Ignite (22 page)

Even though I wasn’t dating hardcore my first year of college, I managed to get a few dates here and there. Since Addie though, I wanted nothing to do with it. Not only was I now convinced the entire concept was bullshit, I knew there was no way I’d ever be able to look at anyone else the way I still look at that girl.

I hadn’t seen her since everything happened, but that didn’t matter. I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t matter how completely your heart breaks, the reason it started beating in the first place never leaves you.

“Might do you some good to change your policy,” Josh interrupts my thoughts.

“Yeah and it might do you some good to worry about your own shit for once,” I smirk. “How is Lisa, by the way?”

“Dick,” he says with a laugh at the mention of his crazy girlfriend.

Making our way to our apartment, I take the steps slowly as a second wave of exhaustion sweep over me. As we make it to the door, commotion coming from the door across from ours pulls our attention.

“Looks like Chad rented out that room,” I muse with a yawn, smirking when I see him nosily trying to get a glimpse of the newest occupant. “I wouldn’t get too attached. Chances are that douchebag will run her off in a month like usual.”

“Nah, man,” he says, shaking his head. “He told me the other day his girlfriend was moving in.”

“Chad has a girlfriend?” I snort in disbelief, unable to hold in the amusement. “Poor girl.”

I try not to be a judgmental prick, but our neighbor of close to a year was a total sleazebag. He seemed alright at first and he never gave me and Josh any shit, but he had a reputation of being a total creep when it came to women.

In the year we’ve lived next door to him, we’ve watched no less than seven girls move in to his spare bedroom, almost immediately moving out. According to him, he’d fucked all of them, so the news that he had a girlfriend he was serious enough to let move in with him was a surprise to me.

“Are you almost done?” we hear him call out across his apartment with irritation as the door swings open.

“You know, this would go a lot faster if you’d freaking help!” the girl shouts back, her voice sounding vaguely familiar as she rolls her eyes and pulls the door shut behind her, facing me. “Zeke?”

“Yeah?” I say, finally recognizing her as Addie’s roommate, Brittany. “Hey! What are you doing here?” I start in surprise, instantly feeling bad for her as I jump to my next conclusion. “Oh God, you’re not moving in with Chad, are you?”

She’s shaking her head slowly in response to my question, she starts to answer me but stops when the door swings open behind her, cutting her off.

“Sorry Britt,” she groans apologetically, her now shoulder-length, blonde hair hiding her perfect face from me as she slams the door behind her in frustration. “He’s such a freakin’ prick sometimes…”

“Addie?” I say, my voice low and full of shock.

When her hazel eyes find mine, she freezes in place same as me.

“Zeke?” she whispers, my name on her full lips shooting sparks through me.

For the past two years, I’ve felt a void, a gaping hole inside my chest. I’ve been floating aimlessly, barely existing. The second I hear her voice though, my heart jumps back to life and for the first time in too long, I can breathe.

Addie

The minute I see him, everything I’ve been fighting so hard to bury comes crashing back full force. His indigo eyes stare into me, awakening my dormant soul for the first time in two years. As he speaks my name, I can’t help the way my body gravitates toward him. Logic, common sense, all of it leaves me as I clear the distance between us in just a few steps. Pulling him to me chest, he gently wraps his arms around me, tucking his nose into the crook of my neck.

Instantly, I’m home.

“I missed you so much,” I manage, not caring about the break in my voice for once as I inhale his familiar scent.

“Me, too,” he says softly, squeezing me tighter for a moment before pulling away slightly, keeping hold of me as he finds my eyes. “What are you doing here?”

The look of fear there isn’t what I expected to see as I gaze back at the eyes that have been haunting my dreams since I saw them last. Before I can speak, the door creaks open behind me, the voice that follows behind it filling me with annoyance.

“What the hell are you doing, Addison?” Chad snaps as his eyes fall on us. “Do you know each other?”

“Are you…?” Zeke starts, his voice trailing off in understanding as we reluctantly separate.

“They obviously know each other,” Brittany rolls her eyes at Chad. “What? Do you think she goes around hugging strangers?”

“I wasn’t asking you,” he replies rudely, pulling a shrug from my friend.

“Yes, I’ve known him my whole life,” I answer, turning to face him. “And don’t talk to her like that.”

“Whatever,” he shrugs, making his way over to us. “How do you know each other?”

