Friends Falling - Book cover

Friends Falling

Trinity Blue

Chapter 2

EVELYNN

SIX YEARS AGO

It’s a few weeks before my high school senior prom, and Trevor and Hunter call to say that they are coming home soon on military leave to visit Granny Mabel and me. I’m excited I’ll get to see them soon.

It’s been a year or more since I’ve last seen my brother Trevor and his best friend Hunter.

Hunter is like family. Trevor and I met him the day we moved in with our father’s mother, Granny Mabel, when I was eight and Trevor was eleven.

The two men have been inseparable ever since the day they met and I’m still like their pesky little sidekick.

I’m talking on the phone with Trevor about when he plans to come home when Hunter snatches the phone away from him.

“Hey Sunshine,” he says through the phone and I can hear the smile in his voice.

When I was younger, Hunter told me that I was way too serious for a little girl, but on the rare occasions when I did smile, it was like a ray of sunshine. From that day on, he called me Sunshine.

He could say the sweetest things sometimes. Of course, Trevor never understood why Hunter called me Sunshine and neither of us ever bothered to explain.

“So, whatcha up to these days?” Hunter asks.

“Nothing much,” I respond in a shy voice. I don’t know what it is about this man that always makes me feel like my stomach is doing flips.

I’ve known him practically my whole life, but when I hear him speak with that husky timbre in his voice, unique to Hunter Douglas, I want to swoon like the women in the days of old.

“Well, that’s funny because a little birdie told me that senior prom was coming up.” I can hear Trevor chuckling in the background and I wonder what that was about. “Do you have a date yet?” Hunter continues.

Oh man, why did he have to ask me about that? I’ve been stressing for the past month over finding a date for the prom. I don’t have a boyfriend, and so far, it doesn’t look like any guys from school are interested in asking me.

My friend Jamie told me it’s because I’m way too serious for an eighteen-year-old and I have what they call ‘resting bitch face’ that scares the boys away. Pansies! Who needs them anyway? I pout to myself.

“No, Hunter.” I sigh. “I don’t have a date yet.”

There’s a pause on his end, and then he says in a cheery voice, “Don’t worry, Sunshine, if those boys are too stupid to see what a catch you are, I’ll be your prince charming and take you to the ball.”

As tempting as that sounds, I don’t want to be Hunter’s charity case. He’s treating me like I’m his kid sister, and the feelings I have for him are anything but sisterly.

Luckily, before I can respond, Trevor grabs the phone back from Hunter and asks to speak to Granny Mabel.

***

PROM NIGHT

Trevor and Hunter have been home on military leave for the past few days and it feels like old times.

I haven’t seen much of them because they’re running around, trying to catch up with old friends while they’re in town. But the atmosphere in the house is warmer now that they’re home again.

My half-sister, Crystal, is sharing my room because her mom kicked her out for the umpteenth time.

Crystal is everything that I’m not.

We look a lot alike, but she’s outgoing where I’m reserved, spontaneous where I’m methodical, and she’s…flirtatious is a nice way of putting it, while I’m just, not.

I would hate to say my sister is easy, but there’s no other way to put it nicely. She’s a year older than me and a year younger than Trevor. How’s that even possible if she’s my half-sister?

Apparently, before his incarceration, our Poppa was a rolling stone with a taste for blondes with no moral compass and a penchant for drugs. That’s how Trevor and I came to live with Granny Mabel.

Crystal just crashes here sporadically whenever her mom kicks her out or when she just needs to get away.

Even with our differences and the fact that our father was a no-good dirty dog, there’s no animosity between us.

Although Crystal doesn’t live with Granny Mabel all the time as Trevor and I do, she’s still our sister, our family. And we don’t have much family, so we definitely can’t afford to be turning away the little family we do have.

Crystal is helping me with my hair and makeup for the prom. I’m not good with the whole makeup and hair thing, but Crystal is an absolute magician.

She says it’s one of the biggest keys to catching a man: look like a supermodel at all times.

I wouldn’t know anything about that, but I’m guessing that’s one of the reasons why Hunter refers to Crystal as the man-eater.

Jamie’s picking me up in a few hours and I’m so nervous.

Even though I would rather have gone to prom with Hunter, going with Jamie is better than not going at all.

Crystal is the only one who knows about my true feelings for Hunter.

She’s been my ear and shoulder to cry on through my years of pining away for him. Crystal thinks Hunter is gorgeous too and she flirts with him outrageously at times but never really crosses the line out of respect for me.

After all, I would hate to become sororicidal on her ass.

I stand in front of my dresser mirror to admire Crystal’s handiwork.

She’s tamed my curls into a twist, leaving a few loose curls to frame my face and a few more to cascade down my neck. She went light on the makeup, just a shimmering lip gloss and some mascara to make my large eyes appear even bigger.

I’m amazed by my transformation.

My shoulders are bare in a cream-colored strapless dress with a sweetheart bodice made from lace. I wear a short gown-style mini skirt made from sheer tulle with a ruffled edge.

The look is flirty yet elegant, and I feel ultra-feminine in my strappy silver high heels as I swish the skirt of the dress back and forth, smiling at my reflection.

“Wow, you look amazing, Sunshine,” Hunter says from my bedroom door. He’s leaning against the doorway, his muscular arms crossed over his muscular chest.

My, oh my, the military has been good for this man.

I can feel myself blush in response to his comment and also because the sight of him lounging there in his fitted tee and relaxed-fit jeans is causing my temperature to rise.

I see Crystal’s reflection in my mirror, and she’s eyeing Hunter in the same manner I am. She’s also licking her plump red lips like a wolf about to pounce on its prey.

Something in my gut clenches, and I find myself gritting my teeth.

