Creeping away from the guys, I got started without any sleep and got myself settled in. All the clothes had been hung or folded, my books were arranged neatly, and toiletries put away. Then I got into the shower because my long blond hair felt stringy and gross from all the work of yesterday. After that, there was nothing left to do. That is except wake the guys up.
Running my hands though Adams hair, I let my fingernails dig in just the slightest amount.
“Morning,” he said with a sexy grain to his voice. Like his vocal cords had been rubbed with sand paper.
“Breakfast,” I said back then kissed his forehead. For Sam I went over to him and kicked my foot semi-hard into his ribs.
“Bitch,” he mumbled into his pillow, which brought a smile to my face and a chuckle from the couch sleeper.
Whatever, it got him up.
After breakfast, we spent some time hanging out then shopping. The guys hated it but us girls needed some summer clothes, bathing suits included. They sat outside each dressing room impatiently and I’d guess trying to plan ways to get us back. They grumbled about having to do it but we’d cheer them up by providing lunch.
“Oh, Flannery, that’s hot.” I watched her come out in a little slip dress that was unlike anything she’d usually pick. She tended to teeter on the edge of tomboy and only dressed girly on occasion. But that dress would be perfect for a summer date night. Cain wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her, not that he ever could.
“I don’t know.” She looked at herself in the mirror again. “I sort of feel naked.”
“If you were naked, I’d know it.” Sam didn’t help the situation even if we both knew he was teasing. “Hey, let me snap a picture.”
“No way,” she scoffed with her hands on her hips.
“Come on. I’ll text it to Cain so he knows what he’s missing.”
Oh no.
“Fine.” Flannery rolled her eyes then dropped a hip and gave a small sexy smile.
“Perfect,” Sam said while laughing. His fingers flew over the keys then the phone dropped back into his lap. His hand only got halfway over the dark mess of hair on his head when the phone dinged again. A loud roar of laughter came out of him when he read the reply.
“What?” I asked already smiling. He didn’t say but showed Adam who joined him in laughter. “Come on. What did he say?”
Once Sam got himself under control, he said, “Cain says he’s going to beat me to death.”
“Is that all?” Flannery asked, trying not to smile.
“No.” But he didn’t elaborate and Adam, the traitor, did nothing to help us girls out. Instead of pushing right then, we got back into our own clothes.
“Hey,” I said, looking at Flannery across the table in the food court while Adam and Sam spoke quietly about something I was sure we didn’t want to know about. “How come you’ve bought next to nothing? I mean, didn’t Cain give you his credit card?”
“I just didn’t love anything.”
The way Flannery wouldn’t looking me in the eye, wouldn’t look at me at all, made it clear that wasn’t the reason. After lunch, I finally coaxed her into a couple of summery skirts and one bathing suit. Then the day was gone and Cain met us at home to take Sam to the airport. As soon as Cain walked through the door, he pulled Sam into a headlock and wouldn’t let go until Sam cried uncle. They were both smiling and chuckling the entire time.
It wasn’t a long drive but it was made much longer for me by being in the backseat wedged between Sam and Adam and I’d already run out of every beer joke I had in my arsenal. They were like teenage boys most of the way so I tried to talk with those in the front seat.
“Cain, do you know Flannery bought next to nothing when we were shopping today? What are we going to do about that?” Leaning up, each elbow propped on the corner of the seats in front of me, I caught the glare beams burning their way into me from Flan’s eyes but ignored it. There were things, as her best friend, I was required to do.
“Why not?” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. However, she sent an ocular death threat over her shoulder then shrugged, mumbling that she didn’t know. “Ok, well I know very well there’s nothing wrong with the credit card I gave you so you need to get over spending money.”
“What he said,” I interjected. I tried to be helpful whenever I could.
“But it’s your money,” she threw back. Ugh, sometimes that girl …
“It’s our money. We’re buying you a car this weekend after we get Adam moved.” Flannery started to protest but Cain wouldn’t let her get a word in. “Get over it, Flannery. I’m not going to have you stuck in the apartment all day because I’m at work. I’m also not going to make you get up early to take me in so you can use my car. Kendra, feel like shopping this weekend?”
“Only always.” I smiled and sunk back into my seat.
I love Flannery. She and Adam had been the only people in my entire life that I’d been able to count on. But that girl needed to understand that she was marrying a guy with money who loved her and wanted to take care of her. She needed to let him.
We walked Sam as far as we could but at a certain point airport security stops you with a hard eye daring you to go further. Because they think they have the power or some shit. Adam and Cain gave Sam that lame guy hug thing that dudes do when they’re trying not to show that they actually care. Then his eyes turned to us girls. Flannery wasn’t much of a crier, thankfully, because I wasn’t either and I don’t know if I could stand being best friends with someone who blubbered all the time.
“Come on,” Sam smirked, “give me some sugar.”
I went first, fully folding my arms around his neck because he was only several inches taller than me at six foot one. That’s how it was with these guys, which I liked. Being a tall girl sometimes sucked but around them, I felt normal. Then there was Flannery who was the better part of a foot shorter than me. I liked to say she was our mascot. After a big sloppy kiss on the cheek, Sam let me go, wiping everything away.
