Tamed Read online

  I snorted. If she only knew what Logan had said to me - He wanted her to be with Drake if it would make things go back to normal.

  “Yeah, you’ve been living your happily ever after all right. Do you really think Logan wants you to go on like this? He wants you to be happy, Chloe. That’s all he’s ever wanted.”

  She sighed as she started gathering up dirty clothes off the floor. “I don’t know. I just know I hurt him, and I don’t deserve to be happy. I’m sure Drake has moved on by now anyway.”

  I picked up a dirty sock and threw it at her. “Did you listen to anything I just said? Drake is as miserable as you are, and he definitely has not moved on. You have no idea how many girls I’ve watched him practically throw off of him at the bar. That boy is in mope mode. Trust me.”

  She growled as she shoved the dirty sock in the laundry basket with the rest of the clothes. “I can’t, Amber. I just can’t. If he rejects me, I’ll never survive it.”

  I kept silent even though I wanted to tell her what Logan and Adam had said. I knew without a doubt that she’d end up with Drake even if she didn’t realize it yet. If Logan wanted me to play nice and help Chloe, then I would. I didn’t agree with what he’d said about letting her move on with Drake, but I did want Logan and Chloe both to be happy.

  God help me. I was going to play matchmaker.

  The next couple of weeks passed without incident.

  When I’d told Adam what had happened with Logan and Chloe, he’d seemed relieved. “It’s about damn time,” he’d mumbled.

  I started spending time with Chloe and Logan again, but things weren’t like they had been before. Logan rarely smiled, and Chloe acted as if she was walking around in a daze. A few times, I’d mentioned that she should talk to Drake, but she’d shot me down.

  It was now three weeks after I’d forgiven her, and nothing had changed between Chloe and Drake.

  I was at the bar with Chloe’s roommate, Rachel, to watch Adam and the rest of the band play. I already considered the night a win because of Adam.

  The band was covering “Turn Me On” by Royal Bliss. As Drake sang the chorus, Adam stopped playing his guitar and jumped offstage. He grinned wickedly as he grabbed me out of my chair and carried me up onto the stage with him.

  “This song was made for us, babe,” he mumbled before going back to his guitar.

  I spent the rest of the song onstage next to him, dancing and laughing.

  When my phone started flashing, I saw that Chloe had texted me. I smiled when I read it. This night was going to be epic in so many ways.

  Chloe: Off work early. Going home. See you tomorrow.

  A plan instantly formed in my mind. Chloe worked at Starbucks, which was directly across the road from Gold’s. Every time I’d tried to get her to come watch the band play, she had used work as an excuse. Tonight, she didn’t have an excuse.

  Me: At the bar. Come over.

  Chloe: Can’t. I’m too tired.

  I frowned. There was no way I was letting her escape again. I dialed her number.

  She picked up on the first ring. “Yes?”

  “Don’t yes me, Chloe Marie! Get your butt over here. They’re playing a bunch of new stuff tonight, and it’s a great show. If you want, you can leave before they finish. It’s not like I’m asking you to have a heart-to-heart with him. Just come watch them play.”

  She hesitated before finally giving in. “All right. I’m across the street, so I’ll be there in a minute.”

  That was easy, I thought to myself as I put my phone down.

  Chloe appeared a few minutes later. She was out of breath as she sat down in a chair next to Rachel. Rachel and I both broke out in giggles at the sight of her. She looked like she’d just walked through a war zone.

  “What happened to you?” I asked.

  She pointed over her shoulder to the crowd of rowdy patrons. “It’s a damn mosh pit back there. I’m lucky I made it here with all my limbs intact!”

  We continued to laugh as a waitress brought her a beer. Chloe gave us a dirty look as she took a sip of her drink. Her eyes instantly darted to the stage in front of us. I looked up to see Drake staring right at her. She looked away and started chugging her beer.

