It Goes On

by Ashley Claudy

  I shook my head. “It’s Kate.”

  “What?”

  “My name is Kate, not Katie. And Liam is not in this story.” I knew the question would get to me, and I'd been trying to think what my favorite memory was. Only one came to mind.

  “It's like your's Taylor, simple. I was with my dad.”

  “Our dad?” Chelsea questioned. Everyone in the room knew I was Sonja and Chelsea’s sister, they must have shared the information.

  “No, my dad. Or the man I thought of as my dad. It’s one of my first memories.” One of my only memories of him, but I didn’t want to tell them that. “It was my first snow day. I was in Kindergarten, and I remember waking up for school and seeing the ground and roads covered in white.” I paused, recalling that morning. I'd been so excited to stay home with my dad. It seemed magical, like anything could happen. “We bundled up in layers of clothes and spent most of the day outside on sleds. There was a big hill nearby, and when I was tired of walking up it, he let me sit on the sled and he pulled me. Sometimes, he'd let go of the pull, and I'd glide back down the hill backward.” I smiled, recalling the thrill. “When we went inside, we had hot chocolate and ice cream and curled up under a fort of blankets and watched a movie. It was perfect.” I stopped, shocked that I'd shared so much when I'd meant to gloss over the details. I swallowed my drink and emotions.

  “Do you still talk to him?” Sonja asked.

  I shook my head and spoke past the knot in my throat. “He was killed on the job shortly after that.”

  “I’m sorry,” Sonja said.

  I shrugged. So was I.

  “This game is getting depressing. New question or new game,” Sydney demanded.

  “How about a drinking game? I found a deck of cards,” Taylor said, opening the drawer of an end table and pulling out a pack of cards.

  The night passed in a blur of shots and laughter. It helped that we never mentioned the boys again.

  “What are you doing in here?” I turned from the vanity to face Liam.

  “Checking on you.” His voice was barely a hum as he entered the bedroom. “What are you doing in here?”

  I eyed his path as he got closer. “I was fixing my hair. It’s too hot to wear my hair down.”

  The boys had arrived on a helicopter earlier in the day. We hung out at the pool and then had dinner by the beach.

  He stopped at the edge of the bed and sat. “Let me see. How do you fix your hair?”

  It was a strange request, and I laughed but flipped my head upside down to gather my hair into a messy knot. After I secured the bun, I righted myself and looked in the mirror at the results. As I pulled on some pieces to achieve the best look, his reflection watched me.

  “Dinner was nice,” I said to fill the silence.

  “You look nice.” He stood up and closed the space between us. “I love this.” He dragged a finger down the curve of my neck and over my shoulder. His gaze followed his finger and then flicked back up to meet mine in the mirror. His golden eyes begged me to give in.

  I turned towards him and wrapped my arms around his trim waist. The next moment, his lips were on mine, and he lifted me off the floor by my hips. He laid me down on the bed and pressed onto me. His hands were everywhere at once, on my breast, stomach, and sliding up my dress.

  I closed my eyes, trying to still the spinning room. But I couldn't relax, couldn't enjoy this, and I pushed Liam’s shoulders as I scooted up the bed and sat up. “This is too fast. I’m sorry.”

  He dropped his forehead to my thigh and blew out air as he tried to regain control. Then he sprung off the bed and paced the room. “Fuck Kate. Why are you being such a fucking tease?”

  I curled my legs under me and sunk into myself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

  He turned towards me like he was surprised, but then he raked his hands through his hair and raised his head to the ceiling. “Fuck,” he breathed, and then he looked at me and added, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that to you.” And then he left.

  I didn’t exhale until his footsteps trailed off. After a few clearing breaths, I rose to my feet and went back to the mirror to adjust my dress, makeup, and hair.

  I wanted to explain the incident away. We'd all been drinking since before the helicopter landed. He was drunk. I was buzzed. And he was right, I had been a tease. I should have been clear with him from the beginning; we would not be having sex anytime soon. I should have already talked to him about this, especially since we were supposed to share this bed tonight. It was my fault that he expected more.

