Paradise Island: Complete Edition (40 page)

“What happened?”

“Just drive! I’ll tell you when we’re as far away from this place as possible,” I said, trying to wipe away tears, but only fresh ones replaced them.

When I was certain Jack wasn’t following us, I started to open up. “I saw him fucking another girl.”

“Oh, Sophie, I’m so sorry,” Hunter said, trying to soothe me, but there was nothing he could do to make the pain go away. I thought Jack loved me the way I loved him, and now I saw with my own eyes that that wasn’t true. I was so angry I wanted to smash everything in sight, but being in a moving vehicle, Hunter’s vehicle at that, made that impossible.

“What are you gonna do?” Hunter finally asked the question that I was asking myself. Where would I go? I had no one left in this world. Not even my enemies were longer living, I had made sure of that.

“I don’t know. But could you please take me somewhere else? I know he’ll be looking for me at the house.”

“Our family has a cabin in the woods not too far from where we live. I doubt he’ll look for you there. It hasn’t been used in years.”

“Perfect,” I said. “I just need some time to think.”

The familiar sound of my ringtone played from my pocket. I took out the cell Jack had bought me as soon as we arrived in New York, “just in case” he had said, and when I saw his name on the screen I immediately hit ignore.

When it rang again a couple of seconds later I turned the phone off for good measure.

Hunter, to his credit, didn’t say a word.

It took almost an hour but we arrived at a secluded place in the woods. The cabin was all wood and I admired the surrounding area as Hunter parked the car.

“The keys should be above this window,” he said as he searched for it. “If I remember correctly, that is.” Then he caught something. “There, found it.”

He unlocked the door and the place looked surprisingly clean for not being used that often.

“Maybe one of my brothers did use it recently,” he said.

“Probably Jack. Bringing some bimbo to fuck here,” the very thought made my blood boil.

“I’d like to tell you probably not, but it seems entirely possible. He’s a fucking idiot, Sophie. To cheat on a girl like you? Crazy.” Hunter said as he locked the door behind us. I immediately felt safe. I sat down on the big comfy bed and Hunter sat dawn next to me.

“Do you want something to drink? There’s probably something in the fridge.”

I shook my head no and then I found myself doing something unexpected. I put my hand on his thigh. He looked up at me with a question in his eyes. He shifted uncomfortably on the bed as I leaned in for a kiss. He returned it quite eagerly, and then stopped. “If you’re only doing this because...” he started to say but I put my fingers over his lips.

“Yes. Partly. But I like you Hunter, and don’t you want to get back at him for sleeping with your girlfriend?”

“Fuck yeah,” Hunter said and kissed me harder. We basically tore each other’s clothes off, as we planted kisses on each other, our hands all over one another. I couldn’t get enough of Hunter. Yes, it felt good to get back at Jack, but it also just felt good, period. I abandoned all my rational thought that told me to stop and let myself be swept by the lust and anger both of us felt.

“Fuck, condoms” Hunter moaned. “I gotta go to the car, I’ll be right back.”

He quickly put on his jeans, otherwise he was completely naked, revealing that nice tight body he had had. He didn’t have as many muscles as Jack. He was more on the leaner side, but still very sexy. I laid down on the bed and smiled as I saw the huge bulge in his pants as he made his way outside.

He returned triumphant less than a minute later and we continued where we left off. His cock was beautiful. Not as thick as Jack’s but longer. As he entered me inch by inch, I gasped at his length. And when he fucked me, it drove me crazy. I urged him on by holding onto his tight ass. Hunter kissed me deep and fucked me deep, and I loved every second of it. Take that, Jack, I thought in my mind, as both Hunter and I came at the same time.

We spent the rest of the day in each other’s arms, naked. We had sex a couple of more times, each time sweeter and more gentle than the last. Our first time was more out of anger and hate for Jack, now we just enjoyed each other’s bodies like any lovers would.

I thought about how fucked up the whole situation was but quickly shooed that thought away as I huddled closer to Hunter. I almost wished I had met Hunter first. He seemed like a good guy.

“I like your tattoos,” I said as I traced the lines on his arms with my fingers.

“All the girls say that,” he said and laughed.

“I bet they do,” I agreed and kissed his chest again.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” I finally said after the silence was too much.

“I have a place in the city. You can stay there until you figure something out,” Hunter said and kissed the top of my head, which only reminded me of the countless times Jack did the same.

