“You’re supposed to be saying, “Romeo, Romeo.”
“Shakespeare was a hack,” I replied.
“I don’t know about that. He made Peeping Toms cool.”
“Stalkers of the world, rejoice!” I refocused on the matter at hand. “Speaking of stalkers, why are you lurking outside my place?”
“Yeah, this does look pretty bad.” Nolan shrugged. “I’m not sure any answer can make this less creepy, but honestly, I just wanted to see you.”
I hated that my heart skipped a beat and that I felt myself blush. “Why?”
Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. “Because you make me smile.”
Nolan was either the most honest person I had ever met, or an expert at saying exactly what I wanted to hear. Either way, I was leery. “You’re not here to murder me, then?”
His laugh filled the air and the sound made my heart flutter in my chest. “If I was, do you think I would admit it?”
“Fair point.” I pointed behind me. “On that note, would you like to come inside?”
“No.” He smiled at my reaction. “I mean, yes, that’s a nice offer and I really would like to accept. But I shouldn’t.”
“Shouldn’t?” Even as I teased him, I realized that I was glad he hadn’t said yes. I needed to keep my distance from Nolan.
“I didn’t come by to get invited inside.” Nolan’s smile was utterly dashing. “I just wanted to apologize for taking off on your tonight.”
“I saw something about you on television,” I admitted. “If you won’t come up, can I come down there so we can talk?”
He hesitated, looking out over the ocean. “Alright.”
I was surprised by the tension in his voice, but I was pretty sure I knew why he was less than thrilled. I had learned the secret he had been trying to hide. “Just give me one second. I’ll be right down.”
Since I was still only wearing my nightshirt, I hurried to pull on a pair of shorts. Then I grabbed a blanket and two beers before heading down to the beach.
“In case you are thirsty,” I explained as I handed one to Nolan.
He smiled broadly. “You continue to impress me.”
I spread the blanket over the soft sand and took a seat, pulling my knees up to my chest. Nolan settled next to me, his body warm when it brushed against mine. “I think that you are easily impressed.”
“I’ve learned to appreciate the small things in life,” he said easily, taking a drink and sighing. “Being with a beautiful girl on the beach at night, cold beer in hand…that’s something to appreciate.”
“You didn’t tell me that you almost died,” I said bluntly. “I saw the footage. It looked really bad."
Nolan’s entire body moved as he took in a deep breath and then let it out. “It wasn’t as bad as it looked.”
“No?” I asked skeptically.
He turned to look at me, blue eyes completely guarded. “It was much worse.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that. It was a completely honest answer and something I hadn’t been expecting. “You were in a coma?”
“Six weeks.” He turned back to the ocean. “I didn’t even see it coming. I was so far inside my own head, focused on nothing but closing out that game. A perfect game is incredibly rare in baseball. Most pitchers go an entire career without even getting close. I was three outs away… and then it all ended.”
“But you still had eight perfect innings.” I didn’t know much about baseball, but that seemed like a pretty big deal to me.
“No one gets into the history books for an almost perfect game,” he said with a wry smile. “At least I was in a coma when all the game recaps aired and the articles were published. I got to skip right over that torture.”
I studied his profile, looking for a sign of the injury. “Where did it hit you?”
He pushed back his hair, the long waves that I thought were some sort of attempt to not be noticed in public were actually camouflaging a deep scar just below the hairline.
“It was a lot worse right after I got out of the hospital. The ball hit me so hard it fractured my skull and caused bleeding around my brain. I had to give up all my dreams about becoming a model.” He tried to smile and failed, letting it land somewhere around a grimace.
I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out, touching the tips of my fingers to the scarred flesh. It was surprisingly soft. “You’re wrong. It definitely doesn’t take away from your beauty. If anything, it just makes you look tough.”
“So you’re saying ladies are turned on by this sort of thing?” he finally smiled.
“No. I’m saying I think the scar is beautiful because it’s part of you. It’s a powerful reminder of just how close you came to leaving this world for good. And I’m really glad you stayed.” I dropped my hand, feeling embarrassed that I had acted so boldly. “Anyway…you probably didn’t stop by for a deep conversation like this. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. This is the first time I’ve talked about it with anyone.” He leaned his shoulder into me purposefully. “There’s something special about you, Jordyn Lewis.”
“Trust me. There’s nothing special about me.” My heart continued to thud happily as his blue eyes stared into mine. “You’re sure you don’t want to come inside?”
He didn’t answer right away, looking at me thoughtfully. “If I say yes, it will look like that was my plan this whole time… like I put together a convoluted scheme to get invited into your place. I’d prefer to earn that invite more honestly if that’s alright with you.”
“You are a strange guy,” I said.
“I know.” His smile was back. “I’ll stop bothering you now.”
“It’s not a bother.” I took a chance and said, “There’s something special about you, too, Nolan Meyers.”
Nolan pretended to be embarrassed. “Stop, you’re making me blush.”
“Please. You must be used to girls fawning all over you.”
“Yeah, but not girls like you.” With this, he looked away, as if he actually was embarrassed. “Anyway, I better head back now.”
“Okay.”
“What are you doing on Wednesday?”
