Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

HARPER

I t’s been a long week of having at least one of the guys tailing me everywhere. I’m looking forward to taking a long bath, putting on my comfiest pajamas, and lying in bed all night. Maybe I’ll even get really wild and eat takeout in bed while I have a face mask on.

Cy joins me on the sidewalk outside the building. “You look happy.”

“Just planning my night.”

“Oh good, Declan told you then?”

“Told me what?” I slant my eyes in his direction.

“There’s a party at the Cypress ruins. We’re going.”

“Cool.” Even better that I’ll have the house to myself. “I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

“We didn’t think you’d agree so easily.”

“You’re big boys, I don’t get a say in what you do. Besides, I’m excited for some alone time to get ready for Banks tomorrow.”

He stops and gently wraps his hand around my forearm. “No, I don’t think you understand. You’re coming with us.”

“What?” I pull my hand from his grip and step back. “I don’t like parties.” I don’t even know how to act at a party.

“Well, the three of us have to go which means you do too.”

“Funny that I just told you I don’t get a say in what you do, but you feel free to tell me what to do.” I start walking toward the parking garage leaving him standing on the sidewalk.

“My bike is over there.” He points down the street to where he parked his Ducati.

It didn’t even occur to me that I might have to ride this with him. I rode to campus this morning with Emerson. I’m equal parts terrified and excited looking at the sleek, matte black motorcycle. Probably more excited if I’m being honest, but I’d rather die than let him know that.

“I’m surprised Declan okayed this.” He was pretty adamant that I not ride with Cy earlier this week.

“I’m surprised you give a fuck what he thinks. I know I don’t.” He walks past me this time, grabbing my hand and pulling me along. It takes me a minute to realize he’s intertwined our fingers.

I shake him off but keep following him. “I have a boyfriend.”

“And? Holding hands isn’t cheating.”

I’m not so sure about that, especially when it’s about as far as I’ve gone with Banks. I’m hoping that changes tomorrow. I need to know he wants me, that he wants to explore our relationship further now that my dad isn’t hovering in the background.

Cy hands me a helmet as he puts his on. He helps me adjust the straps and buckles on my helmet. “Three instructions for riding with me. Lean with me into turns; wrap your arms around my waist tightly; and if I scare you, pat my stomach. I might slow down.” He winks and throws his leg over the bike.

I’d like to think I look natural climbing behind him, but I feel clumsy. He points to where I can rest my feet. I wrap my arms around him but try to maintain a little distance between us. That proves to be a futile endeavor as he wraps his hands around my wrist and tugs me flush against his back.

“Stay like this and follow my lead.”

The motorcycle roars to life beneath us as Cy directs us out onto the street. Nothing brings me more joy than knowing Dad would absolutely lose his mind if he saw me on the back of a motorcycle with a pierced and tattooed guy. I thought I’d be scared, but I find myself melting into the strength of Cy’s back. It’s easy to follow his own movements as he drives, leaning into turns like this isn’t my first time doing this.

The ride is over far too soon, but my legs are still a bit wobbly when I slide off. The smile that Cy flashes at me steals my breath. He’s warmer to me than the other two guys I now live with, but he’s not much of a smiler. Seeing such an unbridled show of joy from him feels like a gift.

“I told you not to take your bike.” Declan stands on the stoop in front of the side door, his arms crossed over his chest. Anger radiates from him.

Even though it’s not directed at me, I take a step back. Cy notices and steps in front of me. It’s instinctive on his part; I’m not even sure if he realizes he did it.

“Calm down.” He steps up onto the stoop beside Declan. “I think she actually liked it, didn’t you, Angel?” He looks back at me for affirmation.

“I did. It was fun.”

“She’s a natural.” He pats Declan’s cheek gently and walks past him into the house.

“You shouldn’t ride with him,” he says quietly as we look at each other.

“I thought you wanted me to always have one of you around?”

“I do, but that,” he points at the motorcycle beside me, “is a death trap.”

“He drove safely.” I walk up the steps until I’m beside him. “He wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

“You put a lot of trust into people you don’t know. Might want to be careful.” He doesn’t look at me as he issues the warning.

I don’t respond, just close the door quietly behind me. As soon as I get up to my room, the conversation I had on campus with Cyrus comes rushing back. I flop back onto my bed and stare at the ceiling while I try to think of something to wear. I don’t even know where I’m going, let alone the dress code.