“I don’t know why, but I still love him. That’s why this hurts so damn much,” I said. I didn’t want to give Hunter any ideas that we were going to be a couple now that we had slept together. This was nice and all, but Jack still had my heart.

“We should go back to the house then. Hear him out and see where you stand before making any big decisions.”

“You’re very wise, Hunter,” I said and kissed him softly on the cheek.

“I try my best. I know my brother better than anyone,” he said, and I refrained from telling him all the things he
didn’t
know about his brother. “When he slept with Alicia, my girlfriend at the time, I despised him. But pretty soon I saw how messed up he really was. On drugs. And sex, I’d guess. I think he’s a sex addict, if you ask me.”

I didn’t even think about it that way, but now that Hunter mentioned it, it seemed entirely plausible. Isn’t that what he had told me himself before we got together on that wretched island? But then again, he promised me that if he had me he wouldn’t need anyone else, and we all know how that ended. In a threesome. And now in him cheating on me with some random skank.

“I’ll give him a chance to explain himself, but I can’t fathom what he’d have to say that would make me forgive him.”

“Just give him a chance. I did,” Hunter said. And you were in bed with his girlfriend, I wanted to say but kept my mouth shut. Hunter was a good guy, far better than Jack it seemed, and I didn’t want to hurt his feeling. But Jack was also far more troubled than Hunter. It seemed no one in his family knew what really went on behind closed doors in Hollywood. Except their mother, who arranged things or simply looked the other way. Jack had a lot of reasons to be messed up, I gave him that much. But cheating on me like that? And not stopping when being caught? I didn’t know if I could forgive those things. A threesome was one thing, but this going behind my back thing was in a whole other ballpark.

But here I was in bed with Hunter, Jack’s brother. Maybe I shouldn’t judge him too harshly, though the only reason I was here in the first place was because of how bad Jack had hurt me.

At midday we made our way back to the Wood House. I dreaded seeing Jack’s face again, but I knew it was the right thing to do, at least to give us some closure. He had hurt me, and I hurt him in turn. I guess we were even now.

As soon as Hunter turned the ignition off I saw the front door opening and Jack running toward the car. I reluctantly opened the door and stepped out. “Where the fuck were you guys?” He asked as he looked at us both. Hunter had got out of the car as well. Neither of us looked him straight in the eyes. “You two fucked, didn’t you?” He finally said, realization of what had happened clear on his face.

“Yes,” I said, wanting to hurt him like he had hurt me. “And it was amazing.”

“Hunter, what the fuck man?” He looked over the hood at his brother.

“You did the same to me, remember bro?” Hunter said and went inside the house. Jack went to go after him. I could sense the anger between them. I stopped him with my hand on his chest and he breathed hard. I could sense that he was trying to stay calm under extraordinary circumstances. “No, Jack, this is between you and me. He tried to say no, but I insisted.”

“Why are you doing this, Sophie? Why?” He wailed.

I looked him straight in the eyes then. “You have to ask?”

He looked down on the pavement. “I guess not.”

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“I’m an addict, Sophie, you know that. I slipped. You wouldn’t have sex with me, so I found someone who would. It’s a simple as that. It was just sex. It didn’t mean anything to me. You’re the one I love, Sophie. You’re the one I care about.”

“I’m sorry, Jack, but I find that hard to believe. I’ll go back inside and I’ll pack my things. We’re done.” I went to go into the house but Jack stopped me, with both of his big hands on either of my shoulders. He pushed me gently against the jeep.

“I can’t live without you, Sophie. Please don’t do this.” I could see the desperation and truth of it in his eyes. “I forgive you for sleeping with Hunter, just please don’t go,” he pleaded.

I almost felt sorry for him, but then I remembered the smug look on his face when he told me to wait a minute as he came inside that whore. “Are you acting right now?”

Jack took a step back, shock on his face. “Why the hell would you say that?”

“It’s just earlier today, at the hotel room, you seemed like a completely different person. You weren’t remorseful at all. And now here you are begging for forgiveness. It just seems a bit strange, doesn’t it?”

“Back at the hotel room, Sophie, that wasn’t me. That was Jack the Addict, right now I’m just Jack. I’d never lie to you, never. The addict got his fix, and now here I am, the real me, telling you that I messed up.”

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” I said. “I’m so fucking confused.”

