Torn (12 page)

“Slow down, you’ll have a heart
attack, or heat stroke, and your dad won’t let me off your driveway alive,”
Nate called from behind me. I ignored him, but slowed down my pace to a more
manageable speed. “Stop at the next rest point, you need some water. Hell, I
need some water. You sped off so fast I didn’t have time to fill my bottle
either.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. About ten
minutes later, there was a smooth area for cars to pull in, and I held out my
arm to indicate I was veering off to the right and gently came to a standstill.
I slipped off the seat and kept the bike upright by holding it between my legs,
then shimmied my shoulders to get my backpack off. I pulled it around to my
front to rummage for my water and sighed as Nate coasted past me, then spun his
bike around and came to a stop facing me. I gave him my best glare and narrowed
my eyes at him as he chuckled.

“I’m sorry. I hang around with
the guys after practice and they’re all kind of uncouth. Sometimes it rubs off
on me. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Well, you did,” I stated, as I
topped up my bike water bottle. “You think I like being reminded you’re the guy
all the women want, that you’ve probably screwed half of the town? That doesn’t
impress a girl like me. If anything, it makes me want to run in the opposite
direction.”

“I don’t want you to run from me,
Sky. I want you to run to me.” He sounded sincere, but I just lifted my nearly
empty plastic bottle to my mouth and kept drinking as I studied him. “I’m
thrown, ok? I know we’re only just starting to get to know each other, but
there’s something about you. I knew it the first time we met. Don’t tell me
that you didn’t feel it, too.”

“Hmmm, I think it’s called lust
on first sight, but that’s not the sort of relationship I’m looking for.”
Did
I just say I was looking for a relationship out loud?
I hadn’t even been
thinking about wanting a relationship. That had been the furthest thing from my
mind in my life up to now.

“I won’t insult you by saying
lust doesn’t play a factor for me, because it does, and I’m sure it does in
your attraction to me too. But don’t insult me by implying that’s all I’m
capable of feeling, or that sex is all I’m interested in. I can’t explain why,
but I feel a connection with you, Sky. Strong enough that I haven’t looked at,
or thought about, another woman since I met you, and that’s something new for
me. I’m really trying here, I just need to know if I’m wasting my time, because
it’s precious with everything else going on in my life.” He held my gaze as I
tried to let his words sink in. He really felt a connection to me?

“If I say I’m not sure, will you
relegate me to the time-wasting category and resume your usual casual-sex
lifestyle while I make up my mind?” It came out a little more sharply than I’d
intended, but this guy threw me. I didn’t know up from down when I was around
him.

“Are you always so defensive?”

“I’ve never been propositioned by
a guy like you, so I’m cautious.”

“I’m too intrigued by you to look
at anyone else, ok? If I’ve got to court you, or woo you, or whatever the hell
the phrase is, to win your trust, I’m prepared to do that. And while I do, I
wouldn’t see anyone else while you make up your mind. I just need to know that
I’m not barking up the wrong tree here, that you feel something too,” he urged.
I swallowed my nerves. I was eighteen, surely I could be honest about how I
felt. That was what “normal” girls did.

“I won’t lie, I’m very attracted
to you, I doubt many women wouldn’t be, but that’s what scares me, Nate. I
worry that you’re surrounded by adoring fans willing to offer you sex all the
time, and you’ll be tempted. I wonder if I wouldn’t be better off with someone
who doesn’t have your reputation.”

“Someone like Josh,” he stated
quietly, a look of hurt crossing his face for an instant, like a cloud
scurrying past on a windy day, then it was gone. I bit my lower lip, not sure
how to respond to that. The thought had crossed my mind that if I was looking
for a boyfriend, Josh was way better suited to me. “I’ve seen the way you are
with each other, the looks. On paper he’s probably more your type than I’ll
ever be, but unless you take the chance on me, you’ll never know. The way I see
it, my brother is the safe, dependable option. If I had a sister, I’d be
pushing her toward a guy like Josh over one like me any day. That said, I may
not know you well, Sky, but I know enough to see that you’re not looking for
easy, safe, or dependable. You like to be different, to challenge the rules, to
stretch yourself, and if that’s really the person you are, then I’m the perfect
guy for you.”

“Can I take all of that under
advisement and return my verdict at a later date?” I smiled, to let him know my
annoyance had passed.

