by L A Cotton
“HOW ARE YOU FEELING?” Lo huddled close to me and I narrowed my eyes at her.
“How do you think I’m feeling?”
“Dumb question,” she murmured. “Sorry.”
“Ugh, it’s not your fault. I just...” Wanted to be wrong. I wanted things to go back to how they were before I ever found that stupid text message.
“I know.” She squeezed my hand and offered me a weak smile. “Oh God, they’re here.” Her gaze flicked to Maverick and Kyle as they made their way up the winding path from the beach to Brendon Palmer’s yard.
I’d avoided Kyle all day, arranging to get ready for the party with Lo. She came over and we ate cookies and talked about everything and anything that wasn’t related to her cousin. It was nice. It would have been good girly fun, if it hadn’t been for the black cloud hanging over me.
“Hey,” Lo said as they reached us, going to Maverick and letting him wrap her into his arms. “I’m thirsty, come get a drink with me?” She glanced at me and I gave her a small nod.
“Get me one,” Kyle yelled after them.
“Walk with me?” I caught his eye. His eyes flickered with some hidden emotion and he clutched the back of his neck.
“Yeah, sure.”
I led us away from the party toward the beach. The Bay was a beautiful place this time of year. The pinkish-orange sun disappearing on the horizon. When I stopped at a bench, Kyle rushed out, “Just say it.”
“Say it?” My brows furrowed, and I sat down, waiting for him to join me.
“You’re not coming to USC, are you?”
“You think...” my voice trailed off. “Of course that’s the first thing you’d think.”
“You mean, it’s not?” He twisted his body to me, eyes glittering regret and shame for truths he’d yet to reveal. “If it’s about last night, I already—”
“Apologized, I know.” He’d sent me enough apology texts to last me a lifetime. “I’m going to ask you something and I want the truth, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Who is she?”
“She?” Confusion pinched his brows. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific than that, babe.”
God, how I wanted to believe him, to fall for his charm. But I knew. My gut instinct knew he was lying.
And it killed me.
“The girl at The Shack, the one who’s been watching you. Who. Is. She?”
Nothing.
His reaction gave me nothing. No flicker of panic, no flash of surprise in his eyes. I let out a heavy sigh. “Kyle, I’m asking for the truth. That’s it. Just tell me and we’ll figure it out. Please.”
“Laurie, babe, I promise you, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I leaped up and stared down at him, gulping back the tears pooling behind my eyes. “I saw a text.”
“A text?”
“A couple of months ago. You were in the shower and your cell phone went off. I wasn’t snooping, I just... it was right there.”
This time his expression slipped. It was only a fraction, small enough that someone who didn’t know Kyle might have thought nothing of it. But I did know him.
“You saw a text? W- what did it say?”
I didn’t know whether to be relieved or insulted that he was humoring me. “Does it matter?” I shrieked. “I’m telling you I saw a text message on your phone and you’re acting like it’s nothing.”
“It is nothing.” He jumped up and grabbed my shoulders, holding me in front of him. “I promise you, it is nothing for you to worry about. Nothing at all. That girl, she’s no one.”
“But you do know her? Because two minutes ago you said you didn’t.”
“I don’t. Until you pointed her out the other day, I’d never laid eyes on her before.”
“So, who is she? What does she want?”
“Laurie, babe, I can’t do this. Not right now.” His jaw tensed as if the words were painful for him, but I’d bet my last dollar it was nothing to the hurt ripping through my chest. “Don’t you trust me? Do you really think I’d do anything to jeopardize this, us? I love you. I love you more than anything. You have got to believe me when I say she is no one.”
“If she’s no one, just tell me the truth.”
“I can’t.” His eyes pleaded with me, but I couldn’t back down now. I had to be strong. Tearing out of his hold, I looked him dead in the eye and said, “When you’re ready to tell me the truth, come find me.”
And I walked away from him wondering how the one person who promised you the world could also be the one to ruin it.
