All In (The Kings of Kroydon Hills Book 1)

by Bella Matthews

  “I’m updating my calendar now. Your father and I will be traveling more than usual over the next month, and I want to make sure that I’ve got everything handled. He is in the process of closing a large deal, and I needed to move a few things around.”

  “Are you going to be able to go to the season opener next week?”

  “I don’t think so, Brady. Your father and I have engagements already scheduled for next weekend. Now, I’ve had the beach house stocked with groceries for you and your friends. Please tell Aiden Murphy to be careful driving today. Shore traffic is bound to be dreadful. Keep your eye out for your sister, no drinking and driving. Do not embarrass me.” Gently placing her hand on my face, she pulls me down to her and kisses my cheek. “I love you, darling.” Then my mother walks away.

  I wonder if I am the only 18-year-old man who wishes his parents were more involved. I hear Murphy beeping the horn from the driveway and turn, yelling goodbye into the house.

  No one answers.

  Last weekend before senior year, here we come.

  Murphy was the first to get his license last year and has been the unofficial chauffeur ever since. He only lives three streets away, so I typically get picked up first, meaning I call shotgun, while Bash and Cooper end up in the two captain’s chairs in the back of Murph’s Escalade.

  Once we are all together, Cooper starts shooting off questions. “Alright, so who’s going down for the party? Is it tonight or tomorrow?” This is Cooper’s first Labor Day bonfire beach party. It’s easy to forget that he wasn’t here last year because he fits in so well.

  Murphy looks at Coop through the rearview before answering. “Tiffany will be there. Her parents own a house in the same town. Most of her minions will be with her too, so there’s plenty of girls that’ll be willing to go down.” Murphy laughs at himself. “Not that Tiffany is going to let anyone else get close to you, Cooper.”

  Bash rolls his eyes. “Dude! Forget the girls from school. It’s the locals that will be smoking hot and down for anything. It’s better when they don’t know you and live an hour away. Makes it easier not to get stuck with a clinger. Sorry to say it, Coop, but you’re screwed.”

  I have to laugh at that. “You can’t say we didn’t warn you Tiff was a stage five clinger Coop.”

  Murphy is quick to agree. “Yeah, man. Way easier to bang and bounce if you don’t have to see them again. Cut that girl out now and get some variety in your life. Girls are like ice cream. You never know what your favorite flavor is going to be until you lick them all. Or until they lick you, is more like it!” We all groan at how bad that line was. “Shut the fuck up, all of you. You know you were all thinking it. I’m just the only one to say it.”

  “She’s not that bad, guys. We’re just having fun.” Cooper sounds like he is trying to convince himself. Maybe he’s seeing a different version of Tiffany than what we are used to.

  After a few minutes, Murphy punches my shoulder. “What the fuck, QB? You got awful quiet on me there. You need to let loose for the last weekend before the season officially starts. More than anyone, you need to find a local girl that you won’t have to see again and release some of that pent up energy, man. You’re strung so tight. We’re all worried you’re going to snap.” He looks over at me quickly before looking back to the highway.

  Something Murphy says rarely resonates with me, but maybe he’s right. Maybe hooking up with a local girl is the answer. Maybe it’ll help get a certain blonde pixie out of my mind.

  We are on the other side of the bridge that takes us onto the island, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. The bridge is open as a boat passes through, and we could be here awhile. The sun is still hot and high in the sky, but Murph knows how much I like the windows open when we come down here, so he’s blasting the air conditioning and has the windows down.

  Bash is laughing as we inch along. “Okay, Coop. Your turn. Fuck, Marry, Kill—Black Widow, Pepper Pots, and Gamora. Go.” This is Bash’s favorite pastime for long bus rides too.

  “That’s easy. Pepper Pots is the only one that I could kill without getting seriously hurt. I’d marry Black Widow and Fuck Gamora.” Proud of himself, Coop looks like he just cured cancer with that decision.

  I’ve got to ask, even though I don’t think I want to know the answer. “Why are you marrying Black Widow? Gamora looks like she’s way more fun.”’

  “Because QB, I don’t want my kids to be green.”

  These assholes make me smile.