“Sure. Come on then, pack up,” he
advised, breaking our eye lock to fill his water bottle. “I need to get back to
check on Ma.”

He insisted on taking my bike
into my garage and lifting it up onto the rack as I stood watching, my backpack
and helmet dangling from my right hand as I rocked on my trainers, not quite
sure how to say goodbye or if we needed to say any more after our earlier
discussion. We hadn’t said much on the ride home, but while it hadn’t been
awkward, now I felt tense.

“I’ll call you. Maybe we can go
out hiking, or just hang out at the arcade sometime soon?” he suggested, as he
turned around and ran a hand through his soft brown hair. I wanted to do that.
I wanted to weave my fingers in it as he kissed me. I’d never imagined myself
doing that with anyone but Dean Winchester. I caught a glimpse of the outline
of Nate’s nipple piercing as the white material of his t-shirt stretched
tightly across his chest. Jesus, what I wouldn’t give to tug on that with my
teeth. Twelve days in Nevada, and I’d turned from a virginal geek to a sex-obsessed
woman.

“Sure, sounds great. I only have two
weeks before college starts, so after that it may be kind of crazy for a while
until I find my feet.”

“I think you’re the kind of
person who hits the ground running, give yourself more credit. Thanks for
agreeing to come out with me today, it was nice to have some company.”

“Thanks for asking, I enjoyed it.
On the whole,” I teased, and he grimaced.

“Sorry, again.”

“It’s done, discussed, over. I
like to keep moving forward, I’m not really one for looking back or holding
grudges. Hope your mom’s ok.” I quickly reached up to peck him on the cheek
again, more as an excuse to breathe him in one last time before he left. God
knew when I was likely to see him again with his crazy lifestyle. “See you
around, Nate.”

“Hopefully soon,” he grinned. I
watched as he headed to his car. He didn’t walk, that was too boring for a guy
like Nate Hudson. He strutted, sexily, his toned, high and tight ass flexing as
he did. I could have sworn my reproductive system melted when he grinned and
waved, then he shot out of my driveway with one elbow hanging casually out of
the side of his car.

“Eaten. Alive. Sky Torres. That’s
what will happen to you if you agree to date him.”

 I locked up the garage and
headed indoors, knowing an interrogation was likely imminent, but they were
going to have to wait. I was in desperate need of a shower, not only to rinse
away the grime, but to try and cool my libido. My head told me that Josh would
be the perfect boyfriend, but my heart …
my heart
and my sexual desire
were screaming Nate’s name, to the point that it was almost overriding my
usually sensible and logical brain. Well, this was one for the books. For a
girl who had no intention of dating anyone right now, all of a sudden I had a
dilemma and needed to make a decision between two. It was a shame they were brothers
and I might be forced to choose between them. That was never going to end well.

Nate

Monday - Late August

“Josh, shift your ass or we’ll be late,”
I hollered through the open front door as I waited on the porch.

“Why do we have to go so early?”
he moaned, as he sauntered across the lounge toward me, his backpack slung over
his shoulder.

“Because I’ve turned into a damn taxi
service. I’ve got to pick up Billy from around the corner, then Sky at the bus
stop, drop you all off on campus,
and
make it to Vegas so I’m not late
for my first class. This is a pain in the ass for me,” I grumbled.

“You offered,” Josh reminded me
as he shut the front door and we headed to my car.

“Yeah, I offered,” I muttered
under my breath. The only reason I had was because it was an excuse to see Sky
again. We’d hung out over the last few weeks, sometimes alone, sometimes with
Josh and Billy, and I was falling for her hard. So hard it had shocked me. I’d
worked myself up into a state last night, filled with an irrational jealousy
that she was going to be spending so much time with Josh and Billy from now on,
not to mention tons of other freshmen who’d be hitting on her. I didn’t like it
at all. Not the idea of her being surrounded by other guys, or the fact that I
was letting it get to me. It was an unnatural feeling. Of all my encounters
over the years, jealousy and the need to
own
a girl had never factored
into the equation. These were new and extremely unsettling feelings that had me
on edge.

“What’s eating at you today?”
Josh asked, as we headed a few blocks over to pick up Billy.

