Desperate Times (Silver Ridge Series Book 2) Read online

  “You gotta tell her in person.”

  “I know, though a text full of emojis makes things seem much less serious.”

  “Hah, right?”

  A baby starts to cry, which wakes up the other twin, and only a second later, another kid comes into the room calling for Daddy. Archer says he’ll check in later, and I end the call feeling pretty much the same: like I fucked everything up all over again.

  2

  Chloe

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” I let out a breath through gritted teeth, happy at least I’ve only made it to the end of my road before Vanessa, my agent, called to say she just got a call from Mr. Trenton’s assistant, canceling our meeting at the last moment, saying he had food poisoning from dinner the previous night and hadn’t canceled sooner because he was hoping to wake up and be in good enough shape to have our meeting.

  I’m running late and wouldn’t have made it there on time, so maybe this is a blessing in disguise, so I have a chance to be prompt tomorrow when the meeting is hopefully rescheduled. I make a U-turn and drive back up my street, debating if I should go back to bed or try and have a productive day since I’m up early. Mostly, I’m annoyed that my plans are getting messed up, because I’d hoped to have a good meeting and then fly back to Chicago and spend the week with Sam, writing while he’s at work and enjoying lazy evenings together, counting down until the weekend.

  He wanted to come to LA, and I suppose it’s only fair for us to take turns going to see each other. Though I can’t deny it’s easier for me to travel than it is for him to, since I can do my job quite literally anywhere.

  My life in LA isn’t as exciting as it sounds. I meant it when I told Sam I mostly stay home writing or I’m at the barn with Spartan. I do have friends here, and they would love to meet Sam, I’m sure. We haven’t hung out as much lately as we usually do, thanks to busy schedules. I should probably send them a text to see if they want to meet up later because I honestly cannot remember the last time we hung out.

  I like them and enjoy hanging out. We always have fun and they embraced and welcomed me into their already-established circle of friends with ease. It was exciting, moving to LA with everything going on with my Nightfall series. It was newly optioned to be adapted for a TV series and I felt like all the doors were opening for me. Getting out of Silver Ridge, getting a fresh start where no one knew me, called me Creepy Chloe, or broke my heart filled me with hope.

  I don’t regret coming out here, not at all. My series still would have been what it is today regardless of where I lived, but being here enabled me to be more involved, and the whole fake-romance with Charles that our publicist orchestrated definitely helped get extra attention on not only the show, but on me, which led to another boom in book sales. Nightfall is my most popular series, and a lot of people who discovered the books from the show are surprised to know I’ve written over a dozen other romance novels as well.

  I’ve been feeling like my time in LA is done, like it’s given me all it can and now it’s time to go home. I’m definitely feeling that more right now, but I won’t let myself think too far into it. I’ve been in love with Sam for as long as I can remember, but our relationship is still new. We’ve known each other since we were kids, but we also went a good ten years without speaking.

  The feelings never faded, but we are starting all over again. The logical part of my brain tells me I can’t uproot my life after a few weeks even though what Sam and I have is everything I wanted and then some. But then again, Silver Ridge isn’t Chicago. I’d be moving closer to Sam, but not in the same apartment as him.

  I’ve always been a bit of an indecisive person, and moving isn’t something to be taken lightly. I don’t have to sell my house here in LA to go back to Silver Ridge, though, and as I slow by the gate at the end of my driveway, waiting for it to swing open so I can drive up and park in the garage, I find myself missing the lush forest and the quiet of the lake. With fall quickly approaching, I want to go back home and see the leaves change. There’s such a short period of time when the forest is full of beautiful yellow, orange, and red leaves before they blow off and gray skies stretch out above, blanketing the forest in a dull gray glow until the snow comes.

  It’s a little after eight AM, which means it’s ten AM for Sam and he’s at work. He sent me a text this morning on his way in, telling me he loves me and can’t wait to see me again. I call him as I walk into the house, not expecting him to answer but wanting to leave him a message.

