“Damn,” Max whispered at Jesse’s side. “That Sydney chick has always been hot as hell. Too bad she’s such a frigid bitch.”
Jesse’s blood pressure spiked and he fisted his hands at his side to keep from spinning around and planting one on Max’s jaw. “She’s not,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “Just because she doesn’t throw it in your face like Briana doesn’t mean she’s frigid.”
“I don’t know,” Max said with a shrug. “Looks like the chick could freeze your balls off with just her eyes.”
Jesse wanted to tell Max that no, as a matter of fact he’d had the hottest, best sex of his life with Sydney just the day before, but sharing that fact was absolutely off the table. Oddly, he didn’t even really want to. He wanted to defend Sydney, of course, but what had happened between them…that felt different. Personal. She wasn’t a conquest to be boasted about with a cretin like Max.
In a flash of clarity, he realized he’d been making the same assumptions as Max all these years. So Sydney was a little reserved, almost shy sometimes. And yeah, that came across as aloof. But he knew she wasn’t. And yes, sometimes she was a little brusque when she was feeling defensive. But she wasn’t a bitch. He’d seen ample evidence over the years of her kindness to the people she cared about. Once upon a time, when he’d first met her, she’d shown it to him herself. At some point, they’d gotten out of step with each other and ended up as adversaries. Since then, he’d fallen into that same trap of assuming that what she showed the world was all she was.
“You don’t know Sydney like I do,” he said at last. “She’s not what you think.”
Max snorted in laughter. “Fine, you take her on. I’ll stick to Marin’s tasty little sister.”
“Come on, Max. She’s like, nineteen. And she’s Marin’s sister.”
“That girl is looking for fun, and I am happy to give it to her.”
“Behave yourself.”
Max chuckled. “You can behave yourself with the Ice Princess. I’m in Mexico and there’s a hot chick looking for action, so I know what I’m going to do.”
Jesse sighed. Did Sydney see him as just another player like Max? If so, no wonder she hated his guts.
The ceremony was nice, as weddings went. Jesse hadn’t been to all that many of them, but he suspected Marin and Wyatt’s was a little unusual. Things went awry, of course. The breeze off the ocean nearly carried away the floaty white fabric on top of the huppah, and he and Sydney had to grab hold of it and tie it down. And then Marin couldn’t smash the glass wrapped in a cloth because she was barefoot and the glass was on sand. There’d been a lot of good-natured scrambling to find a flat surface—the officiant’s notebook—then Sydney loaned Marin her shoes so the glass could get smashed properly. But everyone was laughing, Mrs. Shapiro and Wyatt’s mom were crying, and Marin and Wyatt looked blissful, so, all in all, it was a success.
After being pronounced husband and wife, Marin and Wyatt ran back up the sand to spend a few minutes alone in the bungalow, according to Jewish tradition. Jesse suspected that they were also going to get baked, but hey, it was their day. The wedding party filed out next, Andy with Caitlin, Max with Briana, and him with Sydney. He didn’t need to take her arm, but he did because he wanted to touch her. Her smile stayed in place, but there was panic around the edges, and a forced, glassy look to her expression. He didn’t press, not yet, anyway. They were still technically in the middle of the ceremony. But as they reached the top of the beach and he released her, he ran his hand down the inside of her arm, his fingers dragging along her palm before he pulled away. And he smiled, an intimate smile meant just for her, a promise for later. She was nearly in a frenzy to get away from him.
By the time the reception was underway, it was fully dark. It was at a beachside bar attached to the hotel they were all staying in. The bar was behind the pool, with a wooden dance floor strung with twinkle lights that opened directly onto the beach. The moon was full, so the rolling waves of the ocean were visible even from the dance floor. The hotel was at the innermost curve of the cove, the shoreline arcing forward in both directions and the white sand glowing in the moonlight.
“Isn’t this perfect, man?” Wyatt clapped him on the shoulder as he approached.
“It’s pretty fantastic. Congratulations. I can’t believe you guys did it.”
