Saving Stella (2 page)

 
“Umm right, you see Sloan said Stella was her
baby sister, she never said anything about being twins or identical.”

“Yes well, I’m used to that.
She’s been lording those four minutes over me since we were old enough to
understand that it meant she was marginally older than me.”

Ah fuck!

I don’t embarrass easy, but right
now I wish I could dig myself into a hole and stay there for a while. I ran my
hands through my hair. I’d just made a complete ass out of myself.

“I’m so fucking sorry. Sloan
didn’t tell me any of that.
 
You’re not
what I was expecting walking in here. And I just automatically assumed it Sloan
was screwing with me in her weird ass way.”

She tilted her head again. Shit
that’s cute. Now that she was standing closer to me, and I was looking at her,
really looking at her, I could see that her hair was as real as it could be.
Straight shiny black locks fell half way down her back. My fingers itched to
slide through it. I wondered if it was as soft as it looked. She smelled good
too, damn, like fresh rain and sweet roses. Just fucking pure, you know?

The FUCK?

What’s with the sappy shit? Since
when do I care how soft a chic’s hair is? Or how she smells? And those eyes,
the way she’s looking at me is trippin me out, it’s not the hungry stare I’m
used to. It’s like she’s taking me all in, analysing me. She searched my face,
looking for God knows what. Whatever it was she was looking for, I hope she
found it. This chic had me all up in knots with just a look.

Stella

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
It felt like I could see into his soul through his clear icy blue eyes. I could
get lost in those eyes. I’ve never reacted to a man so strongly. My pulse
jumped the moment I laid eyes on him, and it still hadn’t slowed. Not even
during our short exchange. He clearly thought I was Sloan pulling one of her
weird pranks. We may be twins but sometimes not even I get her sense of humour.

My gaze slid over him slowly. As
if I could tell what kind of man he was, just by looking at him. He had kind
eyes, strong jaw, and full kissable lips. Wait, what? Kissable lips, I’ve never
thought that before. Moving my eyes back to his lips I have to admit, if the
urge to kiss a man ever did strike me those are lips I’d like to taste. Oh God,
taste? Really Stella? Why not just start licking the man! Ha, not a bad idea.

Oh my GOD! I need to snap out of
it. Kissable, tasty lips? Licking? I gota get my mind out of the gutter! No man
had ever incited those kinds of thoughts from me. Pull it together Stella,
business, books, numbers, right focus time.

Clearing my throat I took a step
back from him. It must have been the close proximity messing with my head.

“So, now that we have that
sorted, perhaps we can get down to business? You have some books you’d like me
to take a look at?”

“What? Oh, yea books. Here.”

He shoved his brief case towards
me. I stood there looking at him like he was crazy. What was he doing?

“Oh sorry, umm, I’m still trying
to wrap my head around the you not being Sloan thing. My bad.”

“It’s okay, would you like to
take a seat and maybe you can tell me what it is exactly you would like me to
do for you.”

Brayden

What I’d like her to do for me? I
don’t think she wanted an honest answer to that question. I had a feeling she
wouldn’t be too keen on stripping off that constrictive pant suit so I could
get a good look at her. All of her.

Shit, my palms were starting to
sweat. I was acting like a teenage boy with a crush. Fumbling with my words,
acting like a pre-pubescent dick. I had to remove the image of her standing
naked before me from my mind or I wouldn’t be making a whole lot of sense
anytime soon.

After id pulled myself together
enough to form coherent sentences, I showed her the work id already done with
my books, she seemed impressed. We went over what she would need to take over
from here and after I agreed to bring her what she needed tomorrow I decided it
was time to man up and ask this chic out.

“So, Stella. How about you come
get a drink with me tonight? Let me make up for being such an ass when I
arrived this afternoon.”

She seemed to be mulling it over.
Good sign.

“There’s no need to make anything
up to me Mr Brooks. Sloan obviously thought it would be funny to surprise you.
She has a strange sense of humour.”

“Please, call me Brayden or Bray
if you prefer. I’d still like to take you out. Get to know you a bit better.”

