Being the bad boy was all he’d ever known, and he’d played it his entire life.
Thorne was always the good one, the responsible one, the one who followed all the rules and fit so neatly into the family’s expectations.
King sighed. Thank God for melatonin, he thought.
It was the only thing that even gave him a shot of sleeping without being a zombie the next day. The whole getting up early in the morning schtick wasn’t for him.
He spent a few minutes tidying everything in the bedroom. It was one of the things King liked about himself. Fastidiousness.
In order, there was comfort. His mouth kicked up when he thought of how not everyone appreciated how much he loved things clean. That was something about him that Effie never understood.
It was one of those things that drove him crazy. How she’d dump her purse on the first available surface when she walked into a room, or how she’d kick off her shoes, not even bothering to pushing them neatly against a wall. Those romance novels she left dog-eared and scattered everywhere.
But, still. It was part of the balance, that yin and yang.
“Love is weakness. Weakness is for losers,” he reminded himself.
Now get dressed, for God’s sake.
King realized he wasn’t quite ready to put his clothes on, though. He needed the brand new stick of deodorant that he’d bought at a convenience store on his way here. It was still in a plastic bag, hanging by the front door.
He re-anchored the towel around his waist and started down the hallway. The scent of a wood fire flooded his nostrils.
“What the hell?” He could have sworn he’d put out the fire last night, but as he entered the living room it was roaring. “Shit!”
A head popped up from the other side of the couch. King’s heart almost stopped, sure that this was it.
That last beating was just a warm-up. This one wouldn’t just stop at bruises, he was certain of it.
And then he realized it was her.
“Effie?” he asked, uncertain. “What…”
She looked at him, her eyes wide.
“King?”
He felt so exposed for some reason, standing there in nothing but a towel.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he demanded.
It came off angrier than he intended.
“Sorry, I… I didn’t know you were here. Or anyone was here. There wasn’t a car—what happened to you? Are you okay?”
Her eyes were wide as she examined the bruises on his chest.
“What are you doing here?” he repeated.
“I… I don’t know,” she said softly.
What did that mean?
“How did you get in? Wait, never mind. Where’s Thorne?”
“He’s… not here?”
It was a question, not an answer. It just made him more confused.
King shifted slightly, completely thrown by Effie’s sudden appearance. Of course he’d seen Effie a few times over the years. She could only be avoided so often, as the person who was practically glued to Thorne’s side.
He stared at her, and she stared back.
“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll be back.”
As he got dressed, he ran over scores of things he should say. Her being here, surprising him like this, it was the last thing he needed.
When he stormed back into the living room, Effie was on the couch with her shoulders covered in the thick blanket. He could see the low-cut satin camisole underneath. It dipped into dangerous territory, but he refused to let that distract him.
Who cares if she’s even hotter than she was in high school?
“Where’s Thorne?” he asked.
Great. That’s a really strong opener.
“He’s… he’s…” Effie gestured, and then dissolved into tears.
King glanced around the room, but there was no one to help.
This is exactly what I need, he thought.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“He’s cheating on me!” she said between sobs.
Awkwardly, he reached out and patted her shoulder.
“It’s okay,” he said. “He’s—”
“It’s not okay! I freaking caught him in bed with someone else! Someone who looks just like me, by the way.”
“Oh,” he said, frowning. “Well, I guess that’s kind of good.”
“Good?” she asked, exasperated.
“I mean, at least he’s attracted to you, right?” King could hear the smugness in his own voice, but he couldn’t help it. “I mean, kind of keeping it in the family. You are both so good at that.”
He just couldn’t stop himself. King hadn’t realized until that moment that for the past three years he’d harbored so much anger over her dating his brother.
“You’re a jerk, you know that?” she asked.
Effie stood up and let the blanket fall onto the couch. She grabbed her jacket, but not before he could see that she’d taken off her bra to sleep. The sudden chill from losing the blanket hardened her nipples instantly against the thin fabric. He felt his cock stirring below, but pushed the urge aside.
She deserved this.
King heard the front door slam and a car start in the driveway. Slowly, he made his way onto the patio. His erection refused to wane even when her SUV was out of sight.
What the hell am I supposed to do now?
3
Effie
Effie had thought she’d been cried out, but by the time she’d reached the end of the Smiths’ cabin’s driveway, her tears were blinding.
There’s no way I can be around anyone like this.
She didn’t even have to think about it. Effie angled the SUV towards the trailhead of the familiar chipped paths she’d explored with King all through high school.
It soothed her, just the sound of her footsteps in the wild. Like she was a teenager again, she easily picked out the sounds in the forest that hugged the outskirts of the city. Dark-eyed junco. American Goldfinch. Northern cardinal.
It was here, her junior year, that she’d first told King she wanted to be a vet tech. He’d laughed and joked that it was good her relentless memorization of bird songs would come in handy.
She knew her Dansko work shoes were getting covered in mud, but she kept on. Dr. Yung would give her hell when she saw them, but in the woods work seemed a lifetime away. Effie didn’t stop walking until she realized the sun would set soon. She was exhausted, but calmed.
As she approached the Explorer, the clouds in the sky started to turn a threatening deep slate. Effie barely made it out of the deserted parking lot before the first drops of rain appeared.
Freezing, she jabbed at the seat warmers until it