The moment seem to pass and our waitress comes to take our orders.
Joel convinced me to share a chocolate milkshake too and once the waitress leaves, he relaxes in his seat and smiles at me.
‘I think I like taking you to lunch, Clary. We should make it a thing: a friends lunch once a week, for catching up and bonding’.
He winks at me, the flirty asshole. I can see how all the girls throw themselves at him, seriously with those super intense and mysterious blue eyes, that closed lipped smile and the golden blonde hair always falling on one side of his forehead.
I shake myself off of my musings: I don’t want to be caught staring at him because even though he stares at me all the time, I know that he will make a big deal of me looking at him and I think that my nerves today can take very little more.
‘Yeah, but if you keep feeding me chilli cheese fries and milkshakes, very soon I’ll need the whole side of the booth for myself, because my butt won’t fit in it...’
He laughs.
‘Nonsense, you are perfect. And if you are worried about my choice of menu, I can help you work it off. We can go running together every morning...’
Now it’s my turn to laugh.
‘Yeah, right! I absolutely hate running. Swimming maybe yes, but there’s no way you’ll convince me to go running...’
And now he smirks, he can be worse than Xander when he wants to.
‘Swimming sounds even better! Less clothes involved, me and you in the water, possibly alone...’
‘Joel...’
I’m about to tell him off for flirting when our food arrives and this time is a different waitress.
A tall brunette in a uniform that looks too small for her and squeezes her boobs basically out of the button down shirt dress.
She sets our food and drinks down and then stands there, staring at Joel.
He keeps his gaze fixed on the table until she talks:
‘I called reception about 5 times trying to reach you and left messages with your aunt, I am sure she must have given them to you...’
He still doesn’t say anything.
‘Joel, I have done everything you asked of me, including spending time with your friends and you...’
For a second I wonder how they know each other, when I see her name tag: Tatiana.
This is the girl he hooked up with and then convinced to sleep with Justin and Rob.
‘I’ve been busy...’
He dismisses her.
‘Really? I don’t believe...’
‘And as you can see, I’m not here alone, Tatiana. Is there anything that you want? If not, I would rather eat my lunch without making conversation until it gets cold...’
Her lips disappear in a tight, straight line...’
‘I was hoping we could talk, maybe hang out...’
‘I don’t think so, Tatiana. As I said, I’m busy. ‘
‘But, I...’
He sighs.
‘Look, I’m sorry but you must have misunderstood my intentions. I never meant for our hanging out to be a long term thing. Now...’
Her face reddens and her gaze moves along the table and lands on me.
‘I would be careful with this one and check if he is thinking long term with you or not. He will use you and throw you away. Oh, he’s very charming when he’s trying to get you into bed with him and he’s a spectacular fuck but then you don’t want to find yourself on my side of things. And don’t sleep with his friends, they are fucking pigs...’
And she walks away.
Joel takes my hand and looks straight into my eyes, his eyes intense and dark.
‘Clary, I...’
I interrupt him.
‘That was... Joel, she was hurt, how could you be so cold? You had sex with that girl...’
He sighs.
‘I know. I’m trying to change my ways, Clary. This is why I broke off things with Jemma too. I promise you, it’s not who I really am and I feel really ashamed about my behaviour lately... But I owe it to you and Xander if I realised that I have to stop and that this doesn’t make me happy and it causes so much heartache...’
I cover my eyes with my hands: I don’t know what to do. I am catching glimpses of a thoughtful and truly nice guy while getting to know Joel and Xander says that’s the guy he grew up with.
But then I hear the stuff he’s been doing, how he’s been treating all these girls including Lucy and Hayley who I might not like but who deserves to be used and then ignored?
I want to be his friend, I want to get to know him but I need him to stop all this flirting because that is making me confused and scared: what if I give in and then I get that look he gave Tatiana? Especially because Joel has been my dream guy for years.
We eat lunch and drive back to Camp in silence: I’m sure he’s got his own thoughts clouding his mind and he does throw a few intense looks my way but we don’t talk and maybe it’s for the best, since emotions run pretty high these days.
He walks me to my cabin and we both stop frozen in place when we spot a piece of paper stuck to my front door.
Joel takes it before my trembling hand can grab it and after reading it briefly, he hands to me.
It’s Logan’s handwriting and it says that he will pick me up at 7 for a date.
I sigh in relief and enter the lounge where I find Austin waiting for me.
‘Hey princess...’
‘Hey!’
I run into his arms and his lips feel so good on mine, his strawberry and pineapple taste making me feel instantly better, out of the treacherous waters I have been wading into all day.
When we part, I ask him, still in his arms:
‘What are you doing here? I thought we had agreed that Logan and Xander...’
He smiles.
‘Yes, I know you have a date with those two but I thought I would do your hair and we would pick an outfit?’
That’s the nicest thing he could have thought about, especially after the last few days before he decided to give this relationship a try.
‘That would be amazing and like this, I would get to spend some time with you...’
