78: The Shadows Part 2
Sydney
+ Points
Luci barely gets the door closed before I turn to her. “Sending you a picture of the
stares at you.”
way
that guy
“What?” Luci is confused. “Did I miss something?”
“Easton Reed looks at you like it’s painful for him to tear his eyes away and I finally got photo proof of it for you.” She still seems so modest about his feelings for her.
“Ok.” Luci slowly says, shaking her head. “That might be a bit much.”
“Seriously Luci Lou, he stares at you like you light up the sky. You’ll see it for yourself finally. Now start talking about the ratchet toad’s ramblings. Your text didn’t say much.”
She tells me everything and I sit silently processing it all.
“That makes no sense. She’s either certifiable or playing some game. I’m with Easton on how she could have kept him. He was hanging on her every word especially as vulnerable as he was trying to navigate being a parent. But I agree. This has to be about wanting what suddenly isn’t available. Why now is the question.” I frown as I think.
“I thought maybe she saw him on the news but she bought her ticket five days before that. Mr.
Jason confirmed it.” Luci adds.
“We’ll find out somehow. Eventually she’ll show her cards and emerge from whatever asylum she’s hiding in. I mean seriously, she needs professional help. How can you not love that little boy?” I know I do.
Maxton
I’m not the only one watching this morning again, which fascinates me. The other watcher returned today. Yesterday, I thought it was merely a coincidence she was standing there and staring. Her shoulders tense as she watches Easton throw Luci over his shoulder before they step inside her apartment. I step farther back into the shadows and decide to observe her
today too.
Their routine is off which is going to cause problems. But maybe this chick can help me with
that. I recognize her. Lorelei Winters. Easton’s ex–girlfriend and if I’m not mistaken, probably
the mother of that boy.
When they leave and he’s staring down at her, I hear her cursing lowly. They leave in separate
1/6
48 Points
78: The Shadows Part 2
cars for class meaning it’s time for me to go too. I move forward and she doesn’t hear me, she’s lost in her thoughts.
“They are a true pain in the ass aren’t they….looking all happy together when it’s a bunch of bullshit.”
She gasps and whirls around. “Who…what are you talking about?”
“You were here yesterday watching them too.” I smirk at her.
“Who are you?” She tries to raise her nose in the air like she’s better than me.
“Another interested party to the downfall of Easton Reed and maybe Luci Forrester.” Her eyes travel over me quickly, assessing me.
“You’re Lorelei Winters. His ex and…..baby momma.” I say it with confidence.
“What if I am? He a friend of yours?” She sniffs diffidently.
My chest rumbles with the sarcastic chuckle. “No honey, we definitely are not friends. Name is Maxton Porter and I have a very real interest in taking them both down. She’s collateral damage, he’s who I really want to fall off the Reed pedestal of perfection. I’m guessing you
want her gone. Maybe we can help each other. They come back here every morning. She’s
nothing better than a puck bunny.” I hand over a piece of paper with my number. I’d scribbled it
down after seeing her face when they left together.
“You’d be wrong. Goodbye.” She strides away after giving me a look of disgust.
I watch her leave but see how she slips the paper in her pocket. A slow sense of satisfaction
creeping up at the care she takes to hold onto it. If I was truly wrong, she’d have wadded it up
and thrown it on the ground. She’ll call. I just need to be patient.
Easton
I fire off a text to Luci as I sit and wait for my brothers to finish getting dressed. Practice was
long, but Matt seems like he’s going to be an awesome coach. He really paid attention to our
strengths and had us change things up a little. He also called me in and wanted the real story
behind Maxton being kicked off the team. I tell him about Luci and he sits back shaking his
head. “His father called me to ask he be reinstated on the team. Saying Humphries was a
bully. Which is true but not to his son. He won’t be coming back to play for me. Thank you for
telling me what was not in the dean and campus security reports.” He’s only furthering my like
of him. Maybe Dad should have him coach for the pro team. I need to suggest that later.
“Have fun at girls night. I’ll see you in the morning.”
2/6
+9 Points
78: The Shadows Part 2
She was probably staying with Sydney tonight, which I wanted to protest against for purely selfish reasons, but she needs time with her friends. I read up on her spiraling a bit and
basically she needs someone not involved or related to it to truly decompress it. That was one very good argument for being apart for the night, but I also don’t want to smother her. Which is a lie, I want to smother her completely.
“Go to bed early and rest. I’ll tell you goodnight now so I don’t wake you. I love you.”
“No you call me when you are about to go to bed sweetness. Wake me up.”
“I won’t wake you. Why do you want me to wake you up?”
“To talk to you before both of us sleep. That way, I’m the last thought you have when you fall
asleep.”
“Possessive of even my thoughts when I’m sleeping, huh?”
“Dreams too, sweetness. No one else is allowed in there. I love you. Enjoy yourself. Call. Me.
