Trinity (Moonstone Book 1) Read online

  The next day I got up early and went for a run. Adrenaline was coursing through my body and I’d barely slept. I needed an outlet for the extra energy, probably not the kind that involved running, but that would have to do for now. I ran for an hour and felt only slightly better when I returned. Toby was still out but there was a message from my mom reminding me about dinner tonight. It was Sunday and she always had a family dinner Sunday night. Tradition. And I was expected.

  I rocked up early and spent some time chatting with my dad as he potted in the garden. My parents were into gardening and spent hours out in the backyard trimming and pruning. As a result it was a magical oasis and even though I didn’t get their passion for it, I did appreciate sitting out on the porch surrounded by tropical plants and flowers on a warm summer’s evening. I grabbed a beer from Dad’s outdoor bar and sat down at the patio table.

  “No Melissa tonight,” my little sister Brooke observed, plopping herself loudly into the settee. Brooke was a little thing but she did everything loudly. She stomped around the house so that you knew exactly where she was at all times, and I swear her voice was a decibel louder than everyone else’s. Even as a little kid she’d been loud. And bossy. At sixteen she was still pretty bossy as well as way too interested in other people’s lives.

  “No, we broke up,” I reminded her, patiently.

  She grinned mischievously. “You know that and I know that, but does Melissa know that?”

  “Not funny,” I frowned at her.

  She ignored me and kept talking as if I hadn’t even spoken. “Because Melissa’s best friend has a cousin in my year at school and she said that you guys are just on a break. That it’s temporary and that you are still pretty much together anyhow.” She used her hands to show imaginary speech marks for “on a break” and “together.”

  My frown deepened. “You shouldn’t listen to gossip.”

  She shrugged. “It’s not gossip if it’s true. It’s information.”

  “Well that is not true so then it’s not information,” I informed her, “it’s gossip.”

  “Whatever,” she shrugged again, and then examined her nails as if I was boring her. “So. Go out last night?”

  “Hhhmmmn.”

  She grinned again. “I know you did.” Then she leaned forward. “Shannon texted me and said that her older brother and his mates go to that dive across town and that you were there. And that afterwards you went to one of Tony Hurst’s parties.”

  I sighed and rolled my eyes. My sister was fast becoming the biggest gossip in town. “You know way too much.”

  “So?” She ignored my barb. “Did you go to one of Tony Hurst’s parties?”

  “Yes. And how do you even know who Tony Hurst is?”

  She flicked her hair. “I know everything. But what were you doing over there anyhow? Mom would have a fit if she thought you were hanging out with someone like Tony Hurst. Did they have strippers? Orgies in the pool? Were there like thousands of people there?”

  Her eyes were wide and imploring. I laughed at her. “Little sister you should just stick to school gossip. You’ll get yourself in trouble. And I went to check out a band, that’s all, I am not suddenly hanging out at Tony Hurst’s house so no reason to tell Mom about it.”

  My mom barely tolerated swearing and couldn’t abide loud music or more than one glass of wine. There were quite a few things in this world that my mother frowned upon.

  “Fifty bucks and I say nothing,” Brooke suddenly announced.

  “Fuck off.”

  “Twenty?” she tried, flashing me one of her smiles. “And I won’t tell Mom you just said fuck.”

  “You just said it too,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah but she knows I don’t swear.” She stuck her tongue out at me. How Brooke managed to keep my parents convinced that she was nothing but their sweet sixteen-year-old daughter I had no idea. “And besides, you’ve got nothing else on me.”

  I reached into my pocket. “Ten. And no more gossiping either. You’ll end up in trouble.”

  She took my money and shoved it in her jeans pocket. “Gossiping is good for you. I read in Cosmo magazine that it can expand your life by a whole thirty minutes.”

  I smirked. “I’d rather die young.”