“I hate that you don’t live here,” Flannery said into his chest. In response, Sam squeezed his arms around her harder then lifted her off the ground.
“You could always come with me,” he said with a smile in his voice but kept his eyes on his best friend, Cain. This was their normal. Sam would joke about whisking Flan away then Cain would punch him, growl, or throw out some insult. It’s not like Sam really wanted her, or even if he did, he’d never do that to his best friend.
“I don’t know,” Flannery giggled after being set back on the ground. “Cain is buying me a car.”
“Well, if that’s all it takes, I’ll buy you two.”
“All right, all right, enough …” Cain jokingly pulled his woman out of his best friend’s arms then into his own.
We stood there watching him go through his security check, making faces at us when he removed his shoes to get through the metal detector. Luckily he only had a carry on to deal with but every single time he left we all came out to see him off and each time it was like sending your kid off to camp. Why did he have to take a job all the way in California? We’d become such a tight little group over the last two years, the whole thing just sucked.
Then it was just the four of us.
Chapter Three
With only a week before we all had to become somewhat responsible, I didn’t want to waste a minute of it. Cain had to go back to work the next morning for his short week, which left Flannery, Adam, and me to our own devices. I had so many plans. The first was to hit the beach. Now, being early May in Michigan meant the water would be far too cold to get into but we already started having an early summer heat wave so soaking up the sun was a definite must do.
Adam, Flannery, and I loaded into my car and drove to the lake we used to hit up in college. Man, was it crowded with others who’d had the same idea. We made it by late morning but the sun was already blazing. The weatherman had predicted a high in the upper eighties and we wanted to soa
k up every drop to unthaw the deep freeze that had set in our bones from winter.
Even with my back turned, I could feel Adam’s eyes on me as I peeled my top layer of clothes off to reveal the lime green bikini underneath. So obviously I moved slowly, driving the anticipation skyward to tease him just that little bit. I did, however, forget that Flannery was there, too. That is until she giggled quietly. Spinning on my heel I found her already applying sunscreen in the cute blue two piece we’d found her. It was a bit more conservative than mine, but she was a bit more conservative than me. Regardless, it was so cute: a halter top with full bottoms, reminiscent of a forties bombshell in the palest of blues.
But Adam looked like a dog with his tongue hanging out waiting to taste a piece of savory steak. I was the steak in this scenario.
“Ah, might want to watch yourself.” I nodded my head to his southern region but he couldn’t care less. The evidence of his thoughts bulged for God and everyone to see. He just laid back with a smile on his face folding an arm under his head.
“Sorry, too busy watching you,” he smirked.
Flannery laughed hard when she got the gist. Clearly there was nothing off limits among the three of us with everything we’d been through the last four years of constantly being around each other. I imagine this back and forth was what it’d be like if I had siblings. I mean ones I actually talked to. My brother didn’t really count since we went months, sometimes a year, without a word.
A group of girls, annoying obvious college freshman who’d just finished their first year, walked slowly by giggling like schoolgirls at Adam and his attributes. Glancing over I saw what they did. Adam was a good looking man. More than that, he was hot. The blond hair that had darkened a bit in the last couple of years and blue eye combo worked on him, even if you couldn’t see his eyes at that moment. He’d always been fit but had spent the last two years working out with Sam and/or Cain during their “guy time” filling out every inch of his body because the one he had now was not the one I met freshman year. Long, lean developed muscles instead of the bulky mess a lot of guys went for, roping down both arms, making his legs solid and strong.
I needed to get my thoughts on something else before I made a fool of myself out there in public. And those girls needed to move on.
Propping myself onto my elbows on the beach towel, I pulled my sunglasses to the tip of my nose to give those girls the dusty eyeball as Flannery called it. They got the message I was throwing. If Adam wanted to see other people, whatever, but it was not happening right in front of me. Actually, he’d told me many times it was not happening at all.
Flannery’s very watchful eyes caught me. She freaking winked then flipped over on her stomach. I was pretty sure Adam had fallen asleep. It was a great day of sun and relaxation until right before we left.
Flannery walked off to take a call from Cain while Adam decided to be his playful self. Most days I enjoyed our banter back and forth. But not all.
“Come on. It can’t be that cold. Just hop in the water with me so I don’t have to throw you in.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” I gave him my best death glare but he cocked an eyebrow. “Adam, I’m serious. No sex for a week if you do it.”
“I think I could manage. Probably be worth it to see you dripping wet.” A sly grin added meaning to his words.
“Don’t be gross.” I pushed him away from me.
But he’d already decided. Yanking my arm, I was lifted up against my will, thrown over his shoulder like he was a caveman demanding me back in his lair, then he was quickly running down the dock we’d set up by.
The water stabbed like a hundred knives with its coldness seeping to my bones. It took my tightly held breath away. Then a big sinking feeling sucked me down a little before an arm circled my waist to drag me to the surface.
“I … hate you … so much,” I gasped for each breath.
“Feels good, doesn’t it? Refreshing.”
“No, it feels cold.” It did feel kind of exhilarating but fuck it all to hell if I was going to admit that to his sorry ass.