  “Hey, babe,” I say, kicking my uncomfortable heels off the second I’m inside. “My meeting got canceled at the last minute and I’m not sure when it’ll be rescheduled, so I’m going to sit by the pool and tan while I write. I always tan topless so I’ll send you some pictures. I love you.”

  One reason I hate calling people or leaving messages is because I’m so damn awkward. I feel comfortable around Sam, and more importantly, I don’t care if I am awkward, which is such a refreshing feeling. He’s always known me as an awkward weirdo, and he loves me anyway.

  Staying true to my word, I change into a bikini, grab my laptop, and go into my backyard. I have a privacy fence around my pool, and the two other houses on the cul-de-sac are a little lower on the hill than mine. I don’t think anyone can see into my pool area, and no one has leaked nudes of me yet.

  I spread out a towel on a lounge chair and untie my top, letting it slip down so just a bit of my nipple is showing. I take a photo and double-check that I’m sending it to Sam and not someone else on accident. Almost as soon as the text goes through, Sam replies.

  Sam: I haven’t been able to listen to your message yet but hot damn, Chloe.

  Sitting up, I take my top off entirely and pull my hair over my breasts, just kind of covering my nipples this time. I send it and wait for Sam’s response with a smile on my face.

  Sam: Fuck, I miss you. And also, fuck, because I have to go into surgery now with you on my mind.

  Me: So no more pictures because it’s too distracting??

  Sam: I can handle the distractions.

  Me: …and I’ll be waiting for my dick pic from you ;-)

  Sam: I’m sitting in the hospital cafeteria right now or else I’d whip it out for you.

  I laugh, missing him so damn much.

  Me: FaceTime me—naked—as soon as you’re home.

  Sam: You better be naked too.

  Me: Deal. <3

  I put my phone down and rearrange on the lounge chair so I’m comfortable and open up my computer. I always start out by rereading what I’d previously written, and I’d left off on a scene were Kellie and Marcus, my main characters, are in the woods hunting down demons. I blink and the scene comes rushing back to me, playing out before me like a movie. I can hear the trees rustling, leaves cast in a pale moonlit glow. The smell of the woods surrounds me, and for a second, I’m there—right back in the coven.

  I open my eyes, remembering that I never did go back and clean up the trash I’d found when I went to the coven. My time in Silver Ridge got derailed in the best way possible. Going back did give me the spark of motivation I needed to get my book going, and with the series coming to an end, I feel like it’s only appropriate to finish it in the place that inspired it all.

  My phone buzzes in my hand, and I turn the screen away from my friends when I see Sam is FaceTiming me. I did tell him to be naked when he called.

  “Hey, babe!” I can’t keep the smile off my face as soon as he comes into view. He’s sitting in his car in a dimly lit parking garage. “You just now leaving work?”

  “Yeah,” he says. “I just walked out and wanted to see you.”

  “Awwww,” my friends coo, leaning in to see Sam.

  “You were right, Chloe, he is a hottie!” April wiggles her fingers, waving at Sam, who chuckles and runs his hand through his hair, looking so damn hot.

  “Where are you?” Sam asks when I stumble over an uneven part of the path.

  “Hiking,” I te
ll him. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay away from steep cliffs and ravines since you’re not here to catch me.” I slow, moving to the side of the trail so a couple joggers can go past us.

  “Right. It’s only six your time.”

  “Introduce us!” April says.

  I look at Sam for a second, wishing with all my heart I was in Chicago with him, or better yet, he was here walking through the hills with us. Or me. Yeah…just me would be best.

  “Hi,” Sam says with a wave. “I’m Sam.”

  “Oh, we already know who you are,” Lola giggles.

