Page 15 of Timeless

Chelsea spun around, right into my chest, and looked like she wanted to bolt.

My hands went to her hips, blocking her way so she couldn’t.

“Chelsea?”

She stiffened and clenched her eyes shut.

Amber got up off the couch and walked quickly toward us, not seeming to care that I had my hands on her friend, or that I was stopping her from bolting.

Chelsea opened her eyes, she and I both knowing she couldn’t put it off a second longer and she turned around slowly.

“I didn’t know what else to do,” Chelsea said as Amber’s expression hardened.

Amber took in the cut lip, the red cheek, and the swelling jaw. I didn’t know the cause but by the expression on Amber’s face, she did.

Chelsea didn’t seem like the type of girl to get a fight with another girl.

“At the event or after it?” Amber said, looking at her friend seriously.

“After.” Chelsea stepped away from me and toward Amber.

“So that whole sober thing lasted a month then?”

Chelsea nodded. “I bolted. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Amber rolled her eyes, taking in her friend’s appearance. “You walked, didn’t you?”

Chelsea again nodded. She was soaked. That white dress of hers was basically see through. I noticed Cole taking that in. His eyes broke off her for a second, and I gave him a direct look, telling him to look elsewhere.

He rolled his eyes but gave me a brief nod.

Cole loved women. More than any man should. I glanced back at Chelsea, who had her back to me.

“Well, he will come here looking for you when he sobers up.” Amber crossed his arms. “And you won’t be going back to him, no matter how many times he says he is staying sober.”

Chelsea sighed. “I learned my lesson.”

“You should have learned your lesson when he put you in a hospital with a broken arm!”

“I was partly to blame for that.”

“Saying no does not make you to blame!” Amber cried in frustration. Suddenly, I felt like I needed to block Chelsea from Amber’s temper.

Chelsea stepped back into me. My arms shot out around her, just before she tripped over her feet.

Amber shook her head. “Well, when he does come here, my brothers can personally tell him to fuck off. And I’m firing him as of Monday.”

“You need a good reason to fire him, Amber. It’s not like he is bad at his job.” Chelsea didn’t bolt from my arms. So, I didn’t release her.

“I’ll come up with one. I have all weekend.” Amber glanced at my hands, which were on Chelsea. “I see you’ve met one of my brothers.”

Chelsea snuck a glanced over her shoulder at me and nodded. Then she pushed me hands off her. “Yep, Troy, right?”

I nodded but was annoyed she had pushed me away. I crossed my arms, feeling like I had to do something besides just stand here, soaked from fucking rain and gawking at her.

Amber started to introduce her to the rest of the boys and for some reason, I was feeling possessive. Like I didn’t want one of my brothers making a move on Chelsea. And Tyler was talking to her way too friendly.

Why did he always find it so easy to have a conversation with anyone? I swear he could talk to a fucking brick wall and get a reaction out of it.

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