LAUREN

 

 

I bought a new dress for Gabe’s party. Tyler helped me pick it out. It was dark emerald and hugged my curves from my neck to my hips and then fell in beautiful folds around my legs but left my back bare. A section was cut out of the chest, allowing the round swells of my breast to be exposed.

We decided to drive down for the party rather than fly, and had only a few minutes to get ready at the hotel room before we were expected to arrive. Thanks to Tyler’s distraction while helping me get dressed, we were running late.

There was a blackboard outside the single and understated door to the club which read in plain writing: Private Function. A lone bouncer stood at the door, clipboard in hand, ticking off the guests as they arrived. We joined the line, my hand firmly clasped in Tyler’s, butterflies floating in my chest. Instead of Tyler’s usual suit, he wore a dark shirt and a pair of jeans that hung loosely on his hips. Knowing I could run my hands around his hips and dip them below the waistband of his jeans sent delicious shivers through me.

The door of the club opened, letting the people in the line ahead of us through, and music spilt out onto the street. Tyler’s grip increased on my hand. “Mr Thornton.” The bouncer, recognising Tyler, waved him towards the door. “And this must be the lovely Lauren.” The bouncer leaned close. “The stories I’ve heard about you, my dear,” he whispered creepily and I scooted past him, eager to be in the safety of the club.

We were handed drinks as soon as we made it through the door. They were cloudy and blue and sparkled in the flashing lights and tasted of vodka and sugar. Tyler shuddered and placed his glass back onto a passing tray, but I drank mine, pleased with the sweet taste. Threading our way through the heaving crowd, we leaned against the bar, waiting for the bartender to bring Tyler his whiskey. From a rounded table in the corner of the room, Billie waved. After collecting Tyler’s drink we battled through the throng once again to slide beside her. She was dressed simply in an olive green Grecian-styled gown that fell gracefully around her protruding belly. Leaning across the table, she lifted her nose over Tyler’s glass and inhaled the scent.

“I would kill for a drink,” she said. “Literally kill.”

Tyler pushed his glass further away and she scowled. “Do not mess with me, Tyler Thornton or I will knock your fucking head off.”

Tyler’s eyes widened with amusement. “Feeling good today, are we?”

“Don’t start. I’ve been to the bathroom four fucking times since we arrived an hour ago. Four.” She held up four fingers and mouthed the number again.

Tyler’s eyes darted around the room, taking in the people of importance, the young crowd already drunk and writhing on the dance floor, and the group gathered around the pool tables.

“Where’s Gabe,” he yelled across the music to Billie. “And Dad?”

Billie shrugged. “Fucked if I know. They went off to talk to someone together or something. I really don’t give a shit.”

She was a ray of sunshine.

A hand protruded out of the crowd and waved at us. Soon, the face it belonged to smiled happily as Sadie sat down beside Tyler. “Where’s the birthday boy?” she asked.

“Fucked if Billie knows,” Tyler replied. Sadie frowned at Tyler’s lack of explanation and just shrugged her shoulders. A man who could have been her twin joined us at the table.

“Have you met my brother?” she asked me.

I stuck my hand out. “No, haven’t had the pleasure. I’m Lauren.”

“Saxton,” he replied, shaking my hand heartily. His hair was as long and as streaked with blonde as Sadie’s. They both wore it in a messy bun on the top of their heads, but Saxton sported a full beard, making him look like a tamed and more civilised version of Jake.

“Are they twins?” I whispered in Tyler’s ear.

He shook his head. “Saxton’s a little younger than Sadie. She has a younger sister too, Roan.”

It was hard to talk above the volume of the music, so we sat, feet tapping to the beat and sipping on our drinks. I spotted Drew through the crowd and gave him a wave. He waved for me to join them, but I shook my head. I could still feel the tension in Tyler’s body each time I touched him. “Later,” I mouthed back to Drew but I don’t know if he understood. Soon, he was too busy throwing back another bottle of beer to notice anyway.

Two hours after we arrived, we still hadn’t spotted Gabe. Then the lights came on, the music faded and Hamish took a microphone to the front of the stage, clearing his throat and tapping it to get everyone’s attention. He told stories of Gabe’s upbringing that made Tyler roll his eyes. He spoke of their close family bond, of all the things he hoped his boys would accomplish. When he called Gabe to the stage, he threw his arm around his shoulder, and informed the crowd that he had an important announcement to make. Gabe grinned happily next to him. His eyes were glazed and I wondered how many drinks he had already consumed.

“It is with immense pride and honour, that I am able to announce this evening that my son, Gable Thornton, has decided to join the realms of the Thornton Industries.”

I slipped my hand onto Tyler’s thigh. The threads of his neck strained and the muscle of his jaw bulged as he clenched his teeth.

“Starting next month, my son Gabe will oversee the project for our latest investment, The Range. A new five-star estate, complete with a golf course, on the outskirts of the city.”