  I roll my eyes, still smiling. “This is April, Lola, and Mica,” I say, introducing him to my friends. I’d love for him to meet them in real life and vice versa. April was the first friend I made her in LA, and even though I’m the odd one out in our little group, they’ve all welcomed me with open arms. April is several years older than me, married to a much older man and has teenage stepchildren, and is quite happy being a trophy wife, though her husband really is a decent guy. Lola used to be a model and is in an open relationship with her husband of seven years and their girlfriend, and Mica is a high-profile property attorney, set to take over her family’s firm. Like I said, we are as different as different can be. But our differences keep the gang interesting, and they’ve gone to the San Diego Comic Con every year for the last four years just to support me as well as the Nightfall franchise.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Sam pulls his seatbelt over his torso. He looks tired and a little stressed, making me want even more to be there with him, rubbing his shoulders to help him relax.

  Which of course means both of us naked, tangled together as we roll around the sheets.

  “Hopefully we’ll get to meet you in person soon,” Mica says.

  “Hopefully. Did you hear back about your meeting, Chloe?”

  My heart flutters when he says my name. I’m a love-sick schoolgirl, and I feel no shame in that. “I did. It’s rescheduled for the morning, bright and early again.”

  Sam laughs. “Perfect for you since you’re such a morning person.”

  “Ugh, I know.” I shake my head. “I don’t know how you get up at the crack of dawn all the time.”

  “I don’t stay up until three AM like you do.”

  I laugh again, missing him so much it hurts. “I’ll let you go so you can get home, and I’ll call you when I get back to my house.”

  “For some phone sex,” April whisper-yells, making my other friends laugh. Though that is exactly what I had in mind.

  “I do like the sound of that,” Sam tells me, brows going up.

  My cheeks flush and desire floods through me, remembering how good it feels to have Sam’s cock inside me. “Then it’s a date,” I say coyly, winking at Sam. He smirks back at me and I need to hang up now so he can drive home and I can hurry with the rest of this hike. “Love you.”

  “I love you too, Chloe.” We look at each other for another moment before finally ending the call, and my friends gush over how cute we are together the rest of the walk back to April’s Range Rover. We all drove together and had plans to go back to my place for drinks after. I only got half a chapter written before going out with my friends, and knowing I have a lot of work to do causes a bit of anxiety to rise up inside of me, but I had to get out of the house and away from my computer.

  I had the hardest time concentrating while sitting by my pool. Every time I’d get into the mental headspace of being deep in the woods hunting demons, something would pull me out and remind me how not magical my surroundings are. I want to go back to Silver Ridge, taking my computer with me to the coven and sitting there like a weirdo, typing away until some unsuspecting hikers come across me. So when April said I should go hiking with them, I jumped on the chance to socialize and get away from work for a little bit.

  Lola turns up the music, and we all sing along to 90s pop on our way to my house. The sun is just now starting to set, and it’s an absolutely gorgeous California night…yet I’d rather be in Michigan, loving the way the sun reflects off Silver Lake as it starts to go down and the way it feels like the entire town is holding its breath, just soaking in the quiet and calm of the night.

  “There’s something by your gate,” Mica notes as soon as April pulls into the cul-de-sac my house is in. “It could be from a stalker.”

  “Ohh, let’s hope so!” I rub my hands together. “I haven’t dealt with a crazy in a while. I still think stalking the stalker would be fun.”

  Mica raises a perfectly micro-bladed eyebrow. “I’m one of the best lawyers in the whole damn city, but I can’t represent you when you get your crazy ass arrested for harassment.”

  I laugh and unbuckle my seatbelt. “You’re assuming I’m going to get caught and that hurts.”

  She rolls her eyes, laughing as I get out of the SUV to punch in the code for my gate and pick up the package. My entire property is fenced for privacy reasons more than safety, as the gate is pretty easy to slip under on foot. I’m not a super famous celebrity, but better safe than sorry, right? My usual delivery driver knows the code and leaves my packages by my side door, but I’m not expecting anything today, though I have ordered stuff in the middle of the night after a few too many glasses of wine and got a nice surprise a day or two later.

  “What it is?” April asks when I get back in the SUV.

