by GG Shalton
I swallowed hard as I used my hand to block the sun while I looked at the top. “That’s a long way down.”
“Are you scared?”
I shrugged, not really wanting to answer. I slipped off my shoes and laid out my towel before taking a seat. He sat beside me.
Dillon and the others came over. “You ready, Europe?”
“I just want to watch for now.”
“Suit yourself. You don’t know what you’re missing.” He took Gretchen’s hand, and they walked to the side of the cliff and climbed up.
I looked at Paisley, who was talking to a girl I didn’t recognize.
Trace glanced at me. “Do you want to try? I can help you get up on top, then we can jump together.”
I shook my head. “Thanks, but I would rather watch for now.”
He hesitated and scooted closer to me. “Did you have fun last night?”
I shrugged. “It was okay. The food was good.”
He snorted. “It’s always good at the club. You know, my dad asked me about you.”
I lowered my brow. “Why?”
“Because your father has kept you under wraps. Who knew he had a daughter like you hidden away? My dad had no idea you were coming home.”
“Matter Point is hardly my home.” My tone was rude, but I didn’t care. My throat tightened when I thought about my father. I tried not to let it affect me, but his aloofness toward me hurt more than it should.
He stared at me. “It’s home now.”
“Trace, are you coming?” a girl called. I looked over and saw a couple of girls standing nearby.
Trace smiled and looked at me. “Change your mind?”
I shook my head as I reached for my sunglasses. “I’m good.”
He peeled off his tank and threw it on the ground. “See you in a few.”
I took in his muscular build as he smirked at me. He knew he was nice looking, but his confidence ruined it. I wouldn’t feed his ego, so I looked away. After a second, I watched them walk toward the corner of the cliffs.
I searched the area for Paisley, but she had disappeared, and Gretchen was swimming with Dillon. A few girls lay on blankets nearby, and a few of the guys were on top of the cliff, wrestling around. I slipped off my shorts and lay down with my sunglasses on. Enjoying the breeze, I allowed my eyes to close.
“What up, Burns.”
I felt someone nudge my foot. I looked up and saw Gretchen standing over me. “I thought you were with Dillon.”
She shrugged and took a seat beside me. “I decided to come back for refreshments.” She took a red plastic cup out of her bag. “Want a drink?”
“I have a Coke in my bag.”
“Coke? You want some vodka to make it taste better?”
“I don’t drink.” I had tried it once at Isabel’s but didn’t like the burn down my throat.
She looked at me as if I had two heads. “You don’t know what you’re missing.” Taking a small bottle of liquor from her bag, Gretchen poured it into her cup and added a can of Sprite. Then she took a big gulp and smiled. She tilted her head back, eyeing the top of the hill, and pointed. “Hey, look. Your boy is getting ready to jump.”
Looking up the cliff, I spotted Trace. He waved, and I waved back. He was with a guy I didn’t recognize, and I noticed Paisley behind them. Before they jumped, I heard Paisley squeak as a guy lifted her and jumped off the cliff with her in his arms. I heard her scream all the way down.
They hit the water and, a few seconds later, returned to the surface. She splashed the guy then swam to the shore.
Paisley was laughing as she wrung out her hair and walked over to me. “You have to try it.”
“There’s no way I’m jumping off that cliff.”
“Aww. It’s refreshing, but I nearly lost my top. I have to wear a tank the next time I jump.”
I watched for the next few hours, hiding beneath my sunglasses. It gave me time to observe. I couldn’t help laughing at the different groups jumping off the cliffs and plunging to their deaths below. Not really death, but close enough in my opinion.
Trace seemed occupied with one of the girls—Laura. She filled out a bikini better than I ever could, and the boy’s eyes never quite met hers. She laughed at everything Trace said, and I watched her making every excuse to touch him. She pretended to fall on the rocks on more than one occasion and grabbed him so he could steady her.
