Inspire

by Heather Buchine

  “Well sir, there was an incident earlier that I’m sure Paige will fill you in on. So, I was just here making sure that Paige was all right and taking her statement.”

  Panic struck my Dad’s face and he immediately turned to me. “Pixie, what happened?”

  “Everything is fine dad, don’t go ballistic. Some boy stopped by to visit his girlfriend earlier, he was drunk and bothering Ashley in the woods, so I stepped in to help her out. Travis and the other guys took him to the Sheriff’s office, so everything is fine,” I said. I left out most of the details because I was worried that my dad might go to extremes and think that we needed to leave knowing that his daughter was almost raped. Either that or he would never let me out alone at night again; therefore I would never see Travis.

  Travis nodded at me, seeming to understand the reasoning behind my judicious explanation of the events. He spent the next ten minutes answering my dad’s questions and reassuring him that everyone was safe and that we would not be seeing Corey on the grounds ever again. My dad felt so relieved by Travis’s answers that he actually asked him to make sure I never went anywhere at night without him. I was internally cheering for joy that my father had just asked my secret boyfriend to chaperone me, which meant I would have more freedom to see him. My mom giggled in the back room, obviously finding amusement in my dad’s request. She clearly had not filled my dad in on my relationship, which I truly appreciated. It underscored the fact that I could tell my mom anything, and she’d share it only if I wanted her to. When my dad was finished, I escorted Travis outside to thank him and say goodnight. “So, you won my dad over,” I said as we walked a bit away from the site to gain some privacy.

  “I know. I get to babysit my baby now,” Travis said, chuckling at the idea.

  “Yes, you do,” I said, leaning up to give him a kiss.

  “I’m sorry that we didn’t get to finish things, but I promise to make it up to you tomorrow,” he said, referring to our sexually heated moment. I smiled at the memory, and tingles returned to the spot.

  “I’ll look forward to it,” I said.

  “I love you Paige. Sleep well, and text if you need anything. I doubt I’m going to get much sleep tonight, so I’ll be up.”

  The idea of Travis being alone in the woods suddenly upset me. I was worried for his safety on the off chance Corey came back for revenge. “I don’t want you sleeping alone in the woods. What if Corey comes back?” I asked nervously, holding on to him.

  “He won’t. He was out cold, and definitely won’t be conscious until tomorrow afternoon. Besides, he doesn’t know where I stay, so I’ll be fine. Thanks for being concerned though,” he reassured me.

  “I love you Travis and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “Nothing will. I love you too. You better get back inside because I know your dad still wants to grill you about what happened, so you may not get much sleep tonight either,” he said. We left each other with an incredible kiss that made my body hot, and my knees weak, and then I went back inside to face the firing squad.

  Chapter 16

  Ashley stopped by my place around ten a.m. and was holding my sarong in her hands. “Here you go, thanks again,” she said, handing it to me. “So are you ready? The gang is going to meet us up at the trailhead.”

  “Yes, I have my bikini on underneath my shorts, do I need anything else?” I asked, wanting to make sure I had everything.

  “No, you’re good. The guys have the food, and there are towels on the boat. So we just need you,” she said, grabbing my hand. It was amazing how the previous days had been erased and she was acting as if we’d been life long friends. I wasn’t complaining, but amazed at how smoothly we transitioned from enemies to friends. There was no awkwardness between us at all.

  We walked up to the group waiting for us at the head of the lake trail. Travis made eye contact with me right away and gave me a wink and smile. Everyone welcomed me with open arms, which I thought was bizarre. Maggie, Amber, Kevin and Todd had barely acknowledged my existence over the last week, but were now acting as friendly as could be. I guess Ashley really does have a lot of control over everyone I thought as I found myself easily in conversation with all of them. We walked down to the boathouse and Travis and Scott pulled the speedboat out.

