Chapter 2- Samantha
1650 Words
Ryan laughed.
A full, hearty laugh that made my own heart flutter. I had to remind myself that I had just caught my brother’s girlfriend cheating on him with Ryan; Ryan was the enemy. I couldn’t have feelings for him.
Then again, my brother was a jerk. Did I really want to fight for him?
Even before the question was fully formed in my head, I knew the answer.
“She told me she was single,” Ryan said.
“Well, my brother told me she’s his girlfriend.”
He laughed again. “Will you look at that?” Then he shook his head.
What’s so funny?
More importantly, “What are you going to do about this?”
“Me?” He looked like I’d just asked the silliest question ever. “Nothing. Jessica’s a big girl. If she says she’s single, then I believe she’s single.”
“No- But-”
“I’ll be seeing you around, Samie.” He winked and walked - no, swaggered - away.
Well, I guess I can’t be too angry about this. Noah’s a big boy as well, I don’t need to fight wars for him.
Still, I found myself staring down the hallway at a particular door. Would it hurt so much if I went over and said hi? How would she react to being caught cheating by her boyfriend’s sister? Would she beg? Would she lie?
Don’t you have enough problems of your own?
Very valid question.
I was instantly reminded of how tired I was, as well as the rest and homemade meal I had to forfeit.
No, Noah deserved whatever he got.
Satisfied with the justice, I went into my room and my entire being sang for joy at the sight of the bed.
As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.
***
The sound of my phone ringing invaded my dreams, and despite my attempts, I couldn’t seem to reach it without opening my eyes.
“Damn it.”
The first thing that struck me was that I was naked as a newborn. I remembered going to bed with my clothes on, but at the moment, said clothes were strewn in different places.
Well, when I thought about it, I could remember dreaming about taking off my clothes.
Guess it was not so much of a dream after all.
The ringtone brought me back to reality. I reached for my jeans and dug the phone out of my back pocket. When I saw the caller ID, I was sorely tempted to just let it go to voicemail.
But he’d just keep calling.
With a resigned sigh, I answered.
“Where are you, Samantha?” Noah asked. He had the balls to sound worried, one would think he really cared about me.
“The Orchid.”
He sighed. “Come on, Samantha? Come home, please,”
“Is he gone?”
“Not yet. He has some complications so he's staying with me for a few days,” Noah explained.
“Then it looks like I’ll be staying here for a few days.”
“You know damn well you can’t afford that place. Don’t be stubborn, just come home.”
“You're going to have to choose, Noah. It’s either he leaves the house, or I stay here.”
He was silent. I could hear him breathing loud and clear, so why was he silent? This was not supposed to be a tough decision. I mean, how hard can it be to choose between your own sister, and the man who abused her?
There shouldn't even be a need to choose in the first place.
The back of my eyes began to sting.
“Samantha, I can't-”
I scoffed. “I can’t believe this.”
“He needs me.”
“I need you, damn it.” I screamed, wishing so badly that I could shake him. “You’re my family, this shouldn’t even be a discussion. How can’t you see this? You know what? It’s fine, don’t even bother. I’ll figure something out. I knew I should never have left New York.”
“Come on, Samantha-”
“I'm hanging up now. Call me when you've made your decision.”
“Wait!” he said quickly, “Just hold on.” Then he sighed. He actually sighed, like he was making a tough decision. Maybe it was for his own good that I left. I would have slapped him from here to Timbuktu. “Alright, fine. He'll be gone before you get here.”
“When would that be, exactly?”
“When do you plan to come back?”
I laughed because my only alternative was to cry. The absurdity of this entire exchange was mind-blowing. “I don’t have time for this.”
“He’ll be gone today. Right now. Just come home. I’ll… He’ll find someplace else to stay.
“I’m only going to say this once, Noah; if I come back and meet Dominic Ferrel there, I will set your house on fire. And I’ll make sure you’re both trapped inside even if I have to trap myself with you.”
I had the pleasure of hearing his breath catch before I hung up.
Of course, I was never going to do something as drastic as that. There were those who believed I was crazy, and they may or may not be right, but I loved my life and I hated prison.
In fifteen minutes, I got Noah’s text.
“He’s gone. Can I come and pick you now?”
“Tomorrow.” was my only reply.
I paid good money to spend a night in this hotel. I wasn’t going anywhere until I got my money’s worth. Thank you very much.
***
The next morning, Noah held the front door open for me
“Are you hungry?” he asked as I walked past him into the house.
Dominic’s scent still lingered in the air and it made my stomach turn. I decided then that I would have to scrub the house from top to bottom. A full exorcism.
When I didn’t respond, he said, “I’ll just get breakfast started. Your things are your room.”
I’d only been here once before, when he first moved in. It was four, maybe five years ago, but it felt good to know that he referred to it as ‘my room’.
You mean instead of Jessica’s room?
Speaking of, I turned to tell him about my encounter at the hotel, but I decided against it. I had to remind myself that he deserved it. Of course, I’d tell him at some point, just not yet.
I went upstairs, and went straight to the shower. I surrendered myself to the cool sprays as the water beat my head and sluiced down my body. Unbidden, the image of a certain blue-eyed, gold-haired beauty appeared behind my eyes. And I felt the muscles in my belly clench. I could see him, sauntering towards me, smiling at me like I was the only one in the world. I groaned as I lit my finger slip between my legs.
I could feel his warmth on my neck as he bent to kiss me. His scent was driving me crazy. I could taste him now, just-
“Hey, hurry up in there. Breakfast’s almost ready.”
Nothing dispels a sexy fantasy like your annoying older brother’s annoying voice.
In exactly seventeen minutes, I was stomping down the stairs, tense as a violin string. The smell of food was the only thing that made me relax a little.
“Breakfast is served,” Noah said with a flourish as he held out a chair at the table for me.
“Thank you.”
He waited until I took the first bite. “So? What do you think?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re a great cook, Noah. An annoying human and a questionable brother, but a great cook. The day I would be surprised at your cooking would be the day it tastes bad.”
He thought about it. “I guess I should take that as a compliment.”
He sat down. “Now, the next question. What brought you back from the Big Apple?”
I suddenly found my meal so visually appealing. “Your food’s getting cold,” I said.
He didn’t say anything. I could feel his eyes drilling into my head.
“I’m waiting, Samantha.”
“Nothing,” I shrugged. “I just wanted to come home.”
“I see. And how long will you be staying?”
Now I looked up. “You want me gone that bad?”
“No, don’t give me that. You don’t show up for years, no matter how much I beg and threaten, then you call me out of the blue and tell me you’re coming home. What do you want me to think?”
“I’m fine, Noah.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I sighed. I had to answer him sooner or later. “I don’t plan to go back to New York.
He held my gaze for what seemed like forever, then nodded.
“Cool. So what do you plan to do while you’re here?”
“I don’t know, get a job.”
“What kind of job?”
“Anything that would help me get by. At least for now.”
He gave me a once over, then nodded. “I may or may not have something for you.”
“What’s that?”
“Your food’s getting cold.” His smile was sharp, and he focused on his food, leaving me to stew.
I know I said I hated prison before, but what if I stabbed him with my fork and claimed it was self-defense? Who would claim otherwise?
- Writer