A few of his friends had tried to persuade me to climb up with them, but I always politely declined and made excuses. Paisley tried a few times to get Bailey’s attention, but he seemed oblivious. He was drinking a lot, and the only girl he talked to was Alison. I heard from Gretchen that they were only friends.
Paisley ended up jumping a few times with a guy named Marcus, but most of the time she was following Bailey around. I didn’t move from my spot except once to dip my feet in the water. The afternoon was relaxing and went by pretty quickly. Most of the girls didn’t talk to me, but I did hear a few of them whisper about others. Sometimes it was good to remain quiet and pretend to not be listening.
Paisley came up and stood over my towel. “We’re about to head to the condo and change for dinner.”
“Sounds good. I’m famished.”
Dillon walked over and slid his hands around Gretchen’s waist. “Stay for one more jump.” He placed his head on her shoulder as he pressed her back against his chest.
She groaned as she leaned against him. “I need to get back. But I’ll sit by you in the hot tub.”
He kissed her cheek. “Fine. I’ll walk back with you guys.” Dillon looked around and wrinkled his forehead. “Where’s Trace?”
“I don’t know,” Paisley said as a few other guys walked up to our group.
Dillon kept his arm around Gretchen as he looked at the guys. “Johnson, have you seen Trace?”
Johnson shrugged, but another guy smirked. “Last I saw him; he took a walk in the woods. Laura was only a few steps behind him.”
Dillon shook his head. “Not again.”
Paisley rolled her eyes and took my arm and led me the opposite way. “Let’s go.”
I followed her as I carried my bag. Dillon and a few of the guys walked back with us. Apparently, Trace’s interest in me was fleeting. I wasn’t sure if I should be insulted or not, but at least their teasing would stop.
When we got to the condo, we rushed inside to take a shower. Gretchen and I had to share a bathroom, and I just wanted some time alone and to get the dirt off me. The shores were more dirty than sandy.
I heard music from my bedroom window, so I walked over and glanced outside. The condominium’s pool was lit up, and I saw a few people in the hot tub.
I took a quick shower and changed back into the same swimsuit. After all, it was all I had beside my school one, which had been shot down by Paisley. After refreshing my makeup, I took a few moments to rub some scented lotion on my legs and applied some perfume.
Walking out my door, I ran into Trace. “Who let you in here?”
“Relax. Paisley let me in.” A roguish smile crossed his face. “Is this your room?”
“Yes, but I was just leaving.”
“Why?” He chuckled and walked into my room. Looking around, he crossed his arms. “Your room is a lot bigger than the one I have, and I’m sharing with Dillon. Do you mind if I share your room?’
I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him correctly. Did he just ask to share my room? He looked at me as if he’d asked to borrow a pen, and I held my breath, waiting for his explanation. After a few seconds, no explanation came.
“Yeah, that wouldn’t be awkward,” I said sarcastically.
He slid his arms around my waist, pulling me against him. “I think you may enjoy my company.” I pushed against his chest until he let me go. “Don’t be so jumpy. We’re friends, right?”
/> I shrugged. Perhaps I was being too sensitive. “Sure.”
“Good. Now let’s get some pizza. Dillon ordered a ton and I’m starving.”
“I thought they were grilling.”
“Yeah, me too. But apparently the owners said they had an accident last weekend and banned it.”
We walked out of my bedroom, and a few of the people Gretchen had over smirked as Trace put his hand on the small of my back. I didn’t see Laura anywhere and wondered where she was. I wasn’t sure what had happened after they disappeared into the woods together. Not that I necessarily cared, but it did seem a little problematic. I didn’t want any drama.
We went down the stairs and into the pool area. Paisley was nowhere to be seen, but I saw a few of our group hanging out and drinking. The pizza was on the tables near the pool, and I helped myself to a piece. Trace was close behind me and took two pieces before he sat down on the patio table.
I went to walk to the other side, but he grabbed my waist. “You can sit on my lap.”
