The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories

by Brina Courtney

  I explained that it was a service that helped wives and girlfriends determine if their mate was a cheater. She asked what I was doing with such a service and if I had used it on James.

  “After what happened with Chad, I had to know if I was dealing with another, ya know, cheater,” I said, playing the victim.

  “Of course,” she said. “Did he pass?”

  “Yes, he passed,” I said clenching my jaw and forcing a pleasant smile. She smiled a ray of hope. “Please don’t say anything to anyone. I don’t want James to think I don’t trust him.” Rachel pretended to zip her lips, a promise to keep it between us.

  “Do you mind if I take this card?” she asked.

  I hesitated. Since she was practically my own little sister, I wanted to shield her from the ugly realities of relationships. Then again, she was a grown woman. Why shouldn’t she have the opportunity to know the truth about David if she really wanted?

  “Sure,” I said. “But Rachel.” Her gaze shifted from the card to my eyes. “Be careful when you go looking for trouble, you just might find it.”

  “Oh, it’s not for me,” she brushed off my words of wisdom. “It’s for a friend.”

  “Right.” Sure it was. I hear “my friend” in therapy a lot. It’s a protective mechanism of sorts. “Be sure to tell your friend the same.”

  “Marin?” James called from the living room. I grabbed the Man Test package from Rachel and stuffed it in a drawer. We made our way out to the living room with my two overnight bags in tow. James greeted me with a smile and a large cup of hot coffee. My mouth watered as I held it to my lips.

  “What’s the hold up ladies? It’s time to hit the road,” James said. Rachel and I looked at each other with a hint of secrecy.

  “Just girl talk,” Rachel said. James picked up one of my bags. Rachel gave me a little wink and I returned it.

  “Well, you can save it for the campfire,” he said.

  “We’re only going for a couple days. Do you really need two bags?” he said as we left my apartment.

  “Yes,” I said. “Rachel, how many bags did you bring?”

  “Two.”

  I smiled at James, batting my eyelashes. “See.” James rolled his eyes and loaded my bags into his car.

  “See you at the lake!” Rachel waved and hopped into the other truck with David.

  When I got in the car, I saw that Marvin had taken up the entire back seat.

  “He’s coming too?” I asked. “Of course, Marvin always goes camping with us.”

  “Great,” I mumbled as I turned to face the front, hoping Marvin and I could ignore each other during the trip. He stuck his head between the front seats and grunted like a bull. I scowled and took an indulgent sip of my hot coffee. It was going to be a long weekend.

  Two hours later, we arrived at the campground. San Fran may have been two hundred miles away, but it felt like a thousand. We hiked about ten minutes until we found our campsite. David and Rachel assembled their tent while I attempted to help James with ours. After a while, I let James finish without me since my lack of experience and ability to take simple direction seemed to be holding us back. The only tent I ever helped pitch was morning wood, which is exactly what I told James. He laughed and told me he had no problem with that.

  I felt a call of nature coming after my large coffee and the twenty-ounce bottle of water I had on the way.

  “Where’s the bathroom?” I asked.

  “Wherever it’s private,” David said, approaching with a roll of toilet paper. I accepted the toilet paper with caution.

  “Come on, I’ll show you where I always go. It’s completely hidden.” Rachel pulled me into the woods.

  The two of us staggered into the woods to this so called hidden forest toilet. All of the sudden, I didn’t need to go anymore. She led me to a part of the woods only a minute’s walk from the campsite. Thick trees enclosed it, but plenty of light peeked through the branches. After five minutes of awkward squatting, I finally had a release. It wasn’t the proudest moment of my life, but as far as peeing outside goes, it wasn’t so bad.

  When we returned to the campsite, everything was set up. James motioned for me to come inside the tent. It was roomier than I imagined, complete with my two bags and full-sized air mattress.

