by LK Collins
“He’s sensitive, you both know that. Don’t throw it in his face.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Cam says and walks off, heading right towards Luke.
“What’d he say?” I ask Guy, hoping that maybe I can get a read on things to squash this bullshit once and for all.
“He’s broken up, man.”
“I don’t get that. She never acted like she was into him.”
“But she slept with him.”
“He told you?” I’m a little agitated by this revelation, but I guess it’s no secret.
“Yeah. I don’t know what to do, Nixon, but I can tell you this: our team is gonna crumble faster than you can blink if we don’t make this right.”
I scoff at Guy, “I mean, one lapse in judgment and now he’s head over heels. Seems a little crazy to me. He’s the one doing this, not me. If you expect me to not act like I’m with Cam, for the sake of him, it’s not gonna happen.”
“No, man, that’s not what I’m asking. Could ya keep things cool and maybe not rub it in his face?”
“Of course,” I respond as Cameron storms back over to us pissed off, her face red as she shakes her head. “He’s like a fuckin’ child,” she blurts out.
“What happened?” I ask, agitated, watching him through the windshield as he sits in the cockpit.
“He’s being a fucking bitch.”
“Whoa, why the language?” Mack asks, walking up to the three of us.
“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Cameron shrieks and as I stand here, I find my fists clenched at my sides and my eyes on him. He wants to act like a little bitch, then I’ll give him an ass whoopin’ like one.
25
Cameron
“Do you think it’s weird I haven’t heard from Conner?” I ask Nixon.
“No, babe, I’m sure he’s busy. He’ll call when he can.”
I nod, knowing he’s right, and fill the dishwasher with the dirty dishes from our dinner. “Luke seemed better today,” Nixon says to me and I roll my eyes.
“Why, because he actually said ‘bye’ when we left tonight? It’s been a fucking week. He should be over it by now, but he’s still acting like his dog died.”
Nixon laughs at my words, and I shrug my shoulders. “What? It’s true.”
“I know, it was funny the way you said it.”
“Maybe we should put in for a transfer?” I suggest and immediately he shuts the option down.
“No way,” he says and I start the dishwasher. Nixon’s phone rings and he tells me, “I’m not risking us getting split up.” He looks at the screen, then says, “It’s my aunt. Hello?” he answers and nods his head as he speaks. “Yeah, I don’t mind at all. Of course, let me know how things go. Tell her good luck. Love you too.”
He hangs up and says to me, “Rhonda’s water broke, so she’s headed to the hospital, and my aunt needs someone to watch Scoundrel.”
“Holy shit, that dog is still alive?”
“Oh yeah, and wait ‘til you see him, he looks exactly the same.”
“We gonna stay there?” I ask Nixon.
“Yeah, you cool with that?”
“Of course, I mean, we did grow up in that house, so it’ll be a time warp, that’s for sure.”
“I can’t wait to fuck you in her kitchen again.”
I smirk and walk off to pack a bag. Nixon yells after me, “I’m gonna take my stuff to the car, okay?”
“Sure, babe.”
After I’m all packed, we make the short trip inland to his aunt’s house and the moment he parks his truck in front of her 1970’s-style retro house, I’m totally taken back. Nixon used to spend all his time here. Since his dad was in the military, his mom hated to be home alone and basically moved them in. Conner and I lived at the end of the block. Conner always had a crush on Rhonda, but she was too old for him.
“Do you remember when Conner broke his arm falling off his skateboard out here?” I ask him.
“Oh my God, he screamed like a girl,” he says and we both bust out laughing.
Getting out of the truck, I look up at the house, where so many memories from our childhood took place. We walk up to the front door and Nixon stoops down to lift a small plant, where his aunt still leaves a key. He opens the door after struggling with the lock for like five minutes. The little dog greets us with an excited look, and Nixon was right, he looks the same. “Hey, buddy,” I say to him and lean down, petting his straggly fur. He sits his butt right down and Nixon scratches his head too, then goes into the kitchen. “You hungry, Scoundrel?” he calls out and I lead him into where Nixon is as he fills his bowl with a fresh cup of food.
