Summer: A High School Bully Romance (Sunset Beach High Book 4)

by McKayla Box

He leans on the island again, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

  I take a deep breath. “What about Brett? Or Jake? Did they do anything?”

  He stares down at the marble for a long time before finally looking at me. “You don't get to have it both ways, Presley.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask.

  He eyes me across the island. “It means you can't ask me to trust you in every single way, but not trust me the same way. That's fucked up.”

  I don't say anything.

  Because he's right.

  “I told you I wouldn't do anything,” he says. “I gave you my word and I meant it. Even if I had to sit there like a chump and take it. I told you I wouldn't do anything. I told you I didn't do anything. That should be enough.”

  I walk around the island and push under his arms. I wrap mine around him. “You're right. I'm sorry.”

  “I didn't fucking touch him and either did Brett or Jake,” he says. “Unless they went back after we left, but I guarantee they didn't. They wanted to fuck him up and I told them to leave it alone because I knew it would come back on me. They wouldn't do that to me. So I don't know what happened to him, but I had absolutely nothing to fucking do with it.”

  I reach up and put my hands on his face. “Look at me.”

  He's still staring across the room and he won't look down.

  “Trevor,” I say. “Look at me.”

  Finally, he casts his eyes downward.

  “I believe you,” I say. “No more questions from me. I'm sorry. The cop freaked me out and I don't want anything to happen to you. I was being stupid and I'm sorry. I believe you.”

  He studies me. “You sure?”

  The fucked up thing is that I'm not sure. I'm not. I know he's capable of beating Derek to within an inch of his life.

  But I also know he gave me his word and he's never gone back on that.

  He deserves more than having me questioning him.

  “Yeah,” I tell him. “I'm fucking sure.”

  He takes a deep breath, exhales, and hugs me. “Thank you.”

  “Don't thank me,” I say, hugging him back. “I'm sorry it seemed like I was doubting you. What do you wanna do now?”

  He pulls away from me and runs a hand through his hair. “I don't know. I guess I need to call my dad and let him know there's more shit on the horizon.”

  I nod. “I agree. You should tell him and see if he wants you to talk to the lawyer.”

  “That's gonna go over great,” he says. “He's gonna totally blow up at me.”

  “You didn't do anything wrong,” I say. “Just tell him the truth. That's all you can do.”

  His mouth puckers for a moment, then he nods. “Yeah, I guess so. My phone's downstairs.”

  I let go of him and watch him walk out of the kitchen. I hear his footsteps on the stairs.

  I take a deep breath.

  You didn't do anything wrong.

  I really hope that's the truth.

  THIRTEEN

  “Frank canceled our meeting tonight,” my dad tells me. “What's going on?”

  It's later that night. After Trevor calls his dad, he tells me he needs to go surf to clear his head. He doesn't invite me along, which stings a little. But I know he's frustrated by everything, so I try not to take it personally. I go home and try not to focus on it. I'm surprised when my dad comes home early.

  “Why are you asking me?” I say.

  I'm sitting on the couch in the living room and he sits down across from me.

  “Because Frank doesn't cancel meetings unless he has a good reason,” he says. “That reason is usually Trevor.”

  “So you don't know for sure then,” I say. “It could be anything.”

  He pulls at his tie and slides it out from under his collar. “Could be. Are you telling me nothing's going on?”

  I sigh. “No.”

  “So tell me.”

  “You lawyers and all your questions,” I say. “A kid got beat up last night at the party we were at.”

  He raises an eyebrow.

  “Actually, not just any kid,” I explain. “It was Derek Morgan.”

  His eyebrow falls and his expression darkens. “Derek Morgan?”

  I nod. “Yeah. He was hassling us, then he went on his way. Apparently, someone beat him up later on. The police came to Trevor's house this morning to question us. Him, really.”

  My father leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Did Trevor do it?”

  I shake my head. “No. Not when Derek was hassling us and not after Derek left.”

  “He was with you the whole time?”

  I hesitate, then shake my head. “No, but he told me he didn't do it. I believe him.”

  “What exactly happened to Derek?” he asks.

  “I don't know,” I say. “The cop didn't say exactly, just that he was found on the beach this morning. I've gotten texts all afternoon. It sounds like a broken jaw, some broken ribs, that kind of thing. He's not gonna die, but I guess he'll be in the hospital for another day.”

  He sighs and leans back in the couch. “Wow. I care not a bit about that kid after what he did to you, but I don't wish for anyone to be hurt like that.”

  I nod.

  “Any idea who would've done it?” he asks. “If it wasn't Trevor?”

  I shake my head. “No idea. The cop said it didn't look random, but he also lied about not knowing Trevor and Derek had a history. So I'm not sure what was true and what wasn't.”

  “So he came there because he thought Trevor did it,” my dad says and it's not a question.

  “Apparently.”

  “But they didn't arrest him?”

  I shake my head. “No.”

  He folds his arms across his chest. “So that part is good, at least. If they had anything solid that made them think Trevor was involved, they would've taken him in.” He purses his lips. “And that would be pretty bad for him.”