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“I’ve lived with you for eighteen
years, Nate. I know you, remember? You’re not fine. I’ve never seen you like
this. You look like you want to kill someone.”

“I’ve just got a lot on my plate,
Josh. I’ve slacked off over the summer, and now I’m going to have a crazy
schedule of classes, practice, and studying, not to mention trying to fit in my
job, chores around the house, and looking after Ma.”

“Why don’t you focus on doing
more hours at JT’s and I’ll take over looking after the house and Ma?” Josh
suggested. I shot him a look of surprise, sure both of my eyebrows were up in
my hairline.

“You’re starting college, you
need to keep on top of your studying.”

“I’m eighteen, Nate. Same age you
were when Dad died and you stepped up. I feel kinda selfish that I’ve sat back
and let you do it all. I figured it’s time I manned up and tried to make your
life a bit easier too.”

“It’s my responsibility to take
care of things,” I responded firmly.

“No, it’s Ma’s, and she’s as much
use as a butter fence. You can’t tell me what to do anymore, Nate. I’m taking
over at home and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. You need to focus on
your courses as well. You’re halfway through now, you can’t mess up.”

“We’ll talk about this later.” I
shot him a look, making sure that he knew the conversation wasn’t over and that
I wasn’t going to be easily persuaded to let go of the reins.

“Nothing to talk about, it’s done.”

“Nothing’s done unless I say it
is,” I growled. I hadn’t sacrificed so much over the last two years for him to
get overloaded and drown. I heard him grunt his disapproval at my reaction as I
turned on to Billy’s block. “You make sure Billy’s taking his meds and you let
me know if anything happens again, ok?”

“I know, you don’t need to keep
telling me,” he huffed.

“And keep an eye on Sky, too,” I
warned. Not too close an eye, I wanted to add, but I didn’t. That damn girl had
the three of us Hudsons hanging around her feet, begging for scraps. Just a
look or a smile would make any of our days, let alone her sole focus on us, or
her rich, warm and velvety laugh, or a touch in passing that probably meant so
little to her, but was like a bolt of lightning had struck our hearts and our
cocks at the same time. I wondered if she knew just how badly the three of us
wanted her. The question was, who out of the three of us was going to get her?
The thought that it would likely be Josh, by virtue of all of the hours he’d
get to spend with her when I couldn’t, had me jealous of my brother for the
first time in my life. I hadn’t even begrudged stepping up when Dad died, so he
could try and enjoy the rest of his high school years stress-free. So why the
hell was I so damn resentful of him now? It wasn’t a place I’d ever wanted to
be. Sky
damn
Torres!

Sky

“Get in the back with Billy, Josh.
Let Sky ride up front,” Nate ordered as I opened the back door.

“I’m fine in the back, don’t
worry,” I called as I quickly tossed in my backpack and slid in beside it,
ignoring the glare Nate shot at me. Wow, what was wrong with him today? I’d
never seen him look so moody. And
damn
if it wasn’t sexy seeing him with
all of that smoldering angry vibe radiating off him. “Morning, everyone. I’m
nervous and excited all rolled into one, how about you guys?”

“Same,” Josh grinned over his
shoulder, a wide smile on his face. He was so adorable.

“Nah, cool as an emperor penguin,
me,” Billy stated, making me grin. “Besides, Josh and I are going to be the
coolest guys on campus today anyway.”

“How so?” I asked, tucking my
long hair behind my ears. I noticed Nate’s glances at me in his rearview mirror
as he drove away from the curbside. I’d stuck to a loose-fit white and silver
tee, my black skinny jeans, and a pair of my black and white Converse sneakers
today. While I wasn’t wearing any makeup, I’d made the effort to style my long
hair. I was here to study, not attract more male attention. I was already getting
enough from the three males in this car.

“Because we’re arriving with
Nate
Hudson
in the coolest car ever invented. Not only that, when we get out, Josh
and I will have the hottest girl on campus with us. Day one! How’s anyone going
to top that for the cool factor, huh?”

I laughed as Josh spun around in
his seat to high-five Billy, but the scowl on Nate’s face didn’t go unnoticed
by me.

“You ok, Nate? You don’t look
very happy,” I asked, reaching over to gently squeeze his shoulder.

“I’m fine. I wish everyone would
stop asking me that,” he growled.

“If it’s a chore picking me up, I
already told you I could get the bus, it’s no trouble.”