  Adam caught my attention and gave me a questioning look. I just shrugged. It wasn’t like I could explain to him what I was doing. He wouldn’t understand. Love wasn’t something he’d ever understand.

  Chloe motioned for the waitress to bring her another beer, but I shook my head.

  “No way are you getting wasted and making an ass out of yourself. Just watch the band, and enjoy the music.”

  She groaned as she laid her head down on the table. “You’re killing me, Amber—slowly and painfully. I hope you know that.”

  I slapped her on the back as the band finished their song. “I know. I’m thoroughly enjoying myself right now. If you won’t man up and talk to him, someone has to push you into it.”

  She opened her mouth and gaped at me as it finally clicked. “This was a setup, wasn’t it? You can forget about it, Amber. I’ll be long gone by the time they finish. Actually, I think I’m going to leave now before you can try anything else on me.”

  She stood and turned to leave just as Drake’s amplified voice filled the bar. “Thanks to everyone who came out tonight. We’ve got one more song for you guys before we’re done. It’s another new one, and we hope you’ll like it.”

  His eyes locked on hers as she stood there, staring at him in a trance.

  Finally, he spoke, “This one…well, this one is for those who have had their heart ripped out, for those who thought they had found love, only to have it viciously ripped away and without any regard to their feelings.” He raised his hand above his head and shouted, “To all of us who are empty inside!”

  With that, Jade slowly started into the song, and Adam and Eric followed closely behind. As Drake started singing, I watched Chloe’s whole body tense. It was almost too much to watch. I glanced up at Adam to see him watching me. I swallowed roughly and forced my eyes away from his. I didn’t want to think about him at the moment. I wasn’t sure why, but I just didn’t.

  Drake started singing, and I froze as I listened to the lyrics.

  I wasn’t sure what it was,

  What you did to me,

  I felt myself change.

  Something shifted when I looked into your eyes,

  Engulfing me in flames,

  Burning me to the core,

  But it wasn’t meant to be.

  You see, you and I,

  We’re a whirlwind,

  Destroying everything in our path.

  But isn’t that what love does?

  It makes us weak, far from free.

  I gave you everything, and you turned it back on me.

  You turned it back on me.

  He whispered the last line. Before his voice died, Chloe was running through the crowd, pushing people as she went. I jumped up and chased her through the bar. By the time I shoved my way through the crowd to the exit, she was already gone. I made it outside just in time to see her car tearing out of the parking lot.

  “Son of a bitch!” I shouted as her car disappeared.

  I jumped when Drake appeared next to me.

  “Where is she?” he demanded.

  “Gone.”

  “Son of a bitch!” he swore.

  “That’s what I said.” I hesitated before speaking again. I’d never had one-on-one time with Drake, and I wasn’t sure whether I’d be helping or hurting with my next words. “She loves you. If you love her, go find her.”

  He looked at me, and I saw actual tears in his eyes. He was hurting more than I could have ever imagined.

  “I love her, too. No matter how hard I fight it, I can’t. She has me by the balls, and she doesn’t even know it.”

  I laughed. He and Adam were more alike than I’d realized. “Then, go after her.”

  He looked at me for a moment longer before sprinting across the
lot to where his car was parked. I watched as he tore out of the parking lot.

  “What are you doing?” Adam asked from behind me.

  I turned to see him standing only a foot away. “What do you mean?”

  “I heard what you said to him. I thought you didn’t want them together.”

  “They love each other, and they’re both miserable apart.”

  “So?” he asked as he stepped closer.

  “So, I want her to be happy. Logan wants her to be happy. I figured I’d give Drake a push. It’s time someone gets a happily ever after.”

  “Love isn’t a happily ever after,” he said after a moment of silence. “It’s a death sentence.”

  I shrugged. “It depends on how you look at it. Some people, like them, need it. Some people, like me…well, I’m better off without it.”