Clapping erupted and Hamish took his exit from the stage, leaving Gabe to give a garbled acceptance speech, slurred by alcohol.

Sadie leaned over the table. “Did you know about this?” she hissed at Tyler.

He shook his head slowly, not meeting her eye. My hand fell from his thigh as he stood. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Sadie met my gaze across the table but I just shrugged. I didn’t know if Tyler had prior warning to this announcement, but from his reaction, I guessed he was just as surprised as the rest of us.

Gabe’s speech was short and didn’t entirely make sense but thunderous applause still drowned out the music as it went back to full volume. Drinks appeared on trays once again and I grabbed one of the cloudy blue ones as it passed. I lost sight of Tyler as he made his way through the people, but I was sure I saw his dark head disappear out one of the doors at the rear of the building. When he didn’t return after about half an hour, I decided to follow. I found him standing at the top of the stairs leading down to the fire exit from the building. Hamish was with him. They didn’t notice me as I stood in the dark, listening to their strained voices.

“The problem you have is with yourself, not with Gable,” Hamish was saying. “He came to me and said he was done fooling around. He was ready to commit to the family business.”

“But the Range project?” Tyler said, his voice drawn tight.

“Yes,” Hamish said firmly. “It was your choice to start at the bottom of the company and work your way up. I offered to put you in a leadership role the second you graduated, but you refused. Don’t blame Gable for not making the same mistake. He is my son. If he’s willing to put the time and effort in, I’m willing to give him the chance to prove himself.”

“Do you really think now is the time though?”

“Now is the perfect time,” Hamish insisted. “Gabe is young and handsome. A playboy. His attendance at parties and his whoring ways will be fodder for the press. The attention he brings might be good for the company.”

“Whoring ways?” Tyler growled.

“Don’t look at me like that. I wasn’t referring to Lauren. She was the first decent girl I’ve seen him with. Obviously, you thought so too or you wouldn’t have felt the need to steal your brother’s happiness.”

“Steal his happiness?” Tyler half laughed, half coughed. “Since when did you become Gabe’s biggest fan? It wasn’t that long ago that—”

“Enough,” Hamish said gruffly.

I took the opportunity to slip back inside, careful not to let the door shut too loudly. The raised voices of Tyler and his Dad reached through the crack, and as I turned, I bumped straight into Gabe.

“Lauren,” he said, startled. A smile broke out over his face and he reached to embrace me.

Avoiding his arms, I leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Happy Birthday!”

He pressed against me for a fraction longer than needed, his fingers running down the inside of my arm as light as a feather. “It’s good to see you,” he said. “You look fantastic.” His eyes darkened as he looked over me, his tongue running over his bottom lip. Pulling his gaze back to my face, he asked, “Did you hear the news? I’ve succumbed and joined the ranks of the Thornton Empire.”

“So, you did it? You asked Hamish for a job.”

He laughed, running his hands through his hair and pushing it back from his face. It was as long as when I first met him again and hung past his shoulders. I missed that hair.

“I never thought I’d see the day, but yes. I sucked up my pride and fell on bended knee before the old man. To be honest, I expected him to stick me on a friend’s construction crew somewhere until I proved myself, not to assign me as an overseer.”

The door opened and a grave-faced Tyler walked in, surprised to find Gabe in his path.

“Brother.” Gabe extended his hand.

The muscles of Tyler’s jaw worked back and forth as he took the offered hand and shook it firmly. “Congratulations,” he said tightly.

They stood opposite each other, both tense, both unsure until finally Gabe moved past and opened the door to the outside stairs to join his father.

“Everything okay?” I asked Tyler as he strode over to the bar.

“Whiskey,” Tyler barked at the bartender. “Double.” He threw the drink back in one swoop and asked for another. “Fine and dandy,” he said, finally answering my question. “Why wouldn’t it be? It’s not as though my kid brother has just waltzed into the position I have worked my whole life for.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Throwing the next drink down his throat, he turned around to find Gabe there once again.

“I hope there are no hard feelings,” Gabe said.

“Hard feelings?” Tyler laughed cruelly, his usual cool and calm demeanour slipping. “Why would there be any hard feelings?”

“I just thought…” Gabe let his words fall and looked over at me hopefully, asking me to rescue him from the conversation. My mind went blank. I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to relieve the mounting tension. Gabe opened his mouth and then promptly shut it again. Tyler’s eyes scanned the crowd over Gabe’s head as if determined not to show how much the recent announcement had upset him.

Finally, Gabe spoke. “So?” he said, turning to me. “How was Morgan after that night? She was pretty messy.”

Tyler’s eyes snapped to mine. “What night?” he asked.

Gabe stepped towards me as panic sliced through my chest.

