, or maybe tomorrow.”

“
See you, Thally.”

“
Bye.” I grab my handbag and my phone, and then I walk out to where my car is parked. First I let down the folding top, and then I start the engine.

When I turn on the radio, Chester Bennington’s voice comes at me again at full blast, alternating with Mike Shinoda’s. They put me in a good mood. Linkin Park is the perfect band to distract me from being tired.

***

I turn into the passenger drop-off lane, looking for the man in the photo I received. Alexis Kingston’s hair is caramel-colored, and he must be about six-foot-three. When I see him, I hit the horn and wave.

Alexis comes over to my car. “Are you Thalia Leroux?”

“
Yep, that’s me. Mr. Kingston?” He nods. “Get in,” I urge him with a smile. “Quick, so I don’t get a ticket.” I look in the rearview mirror at the meter maid, who is sneaking up on my car like a lioness ready to pounce.

Alexis throws his bag into my backseat before slipping into the passenger seat. Off we go. “You’re looking really good for having been up only an hour,” he says.

“
Thanks,” I say, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks.

“
I mean it.”

I can see his smile from the corner of my eye. “I’ll let you out at the hospital, and then I’ll head somewhere else.”

“
I thought you’d want to see Linden, too?”

“
Yeah, but now you’re here. Too many visitors probably aren’t good for him, and you’re going to have to try to refresh his memory.”

“
I’m still wondering how the hell he ended up in Miami. A week ago, he was in New York, and everything was fine.”

“
So he doesn’t live around here at all?” I ask, curious.

“
Yes, he does, technically, but we’ve been working in New York for a while now. It’s got me confused.” He sounds thoughtful.

“
And Linden didn’t say he was taking a trip?”

“
No. He disappeared without a word, and nobody could reach him. We even tried to trace his cell, but nothing. On the second day, we went to the police, reported him missing. We thought he’d had an accident or something.”

“
Who’s ‘we’?” I ask.

“
A few colleagues, me, his family, and his girlfriend.”

Great.
My desire to see Linden again dwindles considerably. I don’t go out with guys who are taken; I’m not the kind of bitch who wedges herself into a relationship.
Wait a minute!
Why am I even thinking about this? I’m not interested in this guy. I sound as if I wanted to have him as my boyfriend. No, thank you! I’ve seen the ways in which Cami and Hailey have changed—I can really do without a man at my side. All I want and need is sex—with no strings attached. Because, as they say: not my circus, not my monkeys!

Colton and I were really perfect. One of us would call the other, ask, “
Are you free tonight?”
and then we’d meet and have sex. It was great that way. But two weeks ago, we got into an argument when he wanted to turn it into something steady and I didn’t. And now I miss him. He was damn good in bed. Yes, I may sound selfish, but what the heck? I’m young, and I want to have a good time. Period.

“
What are you brooding about?” Alexis breaks into my train of thought.

“
Oh, nothing,” I say, shaking my head. “We’re almost there.”

“
Are you coming along to see Linden?”

“
I don’t think so. I don’t even know him, you know?”

“
But you helped him, and he should get a chance to thank you, don’t you think?”

“
He already did last night,” I say.

“
Oh, but that is not the same, Miss Leroux.”

“
Why not?”

“
Because I assume he was in shock, and thus he might not remember much about last night.”

I utter a sigh of resignation. “All right, I’ll come along, but I can’t stay for long.”

“
What important plans do you have?” he asks.

“
Meeting the holy inquisition in the shape of my friends. And why am I being questioned? Because I picked up an injured hitchhiker last night and brought him here.” I smirk at how stupid that sounds. I’m twenty-one years old, and I’m being called to justify my actions before my friends. I’m officially allowed to drink alcohol and go out to clubs, but Camille and Hailey still treat me as if I were five years old! The thought annoys me.

Alexis chuckles. “How old are you? Five?”

I feel like rolling my eyes, but instead I simply say, “I was just asking myself the same question.”

I park the car, and we both get out. I lock it and follow him into the building. “Do you know what room he’s in?” Alexis asks.

“
No. We’ll have to ask.”

At the front desk, Alexis finds out which floor and room Linden is in. Then we take the elevator and find the room.

“
Hey, dude! What the hell happened?” Alexis greets Linden.

“
Good afternoon, Linden,” I say with a smile, trying to remain in the background.

“
Hey, Kingston,” Linden says. But when he looks at me, his face lights up. “Thalia,” he breathes.

Okay. This is awkward. And I feel uncomfortable. Why is he saying my name like a love-struck teenager?

He looks at Alexis again. “I have no idea what happened. They did a few tests today, and now I’m waiting for the results.”

“
We should get you to New York City, bro,” Alexis suggests. “Jayden could examine you again.”

“
Jayden?” Linden repeats.

Alexis looks worried. “Your brother. He’s a doctor, remember? He’s more or less our personal doctor, because you wanted to have him around while we’re on tour.”

“
Do you remember anything at all, Linden?” I ask, trying to help.

He looks at me and smiles. “You. I remember you.”

A giggle escapes me, and I blush. He has amnesia, but he still knows how to flirt. That’s weird.

“
What else do you remember?” Alexis prods.

“
That party last week. I left it with some chicks, but everything after that is dark,” he admits.

“
Man.” Alexis sighs. “All right, well, Jayden will be here tomorrow. He has some appointments he couldn’t cancel, but maybe tomorrow he can help you get some of your memory back.”

Linden looks at me again. “Why don’t you sit down with us, Thalia?” He points to a chair next to the bed.

I step closer and sit down, looking at the two of them. Alexis is really hot, but Linden is hotter still. I should go and answer my friends’ worried questions, but I decide to let them wait just a little bit longer. I could call, but if they start interrogating me over the phone, it’ll be awkward.

Instead, I listen to the two hotties talk. They’re still trying to figure out what Linden remembers, but there’s a blank that encompasses the last seven days. After Alexis gives him some prompts, Linden remembers what happened before the ominous party. That’s something, I guess.

“
Oh, and Trish will fly over with Jayden tomorrow afternoon,” Alexis adds as an afterthought. “She had to work today.”

“
I look forward to seeing her,” Linden says.

I wonder whether Trish is his girlfriend, or maybe even his fiancée. Ugh, why do I even care?

“
I have to stay here for a few more days before they’ll let me go,” Linden tells me with great earnestness. “But after that, I’d like to take you out to dinner, to thank you.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “That’s really nice, but no, thank you. I have to study
a lot
, to prepare for the next semester.” I try not to make it sound like a giant rebuff, but his face is the picture of disappointment. “And I really gotta go now, too.” I rise and say my—rather formal—goodbyes.