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Even If You Don't

Page 6

by Kimberly Blake


  I open the door to my room but before I step out, I peek my head out and make sure to look both ways before I cross the hallway. I don’t want to have my face plastered against Eric’s chest again. Okay so, it wasn’t really an inconvenience but I think twice is enough for now or I might just go crazy.

  The coast is clear so I head towards the living room where Dan and Lauren are sitting. Dan is trying to calm Lauren down. She gets worked up like this often but this time I understand because the wedding is close and it’s a stressful time. I hand Dan the sunscreen and head into the kitchen where Eric is sitting at the island.

  “You ready to head to the beach?” I ask as I grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

  Eric rounds the island and grabs the water from my hand.

  “I am now.” He winks.

  I just smile and grab another water for me and we start towards the door. Dan and Lauren catch up with us and we walk to the beach together.

  I stake out my part of the beach and put my headphones in, turn my music on, and enjoy the hot sun on my skin. I lay peacefully for about ten minutes before I’m suddenly being lifted off the ground. My headphones fall by the wayside. I am kicking the perpetrator, which is Griff, but he just laughs and starts heading towards the water. I scream for help but apparently none of my friends are decent human beings and they all sit and laugh at me. Next thing I know, I’m being plopped into the ocean. All of this happens within a very short length of time so I wasn’t fully prepared for the submersion.

  I inhale too much water. My nose is burning so bad and I’m coughing up water. This is not my idea of a fun time at the beach. I don’t mind getting in the water but I’d like to do it on my own accord. I know Griff was trying to have fun but right now he’s on my shit list.

  I’m immediately in a bad mood so I just grab my stuff and head back toward the condo. Everyone is calling after me as I head up the hill but I just ignore them. I know it’s not that big of a deal but for some reason, I just feel off today and this isn’t helping. I chock day one up as a dud and resolve to have a better day tomorrow. Once I reach the condo I gather my stuff to take a shower. I wasn’t planning on getting in the water today but now that I have, I need to wash my hair before it drives me crazy.

  After I’m done, I wrap myself in the fluffy white towel and then I wrap the smaller one around my hair. I slept for hours earlier but I’m still tired so I decide it’s time to take another nap. On purpose this time.

  I’m experiencing deja vu. I’m once again being shaken awake by large man hands. Since I slept in my towel, because I’m lazy, once I roll over it pops wide open leaving me exposed, again. I swear only I have luck as bad as this. This time Eric doesn’t look up but he stares me straight in the eye as I fix my towel.

  “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” The side of his mouth kicks up a little.

  “We wouldn’t have this problem if you’d stop waking me up,” I say this with an attitude but I’m also smiling as I say it.

  “I didn’t want you to miss dinner. I know how you like to eat.”

  Is he calling me fat? “Are you calling me fat?”

  He rolls his eyes and is smart enough to evade that question. “Get your ass up, we’re going out to eat authentic Mexican food.”

  He barely finishes his statement before I’m shoving him out of my room so I can get dressed. I go for a black maxi dress, in a petite size because I’d drown in a regular maxi dress. I grab a pair of wedges and put my hair in a bun on top of my head since it’s still slightly wet from my shower. I skip my makeup and just apply cherry chapstick. I’m ready to go in less than five minutes. The promise of good food does a lot for my motivation.

  The restaurant is loud and crowded. Dan made the reservations earlier so we’ve got a couple of tables ready for us. I somehow end up sitting between Parker and Chelsea which works for me because I like both of them.

  I haven’t seen Chelsea in a while aside from this morning so we spend the first 20 minutes catching up while we eat chips and salsa and drink our margaritas. The margaritas are strong and oh so good.

  “So Chelsea, when are you going to get hitched? Whatever happened to Tom? You guys were pretty serious.”

  “He left me for his secretary about two months ago. So it’s safe to say it will be awhile before I’m walking down the aisle. But, I could ask you the same thing? Anybody special in your life?”

  “Definitely not.”

