“Yeah, I guess so… babe…”
“And I can do this, babe,” he whispered.
He lowered his mouth to mine.
Why are you kissing him again? What the hell is wrong with you, Novalee? Are you… what… you can’t… fuck… it feels so good…
Elijah kissed me in a way he had never done before.
And for a five second kiss, when he broke away, he left my lips moving, kissing the air.
“Yeah,” I said. “Babe…”
We stared at each other.
And I hated it.
It was like somehow rewinding time to when it was just us and nothing else. And I fell for it. Time and time again. And while I hated it, I couldn’t imagine it going away. Because that’s all Elijah ever did.
He would always go away.
But this time it was supposed to be for good. Because it had nothing to do with summer. Or surfing. It was supposed to be for real. And for forever.
“Did you get into a fight before coming here?” I asked Elijah.
Elijah took to my hand and kissed it. “We’ll talk later about that.”
“Later?” I asked.
“We’re hanging out later.”
“We are?”
“Of course we are, babe.”
“I didn’t agree to it.”
“You did when I kissed you.”
“I did?”
“That was the purpose of the kiss,” he said.
“We have a lot to talk about…”
Elijah closed in on me. “Do you have to go to bed early tonight, Nova?”
“No. I don’t give a shit about sleep.”
“Neither do I,” Elijah whispered.
I sucked in a breath and felt my toes curling in my shoes.
Fucking Elijah knew how to kill me.
I ached for another kiss.
Except he kissed my forehead and started to walk away.
When I managed to let out a long breath, I shook my head.
“This is a bad idea,” I called out to him. “I don’t think tonight is going to work.”
He stopped and looked back at me. “No?”
“No, Elijah.” I swallowed hard. “There’s too much serious stuff going on. You can’t…” I shook my head again. “It just doesn’t work. This can’t happen with us. It’s not going to work.”
“Think about it,” he said. “Let me know, Nova.”
He continued walking to his car.
I hurried back to my car and started to drive.
Of course Elijah followed me.
Like he said he would.
I used my left hand to drive while I used my right hand to wipe the tears off my cheeks.
I checked the mirror a few times and Elijah was right there.
I kind of had nowhere to go at the moment.
Aira and Wes were probably going to Julia’s place for a little alone time. I obviously wanted nothing to do with that.
I thought about texting Britt to meet me at the beach.
Surf a little.
Or maybe text Dex…
I reached for my phone and when I picked it up, it buzzed in my hand.
It was a text from my mother.
She wanted to meet me on the beach… to talk about something.
* * *
Elijah followed me to the beach and then drove away.
That made my heart sink.
When it came to dealing with my parents, he was the only one who knew everything and knew what to do and say.
The only good thing about being alone with my mother was we weren’t at the house.
I was nervous she was going to show up with my father, but she didn’t.
She showed up alone.
I had already taken my socks and shoes off because… sand… and I stood there, waiting and watching.
Of course she had a brand new SUV. I trashed the other new one and my father went out and replaced it without question.
My mother looked beautiful.
She was in a peach sundress that had red flowers on it. She wore a wide brim hat and had the appeal of a woman coming to the beach to relax and unwind a little.
That actually gave me hope.
As she closed in on me I wondered what the next move was.
Force myself to hug her? Let her hug me? Or just stand there awkwardly and wait for someone to do or say something?
Of course, the last option was what happened.
“You look pretty,” I said to her.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile.
Her dress was sleeveless and my eyes tried to casually look at all of her skin that I could. That in itself made my stomach twist with sickness.
But if there was nothing to hide… then maybe… she was going to leave again… for good this time.
“Let’s walk, Novalee,” she said.
She kicked off her fancy, leather sandals and picked them up with her right hand.
We walked side by side down toward the ocean.
The breeze took both of our hair and threw it any and all directions.
My mother looked at me and started to laugh.
I laughed too.
When our feet touched the water, she finally stopped.
“How are you handling everything, Novalee?” she asked.
“What?”
“Elijah. His daughter. I realize I haven’t asked you about it. I haven’t really asked you about anything.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “You wanted me to meet you here for that?”
My mother laughed. It was a different kind of laugh. “There’s no bullshitting with you, is there?”
“I kind of don’t have time for bullshit,” I said. “Truthfully.”
“Okay. Well, just know that if you ever need to talk to someone about it. Elijah and all that… I’m here.”
“Okay,” I said.
She looked at me frowned. “Doesn’t mean much to you, does it?”
“I don’t know what it means,” I said. “What’s happening right now?”
“I want to tell you something. Something I’m not proud of. Something that might… I don’t know… maybe help you to understand things.”
“Okay,” I said again.
“Relationships are hard,” my mother said. “You’re understanding that now.”
“Don’t do this,” I said. “Don’t make excuses for him.”
