He had grinned as if the explanation was so obvious that I had burst out laughing.
We had gone back to meet his friends and of course his brother. I knew of them but had never met them. I remember Colton had just looked at me impassively. Connor had introduced him as Cole. I had nodded in greeting amazed at how bright his eyes were; he had nodded in return, his eyes giving nothing away. He turned to the amazon goddess from earlier. She had whispered in his ear, he had smirked and then took her outstretched hand and walked away.
Apart from the initial meeting with Colton, we actually got on really well. In fact, I got on well with Connor’s friends and they quickly became my friends. From that night on, we were inseparable, four became five and for those two and a bit years, I had been happy with my lot in life.
I sighed as I looked up from making the new bed, reminiscing made me sad. My hand ran over the sheet to flatten it and I heard my phone buzz from a text.
Matt:Pancakes next Sunday?
Me:Is it safe?
It felt silly to ask that, the Dawson brothers weren’t monsters.
Matt:Yeah, Colton and Connor are out of town for the weekend to Aunt Glinda’s wedding anniversary or something.
Me:Ok, be here for 10:00?
Matt:Theo?
I rolled my eyes.
Me:Obviously!
Matt:Good one, be good x
Me:Always x
I smiled as I put the phone down and a feeling of contentment came over me.
By Wednesday, I was so nervous walking around campus I began to act like a fugitive. I was hugging walls when I walked to and from classes, keeping my head down, my feet fast and my hoodie up at all times. It was really getting completely ridiculous. The heat hadn’t lessened and a girl wearing a drawn up hoody only drew attention to themselves. Plus, CU was huge. I genuinely think it would have been impossible to just run into one of them. However, four times I had been close to telling Matt that Sunday was off, my nerves where going to give me an ulcer.
I was in my kitchen, I always came home to eat, plus the cycle back meant I could eat guilt free.I was a fussy eater and it was better to eat at home. I flicked the TV on and saw myself staring at a picture of Colton, Connor and their father on the local news. I turned the sound up and realised they were at some film premiere. The picture was old, taken some months ago, God they looked amazing. It’s true what they say, all men look handsome in a really,really,good suit and these suits screamed designer. They fit perfectly, all three men looked resplendent, even their horrid father looked handsome.
I studied the picture closely, Connor’s eyes had a little less sparkle to them, shadows were barely visible under his eyes. I forced myself to look at Colton. I heard myself gulp. His dark hair was cut fashionably, close to the back and sides and slightly longer on top. It was styled perfectly, not a hint of gel in sight. I knew not one hair would move. He had slight five o’clock stubble and I was very grateful both brothers had chosen not to pursue the beard trend that had been all the rage.
Colton’s eyes were an amazing emerald green and I had heard the whispers over the years that they were coloured contacts, but I knew they weren’t. He was smiling a 1000-watt killer smile but his eyes were empty. Their dad was in the middle, it was obvious he was their dad, both sons had something of him in their characteristics. Connor’s bone structure, Colton’s nose and jaw and as always, whenever Dawson Senior was looking at me, he seemed to be staring into my soul with his black eyes.
I took a step back and reached for the remote. I barely noticed the commentators mention the unfortunate incident of a year ago when both brothers had been questioned by police, but my ears perked up.
“Yes indeed, still somewhat unclear what the involvement was at the time, you know it’s rumoured Jake Dawson had to pay a pretty hefty sum to get them out of that,”the lady commentator stage whispered over the still frame of the family.
Her counterpart mock shushed her and then said, “I wonder what it could have been, you know they say they were only routinely questioned...”
I felt my heart slow and the old dread come over me.
“...you know the story is they were covering for someone, but no one knows who, what or why”. Mock gasps over the TV.
I sank into my couch. I turned the TV off. I remembered that night so well, it still haunted my dreams and I still woke screaming from the nightmares. Even now, all these months later, I could still hear her; “You’re no better than me.”
A car horn made me jump, I had moved to the living room in my little apartment. I felt drained. Reliving it in my head was just as horrible as it had been the day I lived through it all. I ran a hand over my face. What was I doing? Why would I let Matt and Theo come here – it would be horrible if Colton or Connor knew I was here and that they had seen me. Been friendly to me, covered for me. Risked their friendship. I couldn’t do this.
I needed to phone Matt – I needed to tell him I couldn’t see them. God, if I hadn’t bought this apartment, I could have changed schools.
I was pacing again. It was my nervous tick. I ran my hands through my hair and gathered it on top of my head. I let my head fall back. Ok, this was silly. I didn’t need to change schools. I just needed to avoid them, all of them. I could do that, I had managed six weeks being in the same city and not seeing them, I could do this.
I should have asked Matt what they were studying. I needed to avoid the buildings where their classes where. I didn’t need to think about them. I had been fine, I had managed to stop seeing him when I closed my eyes, remembered the way his lips had felt when he kissed me, how his hand had ran down my back as he drew the zip of my dress down.
“Comeon, Arielle!” I shouted out. I shook my head in frustration. I was acting like a schoolgirl and my school days were most definitely over. I heard my washer start the spin cycle. At least something in this apartment was being productive today. I closed my eyes. Unbidden I saw his face, I groaned as I sank back onto my seat, my head in my hands.