  Parker, who has apparently been listening in to our conversation, leans over me and addresses Chelsea. “We’ve decided we’re going to die alone.”

  Chelsea looks confused but also kind of interested because she knows there’s a backstory to this.

  I put my hand on Parker’s arm as I explain. “Parker here offered to die alone with me, what a gentleman!” I do a big fake sigh.

  Chelsea, who obviously doesn’t know what we’re talking about, just giggles. I glance across the table and I can see Eric’s jaw clench. I immediately take my hand from Parker’s arm. I don’t know for sure that the physical contact is what’s making him seem unhappy but I’ve noticed that his mood tends to sour when I’m with Parker.

  Once our food arrives, I take a picture of it and send it to Char. I know she’ll be jealous of the food. Plus I did tell her I’d keep her updated on the trip and so far I’ve pretty much slept all day and almost kissed Eric. I don’t exactly want to tell her about my mixed feeling for Eric.

  A couple of margaritas later, I decide I want to test out my theory that Eric gets mad when I interact with Parker. It’s not the smartest idea I’ve ever had or even the nicest but I don’t have any other way of finding out. Unless I just come out and ask him which I’m definitely not going to do.

  I turn to Parker and rest my hand on his arm. I’m a little flirty but not overtly so. I ask him to take a selfie with me so we can send it to Char and let her know what she’s missing. He happily agrees so we scoot closer together. He puts his arm around my back and I put my left hand on his thigh and use my other hand to take the selfie on my phone. Then my idea gets even better. I look at Eric, who definitely isn’t comfortable with my closeness to Parker. It almost makes me smile.

  “Hey, Eric. Can you take the picture for us? My arm is just too short to get a good angle.” I smile sweetly.

  Eric takes my phone without a word and snaps a few pictures for me. I’m having too much fun with this so I go a little overboard giggling and leaning my head on Parker’s shoulder. Parker seems to be enjoying himself. He even plants a kiss on my cheek for one of the pictures. I figure that’s enough to prove my theory correct because Eric looks downright hostile when I ask for my phone back.

  Once dinner is over and we’ve arrived back to the condo, I take Parker’s arm as we get out of the car. I’m a little inebriated and my wedges are slightly too tall for my liking. I probably should have packed my own bag.

  It’s late and everyone decides to go straight to bed once we get back. Parker delivers me to my bedroom door.

  “Parker, I have something to tell you. I think you’ll like what I have to say.”

  He grins that sweet grin at me. Although it doesn’t have the same effect on me that it did the first time I saw it. It’s a friendly grin and I consider him a friend. I’m truly happy he’ll be around more.

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, Chelsea happens to think you’re quite attractive. I may or may not have given her your number. You can thank me later!” I quip.

  Chelsea is really attractive and I saw Parker checking her out at dinner. He also tried to interrupt every conversation I was having with her just so he could have a reason to talk to her. It was actually really sweet. So once Chelsea and I took a trip to the restroom, I gave her his number and told her if she had any lady-balls she’d use it. I’m so articulate when I’ve been drinking.

  Parker leans down and gives me a kiss on the cheek and whispers thank you in my ear. From the outside looking in, the gesture seems intimate
but I can honestly say that we both feel nothing but friendship for one another. But, Eric chooses that exact moment to turn into the hallway and he interprets the scene a bit differently than it actually is. I pull away from Parker and grab Eric’s arm as he passes by us to stop him. Parker knows something is up so he quickly says goodnight and heads into their shared room.

  Eric turns to look at me. There isn’t much warmth in his eyes this time. “The truce is over.”

  “What! Why?” I whine.

  “I changed my mind. You can go back to viewing me as an asshole and I’ll go back to not thinking of you at all.”