  I rolled my neck, trying to release the tension I felt. After a last glance in the mirror, I forced myself to walk down the stairs and face everyone.

  Liam’s eyes met mine over the kitchen table, but he stood up as I walked in and lifted his beer bottle, draining the contents. He threw the bottle into the trash bin and walked past me, out of the room.

  Sydney, Sonja, and Sebastian sat at the table, staring after him.

  Sebastian looked at me. “He’s in one of his moods tonight.”

  I nodded and walked to the fridge for a beer.

  Sonja got up and sat on Sebastian’s lap. She rubbed his hair and cooed, “He was just being a jerk. Don’t worry about what he said. I love you.”

  Sebastian kissed Sonja and then moved her from his lap so he could get up. He followed me to the refrigerator. “Hand me one.”

  I used a bottle opener on both beers and handed one to Sebastian. I looked to Sonja for explanation. What had Liam said to them?

  She shook her head and flopped in the seat Sebastian had vacated. “He can be an angry drunk sometimes and tries to piss off everyone around him. Let’s not let him win.” She held up her margarita and Sydney clinked glasses with her.

  After they emptied their drinks, Sonja grabbed the pitcher of lime green liquid and refilled their cups. “God, I love this drink. Tell your cook to keep them coming”

  Sebastian walked back to Sonja and gripped her shoulders. “I’ll give you whatever you want, baby.”

  Sydney rolled her eyes. “Gag me now. You two are perfect and in love. We got it.”

  “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you Syd.” Sonja laughed. She patted Sebastian’s hand and waved me over. “Come sit, let’s play spades.”

  I wasn’t that good at cards and jumped at the opportunity to sit out the next game when Chelsea walked into the room.

  “I’m going to change into something more comfortable,” I explained to the table. It was hard to get comfortable in the tight dress I was in. I wanted shorts and a t-shirt on.

  “All right, but then get your ass back down here. There’s a lot more alcohol that needs drinking,” Sonja commanded.

  I wanted to find Liam first and didn't walk directly to my bedroom. The homes open floor plan had large rooms that flowed into another, and I walked the circle of the first floor with no luck. Liam, Ethan, Shane, and Taylor were somewhere, but they were not in any of the first floor rooms. I gave up my search and went to get changed. I'd check the beach after or, perhaps, I'd see them from the bedroom windows.

  I opened the door to the bedroom and then snapped it shut before I processed what I'd just seen. Liam stood naked by the bed, and Taylor was on her back, legs wrapped around his waist. The image of Liam’s bare back flexing as his arms guided Taylor's naked body to meet each of his thrusts was burned into my brain.

  ~Carly~

  “You do like to surround yourself with beautiful things,” he said as his eyes swept over Carly’s body. “I wouldn’t expect the new Condo building to be any different, but I’m just not sure I’m ready to make that jump from hotels to real estate. I'm inclined to stick with what’s worked.”

  Carly wasn’t sure who the man was sitting across from Connor, but the way he stared at her made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure if she was an asset or a hindrance at this point and decided to make herself scarce.

  “Mr. Baycroft, here are the documents you requested. Do you n
eed anything else?”

  He pulled his attention away from the man across the table, the look of annoyance was evident on his face. Carly regretted speaking.

  “No, thank you, Ms. Green,” Connor replied.

  “Ah, Ms. Green? Could you bring me something to drink? A Gin and Tonic. I’m thinking Connor’s going to up his pitch, and I need some liquid courage.” The man winked at Carly.

  She walked over to the bar in the office, and Connor followed.

  He took the glass from Carly’s hand and said, “I’ll pour William his drink. I think I may need one too. You may go now Ms. Green.” The command in his voice was evident. She was to leave the office no matter what William said. She took her orders from Connor.

  As Carly stood outside the office, she wondered what this meant. Was is it that she had been a distraction to business or had Connor been jealous? She hoped for the latter.