“They grew up next door to each other,” Brittany tells with a smug look, crossing her arms over her chest. “They’ve been best friends since they were kids and
Addie
loves him.” When Chad shoots her a look of annoyance, she smiles wider, obviously loving the way she’s getting under his skin. “She doesn’t love
you
, Chad. You want to know why?”

“No,” he replies drily, redirecting his attention to us.

“It’s because you’re an asshole,” she whispers in a taunting tone, making me snort while Zeke begins laughing loudly, the sound music to my lovesick ears.

“Anyway,” Chad mutters, facing Zeke. “So you two go way back, huh?”

“Yeah,” Zeke replies, his voice soft as he holds my eyes, giving me a small smile. “Me and Addie used to be real close.”

I can’t be sure if it’s the nearly invisible break in his voice or the fact that he’s speaking in past-tense that stings worse. In this instant though, I feel something inside me shatter just a little more.

“Cool man,” he says, completely oblivious to our exchange as he pats Zeke’s arm, pulling him from his trance. “So, what’s up? What are y’all about to do?”

“Just got off work,” Josh says at the same time Chad rests his arm over my shoulders.

No matter how much he tries to cover it up, I don’t miss the way Zeke’s eyes take in the gesture. I want nothing more than to explain myself, to tell him it’s not how it looks, but I know I can’t. Not right now at least.

The truth is, everything Brittany said had been exactly right. I don’t love Chad. Our relationship, if you even want to call it that, is one of convenience. We met a few months ago when I came to take a proper tour of the school and meet with the financial aid department in an attempt to cover some of my expenses.

He was in the office and overheard me asking about information regarding off-campus housing. When he told me he may have a room becoming available soon, we exchanged phone numbers. I didn’t expect him to call and ask me to dinner less than an hour later, but when he did I assumed it was in regards to the room. Unfortunately, he not only thought it was a date, his was also the only room I could afford.

After talking to him a few more times, he seemed like an okay guy so I agreed to meet him again. I’d been completely intent on making it clear that I wasn’t interested in anything more than renting a room from him. As we sat down to talk about the lease though, I received a frantic call from my father.

I’d known he’d been having financial difficulties since I was in high school. When I was younger, I recalled him coming home with busted lips on occasion. He wouldn’t tell me anything, simply saying things would be tight for a while, but I never asked why. As long as he was okay, I knew I would be, too.

Things settled down for a long time until around the end of my junior year in high school. The closer I got to leaving for college, the longer his runs would last. I’d noticed the occasional bruise, but he’d always assure me he was fine. He’d been so convincing, I actually had begun to tease him about his clumsy habits.

Had I known then how serious things really were, I never would have taken things so lightly.

The last time I went home for a visit, I walked in to find him busted up again, this time worse than usual. After digging a pain pill I’d had stashed in my purse from a dog bite I’d sustained at the shelter a couple months prior, he finally confessed he’d been gambling.

Between knowing he’d been doing all this to help pay my tuition and needing to stay busy to escape the reality of my breakup with Zeke, I’d been working full-time ever since.

I thought he’d gotten away from it, but that day at the restaurant with Chad, he told me he was in deeper than ever. In fact, he said if he didn’t come up with a ridiculous amount of money by the next day, he’d have hell to pay.

“I’ve got a couple grand saved up,” I’d offered in a low voice as I excused myself. I knew it wasn’t enough to settle the debt, but prayed it would at least buy him more time. “Would that get them to lay off?”

“I don’t think so, Addison,” he’d said, his voice uncharacteristically breaking. “I need you to come home. We need to leave tonight. Go somewhere they can’t find us.”

“Us?” I’d asked in confusion. “Wait, Daddy… What are you saying? I have to leave school?”

“I’m so sorry, kitten,” he’d said quietly. “I don’t know how, but they found out where you are. I got wrapped up with some nasty people. I don’t care what happens to me and they know that. I’m afraid if I don’t pay up, they might hurt you.”

“Daddy,” I sobbed as I leaned my forehead against the steering wheel in my car.

I’m trying my best to come to terms with the shitty turn my life has taken when I heard Chad making his way toward me.

“Addison?” he’d said, kneeling beside me. “Are you okay?”

“Just a second, Daddy,” I managed, pulling the phone from my ear. “I’m sorry, Chad. I need to go…”

“Hang on,” he’d said, stopping me from closing my door. “You can’t drive like this. Tell me what’s going on, maybe I can help?”