“Working. Why?”
“My friends and I are taking the boat out. I thought maybe you’d like to come.”
I didn’t know how to feel about socializing with someone that was able to “take the boat out” on a Wednesday. Was I the only one that lived in the real world?
“I have a shift at the Seabag until five.”
Nolan nodded. “Yeah, okay. Just thought I would ask.”
“I can see if someone will switch shifts with me,” I said. “Can I get back to you tomorrow?”
“Absolutely.” His dazzling smile lit up the night. “I promise, it will be a good time.”
“Alright, I’m going to hold you to that.”
His smirk was pure hotness. “I like any sentence that includes the phrase ‘I’m going to hold you’.”
I pretended to be disgusted. “That was terrible.”
“I know. But you liked it.” He winked as he stood up, dusting away sand. “See you Wednesday, Jordyn.”
“Good night, Nolan.”
He walked away with purpose, easy steps across the uneven sand. While I knew that it was probably a good thing that he hadn’t agreed to come inside, a part of me hated that he was walking away. His easy confidence and sympathetic vulnerability intrigued me. Whether I liked it or not, I was smitten with Nolan Meyers.
CHAPTER FOUR
“He waited outside your balcony?” Kennedy bumped me out of the way to get clear access to the ice machine. “That’s so romantic.”
“It’s not at all creepy?” I hadn’t even mentioned that Nolan had already texted me today to see if I had been able to rework my schedule for the boat party.
I tossed a banana peel into the trash and punched the power button on the blender. A cruise ship had dropped off a load of tourists and we had a dozen people waiting to order booze fille
d drinks. Fortunately, Kennedy and I had mastered the art of making daiquiris while catching up on gossip.
“It’s only creepy if you had either never met or if he had been naked.” Kennedy expertly added rum floaters to a line of drinks. “Actually, never mind. A naked Nolan Meyers could never be creepy. You’re just used to guys treating you like crap, so you assume there must be something wrong with him. Trust me- he’s perfect.”
“Lewis!” Danny yelled from the kitchen. “I need you to clean out the freezer. Stop gossiping about girlie things and get to work.”
“This is an important conversation, Danny!” Kennedy yelled back. She had no problem being a jerk to her boss. Fortunately for Kennedy, Danny wasn’t like most bosses.
“Shut it, Kennedy. I pay you to work, not to be sassy.” Danny’s head appeared around the kitchen door and he tossed a dirty rag at her head.
“You know you love my sass!” She stuck her tongue out at him.
Freezer duty was not glamorous, but I was happy to retreat into the Seabag to avoid more inappropriate comments from Kennedy, even if it meant frozen fingers and smelly, expired food. By the time I was done, the crowd of thirsty tourists had dissipated and I’d managed to convince our coworker, Carl, to switch shifts with me so I could go to the boat party. I needed a break from the Seabag.
I texted Nolan to let him know I could make it after all and he replied back that I should invite Kennedy and Brian. This information was received with a loud screech from Kennedy, who immediately began planning her boating ensemble.
When she and Brian arrived at my place to pick me up the morning of the boat party, their outfits put me to shame. Kennedy was wearing a navy and white striped dress and Brian was wearing light blue shorts and stylish boating shoes. I felt under dressed in my white bathing suit cover up worn over a black bikini. This was a boat party, after all, and not a fashion show.
“So… tell me some details about the wedding,” Brian said, whipping his car around a tight corner. He was chewing on a cigar, attempting the look of an affluent man. In reality, he looked more like a little boy dressing up in his grandpa’s clothing.
“What wedding?”
“Yours.” He grinned at me in the rearview mirror. “It’s all over the internet. People are gossiping about Nolan Meyers’ new girlfriend.”
“Why do they think he has a new girlfriend?”
Brian laughed. “Because why else would he break up with Kiki? She’s the hottest woman on Earth.”
“Thanks, Bry. That really helps my self-esteem.”
“Stop pouting. The internet has determined that the new girl- you- must be even hotter.”
“Do you believe everything you read on the internet?”
“Depends what it is.” Another sharp turn, sharper than it needed to be. “If it’s about you marrying a rich athlete, then yes, I believe it.”
I chose to ignore his comment. “Could you maybe slow down a bit? I’d like to arrive in one piece.”
But that only made Brian drive faster. My legs were shaking a little when the car finally stopped in front of the Estate.
Boomer greeted us at the door wearing nothing but impossibly small swim shorts and a nautical ascot. “Welcome! Please, come inside.”
The house was even more extravagant on this inside. I really hoped that Kennedy and Brian would be on their best behavior- none of us could afford to replace the expensive artwork on the walls.
“Meyers is still upstairs,” Boomer said. “The others are out back getting ready to leave.”
I was torn. Should I wait inside for Nolan, or would it be better to give him space and head outside? Kennedy and Brian were already following Boomer through the backdoor and I was about to follow when I heard someone call my name.
“Jordyn!”
Nolan was at the top of the stairs, wearing a pair of faded plaid shorts, an equally faded t-shirt, his battered baseball hat, and a perfect smile. He skipped down the stairs effortlessly.
“You made it.”
