Shit. I’ve taken too many girls both here and to Barrett’s place…It doesn’t matter. Quinn is different.
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
“That fortune teller was a little odd. I can’t wait to meet my light-haired lover.”
I mumbled under my breath. “Shut-up.”
“Oh come on. I have no blond male lover.”
I pointed to the water as we neared the secluded strip in front of the beach house. “We’re gonna hang out here.”
“I don’t want to go down there.”
“It’s fun. Come on. We can get changed inside.” I pointed toward the house.
She struggled against me, but I needed to show her that she’d be safe with me.
“I don’t like…the water.”
“You take a bath. It’s the same thing.”
“No. That’s completely different.”
“Please?” I pulled my shirt up over my head. She placed her hands in front of her body protectively. Her long sundress flowed in the wind.
“Fine, but I’m not getting in the water.”
“Let’s relax and have fun. I promise nothing will hurt you.” Taking the key out of my pocket, I jogged up towards the back door of Barrett’s home. When I made it to the top of the stairs, I held the door open. Quinn was only a few moments behind me. I gave her a grand hand gesture as if to say ‘after you’. She walked in with a smile, and I shut the door behind us.
“Oh my goodness. Is this your place?” she asked me. Her eyes traveled around in amazement as her bag dropped on the mahogany floor.
“No. This is one of Barrett’s many homes. He gave me a key. I think it used to belong to his parents or something. He spends a lot of time here, surfing.”
Her nostrils flared at the sound of Barrett’s name. A small chuckle escaped from between my lips.
“Don’t like Barrett?”
“How can you stand the guy? He’s obnoxious and rude. Plus he treats Ginger like garbage.”
“I don’t know. He was always fun to go out with. We aren’t best buds or anything. He’s kinda closed up. Never gets personal. I’ve known him for almost a year, but know nothing about him. Anyway, he keeps a few swimsuits in the bedroom. Go change and we can go out to the water.”
I said it so nonchalantly that I thought she’d comply. Instead, she shrieked.
“Are you kidding me? I can’t wear a swimsuit!”
“Why not?”
She pushed her dress tightly against her abdomen. Her small bump was a little more obvious now. I could hardly see it underneath all that fabric.
“So? No one can tell.”
“Uh, no one can tell now, but you just wait until I’m in one of those skimpy things Ginger calls a suit.”
“They aren’t Ginger’s suits. Barrett keeps them for company.”
“That’s gross. So this is his cheating house then?”
“I don’t know who he keeps them for, but they are new.”
“Does Ginger know about this place?”
“Yes. “ I told her. In reality, I had no idea. Probably not. There was a lot he kept from Ginger. I wasn’t sure why.
“She puts up with it?”
“Just put one on,” I snapped. I didn’t want to fight about Ginger and Barrett. They had issues and everyone knew it, but it wasn’t any of our business. She was sure to look spectacular in anything. She stomped back to the bedroom, and while I waited, I packed a cooler with some bottled waters and snacks. Healthy snacks. I knew she was eating for two, but she needed to eat something besides gummy worms. We would hang out on the beach for a few hours before I took her to back to the boardwalk for a pop-up art gallery.
Quinn came out in a black bikini. She self-consciously put her hands in front of her body and tugged at the fabric.
“It’s a little tight.”
She was right. I could definitely see the baby bump now. It was obvious. Very obvious.
My hand went out to her hard stomach.
“You look beautiful,” I told her. I leaned in to place a kiss on her collarbone.
“Are you sure that there are no photographers out?”
“Positive.”
“When I was with Ginger they came out of nowhere.”
“They huddle around stores and nightclubs. The storeowner must have tipped someone off. This is private property.”
“Okay…”
Seeing her bare stomach made everything feel a bit more real. In a few months, I would be a father. Everything would be vividly different.
“Have you thought about names?”
She crossed her arms in front of her body. “No. I didn’t want to think about names until I found out what we were having.”
“When will that be?”
“Next month.”
“My mom is going to have a heart attack when she finds out.”
“Mine as well…” she mumbled. We made our way outside to the beach chairs and sat down.
“You haven’t told your parents?”
“I’ve only talked to my mom once since I moved here. My father hasn’t been in touch at all. Besides giving me grief and telling me how disappointed they are, I’m not sure they would even care.”
“I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure what to say.
“Don’t be. I’m not. They don’t care much for me anyway.”
That was ridiculous. My mom had always been there for me, supporting me in whatever I did. Where were her parents now? Surely, they had to care.
“Now come on, I doubt they hate you.”
“Hate is a strong word….blame would be more like it.”
I knew that she felt responsible for her parent’s divorce but certainly, there had to have been issues before the accident. I made pfsh sound with my lips.
“Stop being so dramatic, Quinn. Let’s have some fun.”
“I can’t do fun.”
She needed to keep her mind off the negative things.
“Stress isn’t good for the baby, Quinn. I really wish you would let me help take some of your stress away.”
“How do you know that?” She cocked her head to the side in interest.
“I found an app on my phone, of course!”
She shook her head. “Of course.”