Looking around, I can’t believe how identical everything is. Still to this day, it is the same as it was the last time I was here. “She hasn’t changed a thing.”
“No, she really hasn’t,” he responds and lifts me up, setting me on the kitchen island. With my arms locked around his neck, I smile, gazing at him, and he says to me, “Can I fuck you now?”
“Uh huh.” As he begins kissing my neck, I lean back, bracing my weight on my arms. His lips warm me, and as I take a hand reaching down for his cock, Scoundrel barks at us, already done eating. We stop kissing and stare at the tiny dog, which apparently thinks he needs attention.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to fuck you later,” Nixon says and then asks the dog, “Do you wanna go for a walk, buddy?” His words turn Scoundrel into psycho doggy as he darts to the front door and stares at his leash that is hanging by it.
“You coming, beautiful?” he asks me as I stand in his aunt’s home, a place that holds so many memories, so many times when things were so much simpler.
“Wake up, baby,” Nixon says kissing my shoulder and squeezing my ass. I’m groggy. I didn’t sleep well, and as I take the room in, I remember why. The bed in his aunt’s spare room is so uncomfortable.
“What time is it?” I ask, looking over at a freshly dressed Nixon.
“It’s six something.”
“Oh my God, why are you up?”
“I had to take care of the dog and wanted to take you somewhere today.”
“This early?”
He nods, giving me such a sexy look. How can I say no? I’d rob a bank with him if he wanted to. “Where?” I ask him and stretch, trying to push away the exhaustion.
“Can I show you?”
“Can you tell me?” He leans down and kisses me. “Two options: we can either stay in and fuck all day, or you can come with me.”
As good as his lips feel on mine, I have to get up. “I need out of this bed. It’s terrible.”
“Come on then.” He takes my hand and helps me stand. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” he says and walks off. I get dressed trying to think of what he could want to do today, and I can’t think of anything around here. I mean, maybe surfing at our favorite beach, but we don’t have our boards with us.
“Make sure you have your swimming suit on.”
“Are we going to the beach?” I call out and he says, “Nope.”
Pulling my dress back off over my breasts, I put my suit on and then brush my teeth and go find Nixon in the kitchen. When he sees me, he excitedly says, “Are you ready?”
“Uh huh,” I tell him, wondering what in the world has gotten into him. He hands me a coffee and drops a few bones in Scoundrel’s bowl before we bolt. I feel like he’s literally dragging me out of the house, and as we drive away, I ask him, “What’s with the big hurry?”
“You’ll have to wait and see, baby.”
“What’s in here?” I ask, peeking inside the brown paper bag that is sitting on the center console.
“Breakfast.”
“Whoa, where’s Nixon? And who is this man that’s cooking for me and rushing me around at six in the morning?”
“Shut up,” he teases me, “It’s nothing big, only a bagel.”
Gladly I eat it, looking out at the town as we drive through it. My brain is working overtime, trying to pinpoint where he is tak
ing me. “Are you sure we aren’t going to the beach?”
“I’m sure, babe, I promise.”
It’s not long until he parks his truck in an unfamiliar lot and says, “We’re here.”
I don’t recognize anything and ask him, “Are you sure you brought me here, or was it someone else?”
“Wow, now that’s cruel,” he says. “Who else would I have brought here? It was always you, Conner, and I, remember?”
“There was that girl…what was her name? Something with an L…Leticia or Laurel, whatever it was…was it with her?”