  “I think it’s flowers,” I tell her as she drives up to my house. I’ve gotten flowers enough in the past to recognize the shape of the box.

  April parks in my driveway and we all get out together. I never enter my house from the front door, and use the keypad to unlock the side door, disarming my alarm system as soon as I’m in. My house is new and big, way too big for just me, but I bought it thinking it would have good resale value when I eventually moved. I have a small yard and a pool, and I’m far enough from the city that it’s surprisingly quiet here at night, yet it’s not too far to make driving into the city a pain.

  I already have a good idea who the flowers are from, but don’t want to get ahead of myself in case they’re not from Sam. Hurrying into the kitchen, I put the box on my counter and carefully slice it open, smiling as soon as I see the dozen red roses.

  “He is so sweet,” April coos as I set the roses in a vase on my kitchen counter. She opened the little card before I got a chance to look at it. Mica snatches it out of her hand and makes a gagging sound.

  “Gross.”

  “What?” Lola leans over. “Aww, that’s sweet.”

  “I don’t even know what it says yet,” I laugh, and Mica gives me the card.

  Chloe- I miss you already. Love, Sam

  “What’s wrong with this? It’s only seven words, not some long love poem,” I say, though I’m grinning ear to ear.

  “Nothing,” April tells me with a smile. “The beginnings of relationships are always the best, and I already like this guy more than anyone else you’ve dated.”

  My friends here don’t know the whole backstory of Sam, only that we were friends in the small town of Silver Ridge and sparks flew when we saw each other a few weeks ago. They don’t know just how much Sam means to me, or how I’ve been head over heels in love with him since the moment I laid eyes on him.

  “I do too,” Lola agrees. “I have a good feeling about him, and I cannot wait to meet this sexy doctor of yours.”

  I read the little card again, heart feeling so fucking full. I have a good feeling about this too.

  3

  Sam

  I set the bag of takeout on my counter and sink down on a barstool. I felt like such a fraud talking to Chloe, smiling, telling her I love her, acting like everything is fucking peachy. It’s far from it, and I don’t think I’ve quite processed everything yet.

  I don’t want to, but I know I have no choice.

  Sighing, I take my food from the bag and stare down at the fried rice and orange chicken. Normally after work, I’d get something healthier than this after swinging by the gym for a quick workout. I’ve
strayed from my workout since Chloe has been here, not that I mind at all. My eyes fall shut for a minute, trying to drown out the voices in my head telling me how much I’ve screwed up—again.

  Forcing myself to eat a few bites, my mind drifts and I’m almost startled when my phone rings. It’s still on silent, face down on the counter, and my heart speeds up thinking it could be Chloe, somehow finding out the truth and calling me out on it.

  But it’s not, and I answer my mom at the last second after debating letting the call go to voicemail.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Sam! How are you? Did you work today?”

  “Yeah, I just got home.”

  “Is Chloe there?” Mom wastes no time getting to her point.

  “No, she—”

  “I know she was there. Rory told me to look at her Instagram things, stories I think she called them? You weren’t in any of them, but I recognized your apartment in the background.”

  “Creep,” I tease. “You and Rory both.”

  “We’re just happy to see you two finally together. Are things serious?”

  “You know I hate that question,” I remind her. “We’ve only been dating for a few weeks.”

  “You’re happy, though?”

  “No, Mom, I’m miserable dating Chloe.”

  “I’m going to take that as a yes then,” she huffs. “When are you two coming back? We need another family dinner! One wasn’t enough to catch up with everything Chloe’s been up to.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Oh, I was hoping soon. Mason might come by on Saturday on his way to another job that he won’t tell me anything about. Typical, right?” she sighs. “Do you remember Mrs. Clemmons from high school?”

  “Uhhh, no,” I say.

  “Well, she teaches English and she’s been gushing to everyone how she talked to Chloe about coming in to speak to the class! That’s so sweet of Chloe, isn’t it? You know I like her. I always have. She’s such a nice girl, even with all her fame.”