I looked around, feeling a little helpless, but there was nowhere else to sit. So, I sat on his lap, and we ate our pizza as many of the group jumped in and out of the pool.
After I was finished, Trace ate four more pieces, then he took my hand. “Do you want to swim?”
I eyed the hot tub. “I would rather sit in the hot tub.”
He nodded and took off his tank again and motioned for me to join him. I tried to quickly take off my shorts, then I threw them on a pool chair and stepped into the water. I enjoyed how hot the water was as I leaned back, allowing the bubbles to surround me. Trace touched my leg and smiled when I jumped. I hadn’t been expecting his touch, and it shocked me a little.
“Relax.” He leaned back in the tub and closed his eyes. His hand remained on my leg, but he wasn’t looking at me. Pretending to relax, I waited for him to move or shift, but he didn’t. Instead, he rubbed my leg until I scooted away from him to put some space between us. He opened his eyes. “Are you trying to get way from me?”
“No, I…” I didn’t want to make a deal out of it, but I couldn’t believe he was touching me after hooking up with Laura in the woods. I mean, I didn’t know if they’d actually hooked up, but it had appeared that way. By the way, where is Laura? I hadn’t seen her at all, which was a little disturbing.
He smiled and pulled me onto his lap as I tried to push off. “It’s okay. We need to make some space for the others.”
I saw a few of the other kids joining us in the hot tub, but I felt exposed and out of place on Trace’s lap. I waited a second and pushed off, getting out of the hot tub. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
It was a lame excuse, but I was desperate, and that was the one place I knew he wouldn’t follow me. I walked off swiftly, hearing a few laughs behind me. Ignoring the crowd, I ran up the stairs and went to our condo. I slipped inside and went into my room.
I longed to lie down for a minute, so after closing the door and locking it, I got into bed and wrapped a blanket around me. Putting on some headphones, I plugged them into my phone and fell into deep thought about what Isabella was doing. I decided to text her.
Me: Hey Isa! Hello from the states.
I waited for a few moments and didn’t hear back. I missed her so much but texting her was spotty sometimes. Especially when she was traveling with her family. I hoped she was having a great time, but I couldn’t help but feel a stab of jealousy. Part of me wished she was moping around and missing me too. I felt alone in the States. I barely knew the people here, and they were so different from my friends in Europe.
Looking around the room, I couldn’t believe I was hiding instead of trying to make new friends. I could have gone back outside, but Trace was driving me crazy. It was obvious he’d hooked up with Laura earlier and now was making a play for me. That may be normal behavior for the kids at Matter Point High, but it was not normal for me.
A knock on the door broke me out of my thoughts.
“Ariel?” It was Trace.
I took off my headphones, realizing that I had no music playing. I heard the knock again and bit my bottom lip, contemplating hiding under the bed. I didn’t want to see him.
“Ariel, are you okay?”
Crap! His voice is annoyingly sweet. I didn’t want anyone to think I was sick. I felt like a baby trying to hide from all of them. But I still didn’t move to open the door.
The knocking grew louder. “Ariel, it’s Paisley.”
“She didn’t look well in the hot tub,” his deep voice said to Paisley.
“Should we pick the lock?” Paisley asked.
Huh? I jumped off the bed and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders as I opened the door. “Hi,” I said in my best sleepy voice. I threw in a fake yawn for good measure.
“Were you sleeping?” Paisley wrinkled her forehead. “I just saw you, like, an hour ago.”
I avoided Trace’s eyes but felt him watching me. “I just laid down for a minute and must have fallen asleep. I didn’t realize how tired I was.”
Trace looked at Paisley as she said, “You want to come back outside?”
I shook my head. “I’m really exhausted.”
She looked helplessly at Trace, who patted her shoulder. “You go ahead. I want to talk to Ariel.”
What? No! I tried to think fast for any excuse, but none came to mind.
