Ice Cold - Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Wren Ridley
His rough hands moved up and down my soft skin, up my back then down to my waist, the sensation burning and sparking something within me. He gripped my waist tightly, pulling me closer so that our stomachs pressed together as his mouth laid open over the skin of my neck, biting and sucking.
I threw my head back, exposing more of my neck to him, and let out a long groan of pleasure.
He was relentless, moving his mouth up my neck, to the center of my throat, and up my jaw. One hand left my waist to grab onto the side of my throat, squeezing lightly. He brought his rough fingers on his other hand down to my hip, then to the side of my leg dangerously close to my back side.
I hissed when he bit down harshly on the skin between my shoulder and neck.
"F... fuck," I cursed, running my hand through my hair.
"You like that don't you?" he asked against my skin, his low voice rumbling.
He bit down on the skin again, then moved his tongue over it.
"Shit... yeah," I responded, letting out a shuddered breath.
He moved his lips up my jaw, but never meeting my mouth. I moved, trying to connect our lips, but he held my head in place.
He shook his head.
"Not yet."
I groaned.
"Say you want me to ruin you," he demanded.
"I want... I want you to ruin me."
He chuckled and continued on my neck. He brought his hand down my stomach, to my front.
"Landon," I moaned. "Landon."
He looked at me with a grin, his face so close I thought our lips would touch. He leaned in.
Just as our lips were about to touch, my eyes shot open and I sat up in my empty bed.
"What the actual fuck," I muttered, placing my hand on my head.
It had really gotten to the point where I started dreaming about this guy. I hadn't even spoken to him since he got out of my car the other night, yet he was occupying my mind like he was a phantom haunting me.
"Did you just have a sex dream?" James asked with a yawn, stretching his arms over his head.
"No."
"Who were you dreaming about?" he pushed further. "You can tell me if it was me."
"It was absolutely not."
"That wasn't convincing," James teased. "It's okay. You can have the real thing anytime you want."
"You just want to have sex with me so you stop thinking about Anthony so much," I shot back. It was true even if he refused to admit it.
James set his mouth in a straight line, any teasing gone from his expression. Anytime Anthony was brought up, it hit a sore spot for James and that was exactly what I wanted at that moment.
"You really have to bring him up?" James asked, shaking his head at me. "Fine, then I know your sex dream was about Landon because you said his name. I just didn't want to embarrass you, but now I don't care because you're being a massive asshole."
"I'm not embarrassed," I told him.
"Of course you're not," he said, rolling his eyes. "Have you fucked Landon yet or are you in the stage of just imagining it?"
"Oh, we have passionate rough sex every night."
"And you don't invite me?"
"Why would I?"
I got out of bed and started toward the door to go to the restroom.
"In all seriousness, if you're dreaming about him you should probably just fuck him and get it over with."
I didn't dignify that with a response and left the room, closing the door behind me.
The problem with James's logic was that I wasn't dreaming about Landon because I wanted to have sex with him so badly. It was because what I felt for him was more personal and emotional than that which was something I had never felt for anyone before. And something I shouldn't be feeling for him at all.
I wasn't supposed to get caught up in emotions for someone, especially not for someone I had history with like Landon. Someone who could cause the breakage of my already fragile relationship with my brother. I should have known something like this was coming. I had spent too long with everything working out for me and something had to give.
I braced my hands on the edge of the sink and stared at myself in the mirror for a moment.
Sometimes I felt like a stranger to myself. This was one of those moments. The rational part of me would never let myself feel anything for anybody. And that was the part I clung to, the part I knew, the part I was comfortable with.
I finished in the bathroom and went back to the bedroom. James was in the middle of getting dressed when I walked in. He glanced at me, raising an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
The weather outside was cold, dreary, and raining, making the decision for me to stay in my dorm all day instead of going to class a very easy one.
"You're actually going to class today?" I asked James, sitting down at my desk.
"I have to," he said. "I have an exam in one class and if I have one more absence in another the Professor is gonna fail me."
"How unfortunate."
James flipped me off and left the room. When he was gone, I pulled out my laptop and worked on some assignments to submit them early. I was already ahead in most of my classes, so there wasn't many of them for me to do.
I moved onto working on my novel when I was finished with assignments. I had been stuck for days on what to write, my thoughts unable to translate into words on the page. That problem persisted even as I sat at my desk, the page open in front of me.
I read over my words, forcibly stopping myself from back spacing through the whole thing. That was the thing with writing; I was never satisfied when the end result.
When writing proved to be impossible for me, I moved onto reading which took up most of my day. James had come and gone again in the room with me barely noticing. It wasn't until I received a text on my phone that I put the book down and realized it was already evening.
From: Landon
Are u going home tonight by any chance
To: Landon
It's a Wednesday night.
From: Landon
ya i know
I just need a ride
To: Landon
For what?
He didn't answer, and I knew that meant he was fed up with me. He didn't want me asking questions. He just wanted me to do what he wanted without trying to figure out anything that was going on with him.
I had nothing better to do anyway.