After several minutes of spiraling, I decide to call the one person I know at Trinity who isn’t residing under the same roof as me. Emilia picks up on the second ring.

“Hey, what’s up?” she greets.

“Hi. I was informed by my roommates that we’re going to a party tonight. It’s at a place called Cypress ruins, what’s that like? How should I dress?”

“They’re taking you there?” Her voice is laced with trepidation.

“Yeah,” I drag the word out, anxiety building with every passing second. “Why do you sound like that?”

“It’s just that those parties are legendary. You should dress comfortably because it’s at an old church, most of the structure has collapsed and is overgrown. You’ll have to walk through a cypress forest to get there because there’s no road.”

“That sounds unsafe.”

She releases a sardonic laugh. “The walk there will probably be the safest part of the night. I’ve never gone to one of the parties, but I’ve heard they’re straight debauchery. Drinking, drugs, sex, fights. Everything and anything goes.”

“That definitely doesn’t sound like my scene. The guys said they had to go, though, I wonder why?” I ask mostly to myself.

“Because Declan owns the land, and the parties are always thrown by him.”

“Oh.” I didn’t realize he owned anything more than this house, and to be honest, I actually thought it was owned by Cillian.

The tiniest bit of guilt surges through me. I haven’t given myself a chance to actually get to know Declan. I just keep the wall up between us from years of my dad filling my head with negativity about the Ambrose family. Maybe I should give him a chance.

We switch to FaceTime, so she can help me choose what to wear. The outfit we settle on is a pair of olive green shorts with a tie belt and a basic white tank tucked into them. Normally I’d wear a pair of dainty sandals, but since I’ll be walking through the woods, I grab a pair of sneakers. As always, I pull my hair back into a ponytail and tie my signature ribbon in a bow around it.

As soon as I walk into the kitchen, all three of the guys look me up and down. Instinctively, I stop at Cy’s side, letting him pull me against him in a side hug. Declan’s gaze hardens as he looks at Cy’s hand on my hip while Emerson looks at us like a puzzle he’s trying to solve.

“When we get there, you need to stay with one of us at all times,” Declan says.

“Don’t accept drinks or food from anyone but us,” Emerson adds.

I’m na?ve, but I’m not a total idiot. “I don’t drink anyway, so that won’t be a problem.”

The three of them share a look but don’t say anything to that.

“Let’s go, then,” Emerson says, leading the way to the jeep.

He and Declan take the front seat while I share the back with Cy. I’ve only seen him in the back, and I wonder if it ever bothers him to constantly be relegated here. It obviously makes sense with them both being significantly taller than he is, but still, I know it would annoy me.

The sun is just barely over the horizon at this point in the night, but the air is still thick and heavy with heat and humidity. Even as we drive down a winding road into a thickly forested area with the wind whipping around us, I feel a light sheen of sweat build on my skin.

Emerson pulls up next to an iron gate, and Declan jumps out to unlock the padlock. He waits for Emerson to drive through and then locks it again behind us. As soon as he hops back in, we drive further into the woods over a bumpy dirt path. At the end of the road, a small clearing has been made just large enough for a car to turn around, which Emerson does before putting the jeep in park.

Declan grabs me by the waist as I’m about to jump down, saving me from landing in a muddy puddle. I look up into his jade-colored eyes, slightly obscured by his windblown hair as I try to figure him out. He’s a mystery to me. Sometimes abrasive, sometimes considerate, the only thing I can count on is that I never know what I’m going to get with him.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Just saving your shoes from being wet all night.” He drops his hands from my body and steps around me to grab a cooler from the back.

Emerson and Cy grab a couple duffel bags and start walking through the trees. I have no choice but to follow the three of them. It only takes a few minutes until we come across a clearing where the ruins of an old church are located. Piles of stones litter the grass, and in the center are three still-standing stone walls and one that has collapsed. I follow the guys through the arched door frame to find hand carved pews placed along the perimeter of the building and a beautiful marble altar standing at what would have been the front of the church.

Vines and vegetation have pushed up through the soil, claiming the structure as their own. It’s tragically beautiful. I run my fingers along the walls, admiring the work that must have gone into building something like this hundreds of years ago. Shards of stained glass crunch beneath my feet as I keep exploring.

