Crushed (Torn #7)(16)

“I had no idea. Amber…” He reached out, pulling me close before engulfing my frame with his, holding me and cradling my head against his chest while his hand rested on the back of my neck, making soothing gestures.

Damn. I wasn’t going to cry. Damn him.

“Today wasn’t a good day. I did tell you that,” I choked out, fighting the urge to shed my tears.

“I’m here,” he softly cooed, making me feel secure. “I’m here.”

For the first time, someone really was, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. My emotions were strung high, my senses running amuck. Hardcore. God help me, I was merely a sinner. Through and f*uking through.

“Brody, I don’t think…” I began to say as I tried to untangle myself from him, but he was adamant that I stay put with my cheek attached to the sun-kissed skin of his toned and rather too defined chest.

“It’ll be okay. I’m here. You’re safe.”

Yep, God help me. My hormones sure as f*uk weren’t going to try and salvage anything at this point.

That night, Brody’s good intentions evolved into something more physical. I went in his room a virgin and came out … undeniably not.





Chapter Seven


Present


Athens, Greece





“Are you sure you want to really settle here? It’s not forever, is it?” Trista’s saddened voice broke through my thoughts as I watched her questioning Lindsey while we drank our coffee and other refreshments after a festive luncheon.

Lindsey’s face fell a little. “Aww, boo, don’t be sad. I know it’s going to be weird without me around, but I have to be here with Dimitris. He needs me here, and frankly, I need to be with him, too. Besides, I don’t want anything to come in between us. Claudine did enough damage in wanting to break us apart. God knows we’ll have more trials coming our way, but for us to get through them, we need to stick together.”

“I know…” Trista sighed, knowing all too well the fight and struggle Lindsey had been forced to go through to get where she was now and how she herself had to tackle her own afflictions before fully embracing her future with Dimitris. It was a tough passage, yet everything was worth it in the end. “It’s just, with Emma gone and now you, the house will be so empty. I never thought we wouldn’t be graduating together.”

The house would be so empty without her in it. Although she owned it, she was going to allow us to continue living there, which was generous. Then again, this was Lindsey after all, and she took care of the people she loved.

“As long as our friendships remain intact, we’ll be okay,” Emma voiced, seeming complacent about it. “I’m only a drive away, so you two chicks can visit me anytime. Once this baby monster pops out, I will need all the extra help I can get.” She intently gazed at the both of us. “You two be will on diaper duty pretty soon, so you better have all the fun you guys can get now, ‘cause mister poop and pee will be here before you know it.”

We all laughed at her suggestion. It wasn’t a question if we were going to be helping her out or not. It would be, after all, the first baby in the group, and I could picture us scrambling to help Emma out.

“Have you guys thought of names yet?” I questioned as I pictured what the baby would look like. Heck, that baby had some beautiful, strong genes. It probably would be a beautiful, blonde baby with bright, vivid blue eyes, and some serious baby swagger.

“We’re still waiting on that until the last month or so. It can be hard arguing with Bass since all he does is mess with me by teasing me with funny names.” She grinned, her eyes sparkling at the mention of her beloved husband.

Looking at her so enamored at the mention of Bass Cole, I wanted to kick Trista for even questioning Emma about the baby’s paternity. It was quite obvious that the very idea itself was impossible.

Our discussion turned into blasts from the past, reminiscing about the good ol’ days and how it all had begun with Emma moving in as Lindsey’s roommate and how Emma had been so shocked in the beginning with Lindsey’s mercurial attitude that it almost scared her away. Hearing those stories made me realize how blessed I was to have found the loving group of women. All of them were strong-willed, yet we stuck together as though we truly were sisters.

Memory lane occupied most of the afternoon. It was heart-warming to simply hangout with the girls, most especially to be around Lindsey again without a trace of anger or hostility between us. It felt like it had back in the day, and I couldn’t be happier.

After our long chat, everybody headed back to Dimitris’ and Lindsey’s breathtakingly beautiful villa to unwind before changing into semi-cocktail wear for dinner since his family was going to be coming to further the celebration of their second nuptials.

It was funny thinking about how they had separated and divorced, only to remarry again. I supposed, if you were fated to be with someone, no matter how one tried to run away from it, it was going to find you whether you wanted it to or not.

Maybe one day, I would find my own fated person to be with. For the meantime, I would bask in the joyous reunion with my friends because who knew when we all would be together again?

Once confined in the bedroom, I sighed as I plucked my pumps off each foot before I heard a short rap at the door.