Forbidden Love (Forbidden Trilogy) (13 page)

The week past blazingly fast. Grayson left on another business trip mid-week and won’t be back until tomorrow so this little girls’ night tonight worked out. Once again, my bed looks like my closet and dresser vomited clothes as I try to find something to wear. I hate trying to put a look together. I suck at it. Jordan stands in the doorway snickering at my frustration. She dangles a sequin dress on her finger. “I have a dress for you Shiv. I guess I should have told you before you wrecked your room,” she chides. I march over to her and grab the dress, ready to be done with this hunt for an outfit. I rid myself of my tank and sweats and slide the taupe mini dress over my curves. It has a V-neckline, but it supports the girls. My ass on the other hand is a different story. The length hits me mid-thigh and I know from experience that any ass shaking will inch this baby right on up. Well, I don’t plan on dancing much anyway. I will people watch tonight and try to resolve my issues with Bailey.

“This one will do.”

“Are you freaking kidding me? You look hot!” She runs to her room and comes back with matching pumps. I haven’t attempted to wear heels since I broke my ankle. I hope I don’t bust my ass.

“We’ll see if you’re still saying that when you are picking me up off the floor. It’s been a long time since I’ve worn heels.”

“Pssh, whatever. It’s like riding a bike. You’ll be fine.” She leaves me alone to do my own hair and make-up while she gets herself ready. When she comes back, my jaw nearly drops to the floor. Her dress is smoking and a bit risqué. It is black sequin with an open back. It barely covers her ass. I would be falling out of the bottom if she gave me that one to wear, but it is sexy as hell on her. “What do you think?” she says twirling in a circle.

“I think you’re going to be fighting the men off with a stick without Trevor by your side tonight.”

“We as in plural darling, but that’s okay. We can hold our own. We can be the sexy sequin twins that you get to look at, but can’t touch,” she surmises.

“You can be such a dork, you know that right?”

“Yep and you wouldn’t have me any other way.” She laughs and I join her because she’s right.

The base of the music vibrates through the floor. Bodies gyrate to the beat and completely fill the dance floor. The strobe lights and smog make it difficult to see what little path there is to make our way toward the pool bar. We finally make it to our reserved cabana and I stop short at the presence before me. Vanessa is sitting there, legs crossed in a body hugging dress of her own.
What the fuck is Bailey playing at?
I can’t believe that she invited her.

My emotions are running high right now. I’m so pissed. I feel like I’ve been ambushed. Jordan grabs my hand and squeeze. “Did you fucking know that she was going to be here?”

“Of course not,” she says affronted. “You know I wouldn’t do that to you.” It is at this moment that Meghan, Angie, and Bailey arrive carrying a hand full of drinks.

Bailey sees me and I just want to wipe the smirk off her face. “I see you girls have made it. I took the liberty of getting us started with tequila shots. Oh, and I invited Vanessa because I think if we are going to get to the bottom of this, she needs to be here.” Jordan snarls and I can tell she is just as pissed as I am. “Please sit ladies.”

I lead the way. I refuse to give them the satisfaction of having me walk out. Jordan follows suit. The other girls are clearly lost at the scene unfolding in front of them. I knock a couple shots back in rapid succession as I stare at the two of them sitting across from me.

“Okay, well I’ll start us off. You ladies may not be aware, but Siobhan has been seeing my brother since last semester behind my back. She’s had plenty of opportunities to be open with me, but instead she chose to sneak around with him,” Bailey accuses. The girls look shocked at the news.

“Wait, I thought he was dating you Vanessa,” Angie says.

“We were fucking, yes. Dating, no. Grayson and I were best friends. We always hooked up between his temps. Still our relationship was special.” The girls turn to me for my explanation.

“Oh, cut the shit Vanessa. I didn’t steal him from you. Look Bailey, I’m sorry I kept our relationship from you, but this is the very reaction I was trying to avoid. You all want the fucking sordid details, well here they are.” Jordan shakes her head to let me know I don’t have to tell them jack shit, but I’m fed up. They’re all sitting here judging me while Vanessa sits back and plays the victim. “Grayson and I met because I was his student. The attraction was both mutual and instant. When Liam cheated on me, I just wanted the hurt to stop so I indulged in this attraction. On Bailey’s birthday, we danced and that unleashed our hidden desires,” I explain.

“He came to my party with Meredith. Jesus, you pulled him from her too?” Bailey interrupts.

“Don’t be such a bitch Bailey,” Jordan sneers. “You fucking wanted us here to try and see if you guys could hash things out. Stop with the ambush or we’re leaving.
And that is why I love my bestie.
Bailey is shocked, but she shuts the hell up.

“After Meredith left to catch her plane, he came over that night. He said nothing happened between them and that he couldn’t stay away from me. He left that night, but we agreed that I would call him the next day. From there we decided to enter into a casual, but exclusive relationship,” I continue.

“Fuck buddies,” Vanessa offers.

“Yes Vanessa, you could call it that. We couldn’t be seen together since he was still my professor.” I didn’t want to share that bit of info even though I’m no longer his student, but Bailey left me no choice. “Initially, I didn’t tell anyone because I couldn’t. After I got to know you girls, I didn’t want to share because honestly I knew he wasn’t mine. It was only sex. Well, that’s how it started off. I couldn’t help the feelings that manifested along the way. He told me that he and Vanessa were close, but he wasn’t seeing her. I was very aware that she hooked up with him between their ‘temps,’ as she put it. So you see, I didn’t steal him. In jest, I started a sexual relationship; my very single professor, who I in turn, fell in love with.” Bailey crosses her arms against her chest. She then closes her eyes and shakes her head— gathering her composure.

