Ripped: The Price of Loyalty by Tania Joyce

 

Chapter 15

Kyle ambled around upstairs, going from room to room, opening the windows of his Amagansett beach house while Hunter clopped around below taking dustcovers off the furniture. Old wooden windows protested with grating creaks, and when Kyle opened a shutter he filled his lungs with fresh air. The hot, late-May sunshine glimmered on the surface of the calm ocean, and gentle waves crashed lazily onto the shore beyond the grass-covered dune. His Long Island shack was nothing like the luxurious Hamptons mansions that lay half an hour away, but this old three-bedroom wooden house with its shingled roof was the only thing he had left to remind him of his family.

Every time he came here, the memories flooded his mind. Swimming and playing football on the beach with his cousin Kade. His baby sister building sandcastles before she got sick. Fishing with his dad. Playing board games on the deck with his mom.

After Kyle finished school, his parents had left New Jersey behind and moved up here to live in what had been their vacation home. But one rainy night when they were traveling to Manhattan to see him perform, a truck ran a red light and they were gone.

That was two years ago.

It still seemed like yesterday.

For months, his life had been a blur. He was unable to recall what had happened from one day to the next. He didn’t think he’d have made it through the loss of his family if it wasn’t for Hunter and Gemma.

Maybe that was why he’d been so scared of asking Gemma out. Scared to love her more than he already did. Scared to have her snatched away by something more terrible than his best friend. Now he lived in a new form of hell, having to watch them be together. But he’d sooner live in this nightmare than not have them by his side.

In the master bedroom, he opened the last window and let the sun warm his face. It was good to be back at the beach, away from the city and work and the media. Hunter had promised Gemma a party, so tonight was all about her. Where’s a better place than the beach to celebrate her twenty-fourth birthday?

“You want a beer?” Hunter hollered from the kitchen below.

“Sure do.” Kyle stepped toward the bedroom door but hesitated and smiled at an old family photo sitting on top of the dresser. He touched the glass of the frame, running his finger over the faded photograph of him and his family out on the beach. His mom, holding onto her big floppy hat. His dad, football cocked under his arm. Kyle, pulling bunny ears over his sister’s head.

“Miss you,” he whispered.

“I’ll be out on the deck,” Hunter called out again.

“Coming.” Putting his strong front back into place, Kyle made his way down the stairs and headed outside. Pulling his baseball cap down and adjusting his sunglasses, he settled down on the sun-bleached wooden deckchair next to Hunter. “What did you buy Gem for her birthday?” he asked.

Hunter, lazing back on his chair in his loud-colored boardshorts and tank top, downed his beer. “A new acoustic guitar. Hers is so old and crappy, it’s about time she got a new one.”

“You’re out of your mind. She loves that thing.” Hunter looked at him blankly. “It was her dad’s. She’ll never part with it. I wouldn’t ask Gem to give that up even if my life depended on it.”

“Nah, she’ll love this new one.”

Hunter sounded confident, but Kyle wasn’t convinced. Gemma’s old acoustic guitar was her favorite. She often brought it over to their place when they were writing songs, rather than using the ones they had because she said it felt better, and she loved the sound it produced.

“What about you? What did you buy her?” Hunter asked.

“Nothing much.” Kyle shrugged a shoulder. “Just a necklace.” But it wasn’t just a necklace. Kyle had thought long and hard about what to buy Gemma. Something unique for someone so special.

“Really?” Hunter wrinkled his nose. “Gem doesn’t wear much jewelry, so good luck with that.”

Kyle nodded with a smirk. Yeah, but I know Gemma better than you do.

Hunter checked the time on his watch. “Catering’s due to arrive in half an hour. Gem shouldn’t be far off. It’s going to be a huge night.”

“Cheers to that.” Kyle chinked his beer bottle against Hunter’s.

When Kyle heard the front door open, he glanced over his shoulder. Gemma’s and her girlfriend’s voices chimed through the house. “We’re here.”

Kyle sprang up seconds before Hunter and charged through the door to greet them.

***

 

Gemma

 

By nine o’clock in the evening, the party’s loud music shook every wall in the house. With a JD in hand, Gemma danced, awkwardly thanks to her moon-boot, in the middle of the living room, singing along to a song at the top of her lungs with Kara, Lexi, and a bunch of other girlfriends. The house swarmed with forty friends who drank, ate, and danced.

Gemma ran her hand around under her hair and lifted it to cool down. Sensing Kyle watching her, she couldn’t help but smile. She spun around and met his gaze. He was sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, chatting with Hayden. She waved, ignoring the flutter inside her stomach. How, after one moment in Vegas, one touch and one look, had everything become different? How had she been so blind to not see what was right in front of her the whole time? Her heart had never felt like this before, and Gemma had no idea what it all meant. She couldn’t wait to find out, but she had one daunting task ahead of her. She needed to talk to Hunter.

With travel, lack of sleep, and party preparations taking up the hours since landing back in New York, she’d not yet had a moment alone with him.

Pulling her gaze away from Kyle, she sought out Hunter. He sat on the faded floral green sofa over in the far corner . . . next to Amie. They were laughing and joking and talking into each other’s ears. Gemma shook her head, watching him in action, but there was no flare of jealousy, no raging anger, no ache in her heart.

Just relief. Just happiness for him.

And Gemma couldn’t hold out any longer. There would never be a right time to tell him, so now was as good as any. Steadying her shaky hand, Gemma finished her drink and excused herself from her friends. Weaving her way through the crowd, she made her way over to Hunter and stood directly in front of him. She kicked his foot when he didn’t look up.

“Gem.” Hunter jumped an inch away from Amie. Guilt riddled his face.

“Hey, can I steal you away for a moment, please?” she said in a cool, calm tone, ignoring Amie.