“Would you get the fuck out of the truck and follow me?” he cuts my speculation short, and I watch as he yanks his tight white tank top over his head, his blue eyes eating me alive as he looks at me through the thin fabric. Stepping out, the sand mixed with gravel is soft and feels familiar between my toes. I pull my dress over my head and toss it on the passenger seat, following Nixon’s lead, wearing only my suit. He walks off and looks down a ravine, I come up behind him and once my eyes focus in on the gorgeous turquoise waters of the cove and the large rock that is nestled above it, so many memories of being here come flooding back to me. How could I forget this place? We used to spend hours cliff diving here. “You remember it now?” he asks, reaching for my hand and leading me over to the top of the cliff.
“Yes, remember when…”
“Conner pretended to drown?” he finishes my sentence for me.
“Yes, what would make him think that was funny?”
“You know Conner, babe, he’s always out for a good laugh and to get a rise out of you.”
And he is…it’s one of the things that I love about him and miss most about him. He’s such a goofball. No one makes me laugh harder. As we reach the edge, we each take our flip-flops off and toss them down to where you climb out, still remembering the way we used to do things. Holding Nixon’s hand, with the rough surface beneath my toes, he kisses me, cupping my face, and says to me, “Fall with me,” the same way he always used to.
I don’t have to answer him, as he knows my answer. Leaning into the feeling of nothingness, the gravity quickly takes over, plummeting us into the warm water below. My fingers are knotted around his until the impact of the water tears us apart. As we come up for air, our bodies reconnect like a magnet. “Nixon Andrews, I was wrong about you…you know that?”
“Yeah? Why do you say that?”
“You are a gentleman.”
“Nah, not me,” he says and grasps the top of my head with his hand, pushing my entire body under the water as he swims away. The water surrounds me, stealing away my vision and control and as I come up, I spot Nixon putting his flips on and then dashing up to the top of the cliff. He’s coming back in, and as I scoot to the side watching his crazy ass run and jump off, he flies through the air like a super hero. Being back here is perfect. I can’t believe I forgot about this place. The only thing missing is Conner; he would love to be fooling around with us. Nixon’s body hits the lagoon hard, and he swims over to me, pulling me close to him as we tread water and get lost in one another’s kisses. He tastes so sweet and smells more amazing than I can describe.
“Wanna jump again?” he asks eagerly. As we climb out, it’s clear why he was so anxious to get here early. This place was always busy when we’d come, and now has got to be even more popular than when we were kids. I’m sure it will be crowded with tons of people before we know it.
I reach for Nixon’s hand as he goes to help me out, but I yank him back, hard. Bracing my feet on the rock at the water’s edge, he flies into the cove face first, and I scramble off, knowing that if he catches me, I’m screwed. As I run up to the top, my heart races as he closes in on me, and I don’t know that I can think of a happier time we shared. This was one of the greatest memories we shared, and I suppressed it because of the pain Nixon caused me. But reliving it again with him makes me know that God does give second chances in life. What you do with that second chance…that is entirely up to you.
26
Nixon
As nice as it was to go back and reminisce with Cam, being back in the bubble we’ve created, feels so right. Waking up in her bed, with my arms wound securely around her, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. I never thought this would happen again. I fucked things up so bad for us, to the point where I believed they were irreparable, but as I breathe her in, my hard cock wanting inside her, I know you can’t control fate.
It’s a cloudy day. The impending storms are pushing in a tailwind of thunderstorms towards us as they get closer and closer. The sky is dark and it’s far too early to be awake, but… I don’t sleep anymore. I watch Cam.
She moans, waking a little, and when she pushes her ass into me, I reach down, pressing my cock into her tight little slit.
“Mmmmm,” she whines, and I shove myself into her as far as I can. Then we each begin to move. Our bodies match each other’s rhythm. My dick glides so effortlessly in and out of her. I squeeze her tighter and suck on the sensitive skin of her neck.
My thrusts get harder, working her more. And she pushes back against me, rolling me flat on my back. Still nestled inside her, I hold her above me. She balances on her hands and feet and I unleash a fury of fucking. Pounding her, our skin slaps together. Her cries of pleasure motivate me to continue on, and the feeling I’ve been working towards hits me hard and my balls explode.