  “See, it’s not so bad?” James said. With a smile I agreed, thankful I didn’t have to sleep on the ground. I grabbed a magazine from one of my bags with the idea of reading while the guys gathered wood for the campfire. Before I could get comfortable in one of the fold out chairs David called out, “Ready to go to the lake?” Marvin barked and James gathered his things.

  “What’s at the lake?” I asked.

  “Dinner,” James said.

  I carried my backpack with some trail mix, my iPod, and magazine to enjoy while everyone else fished. We trekked down a pathway, which finally revealed the lakefront. It was breathtaking. The water was calm and reflected the trees and hills that surrounded it like a crystal clear mirror. There was definitely something serene about looking over that beautiful body of water.

  “You ready to do some fishin’?” James handed me a fishing rod. I sneered and handed it back.

  “Sorry, I don’t know how to fish.”

  “That’s okay.” He returned the rod to me. “I’ll teach you.”

  “I don’t think I’ll catch anything,” I said, holding it toward him.

  “Well, you’ll never know until you try.” He smiled encouragingly and waved me over to follow him. I took the fishing rod, and he positioned himself behind me.

  “All you have to do is pull back.” His hands covered mine while he guided the rod over my shoulder. “Now, in a swift motion, cast the rod forward.” James used his rapid glide and helped me cast the fishing line into the lake. It didn’t seem so hard.

  “Now what?” I asked.

  “Now, we wait.”

  He kissed my cheek and picked up his fishing rod. Rachel and David already had their lines in the water, and I watched James cast his.

  It wasn’t long before David felt a little tug on his line and began to reel it in. Nothing. He recast his line.

  “What happens if something catches?” I asked James.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll help you reel it in.”

  I sighed nervously.

  “Relax, this is supposed to be relaxing,” he said.

  Relax? I didn’t feel very relaxed holding a fishing pole and keeping a slight watch on Marvin who wandered nearby. My shoulders were tense and my neck was stiff. I gazed over the water and let its beauty calm my restlessness. It wasn’t long before I could hear nothing but birds chirping, water swaying, and my breath. It became as centering as a yoga class or running by the bay. David, James, Rachel, and the dog were all so quiet, and I imagined they were having a similar experience.

  I looked over at James and thought about his fidelity, his commitment to us. Suddenly he looked handsomer than usual. The wind blew his soft hair and he squinted in the sunlight, making him look sweet and rugged all at the same time. His choice not to sleep with the Man Test girl was a mystery to me. Somehow, I’d have to get him to tell me about it without implicating my position in the whole ordeal. Only by his explanation would I be truly satisfied. I stared at him, hoping that if I stared long enough I could read his mind to see what he really thought, how he really felt. Then, there was a tug on my fishing rod.

  “Uh oh,” I said.

  “You got something, Marin?” James called. There was another tug so strong it almost pulled the rod from my grip.

  “I think so,” I said. He got behind me like before, telling me to reel it in. I used my strength to turn the reel while he helped me steady the rod. Even with my lack of experience, I could tell there was a big fish on the other end of the line. I reeled the line faster and faster and soon I saw it coming out of the water, a fish. The closer it got, the bigger it appeared. We reeled it all the way in and James released it from the hook.

  “Oh, my God!�
� I shouted. James examined the fish, then placed it in the cooler.

  “Nice catch!” David yelled, still firmly holding his fishing rod.

  “See. You can fish,” James said.

  I beamed and felt a sense of exhilaration. Not only did I catch the first fish of the day, but it was a nice catch too. “I wanna catch another one,” I said.

  He helped me bait my hook and cast the line back into the water.

  “Go, Marin!” Rachel shouted. I waved at her, grinning. Who knew fishing could be so fun?

  By the time we were done, I caught another three fish. The rest of them only caught one each, which meant I had beaten them by a mile. I wasn’t feeling smug about my success, just excited.

  Heading back to the campsite, Rachel and I carried the fishing rods, while David and James followed farther behind with the cooler full of freshly caught fish, Marvin by their side. We were almost to the site when Rachel unexpectedly fell to her knees.