“I said I would be here. I’m a woman of my word.”
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, suddenly uncertain. I solved his hesitation by giving him a friendly, but not-too-friendly, hug.
“Where are the others?” he asked, reluctantly pulling away.
“Already outside. Waiting for you to make a grand entrance, I suppose.” I wondered if Nolan ever entered a room without making a grand entrance.
“Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few years, it’s that you have to give the people what they want.” He took my hand and led me outside. “I apologize in advance for anything my friends may say or do today.”
“Likewise,” I said, seeing Kennedy dancing to some imaginary song while Brian continued to puff on his cigar.
The boat was less of a boat and more of a small cruise ship, or so it seemed. It was large enough to hold twenty people with plenty of room to spare.
“Is this yours or does it come with the house?”
Nolan helped me aboard. “It’s mine. It seemed like a smart purchase at the time.”
“It’s bigger than my childhood home,” I said.
“Mine, too.”
It was the first glimpse I had been given into Nolan’s affluent lifestyle. So far, he had been just like a regular guy. His car had been a little fancy, but nothing too extreme. This boat was definitely extreme.
“The bar is inside,” he said, “as are the bathrooms, and a place to cool off if you get overheated.”
“Swanky.”
He smiled. “I’m going to make sure everything is set for us to take off and I’ll come find you in a bit, okay?”
“Go. Don’t worry about me.”
I gave his hand a squeeze and let go, watching him stride across the boat with confidence. Had he always been that sure of himself, or had it taken him time to develop that aura of confidence?
“Yo, Jordo.” Boomer waved frantically in my direction. “Come help me pick out some music.”
“Jordo?” I muttered, but not without a smile. Boomer had an absurd personality, but it I enjoyed it.
By the time we finished building the playlist, I decided that I actually liked Boomer. He was silly and self-deprecating, and only seemed to care that everyone was having a good time. Not a bad person to have around.
We pulled away from the dock and out onto the ocean and I found a seat near the front of the boat where I could watch the festivities without being forced to participate. Nolan appeared, and like always, my heart jumped at the sight of him. His faded t-shirt was gone, and seeing him shirtless for the first time was not something I was likely to forget soon.
“Beer?” He handed me the drink and settled next to me on the seat, arm thrown behind me.
“Are you at all concerned that your friend has a strong obsession with angry chick music?” I asked, laughing as Boomer sang along loudly with the stereo.
Nolan was less amused. “I’m concerned about Boomer for a lot of reasons.”
“What’s his real name?” I couldn’t imagine any parent in the world would actually name their son Boomer.
“David Wood.”
“He doesn’t really look like a David,” I observed, watching Boomer shake his butt in Kennedy’s face.
“How did you become friends?”
“He lived next door to my buddy Snyder when they were kids. I met him when we were sixteen.” Nolan had a faraway look in his eyes.
“Snyder?” It was the first time I had heard that name.
Nolan pointed to a guy on the other side of the boat. “That’s Snyder.”
“Is he an athlete, too?” I couldn’t help but be impressed by the guy’s physique. He was stockier than Nolan, but equally ripped.
“He used to play ball. Injured his knee a couple of years back.”
I wanted to ask more questions, but Nolan didn’t seem to be too thrilled talking about Snyder. The boat began to slow and eventually came to a complete stop. Now that we were no l
onger speeding along the water and people had polished off a couple of drinks, it was beginning to get a little crazy. More people were dancing now, and some people headed overboard.
It was a hot day and a dip in the water sounded good. “I’m going in,” I announced decisively. I stood and pulled off my cover up.
Nolan’s eyes skimmed over my body and then he looked away just as quickly. “Yeah, alright. I’m in.”
We stood at the edge of the boat, eyeing the water. It had seemed like a really good idea when I was seated comfortably, but now that I was staring down the six foot drop into the ocean, I began to have second thoughts.
“Hold my hand?” Nolan asked, pretending that he was the one that was scared.
I gladly accepted.
“On the count of three?” His grip tightened as he slowly counted. “One…two… three.”
We jumped together, hitting the water at the exact same time. At impact, my hand slipped away but when I surfaced, he was just a foot away. “You good?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I pushed my long hair away from my face and laughed. “That was fun.”
We spent the next hour splashing around in the water until we were too tired to stay afloat. Nolan carried me back to the boat on his back, his athletic training giving him stamina that I envied. Back on the boat, I was too tired to join Kennedy and Boomer in their attempt to play Twister. The rocking boat added an interesting twist to the already challenging game. After a couple of rounds, and a few too many drinks, no one was able to stay on their feet.
“Your friend is very determined,” Nolan observed when Kennedy got up after at least her tenth wipeout.
“When does determined cross the line into insanity?” I wondered.
We were spread out across the cushioned seats at the back of the boat. Nolan’s arm was around my shoulders, his fingers twirling through my hair. Despite the chaos around us, it was oddly calming.
“Is this how you spend your days now?” I asked, tilting back my head to let the sun warm my face.
“I wouldn’t mind having more days like this.” His voice sounded far away and I realized that I was drifting off to sleep. “There’s a place to lay down inside.”
Finding Serenity (Serenity Beach) Page 5