  The boat was yellow and black, and was large enough to hold all of us. As soon as we got on board, Ashley took me on a quick tour, which took all of two minutes. There was an inside cabin below with a bed, bathroom, and little kitchenette and then the top had a front deck and a back deck where people could sit or lay out. Everyone got comfortable and took their places on the boat. Maggie, Amber, Todd and Kevin took the front deck, while Travis, Scott, Ashley, and I stayed in the rear. Travis was driving the boat, which I found to be a major turn-on. He was sitting in the captain’s chair and wearing nothing but his black swim trunks. I practically swooned at the sight.

  We zoomed around the water for a bit before Travis slowed down in a cove where he put in the anchor. Everyone was hopping off the boat carrying their shoes in hand to walk to shore. Just as I was about to follow suit, my phone buzzed with a text message.

  Travis: Fake seasickness and say you need to use the bathroom. I’ll stay behind with you.

  I thought it was cute how Travis was trying to get some alone time with me, so I did as he asked. “Travis, can I use your bathroom for a minute? I don’t feel so well,” I said, holding onto my stomach.

  “Sure. Do you need anything?” Travis asked, playing right along.

  “No, I’m good. I’ll just be a moment.”

  “Hey, why don’t you all go on ahead and I’ll wait with Paige. We’ll catch up with you in a couple of minutes,” he told the group as I made my way into the bathroom.

  I came out a few minutes later to find Travis and Ashley sitting on the bed waiting for me. Travis looked at me with apologetic eyes, but I wasn’t upset. I actually found it endearing that Ashley was playing the part of the concerned friend. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I’m better. You should have gone with Scott. I could have caught up with you all,” I said.

  “I wanted to make sure you were all right. I feel bad that I dragged you out here not knowing you get motion sick,” she said.

  “No, I’m good. I actually think it was the eggs my mom made me for breakfast, she’s not the best cook.” It was a partial lie, but one I could live with.

  “Okay, are we ready?” she asked.

  “Yep. I’m good.” Travis had yet to utter a word, and I could see his mind spinning trying to figure out how to recover the situation, but for now I felt it best for me to spend time getting to know everyone so I didn’t help in his efforts.

  Ashley made her way up the steps first, and then hopped into the water. She was waiting for me to go to shore, but I decided to take one little moment with Travis. “I forgot my phone. I’ll be there in a sec,” I said, rushing down below. Travis was lying on the bed looking flustered. So I hopped up and slid across his body to his lips. Without saying a word, I kissed him making him moan in the back of his throat. Neither of us wanted to break the kiss, and the rest of our bodies started getting carried away. I began sliding back and forth over his lower half, feeling the friction of our clothing and the length of him between my legs. The sensation was igniting my center and every move was building the fire inside. Travis sat up taking me with him so that I was straddling his lap. We began to move together. I could feel him pressing upward with my every movement and finding his own satisfaction in the feeling. I had merely meant to give him a kiss and then return on deck, but found myself in the thralls of passion.

  “Paige, are you okay?” I heard Ashley call down. She had clearly returned to the boat. So I hopped down and darted up the stairs.

  “Sorry, I needed to use the restroom again,” I quickly made my excuse.

  “Yeah, your cheeks are pink; I can tell you’re not feeling so hot. If you want we can pass on the hike, and I’ll stay w
ith you to play cards,” she offered. Ashley was being very considerate, but the reality was my cheeks were pink for another reason.

  “No, I’m fine now. Let’s go.”

  Travis came up the stairs as I was getting into the water and quickly jumped in beside me soaking himself completely. “You swimming or hiking Trav?” Ashley asked from the boat.

  “I’m hiking. Just needed to cool off. Can you hand me my shoes?” he asked, giving me a wink and splashing me with some cool water.

  “Hey!” I shrieked and then splashed him back. After a few seconds, I found myself soaked but surprisingly refreshed. I now understood the whole cold shower thing.

  “Are you two done? Is it safe to come in now?” Ashley asked, worried that she might find herself drenched in the line of fire.