  “Rachel!” I called and dropped to the ground to see if she was okay. Her breathing was shallow and her face was a pale green.

  “Are you alright?” I asked. She grimaced and turned the other way to get sick. I pulled her hair back as she heaved and vomited on the ground.

  “David!” I shouted, looking out for the guys. “Come quick!”

  They ran toward us, Marvin barking along the way. When they arrived a moment later, Rachel had stopped throwing up and let out a little cry.

  “What happened?” David asked as he dropped to the ground to Rachel’s aid.

  “I don’t know. She fainted and got sick.”

  James retrieved water from his bag and poured it on her wrist and splashed it on her forehead.

  “She might be overheated,” he said as he helped her take a sip.

  “Are you okay?” David asked.

  “I’ll be alright.”

  “Can you stand up?” James asked.

  She tried to rise, but it was obviously difficult. David picked her up and carried her back. James and I followed, making two trips for all the supplies. During that time, David and Rachel decided it was best to pack up their stuff and head back to the city. We agreed and wanted to return with them.

  “No, you guys should stay. Enjoy the rest of the weekend,” Rachel said holding her tummy. After we helped David load his truck, I kissed Rachel on the forehead and wished her better as she climbed in. We waved goodbye as they drove off, and then headed back into the woods. With each step toward the site I grew more anxious about the two of us out in the woods with nothing to do but spend time with one another, quiet time at that.

  We gathered firewood, and I watched James as he filleted the fish we kept, using special care with each one. He prepared the fish over a gas grill and we recalled the afternoon over our romantic camp dinner. To my surprise, the fish was delicious, even better than some of the fish I’d had at specialty seafood restaurants. James said it was because I caught it, to which I blushed.

  Night fell and the only light beaming was the fire. It was more peaceful then any night I had ever experienced. Clusters of bright stars sparkled the night sky, and I tried to remember the last time I had seen so many at once. I don’t think I ever had, especially since the lights of San Francisco drowned them out so much. The temperature dropped quite a bit, but I bundled myself in a warm sweater and cozy blanket. James appeared from the tent carrying a bag of marshmallows.

  “Ready for dessert?” he asked, revealing chocolate and graham crackers.

  “S’mores?” I asked.

  “Yep. It’s not camping if you don’t have s’mores, right?”

  I shrugged, reminding him that I really didn’t know what camping should and shouldn’t have. We warmed the treats over the fire and indulged in their delightfulness. There was something about gooey, melted marshmallows and chocolate that made me feel like a little girl again. I think James felt the same because we sat innocently, laughing at each other’s “yum” sounds.

  “So now what?” I asked as we cleaned up after our s’moresfest. It was only eight and I wasn’t tuckered out enough to go to sleep.

  “David and I usually sit by the fire and drink beer until we can’t keep our eyes open. But, I brought something special for us.” He disappeared into the tent and reappeared with a nice bottle of cabernet.

  “Oooh,” I sang. I could use a bottle of wine.

  “Would you like a glass?”

  I nodded and he poured the wine carefully into two plastic wine glasses then sat across from me near the fire while Marvin lay by his side. We stared at each other from across the flames and slowly sipped our wine. The robust liquid felt warm as it ran down my throat. A perfect way to keep warm in the cold outdoors.

  “What do you think about camping so far?” he asked.

  “I like it. I’m a little surprised that I like it, but it’s been fun.”

  “Good.” He smiled.

  “I want to ask you something,” I said as I sat up and leaned forward.

  “Okay.”

  “I’ve been hesitant to bring this up, but I want to know how you feel about us?”

  It was a little trivial asking this, but I wanted to gauge his thinking. Why did he turned down Monica? He shrugged. “I feel good. I care about you a lot and I like being with you. I think we’ve both been taking our time expressing those feelings. You have your reasons and I have mine,” he said. “But I’m not going anywhere. I think we have something, and I want to see where this goes.”