“Thank you for the offer,
Brayden, but I really shouldn’t. I don’t like to mix business with my personal
life.”

I liked the way my name sounded
coming from her lips.

“We won’t be mixing the two. I
promise we won’t talk shop at all.”

I couldn’t help but smirk when
her cheeks flushed, she mustn’t be used to being pushed. That’s fine with me, I
like to push, and I’d like to push her, all night long… Oh Yea.

“Come on Stella, what have you
got to lose? Come, live a little. We can go somewhere quiet if you prefer?”

“I don’t make a habit of going
out with men I barely know.”

“Well Sloan knows me, that’s as
good as knowing me yourself, right?”

“Not exactly. As you can see,
Sloan and I live in completely different worlds. I doubt I’d be comfortable
socializing with some of the people she knows.”

I pretended to be insulted by
what she was saying.

“Well, all you had to say was you
didn’t think you would enjoy my company and I would have left it alone. Sorry I
make you uncomfortable Stella. I’ll drop those documents you need in to your
receptionist tomorrow.”

I stood to leave, hoping like
hell she’d take the bait.

She didn’t. I felt like an ass. I
left her office and made my way to the elevator. Once inside, I banged my head
on the wall. IDIOT! I should have known trying to bait her like that wouldn’t
work. She’s not feisty like Sloan. She’s soft, quiet, reserved almost. Shit, I
probably just upset her. ASS!

I’ll redeem myself tomorrow. The
thought of upsetting her wasn’t sitting well with me.

Stella

Well, that was unexpected. I sat on
my couch with my feet tucked under my backside, sipping my glass of wine
wondering what had happened this afternoon. Had Brayden really asked me out?
Surely it was just because he felt bad about our initial introduction? He had
said as much. But he continued to ask even though I assured him he had nothing
to feel bad about. I think I insulted him. I hope not, but his reaction to my
words was unmistakeable.

Why couldn’t I just take a chance
and do something out of my comfort zone for once? Oh yea, because ever since
that night six years ago, I’m scared of my own damn shadow! Play it safe, be
invisible. Stay under the radar. Blend into the crowd. I’ve been doing just
fine in my little unassuming bubble.

Sloan has tried to pull me out of
‘my funk’ as she calls it, but I see it more as a lifestyle change. I like
going unnoticed. There’s less danger that way. Sure it might be a bit lonely
sometimes, but that’s what I’ve got Fergus for. My little buddy. I won’t deny
that a little more human companionship wouldn’t go astray.

Sloan keeps trying to get me to
go out with her, but I just can’t do it. It’s not for lack of wanting. I did
give it a go one time. It didn’t go so well. I ended up in the hospital after
having a massive panic attack. They had to sedate me. Not something I want to
go through again anytime soon, or ever for that matter.

So now a fun night for me
consists of either reading a good book with a glass of wine or curling up on
the couch watching a movie with a huge bowl of buttery popcorn. Sloan comes
around at least once a week and has dinner with me, and Bianca comes around for
a girl’s night now and then. Apart from that, it’s me and Fergus against the
world. I miss Mumma.

I wish I was more like Mumma and
Sloan. Sloan got Mumma’s tough streak. Me; not so much. I wasn’t always like
this. I did have a back bone once. I had confidence, even a little attitude.
But he stole it from me. If it wasn’t for Sloan, he would have stolen a lot
more.

Sloan

‘Meet me at Freddie’s when you knock off. We gotta talk.’

I slipped my phone back in my
pocket n lit up a cig while I walked up the street to Freddie’s. I wonder how
it went for Stella n Bray this arv. I don’t know what else to do to get her out
of her funk. Six long years she’s been like this. I want my sister back, damn
it!

I found Bray in our usual booth
nursing a scotch n coke. He looked like he was thinking real hard about
something.

“Sup Bray, how’d it go with Stell
this arv?”

He looked a little pissed when he
glanced up at me.

“Forget to mention something to
me Sloan?”

“Nope, don’t believe I did. What
crawled up your ass?”

“Are you serious right now?
Identical twin sister. Really? You didn’t think to tell me that?”

