Southern Seduction (128 page)

Shutting off the engine, I jump out of the truck. Taking off my suit jacket and tie, I roll my sleeves up as I walk towards the lake. The sun has set, and the moonlight is faint. I have to strain my eyes before they adjust to the darkness. I walk toward the dock and see her sitting on the edge, her legs up to her chin with her arms wrapped around them. She doesn’t look up at me when I approach her, but I watch as she wipes her eyes.

Sitting down next to her, I pull her into my arms. She stiffens but doesn’t move away from me. “Hey, pretty girl, don’t cry,” I whisper, brushing her hair out of her face. She turns her face into my chest, and I can feel her shaking silently. Instead of whispering a bunch of platitudes, I let her cry as I rub her back, encouraging her to let it all out.

“Why does she hate me so much, Sawyer? I don’t understand. What did I do to her to make her think so little of me?” she cries into my shirt. I wish I had an answer for her, but I have no excuse for the disdain her mother seemed to show her. “She’s probably right, you know. You don’t need some small-town hick latching on to you. You have a huge future ahead of you, while the only reason I got into Berkeley was because of a scholarship and my dead dad. I have too much baggage for you.”

Gripping her arms, I push her away from my chest. “Look at me, Cheyenne.” Her eyes lift up, and I can see them shimmering in the moonlight. I hate that she’s crying, that I played a part in it by not being completely forthcoming with who I am. “If anyone isn’t worthy here, it’s me. I don’t deserve you, and maybe it’s selfish of me, but I don’t care. I want to be with you no matter what anyone else thinks. And I meant what I said. I want to move to Berkeley. I know it’s only been a couple of months. I love you, Cheyenne, and without you in Georgia, there’s nothing to keep me here.”

“I love you, too. But what about your dad? Your future career? Your trust fund? I can’t let you leave all of that behind, Sawyer. I’m okay if we have to do this long distance if it means not uprooting your entire life just for me. I can’t let you do that.”

I stand up, pulling her with me. Pressing a kiss against her lips, I shut her up. “I don’t want to lose you, pretty girl. I’m not letting anyone stand in our way.”

She starts to protest, but then she stops herself. Grabbing my hand, she drags me towards the boathouse, throwing the door open and pulling me back towards the bedroom with a desperation I’ve never seen before.

Dropping my hand, she stands in front of the bed. She slowly slides her dress up over her head, throwing it to the side before she removes her bra, leaving her standing there in nothing but a matching yellow thong. Holding her hand out, she draws me in when I take it. I stand still as she unbuttons first my shirt and then my pants. I quickly shed my clothing and climb on top of her when she lies back on the bed.

“I don’t want to think about any of it anymore. Not for tonight. Make me forget, Sawyer. At least for a little while,” she breathes, grabbing me and positioning me so that I’m lined up with her. Her hands reach around and grab my ass. She lifts up just as she pulls me into her, and I fill her fully, barely registering the fact that I didn’t put a condom on.

Looking down at her, I see a sadness in her eyes, and it’s unnerving. She’s biting her lip, her eyes searching mine. When she sees me watching her, a smile spreads over her face. She sits up and motions for me to flip over, wanting me on my back. We don’t break contact, and she’s straddling me, ready to ride me. As she leans down, her soft breasts brush against my chest as she begins to move up and down on me.

“No matter what happens, I love you, Sawyer. I always will.”

I close my eyes, and her words play over and over in my mind. There’s a sense of finality to them, and I can’t help the feeling of foreboding that washes over me. We still have a week together, but something tells me that, after this night, nothing for us will ever be the same.

Cheyenne

It’s still dark when I wake up. Sawyer’s arm is wrapped around my waist, and for a split second, I relish in his warmth. Last night’s events come flooding back in. I remember the look of disdain and pity my mother gave me when Sawyer said he loved me. She almost looked like she felt sorry for me, the poor little naïve girl who actually thought the rich city boy would love her forever. Her words continue to play over and over in my mind, and the more I hear them, the more true they sound. I can’t continue to think about this while I’m in bed with him. I have to get out of here, to go somewhere where I can think straight without his hot, naked body lying next to me. I try to slip out of the bed, but his hand comes up to grab me, pulling me back down on the bed so I’m flat on my back.

“Where you goin’, pretty girl?” he asks sleepily, his hand running up and down my stomach.

“It’s late, Sawyer, and even though she doesn’t deserve it, I should probably go see if my mom’s at home. Maybe in some messed-up sort of way she actually cares that I ran out upset and haven’t been home.” It’s a lame excuse. We both know she doesn’t give a shit, but he doesn’t protest. Instead, he leans down and presses a kiss on my lips. I get up out of bed, and he sits up.

“I’m heading back to the farm. Work’s startin’ in less than thirty minutes. See you tonight?” he asks, and I have to bite my lip not to cry. The truth is that I have no idea what’s going to happen after I go home.

I nod, and Sawyer must sense my hesitation because he grabs my hand and pulls me into a hug.

“I love you, pretty girl. You know that, right?”

“I know,” I tell him, somehow forcing myself to sound teasing. “I love you, too, city boy.”

With that, he plants a kiss on my nose and then slaps me on the ass. “You bet your ass you do. Don’t ever forget it.”

With a forced laugh, I wave goodbye and head out into the moonlight.

As I pull into the driveway, I’m instantly confused. Her Mercedes is sitting there, but right next to it is Daddy’s truck. Or well, what used to be his truck. It looks like it has a brand-new body, complete with a new bright candy-apple-red paint job. Hopping out of the car, I run my hands along the exterior and peer inside. Instead of the worn seats with torn upholstery, the sight of fresh leather seats greets me.