A crucifix sits propped in one corner, answering what type of church this was. I bend down and pick it up, surprised by the solid weight of it for its size. Jesus’s body is carved from marble that looks similar to the altar. The attention to detail is mesmerizing and makes me want to take this home with me. It deserves to be preserved, not left out in the elements to decay.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Declan says from behind me.

“Yes. Why haven’t you taken it home?”

“This is its home. Who am I to take it away?”

I look around as Cy and Emerson light torches throughout the ruins. “It's just that it is so exposed out here.”

“It survived longer than the chapel. ”

“True.” Now is as good a time as ever to try to get to know my new stepbrother. “How did you even find this place?”

“This land was one of my first purchases when I got the first part of my trust. I bought it because I heard your dad was looking at the land for some reason.”

“So you bought it out of spite?”

He nods. “You could say that.”

“Why? What did my dad do to you?”

He’s just about to answer when a group of rowdy guys walks into the clearing calling out his name. His shoulders drop as he looks over and sighs. I watch as he transforms in front of me from the broody man I know to a lit up typical college boy.

“Remember what we said about staying close,” he says before walking out to greet the newcomers.

I spend the next couple of hours keeping to the outskirts of the party observing everyone around me. With each passing hour, it becomes more and more debaucherous. The deep bass of the music fills the still air as people dance amongst the ruins of the church.

Two girls have their arms wrapped around each other, their lips are joined in a deep kiss. I should look away, but I’m mesmerized as one of them grinds against the other’s thigh. They don’t notice a single person around them, they’re so lost in each other. It’s intoxicating.

I want that.

I want to feel my body light up against someone else.

“That’s my sister you’re staring at,” Emerson says from behind me.

“I’m sorry.” My cheeks flame at getting caught watching.

“Don’t worry, they don’t mind voyeurs. Although I wish they did because I don’t want to see that.” He rests his hand on my waist. “Saylor, come meet my new roommate.”

The girls break apart begrudgingly, one of them with light brown hair cascading down her back looks at Emerson with identical hazel eyes.

“Harper, this is my sister, Saylor, and her girlfriend, Lou.”

“So you’re the girl with the unfortunate luck of being stuck living with the terror trio,” Saylor says. “My deepest condolences.” She says it with a warm smile though as she gives Emerson a hug while Lou shakes my hand.

“I’ve lived with worse.” The words fall from my lips unfiltered and carelessly.

She gives me a strange look, pity maybe, before replying. “I’m sure you have.”

Emerson hands me a red cup full of a dark liquid. I look up at him as I take it. “What is it?”

“Just a soda.” He leans down and whispers in my ear. “I noticed you haven’t touched any of the drinks and wanted to make sure you knew you were safe with this one.”

“And I wouldn’t be if I took one from the table or from anyone else?”

“Not worth the risk.”

Lou pulls a silver flask from her pocket. “We always bring our own.”

I have so many questions. If they even think it’s a possibility, why do they let it happen? Why are they friends with shady people? They’re so obsessed with keeping me safe but don’t care about the other girls at the party? It doesn’t make any sense.

“Come dance with us,” Saylor says, reaching for my hand and pulling me away from Emerson.

“I’m not that great at dancing.” I try to refuse but take a tiny step toward her and Lou.

“It’s not hard, you just listen to your body and feel the music.”

It’s tempting. Ten minutes ago I was watching them and wishing I could experience even the tiniest bit of that kind of freedom. But I still hear my father’s voice in the back of my mind urging me to stay on the godly path and away from temptation.

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep it PG with you,” Lou grabs my drink and hands it back to Emerson before helping Saylor pull me onto the makeshift dance floor.

I guess the guys aren’t too worried about me while I’m with them because I watch as he disappears in the crowd leaving me behind. Saylor and Lou put me at ease immediately, each of them dancing between me and any guys who wander too close. It doesn’t take me long to relax into the music and let go.

By the time Declan comes to get me, I’ve lost track of everything around me. Dancing has put me into a completely different headspace. I’m happy. I’m free. I don’t want it to end, but I give Saylor and Lou hugs goodbye and trade numbers, happy to have even more fledgling friendships to look forward to.