Evelyn Vine Be Mine (15 page)

***

Stone was already gone when I woke the next day, and each night after, he would drape an arm around my waist and curl up behind me. It felt warm and comfortable, but apprehension still made me tense in his arms. I didn’t want to become involved with someone controlling like him. I was weak and Stone was one powerful man. His actions confused and frightened me. I didn’t know what he wanted or whether I would be allowed to say no. I tried not to worry too much, but it was always at the back of my mind. I was thankful that the only time he attempted to be close to me, was in my bedroom. It kept the jealous girls off my back and the gossip mongers quiet. That all changed that weekend…

The first change occurred on the Friday. It was dinner time, and the band’s table was more crowded than usual. Several people I had never met were seated there. When Briar and I approached, there were no seats left and the surrounding tables had already been hit for extra chairs. Bri shrugged and simply pushed through some guys standing around the table to sit on Alec’s lap. I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. There was no way I was going to sit on someone’s lap.

I was about to turn around and leave, when Fredi waved at me from her spot on Stone’s left. She edged over on her seat, making room for me to share it. Stone looked over at me as I hesitated. The guy on his right let out a loud, annoying laugh and Stone stopped watching me to glare at him. He reached under the plastic chair and hefted it into the air, tipping the guy out of it. The guy swore when he hit the ground and immediately jumped up with an angry scowl, ready to threaten whoever had tipped him…until he realised it was Stone. He quickly left the table.

Stone looked back at me and then tapped the chair beside him. I gulped, and knowing that everyone’s eyes were on me, quickly made my way over to him. I noticed Chloe sitting a few chairs away, on Donny’s lap. Her eyes shot daggers at me and I had to fight back a visible wince. There was nothing like having a jealous ex-girlfriend thinking you were moving in on her man. I wanted to reassure her we were just friends (if that), but knew she wouldn’t believe me and I’d probably end up with my face scratched to bits. Stone looked between Chloe and me with a frown, before turning his attention back to his food. I looked down at my plate and nervously started on mine. From then on, my seat at the table was always next to Stone.

***

On the Saturday, I was granted yet another ‘privilege’. Briar had sweet talked Stone into taking us girls shopping and when we’d made our way to the car park, he was sitting impatiently on the bonnet of his muscle car, having a smoke.

“Thank you so much for taking us GG!” Briar cooed. Stone glared at her and trod on his cigarette butt. Briar giggled and opened the front passenger door. Stone made a small noise and she paused to look up at him. He shook his head. Briar’s mouth dropped open.

“But-” she started to protest, before shutting her mouth with a smile.

“Evie,” she called, “You’re in front. Fredi and I will sit in the back.”

“What?” I asked softly in surprise.

“You’re riding shotgun,” Briar said, her smile widening into a devilish grin. She and Fredi climbed in the back and I slowly eased into the front seat. I darted a glance over at Stone, but he didn’t look back at me. He slid his aviators down off his head and onto his nose, then turned the key in the ignition and reversed out of the park. Briar and Fredi chatted away in the back seat, deciding which stores they wanted to go into. Briar was practically bouncing with energy and I guessed that was the real reason Stone wanted me to sit up front.

As soon as we entered the shopping centre, Stone walked off without a word, merely placing a hand on Briar’s shoulder in goodbye. I watched his massive body part the Saturday crowds with awe. He was a whole head taller than most of the men and he moved with the powerful grace of an athlete. Briar grabbed my hand and tugged me after her and I reluctantly looked back at the girls. They dragged me from store to store, buying me form-fitting outfits that actually looked quite nice on me. I grinned at my reflection as I tried on clothes, thrilled that I actually filled out a size 8. Size 6 was as small as most stores provided (but often they only went down to 8) and I’d only fit into them because of my slightly taller than average height. I found myself actually enjoying the day, despite having to wait in horrifically long lines.

I was a little unsure about some of the purchases, mainly the clubbing clothes and the lingerie. They were slightly more risqué than I was comfortable with. Briar did buy me some more respectable looking outfits though. For dates, she had informed me. I’d blushed and admitted that I didn’t think I’d be going on one of those any time soon. Briar had rolled her eyes, whilst Fredi had muttered that I was clueless.

On top of that, they also bought me gym clothes, togs, sleepwear and casual wear. I felt incredibly uncomfortable with them buying me this much, but couldn’t get them to stop or to let me use some of my own money. In the end, Fredi suggested Briar not pay for anything, but let her foot the bill on her credit card. Fredi loved to piss her parents off and overspending in an ‘Outback’ shopping centre would make her mother faint. That made me feel mildly better about it, but not by much.

Fredi and Briar had only bought two outfits each for themselves, but I had over ten large bags by the time we had finished. We struggled with all the bags as we made our way to the food court, where Briar said Stone would probably be waiting for us.

Sure enough, he was sitting on the edge of the food court, leaning back in his chair as he closed his eyes and listened to his iPod. A group of giggling teenage girls were sitting at the table next to him, unabashedly checking him out. Two little frown lines had appeared between his brows, just above his nose, and I could tell he was getting annoyed. He opened his eyes and looked directly at us, before we were halfway over to him. He pushed out of his chair and strode toward us, clearly irritated. He raised an eyebrow at all of our bags, but simply took them from us and headed toward the exit.

Briar and Fredi followed slowly, unconcerned that Stone was quite a way ahead. Stone stopped at Wendy’s though and looked back at Bri with a questioning tilt of the head. She grinned and ran to catch up to him. Fredi and I stepped up our pace.

“Do you guys want thickshakes?” she asked us when we joined her, she’d already retrieved Stone’s wallet from his back pocket. Determined to pay for my own $4 shake, I pulled my purse out of my bag and moved closer to the counter. Stone shook his head at me and I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t feel particularly brave or stupid, but I wasn’t going to back down on this. I wasn’t a pauper by any stretch of the imagination and I could afford my own damned shake!