  ****

  Mom had gone above and beyond with dinner. She had roasted everything. And there was my favorite dessert too, butterscotch pudding. Brooke prattled on and on during the meal, my parents listened to her patiently although I wondered if they actually heard what she was saying. She was talking about people and commenting on what she’d seen them wear, where they were going, who they were with. How on earth did my kid sister get to be such a mean little bitch?

  “You know not everyone is as lucky as you are, Brooke,” I told her midway through dessert. She sounded like a spoilt brat and it annoyed me.

  “I know that, Luke,” she snapped back, “but that doesn’t mean if you weigh more than a hundred and fifty pounds you should wear a short, tight mini dress. I mean, even poor people, or fat people should know what not to wear.”

  I opened my mouth to reply when my phone beeped. I glanced at it.

  “Who’s that dear?” my mother asked politely.

  “Melissa,” I told her.

  “Oh? Are you two back together?” she didn’t even bother to try and hide the hope in her voice. My mother had been almost as heartbroken as Melissa when we broke up. She’d cried and asked why over and over again, and told me I was making a big mistake. And that was my mother … not Melissa.

  “No,” I told her for the umpteenth time, “but we are still friends.” That wasn’t true either. We were friends only because Melissa wouldn’t leave it be. I was happy to be friends with Melissa, after all, we had spent five years together and she’d been a big part of my life. My first girlfriend. My first everything. But she wasn’t handling the break up well, even now, two months later, and I was beginning to wonder if maybe we shouldn’t be friends for the time being, at least not until she was over it and had moved on. A while ago the idea of seeing Melissa with another guy would have made me as jealous as hell whereas now, well, now I think I would welcome it. At least then I might not get multiple texts and calls from her daily.

  “Oh,” my mom replied, “that is a shame. I was hoping this was just a break. You know I spoke to Michelle the other day and she said that Melissa is just devastated. She loves you so much, Luke and really thought you had a future together.”

  Michelle was Melissa’s mother. And my mother’s best friend. It all sucked sometimes living in a small town.

  “These things happen,” I said and hoped she would leave it at that.

  My mother got the hint and nodded politely before turning back to her food.

  “So how’s the music going?” Brooke asked now in her booming voice.

  I felt my parent’s eyes on me again and I cursed under my breath as I glared across the table at Brooke. Should have given me twenty, she mouthed at me with triumph.

  “Fine,” I told her, “the music is going fine.”

  “Are you still going to class?” my father asked.

  “Sure am,” I assured him.

  “Good, because you know we’d hate for the music thing to get in the way of your schooling. It’s fine to have a hobby but not one that takes up all of your time.”

  I’d heard this lecture before, countless times and knew better than to argue. An argument would only lead to more arguing and then my mother crying.

  Glancing across the table I saw Brooke grinning delightedly. I couldn’t wait for the day she had something she didn’t want Mom and Dad to know. I was going to friggin’ love that day.

  Chapter Four

  Luke

  Pulling on my shorts, tank, and running shoes, I grabbed my phone as I headed out the front door. From the room next to mine, Toby’s, came the unmistakable sounds of someone having early morning sex. And enjoying it. The girl he’d brought home with him last night was a screamer. I’d
finally fallen asleep with my earphones in.

  Running was good, a way to wake me up and shake the cobwebs away. I had class today and needed to focus.

  I was gone for more than an hour, and when I returned I was hot and sweaty, in desperate need of a shower. Toby should be done by now and hopefully the girl had left. Sometimes he managed to get rid of them pretty quick, other times they hung around, clearly not getting the hint that Toby is a one-night stand guy.

  Pulling my earphones out of my ears, I pushed open the front door and paused.

  Trinity was sitting at my kitchen table.

  For a moment I thought I was imagining her. But then I realized she was real. And only then did I realize why she was here.

  Oh. Fuck. No.

  From the bathroom came the unmistakable sound of running water and Toby singing an acapella version of Bohemian Rhapsody. The bedroom hung open and I could see the rumbled bed linen, evidence of the night they’d just had. I recalled the high pitched squeals of pleasure that had woken me last night, the panting, and the bed rocking.