“I
said
it’s fine! I’m
fine, everything’s damn fine, except for the incessant nagging by you three.”

I made a face, and Josh grimaced
at me over his shoulder and mouthed “Sorry.” Whatever had Nate’s boxers in a
bunch, I was sure to get the lowdown when he’d dropped us off. I didn’t like
it. If anyone had the cool factor, it was Nate. This glowering angry look,
while seriously hot, just wasn’t him at all.

Nate coasted into one of the
parking spots, as close to the main NSC entrance as possible. While the
surroundings were still desert and rock, with the McCullough Mountains in the
background, the campus itself had large tended areas of lush green. The
buildings were pretty modern, and I was itching to get to know my way around
and start my classes.

“Sky, can you hang back a minute?”
Nate asked, as he left the engine running and we all went to exit.

“Ermmm, sure. Wait for me, guys?”
I asked Josh and Billy as they hopped out.

“Going nowhere without you for
the next four years. See you later, Nate.” Josh shut his door and Billy did the
same after thanking him for the ride.

“Everything ok?” I asked. “And
don’t say yes, I know you’re lying.”

“I’m worrying about you. I don’t
like the idea of you being here without me,” he replied, focusing his gaze out
of the windshield and making sure he didn’t meet my eyes. I smiled and felt my
stomach do a revolution at the thought that his mood was because of how he felt
about me.

“I’ll be fine, I have Josh and
Billy to look after me.”

“Huh, really not making me feel
any better, Sky,” he grumbled. “They get to be with you when I can’t, not to
mention however many hundred other guys.”

“Nate,” I sighed, putting my hand
back on his shoulder. “If I was looking for a relationship right now, I already
have my shortlist. I promise that until I’m ready to make up my mind, there
won’t be anyone else. You have nothing to worry about.” He nodded and blew out
a deep breath.

“Still doesn’t mean I have to be
happy about it.”

“I’d rather you were. Happy Nate,
I like being around. This one, not so much. Try not to worry, you have enough
on your plate as it is.”

“Will you promise me something?”
he asked, suddenly spinning in his seat and dropping one elbow over the leather
backrest.

“Depends on the promise, but go
on.”

“Make sure Josh is with you when
you’re around Billy, ok?”

“Why, what’s wrong? Someone
really needs to tell me, Nate. What if he’s suddenly sick and I don’t know how
to help him?”

“He’ll tell you when he’s ready,
but Josh will be glued to his side for the next four years. Just make sure you’re
… glued to Josh’s, promise me?”

“I promise,” I confirmed, wishing
they’d just share Billy’s problems with me. How was I supposed to help him when
I had no idea what his condition was?

“Not too glued, mind you,” Nate
warned, flashing me a very possessive, and extremely hot, look.

“Not too glued, got it,” I
laughed. “Hope your first day goes ok. I can’t wait for your first game in
October so I can come and watch.”

“I told you that you can come and
see me practice any time,” he replied, his mood lightening considerably as his
lips curved into one of his gorgeous smiles.

“I’ll be sure to arrange a date
then.”

“Like a real date?” he asked with
a hopeful expression on his face.

“A baseball-watching date, with
Josh and Billy too. Sorry, Nate, but I’ve really got to go if you’re not going
to be late.”

“Yeah, I know,” he huffed, raking
a hand through his roughly styled hair. “Text me?”

“Will do, thanks for the lift.”

“Any time.”

I gave him a grateful smile and
hopped out, carefully closing the door of his prize possession behind me and
heading over to where Josh and Billy were impatiently waiting.

“What was that all about?” asked
Josh, with the closest to a scowl I’d ever seen on his face. It was as if
Nate’s lightening mood had caused an adverse reaction with his brother.

“Just playing the protective
card, wanting me to stick close to you guys.”

“Not a problem, we were planning
on sticking close,” Billy grinned, looping his arm through mine. We all whipped
our heads around when we heard Nate holler Josh’s name, only to find Nate
hanging out of his window.

“What?” snapped Josh. What the
hell was up with the brothers this morning? They were both acting so out of
character.

“Just wanted to say I’m sorry,
ok? Your offer, I really appreciate it. We’ll discuss it later.”

“Ok, Nate,” Josh sighed, giving a
slight nod of consent.