Page 4

CHAPTER FOUR

A s soon as we were inside, Lockland dropped my hand and started pacing. He muttered things under his breath, still fuming about his mother. I stood near the bottom of the stairs and watched. When my family entered after making sure Alisa and the guards left, Lockland stopped pacing and faced them.

“I’m sorry for bringing this here,” he said, staring at Dad, who tipped his chin up at Lock.

Mum snorted. “Nothing we can’t handle. But feel free to explain exactly what that was about.”

His jaw clenched, causing a vein at his temple to thicken. He glanced to me and took a breath before nodding. “When I saw Swan today, we worked out we’ve being trying to communicate with each other, but neither of us got a message. When I called Swan’s phone, it said that the number was no longer in service.”

“I would have given you the new number if I’d changed it.”

His jaw clenched. “I know. I should have figured it out. I should have done something more. I fucked up.”

“It wasn’t only you,” I said. “I could have done more too.”

“You should know that Swan did call your mum and agent to try and reach you,” Mum said.

He turned back to me. “You did?” he asked.

“Yes. They said you were busy and would get back to me when you could.” I shrugged.

“Fuck,” Lockland bit out. He glanced to Nicky. “Sorry, kid.”

Nicky snorted. “There ain’t a swear word I haven’t heard.”

Mum snorted. “We never swear.” We all looked at her, and she rolled her eyes. “Whatever. So your mum pretty much blocked any contact between you two because you’d become homesick and wouldn’t want to work, right?”

Lockland nodded. “She saw how much I hated America after every time Swan and I spoke. I always wished I was back here.”

My heart thumped hard, rattling my other organs.

“I wouldn’t have put pressure on you to come back. I knew the trip would make your career, and it did. Our friendship wouldn’t have come between you and your singing,” I told him, taking a step closer.

He looked pained for a moment, until he smiled wearily at me. “I know you wouldn’t have, Swanny. You always put everyone else first. But Mum knew how much I cared for you. How much I missed you and this town. I was out of my element there. I wanted to come back here and just live my life in the house next door to you again. I didn’t care about singing. I didn’t care about fame. I only ever cared about you.” His jaw clenched as tears rushed to my eyes. “She took you away so I’d throw myself into work. Her plan to cut me off from the one thing that I wanted worked, and I became her puppet.”

“Lockland,” I whispered.

He cared for me.

He missed me fiercely.

And it’d cut him as much as it did me when we couldn’t reach each other.

Maybe his feelings for me went deeper than just friendship like mine did.

Mum cleared her throat. “Why don’t you two go up to Swan’s room and?—”

“I think they can stay down here,” Dad said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Grady.” Mum glared up at him.

Nicky chuckled and then taunted Dad further by saying, “I think there’s a chance that if they’re alone, there’s gonna be kissing and?—”

My body burned.

“Shut up, Nickolas,” Mum and I warned at the same time.

Lockland smirked, shaking his head and looking to the carpet. He lifted his gaze. “I’m fine with down here.”

“Where are you staying tonight?” Mum asked.

“Not here,” Dad said.

Mum reached out and smacked his stomach. “You’re more than welcome to.”

“Looks like I’ll be allowed to have a girl over in my room?” Nicky commented, and Dad gave Mum big eyes while throwing a hand my brother’s way.

“See what you’re teachin’ him?”

My brother just enjoyed the drama of Dad riled.

Mum rolled her eyes. “Swan’s twenty-three, while your son is sixteen.”

Dad’s jaw clenched as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I was going to go to another motel,” Lockland said. “I just wanted to drop by and tell Swan what happened.”

“You don’t have to go to one,” I told him, glaring at Dad, but he was too busy drilling holes into Lockland’s head using his eyes.

“I think for the safety of my life, I’ll head out.”

Dad grinned.

“Then I’ll come with you,” I announced, pulling my shoulders back and challenging Dad.

Like Mum said, I was twenty-three, and it wasn’t like Lockland and I were going upstairs to mess around.

My face heated.

“Fuck,” Dad bit out. “Stay in my home but in the spare room. Not in her room. You two haven’t been around each other in years. There’re things you might not know about each other.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Nicky suddenly asked, and I stiffened.

“No,” Lockland replied. “I’m more than willing to stay in the spare bedroom. Thank you for letting me.”

“I’m a light sleeper” was all Dad said while I wished for the floor to open up beneath my feet.

Lockland nodded.

“Come on. I’ll show you where it is,” I said.

Nicky chuckled. “Yeah, ’cause I bet he only remembers climbing into Swan’s bedroom when she was on the bottom floor.”

Lockland’s eyes widened, and he paled a little.

I was going to make sure Nicky would pay for this.

“Don’t worry, they already know you used to visit me,” I quickly reassured him.

“We’ll be talkin’ about that and more in the mornin’. Just the two of us,” Dad told Lockland, who swallowed and nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

“Stay the fuck outta her room through the night and you might survive.”

Lockland once again nodded.

“We’re heading to bed,” Mum said, pushing at Dad’s back and mouthing, “Sorry,” behind him.

“Light sleeper,” Dad called again before he disappeared around the corner at the top of the stairs.

I looked to Nicky, who was grinning like a lunatic and staring back. I nodded towards the stairs.

“Oh, right. I’m heading to bed too. Lockland, good to see you again. Hurt my sister, and I’ll help Dad end you.” He nodded, clapped, and walked off. He was the louder version of Dad.

Shaking my head, I sighed and glanced up at Lockland. Humour danced in his gaze.