  “Yep, we’re good,” Travis said. Then we made our way to the shore and put our socks and sneakers back on.

  Ashley and I hiked together and talked. I was surprised to find out how much we had in common, like: the fact that our favorite food is Tex-Mex, and our favorite dessert is chocolate pudding, we both love to read, and our favorite movie and book series is the Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Travis had spared himself the girl talk and went on up ahead with Scott and the others.

  “So, do you have any brothers or sisters Paige?” Ashley asked while kicking a stone off the path.

  “No. I think of my best friend Tracey as a sister since we grew up together, but other than that it’s just me,” I answered and then returned the question. “What about you?”

  “Likewise, it’s just me. Britney has always been like a sister to me and I kind of feel like all these guys are my family too. So I guess we have the only child thing in common too!” She cheered the fact and then her face dropped. “We don’t share in the whole broken/divorced family thing though,” Ashley said and I could hear the edge in her voice. I didn’t want to press her for information, but she did open the door so I felt like I needed to acknowledge her comment.

  “So, do you and your step-mom get along?” I asked, hoping that my question wouldn’t piss her off.

  “No,” Ashley stated and her tone was unyielding. “First of all, the girl is twenty-six years old, only seven years older than me. My dad, of course, won’t admit it but I’m pretty sure he had an affair with her before my parents ended things. After all, Brianna worked for my father for only a year before she got promoted all the way up to his ‘personal’ secretary.” I could tell by her use of air quotes exactly what she meant and it made me not like Brianna either. “Anyway, it’s a little difficult to like the girl when my mom still has a broken heart.”

  Ashley’s voice was somber and I could tell that the situation weighed heavily on her own heart too. “You know what’s done is done. Brianna divorced her own husband and married my dad like a month later, so it would be nice if they just came clean about the affair. Until they do, I don’t have any respect for them or their ridiculous relationship. Thankfully though, this is the last summer that I have to spend with my dad based on the custody agreement between my parents. Once I’m off to college in the fall, I will get to decide who I want to spend my time with. And let me tell you, it won’t be them.”

  Although it sucked learning that Ashley was wounded by her parents’ divorce and her new situation, I was honored that she had shared it with me. It helped me understand some more facets to her personality and the way she had behaved during the first couple days of my arrival. It also made me feel like she and I were taking a step to becoming really good friends.

  “I’m sorry. That really sucks,” I whispered, not finding the right words to say.

  “Thanks,” she said, giving me a smile “Now, let’s quit talking about all this depressing stuff and figure out what else we have in common. So what about being a cheer leader or a dancer, did you do either of those in school?” Ashley’s voice was light again, so I matched her spirit and started talking about my life as a dancer.

  Once she told me about her love for dancing as well, I filled her in on the Pri*Tee Pixies. “Wow, Paige, That’s incredible!” Her voice was full of amazement. “So, I know that we don’t really know each other that well, but I would love to help out in any way possible. Even if it just means making a donation or getting the word out, my dad owns a big PR firm so that would be easy.”

  Ashley’s offer was so kind and generous, and it gave me a great idea. “Hey, would you want to perform in our next festival? I could teach you the dance this summer, and then you could be in it with us.”

  The look on Ashley’s face told me that she was thrilled by the idea. “Oh my gosh, I would love to. But where will it be held? I’m headed to NYU in the fall so travel might be an issue,” she said.

  “That’s perfect because it will be in my hometown, East Hampton, so you can take the train in with me. I’m going to Columbia in the fall so we will be neighbors,” I told her and felt giddy about the fact that we were going to be so close.

  “Awesome!” she cheered. “Then YES! I absolutely want to be in the dance!”

  I was excited by the idea that Ashley, Travis and I would all be near each other in the city; it gave me hope that these relationships would last. The thought made me curious about where Scott was going to be and whether he and Ashley were going to be at school together so that we could double date.

  “Hey Scott,” I said, gaining his attention. “Where are you going to school in the fall?” I asked, hoping he was going to be in New York with us.