  Finally, the bridge closes, and we are pulling onto the island. Two fucking hours in a car in stop and go traffic has me antsy to get out and stretch my legs. Shore traffic on a holiday weekend is always rough, but I love this part. With the windows down as we cross the bridge, the island's salty, marshy smell hits my nose. There has always been something about that ocean air that just relaxes me. I’m reminded of lazy summer days on the warm sand, surfing with my dad, and not a care in the world. Instantly, I feel the weight lifted from my shoulders, even if only for a few days.

  Murphy navigates the streets easily until we pull into my parent’s driveway right behind Chloe’s little red Fiat convertible. It looks like a wind-up toy next to this giant SUV. We all grab our bags and the cooler, then head into my parent’s house. They just bought this one a few years ago when Dad’s company won a huge account. He celebrated with the biggest house on the island. It’s a three-story stucco home with a porch that wraps around the entire first floor. Balconies sit off the second and third floors, all with million-dollar views of the island. From the porch, we have beach access on one side and a view of the bay on the other.

  Dad’s always been a believer that you should go big or go home, and he went big with this house.

  Heading upstairs, I kick my sneakers off and set my bag down on the chair in the corner of my bedroom before dropping down on my bed. My mom went strong with the beach theme when she decorated. My room is done in dark blues and deep reds, with golden anchor accents on the shelves above the dresser and two oars above the bed.

  A little stuffy for my taste, but I don’t care.

  This beach is my happy place.

  Pulling my phone out, I scroll my socials again to see what the girls are doing, but they haven’t updated anything since earlier this afternoon. Deciding that I’m being ridiculous, I head back downstairs.

  Murphy is already cracking open a beer as he announces, “Alright, men. Are we hitting the beach or getting something to eat? I’m fucking starving, and the clouds are rolling in, so I vote food first, and then we find ourselves some willing women.”

  “Murph, man. There are other things besides fucking and food. I’m not sure that they’re as much fun, though.” Cooper is laughing at Murphy as he says the words, but his eyes haven’t moved from whatever he is looking at from the wall of windows along the back of the house.

  I’m betting he’s already checking out a group of girls. What I’m not expecting is what he says next.

  “What the fuck, man. Does that lifeguard have his hand on my sister’s ass? Where is the door to get out there?”

  Bash and Murphy are laughing at him, but I’m not. The undeniable anger that I have at the idea that someone else is touching Natalie is pissing me off. My mind is screaming, get the fuck off what’s mine, and it’s starting to wear me down.

  We head out the door and down the steps to the beach.

  Chloe and Natalie are walking toward us. The sight of Natalie in a tiny bikini sears itself into my brain. It’s lime green with white stripes. A thick white strap is tied around her neck and a white bow is sitting between her gorgeous tits, which are pushed up and perfectly on display. Tiny cut off jean shorts are pulled on over her bikini bottoms. The shorts are so short that the inside pockets are hanging longer than the bottom edge. A Notre Dame baseball hat is sitting on her head, and a long, messy braid is thrown over one shoulder. The effect she has on me gets stronger every single time I see her.

  Chloe has a cooler in her hands.
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  Natalie has a beach bag on her shoulder.

  And the fucking lifeguard is carrying beach chairs. What the hell.

  The girls look happy to see us coming, but the lifeguards look annoyed.

  My sister smiles like the creepy Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. “Hey, boys. When did you get here?” I can tell, just from the sound of her voice, she’s up to something. “Meet our new friends Chris and Steve. They were just getting off duty and offered to help us carry our things.”

  Cooper is not thrilled. “Looked like you guys were helping yourselves to more than that. Here man. Let me take those chairs from you.” Cooper doesn’t give the guy much choice when he grabs the chairs and pulls them away.

  These guys are a decent size, but they are lanky and built like swimmers. It’s obvious they’ve already realized they won’t win if they want to throw down with Cooper and me. “Come on, Nattie. Murphy’s hungry, and we need to feed him before he goes feral. Let’s go.”

  My sister laughs. It’s a pretty good description of Murphy.

  Natalie is looking at Cooper, her eyes pinched and annoyed.