“Sure, babe.”

Gemma put out her hand, dragged him off the seat, led him down the hallway to the laundry, and closed the door behind them. She let go of his hand and jumped up to sit on top of the washing machine.

Hunter’s eyes darkened and filled with seductive mischievousness. He edged toward her, pushed himself between her legs, and nuzzled her neck. “Hey, babe. You want to do it in here? I’ve waited to be with you for long enough.”

Gemma rolled her eyes and let out a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me groan. Grabbing a fistful of his long hair, she yanked his head away.

“Stop. Can you be serious for a moment? Don’t you think it’s about time we were honest with each other?”

Hunter paused, lowered his head, and stared at the ground. “’Bout what exactly?”

“You and me.” Her stomach cinched like an industrial cable tie. “We’re not meant to be together. It’s not working.”

Admitting it out loud was like a punch to the guts. Another failed relationship. Just like her mother. But Gemma shook the comparison aside and swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth.

Hunter grabbed the washing machine at either side of her hips and closed his eyes. “Gem, don’t . . . It’s your birthday.”

“That’s exactly why I’m talking to you now. Please, tell me if I’ve got this all wrong.” She held her breath, hoping she hadn’t misread the signs.

“No . . . no, you haven’t.” Breathy relief filled his voice. He opened his eyes and relaxed his broad shoulders.

“It’s been brewing for a while, hasn’t it?”

He nodded.

Gemma tilted her head to the side and wrinkled her nose. “You’ve got a thing for Amie, haven’t you?”

Hunter stepped back and wiped his hand down over his face. “Gem—”

“It’s okay. I wanted to slap the shit out of her when you first kissed, but I’ve seen the way you are around her. And I don’t think I, or anyone else, is going to stop you two from getting together.” Gemma wriggled around on top of the washing machine. “You don’t look at me like you look at her. I don’t know what you see in her, she’s thirty-three, but whatever. Maybe our pathetic excuse of being a couple did some good. It’s shown us who we’re meant to be with. Maybe that’s why we never slept together—we never had that connection.”

“We had a connection.” Hunter’s voice softened. One eyebrow raised into a sexy arch, and the suggestive glint in his eyes sent heat rushing to Gemma’s cheeks. They’d certainly had some hot and steamy make-out sessions, but they’d never crossed the line and gone all the way.

“We had some fun, but it’s over.” Gemma’s stomach dropped and swallowed her disappointment. “Go and find Amie.” She pointed to the door. “Don’t keep her waiting any longer.”

Hunter’s eyes sparkled in the bright florescent lights. He hadn’t looked this happy in months. He lunged forward, clutched her face, and kissed her on the forehead. “Thank you.” He took a step back. “You’re really okay with . . . with Amie . . . with me?”

“Yeah. It hurts a little, but I’ll be fine.”

Hunter frowned. “I really wanted us to work, Gem.”

“I did, too.”

“You’re sexy as hell, and I really did want to get into your panties,” Hunter said, matter-of-factly. “But I couldn’t get over the fact that you’re like a sister to me. You’re my little Gem. Always will be.”

Hunter was like a brother to her. A big, goof-ball brother who’d always be there to have fun with.

“Well, lucky for me, my panties will remain unexplored territory by you.” She jutted her chin toward the door. “Go on . . . off you go. But Hunt . . . promise me one thing. Please be careful. I don’t trust her.”

“I will,” he said. “But wait a sec.” He circled his finger in the air and a cheeky smile twitched his lips. “Let’s backtrack. What did you mean when you said something about working out who you should be with? You weren’t just talking about me. So, spill it.”

Gemma couldn’t stop heat rushing to her cheeks.

Hunter grabbed the top of her thighs and squeezed. “Please tell me it’s Kyle.”

Gemma’s mouth gaped, and she fumbled to find words. “How did you know?”

“You two have amazing chemistry, and it’s definitely grown over the past few months. I always hoped that would happen between you and me, but it never did.”

Gemma stared down at her fumbling fingers. “I didn’t know it was there until recently. We’d have these moments that grabbed me—cooking, playing music, hanging out—and I wished I had them with you. But they never happened.”

“It’s the same with me and Amie.” Hunter lifted her chin. “I never meant to hurt you, Gem. That’s my biggest regret of all. I hope you and Kyle find a way through all this mess and find a way to be together.”

“Thanks, Hunt. So, enough with the breakup talk.” She pulled her shoulders back and slapped her hands together. “Go find Amie.”

Hunter swooped in and hugged her tight. “You’re amazing. See? We do connect. And that’s what I love about you . . . sis.”

The door flung open and Kyle filled the doorway. His eyes widened, and the color drained from his face. “Shit. Sorry, I didn’t mean to barge in. Hunt, the guy organizing the bonfire’s here.”

Kyle took a step back, but Hunter reached out and stopped him. “Bud, great timing. I’m out of here. She’s all yours.” Hunter kissed her on the cheek and took off down the hallway.

Kyle leaned against the door jamb. Disappointment clouded his eyes. “You did it in the laundry? Really?”

Gemma shook her head. “No-pe.”

“Well then, what’s he so happy about?”

“We broke up.”

Kyle blinked rapidly and spluttered. “You . . . what? He broke up with you on your birthday? I’ll kill him.”

“No need. I broke it off . . . well, it was mutual.”

“Are you upset?” Kyle stepped toward her, his eyes filled with concern.

“No-pe. I’m relieved,” she said, hopping down from the washing machine and needing a moment to breathe. To digest what had happened.

The way fire blazed to life in Kyle’s eyes turned the tempo up on her heart rate. Was her future with him? The night was still young, anything was possible. “Before we head down to the beach for the bonfire, I’m gonna need another drink.”