I hear the screen door slam and turn towards the house, forgetting the truck for now. My mom is standing there, her arms folded over her chest.

“It is almost five in the morning. Where in the hell have you been, Cheyenne?” she asks, her eyes narrowing as she takes in my appearance. “Good Lord, were you with him again? Even after everything?”

Without answering, I push past her and enter the house, stopping in my tracks when I see Thomas sitting at the table with boxes packed around him. “What’s going on?” I ask. He looks tired, and I wonder if this is her doing.

She comes in behind me. “We’ve sold the house, Cheyenne, and after your little temper tantrum, we thought we’d be nice and go ahead and box everything up for you. You’ll find that most of your bedroom is packed and already loaded into the truck so you can leave in the morning.”

I rush back to my room, and just like she said, my room is completely bare. My vanity is the only thing left untouched, and my guess is that’s only so she can make sure that I’m presentable for my road trip. I make my way back out towards where they are in the kitchen.

“I don’t have to leave for Berkeley for another week. Why would I leave tomorrow?”

Thomas gets up from the table, claiming to need some fresh air. She doesn’t speak again until we’re left alone. “We felt it best that you leave as soon as possible. It’s apparent that you and Sawyer developed feelings for each other. The sooner that you’re separated, the better. This way no one will have to find out about this little scandal. You can go onto Berkeley, he can go to Auburn, and no one will be the wiser.”

My heart starts racing at the thought of being separated from him. I can’t. I’ve come to depend on him. I haven’t felt this alive, this wanted, this loved, since Daddy died, and the thought of losing that kind of love all over again is heart shattering.

“There’s no scandal here. We didn’t know you two were together. You probably can’t even consider us stepsiblings, seeing as how you’ve been married for all of a day,” I try to argue, but I know it’s falling on deaf ears.

Her eyes soften, and she motions for me to sit down. “Cheyenne, sweetie, we’re just trying to look out for you. After you left the restaurant, Sawyer agreed to his father’s terms. He’ll stay at Auburn and not lose his inheritance or his place in the company. I know you think you two are in love, but you have to understand men like them. They don’t fall for women like us. At least not the first time around. Even if Sawyer did follow you out to Berkeley, he’d do one of two things. He’d resent you for costing him his future, or even worse, he’d end up finding one of the socialites on campus to spend his time with. I know this is painful to hear, yet it’s the truth. You two come from completely different circles. Do you really want to be the reason he gives up on his future, for one that probably won’t even last?”

Tears are streaming down my face now, and my mind is feeling so conflicted. Everything she’s saying is breaking my heart, but in her own messed-up way, she is making sense. Can I be the reason Sawyer gives everything up? I’m eighteen years old. Can I really expect him to move across country for me? The more I start to question it, the more glaringly obvious the answer is. But one thing is still nagging in the back of my head, and Thomas walks in just in time to answer my question—hopefully honestly.

“Thomas, I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot earlier. It was just… Well, it was a shock.” I pause and he nods in acceptance. “But I need to ask you something.”

“Go ahead, Cheyenne,” he says, his eyes soft. I look at my mother, and I can see her eyes darting back and forth between the two of us.

“When I left the restaurant, did Sawyer agree to stay at Auburn in order to get his inheritance?”

Thomas looks as me strangely. “No, absolutely not. In fact, it was the opposite. I don’t know how you’ve gotten so close to my son, but I’ve never seen him that adamant about something. He’d give it all up just to go to Berkeley, regardless of if I cut him off or not.”

A warmth washes over me from knowing that Sawyer didn’t agree to that. I’m pissed at myself for even believing her for a second. “That’s what I thought. Before I say anything else, what’s with the truck? I thought it was sold for parts.”

My mom jumps in before Thomas can answer. “Oh, Cheyenne, I was just kidding when I said that. I swear, you are too serious for your own good. Thomas wanted to surprise you, and me, by fixing up the truck as a present for you. He wanted to make sure you had reliable transportation to get to California. Isn’t that sweet of him? It has a brand-new transmission, engine, and everything!”

Choking up at the thought that a stranger cared enough to do that, I stand up and give Thomas a hug. “Thank you. That was very thoughtful.” I’m not sure how this same man is the one who threatened to cut his son off, but I can understand that maybe he thought he was doing best by his son, not wanting him to throw his future away on a summer romance.

He returns my hug awkwardly, and I can hear my mother hands clap behind us. “We’re going to be a wonderful family!” I shake my head, almost laughing at how delusional she must be. Thomas leaves the room, heading back towards the master bedroom.

“See, Cheyenne? He could be a good stepfather if only you’d give him a chance.”

“What’s the point? I’m leaving for Berkeley and probably won’t see him again in a long time. It’s not like we’ll have a chance to build a relationship or anything.”

She lets out a sigh of relief. “So you are leaving? Cheyenne, honey, I really do think that’s for the best. I’m sure you had a lovely summer with Sawyer, but let’s be honest here. His parents were both extremely wealthy and came from names that mean something down here. You’re a Hamilton. The daughter of a sailor. In the end, he’s not the type of man to settle down with someone like you.”

“You met Sawyer all of one time and you think you know what type of person he is? You don’t even know your own daughter, so please, cut the crap. The whole reason you want me to leave is because you think our being together is going to upset this perfect little family that you think you’ve created by marrying Thomas. You’re so deluded, thinking anyone will give a shit that he and I are together. The only reason I’m leaving is because of him. He may love me enough to give everything up for me, but I love him enough not to let him. Because somehow, I don’t truly believe that Thomas would cut him off. At least not without you in his ear, telling him that he needs to. A man doesn’t get a truck restored for a stepdaughter he’s never met just to turn around and treat his son like a piece of throwaway crap, the same way you’ve treated me all of these years.”