  The shit lifeguard doesn’t know when to give up. “Is Murphy like a dog or something?”

  The four of us laugh.

  Chloe smiles patronizingly. “We’re not sure what Murphy is. But, he’s ours, and we love him. Thanks for the help, boys. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Both lifeguards look disappointed, but they toss out goodbyes as they walk toward the street while our foursome heads back to the steps.

  “You didn’t have to be such a dick, Cooper. They were just being nice.”

  “His hand was on your ass, Nat.”

  “He said there was a bug.” We all roll our eyes, and Natalie laughs. “Okay, so it wasn’t the smoothest line, but I do hate bugs.” Nat scrunches her nose like she smelled something bad, and the girls laugh, walking away, leaving us trailing behind.

  “At some point, I’m going to need you to bail me the fuck out of jail for killing one of these assholes who thinks he’s good enough for my sister.”

  “Coop, man, what the hell did you do at your school in Cali? Guys must have noticed her there too. This can’t be a new thing.”

  “She wasn’t the new toy there. We moved there in eighth grade. Plus, Nattie was always so busy with dance she never gave anybody the time of day. We didn’t exactly hang in the same circles, so I didn’t have to deal with it. I just don’t want to see her get hurt.”

  We walk up the stairs to the porch, where Murphy and Sebastian are leaning against the railing with beers, waiting for us. They’re laughing their asses off at something, but I ignore them and open my beer.

  We all watch as Chloe and Nat rinse the sand off of their feet and chairs before coming up the steps to join the four of us. Murphy is the first to speak up.

  “Okay, ladies’ choice. Are we grilling dinner or ordering takeout? I’m starving.”

  Chloe rolls her eyes at Murphy. “Yup. Feral, but ours.” Everybody but Murphy starts laughing. “Mom had groceries delivered for us this morning. The fridge is stocked. I’m pretty sure there are hamburgers and hot dogs and a ton of sides in there for us.”

  “God, I love Momma Ryan. You know, if she’d leave your dad, I’d be all over that. You could call me Daddy, Chloe.” Murphy’s smirking now as he licks his lips dramatically toward my sister.

  “Fucking gross, Murphy!” She steals his beer out of his hands, finishes what’s left of it, and hands the empty back. “Give up the ghost on that one, Murphy. I’m betting that my mother is so high strung and repressed in her life that she is a total freak in bed. A hundred bucks say even you couldn’t handle her.”

  “Jesus Christ, Chloe.” I groan as I watch her smile take over her face.

  The first boom of thunder rolls through, as the clouds start to roll in.

  Chloe rolls her eyes. “Alright, guys. Nat and I need to shower before we make dinner.”

  “Yes! Can we watch?” Murphy’s moving before he even finishes his question. He knows Cooper is going to kill him.

  The girls laugh and head upstairs, and Cooper catches Murphy in a headlock.

  “Off. Limits. Asshole! If you see my sister naked, I’m going to bury your body where nobody will ever find it!” They’re both laughing, but I think Cooper wants us to believe he’s serious.

  We might be a dysfunctional group, but these are the best people I know.

  Sebastian and I head into the house to get the food started when he decides it’s time to call me on my shit. “Listen, QB, Cooper talks a good game, but you’re not a bad guy. He hasn’t watched you fuck your way through the summer the way he’s done. Tell him you’ve got a thing for his sister. Get it over with before the season starts and before something happens behind his back.”

  “Who says I have a thing for Natalie?”

  “Pretty sure anyone that pays attention does.” The fucker drops that on me and then walks away. I hate that I can let myself get this stuck in my own head. Maybe Bash is right.

  I hear thunder in the distance and hope that it’s not a bad sign for the night to come.

  11

  Natalie

  I’ve just gotten out of the shower and finished putting aloe on my face to cool the slight sunburn I’ve got going on, when I walk back into the bedroom wrapped in a towel. The curtains are blowing in from the wind and rain that has started to whip around outside. The smell of the salt air is invading my nose, and there is a chill in the air now that wasn’t there before. Jumping back, I’m startled to see Chloe is sitting on my bed going through my suitcase.