She smiled as she looked between us. “Fine. But you two be good.”
Trace grinned. “Always.”
I watched Paisley walk away as I stood in the doorway, hesitating to meet Trace’s stare. After what seemed like a lifetime, I looked at him. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“Yeah. Can I come in?”
My heart pounded. I really didn’t want him coming into my bedroom. “Inside?”
I felt lame as his eyebrows drew inward. “It’s not a big deal. I promise not to ravish you.”
His teasing tone put me on edge a bit. But I gave him a quick nod. He needed no further encouragement and pushed past me. I looked at him from the doorway as I purposely left the door open.
He smiled as he walked back and closed the door. “I want some privacy.” Then he sat on the chair by the desk. “Do I make you nervous?”
My hands fidgeted as I felt my cheeks turn warm. “No.” Yes!
“Relax.” He winked at me. “I won’t bite unless you want me to.”
I nodded, realizing I was probably being ridiculous. Walking over to the bed, I sat down across from him and pulled the blanket over my lap. “So, what is it?”
“I believe in being direct.” He shifted in the chair as he studied me.
“Oh?” What else am I supposed to say?
“Yes, and I know you’ve been avoiding me.”
“I haven’t—”
“Yes, you have.” He held up his hand. “But that’s okay.”
I fidgeted with my blanket. “I’m sorry. It’s just there are a lot of changes going on in my life.”
He lost his grin. “I like you, and our parents are great friends. I want to help you find your way here. I think we could be friends too.”
“You want us to be friends?” Perhaps I misread his intentions.
“Yes, but I also want to take you out.”
“Out?” Apparently, I didn’t misread them.
“Yeah. On a date.” He leaned over the chair and took my hand. Rubbing the top with his thumb, he smiled. “You may even enjoy it.”
“Trace…”
He cocked his brow a bit seductively, and I had to look away. Feeling him squeeze my hand, I tried to pull it from him, but he gripped it harder.
“I can also help you navigate Matter Point High School.”
When I twisted my hand from his grip, he finally let go. “I think you’re a nice guy, but you barely know me.”
He smi
led. “Come on, Ariel. Think of it this way—many of the boys will be trying to get your attention. Once they know you’re with me, they’ll keep their advances in check.”
“My father is strict. I’m not sure he would allow me to date anyone.”
“Please,” he said with too much confidence. “Your father loves me and is one of my father’s business partners. Our families would be overjoyed if we dated.”
“What about Laura?”
“What about her?” His face gave away nothing as he looked at me curiously.
“I saw you with her.”
He seemed unfazed as he shrugged. “We’re friends. She’s going through some stuff and I am like her confidante.”
I snorted. “Trace, I’m flattered. Really, I am. But again, you don’t know me.”
“That’s why people date. To get to know each other. Trust me, there’s nothing between me and Laura. Give me a chance. I really like you.”
I smiled at his persistence, but I was growing weary from avoiding him. “If my father says I can go, I will go out as friends. Then we can see what happens.”
“We’ll have a great time. I mean, just think how great we’ll look together.” I smiled as he took my hand again and kissed the top of it. “I’ll let you get some rest. “
I walked him to the door.
He touched my cheek slightly. “Good night, Ariel.”
I closed the door and locked it. Leaning against the door, I sighed loudly. “What did I just agree to?”
Chapter 6
Ariel
The next day, I found my dad and Amanda sitting in his office when I got home. I had texted them I would miss dinner, and we grabbed a burger on the road.
“Did you have fun?” Amanda asked as she snuggled into a blanket draped over her lap.
My father’s face held a deep scowl as he sat at his desk, reading something on his computer.
“I did. But I didn’t jump off the cliffs.”
She smiled. “I’m just glad you went. Did you make any new friends?”
“Yeah, mostly Paisley’s friends, but they were nice.”
My dad barely looked at me as he typed aggressively. “I just don’t understand how they can force this issue.”