  “I know,” I say. “When Derek first came over to us, he was totally trying to rile him up. I reminded him that he couldn't do anything. And he didn't.”

  “That's good,” he says. He eyes me for a moment. “But you weren't with him the whole night?”

  I hesitate, then shake my head. “No. I was goofing around with Bridget and Maddie and Gina for awhile. He was with Brett and Jake.”

  “Doing?”

  “I don't know,” I say. “He says they were just walking out on the beach.”

  “Did he run into Derek again?”

  “He says he didn't,” I say.

  My dad watches me for a moment. “But what?”

  I shake my head. “But nothing. That's what he says. I believe him.”

  He looks down at his lap.

  “What?” I ask. “You don't believe him?”

  He looks across the coffee table at me. “You know him better than I do. But, strictly speaking from a lawyer's point of view, what you just told me? It doesn't sound great.” He pauses. “He's already angry at Derek for what he did to you. They've fought before. Derek shows up looking for a fight. Trevor disappears. Derek shows up on the beach with a broken jaw and whatever else happened to him.” He raises his eyebrows. “You see where I'm going?”

  I do because it's exactly where I went.

  “He says he didn't do it,” I say. “I believe him.”

  “Do you believe him or do you just want to believe him?” he asks. “Because I certainly understand wanting to believe him.”

  “Both,” I say. “It's both.”

  He nods slowly. “Okay. You know him better than I do.” He sighs. “Well, I'll assume that's what caused Frank to cancel tonight. Have you heard anything else from Trevor?”

  I shake my head. “He called his dad after the police came and then went surfing. I haven't talked to him since.”

  “Well, maybe it's something else then,” he says. “Or maybe they're meeting with their attorney to get everything straight.”

  “Everything straig
ht?” I ask. “What does that mean?”

  He holds up a hand, signaling for me to calm down. “I don't mean anything bad by it. But, again. From a lawyer's standpoint? If he's my client, I'd want to know what was going on, no matter whether he's involved or not. If the police are questioning him, that means he's on their radar. I'd want to know that.”

  That all makes sense, even if it doesn't make me feel any better about things.

  “And I need to ask you another question,” he says.

  I throw my head back. “Fine. What?”

  “You said the cops came to question you this morning at Trevor's house,” he says. “But you told me you were spending the night at Bridget's.”

  Heat rushes to my face as I stare at the ceiling.

  “Presley,” he says. “Where were you last night?”

  I sit up and look at him. “Okay. I was at the party at the beach. But I spent the night at his house. I'm sorry I told you I was at Bridget's.”

  He makes a face and shakes his head.

  “I shouldn't have lied,” I say. “I'm sorry.”

  “No, you shouldn't have,” he says. “For a bunch of reasons. First and foremost of which is so I know where you are because I'm your father.”

  “I know,” I say. “I screwed up. I'm sorry.”

  He leans back in the couch. “You did. I appreciate the apology. Doesn't change what you did, but I appreciate you at least not making it worse by trying to pass off another lie.”

  I look down at my lap. I feel terrible.

  He grunts and runs a hand through his hair. “Okay. So I'm going to try and be straight forward here. You spent the night at his house and I know for a fact Frank was out of town last night.” He pauses. “Am I right in assuming the two of you are having sex?”

  “Oh my god,” I say. “Dad. Come on.”

  “No, Presley,” he says. “You come on. For all intents and purposes, I'm a single parent. We should've had a talk about this kind of thing a long time ago. I'll take responsibility for it not happening, but I'm not going to ignore it now if...if that's where your relationship is. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, but we are going to pretend like it's not happening.” He takes a deep breath. “So. Are you having sex?”

  “Yes,” I mumble.

  “Okay,” he says. “Are you using birth control?”

  “Dad, I--”

  “Consider this awkward conversation part of your punishment for lying to me,” he says. “I'm not enjoying it, either. But you barely speak to your mother, so it's my job. Trust me. I don't want it.” He holds his arms out. “But here we are.”

  I lay my hands flat on my thighs. “Yes, we've been careful. I am not pregnant.”

  “Thank god for that,” he mutters. “Alright. You should see a doctor. Talk about getting on the pill and that kind of thing. Our insurance covers it and it's sort of dumb to not take advantage of that if it's available to you.”

  “Okay,” I say.

  He looks at me. “Are you alright? I assume everything is consensual.”

  “Yes,” I say, looking right at him. “Absolutely. It was my choice.”

  He winces. “Okay. That's good. I don't like hearing it because you're my baby girl, but that's good.” He opens his eyes again. “Is there anything you need to ask me?”

  “Uh. No.”

  “Thank god for that, too,” he says. He puffs out his cheeks and exhales. “But you can talk to me if you need to. I'm sorry you didn't have anyone to talk to before it happened.”

  “It's okay,” I tell him.

  “But you can talk to me,” he says. “It might be awkward, but I'd rather you do that than not talk to someone. And I hope you are having sex because you want to and not because you feel like you have to.”

  “I am,” I tell him. “I mean, I don't feel like I have to. Honest. It's okay, Dad. I'm okay.”