“Well I assumed it would be
obvious when you met her, didn’t think I had to point it out.”

“Yea well, a heads up would have
been nice. I made a complete ass out of myself!”

He was fuming, and running his fingers
through his hair.

“Geez, what are you so pissy
about?”

Then it clicked!

“You like her! You never get
pissy over chicks.”

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my
face. He could try to deny it, but I knew him too well.

“No, I’m just pissed ‘cause I
made an ass out of myself, I accused her of being you!”

“What? We look nothing alike!”

“Your frigin’ identical Sloan,
except for the hair, tats, piercings and clothes.”

“Whatever, a blind man could tell
us apart Bray. Anyway, how’d it go? You’s hit it off?”

“Well, kinda. I don’t know. I
asked her to come for drinks with me n she said no. Nobody’s ever turned me
down before.”

“Aw poor Bray, not as irresistible
as you thought ha. Listen, Stell is a hard egg to crack. She’s been through,
stuff. It changed her. She never used to be like this, so mousy. She had spunk!
I want that girl back. Can you help me Bray?”

“I don’t know Sloan.”

He was rubbing his neck, a sure
sign he was at least thinking about it. I just had to give him a little push.

“Please Bray. She needs me and I
can’t stand seeing her live like this anymore. I’ve been trying for six long
years to bring my sister back. Help me, please.”

And cue the puppy dog eyes. I may
be a little rough around the edges, but I know how to play on the puppy dog
eyes. Who could resist.

Got him! Hook, line and sinker. I’m
getting my sister back!

Brayden

My foot was tapping ridiculously
fast as I waited for the elevator to reach the floor of Stella’s office. My
palms were sweating and I had to keep going over what I wanted to say to her in
my head. I didn’t want to screw this up. I had a feeling Stella was fragile.
Sloan confirmed it for me last night when she told me Stella had been through
stuff. She didn’t tell me what and I’m not sure I want to know.

This chic was already affecting
me after just one meeting.

The elevator door dinged and I
retraced the steps id taken yesterday to Stella’s office. When I walked in the
same doe eyed receptionist sat at the desk. Her eyes honed in on the yellow lily’s
I was holding. Sloan had told me they were Stella’s favourites. And I wanted to
make up for yesterday. Sloan also told me I had to take it slow with Stella.
Baby steps she said. So no drink invites today.

“Is Stella in?”

'Doe eyes' was frozen in place
just like yesterday. So I walked over to the door to Stella’s office, glanced
over my shoulder and gestured with my head that I was going to go in then knocked
softly. She just sat there and nodded.

After I heard Stella yell out for
me to come on in, I slowly opened the door and poked my head in. The look on
her face said she didn’t expect to see me today. And I guess that’s my fault. I
did tell her yesterday that I was going to just drop the papers with her
receptionist.

“Hey there.”

She didn’t respond, just kept
watching me with those cautious green eyes.

“I brought a peace offering.
After the way I handled our introduction and then how I left yesterday I felt
bad. Terrible actually. Sloan told me yellow lilies were your favourite.”

Silence followed. She narrowed
her eyes as if she couldn’t figure out if that’s why I was really here.

“Well I’ll just set them over
here shall I?”

I walked all the way into her
office closing the door behind me. Placing the lilies in the centre of the
bookshelf she had sitting under the window. She remained silent the whole time.
I figured I wasn’t going to be forgiven for my behaviour yesterday, so I turned
to leave.

“Wait.”

She spoke so softly I thought I
was imagining it. I turned slightly to see her face. Her eyes had glazed over.
Shit! What did I do? In three large strides I was crouching down beside her
chair, bracing myself on her desk with my left hand. I reached up with my right
to tuck a piece of hair that had come loose from her braid behind her ear. Before
I reached it, she flinched away from me, her hand shot under her desk and she
pulled out a gun. I paused with my hand just inches from the loose strands
staring at the gun.

What the fuck?
A
gun?
What had happened to this chick for her to be packin a gun under
her desk? I froze. Did she even know how to use that thing? She didn’t say
anything. Just sat there, her eyes wide, her breathing had picked up pace and
her hands were shaking.