by Brei Betzold
“Thanks,” I told him offering him a smile.
He smirked down at me. “You are a real bitch without it, I’m only doing it for self-preservation.”
“Prick,” I muttered.
“I have one and it’s very large, would you like to see?”
I reached up and punched him hard. He oofed and started laughing, “Later, huh?”
“Asshole,” I told him.
“I have one of those too but—”
“I swear if you finish that sentence,” Matt told him. “Kale will not get any use out of it anytime soon.”
I started laughing and choking on the sip of coffee I had just taken, I turned and looked at Matt with watering eyes shocked.
He looked over at me winked and grinned.
After my coffee, I decided it was time to hit the lake. I went and quickly changed into my board shorts and a tank top, slathered on sunblock, and went in search of willing people to come with me. I finally talked everyone into coming down, and when they were ready Nikki led the charge down to the lake, in yet another tiny bikini. I kept an eye on Thayne, giggling at the death glares he gave the guys ogling her.
It was relatively quiet when we got there but I knew that would change soon, since it was the fourth and families would show up for the day. I intended to enjoy the less crowded water while I could, so I dropped my stuff off and ran out into the lake. When I was far enough in, I dived into the water and swam out as far as we were allowed. Once I reached where the rope was I began to start swimming laps. I had pent up anger and grief to exert in some way, and since I didn’t have a punching bag here that left swimming or running, I preferred swimming.
By the fifth lap I was exhausted. I hadn’t been away from home that long but in that time away, I hadn’t kept up my usual routine. I hadn’t had a Krav Maga class or a workout in a gym, and I was feeling it today. I swam back up towards the shallower water and flipped to my back floating across the cool water. I heard Nikki shrieking then a splash followed my Liam laughing, it didn’t take much imagination to know what happened there. Liam loved tossing people into lakes, pools, rivers, and he didn’t care which.
I continued to float and stared up at the clear blue sky, no clouds today, just the brilliant blue broken every once in a while with a bird sailing through the currents. I could hear more people coming in the water, kids laughing, splashing, and parents yelling at them to stop. I closed my eyes and let myself drift, when I felt fingers wisp across my hand, I opened them and looked up. The same guy from yesterday was standing there grinning down at me, I glanced around and found that we were alone in this area of the lake.
I put my legs down standing in the water it came up to my shoulders, I hadn’t realized I had drifted that far off. I looked over and saw Kale and Liam splashing Nikki with water. I knew if I screamed they would be over in an instant and that helped me calm down enough to look back at the guy.
“Yeah?” I said.
“Do you remember me from yesterday?”
“Kind of,” I told him looking around.
“I never did get your name,” he said smoothly, and I was sure this guy wasn’t used to being turned down. Oh well I wasn’t interested in him.
I shrugged and moved to swim closer to where my friends when he reached out and grabbed my arm. I pulled back but he didn’t let go.
“Come on, I just want to know your name,” he cajoled.
“Let go of me,” I bit out. He released my arm giving me a sheepish look.
“Sorry.”
I nodded then went to move away again.
“Hey,” he said putting his hands up. “I’m just trying to get to know you,” he said flashing his dimples.
I shook my head. “Sorry, I need to go find my friends.”
“Just a few minutes,” he whined.
I was about to tell him to go to hell when two arms wrapped around my waist and I stiffened then a familiar voice, “Bella, I was looking for you.” He nuzzled his nose against my neck and I shivered.
“Thayne, I was just coming to find you.”
“Mmm,” he replied. “I missed you; did you have a good swim?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled enjoying him standing so close and holding me against his body. I felt myself slowly melt back into him and his smile against my neck.
“Who’s your friend?” he asked.
“What friend?” I replied confused then I remembered the guy who had been talking to me, but my response had made Thayne chuckle and puffs of air blew across my neck. I couldn’t remember my own name, let alone his.
“Uhm, I don’t know,” I finally breathed out, and I felt his chest shake behind me and he tucked his face in my shoulder trying to muffle his laughter.
I realized at some point I had closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I found the guy had left, leaving me alone with a very amused Thayne.
“That was mean,” I told him.
“He was bothering you, and I told him yesterday you were taken.”
“Mmm and since when have I been taken? And why didn’t I know about it?”
“Scout, you’ve been taken since you ran into me in the parking lot, you never even looked at me but I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I thought she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and that I had to find out who she was. Then I started spending time with you and I knew you were mine, you just hadn’t realized it yet.”
“Oh,” I breathed out.
“Yeah, oh, so you are very taken, even if you still haven’t realized it,” he told me and brushed his lips against my shoulder.
He laced his fingers with mine and dragged me over to where everyone else was now laid out on towels letting the sun dry the lake from their skin. I let go of his hand and spread my towel out. He did the same beside me and when we were laid on our backs, he grabbed my hand and lacing our fingers again. I smiled, I actually liked this.