To: Landon
I'll drive you.
From: Landon
I'll find another ride
To: Landon
No, I'll drive you.
I'll be there in five minutes.
Landon didn't answer, but when I pulled up outside his dorm building, he was already standing outside waiting for me. He got in and buckled up without a word.
I raised my eyebrows at him, waiting for some sort of explanation.
"Just drive, we'll talk on the way," he said.
I obliged, driving away from campus. Landon didn't say anything until we were on the highway heading back home.
"I just need you to drop me off," he started. "I'll figure out how I'm getting back later."
"What exactly are you doing?" I asked him. "Is it so important that you have to get there right now?"
It was still raining out, but only enough for a light pitter patter against the windows. It wasn't a heavy,
drenching rain obstructing my view of the road. I glanced over at Landon briefly as he was looking out the window and watching the rain.
"I have to go find my sister," he said after a moment.
"Your sister is missing?"
"Apparently," he muttered, leaning his head against the window. "One of her friends texted me because Livi calls me from her phone sometimes. She said no one knows where she is. My parents have been calling her friends because she left and they don't know where she went."
"Hm," I responded. "None of her friends know her well enough to know where she is?"
"I guess not."
"And you think you know where she is?"
"No," he said.
I glanced at him briefly with a look of judgement.
"I mean I have some ideas," he continued with a glare.
"So your plan is to just have me drive you around aimlessly until we find your sister?"
"No, I told you you just need to drop me off," he retorted.
"So you can walk around aimlessly in the rain?"
"Shut the fuck up, Wren," he snapped. "Don't act like you wouldn't go looking for your sister if no one knew where she was."
"I would," I agreed. "I'll also help you look for your sister, but you never thought to even ask."
He was silent for a moment, mulling over my words.
"Well, I didn't expect you to help me," he finally responded.
"Have I never helped you before?"
"Shut up, Wren, I get it," he said with a scoff.
I grinned. "What do you get?"
"Shut up."
"Tell me," I urged. "Tell me that I'm not nearly as bad of a person that you like to think I am, that you come to me in times like these because you know I'm not that bad."
"I come to you at times like this because you're my only option," he said.
"I'm your first choice," I corrected.
"Only option and first choice are not the same thing."
"There's really not much of a difference."
He flipped me off and we remained silent for the rest of the ride back into town. Landon started directing me places that he thought his sister might be like this clearing by their house they used to sit in and behind the ice rink she practices at.
He got out of the car and checked in and around the clearing, calling out her name. He went inside the ice rink and couldn't find her there either.
Every time she didn't magically appear in one of these places, he grew more and more nervous. His leg started bouncing so hard it felt like the whole car was shaking with his anxiety.
It got to the point where I finally reached my hand out and placed it on his knee, holding it down from bouncing. His eyes immediately shot over to me.
We were still parked in the ice rink parking lot. The lights were bright and shining into the car, making his face fully visibly to me for the first time that night. He looked tired, his face pulled into a frown, his forehead wrinkled with stress. He didn't look himself. I hated it.
"We're going to find her, so don't get yourself all worked up," I said. "You're a lot cuter when you're not a nervous wreck."
His cheeks grew rosy at that, and he was still looking at me like I was crazy for touching him. It took a few moments for him to snap out of it.
"Don't do that," he said, his mouth frowning once again. Looking at his mouth only reminded me of the dream from this morning, the way his mouth devoured every inch of me.
"Do what?"
"This!" Landon exclaimed, gesturing toward my hand before pushing it off of his leg. "Acting all nice like we're... we're..."
"Like we're into each other?" I finished for him. I could tell by the way embarrassment took over him that I was correct. "Well, we are. Aren't we?"
"No," he instantly replied, the embarrassment vanishing. "We're not."
"Well, I'm into you."
His face flushed again. "Stop!"
I chuckled. "Fine. Where to next?"
He pushed his hair back and left his hand on his head like he was wracking his brain for an answer. Landon let out a loud sigh and pulled at his hair.
"I don't know," he admitted, sounding both angry and defeated.
"Is there any other friend she'd be with?"
"No, all her friends are friends with each other. If one of them knew, all of them would know."
"What about a boyfriend or something?"
His eyes widened. "Jimmy Murphy."
"What?"
"This guy on the hockey team she might be seeing," he said. "I don't really know though."
"Well, do you know where this kid lives?"
He sighed. "No."
Before I could say anything, Landon's phone started ringing. I glanced over at the screen as he picked it up and saw that the number wasn't saved. He answered anyway.
"Hello?" he said.
He listened to whoever was on the line.
"You're where?" He paused. "Okay. Stay right there. I'm on my way."
He hung up the phone and looked over at me.
"That was Livi," he told me.
"Okay, where is she?"
"She's at the gas station off of Woodland Ave."
"That's like a twenty minute drive," I said, putting the car in reverse to pull out of the parking lot.
"I know," he replied. "I have no idea how she got there."
