The Beats in Rift (11 page)

The phone rings and saves me from having to decide whether to bolt or let him touch me. Pulling away from me he lifts the receiver. “Okay, thanks.” He puts the phone down and hurries from the bed, gathering our clothes as he does.

I sit up, pulling the sheet up to cover me. My mouth is dry and there’s a slight burn in my throat. “Who was that?” I ask hoarsely.

Justin starts hopping on one foot, trying to put his sock onto other. “My wakeup call. Med, listen I need to run, but I want to talk about what happened. Can I meet you later?”

Brushing a hand through the tangled mess on top of my head I mutter, “Yeah, sure.”

“Where are we?” I ask, looking around the room. There are dark blue drapes pulled across the entire back wall, and a vanity unit with a large mirror above. The carpets are dark blue like the drapes, and the bedding is crisp white.

“My suite. It’s rented for the week.”

“Yo, Justin, someone’s at the door!” Max calls.

Panic crosses his face as he pulls on his jeans and t-shirt. His eyes are looking everywhere but at me.

“Why are you freaking out?”

“I’m not. Just stay in here, Meds.” He rushes to the door and exits, closing it behind him. Sliding from the bed I stumble over to the vanity mirror and groan at the woman looking back at me. My hair looks like I stepped out of the eighties and my eyes are rimmed with black makeup. I pull myself away from my self-loathing when I hear muffled voices coming from outside the door. I move closer, pinning my ear against it. My heart begins to pound against my rib cage. I swing open the door to find Max’s naked back in my view, blocking the doorway like a security guard. He turns and slings an arm over my shoulders. I try to shake him off but he gives me a pleading stare. I look over to see Justin holding someone. When he releases her, she turns to me. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had a guest, Max.” There’s no warmth in her tone.

“Yeah, this is Meadow, she’s the bride’s daughter,” Max says. “We went out last night.”

Her eyes travel up my body and her lips turn up in judgment. “How welcoming of her.”

She screams sorority in her knee-length skirt, blouse, and sweater resting over her shoulder. Her blonde hair is poker straight with a side bang, and she has pearls around her neck.

“Well, baby, if he’s going to be bringing just anyone here all week, I want a separate suite,” she says while rubbing Justin’s arm. He looks over at me, guilt evident in his face. I’m about to go hide in the room but my feet falter and my heart rattles against my chest as a tremor ricochets through me.

“I needed that. I shouldn’t have had so much to drink and then driven for three hours,” Jared says as he walks into the room, buttoning his fly. He looks up with a smile but it drops when he sees me standing in nothing but a sheet with Max’s arm around my shoulders. His eyes flare with rage, a sheen coating them, lighting the amber glow like someone blowing on a naked flame. He takes in a nearly nude Max in a slow observation, starting at his toes and traveling the length of his body to his extended arm. Max must see it too, must feel the wave of hostility rolling over us like the sea crashing against rocks. He quickly removes his hand.

“What the fuck is this?” he asks into the room, not aimed at anyone in particular.

Justin’s head drops.

“I’m going to get dressed,” Max tells us, creeping across the living room and disappearing through a door.

“Maria, would you mind going downstairs and getting us a table for breakfast? I need to talk to my brother,” Justin says. She nods, giving me another disapproving sneer before she kisses his cheek and leaves.

“What the hell is she doing here with some douche?” Jared asks.

“She isn’t here with him, she’s here with me,” Justin informs him all too happily.

A smirk lifts Jared’s lips. “I take it Miss Stepford doesn’t know, hence the douche standing in for you. Or was he part of the party?”

“Don’t be disgusting, Jared. What are you even doing here?” I ask.

“Med, why don’t you go put some clothes on?” Justin suggests.

Jared’s laugh sends chills through me. “Why? She hasn’t got anything we haven’t both seen, Justin.” He walks closer to me. “I’m here for my uncle’s wedding. Justin said for me to come stay with him for the week to catch up being as he was here too. Guess you’ve both done some catching up, huh?”