That evening after dinner we headed back towards the lake. Matt’s team had joined us at some point, so now with a much larger group we were scoping out a spot to set off fireworks. I couldn’t believe the amount of fireworks we now had. Kale and Liam had bought a bag of different stuff yesterday, and Matt’s five teammates had shown up with three more. We finally found a place that everyone was happy with. I wrapped my flannel around me tighter and went to found a dry place to sit, tucking my legs under me, and looked up at the sky filled with stars. The sky never looked like this in San Diego, there were millions of stars to stare at, to get lost in. So that’s what I did, I got lost in the Milky Way, watching a shooting star zip across the sky.
“Cold?” Thayne asked as he sat down behind me, wrapping his arms around me, and pulled me back so I was leaning against his chest.
“Yeah,” I said on a sigh, enjoying his body heat. “You’re not going to set off fireworks?”
“And blow off a hand? Uhm, no thanks,” he muttered.
I turned my head and looked at him, “Who told you?”
“Told me what?” he asked sounding confused.
“That I won’t touch them because I’m afraid of losing a finger?”
He laughed. “No one, but that is funny, most people think I am crazy because of that.”
I shook my head. “Nope I get it, I like having ten fingers.”
“Hmm I like your ten fingers too,” he said pulling me back against his chest once again and clasping his fingers with mine.
We sat there quietly listening to our group argue amongst themselves over the best way to set up and shoot off rockets. I didn’t know what to do or say. With the other two guys I dated it was never like this, they didn’t touch me, and I didn’t let them. I only let one kiss me, even that wasn’t very often, and when it did happen, I pulled away quickly. So here I sat twenty-one years old and uncertain what to do with a guy I liked. Did I want him to kiss me? Was I okay with him touching me like this? I didn’t know if I would like kissing anyone, ever.
“Stop thinking,” he whispered, “we’ll take this slow.”
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“What is this, Thayne?”
“Whatever it turns into, Scout, just stop overthinking it and let it be.”
“I don’t know what I am doing,” I whispered. “I’ve never been in this situation before.”
He stilled. “You’ve never dated?”
I shook my head, “Not really.”
“What does not really mean?”
“I kind of dated two different guys, one didn’t last a month, the other lasted eight months but now that I think about it we rarely actually saw each other. I think it’s why he stayed as long as he did.”
“There is nothing wrong with you,” he said sternly, “and it’s my luck that they didn’t stick around long enough to find out how great you are.”
I snorted, “Uh huh.”
“You really do not see yourself clearly,” he muttered, “you are more than what happened.”
“I know that,” I said angrily.
“No, I don’t think you really do. But hopefully one day you will see what I see when I look at you,” he told me clutching his arms around me for a moment then loosened his grip.
At that point, I heard the telltale sound of fuses hissing then a zipping noise as the first rocket launched into the sky, bursting into bright red sparkles before falling into the lake, sizzling out. I snuggled further into his body and watched the show as the guys began lighting more of the rockets and sending a kaleidoscope of colors bursting in the sky. I sat, mesmerized by the show, so when lips brushed against my ear I jerked. I heard him chuckle and warm air brushed my neck causing me to shiver.
“Mia Bella,” he whispered I turned and looked at him about to reply that it was a beautiful night when his lips feather light brushed against my own. I stopped breathing at that moment feeling my own fireworks being set off across my skin. He leaned forward once more and like butterfly wings, I felt his soft lips against my own, his lip ring slightly dragging against my own.
“Breathe, Bella,” he purred against my lips. “You okay?”
I gave a slight incline of my head not wanting to break the tentative touch of his lips on mine.
He leaned back in putting slightly more pressure against my sensitive lips this time, and I breathed out, breathing in his breath into my body. He ran his tongue gently across my lips slowing over my piercings, playing with them for a moment before running his tongue the other way repeating the action. On the next run of his tongue this time over my upper lip, he added more pressure and I opened slightly, it was all the invitation he needed. He slowly used his tongue to open my lips more before pressing further in, rubbing his tongue against my own, that was when I realized his tongue was pierced. When I felt the cool metal stroke the underside of my tongue, I moaned quietly, unsure of what exactly to do. I let him control the kiss. He brushed his tongue against mine once again, and I finally understood what he wanted. I returned the motion, slowly, tentatively I felt him smile against my lips, and once again increased the kiss, stroking his tongue against my own. Finally, he broke the kiss nipping my bottom lip before leaning his forehead against my own.
I hesitantly ran my tongue over my bottom lip, still tasting him, the slight taste of nicotine and mint. “Wow,” I muttered.
He chuckled softly then reached up, to rub his thumb along my lower lip. “Wow indeed,” he whispered before leaning in and softly placed a chaste kiss on my lips then backing away. I faced forward again watching the sky light up the way my body did with him this close.
Chapter 29
I woke up the next morning hearing the birds singing, and the sun starting to crest over the trees. I tried wiggling further into my sleeping bag but wasn’t able to move. Something was holding me tightly keeping me from getting away. My breath sped up, my heartbeat followed, I struggled to get away, but the steel bands holding me became tighter. I began to fight, to kick to get away from what was holding me. I jerked my head to the side and came face to face with vacant eyes, and screamed.