  Chapter Eleven

  Drunk words are sober thoughts

  I ran down the steps, avoiding the kitchen where the group was playing cards. On the lanai, I grabbed a bottle of wine from wine refrigerator and used the opener on the table to pop the cork. Then I walked down the steps to the beach.

  At the bottom of the stairs, I kicked off my shoes and the soft, warm sand squished between my toes. It still held the day’s warmth, and I had the insane urge to lay down and bury myself in it. Instead, I walked down the beach, putting distance between me and everyone else.

  I sat in the sand outside the sphere of light cast from the house. Cloaked in the shadows, I drank my wine straight from the bottle. After I chugged about a quarter of its contents, my heart slowed, and I laid back to stare at the stars.

  The soft sound of someone approaching pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned to see a tall shadow walking towards me. I sat up, gripping my bottle. If it was Liam, I'd hit him with it, pour it over him, or just guzzle it down and walk away. The realization that I'd chicken out and walk away irritated me. I was horrible at confrontation.

  Luckily, I didn’t have to do any of those things. As the figure came closer, I recognized Ethan’s tall build covered in cargo shorts and a white fitted t-shirt. He carried a box in one hand.

  I stared at the dark waves and prayed for him to go away. Perhaps he’d walk by without speaking to me. I closed my eyes and thought really hard, go away, go away.

  Go. Away.

  But when I peeked out of one eye, he was even closer, and his intent was clear.

  Well, I wasn't going back into that house until my wine was gone, and I wasn't going to share it with him, either.

  “What are you doing?” He asked as he sunk down to sit in the sand beside me.

  I picked up the wine bottle and took several gulps in mute demonstration of exactly what I was doing.

  “Mind if I join you?” He set a case of beer in front of us. Taking out a bottle opener from his pocket, he cracked the top to one and then took a gulp.

  “What if I said no, you can’t join me,” I tested.

  He smiled easily. “I'd probably move a couple of feet away and drink on my own there. I can’t leave you out here by yourself when you’re drunk and getting drunker by the second. It’s dangerous.”

  “Well, that would be awkward. You drinking there and me drinking here.” I gestured down the beach some and laughed without amusement, resigned to sharing the space. “But just to clarify, I’m not in any danger.”

  “How do I know that? No telling what you'd do if you drank all that.” He gestured to the bottle in the sand. “If you got drunk and went for a night swim, that could be dangerous to do alone.”

  I'd planned on ignoring him till he went away, but the alcohol I'd consumed loosened my lips, and his smile put me at ease and made me want to open up. And his eyes, well his bright green eyes framed by his dark eyebrows made me want to jump on him. Or maybe that was also the alcohol mixed with my anger at Liam.

  I shook my head and took a swig of my wine. “No worries here. I’m much too boring to do anything like that.”

  “Oh. I didn’t realize this was a pity party,” he said.

  I stuck my tongue out at him before I could think of what I was doing. “Yeah, well, you weren’t invited.”

  He looked at me sideways with his crooked grin as he took a pull of his beer bottle. “I don’t think you’re boring.”

  I laughed once, bitterly. “That’s only because you don’t know me. I am extremely boring.”

  “You're right, I don’t really know you. But the fact that you’re out here now shows you’re not boring. I bet there’s an interesting reason.” He pointed his beer bottle at me in emphasis.

  I half laughed and half groaned as I stretched back on the sand. The wine was getting to me, and I felt like a rubber band being pulled in all directions. I wanted to do something, everything, and nothing all at the same time.

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong.” I sat back up and undid my hair, shaking the sand out. “I'm out here because I am boring. Something interesting did happen, but my reaction to it is beyond boring. I came out here to get drunk. Alone. The interesting thing that happened wasn’t anything I did. Nothing interesting that happens to me is of my own volition, it’s always someone else’s choice.” My voice began to rise. I was losing control of the emotions I'd caged up since before I could remember.