“Oh, it was months ago,” Gabe said. He stood close. Uncomfortably close. His arm pressed against mine and Tyler’s eyes shone with displeasure. “Morgan forced Lauren out for a night on the town.”

Tyler’s heated gaze didn’t waver as I dropped mine to the floor. I had never told him of running into Gabe that night. I didn’t think it would matter. No, that was a lie.  I knew it would matter but I didn’t want it to, so I never mentioned it. I was scared of his reaction.

“You saw them that night?” Tyler asked. I knew he wanted me to look at him so he could read the answers in my eyes, but I kept them glued to the ground, not wanting to see the hurt in Tyler’s expression.

“Saw them?” Gabe laughed. “Heck, who didn’t see Morgan? She was a mess. How was her head the next day?”

Morgan had spent all her time moaning from the couch, complaining that the sun was too bright, my breathing too loud, her head too foggy, but I didn’t say any of that. I swallowed, hoping to get rid of the dryness in my mouth and tried to ignore the burn of Tyler’s glare.

“Is this true?” Tyler asked.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Gabe replied.

“Because she never told me she ran into you.” Tyler turned to me again and I forced myself to look up into eyes blazing with anger. “Were you with Gabe that night?”

“Oh, come on, Ty,” Gabe said. “It wasn’t as though anything happened. We danced, that’s it.”

Tyler swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “You danced?”

“Yes.” I pleaded with him through my eyes. I never meant to lie. I never wanted to upset him. In fact, the whole reason I never told him was to avoid this very situation.

Tyler tossed his whiskey down his throat, slammed the glass onto the bar and strode away. Gabe reached for me when I went to follow but I tore away, stretching my hand out to clutch onto the material of Tyler’s shirt.

“Tyler,” I called, the fabric slipping through my fingers. “Tyler!”

Ignoring me, Tyler strode through the people, pushing them out of his way when they didn’t move fast enough, down the stairs and out the front entrance and onto the street. He stood below the streetlight, eyes flashing, and chest rising and falling with laboured breaths.

“Why didn’t you fucking tell me?” he said when I approached. His voice was calm and cold. A shiver ran across me and I reached out to touch him, but he pulled away. “Answer me,” he demanded.

“Because I was afraid you’d react like this.”

“Like what?” he bellowed. I wanted to shrink under his searing gaze.

“Tyler, please,” I said, reaching for him again. But he jerked away from me like I was poison and ran his hands through his hair. “I can’t do this right now.” He stormed back towards the door and flung it open, disappearing into the darkness and leaving me standing with the bouncer looking on apologetically.

“You alright, love? Do you need me to call a taxi?”

I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest, annoyed at the tears that threatened to spill. Ignoring the inquisitive looks of the bouncer, I followed Tyler back inside and found him at the bar, throwing another whiskey down his throat. I was desperate to make him listen, make him understand.

I didn’t want Gabe. I wanted him. I needed him. The sheer reaction of him withdrawing from me, jerking away from my touch, created swells of nausea in my gut.

“Another,” he said, slamming the glass on the counter.

I tried reaching for him again, craving closeness. “Tyler.”

“Don’t fucking touch me!” His eyes were wild now. “You know how I feel. You knew what spending time with him would do to me, and yet here we are with me having to learn from my brother that you’ve been out fucking dancing with him?” He drained the contents of the next glass and demanded another. The bartender looked at me with raised eyebrows.

Tyler’s voice faded to a growl. “Did he touch you?”

“Tyler, you know I would never—”

“I know?” Tyler’s eyebrows lifted high, mocking me. “I thought I fucking knew. I thought I knew you would tell me if you spent time with him. I thought you would say no to him taking you in his arms and dancing with you. How did you think I’d react? How did you think I’d feel about it? Or were you not thinking at all?”

“Tyler, please.” I was desperate for him to hear me. Desperate for him to touch me, make everything okay again. Forgive me. “Nothing happened. I had no idea he would be there. I—”

But Tyler stormed off again, disappearing into the crowd. Half an hour passed before I found him outside, alone under the streetlight again.

“You made me feel like a fucking fool,” he said without looking at me. “What am I supposed to think when you didn’t tell me? Did something happen?”

“No,” I implored. “Nothing happened. How could you even think that?”

Tyler smirked cruelly. “How could I think that?” he leaned in close, his breath brushing over my ear. Shivers ran up my spine but they weren’t from his closeness, they were from the tone of his voice, so cold, so empty. “Perhaps it was because you were fucking him when I first met you.”

I lifted my gaze to meet his and set my chin. “How dare you.” I wanted to say more but the anger seething beneath my skin garbled the words in my head. In the end, I simply turned and left, hailing the taxi that was passing.

“Lauren.” His voice was softer now. “Lauren, I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean it.”

I opened the door to the taxi, gave the driver Peta’s address and then slammed the door shut, watching Tyler standing alone in a pool of light through eyes blurred with tears.