“I’m not,” she said as she grabbed my wrist. “I want you to know that I’m not that innocent person you think I am. In anything.”
I looked down at her hand touching my wrist. Then I looked up at her. “Meaning?”
“That story I told you about Brian. And me being drunk…”
“I remember,” I said.
“There were other times too,” she said. “Plenty of other times. It, uh, it was my thing. It’s what I knew. It’s what I always knew. Chasing down a way to feel better about myself. Your father helped me with it. To get better. To feel better. Whatever you want to call it.”
“And how did he help?” I asked. “By…”
I couldn’t bring myself to say the evil words of what my father had done.
“Novalee,” my mother said. “I cheated on your father.”
In that moment, it was like everything around us went silent. Except for the waves. The rushing, crashing sound of the waves.
My mother stared in my eyes as her eyes filled with tears.
“That’s what did it,” she whispered.
“You…”
“You were young,” she said. “And… I thought I was someone else. I felt like a conquest to your father. Like some kind of deal he scored. So I wanted to change that. And I did something really dumb. I spent time with someone else. And not just once either. It was a thing. An… an affair. With someone so completely opposite.”
“Let me guess,” I said. “He found out.”
My mother shook her head. “No. Not the way you’re thinking. This affair… when I say opposite, I mean it.”<
br />
“With a woman?” I asked, my eyes going wide.
My mother laughed as tears rolled down her cheeks. “No. Poor.”
I felt even more deflated. “Poor?”
“He didn’t have money,” my mother said. “He worked hard. Long hours. He worked with his hands. He was dirty. He lived in a small apartment. It was just the allure of the opposite. Until I realized just what that meant. I didn’t want that life. I didn’t want to struggle. Or… work. I didn’t want you to see that either.”
I shut my eyes.
I wondered what the universal punishment was for hitting your own mother.
“It sounds terrible and it is,” she said. “I figured my only way to save things was to confess what I had done. So I did. I had my reasons. I had my guilt. I had my apologies. And I knew in a way your father wouldn’t just throw me out. He likes the environment of family. The look of a family. Having the pictures on his desk. Of you, me, all that.”
“So he punished you,” I said.
“What if I deserved it?” my mother asked.
“No,” I said sternly. “Not that. Not ever.”
My mother shrugged her shoulders.
My stomach felt sick again.
I was getting to the point of hating my parents equally.
“So for years now he gets to do that,” I said. “Because of something you did.”
“I was wrong, Novalee.”
“He’s wrong,” I said.
“Fine then,” she said. “We’re both wrong. But it just shows the truth of situations. When you think you want something but you don’t. And the circumstances of it.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“I know you love him,” my mother said. “Trust me. I’ve seen it all this time. The way you’d be happy for the summer. And then when he left you would be destroyed. I always thought it was cute. A fun story for you to have. But now… it’s too much, Novalee. You’re going to get hurt. Really bad.”
I laughed. “You brought me here to tell me what you just did and then twist it into me and Elijah?”
“Look at it,” my mother said. “What does he have? Everyone knows the situation. What his father did. Where Elijah came from. His mother is broke. She siphons off of Alexander at every turn. Eventually that’s going to end. Then what?”
I laughed even harder. “You’re worried about me finding a rich guy to marry. That’s what it is. Let me guess…” I stepped away from my mother. “If I find a rich guy to be with, then that gives you a chance to get away from my father, right? And you won’t have to lose your lifestyle.”
“I never said that, Novalee,” my mother said.
I took another step away from her.
My mind suddenly thought about Dex.
That’s what my mother wanted. Me to be with someone like Dex. So she could keep being rich and tell her sad story…
“Get away from me,” I said.
“Novalee…”
“Get away from me,” I said again. “Right now.”
“You can’t keep hurting yourself with him,” she said.
“You’re one to talk.”
“I’m one to know!” my mother yelled. “Don’t you think I’m trying to help you?”
I swallowed hard. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Cherry told us we need to support you. Care for you. Make sure you know that if you need someone, they’re there. I agreed with it. But not anymore. You’ve lost me.”
“I know,” my mother said. “I just wanted you to know everything. So you could make the right decision.”
“The right decision… right now… is for you to walk away from me,” I said.
My mother stepped toward me.
“Now!” I yelled and pointed.
She froze in place and waited a couple seconds before doing what I said to do.
She walked off the beach, dropped her sandals to the ground, and stepped into them.
Then she got into her brand new, fancy SUV, backed up and drove off.
I looked to the ocean.
I was too angry to cry.
The entire conversation played through my head over and over.
My hands were shaking as I reached for my phone.
There were a lot of people I could have texted right then for help.
A lot.
But there was only one I really ever wanted.
No matter what it cost my heart.
I just needed Elijah to myself for one night.
Chapter 15
Nova
I’ll meet up with you soon babe. I fucking love you so much. Can’t wait to see you. Hold you. Touch you.