“Your family is as I remembered them. Your dad intimidating, your mum funny and supportive, and Nickolas is just as full of life as he was back then.”

“Do you want to sit down here for a bit?” I asked, my dang face blushing. I couldn’t believe Nicky said those things. But at least Lockland didn’t seem too fazed by the teasing. When he nodded, we went to the couch and took a seat. “Nicky has Mum’s loud and carefree side, as well as Dad’s protectiveness and smarts.”

I looked up, and my face flamed once again when I saw Lockland staring at me.

He smirked and reached out to run the backs of his fingers over my cheek. “You still blush easily.”

Rolling my eyes, I nodded. “It’s a curse.”

“Always liked it. I’m sorry it was Mum who came between us, Swanny.”

“It doesn’t matter now, right? We’re back?”

He took my hand in his and rested them on his thigh. “We’re back. I’m not losing contact again. Can’t tell you enough how much I missed you.”

My heart drummed against my ribs. I stared down at my hand in his as his thumb rubbed over my skin. “Missed you too.”

“Must have been hard walking into that room today.”

Laughing, I shrugged but then told him, “The scariest thing I’ve done.”

This was my Lockland. The Lockland I held in my memory and heart. Right now, I felt like no time had separated us. Happiness bubbled up inside me. As did the warmth of desire for the man sitting next to me. Desire I’d pushed away because of the distance but was rushing back into me with the impact of a tidal wave.

“Scarier than that time I dared you to put your hand in the letterbox when there was a spiderweb?”

Smiling at the memory when I was twelve and he thirteen, I nodded. That day I was terrified, but my past feelings were nothing like what I felt today when I entered the room and fear closed my throat at the thought of Lockland seeing me and kicking me out. “Definitely.” I squeezed his hand. “How is life overseas?” I asked to change the subject.

He rested his head back. “Tiresome.”

“Lockland.” He rolled his head my way. “I’m so sorry about your dad.”

His breath hitched; he cleared his throat as he straightened up. “Wish you could have been there.”

“Me too.”

“She took that from me.”

His mum.

God.

I couldn’t agree with him, even though silently I did. I didn’t want to feed his already-burning anger.

Instead, I took a shaky breath, slipped my hand from his, and moved close to wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.

“Your dad will always be proud of the man you’ve become.”

“Fuck, Swanny.” His arms wound around my waist, and he held on tight, burying his face into my shoulder.

“He loved you very much. I could always see it when we were around him.” Barry had been an amazing father. He was the one who taught his son to play the guitar. The one who took his work on the road so he wouldn’t miss out on anything his son did. So he could be there to support him. Barry had been the buffer between Alisa and her controlling ways.

No doubt Alisa had gotten worse since his dad passed.

She loved the attention she received from her son’s fame.

I couldn’t believe she was the one who forced me out of Lockland’s life.

Though I should have guessed. She hated how close Lockland and I had always been. Which was why Lockland had always been at my place. I’d been reluctant to go inside their home since Alisa would tell me off for eating their food or drinking their drinks or using their electricity.

It’d always been when Lockland was out of the room.

I’d never told him, and I wouldn’t still.

She would think I was coming between them, but I refused to be that person. I would never say anything mean about her to him.

When Lockland pulled away, he cupped my cheeks and met my gaze.

“It’s good to have you in front of me, Swanny.”

I shivered from his touch and the intense look in his eyes. I didn’t want to read into it in case I was wrong, but his eyes kept flicking down to my lips.

“You too, Lockland. We have so much catching up to do.”

He grinned, leaned in, and kissed my cheek.

Oh my.

There was a swarm of butterflies in my belly.

“And I can’t wait to learn everything.”

“We have time now,” I whispered.

“We do.” He nodded and let go of me to stand. “Show me the spare room.” He chuckled. He stretched, his tee slipping up to show me a peek of his abs before I stood too. “I think I’ll actually have a good night’s sleep.”

“I hope so,” I said, leading him towards the stairs.

We climbed them and walked down the hall in silence. I stopped outside the bedroom and turned to him. “This one.” I pointed across the hall. “That one’s Mum and Dad’s. The one down the hall on the left is Nicky’s, and mine is at the other end to the right.”

“How come you moved upstairs?”

“Dad had my room built on, and it’s bigger than the one downstairs. That’s the new structure over the carport. The one I had is now a game room for Nicky.”

What did I do now?

Say goodnight and leave.

Stop staring at him as if you’re waiting for something.

A new blush rose, and I glanced away from Lockland. “Well, um, goodnight. Just, ah, come and wake me in the morning if you wake up and I’m still asleep.”

He took a step closer. “Swan?—”

The door opposite us opened abruptly. Lockland jumped back as Dad looked out with a scowl. “You come find me in the morning for our chat, and then I’ll go wake my daughter. Hear me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good,” Dad clipped and waited there.

“Dad—”

“Bed, the both of you,” he ordered.

Lockland opened the door without looking. “Night,” he called before walking in and closing the door after him.

“Seriously, Dad?” I whispered snappishly.

He cocked a brow. “Darlin’?”

Sighing, I tugged on the ends of my long blonde hair and muttered, “Goodnight.”

“Night, kid.” I didn’t hear his door close until I got to my room, and I wasn’t brave enough to sneak back to talk to Lockland more.

Besides, he needed his sleep, and he would still be here when I woke up.

That was if I got any sleep knowing Lockland was in my house and I’d get to see him, talk with him, and just be around him tomorrow.

Smiling to myself, I bit down on my bottom lip and went into my room with a giddiness lighting up my chest.