  She’s wearing navy blue sweatpants with the gold Kroydon Hills Prep emblem embroidered at the hip and a white tank with a navy-blue bra under it showing through. Her hair is in a messy bun, and her feet are bare, her bright white toenails sparkling against her tanned skin. She looks relaxed and cool, a vibe I have come to associate with Chloe that I can’t help but be a little jealous of.

  “Are you going to get dressed or what, Nat? It’s already raining outside, so I don’t think we are going anywhere tonight. At least, not unless it stops soon. The bonfire will be tomorrow night anyway.” She starts tossing stuff on the bed.

  “Nope.” She throws the green maxi dress down on the bed.

  “Nope.” She tosses my favorite black leggings next.

  “Yup!” She picks up a pair of my old, cotton grey, super short dance shorts, her eyes light up. “Wear these and that long sleeve white t-shirt. I’m betting we sit outside and watch the storm. It’s going to be a little chilly, and this will look cool and casual but will still show off your legs.”

  “Number one, you won’t even be able to tell I have shorts on under this shirt. These shorts are so short, they were just supposed to be for the beach. Two, who exactly am I showing off my legs for? Murphy?” I’m trying to play like I don’t know what she’s going for, but she’s not buying it.

  “Don’t pull the blonde card with me, Nat. I didn’t bring it up last night, but now that he’s here, we have to come up with a plan.”

  “He, who, Chloe?” I play dumb, over annunciating both syllables of her name, but she gets me back immediately.

  “My brother, Nattie. The chemistry between you two could catch the whole damn house on fire. Don’t act like you don’t feel it. It’s pretty obvious to anyone that has eyes. The two of you won’t stop eye-fucking each other. I don’t think he’s ever going to make a move, though. He doesn’t do girlfriends, so if you want to move on to actually fucking, we will have to remind him why he should break his own rules. He’s a guy, Nat. You may need to hit him over the head with it a little.”

  Pulling my towel tighter, I lean back against my door. “Oh my God, Chloe. There are so many things wrong with what you just said, but we’ll start with the obvious. One, I have not eye-fucked your brother or any man, and two, I don’t beg. Not even Brady. And, I’ve been texting with Darby all week, while Brady hasn’t even asked for my number.”

  What
I fail to mention to my new bestie is that I might not be eye fucking Brady, but I sure am thinking about all the ways he could be fucking me.

  “I can work with that because you didn’t deny that you’re into him. By the way, that was three. Anyway, listen up. If you were really into Darby after a week of texting, you wouldn’t even be thinking of my brother. Honestly, he’s a douche for not asking you out yet. Ditch the douche.

  “I’m not telling you to beg. Trust me. I would never tell you that you needed to beg any man or woman. Girl, you are a catch, and you need to own that. I’m just reminding you that guys are a little slow to pick up the breadcrumbs we put out there for them to follow. They are visual creatures, and you are the total package. You need to flaunt what your momma gave you.”

  “Fine.” Snatching the clothes off the bed, I go back into the bathroom and get changed into exactly what she picked out.

  I’ve texted back and forth with Darby all week and never got so much as a flutter, but as soon as I feel Brady near me, my skin is on high alert. I have absolutely no control over my reaction to him.

  Do I want to make the first move?

  No.

  But, I may be willing to give him the encouragement he needs.

  I towel dry my hair, leave it down, add a little mascara, gloss, and my favorite teal, sea turtle anklet. Not too shabby.

  When I come back into my room, Chloe gives me a look of approval. She is holding my sketch from this morning. “Damn, girl. You really are talented. This is awesome. Can I keep it?”

  “Umm. I guess so.” It comes out more a question than an answer. I don’t really share them with anyone, it’s always just been something I do to pass the time or when inspiration struck. This one is of two girls, one blonde, one brunette, sitting on beach chairs. The sand is a golden tan, the ocean is a gorgeous blue, and they are in red and green bikinis, with big, floppy straw hats hiding their faces. I like sketching hair more than faces, so most of my sketches are side views or back views. Some have big hats over their heads or something like a book or cup of coffee hiding their faces. I love drawing hair though. Long or short. Curly or straight. It’s my favorite part of the pictures I draw.