“You can’t. I have to leave right now. I’m sorry,” I told him as I tried in vain to crank my car. “Come on!”

“Addison, who are you talking to?” my dad asked over the phone.

“Chad,” I told him. “He’s a… friend of mine. I can’t get my car to start, Daddy!”

“You’re going to hyperventilate,” Chad said. “You have to calm down.”

“He’s right, Addison. Take a breath and call me back in ten minutes,” my dad agreed, having heard him. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, kitten.”

“Okay,” I cried, saying my goodbyes and hanging up.

Feeling his eyes on me, I steadied my breathing and in my panic, told Chad everything when he asked.

“Are you sure there’s no other way?” he’d asked and I shook my head. “How much is it?”

“Like… ten thousand dollars,” I admitted, choking out another sob.

“Shh…” he’d said, rubbing my shoulder. “Can I see your phone?”

“Yeah,” I said, handing it to him.

I leaned back against my seat and tried to calm my frazzled nerves, surprised when he began to speak again.

“Mr. Greyson? My name is Chad, I’m friends with your daughter… Yes sir, she told me what’s going on and I might be able to help.”

Shock coursing through me, I watched as he scribbled something out onto the back of an envelope he’d pulled from my dashboard. Handing it to me, his eyes stayed locked on me as I read his sloppy penmanship.

I pay this debt, you sign this lease and belong to me until it’s repaid in full. Agreed?

“Sex is
not
a part of this deal,” I whispered, holding his eyes as I took the pen from his hand, hovering over the paper until I watch him reluctantly nod.

After adding in my no-sex clause, I scribble my name and hand it back to him, letting out a low sigh.

I should have known by the creeptastic smile that crossed his lips, I’d just signed a deal with the devil.

“You okay?” Zeke’s deep, low voice pulls me from one nightmare and back into the current one that is my life.

I was hoping to clear up this travesty of a situation before I ran into Zeke, but I had no idea he was no longer staying in his dorm. I definitely didn’t know I’d be moving in next door to him. There’s no telling what he thinks of me right now. The realization that it could be anything negative has me swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Yeah,” I start, trying my best to return his smile.

“She’s fine,” Chad cuts me off dismissively, interrupting our exchange and squeezing my shoulders. The action makes me look down in irritation, but I know saying anything about it would be a mistake. He’d made it clear I wasn’t to tell anyone about our agreement
.
Knowing she’d never tell a soul, I confided in Brittany, but I knew I couldn’t tell anyone else. Not right now anyway.
“Did you get all your stuff inside yet?”

This is going to be the longest six months of my life.

“You know I didn’t,” I tell him.

“Well, what are you doing, Addison?” he says in irritation. “I’m missin’ the game and I’m fuckin’ tired.”

“So go to sleep,” I start. “It’s not like you’re staying up to help.”

“I can’t sleep with y’all coming in and out of the fuckin’ house, babe.”

“Don’t call me babe,” I snap at him, feeling Zeke’s eyes move to me.

“Whatever,” Chad shrugs, rolling his eyes. “Hurry up and get all this shit in the house so I can go to bed. Some of us have to work in the morning.”

“You make me have violent thoughts,” Brittany says bluntly before facing me, her eyes softening as she rubs my arm consolingly. “Come on, Addie. I’ll help you.”

Zeke

“Thanks,” she answers her before catching my eyes and giving me a small, apologetic smile.

I watch her walk toward a black Volvo I’m assuming is hers and the small U-Haul pickup truck that’s parked beside Chad’s Chevy Silverado. Watching her pull the tailgate down on the U-Haul, I glance over at Chad who’s still running his mouth, not bothering to follow them.

“You’re seriously not going to help them?” I ask, cutting him off.

“Nah,” he shrugs. “She only has a few things, man. If she’d stop runnin’ her mouth, she’d be done by now.”

“Wow! You really
are
an asshole,” I say, shaking my head and walking after them. “Josh, you wanna gimme a hand?”

“Yeah man,” he says, following me.

As I’m walking down the steps toward them, I can’t help but wonder what the hell she’s doing with a dick like Chad. It might be wishful thinking on my part, but it seemed to be written all over her face that she knows he’s a jerk. She probably doesn’t know the whole of it, but it’s fair to say by the way she was acting toward him, she’s at least got an idea.