“Shhh Bella,” Thayne said soothingly and I realized that we had fallen asleep out here after staying up talking. It was him that was holding me. I turned quickly and buried my face in his chest, away from the dead animal that lay beside me.
He rubbed my back lightly, and yelled for someone. Kale was outside quickly looking around in panic, when he saw the dead animal, he started cussing.
“You two okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, we’re fine,” Thayne said still rubbing my back and holding me close, I let the tears fall quickly turning into sobs.
“Shhh Bella,” he murmured, “you’re okay.”
I heard more footsteps then cussing when they saw what was lying beside me, a dead rabbit had been cut open from throat down, left there. I began shaking; I was so cold. Why was I so cold?
“Breathe, Scout,” Thayne ordered.
I let out my breath in a whoosh and quickly drew in another. My heart pounded and I felt it coming on, but I didn’t know how to stop this one.
“Kale,” Thayne shouted.
I heard Kale yell out ‘fuck’ then he was there asking me questions I couldn’t hear. My breathing was too fast, I knew it was but I couldn’t slow it down. Then there was a hand pulling my mouth opened and I struggled against it, they shoved something small in and the closed my mouth keeping it closed.
“Hold her, keep her close,” someone ordered and I shook harder.
I couldn’t close my eyes. I knew that if I did the memories would come, so instead I stared at Thayne’s chest. I watched each inhale and exhale move his chest and tried to match his, but I couldn’t slow my own down. Finally, I felt the lethargy set in from a high dose of meds and slowly my body began to relax.
“Better?” Thayne whispered.
I tried to nod my head but it wouldn’t work correctly. I felt him let out a sigh and knew he understood anyway.
“Let’s get you moved, huh,” he said moving slightly away, kissing my forehead. Untangling us and standing then reaching down, picking me up. He carried me bridal style towards his tent, farthest away from the carcass. Once inside, he put me down on his sleeping bag, kissing me gently on the lips.
“I’m going to go check on Nikki, k?”
I attempted another nod and he smiled. “Be right back.”
A moment later, a stunned Nikki came in and sat down beside me. “My brother said I had to stay in here with you.”
“K,” I mumbled.
“Who would do something like that?” she asked between sniffling.
“Dunno.”
She laid down beside me staring up at the tent ceiling and I slowly let the drugs take effect and pull me into a not awake yet not asleep state.
They decided we were going to leave earlier than we had planned and quickly tore the camp apart. I sat on the log by the campfire sipping coffee.
“Scout,” Matt yelled and I looked over at him, “where are your keys?”
I reached into my jean pocket and pulled them out showing him.
He walked over and held his hand out. “You can’t ride. I’m going to ride Stella and you’re going to go with Thayne,” he said and I knew that tone of voice, I was doing as he wanted so I handed over my keys.
Soon after I was in the front seat, my head resting on the passenger window watching the scenery go by. I sighed and looked over at Thayne. He had one arm resting on the open window the other on the steering wheel watching the road. I smiled slightly thinking of how great the night before had been, the fireworks, the amazing kiss, spending hours talking about everything and nothing.
He looked over and smiled. “What are you thinking about?”
“Last night,” I said blushing and then laughing at the gagging sound Nikki made in the backseat.
“You doing okay?” he asked quietly.
I nodded, “Yeah, I guess so. Hey, why don’t you two stay for dinner tonight, that way Nikki can get to know Cam since she’ll be hanging out with her starting tomorrow.”
“Whatcha think, munchkin?” he asked looking
in the rearview mirror at Nikki.
“Yes, real food,” she squealed which caused me to laugh.
“Real food?” I asked.
“Thayne can’t cook, so it’s either fast food or mac and cheese, I am tired of both,” she whined.
I wrinkled my nose, “Ewww.”
“See I’m not the only one, Thayne,” she crowed.
“Sorry, didn’t learn how to cook,” he replied and shrugged.
“Hmm well then, how about a home cooked meal, Nikki?”
“Yes please,” she said then went back to watching out the window.
The rest of the ride was quiet, each of us taking in the view of mountains and trees that surrounded us.
We walked in the door and found Liam, Kale, Simon, and Matt yelling at one another, I ignored them and went to my room to drop off my stuff, pulling out the dirty clothes to toss in the washer. After I started laundry, I went into the kitchen, rooted around until I found the things I would need to fix spaghetti for dinner and went to work cutting vegetables for the sauce.
“What are they fighting about?” Nikki asked from the doorway.
“Me,” I told her chopping the green pepper a little too vigorously.
“Why you?”
“Liam and Kale would have come home, told Simon about what happened with the rabbit, then he would have called Cas who would have freaked out. Then they would discuss how to deal with the situation. Then end up fighting over the correct way to keep me safe, and hide as much of it as they can from me.”
She blinked at me. “Are you serious?”
“Yep.”
“Do they do this often?”
“Yep.”
“Huh, I thought my brother was overprotective.”
I laughed though it wasn’t funny. “I have four very overprotective brothers.”
“I figured that out.”
“Where is Thayne?”
“Sitting in the living room with Matt watching them.”