  Shit. No.

  She was dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt. Her face bare of makeup and her hair tucked neatly behind her ears. The piercings were gone too, just a single stud in each ear. The only hint of her rock chic persona were the tattoos that traced up her arms. But even they looked sweet and somehow faded with this new image of her.

  She was sipping coffee, turning through a newspaper, but looked up when I entered, her eyes going round as she recognized me.

  “Oh.”

  “You know Toby?” I asked and even to my ears my voice sounded tight. She knew Toby all right. She’d loved Toby only a few hours ago. Then I remembered this morning, hearing them as I left. Only an hour ago.

  I put my hands on my knees and took in a deep breathe. I wasn’t sure if I couldn’t breathe from running or from the idea of Toby and Trinity…

  “Not really,” she said with a casual shrug, “he comes into the coffee shop where I work every now and again.”

  I blinked at her, surprised by her nonchalant response. She’d brushed me off so easily the other night when I asked for her number and yet here she was casually having sex with my flatmate who she barely knew.

  “Right,” I didn’t know what to say.

  “Do you um, want some coffee?” She gestured to the takeaway coffee cups on the table. “I bought a couple with me.”

  I shook my head. “I’m good thanks.”

  She nodded and went back to reading the paper. I felt like I’d been punched. The shower had turned off and now the bathroom opened and Toby emerged, with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

  “Running again?” he grinned at me. “I tell you man there are more fun ways to stay in shape and get a workout.”

  His innuendo was clear but I didn’t return the grin he threw my way. He’d just screwed Trinity. I hated him more than anything right now.

  “You met Trinity right?” he asked now, throwing a cursory glance her way.

  I nodded. “I met her the other night.”

  “That’s right,” he said now as if only just remembering, “you were looking for her.”

  Trinity’s head snapped up, but she didn’t say anything as her eyes searched mine. Just sipped her coffee and went back to the paper. She barely even looked at Toby. But then she’d probably had her fill of looking at him all night long.

  I thought I might be sick. The visuals I was getting in my head of her and him…

  “Hey is that coffee I smell?” Suddenly the bathroom door opened a smidgen more and a girl emerged, wrapped in a towel, her hair hanging wet and limp down her shoulders. “Oh god, Trin, you are a godsend!”

  As I stared dumbfounded the girl bounded across the room and looked through the different cups of coffee. “Oh good, skinny latte.” She took a sip. “Give me five then we are out of here.” And then she bounded across the room to Toby’s bedroom, closing the door behind her.

  I watched the scene and suddenly felt as if I’d won the lottery. Toby hadn’t slept with Trinity. It hadn’t been her that had kept me awake with orgasm after orgasm last night. It hadn’t been her.

  “You all right man?” Toby asked now. “You look a little wierded out. Maybe too much running. I tell you, that much running ain’t good for ya.”

  I nodded and then suddenly found the amusing side of the situation. I’d thought Toby had slept with Trinity. I’d been gutted. And now, now, I couldn’t believe the elation I felt right now. I wanted to sweep her up into my arms and hold her tight. And I would’ve except she was watching me warily over the top of her coffee.

  “Fine,” I told him, “you finished in the shower?”

  He stepped aside. “All yours.”

  ****

  Trinity

  I flicked through the pages of the newspaper although I barely read anything in front of me. When Luke had walked through the front door, all hard muscles and sweaty, I’d nearly died.

  I didn’t realize he lived with Toby, but then I barely knew Toby or anything about him, except he was the biggest player on campus. And Luke was his roommate. Did that make him a player too? I really hoped not.

  Turning back to the paper I tried not to think about the running water from the next room. He was naked, just a few meters from where I was sitting. I blinked, the words blurring on the page and my blood heating, just imagining him naked in the shower, with the water and soap suds running down…

  “Thanks so much for coming, Trin,” Gwen said, emerging once again from Toby’s room, this time fully dressed. “I really appreciate it.”