We pick a white sundress with lots of lace on the bodice and hem and he decides to put my hair in a side braid and to dot my hair with little jasmine flowers that he goes to pick right outside my room.
His fingers are gentle while he braids my hair and I feel his soft breath on my head and neck.
Once the hair is done, he lifts my face to his with a finger under my chin and places a soft and chaste but still smouldering kiss on my lips.
I encircle his neck with my arms and torment his bottom lip with my teeth before settling my head on his shoulder, relishing on how sweet he’s being right now. Last night I could feel that he was trying to hold back and while what we did was incredibly sexy, it also felt so daring and it left me feeling anxious. Austin is smart and loving but has a controlling streak in his kisses and that showed last night too when he had me do things I wouldn’t have dared by my own volition only.
‘Clary, you look so beautiful... You don’t really need make up, princess...’
He keeps my make up natural with mascara and a light pink lipgloss.
‘You look like a nymph, those two are so lucky to get to spend the evening with you...’
He says hugging me and placing a kiss on the top of my head.
He keeps me in his arms for a while and asks me if Brie has told me anything about her relationship with Brooklyn.
He tells me about the conversation he’s had with his brother and I feel a bit uneasy about the way Brie has started the relationship but since she seems to have decided to give it a real shot and forget about Justin, I think it’s best not to mention the whole plan she had to lose her virginity to Brooklyn to then go back to Justin.
I know Austin likes Brie but I decide to make sure that my BFF is into the relationship without any qualms because Brooklyn is a sweet guy and doesn’t deserve to be a pawn in any kind of scheme, especi
ally if the objective is to get back together with Justin.
There’s a knock on the front door and shortly after Logan and Xander walk in.
They are smiling from ear to ear and don’t seem annoyed to find me sitting on Austin’s lap.
He lets me go reluctantly, his eyes intense when I hug my other two boyfriends.
‘Do I trust that one of you will be with Clary at all times?’
He asks and the other two nod and we walk out; I am walking between them and no one is talking at first.
‘So, where are you guys taking me?’
Logan smiles.
‘We are having a picnic, gorgeous...’
‘On the beach...’
Adds Xander.
And we walk down to the beach, towards the lifeguard tower where Xander and I changed in on bonfire night.
The sun is setting, colouring Emerald Lake with pinks and oranges and lighting the sky on fire above us.
We stop for a moment in awe of how quiet and beautiful the beach looks and both boys place an arm on my shoulders, one on each side of me.
‘Come on, let’s have dinner...’
Logan breaks the silence and we start climbing the stairs to the tower.
When they open the door, I hold my breath in surprise and marvel: there are some mats and lots of colourful throw pillows scattered all over the floor and fairy lights hanging everywhere as well as roses and jasmine flowers making the little hut look enchanting.
The boys guide me to the floor and I sit between them, enjoying all sorts of salads and savoury nibbles and a strawberry sorbet at the end.
‘Guys, dinner was amazing, thank you so much...’
‘Well, it’s a very special occasion...’
Starts Logan and I look at him puzzled.
‘You really don’t know what day it is today?’
Asks Xander.
I panic for a second: it’s no one’s birthday, right? But no: Logan’s birthday is in April and Xander’s in February so they are both ages away.
‘No, you guys got me. What day is it today?’
They both grin, satisfied that they managed to surprise me.
‘Today is the month anniversary of our first kiss...’
Starts Xander.
‘And ours...’
I can’t believe it’s been a month. I tried to put that thought out of my mind because this means that in less than 10 days, camp will be over and we’ll all be back home and I won’t see my boys everyday anymore.
‘We thought we’d celebrate together when we realised that we both kissed you for the first time on the same day...’
For a moment I feel really guilty but there’s no accusation in Xander’s tone and both my boys are looking at me with a glint in their eyes.
‘We have a surprise for you...’
Begins Logan and Xander offers me a little blue velvet box tied with a pink ribbon.
‘Oh my god, guys! You didn’t have to get me anything, especially since I am a bad girlfriend and didn’t remember...’
Their smiles don’t falter.
‘Why don’t you open it?’
They encourage me and I do as I’m told: the box contains a white gold bracelet with two charms attached to it.
One is a little emerald heart and the other is a white gold heart with some engraving on it.
I check out the small letters and there’s an X on one side and a L on the other.
‘Oh, guys! I love it, it’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! Is this why you two kept disappearing on me?’
They keep smiling and Xander explains:
‘Yes. We got that custom made but we also kept driving to town because we thought Logan and I should have something to remember this day and this summer too.’
I’m about to ask what he’s talking about when they both take their t-shirts off and I gawk.
Of course their chiselled chests are enough to make me gawk on any given day but Xander has a tattoo on his pectoral where his heart is: it’s a kiss print.
‘I... I don’t understand...’
He smiles and takes my hand, kissing my knuckles.
‘I might have stolen that tissue you used the other morning to blot out your lipstick and I asked the tattoo artist to reproduce your lip print exactly so I will always have your kiss on me...’