Wyatt shook his head, a huge, happy smile on his face. Yep, definitely baked. “Marin’s the one, man. Marin’s always been the one. I’m the luckiest guy alive.”
“Yes, you are. You guys are going to be great together.”
“What about you?”
“Me, what?”
“I know there’s always tension between you and Sydney. But it seemed to be a different kind today, and there seemed to be a lot more than usual.”
Jesse gripped the neck of his beer bottle tighter. “Yeah, we’ve got a few issues to work out.”
“No better time than a party on a beach in Mexico, my friend.”
“That’s sort of my plan.”
“Good luck, Jesse.”
“Thanks, I’ll need it. She’s a little…hostile.”
Wyatt shrugged and took a sip of his own beer. “Maybe not as much as you’d think.”
Jesse scowled at him. “What do you mean?”
Wyatt held up a hand in defense. “Nothing, really. Just a few things Marin has said over the years. I’m not sure she hates you as much as you think.”
“I’m starting to suspect that, too. But why is she always so damned mad at me?”
“That one you’ll have to ask her.”
“All right. On that note, I’m going to go find her. Wyatt, congrats again. I hope you guys are happy for the long haul.”
They did an awkward one-armed hug, and Jesse left Wyatt to greet more guests as he wove through the crowd looking for Sydney. She’d been swept up with the other bridesmaids for some pictures right after the ceremony and he hadn’t seen her since. They must have been done, though, because Marin and Caitlin were talking to Mrs. Shapiro and Briana was with…
Aw, hell. Briana was with Max and she looked drunk off her ass. She had her arms hooked around his neck, and although part of that might have been sloppy flirtation, she also looked like she couldn’t stand up without support. Max had no problem helping her, with his hands firmly planted on the girl’s ass. Jesse told himself it was none of his business. Not his problem, right? But fuck… Briana might be legal, but only barely and Max was twenty-five. And she was Marin’s little sister. And she was drunk. Really, really drunk. No, it was not okay. He had to at least make an attempt to get Briana into the hands of a responsible adult.
Sighing, he wove through the milling crowd on the dance floor until he reached them. Max was leaning down and mumbling in her ear. Jesse caught the tail end of it.
“Why don’t we get out of here and go take a walk on the beach? Just you and me.”
“Um, I was gonna wait for…” Briana glanced up and saw him and her whole face lit up in bleary delight. “Jesse! You’re here!”
Max shot him a foul look.
“Hey, Briana, your mom is looking for you.”
“She can wait, baby,” Max crooned. “Let’s go for that walk.”
Jesse took Briana’s arm and pulled her away from Max. “No, it can’t wait.”
Briana fell heavily against him, twining her arms around his neck and breathing into his face. Very, very drunk.
“Jesse, man…”
“She’s a kid, Max. And too drunk.”
Max glared at him for a second then he huffed angrily and ran a hand through his hair. “Whatever. Plenty of other hot chicks here. I don’t need the hassle.” He turned and stormed back toward the bar. Asshole.
“I was hoping you’d come find me, Jesse,” Briana slurred, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.
“Let’s go find your mom,” he said with an awkward smile.
“You know, I’ve always thought you were soooo cute.” She r
an one hand down his neck and began to loosen his tie. He slapped his hand over hers to stop her.
“Come on, Briana.” He threw a desperate glance over her shoulder, looking for Mr. and Mrs. Shapiro, Wyatt, anybody he could safely pass Briana to, but instead, he locked eyes with Sydney, just making her way onto the dance floor. She froze, her eyes raking over the scene—Briana was hanging on him, pressed against him, and his arms were around her, trying to hold her upright. Jesse groaned. No no no no. This was the one thing Sydney did not need to see, because he knew how it looked. Briana was now clumsily trying to strip his tie off. This was bad, really bad. And sure enough, Sydney’s eyes shot back to his and turned hard as granite. She sneered at him and turned, disappearing back into the crowd.
“Come on,” he muttered, slipping his arm under Briana’s and steering her awkwardly through the crowd. “Let’s find your mom.”