  “What are your reasons?” I asked, puzzled. He sighed loudly and brushed his hand over his face. His body language screamed that he was uncomfortable.

  “I’m divorced,” he said.

  Divorced?

  I was shocked. It was the first I’d heard the D-word come out of his mouth. Apparently, he was capable of keeping secrets.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.” He kept his head down and focused on his glass of wine.

  “Why didn’t you?” I asked.

  “It was a long time ago. I was young and stupid. It’s not something I’m proud of.”

  I sat for a minute absorbing the information. James was in his early thirties. It wasn’t uncommon for a man his age to have some baggage. I certainly had mine. Part of me felt troubled by his omission, but then I remembered all I was hiding and tried not to think too harshly on it. After all, he had passed the Man Test.

  Instead, I began to feel something else. Relief. James seemed so annoyingly perfect, but he had a failed marriage. It was his flaw, the big X on his permanent record.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “She broke my heart. She told me it was a mistake, that we shouldn’t have gotten married so young. But it was a lie.” His heart slowly poured out. I began to feel like I was less of a fake girlfriend and more of his real therapist.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “She just wanted to be with someone else; a guy we went to college with. I had no idea she was unhappy. She never acted any differently, never gave me any signals, and then one day . . . she was gone.”

  “I’m sorry, James.” By his side now, I put my arm over his shoulder and lightly rubbed his back. It was evidently a painful memory.

  He cleared his throat. “After that I dated casually. Very casually. Then I realized that no one was going to fill the hole she left. So I focused on my career. I went on a few dates, but I was still heartbroken. It’s not like I still loved her, but it was hard for me to trust anyone else, you know? And then I met you.” He looked at me honestly, his blue eyes breaking down my wall. It was too much, and I had to look away fearing my deceit would be revealed.

  “Even before I knew about—” James cut himself short.

  “What? Before you knew what?” I asked. His eyes looked away from me.

  “Before I knew about your breakup with Chad.” This admission was more alarming than the last.

  “What do you know about my break-up with Chad?” I asked, a hint of irritation in my voice.


  “I know he betrayed you the same way Vanessa betrayed me.”

  My pulse increased at thought of my exposure. “You knew all this time? Why didn’t you say anything?” I wanted to know why James didn’t cheat, but I wasn’t prepared for the heart to heart. To think that he knew about Chad this whole time. He never said a word. I walked a few feet away, feeling his eyes burn my back with the stare of pity, and why wouldn’t he?

  “Because I know how humiliating it was for me. I didn’t want anyone to know either. Plus, you avoided conversation about your last relationship, and I wanted to respect your privacy.”

  He knew the pain I knew. The same pain that drove me to date him in the first place.

  “I’m sorry,” he called and walked over to me. I kept my back turned and felt a wave a tears prickling my eyes. Why had I felt so emotionally overwhelmed? Was it his honest revelation? The fact that he knew I had been jilted by a cheater? Or was it that he too had been left by someone as bad, if not worse than Chad? James faced me and grabbed my shoulders tightly. He lifted my chin so I could look up onto his face. My eyes were wet with fresh tears.

  “I’m sorry I brought it up. I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said softly.

  “I didn’t want you to know about any of that,” I said sniffling and trying to look away, but his face followed mine with persistence.

  “Trust me, I get it. I want to tell you something else,” he said. I looked at his face and kept his intense gaze.

  “I will never hurt you that way, ever.” His words were genuine enough to inspire more tears. “Marin, I promise, I could never be like that.”

  I believed him. And for the first time since Chad walked out of my apartment, I felt that I might be able to trust another man. Maybe that man was James. And suddenly, it was like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Not the weight of knowing I couldn’t trust men, it was the freedom of knowing that I could possibly love again. He wiped my tears from my cheeks, and I lifted myself on my toes to kiss him. His arms wrapped tighter around me and I kissed him harder.