  “I’ll be at Michigan, with Cora actually,” he said. I didn’t know who Cora was but assumed it was one of their friends.

  “Ugh, Don’t remind me. Well, at least you’ll be able to keep an eye on her. Now, can we talk about something else?” Ashley asked.

  It was obvious that she was saddened that she and Scott weren’t going to be at the same school next year, so I willingly offered up another topic of conversation. “Where does this trail lead?” I asked.

  “To Willow Falls,” Scott answered.

  “Is that what the campground is named after?” I asked. Travis was up ahead with the rest of the group, so Ashley answered for him.

  “Yes,” she said. “They are the most beautiful falls in the area. You’ll see.”

  We continued walking and talking and Travis started to fall behind with us and joined in our conversation. “Hey Trav! Paige is going to be at Columbia with you in the fall, so we will all be in New York City together. How cool is that?” Ashley said.

  “Wow, nice. Maybe we’ll have some classes together. What’s your major going to be?” Travis asked, pretending this was all new information, although he and I had talked so much that he practically knew everything about me.

  “I’m a business major. What about you?” I asked, continuing the façade.

  “I’ll be in architectural design, but I still have to take all of the standard classes for the first couple of years. So, I will definitely see you around,” he said, winking at me. Travis and I hadn’t discussed if we were actually going to sign up for classes together or not, but at this point I truly hoped so.

  Ashley and Scott went on ahead with the others, while Travis and I lagged behind. “Hey Babe!” he said, nudging my arm with his elbow. “So, everyone loves you. No surprise,” he spoke quietly so no one else could hear.

  “They are all great. I’m glad I was able to break past the wall,” I giggled.

  “Right, Ashley being the wall,” he said.

  “Yeah, how is it possible that she can have that much power over everyone?” I asked.

  “Since her parents’ divorce, Ashley’s mood swings have been like earthquakes (we’re talking ten on the Richter scale), so everyone likes to stay on level ground just to be safe. Plus the fact that this is our last summer up here together, they probably figured it wasn’t worth getting to know you if it meant Ashley was going to be a bitch all summer long, in the past they would have made more effort,” Travis explained.

  “Oh, so now I need to m
ake sure I never get on Ashley’s bad side, huh? Wow, talk about pressure,” I said.

  “You’re good! Once you break through you have nothing to worry about. Her step-mother on the other hand, hasn’t been so lucky.” Travis was shaking his head almost in pity for the lady and I couldn’t understand why.

  “Yeah, well I can understand why she might not be Brianna’s biggest fan. Ashley told me a little bit about the situation, so I don’t necessarily blame her for not wanting to be all chummy with the gal.”

  “Yeah, but it’s like what Britney is always telling her, ‘You have to forgive in order to move on with your life’, so at some point she needs to let it go. After all, you can’t help who you fall in love with,” Travis said, and although I understood and agreed with what he was saying, I still felt that Ashley had a right to be angry because her wounds were still fresh.

  “I think Ashley just wants honesty. If she knew the truth, instead of being forced fed a lie, than she probably would move past it. But her mom is hurt, so I think Ashley feels that if her dad and Brianna come clean it would at least be giving her mom the respect that she deserves. Anyway, I’m just happy she has finally accepted me. Ashley’s a really cool girl,” I admitted.

  “She is. She’s like a sister or a cousin to me, since I’ve known her for so long, some days I love her and others not so much.” He chuckled.

  I was finally understanding the dynamics of the group and how everyone got along. Some of them really had grown up together, spending every day of their summers together, going through puberty and all of the drama that comes with the teenage years, together. So for most of them, they knew each other really well. “Do you think this will be the last summer for you all? You won’t come back?” I asked.

  “We actually were just talking about that yesterday. How maybe we could start coming back in the summers and live in the cabins, the girls in one and the guys in another. Everyone liked the idea so we’ll see if we can make it happen.”