“I don’t wanna find Mom,” she whined. “She’s going to breathe down my neck all damned night.”
“And that’s exactly why we need her.”
Briana stumbled on her ridiculous shoes once or twice, but Jesse managed to keep her upright until he reached Mrs. Shapiro near the bar.
“Hey, Mrs. Shapiro, Briana’s not feeling well.”
“Jesse!” Briana hissed.
He ignored her. “Maybe you’d better keep an eye on her.”
Mrs. Shapiro turned her concerned eyes on Briana and laid the back of her hand on her forehead. “Are you warm, Bri, sweetie? Is it a fever?”
“God, Mom, no, I’m not sick…”
Jesse quickly extricated himself, leaving Briana in the firm clutches of her mother, who would hopefully force her into bed to sleep it off. He circled the dance floor twice and didn’t catch a glimpse of Sydney. She was nowhere to be found. Finally, he made his way to Marin.
“Hey, Mar, have you seen Sydney?”
Marin turned to him, giggly, glowing, and only a little glassy-eyed. “Jesse! Why are you looking for Sydney? Is everything okay?”
“We just… We’ve got some stuff to talk about.”
Marin rolled her eyes. “Hey, Jesse…I love you, but if you’re just looking to get laid, leave her alone. She doesn’t need that from you, of all people.”
“What? No, of course not. Jesus, Marin, give me some credit.”
“So you like her?”
He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. “Really, Mar?”
“Jesse…”
“Okay, fine. Yeah, I like her. A lot.”
Marin sighed and her face lit up with a smile. “Thank God. Finally. Although you could have made this easier on everybody if you hadn’t been such an idiot sophomore year.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“She likes you, you idiot. She always has.”
“No, she has not. I was there. I remember. She’s always hated me.”
“Not always. Just since you picked her roommate instead of her.”
“What? What’s her roommate got to do with this?”
“Don’t you remember that party sophomore year when you hooked up with Jessica?”
“I remember. You told me you were bringing your friend, who was into me.”
“No, I told you I was bringing Sydney, who was into you.”
“No, Marin, I remember it specifically. You never said Sydney.” He remembered it very clearly because it had been such a crushing disappointment. He’d invited Marin to their house party that afternoon. She’d said she’d come because her friend was really into him. He’d thought she’d meant Sydney, and she had brought Sydney…along with Sydney’s roommate, Jessica. And then Jessica had cornered him in the kitchen and kissed him. Jessica was the one who’d been into him. Sydney, the girl he’d really wanted, wasn’t interested and had left the party after half an hour.
Marin scowled. “I didn’t say Sydney? Because I totally meant Sydney.”
Jesse grabbed her shoulders and crouched to look into her eyes. “Marin, this is important. It was Sydney? She was the one who was into me?”
“Yes, you idiot! And then the next thing I knew, you were making out in the kitchen with her roommate. God, that Jessica was a real piece of work. She knew how much Sydney liked you and she threw herself at you anyway. Sydney was so upset that she left.”
He groaned as it all finally clicked into place. “And she’s hated me ever since.”
“She doesn’t hate you. You know how she is. She’s reserved. She’s just protecting herself.”
“Marin, where is she?”
“Jesse, I’m serious. Don’t fuck around with her.”
“I’m not. I’m really not. I’m trying to fix this.”
Marin studied him for another moment, then she pointed off to the left. “I saw her heading down the beach that way a few minutes ago. “Don’t screw this up, Jesse. I’m a pacifist, but if you hurt her, I’ll mess you up.”
“If I hurt her, I’ll do it for you, Marin.”
As soon as he left the dance floor, the light and the music receded. The beach was washed in blue moonlight and he strained to make out anything that might be Sydney. Finally, he thought he spotted her, at least a hundred yards up the deserted beach, thankfully alone. He took off running, his feet making no sound as he closed the gap to her. She’d never gotten her shoes back from Marin, so she was barefoot, looking oddly vulnerable in just her little black dress.