My entire body shivered on the way back to the towels only to find my best friend standing there laughing so hard she was crying. I hadn’t even known she was watching. But she had, the entire time Adam put his plan into action by the sounds of it.
“I think I like the effect of the cold water.” He laughed even harder while openly staring at my breasts.
“You suck.”
“I could … ” His eyebrows wriggled.
“Uh, I can get Cain to pick me up because this is getting uncomfortable,” Flannery smiled over at us.
I had to admit it felt nice to have a fun, carefree day away from the last four years of hard work. Even while bogged down with classes, we tried to blow off steam as much as possible but it was tough. This was a whole new side of us, the three of us, together like we had been since orientation.
“I think I can control myself,” Adam offered, twisting her around for a noogie. Thankfully there had never been anything between the two of them. That would’ve just made things awkward. Actually, I probably would never have started hooking up with him in the first place even if they’d hit it and quit it. I try not to share guys with my friends when I can help it.
The night was spent exploring a body I already knew almost as well as my own. If someone would’ve told me two years ago that Adam and I would still be together, still enjoy each other’s company and still be completely hot for each other, I’d have thought they were nuts. Two years was the longest I’d ever kept someone around. Of course, it was Adam. A guy I’d become such good friends with first. He’d watched me date other guys, I’d seen him with other girls, and it was all fine. Then Sam threw a Halloween party and everything changed. Not everything, but the way Adam and I saw each other. Maybe it was the sixties nurse costume. It wasn’t even a naughty nurse. Just a regular one.
At breakfast the next morning, which for whatever reason we were all up before Cain left and that never happened, Flannery came into the kitchen already looking completely put together like she had someplace to be. That long brown hair swung like a pendulum from the ponytail she’d put in.
“So, what are we doing today?” I asked the entire room. Cain would have to work, obviously, but the Three Musketeers had to have a plan.
“Sorry. I’m watching Vaughn while Adele goes to her OB appointment,” Flannery said while filling a travel mug with coffee. “Then I’m meeting Cain for a late lunch this afternoon.”
“I can’t believe she’s having another one.” Cain kissed her on the head.
“Yeah, you’re mom’s not feeling well so Adele didn’t want her to watch him. I said I would.”
“Wait, wait, wait … ” I had to interrupt their little moment. “What are we supposed to do today then?”
“Ah … ” Flannery looked at me like I’d sprouted another head. “Whatever you do when I’m not with you. Which I don’t even want to think about.”
“Yeah, but it’s usually the three of us.” I’d assumed it would be the three of us so my disappointment was on me. Clearly Adam and I could entertain ourselves for many days without help. I’d just been expecting her to hang with us. Like she didn’t have a life outside of being my friend.
“You guys can spend a day without me, you’ve done it before. A lot. Kendra, you, me, and Adam aren’t in a three-way here.”
“I wouldn’t mind that.” Adam smiled widely.
“I would.” The tone in Cain’s voice was much more rough than playful at first. Then he smirked and added, “At least until I could get my camera out.” That little joke earned him a Flannery trademark kick to the shin. That man was going to have scars well into old age.
“So, have fun.” She waved over her shoulder as they left for the day. Flannery didn’t have a car so she’d be riding with Cain to work and take his from there.
“Now that the parents have left,” Adam sat back with his arms over his chest, “what are we going to
do with our day?”
“Shower.”
“That could be fun.” He winked. Adam was the best winker I’d ever met. It was like he wasn’t even trying to be cool or sexy and it came off as both.
“Oh my God, you’re such a guy,” I laughed into my bagel.
“Really, though, I have an idea. Will you just go with it?” Nodding, I wasn’t sure what I was agreeing to or if it was a horrible idea. But sometimes … sometimes it was nice just to have someone try to wow you.
While I showered, Adam packed a few things up for us. It was exciting to not know exactly where we were headed. At the same time it was frustrating because I had no idea how to dress. I’d looked at the weather and decided on a skirt with small wedges and took a sweater just in case. Plus, I threw a cute pair of jeans and knee high boots in a bag for a backup. A girl could never be too prepared.
Then it was time to leave. Normally when we went places, Adam drove the same car he’d come to college with. Apparently, he’d worked three summers to save up for it and it was pretty sweet. A cherry red 1969 Buick Skylark that his dad helped him restore because that’s what his dad did. It was one of the things that intrigued me about Adam. I had parents so screwed up that my best friends hadn’t met them until they came to see me graduate and that was introductions only. Flannery was super close to her mom but had no idea who her father was. And Cain had that perfect family, parents still married, still in love, loved their kids. Whatever. It was easy to sorta hate the guy. But Adam, his was the weirdest of all.
His parents were divorced. Had been divorced since he was twelve. Yet he was still very close to both and grew up with both, splitting his time between his mom and dad’s houses somewhere over in the “thumb.” That’s what he called it because Michigan looks like a mitten. He was small town, his parents were small town, probably his grandparents. But his mom and dad, Nancy and Sean as they told me to call them, still both came to graduation and held on to each other while watching the ceremony like they were still close.
Up for Forever Page 2