“You could have been honest with me, Siobhan. The way you went about it was wrong. To make matters worse, you made him choose between you and a friend that has been there for him when he didn’t have his shit together. Vanessa was there when his engagement fell through. Did you know that? Did you know that he was once engaged?” Bailey inquires.

“Yes, he told me about Celeste,” I spew. Vanessa cuts her off and I wonder what they’re hiding. Why is the whole Celeste conversation so taboo? “I didn’t make him stop being friends with Vanessa. The bullshit she pulled at the hospital put their friendship on the rocks. You didn’t share that bit information, did you Vanessa?”

The horror stricken look on her face tells me that I’ve hit the nail on the head. The girls look at her for an explanation. “What is she talking about Vanessa?” Bailey asks.

“That was a private moment between us. I did realize that you were eavesdropping,” she huffs, dodging Bailey’s question. I plunge ahead.

“You allow everyone to paint you as the victim, but you fail to tell them that you came to harass me in the hospital when I couldn’t get away.” I turn toward the girls. “She warned me off Grayson and told me in so many words, how I meant nothing to him and that they had an unbreakable bond. She told me he was a sex addict that was using me to manipulate his therapy and how she was basically bidding her time until he was ready to be in a relationship again.” I’m ready to spill it all. My trusty truth serum, Patron, has kicked in and I’m in the I-don’t-give-a-fuck-mode. The girls gasp, but Bailey is shockingly silent. “Wait here is the best part. Grayson shows up and catches her leaving my room. She absolutely forbids him to see me, threatening exposure of our relationship if he took another step. He was pissed that she had crossed the line, but didn’t want to call her bluff so he left. He told her then that their friendship was over. So you see, I didn’t lay down that ultimatum, she did. It was either he left without seeing me or face exposure.”

Vanessa stalks over toward me so I stand up. This in turn causes Jordan to stand up and an echo effect among the girls. She gets right in my face, undoubtedly embarrassed about being outed. “Fuck you Siobhan. He doesn’t love you. He loves the idea of you. You’re nothing more than a god damn stand in and you don’t even know it,” she rants. Bailey tugs at her arm to silence her, but it is too late. Inhibitions released, my hand flies and makes contact with her face.
Damn that felt good.

“You bitch,” she screams. She lurches forward, but I grab her hair and yank as hard as I can. She stumbles in her ridiculously high heels and knocks all the drinks off the table on her way down.
Stay down bitch.
Jordan and Angie pull me away while Bailey and Meghan help her up. The bouncers are at our table in seconds, but we assure them that we’re leaving. Vanessa is sporting a cut lip from the fall and my drunken spirit grins at the payback. I’m pumped up now. Jordan helps to hold me up as we exit the club so I don’t meet the same fate with the floor.

“Come on Muhammad Ali,” she jokes. Huh, I just slapped her. I should have punched her sorry ass. How dare she get in my face? I wasn’t in a hospital bed broken this time. She should’ve known that smart shit wouldn’t fly twice. It’s been a long time coming.

The crashing of pots and pans interrupts my plans to sleep through this hangover. I’m going to kill Jordan. She better be making my favorite crepes for the racket she’s making, ugh. I listen closer and I realize she is going on and on about last night’s events. God she must be telling Trevor about my finest moment. I can’t say I regret it, although I hate altercations. A sexy, raspy voice answers her and I nearly trip over my comforter trying to get out of the bed. Grayson’s here. My head throbs in protest at the sudden moment. I rub my temples and squint at the door. I need to get out there and shut Jordan up. My door swings open and my very own heartthrob is standing there looking like the Adonis he is. He looks yummy in his jeans and black fitted tee. He runs a hand through his disheveled hair and all I can think about is how I want to do that. “So, I heard I missed the showdown last night,” he grins.

“Jordan,” I groan.

“What?” She asks innocently standing behind him. “He had already heard about it, I just filled him in on some of the details,” she says sheepishly.

“Yeah, Vanessa called me crying about it last night and Bailey called me this morning.”

“She had it coming Grayson. I—” he cuts me off.

“It’s okay baby. I’m not mad. Come here.” He reaches for me and pulls me into a hug. I wince from the headache.

This doesn’t escape his attention. “Let’s sit you on the bed so we can work on getting rid of this hangover.” He asks Jordan to point him in the direction of where we keep the aspirin. He comes back with medicine and orange juice in hand. “Take this and lay down while I fix you some breakfast. Jordan made vegetable omelets.” True to his word, he is back within minutes with a tray of piping hot coffee and an omelet. Jordan walks in and heads to my closet. I watch as she pulls out my carry-on luggage bag and begins to rummage through my dresser for clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“Ask your man,” she smiles. She continues on her quest of packing for me, but why?

“Grayson, what’s going on?”

“I’m taking you on a little overnight trip,” he winks. “Remember what we talked about last time I was here.” We talked about a lot of stuff. He is going have to be a little more specific, but somehow I’m guessing that is the point.

“Enlighten me, old sneaky one,” I deadpan. He throws his head back and out comes the sexiest laugh I’ve ever heard.

“Your sarcasm is so endearing love.” He leans down and kisses me on the head, careful not to cause me pain.

“Shiv, where is your passport?” That gets my attention.
What the hell?
“Never mind, found it,” she says looking in the shoebox I keep in the top of my closet. My curiosity has definitely been stroked.