“Sydney,” he called when he was only twenty feet away.
She spun in shock, slapping one hand to her chest. “Jesus, Jesse, you scared the crap out of me. What do you want?”
“You.” That came out sounding like something of a declaration, so he amended it. “I came after you.”
She snorted a laugh and turned away again, trudging through the sand away from him. “Go back to the party, Jesse. I’m sure Briana’s looking for you.”
“Briana’s probably throwing up in a hotel bathroom by now. She was really drunk.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
“And Max was coming on to her pretty strong.”
Sydney stopped walking, but she didn’t turn around. “Max?”
“He was on the prowl and she was in no shape to make that decision, so I told her mother she was sick and handed her over.”
Sydney chuckled. “She’s going to kill you.”
“Probably. Once the hangover wears off.”
“No, she was so intent on getting together with you tonight. It was all she was talking about today.”
“Me?”
“She’s had a crush on you since she was a kid. Now she’s all grown up and she came with a plan to get you.”
“Well, I have no interest in being a part of her plans.”
Now Sydney turned to face him. “Why not? Isn’t that what you wanted this weekend? A little no-strings action?”
He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “No, that’s what Kyle, my asshole work friend, said. And it’s what you assumed about me. But I don’t want Briana or anybody else. Sydney, can we just deal with what happened?”
“Nothing happened.”
Jesse hiked an eyebrow and smirked. “Nothing? I was in that bathroom, too, Syd, and I’m pretty sure something happened.”
She closed her eyes and shook her hands anxiously. “We need to forget that. That was just a thing that happened, and it doesn’t… I don’t want to… We need to forget about it.”
“No.”
She opened her eyes and looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. “What?”
“I said no, I don’t want to forget about it. Who says you get to decide what we’re going to remember and what we’re going to forget?”
“I want to forget it!”
“And I don’t! So hey, if you don’t want to talk to me about it, maybe I’ll go talk to someone else.”
Sydney’s eyes went wide with horror. “You wouldn’t!”
Jesse paused and pretended to give it careful consideration. “Maybe I would. I bet lots of people would be intereste
d in it. Marin and Wyatt, maybe? I bet they’d love to hear about it. Ooh! Or Max! He’d love to hear about what went down in that bathroom. This is better than those subreddit threads he loves so much.” He turned and made as if he was about to head back up the beach.
“Jesse!” Sydney lunged forward and grabbed his arm. He let her swing him around to face her, since he’d never intended to go in the first place. “Why are you so set on pursuing this?” she asked in exasperation.
“Because I want you.”
Her eyes went wide and she blinked at him. “What?”
“I want you. And I’m pretty sure you want me, too.”
“What makes you think that?” Her words were cocky, but her voice was unsteady and a little breathless.
“Just a hunch. Plus Marin told me so.”
“Fucking Marin,” Sydney muttered under her breath.
This far away from the hotel lights, the moonlight was nearly as bright as day, lighting up her pale skin in its blue glow, and picking out the white orchid against the inky darkness of her hair. “I’m glad she told me. Seems you and I have had a pretty serious miscommunication for a long time.”
Sydney rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. But he could read her better now. That imperious tilt of her chin, the deathly cold stare, those were her defense mechanisms. She hid behind them whenever she felt scared, and apparently he’d been scaring her for a long time.
“So that’s why you’re here. Marin told you I’ve had a stupid, pointless crush on you for years and you decided you might as well get a little action and—”
“For God’s sake, I’m not just here for sex.”
“Then why are you here, Jesse?”
Jesse squared off in front of her and raised his chin. He was shaking inside. Never in his life had he laid so much on the line. He was pretty sure she wanted him back, but he wasn’t positive, and that tiny sliver of doubt was enough to have him quaking in fear. “I’m here because I don’t want to cross paths with you at somebody else’s wedding five years from now and realize that my life just passed me by because I wasn’t brave enough to go for it and you were too scared. So here I am. Going for it. Are you gonna meet me halfway?”
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