Silver Heart (24 page)

She shook her head and wiped away the tears that had pooled in the corners of her eyes. “I’ll live. My allergy isn’t life-threatening. I just need some Pepto and a really long nap.”

“I’ll tuck you in and bring up a movie for us to watch,” I said.

“What? Why?” Her eyes widened as she looked over at me. “You should still go out!”

“You’re sick. I’m not going to leave you alone to fend for yourself,” I told her. “I’ll just text Sawyer and Vivien and tell them not to wait for us.”

“Go out, Dee!” she countered. “I can call Connor.”

“I think this is one of those nights that will require lots of BFF TLC,” I said, feeding her the acronyms she loved so dearly. “Weren’t you the one who taught me that the most important rule of being a good girlfriend was to never leave a woman behind?”

She nodded feebly. “Never. In any situation.”

“Exactly.” I crossed over the bathroom floor and stroked her back. “I’m not going anywhere.” If Maddie was going to continue her friendship with the toilet for the rest of the night, she’d benefit from having someone she felt completely comfortable with around to help. I wasn’t sure if she and Connor were at the “hold my hair while I puke” stage of their relationship at this point in time.

“But Sawyer…” she whined.

“Sawyer will understand. And if he doesn’t, then he’s not worth it.”

“But you won’t get any.” Leave it to Maddie to still have sex on her mind.

As the smell of vomit hit my nostrils, I swallowed hard, trying not to gag. “Trust me, after watching your little show tonight I’m not in the mood for any. Any
anything.
”

“Alright,” she sighed, giving in. “You can play doctor tonight. But then it’s back to being a photographer tomorrow.”

A few moments later, I was on the phone with Sawyer. It somehow didn’t seem right to text a visual of Maddie’s poorly digested shellfish.

“Do you want me to come over?” he asked. “I can help.”

Someone yelled something I couldn’t make out, but I could envision his group of friends gathered around with their snowboards, ready to head out for the night run.

“There’s no reason for you to come over,” I said.

“There are lots of reasons for me to be there,” he countered.

“We’ll probably just crash really early. Why don’t we meet up tomorrow morning for another lesson,” I suggested. “If you’re free, that is.”

“I’m booked for the rest of the week and there’s only one name on my schedule, Silver,” he murmured, his voice deepening. I could hear the smile in his words. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”

“Please tell Vivien that I’m sorry I couldn’t come out. I wanted to get to know the girls you ride with. They seem like a great group.”

“They really liked you,” he replied. “Not that I’m surprised.”

Once again, someone yelled for Sawyer to hurry up.

“Go! Have fun,” I urged. Then, pausing for a breath, I added, “Try not to hold any private lessons in the forest.”

A deep chuckle vibrated through the phone, caressing my ear. “I’ve already told you—that lesson was specifically tailored to you and your needs.”

“Can I book more?”

“How about later tonight? Text me if Maddie starts feeling better and I’ll come over.”

“Okay.”

“Silver?”

“Yeah?”

“Text me even if you don’t want me to come over.”

I laughed. “What am I supposed to text you?”

“A picture of you wearing those little shorts I love so much.” With those words, he hung up, leaving me alone with the memory of last night. And the one of this morning.

My entire body heated as I glanced over at the living room. I knew it was just my imagination playing tricks on me, but I could almost see the outline of our bodies in the exact spot where he had pinned me against the wall.

Running my hands over the excited tingle spreading from my abdomen all the way down my legs, I closed my eyes and recalled the sensation of his lips against my skin. Sawyer had, without a doubt, bestowed upon me the most tantalizing pleasure I’d ever experienced.

Before my mind was able to take me any further, the echo of Maddie’s loud gags jerked me out of my thoughts, serving as a substitute for the cold shower I was surely going to need. Straightening up, I rushed to her side, ready to play doctor and be a best friend for the rest of the night.

At ten thirty, Maddie had already been fast asleep for over an hour and I was starting to bore of the string of sitcom reruns that seemed to be polluting every channel. After checking on her and ensuring that she had a clean bucket by the side of her bed, I crept downstairs for a snack.

Upon entering the kitchen, my eye zeroed in on the freezer. With a naughty smile, I retrieved one of Sawyer’s lime popsicles and snapped a picture of it. I texted him the photo, deciding not to add a single word.

Let him interpret that in any way he wishes.

Two more episodes of another comedy show passed without a response from Sawyer. Finally, just as I was contemplating turning in for the night, my phone buzzed. I dove after it a little too eagerly.

My fingers hit the table at the same time as the realization that I needed to see him connected with my brain. I wanted him to come over tonight.

Badly
.

But the picture message that flashed on my phone made my heart sink and plummet to the pit of my stomach as quickly as if it’d been made out of stone.

Mia stared at me through the screen, wearing just a smile. Her long hair covered her naked breasts. The long locks were wild and tangled, as if she’s just spent the past hour rolling around in a bed. And she probably had, considering she’d used one as a backdrop for her photo.

