Chapter 7 Blue and Green

I drop my suitcase onto the bed and stare in horror at the room around me.

Pink.

So much fucking pink.

It looks like a glitter factory exploded inside a princess castle and then threw up on every available surface. Pink curtains. Pink pillows. Pink blankets.

Absolutely obnoxious.

“It’s only for the summer,” I mutter to myself while dragging a hand down my face.

Mortified doesn’t even begin to cover what I’m feeling right now.

Because somehow—

I had blackout drunk sex with Chad Blackwood.

CJ.

My stepbrother.

I sit heavily on the edge of the bed trying to force my brain to replay last night, but everything after dancing turns blurry and fragmented.

Music.

Warm hands.

Blue and green eyes.

Then waking up wrapped around him this morning.

Naked.

My stomach flips violently.

I try thinking harder, but I don’t remember Cara mentioning anything about him yesterday. Not once. Which honestly feels like important fucking information to leave out.

Slowly, I start unpacking my suitcase just to give myself something to focus on besides spiraling into a mental breakdown.

My clothes split naturally into two categories as I hang them up.

The real me.

Oversized sweaters, jeans, leggings, comfy clothes I can hide inside while spending hours buried in old books at the library.

And the other version of me.

The polished cheerleader.

Designer outfits. Tiny shorts. Crop tops. Clothes meant for cameras and football games and pretending I enjoy attention.

It’s exhausting constantly switching between the two people everyone expects me to be.

Before I can spiral farther, a deep male voice drifts through the cracked bedroom door.

His voice.

I freeze instantly.

“Fine, fine, okay, Archie,” CJ says somewhere down the hallway. “Yeah, I’ll meet you at the lake tonight and bring your Jeep back.”

Then he laughs softly at something Archie says.

The sound slides straight down my spine.

I remember Archie from last night. Another Blackwood. But definitely not his brother.

“Bye, cuz,” CJ says casually.

Cousins.

Okay.

Then another thought suddenly punches me directly in the face.

Wait.

He drove last night.

Which means he was sober enough to drive.

My stomach twists hard.

That asshole knew exactly what he was doing while I was drunk out of my mind.

Heat rushes across my face instantly as anger sparks through my veins.

This fucking jerk took advantage of me.

And he probably knew exactly who I was the entire time.

I should march down the hallway right now and scream at him for being a disgusting creep. Teach him a few things about consent while I’m at it.

But then memories from this morning crash into me again.

His bare chest.

Snake tattoos, muscular arms.

Messy black hair.

The warmth of his body.

Those stupidly beautiful eyes.

Just like that, my anger weakens dangerously.

Because instead of being furious, part of me suddenly wishes I could remember exactly what his lips tasted like.

Oh my God.

I’m still drunk.

That has to be it.

There is literally no other explanation for why I’m sitting here fantasizing about a guy who probably took advantage of me.

An asshole.

A ridiculously attractive asshole.

That stupid grin flashes through my head next, followed immediately by his mismatched eyes.

Blue and green.

His footsteps suddenly stop outside my room.

I freeze completely, staring at the door while my heart starts pounding violently against my ribs.

Don’t come in.

Don’t—

A different door opens and shuts farther down the hallway.

I finally breathe again.

Nope.

Absolutely not.

I need to get out of this house immediately before I completely lose my mind.

I yank my phone out of my pocket and call Cara while continuing to unpack.

She answers on the second ring.

“Cara,” I snap immediately, “I cannot believe you left me alone last night.”

“You were dancing with Wade,” she says defensively. “You looked fine. You were having fun.” Then her voice changes instantly. “Wait. Why? What happened?”

Wade?

Who the hell is Wade?

“I need coffee,” I say immediately. “Before I go to the library today. Meet me at the café on Main Street in twenty minutes.”

“Yes,” she says instantly. “Absolutely.”

We hang up.

A second later, another door opens somewhere down the hall.

That’s it.

I need air.

I need distance from this house.

And especially from him.

Because I cannot be around CJ Blackwood until I figure out what the hell I’m feeling right now. Confusion. Anger. Attraction. Embarrassment.

All of it feels tangled together into one giant disaster.

Twenty minutes later, after surviving a painfully awkward conversation with my mother, I finally escape the Manor.

Apparently Olivia already has my entire summer scheduled out in her head.

The second I mentioned volunteering at the library, she made approximately twelve different judgmental facial expressions. Clearly, spending time around dusty old books doesn’t fit into her perfect vision of me.

She wanted to parade me around town instead.

Show off her accomplished daughter.

So now I’m apparently required to attend brunch at the country club every Sunday and family dinners every Friday night.

Fantastic.

I had to give her something or she would’ve started planning charity galas next.

By the time I reach the café on Main Street, my headache has dulled into a manageable ache.

Cara is already sitting at a table devouring a croissant like she hasn’t eaten in years.

“How are you alive right now?” I ask while dropping into the seat across from her.

“Natural talent.”

I snort softly before taking a long sip of black coffee.

Then I stare directly at her.

“I don’t remember you ever telling me anything about Chad Blackwood.”

Cara’s eyes widen immediately.

“Chad?” she repeats around a mouthful of croissant before hurriedly chewing. “There’s honestly not much to tell. He spends every summer here, but nobody really sees him. He hides inside Blackwood Manor the entire time.”

She pauses thoughtfully.

“I literally can’t even tell you what he looks like.”

My stomach does an annoying little flip at that.

Unfortunately, I can describe him in vivid detail now.

Cara suddenly narrows her eyes suspiciously.

“Why?”

I take another slow sip of coffee.

“I ended up in his bed last night.” I lean forward and lower my voice. “Naked.”

Cara gasps dramatically.

“NATALIE MARIE BENNETT!”

Every single person inside the café turns to stare at us.

A few people look annoyed.

Cara ignores all of them.

Meanwhile, I consider throwing myself directly into traffic.

The look on Cara’s face tells me she thinks this is the greatest thing that has ever happened in human history.

Which it absolutely is not.

This is bad.

Really bad.

Cara leans across the table so fast she almost knocks over her coffee.

“Oh my God,” she whisper-screams. Questions start flying out of her mouth so quickly I can barely keep up.

I ignore every single one.

Instead, I casually ask, “Are we going to the lake tonight?”

Cara pauses immediately.

Then a slow grin spreads across her face.

“Why?” she asks suspiciously. “And how did you even hear about that?”

I stare down into my coffee for a second before finally answering.

“Because Chad Blackwood will be there.”