“Believe this,” Jack came in closer and I could smell the fresh scent of soap. He had enough sense to have a shower after his “fix.” He kissed me gently on the lips. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. And you’re the only woman who knows all my secrets. I don’t think sex with some random chick should negate that, do you?”

I leaned in closer and put my hands on his face. I kissed him deeper, trying to forget everything that had happened that day. I still had the taste of Hunter in my mouth, but that only made me more willing to forgive Jack’s transgressions. I felt his warm strong body against mine and I felt like I was home again. Being with Hunter was fun. Heck, being with Rory was fun, but being with Jack? The world stopped when I was in his arms, and I knew I had to forgive him.

“I forgive you,” I said and felt his lips curled up in a smile. “But I have a condition.”

“What? I’ll do anything, just say the word.” I could hear the relief and eagerness in his voice.

“First, you’ll forgive Hunter. It wasn’t his fault.”

Jack shifted away from me. “Fine,” he finally said, though I could see that he didn’t like the idea at all.

“Second, you never pull a stunt like this again. If you feel like going out and fucking someone else, tell me first.”

Jack nodded. “I will, Sophie, I will.”

“Third, use a fucking condom.”

“She was on the pill,” he said in his defense and I wanted to punch him right then and there.

“I don’t give a fuck. Girls lie all the time, and there’s this little thing called STDs out there. I don’t want you bringing anything home that we can’t get rid of.”

Jack looked at me and smiled. 

“Why the fuck are you smiling?”

Jack leaned in real close, as close as he could get without being inside me and kissed me deep. “You’re amazing, Sophie, I love you so damn much it hurts.”

“I love you too, Jack, but if you ever betray me like that again, we’re done. Do you understand?”

He nodded and kissed me deep, his tongue entering my mouth. I couldn’t resist the taste of him and I returned his kiss, our tongues dancing a secret dance of their own.

Later that day, we found ourselves alone in Jack’s bedroom and we made love more than a couple of times. Jack was mine, and mine alone, I thought to myself as he thrust himself deep inside me. Ain’t nobody gonna take my man away from me, and if some bitch tried, she better watch out.

A
s daylight hit I excused myself and took a cup and made my way to the woods behind Wood House, and I followed the trail to the stream. I looked down into the water and breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a regular stream, which meant that my earlier experience must have been a psychotic episode of sorts. But then, little by little, the image of Lucy’s head started to form.

“Took you long enough,” she said, though not in a mean way. She was teasing me, though she did seem uneasy.

I took a step back.

“Yeah, I’m real. Get over it. Now tell me what happened.”

“A lot,” I said. “You were right of course.” I told her how I had found Jack with that girl and then I told her how I got my revenge by sleeping with his brother.

“Thata girl!” Lucy smiled vide. It looked a little creepy with all the blood and gore, but I could almost see the old, alive, Lucy in there somewhere, and that made me smile. “Now put me in that cup, because what I told you before was just a preview! I know a big dark secret Jack’s been keeping from you this whole time, and I think it’s about time you found it out.”

“But how? How do you know all this stuff?”

“I’m dead, duh, we ghosties have our ways. Plus, I’m super connected to Jack because he killed me, so I know all his secrets pretty much. Put me in that cup, and you’ll know them too!”

I felt uneasy about this whole affair. It was one thing to talk to a ghost, or even take her advice, but it was yet another to follow her command. I played with the small teacup I stole from the kitchen, uncertain whether I should approach the stream or not.

“I knew about his affair, remember?” Lucy said, a mischievous look in her eyes.

“Yes, yes you did,” I had to admit. And I was thankful that she told me. I was glad me and Jack could put that terrible affair behind us. He knew where we stood now, and if he broke his promise to me again, we were done. But I was curious: what was this terrible secret he had been keeping from me? How much more terrible could it get from him banging that girl behind my back? Apparently, if Lucy was to be trusted, and I found no reason why she shouldn’t be, she has already proven herself in that regard, then there was something else Jack was hiding from me and I needed to know what it was right now. I leaned in over the stream and watched as Lucy’s head became smaller and smaller. “So you can scoop me up,” she said in a squeaky voice, which almost made me laugh out loud but I held it back as I scooped her whole reflection into the little tea cup. She disappeared when I lifted the cup to my face, then just as soon reappeared. “That’s better, she said. Moving water can be a bitch on a girl’s thoughts.”