  He nods slowly. “Alright. Now. This does not give you free license to spend the night over at his house, nor does it give him free license to sneak into your room or whatever you do.” He holds up a hand. “And I don't want to know about the past. I'm talking about going forward.” He rubs at his chin. “But I also don't want you in the back of a car or something like that.”

  “Oh my god, Dad,” I say. “Please. Stop. We are handling it. It's okay. Really. I'm sorry I lied. I really am and I won't do it again. But, seriously. You're weirding me out now.”

  He exhales again. “Okay. Sorry. There's no handbook for this. But you're eighteen and an adult and I need to deal with that.” He looks at me. “But you can't lie to me. If you want to spend the night at his house or whatever, you need to come talk to me. We'll...we'll figure something out.”

  I appreciate that he's trying, no matter how awkward it is for both of us. I stand up and cross over to the other couch. I sit down next to him and hug him. He wraps an arm around me.

  “It's hard having you get older,” he says. “My parents never talked to me about any of this...stuff, so I'm flying blind here.”

  “It's okay, Dad,” I says. “Thank you.”

  He taps the back of my head. “But don't freaking lie to me. Alright?”

  “I won't,” I say. “I really won't.”

  We sit like that for awhile and all I can think about is how much I'm going to miss him when I leave. I'm ready to go to college and live in a dorm, but I know I'm going to miss him and I'm going to miss talking to him and having dinner with him. So many of my friends can't stand to be around their parents, but I know I'm lucky.

  I'm going to miss my dad.

  FOURTEEN

  You awake?

  It's nearly midnight when my phone chimes on my nightstand. I'm not asleep and I reach over and grab it. I see Trevor's name on the screen and I'm relieved because I haven't heard from him all night. I tap the screen.

  I'm awake.

  I'm sorry I didn't answer your texts. I was on the water for a long time and then I had to talk with my dad.

  It's okay. What's going on?

  He's pissed, but whatever. We had to go and talk with the lawyer and I had to tell him every fucking detail about last night. Super fucking fun!

  What did the lawyer say?

  If I didn't do anything, I'm fine. So I'm fine. He's going to talk to cops in the morning to see if they plan to do anything else.

  What does that mean?

  Are they going to arrest me or any shit like that. I don't know.

  I stare up at the ceiling. Just seeing those words makes me want to throw up.

  My phone vibrates again and I look down at the screen.

  Sorry I just bailed. I just needed to get my head straight.

  It's okay. Really. Not mad.

  Sure?

  Sure.

  What did you do tonight?

  I hesitate for just a second, then tap the screen.

  Not much. Just talked to my dad about having sex with you. No big deal.

  Uh..WHAT?

  Lol. Yeah. I screwed up and he caught me lying about spending the night at your house. It all came out.

  Are you okay?

  Oh yeah. Fine. We had a conversation. Super fucking awkward, but it's okay.

  Really?

  Really. Was super embarrassing, but it's okay now. And I felt shitty for lying to him.

  Wow. Okay. I'll be avoiding him for awhile now.

  Lol don't. It's okay. It's weird, but it's okay.

  Maybe. Glad he's not pissed at you.

  He was more pissed about the lying.

  Did he say anything about Derek? Assume you told him.

  I did. Not really. Just figured you guys were talking to lawyers.

  Does he believe me?

  I don't hesitate.

  Yes.

  For real?

  Yeah. He does. We both do.

  Okay. Better than my dad.

  He doesn't believe you?

  It takes him a minute to respond.

  He says he does, but I can tell he doesn't. Whatever.
>
  It'll come out. He'll owe you an apology.

  Ha. He doesn't fucking apologize. But it's fine. I don't care.

  But I know that he does. If he didn't care, he wouldn't mention it. He always tries to act like he doesn't care what his dad thinks, but I know how much he cares. It matters to him more than he'll admit.

  The phone vibrates and I look down.

  I'm exhausted. I'm gonna sleep.

  Okay. It'll be okay, Trev. Really.

  Hope so. Love you.

  Love you, too.

  I set my phone on the nightstand. I roll onto my back and stare up at the ceiling again. I want to believe my own words, that everything will be alright.

  But as I lay here in the dark, there's a feeling in my gut that tells me it won't be alright.

  FIFTEEN

  “You're sure it wasn't him?” Gina asks. “Because I'll be honest. Trevor was the first person I thought of when I heard what happened.”

  It's the next day and Bridget texted to see if I wanted to get breakfast burritos. I've barely slept and I'm starving, so I tell her yes. She swings by to pick me up and Maddie and Gina are already sitting at Juanito's when we get there. I'm just unwrapping the massive egg, bacon, and cheese burrito when Gina asks me if I'm sure about Trevor.

  “I'm positive,” I say, watching the steam waft off the tortilla. “He says he didn't do it. I believe him.”

  “Yeah, but who else would've done it?” Gina asks. “I mean, come on. We know he can beat the shit out of him and we know he wanted to.”

  “He didn't do it,” I say again. “I asked him and he point blank said he didn't.”