  That hurts. It feels like a physical blow to me so I lean against the wall as I gather my thoughts. But then I notice that he’s rubbing his neck. I know it sounds stupid but I swear the guy does that every time he’s lying. So it gives me hope that he doesn’t mean the harsh words he said. Maybe I just pushed my luck too much. I know I shouldn’t have openly flirted with Parker like that if I didn’t mean it. Luckily, Parker didn’t mind and I feel like I settled my debt with him by giving Chelsea his number. If she uses it. I have a feeling Parker agrees.

  “Please don’t say that Eric. How about we just go to bed and we can try our truce again tomorrow? Tomorrow will be a better day. I promise.”

  I realize I still have both hands wrapped around his arm and I guess he realizes it at the same time because he shakes me off and heads back to the living room. I think about following him but then I hear the back door open and close. I’ll try again tomorrow. I go to bed with a heavy heart but I also have a sliver of hope.

  Chapter 6

  Day two goes a lot like day one except without being chunked in the ocean. I think Griff feels bad about that because he’s been extra nice to me. Day three was fun because we rented jet skis. Day four we went out on a boat. I got seasick so I did not enjoy that activity at all. I usually don’t mind boats but the water was choppy and it just wasn’t agreeing with me. Eric is still avoiding me during day five, six, and seven but I just spend my time with Chelsea and Parker. We have a lot of fun exploring the city. By day eight I’ve got a nice tan going on. It’s also the day of the rehearsal dinner because the wedding is tomorrow and then we head back home the next day.

  For the past few days I’ve been trying to get Eric to talk to me but I’m tired of making the effort to have him ignore me in return. So today, I decide to ignore him. Parker and I are about to meet Chelsea at the beach. I put on my swimsuit and sandals. I grab my towel and head towards Parker’s door. I knock and a few seconds later the door swings open and Eric is standing in front of me. He looks me up and down for a second and I just let him take his time with his obvious perusal.

  Once his eyes return to mine he says, “I think I have a new favorite color… yellow.”

  I look down at my yellow swimsuit and I’m about to say something but I remember I’m supposed to be ignoring him so I school my features to look unaffected by him. I push past him into the room and find Parker gathering his stuff.

  “Come on Park, Chelsea texted me and said she’s already out there.”

  Eric is still by the door but he has now turned around so he can look at me and Parker. We walk past him and I don’t give him a second glance while I pass.

  We’re at the beach for a few hours before we decide to head back to the condo. As I’m gathering my stuff, someone wraps their arms around me in a big hug. I turn around to find Char grinning like a fool.

  “Surprise!”

  “Oh my gosh! Char, I can’t believe you’re here. I’m so glad you are, though!” I squeal and hug her back fiercely. We’ve only been gone a week but I’ve really missed her. It just felt like something was missing and now that she’s here our group is complete.

  She gives Chelsea a hug and says hello to Parker. She mentions seeing Griff and Eric at the condo but she hasn’t seen Dan yet.

  “He’s with Lauren, they’re taking some professional photos before the rehearsal dinner. Which we need to start getting ready for.” Chelsea says as she gathers her stuff to leave.

  I link arms with Char as we walk. I’m so happy she’s here. Not only because she’ll make the remaining few days fun but she can also fix my hair for today and tomorrow so I can look presentable. She’s a very handy friend to have around.

  Once we’re in our room, she looks at me nervously.

  “Do you think it’s okay that I came?” She bites her lip as she asks.

  I give her a look that implies that she’s crazy. “Of course, it’s okay! Dan is your second best friend AND he invited you to come in the first place.”

  She exhales a large sigh. “Okay, then let’s get you ready to knock Parker’s socks off. Where is your makeup bag?”

  Now it’s my turn to look nervous. I’m a little reluctant to explain the situation but I have to before she tries to push me on Parker tonight.

  “So about that…”

  “You messed it up already didn’t you? Are you still in the friend-zone? What the hell have you been doing all week? You looked pretty cozy in those snaps you sent me.”

  “Well, the thing is… it’s just not there for us.”

  “What’s not there?” She asks.