I can’t tear my eyes from him. He’s wearing low rise jeans, a wife beater vest, a black leather jacket, and shit kicker boots; he is sex personified and I feel myself dampen between my thighs with every step he takes towards me.

“You’re looking good, Beats.” His eyes drop to my nipples tenting the sheet. A blush heats my cheeks as a knowing smile plays on his lips.

“Meadow.” I flinch at the tone of Justin’s voice. I look over Jared’s shoulder to see Justin’s glare narrowed on us. “Go put some clothes on. Jared, stop fucking looking at her like that.”

His laugh makes me jump. “Still paranoid she wants me and not you? I thought you moved on with Stepford? Besides, I think she likes me looking at her, judging by that flush on her skin. Are you pink all over, Beats?”

Justin storms across the room, grabbing me by the wrist. “For fuck’s sake, Jared! She’s standing there covered in my scent and you’re still making a play for her?”

I can’t breathe. This isn’t happening, how can I be so stupid? And just let the past go so easily. I feel sick when Jared’s face falls and pain flitters across his golden eyes. It doesn’t last, his cold façade slips quickly into place. “Hey, I’m used to sharing, Justin. You always wanted my stuff.” His grin bores into me as Justin’s grip tightens on my wrist. The tension clogs the air like smoke in an inferno, their eyes blazing into each other’s.

“For God’s sake!” I scream, pulling the sheet from my body and holding my hands up. “Why not share me? Come on, sandwich me together like the piece of meat you think I am! I’m sick of this shit. You can both go to hell.”

Both pairs of eyes are on my exposed flesh, raking over my naked form like they’ve never seen the female anatomy before.

“Shit…I…err..!” Max chokes out. The warmth drains from me.

Justin reaches for the sheet and holds it in front of me while Jared shoves me backwards into the room I vacated. “Turn around if you like your teeth!” he bellows at Max.

I stumble back into Justin’s room and slip my dress over my head, finding my panties and sliding them up my legs. Jared’s face sets into a grimace as he looks between me and the sex-rumpled bed.

“She can get dressed on her own.”

“Do one, Justin. Haven’t you got a breakfast to get to?”

Justin rubs his hands down his face. My fury boils and I poke him in the chest.

“You have some explaining to do, Justin. Who’s the blonde?”

Jared sniggers. I turn my glare to him but he just smirks at me, a glint in his panty-dropper eyes. He still has power over me and my body. “He didn’t tell you he had a girlfriend, huh? That’s low, Justin.”

“I’m sorry, Meds. Yes, she’s my girlfriend.”

I hear an unnatural laugh rip from my chest, throwing my hands up, then letting them collapse at my side. “Did you know Jared was coming? Because you made it quite clear he wouldn’t be here and that it was him who was settled with a girlfriend.”

Jared’s growl sounds primal. “You liar! Is that what you had to do to get in her panties?”

The front door opens and closes. Within seconds, the blonde appears in the doorway of Justin’s bedroom. “Justin, what’s going on? I waited.”

“Not long enough!” he snaps. Flinching from his abrupt reply she storms from the room. “Shit, wait. Maria!” he calls after her and I’m left standing in in last night’s clothes with Jared staring at me.

“Now you can finally compare the two of us, huh, Beats?”

A tear leaks from my eye without permission. He closes the distance between us and swipes across my cheek to capture the tear with the pad of his thumb, bringing it to his lips and sucking the dampness from it.

“I’ve never compared you, and I was so wasted last night I don’t even remember it. None of it even matters anyway. I should never have come back here, and as soon as my Mom’s wedding is over, I’m leaving and I won’t ever come back again.”

I push past him and head through the lounge area where Max is sitting on the couch. I brush past Justin who’s whispering something to this Maria girl. I ignore him when he calls my name, opening the door and slamming it behind me. I rush down the hall to escape my past heartache that has a way of becoming a fresh wound every time I see Jared. I ignore the judgemental eyes of the other guests. I feel so disgusted with myself for doing the walk of shame. For not remembering the night before and for my traitorous body for disobeying me when I tell it we no longer love, lust or care for Rift. I know what people are thinking and they’re right; the walk of shame really
is
shameful.