Landon was a lot calmer now that he knew where Olivia was, but I knew he wouldn't be happy until she was here in the car with us. He didn't speak the whole way there until we finally pulled in and saw her standing at the door of the gas station convenience store.
"Olivia!" he shouted after he put the window down.
She heard his voice and ran over to the car, opening up the back door and getting in. Olivia was soaking wet from the rain and her shoes and ankles were muddy. She had makeup smearing on her face. It looked like she had been living outside. I bit my tongue, forcing myself not to say anything about how she was making my car filthy.
"What the fuck happened?" Landon asked her, turning around to face his sister.
"Where do I even fucking begin?" she asked, wiping her hands down her face.
I stayed silent in the driver's seat, looking at her through the rear view mirror.
"Mom and I got into a fight about my diet," she started. "Dad was trying to calm us down, but I was so pissed off so I told Mom that I fucking hate her and she's making me want to kill myself, which isn't true but I wanted to make her feel bad."
She paused and let out a small screech before continuing.
"So of course they got all concerned because I said that and started looking through my phone thinking they would find some evidence that I was planning on killing myself or something I don't know," Olivia continued. "And they saw a text to Ella that I wanted to call you from her phone tomorrow."
"So Dad got all pissy at me and took away my phone and told me I'm not going to school tomorrow and that they're checking me into a hospital for a psyche evaluation," she said. "They were literally going to put me on suicide watch."
I glanced at Landon, but his attention was fully on his sister. I knew Landon must've had some messed up family life, but I didn't expect it to be so bad that his parents would be angry at his sister for contacting them.
"So I ran off to Jimmy's and then we got in a fight because he was being an asshole and not listening to me," Olivia continued. "And then I left his house and walked all the way here in the rain because I don't want to go home and I didn't want Mom and Dad to find me at any of my friends houses. Anyway who is this?"
"Jesus Christ, Olivia," Landon said once she was done, ignoring her question. "Are you trying to get yourself kicked out?"
"Is he your boyfriend?" she asked.
I couldn't stop my laughter while Landon glared at me briefly before turning back to his sister.
"Forget about him," he snapped.
Olivia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I don't care if they kick me out," she said. "In fact, I hope they do!"
Landon turned around in his seat, letting out a long, frustrated groan. He placed his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. Olivia and I shared a look before looking back at him.
"Okay, so where am I going?" I asked him.
He looked up at me and let out a deep breath.
"Take us to the Hansons, I have to grab something," he said and I put the car back in drive.
"So you're really not going to tell me who this is?" Olivia asked.
"It doesn't fucking matter who he is, Olivia," Landon said through gritted teeth.
"Don't 'Olivia' me. You've done it enough tonight."
"I'm Wren," I told her. "Your brother's chauffeur apparently."
Olivia laughed, but didn't say anything else.
Landon didn't say a word when we got to the Hanson's house. He just got out of the car and walked inside.
"So, you and Landon really aren't dating?" Olivia asked once he was out of the car.
I turned to face her. "No."
"I just worry that he's alone all the time," she said. She looked so filthy. I'd have to make Landon clean out my car.
"He's not," I assured her.
I pulled a pen and a napkin out of my glove box and wrote down my phone number before handing it to her.
"Here's my number," I said. "In case you can't get a hold of him. Or if you need anything."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Thanks."
Landon came back out a moment later. When he got in the car, he turned and handed Olivia what looked to be like an old iPod.
"What the hell is that?" Landon asked, gesturing toward the napkin in his sister's hand.
"Wren's number," she responded with a smirk. "Now, if I can't call you, I can call him to get to you."
Landon looked at me. His expression was soft and it was the one time I couldn't decipher what it meant. His eyes were slightly wide and his mouth was open just a little. I looked away, feeling uncomfortable with his sudden attention.
"Anyway, what the hell is this?" Olivia asked her brother, breaking the tension between us.
He turned back to her. "It's my old iPod. You can connect it to wifi and text me from it so Mom and Dad don't know you're talking to me."
"Where are we taking you now?" I asked Olivia, looking at her through the rear view mirror."
"My friend Ella's. I'll tell you how to get there," she replied. "I'm sure Mom and Dad already called her looking for me, so they won't call again."
I could feel Landon's eyes on me after we dropped Olivia off and the whole way to the high way. I ignored it until I couldn't take it anymore.
"I know I'm handsome, but do you have to keep staring at me?" I asked him, glancing over briefly.
He didn't even get annoyed with me.
"You're being weird," he said.
"How weird?"
"You're just being nice," he said. "You were nice to my sister."
"Sorry, I didn't know you wanted me to be mean to her," I said. "I should've been with how filthy she made the back seat."
"You know what I mean."
"No, I don't actually," I said. "I'm generally a nice person, you've said it yourself."
"You're..." he trailed and paused for a moment. He was still staring at me and it took everything in me to keep my eyes on the road. "You're insufferable."
"And you're cleaning my car tomorrow."
He scoffed and finally took his eyes off of me to look out the window.
And I spent the rest of the ride trying to ignore the tension between us.