As her body falls back against mine, I don’t stop moving and her noises pitch. Her entire body stiffens as she lets go. I pump her good, making sure she comes hard, and when she settles, we roll back over and I close my eyes, finally feeling like I could sleep.
“That’s the best way to wake up.”
“Yeah, it is,” I respond.
“It looks nasty outside today,” she says.
“I think that storm’s closer than we realize.”
“But it’s still projected to veer north, right?”
“Yeah, last I heard. Why don’t you let me jump in and do any rescues today, okay?”
She hesitates for a second and then says to me, “I don’t want to see you risk your life.”
“Coming from the girl who said our job isn’t dangerous.”
“Fine, you can jump. It’s about time that you get your feet wet.”
I kiss the top of her shoulder, happy that she’s letting me. She releases a long exhale, and I sense something is bothering her. “What’s going through that head of yours?”
“Nothing, I was thinking about being back at your aunt’s.”
“Did you like it?”
She turns in my arms and looks at me. “I did. I mean, any time alone with you is great. But it was really good to go back and see my parents’ old house and remember all the times we shared growing up. I wish Conner could’ve come, too.”
“We’ll run him so ragged when he comes home, he’s gonna hate us.”
“Yeah, we will.”
I kiss her shoulder and say, “I’m gonna shower.”
“‘Kay.”
After I’m done and get dressed for work, I find Cameron in the living room on her laptop. “Conner call?” I ask her.
“No, I was checking the connection, since we brought it home from your aunt’s…” I can see the worry on her face as she gets off the chair and traces the line back to the wall.
“He’s all right, babe, I promise.”
“How do you know?”
“‘Cause I was where he is. I’d go months without calling my mom sometimes. That doesn’t mean anything is wrong. He might have a new mission or be switching ships. You’re lucky he calls you as much as he does.”
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes, and I pull her into me. I’m not sure if she’s crying over Conner, or that I was gone as long as I was and never contacted her.
“He’s good, babe. Be positive,” I tell her.
She nods and says, “Thanks, I’m gonna shower,” and walks off. I let her go, knowing she’s strong, and as soon as Conner calls, she’ll
know everything is good.
After I finish making our lunches for the day, I look for my phone and can’t find it. I must’ve left it at my aunt’s. Going into the bathroom, Cameron is in the shower and I peek my head in, pinching her nipple. She jumps as I scared her and swats my hand away, but her normal smile doesn’t follow. “Have you seen my phone?”
“No, why?”
“I think I left it at my aunt’s.”
“I haven’t seen it,” she says and rinses her hair.
“Are you cool if I run over there now and grab it? Scoundrel could probably use a bathroom break.”
“Sure.”
“You still stressing about Conner, babe?” I ask her.
“I’m trying not to, but I feel like something’s off.”
“Let it go, trust me. If something were wrong, someone would’ve contacted us.”
She leans over and kisses me. I pinch her nipple again before walking off and she rolls her eyes. “Meet you at work, babe.”
Hopping in my truck, I head across town wishing my aunt was home from the hospital so I could just call her and see if my phone is there. But she said my cousin wasn’t getting released ‘til later on in the morning, so I’ll just go and check.
Pulling up to a stoplight, I can’t shake what Cameron said to me. “I feel like something’s off.”
27
Cameron
“So, what, now you’re talking to me?” I ask Luke as he walks in and says, “Good morning.”
“I never stopped talking to you.”
“Right,” I tell him and text Nixon, Mack just called a meeting, you better get here.
I wait for him to respond, but he doesn’t, so I go into the conference room and take a seat next to Guy. “Hey, how was your weekend?” he asks.
“Good, you?”
“Good. I think Macey and I are gonna get a dog.”
“Really?” I ask him, knowing he hates pets.
“Yeah, her co-worker is moving and—”