“Hey, handsome. I did a pretty bang-up job on Evelynn, didn’t I?” Crystal asks. She’s walked over to Hunter now and is rubbing her hand slowly up his bicep.

He pushes away from the doorway and Crystal’s grabby hands in the process and walks past her into the room.

“Our Evie is always beautiful. You just helped enhance her natural beauty,” he says, walking up behind me and gently pushing my hair to the side.

“And I have something I would like to add to help compliment the beauty of an already lovely girl.”

In the mirror, I see Hunter reach his arms over my head and then place a silver chain around my neck. There’s a pendant on it that looks like a heart locket. Inside the locket is another small heart.

I’m so overwhelmed that I close my eyes, and my breath catches as I feel his fingers brush against my neck.

Goosebumps spread out all over my body, my heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest, and I just pray that he doesn’t notice.

I hear Crystal gasp. “That’s gorgeous! You must have paid a pretty penny for that,” she exclaims.

I look up and catch Hunter’s eyes in the mirror.

For a moment, I could have sworn I saw something akin to love shining in his eyes, but then he looks away and says, “It’s a late birthday gift for my favorite little sidekick.”

I feel the air rush out of me.

I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath, waiting for his response, and now I feel like a deflated balloon.

Of course, I’d forgotten that Hunter told me he’d gotten me something for my eighteenth birthday last month and that he would be bringing it when Trevor and he came to visit.

I was jumping to conclusions about his gift and creating a mountain out of a molehill.

Just then, I hear the doorbell chime downstairs. Saved by the bell. “That must be Jamie,” I say to them both.

I turn to Hunter to give him a hug and stand on my tiptoes so that I can reach around his neck. Even in my heels, his six-foot-two frame is higher than I can reach.

I feel the muscles in his chest against my chest, and I explore his shoulder muscles when I unnecessarily slide my hands over them as I reach up around his neck to pull him into my embrace.

Now my face is in his neck, and I can’t help but take a deep breath and inhale the smell of his cologne and his natural musk. A barely audible moan escapes my lips against his neck. I think I feel him shiver.

Now I’m mortified. I hope I haven’t creeped him out. Why in the world did I just do that?

“Thank you for the wonderful gift,” I say in a rush as I turn and flee down the stairs.

Granny Mabel has already opened the front door and ushered Jamie inside. “Come on in here, young fella, and let Granny get a look at you,” she says as the door closes.

“Yep. You’re just as handsome as always, Jamie boy, and if I were a few years younger, I’d give ole’ Evie here a run for her money!”

Jamie just laughs and takes it all in stride. He’s used to Granny Mabel’s off-the-wall comments.

Jamie’s looking handsome in his tux with his blond hair styled in that purposefully messy way guys do it.

His honey-colored eyes land on me as I come down the stairs and he gives me that megawatt smile that has all the girls at school drooling over him.

“Hello, gorgeous. Are you ready for our big night?” he asks playfully while throwing his arm around me.

If life were fair, I’d be more than friends with Jamie. Then maybe I could finally get over my lifelong crush on Hunter.

Actually, when comparing the two side by side, Jamie and Hunter could easily pass for brothers.

Hunter is a few inches taller than Jamie and has piercing gray eyes as opposed to Jamie’s honey-colored ones, and both guys have gorgeous smiles. But Hunter has dimples to die for.

Of course, I’m just a little biased.

Unfortunately, a friend is all that Jamie is to me and all that he’ll ever be. But it doesn’t mean we both can’t have fun tonight.

Jamie and I pose while Granny and Crystal take several pictures of us before we leave. We’re getting ready to head for the door when Trevor comes up to us.

“May we have a word alone with the young man for a moment, Evie?” he inquires in his deepest voice possible. I chuckle quietly; I know exactly what he’s up to.

Trevor’s trying to play the overprotective big brother role.

I’m still smiling to myself as I look up and see Hunter standing quietly behind Trevor, his hands clasped behind his back, a somber expression on his face.

The look on his face makes me pause and take a step back. He looks upset, but I have no clue as to why. I try to get his attention, but he won’t look me in the eye; he’s too busy staring Jamie down.

I look at Jamie, and he gives me a little smile and shrugs his shoulders toward Trevor, letting me know he’s up for anything. Yep, and that’s why I love that guy.

Jamie allows Trevor and Hunter to take him to the living room to give him the man-to-man talk about respecting young ladies. It’s hilarious really.

After they’re done browbeating my date, I give my big brother a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, Trev,” I whisper in his ear letting him know I appreciate him looking out for me before Jamie and I head out the door.

The last thing I hear as we’re getting into Jamie’s car is Hunter yelling, “Don’t do anything you’ll regret later!”

I couldn’t help but notice that Hunter didn’t say, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do” like a normal person would say.

***

I get home super late—or early, depending on how you look at it—and the house is dead quiet.

I guess everyone must have gone to bed already. I can’t help but be surprised that Granny Mabel or Trevor didn’t wait up to give me the third degree. I guess they trust me.

Shrugging my shoulders, I tiptoe up the stairs to the room Crystal and I are sharing.

I slowly crack the bedroom door open, trying not to wake Crystal when I hear masculine grunting and feminine groans coming from her side of the room.

Oh hell no!

Did she really bring one of her boy toys to Granny Mabel’s house and is having sex with him in my bedroom? I walk into the room, shutting the door behind me, and flick on the light switch.

My heart stops in my chest, my body begins to shake. I fall to my knees and cover my mouth with my hand before my uncontrollable sobs can escape and wake the whole house.

Crystal didn’t bring a boy toy to Granny’s house to screw in my bedroom. No, that would be too good to be true.

She’s screwing Hunter.

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