Logan has a strange doodle etched on his bicep and only after a careful scrutiny I realise that it’s not a Celtic band or anything of the sort but it’s my name written around his arm in a very flourishing style, so you really have to pay attention to read it.
Tears fill my eyes: I’m overcome with emotion and totally speechless.
‘Oh my... This is the sweetest, most wonderful thing that anyone has ever done for me...’
I begin.
Xander takes me in his arms and kisses me gently on the lips and as soon as he breaks the kiss, Logan does the same.
‘Baby, the bracelet is for you to remember this summer, the tattoos are for us to signify that our love for you is permanent like the ink on our skin.’
Logan nods and normally I am a very rational person and I would object that they cannot guarantee that we’ll be together forever, especially since we are all so young but my heart is all in.
I want to be with them forever, this is why the only thought of this summer coming to an end brings tears to my eyes.
‘Hey, hey...’
Soothes me Logan, squeezing me tight to his chest.
‘We... We didn’t want to make you cry, my beautiful Clary...’
‘I... I love you both so much...’
I sob and Xander tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, kissing both my eyelids.
‘Baby, I know you are upset because this reminded you that the summer will be over soon but do you trust us when we tell you that we’ll see you a lot, so much that you’ll be sick of our ugly asses always being in your way...’
I sigh.
‘I could never be sick of you and Logan. You guys have no idea how much I love you...’
Logan laughs.
‘Or maybe we do... These aren’t fake tattoos that wash away after a few weeks, you know?’
He says pointing at his arm.
We reminisce about our first kisses for a bit, laughing at Xander getting bitten until I let out a yawn.
‘Clary, Logan and I talked about who should get to spend tonight with you but we found no way to decide and we didn’t think it was fair to ask you to pick one of us, since it’s a special night for all of us...’
‘...So we thought we could all sleep in Xander’s room?’
Finishes Logan.
‘All of us three?’
I ask a bit disconcerted and they nod.
‘Don’t be afraid, baby, we aren’t planning anything untoward, we just want to sleep next to you and we both promise to keep our hands to ourselves...’
I trust them so I agree to sleep in the same bed with both of them.
We walk to Xander’s cabin in the now dark night, holding hands and they both tease me that if I snore, they will have to both share the couch.
When we get to Xander’s room, Logan goes to change and brush his teeth in the bathroom while Xander and I start changing.
He hugs me tight, our chests touching, his hand teasing the lace of my panties on my behind.
‘I just want to feel you against me for a second while he’s in the bathroom and I am sure he’ll get his goodnight kiss while I go to brush my teeth next. I love you Clary.’
He kisses me deeply, my legs wrap around his waist and I respond eagerly to his kiss, my hand playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck.
We separate when we hear Logan clearing his throat.
‘Sorry, man...’
Apologises Xander walking towards the bathroom and leaving me alone with Logan.
He sits on the bed and pats the spot next to him and I happily go sit by his side.
‘Clary...’
He whispers, kissing me s
oftly and making my heart beat faster like it always does when he’s next to me.
The kiss deepens and before I know, I am lying down on the bed and he’s kissing my neck, his hand tickling my skin under Xander’s t-shirt.
He stops kissing me for a second and asks:
‘Are you really alright sharing the bed with the both of us tonight? You know we won’t try anything weird, right?’
I smile at his concern because I do trust these two boys more than anyone else in the world, actually more than I trust myself.
That thought makes me sigh.
‘What’s wrong, sweetie?’
He murmurs playing with a strand of my hair, his hand still inside my t-shirt, splayed right where my rib cage starts, under my bra.
I don’t know how to explain it to him for a second but Logan is very perceptive and he’s known me for a while.
‘Has this anything to do with Austin, by any chance? I noticed some tension between you two in the morning and I wanted to ask you about last night but then you got that note and I never got a moment alone to ask...’
I still feel a bit odd discussing what happens when I’m with one of the boys with the others but I guess it’s ok, since we are all in this together.
I still hesitate, trying to find the right words, I have been thinking about it all morning, I tried to explain it to Joel but only now I find the reason why I was feeling a bit uneasy.
‘It’s hard to explain, Logan and please promise that you won’t get mad but...’
I tell him exactly what Austin and I did, how he made me guide him into pleasuring me, imagining it was me alone.
‘I don’t know, in a way what I did with you or Xander was possibly more but... I guess I know Austin a little less than I do you two and he’s... Intense and a bit bossy when it comes to... You know...Being intimate. Even when he kisses me, it’s like I am going where he takes me while with you two it’s like we are deciding the direction together...’
He looks at me with worry in his cloudless blue eyes.
‘Are you sure, Clary? What happened between us last time... Are you sure I didn’t overstep...’
I shake my head.
‘No, you didn’t. I loved everything that happened between us and... I don’t know, Logan, it’s like with you and Xander control is shared and I never feel like I’ve completely lost control of where things are going. With Austin, that’s exactly how I felt last night. I was out of control, at his complete mercy and he put me there. He didn’t do anything I didn’t want but...’
Lake Emerald Chronicles: The First Summer: A Reverse Harem Romance Page 35