  He stared at me with the strangest look on his face. Finally, he closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. He stepped closer and threw his arm over my shoulder. “Come back to my apartment. Let’s see if we can find a few temporary happily ever afters,” he said with a devious grin on his face.

  “My favorite kind.”

  Three Months Later—May

  Morgantown, West Virginia

  “Thanks for agreeing to have lunch with me,” Chloe said as we sat down at a local restaurant.

  “I’m glad you called. I was in the middle of packing. I was desperately hoping for an excuse to take a break.” I looked across the table at her.

  “Me, too,” Logan added grumpily. He seemed about as excited as I was about packing.

  Who would have thought I’d add so many clothes to my wardrobe in less than a year?

  Our freshman year of college was officially over. I would be lying if I said I was sad. I was glad to have it behind us. With all the drama between Logan and Chloe, it had been one of the worst years ever. Even after three months of semi-normalcy, things were still tense from time to time.

  Drake and Chloe had ended up together by the end of the night when I’d forced her to come to the bar. She’d changed almost instantly. Gone was the shell of the girl she’d been while they were apart. In her place was a woman who smiled, a woman who laughed. While I was glad that she was back to normal, I still worried about Logan.

  He’d told both of us that he was happy for her, but I could see the way he’d look at her when he thought no one was paying attention. I’d almost called him out on it more than once, but I couldn’t bring myself to burst the tiny bubble of happiness surrounding our friendship.

  Adam and I were still…friends. Absolutely nothing had changed between us. I’d also never witnessed him taking another woman home. I’d asked him once or twice if he was, but he always evaded answering me. I had no idea what to think about that. While it pleased me that I seemed to be enough for him, I also worried that I’d grow soft toward him and maybe even open up my heart. I almost wished that he still acted the way he used to. It would make it easier for me to keep my heart and my vagina in their rightful places.

  “I need to talk to you guys about something,” Chloe said as she looked anywhere but at us.

  “What?” I asked curiously.

  “My mom showed up at Drake’s house yesterday.”

  “What?” I shrieked.

  I hated Chloe’s mother. She’d abused her own daughter both mentally and physically her entire life. It’d been a long time since any of us had seen her, and I had hoped that she’d disappeared permanently. Nothing good ever came from her presence.

  “What happened? What did she want?” Logan asked.

  I glanced over to see worry in his eyes.

  Chloe shrugged, but she wouldn’t look at either of us. “Apparently, my aunt is dying. My mom wants me to go to Ocean City with her to see my aunt one last time.”

  “Holy shit,” I said.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve never been close to my aunt, but she has always been good to me. She even helped me get home when my mom left me at her house one summer.”

  “Still, no one would expect you to go see her with your mom there,” Logan said.

  Chloe finally looked up. “I’m going.”

  “You can’t be serious!” I exclaimed.

  “I am. My mom only wants me to go because my aunt plans to leave money for both of us, but she won’t if she doesn’t see me for herself.”

  “No money is worth dealing with your mother,” I said, surprised that Chloe would even want that money. It wasn’t like her at all.

  “I’m not going for the money. I’m going to make sure that my aunt doesn’t give my mom a damn dime. She doesn’t deserve it. Besides, she’ll only use it on drugs. I know her.”

  “You’re absolutely insane, woman!” I told her.

  “Chloe, this is insane. You’re willingly walking into the belly of the beast. Even if you change your aunt’s mind, you’re still going to be stuck in a house with that woman when your aunt breaks the news. I don’t see that ending well,” Logan said as he looked at Chloe with concern.

  “I won’t be there when my aunt tells her. I’m only staying long enough to convince her not to give my mom the money, and then I’ll be in my car on my way to one of Drake’s shows. But if things do go bad, Danny will be there to help me, and I’m sure Jordan will be, too.”