  “No worries,” I replied easily, “I was in the area anyhow.” I’d actually been parked down the road, behind the few businesses that edged the campus but I wasn’t going to tell her that.

  “I left my car at the bar we were at,” she explained, “do you mind dropping me back there?”

  “Nope.”

  Gwen sat in the seat opposite me and sipped her coffee. “Man,” she said with a wistful look on her face, “that was one helluva night.”

  “Spare me the details. Please.”

  “If you knew anything, Trin, you’d want to know the details,” she said with amusement, “believe me. He is just as good as I’ve heard he is.”

  I watched Gwen. “Oh no,” I said with a groan, “you are not going to fall for Toby Kingston. You are not.”

  “Of course I’m not,” she growled, lowering her voice, “everyone knows he’s one-night stand material only. But man, he is the best one-night stand I’ve ever had!”

  At this I laughed. “And you’ve had so many!”

  Gwen smiled. “I’ve had, well, now I’ve had one. Go me. I bet that’s one more than you’ve had.”

  I stopped laughing. “Not my thing.” I said simply and easily, hoping she’d drop it. No such luck.

  “What one-night stands? Or sex in general?”

  I was conscious that the shower had stopped running in the room next door. My mind was suddenly filled with visons of Luke once more, getting out of the shower, water running over his abs, his hair dripping wet. My mouth went dry.

  “You know that Tony really likes you, right?” Gwen said suddenly, her voice soft.

  “Tony is not really my type.”

  “I know he’s got those connections,” she said, referring to Tony’s links to the underworld, “but he really likes you, and would take care of you. You need someone who will take care of you.”

  I could take care of myself. I had done an okay job of it so far and had been doing it for pretty much the better part of my eighteen years. Before I could reply though the bathroom door swung open and Luke emerged. Like Toby he was dressed in a towel that wrapped around his waist, but unlike when Toby emerged, I couldn’t take my eyes from him.

  Water traced over his body which was ripped. Seriously ripped. He worked out, judging by the broad, rounded shoulders and the abs which looked to be made of steel. A dark line of hair traced down from his belly bu
tton, disappearing beneath the towel.

  “You’re still here,” he commented.

  “We were just leaving.” I jumped up knocking my coffee across the newspaper and the table.

  “Quick—” I glanced up and over at Luke who’d moved closer. “Give me the towel.”

  “Um.” He grinned, his eyes flashing. “I could give you this towel if you like. I mean, if you insist.”

  Gwen, who’d been watching quietly, suddenly burst out laughing and then ran off, closing the door to Toby’s bedroom behind her as she laughed even louder. My face burned hot and I didn’t dare look at Luke.

  “I didn’t mean that towel,” I mumbled, scooping up some of the sodden newspaper, “I meant any towel. I’ve made such a mess.”

  “Leave it,” he laughed, “I’ll clean it later. It’s my turn to clean anyhow.”

  I nodded, my back to him and still not looking at him. My whole body burned now.

  “You okay?” he asked after a moment.

  No. I wanted to tell him. Not okay. Not with you, standing there, wet, in a towel, naked, so close. Instead I drew a deep breath and turned around, plastering a smile on my face. “Sure. Just a little embarrassed that’s all.”

  “You’d have been more embarrassed if I’d handed over the towel,” he teased, but this time I wasn’t embarrassed.

  I smiled back at him. “I would have. Yes. Sorry.”

  His eyes were roaming over my face and I realized he was looking for my bruise. It was almost gone, only the slightest purpling around my eyes and I’d covered most of that with a tiny bit of makeup. Then his gaze dropped slightly before meeting my eyes once more.

  “Go out with me,” he blurted suddenly.

  “I—” I began to decline but my voice died away. It wasn’t fair that he should ask me out now, when I was so affected by him. I didn’t want to be affected by him. By anyone.