I HID OUT IN THE PALMER’S bathroom for thirty minutes. It was lame, yes, but the second I’d reached the house, my strength evaporated, and I panicked. My cell phone bleeped for the hundredth time, taunting me from the beautiful marble counter. I didn’t need to read it to know it was Kyle. But when it bleeped again, the noise pierced the silence, and I dragged my butt off the toilet seat and grabbed it. I guess I could have deleted the messages, all eight of them. But I didn’t. I scrolled through to the last one to arrive and brought it up.
Kyle: I love you. More than you know. We can talk, just not here, not now.
Me: Not good enough.
I answered Lo’s text next, letting her know I was okay and that I’d find her as soon as I composed myself and then I turned my cell phone off. There was every chance if Kyle kept texting, I’d give in. Because I loved him and because part of me wanted to believe he wanted to fix it—to fix us.
After splashing water on my tear-stained face and rubbing the liner smudges from my eyes, I took a deep breath and went back out to the party.
“Laurie?”
My heart sank, as if it needed any more surprises. “Jared.” I spun around to meet his narrowed gaze. “Now’s not a good time.”
“Are you okay?”
“Fine, I’m fine.” It seemed to be the motto of my life right now.
I’m fine. Liar!
“I have two sisters, you’re not fooling me.” He cocked his brow, and I wanted to punch his pretty face. Why, of all the people here, did it have to be him?
Because the universe hates you.
“Jared, I really don’t have the energy right now. I just want to find Lo.” And get the hell out of here.
He stepped up to me. “Let’s go then.”
“What? I didn’t mean...” He levelled me with a look that had me swallowing the protest on the tip of my tongue. “Fine, let’s go.”
Jared stuck close as we wound through the crowd of bodies. A few girls waved, some pointed and stared, probably formulating their next Pulitzer-award-winning rumor. I kept my eyes down, walking slightly ahead of him. After all, we weren’t together or anything. He was just helping me find Lo, at which point, I’d thank him and send him on his way.
“I can’t see her anywhere.” I said as we made our way out the back door. My eyes scanned the groups of kids hanging out by the pool but there was no sign of Lo or Maverick, or Kyle for that matter. “I think I’ll just—”
Something solid smacked into my back and I jerked forward but Jared was there, steadying me with his hands. “Shit, Laurie, are you okay?” His concerned gaze ran over my body and I ground my teeth together, pain spreading out through my lower side.
“Sorry,” someone yelled, but I didn’t bother to look, embarrassment flooding my cheeks.
“This day just keeps getting better,” I murmured feeling the prick of tears build again.
“Are you okay? Those things hurt like a...” He stepped back, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’ll probably have a bruise.” Jared bent down to pick up the football and hiked his arm back sending it flying into the pool.
“I’ll be fine.”
There was that word again. It really needed to be banned or something.
He checked me over again and leaned in, his finger coming toward my face. I froze. What was he—
“There.” He swiped away a rogue tear. “All better.” His finger seemed s
uspended, his eyes locked on mine. I blinked, breaking the weird moment we just shared and stuttered, “I’m going to check the beach for Lo. They could be down at the bonfire.”
I didn’t ask him to come.
But he followed anyway.
Chapter 13
KYLE
I saw red.
One minute I was watching them walk away from Brendon Palmer’s yard toward the beach, the next I was running straight at Jared, knocking him clean onto his ass. “Get your fucking hands off her.” My voice didn’t sound like my own as the red mist enveloped me, filling my chest, clouding my vision.
“Whoa, man. There’s been a mis—”
“Kyle, stop...” Laurie’s plea barely touched my anger. It was all set on him.
The fucker that had been touching my girl.
“I saw you with her. You think I don’t know you want her? You’ve wanted her almost as long as I have.”