“Meadow, you left your bag and shoes.” Max runs towards me, sympathy in his eyes, which only makes me feel worse.

“Thanks.” I take my belongings from him.

“I’m sorry about what happened. It seems like a really tense situation and Justin’s brother is all kinds of scary.”

I nod and offer a weak smile. “Why didn’t you tell me Justin had a girlfriend?”

“I didn’t know anything was going to happen with you two, and you left the club before me so I didn’t know he brought you home. But as sweet as you are and as much as I like you, my loyalty is with Justin and he asked me to keep his personal business quiet.” He rubs my arm and looks genuinely sorry but I don’t care. He played me just like Justin did and I feel sick to my stomach. I turn from him and hit the elevator button. It opens straight away and I send up a silent thank you.

I rush inside and repeatedly hit the lobby button as Jared and Justin come barrelling out from the hotel room and head down the hall towards me. The doors close before they reach me.

As the elevator descends, my stomach rolls and my heart goes with it. There’s a loud ding before the doors slide open; the foyer is bustling with people and I feel like a cheap whore in my rumpled dress.

I hang my head and make my way to the service desk, pulling out my credit card and handing it over to the desk clerk who’s grinning at me like he knows all my secrets. “Can I help you, Ma’am?” The smile never leaves his face; he looks like he’s starring in a tooth paste commercial. I can’t take any more people judging me, I can’t walk into another hotel looking like this so I need a room here and need to get inside it as soon as possible.

“Can I book a room for the night, please?” He taps away on his computer and swipes my credit card. I wince as he does, knowing I’m blowing way too much of my limit to book a room here, but I need a shower and some alone time to refocus.

My hotel room looks like the bedroom from Justin’s suite. I strip my dress and panties off and head straight to the shower, letting the heat and steam rinse away the harsh reality of being back here with the Jacobs twins.

“MOM, PLEASE JUST bring my suitcase. I need clean clothes. I have nothing to put on and I can’t wear last night’s dress”

“You know how busy I am. I’m getting married in three days, Meadow.”

“I know, and if you bring me clothes I can help.”

“I’ll send Ellie.”

“Fine.”

I put the phone down with a sigh.

I knew I should never have come back here. My Mom cried and begged me to come, and if it wasn’t for Drew phoning me later that day to ask me, I wouldn’t have let her fake tears draw me in.

By four o’ clock Ellie still hasn’t shown up and I’m left sitting here in a hotel robe I found on the back of the bathroom door.

A knock on the door comes as my stomach growls, letting me know I waited too long before ordering room service. I pull the door open and immediately close it when I realize I was wrong about it being room service.

“Beats, open the door. I have your suitcase.”

Damn it, I need my clothes, why does he have it. “Leave it outside and go away, Jared.”

“Maybe I’ll open it and take me a souvenir.”

I throw the door open to find him laughing, arms folded over his impressive chest with his stupid, sexy messy hair falling over his stupid weird-colored eyes, wearing those stupid, sexy jeans. Grrr.

“You have murder in those eyes, Beats.”

I give him a sarcastic grin. “Don’t be silly, I’m thrilled to have you here tormenting me.”

He laughs and it penetrates right to my core, making me squeeze my thighs together. “Mmm, now there’s something completely different in those eyes, Beats.”

I roll my eyes and reach for my suitcase. He grabs my wrist. “I’ll bring it in.”

“No Rift, I don’t want you in here, how did you even get my case?”

“I went to the bar looking for you I wanted to apologize for this morning, I was a dick” Sighing he swipes a hand through his hair. “It was a shock and as you know I’m not good dealing with the whole you and Justin shit” I nod my head

“Ok, fine” reaching for my suitcase he again stops me.

I huff like a child and stomp back inside the room. He sniggers, following me. “I don’t want to argue with you. Can’t we just spend some time together? Watch a movie?”