  I stood up with my wine and took a long swig. Since Ethan hadn’t responded and was still staring at me, I began again, “I have a very interesting life. All because of what others do or did. But me.”—I placed my hand flat on my chest for emphasis—“I am boring. I don’t do anything but react.” It was no longer just about tonight; I had a lifetime of messed up crap I was thinking about, and I closed my mouth and took a breath, aware that I probably sounded and looked crazy.

  Ethan stared like I was.

  I needed to get a hold of myself. I drowned the emotions surging in me with a drink of wine. Then I set the bottle in the sand and flipped my head upside down, pulling my hair back into a knot on the top of my head.

  Ethan stood up beside me. “So do something. You think you’re boring and only others make interesting choices? Choose to do something not boring. Right now, do something.”

  “Like what? I am drunk. What can I do?”

  “Anything. It doesn’t need to be life altering. Just make a choice.” He took a sip of his beer.

  I narrowed my eyes, doubtful of his solution. It couldn’t be that simple. “Okay.” I took another swig of my wine while I thought. I scanned the ocean and the beach, trying to pull an idea from my clouded brain. Something fun. Not boring. I grabbed the first idea I had and announced it before I could change my mind. “How about a night swim, or is that too dangerous?”

  “It’s only dangerous to do alone. I happen to be a great swimmer; I was on the swim team in college.” His confident smile brightened our area, and he pulled his shirt over his head. “All right, let’s do this.”

  I followed his lead and pulled my dress over my head. My bra and panties covered more than my bikini, but when the night air hit my bare skin, I froze. I began doubting my decision and looked towards Ethan. He definitely had the build of a swimmer. His bronze skin covered long, lean, hard muscles. The sight of his bare torso heated me like flames from a fire. But I still couldn't get myself to move towards the water.

  He laughed. “Are we doing this or what? Do you need another drink?”

  I swallowed down the lump of fear that was lodged in my throat and picked up my wine to chug and drown my anxiety completely. Setting the bottle down, I bounced on my toes, trying to pump myself up. “Okay. Ready. Set—”

  “Go,” we both said and took off running towards the water.

  The minute the cold salt water touched my feet, I froze again. Before I knew what was happening, Ethan lifted me out of the water, ran a few feet further into the waves and tossed me into the sea. Water surrounded me, and when my feet touched the sandy bottom, I bounded up and grabbed Ethan as I screamed, “No
. no. no. no. I don’t want to be in the water.” I tried to climb up him as high as I could. I felt like a cat being thrown into the tub.

  Ethan carried me to shore, and the second we were back on the beach, I hopped down and pushed away from him.

  “Why did you do that?” I demanded.

  He laughed and shook his head. “I thought you wanted to get in the water. It was your idea, remember? Why did you do that?” he returned the question.

  I shook my head, unsure of how to explain. I was losing my mind. “I got scared. I started picturing the crabs and turtles and night animals all in the water.”

  He laughed harder.

  I allowed myself to laugh too, now that I was safely on the beach. I wrapped my arms around me, more from embarrassment than to block the chill on my wet skin, and I searched for my dress. “Crabs do hunt at night and they can pinch,” I said defensively.

  Ethan picked up my dress and tossed it to me. He sat on the sand and opened another beer bottle, not bothering with his shirt. “I can understand the fear of sharks, but crabs? And did you say turtles?”

  I couldn’t help but smile. He was right, and his laughter was contagious.

  “I’m sorry for scaring you though,” he added.

  I pulled my dress over my head and sat next to him, deflating with my sigh. “See what I mean? I am boring.”

  He nudged me with his shoulder. “No, I don’t see. That was fun.” When I eyed him skeptically, he amended, “It was different.”

  “I’ll take that. At least it wasn’t boring.”

  I was getting close to the bottom of my wine bottle, so I set it down. I didn’t want to go in anytime soon, but I didn’t want to talk about myself anymore either. Ethan hadn't put his shirt back on, and I caught a glimpse of his tattoos on his arm as he sipped his beer.

  “How many tattoos do you have?”

  “Three. All on my right arm.”

  I raised my eyebrows waiting for him to elaborate.