Jared scrambled up, holding his hands out, edging away from me. “Kyle, man, you’ve got it all wrong. She was upset, I only asked if she—”
“If she what?” I yelled bringing the party to a standstill. Everyone was looking. Every. Single. One. But it was too late. I couldn’t un-see him comforting her; couldn’t un-see Laurie—my Laurie—standing there letting Jared-fucking-Teller touch her.
It was supposed to be my touch, my warmth, my words of comfort.
Her tears were supposed to be my fucking tears.
Fuck. The world spun before my eyes and I shook my head. How much had I drunk? After Laurie left me on the beach, I’d wanted to run after her and say everything I should have said when she put me on the spot. But the guys found me before I could escape. And she ignored my messages.
Laurie walked away from me.
She left me.
So when someone had pushed a shot glass into my hand, I’d knocked it back in one. Everything got a little hazy after that. There’d been more shots with the guys. Beer. More shots when Trey challenged me to a drinking contest.
“I asked her if she was okay, that’s all, man. Come on, don’t make a—”
“A scene?” Maniacal laughter spilled out Jack-Nicholson-in-the-Shining style. “I think it’s a bit late for that, don’t you? May as well go big or go home, right?” I circled closer, anger rippling through me.
Jared and Laurie.
Her smiling at him through tear-stained eyes.
His finger reaching out and touching her face.
Them.
Together.
My arm swung wide, connecting with something that felt a lot like bone. Motherfucker. I clutched my hand, pain radiating deep inside.
“KYLE, STOP!”
“What the fuck is your problem, Stone?” Jared staggered back, swiping his bloody lip with the back of his hand. “If you’d been doing your job,” he goaded. “I wouldn’t have had to step in.”
“Jared, don’t... Oh, God...”
I launched myself at him and we both went down, fists punching, limbs colliding. “You’re unhinged, Stone. Look at you.” He got the upper hand, rolling me into my back, pinning me with his weight. But I was past the point of no return. Aside from the odd scuffle at football, I’d never thrown a punch in my life—I didn't fight—but right now, I wanted to kill something with my bare hands.
And Jared’s face seemed like a good place to start.
“Get the fuck off me, Teller.” I ground out bucking him with enough force to push him off me. I rammed my elbow into whatever I could find, and he grunted with pain. “I will kill you—”
Hands went around me and hoisted me up. “Let me go, Rick.” I didn’t need to look to know it was him. I thrashed and lunged but the guy was solid. And strong. So fucking strong, I thought the death hold he had me in might crush a rib or two.
Jared’s eyes narrowed on me and I smirked, daring him, willing him, to come at me.
“Take a walk, Teller.” Luke and Trey appeared at his side, but he still didn’t move. Trey placed a hand on his shoulder and he shrugged him off and said, “Okay, I’m going.”
Rick released his hold enough that I no longer felt trapped in a vice, but he didn’t let up until Jared was gone. I turned slowly, but my eyes went straight past my stepbrother to the broken girl standing behind him. “Laurie, I’m—”
She sniffled, dropped her head and ran, taking the air with her. I couldn’t breathe, so it made no sense I could move, but somehow, I managed to lurch forward, every instinct screaming at me to go after her. Rick had other ideas, slamming his hand against my chest blocking me. “Let her go. Lo will make sure she’s okay.”
“I need to see her.” My body sagged against him, the adrenaline and rage I’d felt a minute before going, evaporating into nothing but regret and shame. “To explain.”
“No,” his hard gaze spoke a thousand words. “You need to sober up, get that cut looked at, and then tell me what the fuck just happened.”
“Fine.” I raked my hand over my face, his words rattling through my bones. He didn’t need to say it for me to know I’d screwed up. It was written all over his face.
Over Laurie’s face as she stared at me like she no longer recognized me.
Shit.
Fuck.
I’d gone too far. Completely and utterly lost my mind.
“Let’s go.” Rick motioned toward the house, but I shook my head and he nodded. “Come on, I only had one beer, I’ll drive.”