Stone frowned at me and I pointedly glanced down at the bags in his hands. I’d had enough things bought for me today. I looked back up into his hard, grey eyes and stood firm. He broke the stare first, switching all fifteen or so bags to one hand and taking his wallet back from Briar, shoving it back into his rear pocket.

“Hey!” she said with a laugh, “I haven’t paid yet Stone.”

Stone pushed me forward, his big, warm hand pressing firmly against my lower back.

Briar’s mouth dropped open in outrage, “You’re making Evie pay for all of us?”

His eyes narrowed dangerously and Briar shut her mouth. I quickly handed the girl behind the counter a twenty and passed out the shakes, hoping to cool everyone’s tempers. I shoved my change in my jean pocket and smiled at Briar. She looked between Stone and I for a moment, before slowly smiling back.

“C’mon,” she said, “Let’s go.”

On the way back to the uni, I sat in the front again, while Fredi and Briar talked loudly about some club they were going to tonight. They were laughing and shouting like drunks and I could see Stone steadily becoming more annoyed. We were half way home when he shoved a case of CD’s into my lap. I didn’t bother to look at him. I knew he wanted me to shove a CD in to drown out the girls in the backseat. I flipped through the case quickly and then picked out the one I liked the most. I slid Disturbed’s ‘Down with the Sickness’ album in and turned the volume up high. I actually saw Stone smile for a moment, before he shoved a cigarette in his mouth and his impassive expression returned. Briar later told me that the album was one of his favourites.

***

As it turned out, it wasn’t just Fredi and Briar going to the club tonight. They were dragging me along too. Apparently, the band often played there and tonight they were going to perform a whole set. I didn’t know how Briar and I were going to get in. This was a real club and not the uni club where seventeen year olds could enter as long as they were stamped for being underage.

Briar tried to choose my outfit, but we were running short on time if we wanted to see the start of the band’s performance. I grabbed an outfit whilst she was umming and ahhing and hurried into the bathroom to change. When I came out, she examined me closely, taking in my grey skinny leg jeans, tight white camisole and cream jacket with approval.

“That’ll do,” she said, chucking me a pair of chunky, black heels. I glared at them, but grudgingly slipped them on.

We caught a cab for the four blocks to the club, but I wasn’t going to complain about the unnecessary expense. There was no way I wanted to walk that far in these heels. Stone was waiting outside for us when we arrived, leaning against the wall and chatting with a bouncer. Well…the bouncer was doing most of the talking.

Briar ignored the line and marched straight up to Stone with a smile. I shifted self-consciously as his eyes ran up and down my long legs in the tight jeans. I felt like a baby giraffe in these heels and hoped I didn’t look as awkward and gangly as I felt. I saw a flash of emotion in his eyes, but he turned to the bouncer before I could decipher it. He said something in a low tone and the bouncer nodded, gesturing for us to go in.

“No alcohol,” Stone told us firmly as he took our hands and led us into the club.

“Fine,” Briar grumbled, her full pink lips forming a childish pout. Stone kissed her temple with a small chuckle and gave my hand a squeeze, before leaving to join the band backstage. Briar and I bought soft drinks from the bar and then sat down to watch the band play. They were playing an Australian theme tonight, covering songs from a variety of different Australian bands. The songs ranged in style, from ACDC to Silverchair to Powderfinger and even a bit of Midnight Oil. Donny and Fredi’s personalities on stage were electric and Jamie had some mad guitar skills. Alec charmed the ladies with his smooth voice and flirty grins and Stone looked dark and intimidating from his position at the rear.

It was nearly midnight by the time they finished playing and when they approached our table, the two guys who’d been flirting with Briar hastily fled.

“How’d you like us Evie?” Fredi asked me with a grin, sitting on the stool next to me, despite the shortness of her skirt.

“It was great,” I said with a small smile, fidgeting with my jacket. The heat was up too high in the club and I was starting to become uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take it off though. My camisole was thin and tight and I’d worn one of my new push up bras beneath it. I felt more comfortable with my body now that I’d lost the gaunt look and built some tone, but I was still quite frail looking if you ignored the new roundness to my breasts. I glanced at Fredi’s revealing top and decided that, next to her, no one would glance twice at my pretty, lacy, white camisole. I shrugged off my jacket without drawing any attention and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Fredi,” Donny said a moment later, as he turned to face us. He paused for a moment, his gaze caught on my chest. I blushed madly and fisted my hands at my sides, trying not to give in to the urge to yank my top up to my chin.

“Yes, Donovan?” Fredi asked with a grin.

Donny looked up at my face and gave me a naughty grin. “Sorry,” he said, turning back to Fredi, “You want to play some pool? Me and you against Alec and Stone?”

“Nah,” Fredi said, taking a sip of her drink, “I’m going to go dance.”

“Me too!” Briar said eagerly.

“Aww c’mon Winnie,” Donny groaned, flicking a glance to where Jamie was lining up at the bar, “Don’t leave me with Jamie against these two.”

Fredi and Alec laughed, but Briar glanced at me thoughtfully. “Evie, you can play pool right?” she asked me, knowing that, when they weren’t ignoring me, my brothers had forced me to play all sorts of games with them. The triplets had often used me as a fourth player for pool and Jake, who hated losing, had made me practice for hours for weeks after he’d lost a game whilst partnered with me.

“Yes,” I said, “I know how to play.”

Donny looked at me dubiously. “Are you any good?” he asked.

“Just shut up and play, Donovan,” Fredi snapped, “Anyone is better than Jamie.”