My heart sank as I read Elijah’s text.
It made me excited as much as it scared the hell out of me.
We were coming to the end of everything.
And we both knew it.
It was either make it work or say goodbye.
And I wasn’t sure what the right answer was.
If we made it work, I had no idea what that implied for Rory and Cecily.
Not that they were my fucking problem.
And if we just said goodbye…
“Hey, bitch!” a voice boomed.
When I looked up from my phone, I saw Britt racing toward me. Surfboard in hand. Not too far behind her were the three cunts. Ashley and Lacy dressed alike with Carly in the middle looking like a fucking bitchy witch. All eyes on me.
Britt ran toward me and I wasted no time in pointing.
“What the hell is that about?” I asked her.
“Those three?” Britt asked. “No idea. They did not come with me. I swear. Plus, your other friends are here too.”
“Who?” I asked.
Britt nodded.
I turned and saw basically everyone.
Aira, Wes. Charlotte, Flynn. Kailey. Leo. Emma.
“Looks like a party,” Britt said.
I looked back to the three cunts. “It’s going to be a fight if they don’t leave right now.”
“Forget about them,” Britt said. “They’re afraid of you.”
“Good,” I said. “Let’s keep it that way.”
I looked back to Aira and waved.
She waved and I pointed.
Just like that, we were all on the move.
Me, Aira, Kailey, Charlotte, and Emma.
The second the three cunts realized we were on our way, Carly threw her arms out. But Ashley and Lacy had already stopped.
All three turned at the same time and they took off.
“Watch your windows!” Kailey called out as she cupped her hands around her mouth.
“I’ve got plenty of baseball bats!” Emma yelled.
“That’s enough,” I said. “They get the point. Cunts.”
“Glad to see you here,” Aira said as she elbowed me. “Wasn’t sure where you’d end up.”
“Hot date?” Charlotte asked. “With the hot surfer?”
“Who’s a hot surfer?” Flynn’s voice asked.
Charlotte’s face turned red.
“Oops,” Kailey said. “Looks like Charlotte has the hots for someone else.”
“Fuck that,” Flynn said.
“I was kidding,” Charlotte said.
“No, she wasn’t,” Leo said.
“Fuck off, Leo,” Charlotte snapped.
“Flynn has no balance either,” Wes said. “He couldn’t even carry a surfboard let alone try to actually go into the water.”
“Yeah?” Flynn asked. “You think? Watch this.”
“Flynn!” Charlotte yelled.
Flynn ran toward Britt.
I wasn’t sure what he was going to do.
He said something to Britt and next thing I knew, he was taking her surfboard and walking toward the water.
“What the hell is he doing?” Kailey asked.
“He’s going to surf,” I said.
“He’s going to drown,” Wes said.
“You all did this,” Charlotte said.
“Whoa
, calm those bouncers on your chest,” Emma said. “You did this. You opened your mouth about Dex. You called him the hot surfer. Not us.”
“Shit,” Charlotte said.
“Are you going to try and save his ass?” I asked Charlotte.
“No,” she said. “Let him make a fool of himself.”
“Speaking of making a fool of yourself,” Kailey said. She slipped her hand into mine. “Tell me I’m seeing this correctly…”
I looked at her hand. “What are you talking about? Flynn?”
“No,” Kailey said.
I turned my head just in time to see Elijah walking toward all of us.
* * *
I ended up gripping Kailey’s hand tight.
He wasn’t supposed to be here yet.
Or maybe at all.
At least to Aira’s knowledge.
She wasted no time in looking at me with an evil look.
“What did you expect, darling?” Wes whispered to her. “Let’s focus on Flynn dying out there.”
Elijah was smoking a cigarette with his eyes burning straight at me.
He wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone ever.
It made me uncomfortable that he wasn’t.
“Oh, shit, Flynn,” Charlotte said.
Everyone’s attention went out to the water.
Flynn was in the ocean in all of his clothes. Trying to get on the surfboard just to paddle out.
“He’s going to kill himself,” Wes said.
“Good news, Charlotte,” Emma said. “If he dies, you get the hot surfer.”
“Are we talking about Dex again?” Britt asked as she joined our group.
“Careful,” Kailey said. She motioned toward Elijah who kept his distance.
“Oh,” Britt said. “Guy drama. I know that.”
“Look at him,” Leo said. “Fucking moron.”
Flynn had himself a good way out into the water. Kind of where he wanted to be to turn and start chasing down a wave.
When he turned, he sat up on the surfboard and threw his hands up into the air.
Charlotte waved.
Flynn then wobbled.
He jumped forward and almost face planted to the board.
We all started to laugh.
“Here comes a wave,” I said. “Let’s see what he does.”
A nice wave started to build behind Flynn.
He started to kick his feet but he wasn’t fast enough.
HIDDEN CREEK CRY: a hidden creek high noval Page 17