“READY TO TALK?” RICK said as he cut the engine. The drive back to the house had been quiet. I’d stared out of the window, watching nothing and everything.
“Not really.”
“Tough shit. You have some explaining to do, and me and you are going to sit here until you’re ready to talk.” I felt his heavy stare. Probing. Searching. Too fucking intense.
“I fucked up.”
“Yeah, you did. And here’s me thinking I’m the one with anger issues.”
“Jared Teller is a dick.” My defeated gaze snapped to Rick’s and he narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t particularly like the guy but I’m not sure he deserved to get his ass handed to him in front of most of your class.”
“And if it had been Lions comforting Lo?” I challenged.
Rick’s walls slammed up, his jaw clenching until I could see the carotid throbbing.
“Thought so.”
“Tell me what you saw.”
“He was touching her, touching my girlfriend.” He’d had a thing for Laurie for as long as I could remember. But Jared Teller was a dog. Played his way through girls quicker than I ran plays for Coach when he was in one of his moods.
“So maybe he overstepped the mark.” Rick sounded too calm. “But I’ve never seen you like that, Stone. Ever. So why don’t you quit the bullshit and tell me what really happened.”
His eyes burned into me and I wanted to tell him, to confess the truth behind my moment of madness. But the words lodged in my throat and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give her air time. If I said the words, there was no taking them back.
And I’d have to deal with her; with the fallout.
The questions.
The judgment and scandal.
My squeaky-clean reputation would be tarnished by a woman who had ruined my life once already. Not to mention what it would do to Dad and Rebecca—and they’d already been through so much.
No. Thank you.
“I told you before, I’m dealing with some shit.”
“You’re a bad liar, Stone. I’m family. Family tell each other stuff.”
“This is just something I need to deal with in my own time.” I held his unwavering glare with my own. He wasn’t used to people telling him no. Rick liked control. But I wasn’t a puppet. And this wasn’t his shit to handle.
It was mine.
“Fine. But you’re making a big mistake. I saw Laurie’s expression—you broke her. I know things haven’t been great between you two and that’s your business, but you need to fix it before it’s too la
te.”
“I—” My mouth snapped shut because what could I possibly say? He was right. I did need to fix it... before I lost her for good.
“COME ON, BABE, OPEN up. Please.” I hammered on Laurie’s front door again, glancing to the house across the way, hoping the owners were out. The last thing I needed was Mr. Davison getting wind of this, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and Laurie had refused to answer any of my calls so... here I was, desperate.
“Laurie, come on, open—”
“Go away, Kyle. Before the neighbors see you.”
I dropped my forehead against the door as I lowered my voice. “Please, just give me five minutes. And then if you want me to leave, I will.”
Silence greeted me, and I let out a heavy sigh.
“I’m sorry, I’m so, so—” The door swung open and Laurie stood there, her expression hard.
“Five minutes.”
“That’s all I need, I promise.”
She stepped aside to let me in. For a hot summer’s day, the temperature in the Davison’s house was below freezing, Laurie’s anger and disappointment rippling around the room. The door slammed shut behind her and I flinched, the sound cutting through the tension like a jagged knife.
“Start talking.” Laurie came around to me but made no move to go into the living room or kitchen. And it occurred to me, she really wasn’t going to make this easy on me.
What did you expect, jackass?
Scrubbing a hand down my face, I lifted my eyes to hers and smiled weakly. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s it, you’re sorry?”
“Yeah, well. I was a jackass. I should never have let Trey talk me into drinking all those—”
“Are you kidding me right now?” My brows knitted together, but she wasn’t done. “This isn’t about the shots or the fact you pummeled Jared’s face. It’s about you, Kyle.”
“I...” my mouth hung open.
“You’ve been lying to me for weeks. Keeping things from me. I gave you a chance to tell me the truth last night and what did you do? Got wasted and tried to beat the crap out of Jared because he was there.”