Later. Your voice helps me sleep too.”
She sends me a picture of her with Stormi and Sydney making faces at the camera. I smile, glad to see her acting normal. Jackson sits next to me sighing as he slips his shoes on before he offers, “Pick up dinner from the food truck? Dad has Cole out at grandpappy dinner and
Baker is off.”
“You do have good ideas sometimes.” He glares at my comment.
Becker and Kingston are in and we drive there. The owner grins when he sees us. “Oh the hockey team is here. We might have to close or make another supply run. What can I get the
Reed kings of the ice?”
“Mr. Torres, you can’t ever shut down again without telling us.” Kingston tells him seriously as
he places his order.
I’m last and he gives me a smile. “Pretty lady–less tonight?”
“She abandoned me for her friends and cheesecake.” I make a can–you–believe–it face.
He laughs. “That’s good for them. Time to miss you makes them even more happy to see you later. She had a pretty smile, Captain, and sweet manners. My advice to you is keep her.”
“Doing my best.”
I give him my order. As we wait for it, we sit at one of the tables with two plates of mini brisket chimichangas and queso.
3/6
* Dind
78: The Shadows Part 2
Becker sighs as he eats one of them. “I meant it. You break up with Luci and we’re excommunicating you. I can’t believe she found they were still open.”
“She’s not going anywhere.” I tell him honestly. “Dad would adopt her.”
“All the Reed brothers!” I hear an excited squeal.
“Oh…fuuck.” Kingston drawls lowly as he stares behind me with near contempt.
She steps up next to our table. Nicole Haney again.
“Hi guys! Is this place good? Saw it while we were driving by and told Wallace we needed to try it.” She grins widely.
“It’s good.” I say shortly. She goes to read the menu, thankfully leaving us.
I see Wallace heading our way and fervently hope our food is done fast. Like in the next two
seconds before he makes it to us.
“The Reed boys….” His annoying voice says as he smirks like our name is an insult. He always
thought we were competing with him. Not sure why, we never had anything in common or to
do with him.
Hope decides not to show up tonight leaving me irritated as we are stuck sitting here. I shove
a whole chimichanga into my mouth to avoid talking to him.
“Just you four, huh? No girl tonight, Easton? I gotta say, I was surprised to see you with anyone
the other night. After Lorelei left, I thought you’d just pine after her. And that girl definitely was
wayyyy below your standards. I mean just comparing her to Elena…damn. Getting desperate?”
I reach up and grab his shirt, yanking him down to where his head is level with the tabletop as
I glare at him.
“I’d watch how you speak about her. None of us really like to hear her being insulted.” Jackson
says with cold malice.
Kingston snorts. “His polite way of saying that Easton is going to pull your spine out through your throat if you insult his lady again. And the three of us will stomp on it.”
“Noted.” He says and I release him. He steps back. “Won’t happen again.” He moves toward
Nicole quickly.
Becker calls after him though. “Hey Wallace, there’s a men’s shop over there. They sell clean
underwear if you need a new pair.”
Becker snickers at the sour look on his face. “f*****g prick. You should have hit him, Easton.”
4/6
78: The Shadows Part 2
“Funnier to watch him panic like he was about to be gutted.” I ground out. If Luci had heard him, he’d be dead.
+8 Point:
Nicole is oblivious and she comes back to our table after she orders. “Oh Easton, Lorelei said she was coming home. Have you seen her yet?”
I freeze as do all my brothers. I slowly turn my head to stare at her. “When did you talk to Lorelei?”
“After I ran into you and your date at Tremont that night. I called her late our time, probably like 6 or 7 am the next morning for her. Seeing you reminded me I hadn’t spoken to her in a while. I told her I was surprised to see you out with a date after so long. She said it was probably just a friend because she was coming home and you two are engaged. Sounded a little worried at first. I mean even with Ambra and Elena, she wasn’t scared you’d really left her.” She smiles. “I didn’t tell her how cozy you two were, you know, just in case. I mean I get it, she’s been overseas for years and that can’t be easy to stay faithful to that. I wouldn’t make it for sure, so no judgment here.” She laughs like we’re sharing some joke. “She sounded so excited to get back to you.”
She drones on and I stare at my brothers knowing we are on the same train of thought. Did she come back because of Luci? Because I was suddenly completely unavailable like
Kingston suggested.
We troop home to eat and are just sitting down when Dad and Cole come in the back door. He
talks all about Marco and how he had such a good dinner. He comes to climb into my lap.
“Daddy, when will Luci be back?”
“She’ll pick you up from school tomorrow. Why?”
“I need to ask her question.” He says very seriously.
“She’s with Sydney, Stormi, Janet and Nanna tonight. Do we need to call her?”
“No, I can wait.”
“Can you ask me?” I won’t push him.
“I need Luci first.”
7
“Alright. Sometimes she has better answers than Daddy.”
5/6