  Adam, Drake, and the rest of the band were leaving in two weeks to go on tour. They’d managed to book a few shows on the East Coast, mainly playing in small bars like Gold’s. I hated to think about Adam leaving even if it was only for the summer. I shouldn’t care though. Logan and I were leaving for Charleston in two days. Logan and his mom didn’t get along well, so he was going to use Chloe’s old room at my house.

  Even though I knew Chloe’s cousin, Danny, and his best friend, Jordan, were going to be at her aunt’s house, I still didn’t like the idea of her being under the same roof as her mom.

  “How long are you staying?” I asked before sipping my coffee.

  “Not long. Drake will be playing shows in Maryland while I’m there, so whenever I’m done at my aunt’s house, I’m going to meet up with him and continue on.”

  “So, you’ll still be gone all summer?” I pouted.

  When Chloe had mentioned that she was going to stay with Drake instead of coming home with Logan and me, I’d been pissed. I’d expected this summer to be a break from all the craziness. I’d hoped things really would go back to normal between the three of us, but that obviously wasn’t going to happen.

  “Yes, I’m still going with Drake. You’ll have Logan to keep you company. Take him shopping,” Chloe said.

  I didn’t miss the glare Logan sent her way.

  “Yeah, not happening. I have better things to do than walk around the mall for six hours while Amber searches for the perfect pair of shoes,” he said with a visible shudder.

  Chloe laughed, earning a glare from me. My two best friends liked to tease me over the amount of time I spent shopping. I couldn’t help it. Clothes were my life.

  “Shut up, both of you. I don’t need either of you to go shopping with me. I can have fun all by myself!” I said, still glaring.

  “We know you can, Amber,” Chloe said as she tried to hide a smile.

  “And you’d better freaking call me at least once a week while you’re gone! I mean it. I can’t go from spending every day with you to nothing for three months,” I said.

  “You know I will. I’m going to miss you guys, too, you know. This isn’t all one-sided. It’s been a long time since I spent any real amount of time without you two, and it’s going to suck.”

  “Damn straight it will!” I practically pulled her from her seat to hug her.

  Chloe giggled as she turned her head to look at Logan, who was watching us as if we’d lost our minds.

  “Get over here, big guy. Group hug!” Chloe said.

  He rolled his eyes as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around both of us. “You two are completely mental. How I’m even friends with either of you, I’ll never kn
ow.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “You know you love us both, so shut up.”

  “Yeah, I do,” Logan said as he pulled away.

  He wouldn’t look at Chloe. I fought to hide my frown. God, he was still hurting so much. I wasn’t sure if time would be enough to fix what love had done to him.

  “Is that everything?” Adam asked as he shoved another box into the back of my car.

  “It’d better be. I don’t have any more room.” I watched him slam the trunk closed.

  He chuckled. “What the fuck do you do with all these clothes?”

  “Um, wear them. Duh.”

  He shook his head. “I will never understand women’s obsession with clothes. I have, like, ten shirts and a few pairs of jeans.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s different for girls. We can’t just wear black T-shirts over and over.”

  “Whatever. So, what time are you leaving tomorrow?”

  “We’ll be on our way back to Charleston by nine. Logan is driving his own car back.”

  “He still planning on staying with you all summer?” he asked.

  His tone had sounded as if he didn’t care, but there was an emotion in his eyes that made me wonder if that was true. It looked like he was…jealous. I shook my head to clear away that thought. Pigs would fly before Adam started acting like a jealous boyfriend.

  “Yeah. I’m glad he’s staying with me. I’ll be lonely since Chloe is going with you guys.”

  “Well, why don’t we spend our last night together at my place?” he asked.

  I grinned. “Like I’d ever say no to that.”

  He smirked. “You’d better not. Come on, you can ride with me. I’ll bring you back here in the morning.”

  “All right.” I locked my car and then followed him over to where he’d parked his.

  After his Escort’s engine had blown up—or rather, after he’d blown up the engine—Adam had traded his Escort in on an older model Cavalier. I’d learned from his friends that Adam would go through cars faster than he went through women.