  “The spark. You know where you want to melt when a guy touches you or even when he just looks at you. When you’re so frustrated with him because he’s being a total ass but then he goes and says things like.. ‘My new favorite color is yellow’ which just so happens to be the color of the bikini you’re wearing. Then you want to attach yourself to him and not let go but you’re supposed to be ignoring him so you can’t attach yourself to him because that would defeat the purpose of ignoring him. It’s all very simple, you know.”

  She looks at me quizzically and I know she wants to ask questions but I think she gets that I just gave up way more information than I was intending.

  So I continue explaining away Parker, “So I am in the friend-zone but this time it’s on purpose. Also, he’s pretty hot for Chelsea and the feeling is mutual. I’m surprised they haven’t kicked Eric out of the room yet.”

  “Man, I missed a lot.”

  “You sure did,” I agree.

  We both get dressed and Char does my makeup and fixes my hair into a fishtail braid. I’m pretty good at applying my own makeup but I can’t do winged eyeliner to save my life and Char is like a freaking professional. I’ve never looked better. I’m wearing a low-cut yellow cocktail dress that looks nice against my tan. I’m also wearing a pair of strappy heels. I’m not exactly thrilled with the shoe choice but since Char packed my bags, the only flats I have are sandals. Char looks amazing in a fitted little black dress and red lipstick. Her hair falls in loose golden waves down her back.

  I’m feeling really good about myself but as I look over at Charlotte she has that nervous look on her face from earlier. I’ve never known her to be so self-conscious before. I walk over to her and give her a hug.

  “Do you want to wait in here until we leave?”

  “No, I think I’m going to go find Dan and say hi since he doesn’t even know I’m here yet.”

  We head into the living room where both parties are gathered while we wait for the cars to arrive. All the girls look prim and proper but also very pretty. I feel a little exposed and loud in my yellow dress. I pull up the sweetheart neckline self-consciously.

  I see Char head towards Dan and his eyes light up the minute he sees her. She gives him a hug and they start talking. This is when I see Lauren walk up to them. Then all three of them head outside towards the patio. It’s a little odd but I ignore it because right at that moment there is a hand on my lower back and I feel an unshaved face at my ear.

  “Yellow is definitely my new favorite color.”

  I look up at Eric through my lashes and stare at his handsome face.

  “So, is this your way of saying the truce is back on?”

  “Not a chance in hell.” And with that, he takes my hand and leads me back towards my bedroom.

 
Once we’re in my bedroom, he pushes me up against the closed door. Our bodies are connected in all the right places.

  I’m trying very hard to keep my voice steady as he stares at me like he wants to devour me.

  “Why is the truce still off?” I manage to squeak out.

  “Because the truce was about being friends and I definitely don’t want to just be your friend right now.”

  Then he kisses me. It’s not slow and steady; it’s hot and passionate. Once that kiss breaks he kisses me again, and again. It’s like he can’t help himself and as soon as our lips part, they’re immediately right back together like magnets. That is until he starts to make his way down my neck. I move my head to the side to give him better access. I try my best not to squirm but it’s no use. But all the squirming does is provide more friction between us and the next thing I know I’m unbuttoning his shirt and his hand is on my zipper. The clothes are coming off.

  Chapter 7

  I’m grinning like a fool and I don’t care. I feel amazing. My hair probably looks like shit right now. I confirm this with a glance in the mirror. My lips are also swollen and I have a pretty serious case of beard burn going on. I grab my dress and put it back on. Eric comes (he did that earlier too) up behind me and zips it up for me. He kisses my bare shoulder and then starts on my neck again. I twist away from him.

  “Don’t start that again. There is a house full of people, at least there was before but they’ve probably all left by now to go to the restaurant. We need to get ready to leave.”

  He reluctantly agrees and starts getting dressed as well. As he’s doing that, I do my best not to stare at him. I grab my makeup bag and start reapplying the entire bottom half of my foundation and concealer along with my lipstick.

  “Keep your hands to yourself out there.” I chide.

  He swats my ass and this time it’s not quite as annoying as it used to be.

 

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