If I’d just received a picture of semi-nude Mia from Sawyer’s phone, I would’ve second-guessed the situation. But the guy wrapped in the sheets behind her was undeniably familiar. Though most of his body was concealed, the strands of dark hair protruding from the covers and the tattoo of the mountain peaks lining his arm belonged to only one person I knew.

There was nothing to second-guess. Right in this very moment, Mia and Sawyer were together. I’d never felt such a violent response to a text message before; it was almost as if I’d suddenly contracted Maddie’s food poisoning. Worst of all, there was absolutely nothing I could text back in response.

What was I supposed to say? Okay, have fun?

Other, nastier thoughts flashed through my mind, like reminding Sawyer to use protection because Mia seemed to make a habit of frequenting his friends’ beds, but I wasn’t going to sink to that level.

It took two to tango and it took two to screw. If Sawyer wanted to be with Mia, then so be it. I wasn’t going to play games. And I certainly wasn’t going to fight for someone who thought of me as a disposable fling.

Why? How?

The two simple questions kept buzzing around in my mind, refusing to leave me alone. I didn’t understand. Why did he feel the need to be with Mia when he could have me? How could he look at me so tenderly one moment and bring himself to speak such naughty things into my ear, then turn around and do the same to someone else?

Despite the brave front I put on for myself, I couldn’t scrub away the hurt that had filled my heart. I crawled in next to Maddie, and attempted to sleep. Instead, I ended up lying on my back and staring up at the ceiling the entire night.

Why? How?

It still didn’t make sense.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Somewhere around five o’clock in the morning I finally rose and forced myself to take a shower and dress, putting on the clothes I’d intended to wear the night before—a black button-up sweater with a blue, black, and gray wool skirt. Thick, black stockings and a dark blue scarf followed to ensure warmth.

I dried my hair and detangled my curls to the best of my ability. I couldn’t bother with make-up, but as I waited for Maddie to rouse, I ended up yielding to some mascara and lip-gloss.

My plan was to take my camera and drive us into town for a fun day of photography, shopping, and food, but the moment Maddie’s eyelids fluttered open, it quickly became clear that she wasn’t going anywhere. Her skin was clammy and pale, dark circles lined her eyes.

She placed her pillow over her head and groaned. “I’m never eating seafood again.”

I made her a light breakfast of toast and tea. By the time I brought it over, she had already perked up slightly.

“Connor texted,” she said. “He has the day off and wants to come over. Is that okay with you?”

I set down the food tray on her night table. “Is that code for you need some alone time?”

“Of course not. What do you take me for, Dee?” she sounded genuinely surprised. “Plus, I smell like puke. We’ll probably just hang out and watch a movie. You’re more than welcome to join us.”

I looked down at my best friend and contemplated the idea of staying in. My head pounded from lack of sleep and my heart ached from…well, everything else. “I think I need to get some fresh air. I’m going to drive into town and visit some local galleries.”

Maddie glanced through the window on the far wall of the bedroom, narrowing her eyes at the thick curtain of bright white snow that covered our view of the outside world. “I don’t think you should go anywhere. There’s a snowstorm warning.”

“I’ll be careful,” I promised. I’d grown up in Denver. Driving in snowy weather on rough terrain was second nature to me, and I wasn’t planning on going very far.

I just needed to get the hell out of here and busy my mind with something else before the “Why?” and “How?” consumed me.

The galleries I wanted to visit were a fifteen-minute drive from our complex, but I’d underestimated the blizzard. Crawling at the speed of less than ten miles an hour, I slowly wound my way down a curvy hill, squinting through the blinding white snow.

Every individual flake rivaled the size of an entire snowball. There were no other cars on the road and the radio stations were only playing irritating static. I was suddenly drowning in an eerie silence and the realization that I should’ve probably stayed put within the safety of the cabin.

My phone’s ringtone startled me. I readjusted my grip on the steering wheel, focusing my eyes on the road and ignoring the buzzing device. I didn’t even want to think about the possibility that it could be Sawyer on the other line. I had tried my best to force thoughts of the date we’d planned for this morning out of my mind, but it still weighed heavily on my heart.

Inhaling deeply, I steadied my shaking hands and crept forward. Just as I was cautiously maneuvering around a sharp turn, an oncoming truck rounded the corner. It took the curve with too much haste, hitting a patch of black ice and swerving into my lane.

My instincts kicked in and I turned the wheel in the opposite direction in an attempt to escape. The driver regained control before his vehicle had a chance to collide with mine, but it was too late for me. My tires left the road, and the car reamed into a tall pile of snow to my right.

Blood rushed into my head as my pulse hammered against my ears. Both the car and I were unscathed, saved by the fluffy snow bank. In spite of our good fortune, we were also trapped in a ditch.