At least her mood lightened.
“This is a digital app all about pregnancy. It gives me an update about the baby every morning. It’s growth and things like that.” I lifted my phone up and turned on the app to show her. “Look, dear. Fifteen weeks, right? The baby is four inches long and it says you should be noticing signs of movement.”
“That’s amazing.” She beamed in wonder at the picture on my phone.
“You really haven’t been reading baby books?”
“No, my aunt and uncle have, like, a bazillion kids. Ginger and I were always babysitting and helping with her mom’s pregnancy. I know the basics. Reading about it makes it feel all too real.”
Was she really ignoring the pregnancy to make it feel less real? This was the same thing she had done with Bash.
“You can’t ignore the problem and hope that it goes away.”
She tilted her sunglasses down off her nose so that she could glare at me.
“I never said this baby was a problem. I just said that I wasn’t interested in picking out baby names or looking through baby books.”
I decided to let the issue go. She wasn’t drinking or doing drugs and that was all that mattered.
“On a lighter subject, what about any movements? Have you felt the baby move?” My hand set on her stomach in anticipation.
“No,” she fidgeted her hands nervously, “I haven’t felt anything.”
“ Well it will happen soon, I guess.”
She gave me a careless shrug as if she wasn’t worried.
When we reached the chairs and sat down, I slathered sunscreen all over her body. My body tingled as my hands slipped down her smooth back. It was an uncontrollable desire to be
near her at all times.
“Do you come here a lot?” she asked me as we sat in the hot sun. She peeked out from under her large straw sunhat.
Unfortunately, yes.
“I surf sometimes. Actually I only live a short distance from here.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you would like my place too. It’s a small loft. I even have a canal in my back yard.”
“A canal? Like water?”
Stupid. Chase. Of course she wouldn’t like your moat!
“Yeah… speaking of the devil. Let’s get in the water.”
Not so subtle, Chase.
Her body froze at the sound of my voice.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“I bared my soul to you last week. I haven’t been to as much as a lake or a pond since I drove my car off that bridge. You know I have issues with water and crowds, but you keep pushing me. Why?”
“I just want you to be okay. You’re pregnant with my baby, and I need you. You once told me that I could save you. I can. Whenever you’re near me, nothing bad will happen to you. Do you understand?”
I stood up and held out my hand to her, waiting impatiently for her to take it. She took my hand and followed closely behind me to the shore. I picked a spot in the sand not too close to the waves, and we sat among the shells with the tide licking at our feet.
“How are you feeling?”
“Scared…” Her hands were shaking so I scooted closer to her.
“Talk to me, Quinn.” I squeezed her hand to help keep her grounded.
“I can hear the sound of the water in my ears. They just popped from the pressure…”
“Go on,” I urged. Everything was quiet. The sound of seagulls in the distance was the only thing I could hear. Her breathing intensified.
“People always leave,” she whispered. I could barely hear her over the waves.
Ginger had explained it so clearly to me. Nothing had been perfect.
“You can’t run from your past, Quinn. It’ll always catch up with you.”
Quinn
The cold waves splashed up along my legs, washing away the sand that stuck to my body. Though everything inside of me screamed run! I sat as still as possible. This day would have come eventually, the day when I came near a large body of water again. Breathing in and out was easy, but still I continuously pushed away the bad thoughts. Chase sat beside me for the longest time, not saying a word.
“It’s getting easier,” I told him. It was like overcoming my fear of cars. It was unavoidable, but I was able to push past the anxiety and find my peace.
“Good.” His lips pressed against the top of my head as we watched the waves crash against the shore. This entire trip had been unexpected. I figured we would stay indoors like we normally did. Never did I expect him to take me out somewhere. It wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined either.
“What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”
“Not much. Just thought you’d like to help me pick out some art pieces for my new house. There’s a pop up art gallery on the boardwalk tonight.”
My ears perked up at the sound of art. I loved galleries, well I loved anything creative, and I could settle for picking out art.
“Did you find a house you liked yet?”
“Not yet, but I’ll keep looking. I want to be settled in before the baby is born. I’d prefer it if you were the one making the art for me. I wish you’d let me see your creations,” he whispered.
Me too. But that part of me was in the past.
“My favorite median is special effects makeup, it’s really not that beautiful.”
“Oh come on, I know you do more than just makeup. I saw the picture in the hallway of Ginger’s house.”
My face grew hot. How did he know I painted that? Ginger must have told him, that loudmouth.
“I painted that a long time ago.”
A very long time ago. High school to be exact.
“If you’re good at something, and you’re passionate about it, don’t ever give it up.” The seriousness of his gaze made me uncomfortable. I’d never intended to give it up, it just reminded me too much of Bash.
“I’m…I’m not ready to do that. Not yet.”
I was slowly making my way back to the person I used to be. My art would come eventually. I could feel it.
A mischievous sparkle gleamed in his eye.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. I just had an idea that’s all.”
“Well are you gonna tell me?”
“Hell no. Let’s enjoy the view a little while longer then we will go back into town.”
We only had our privacy for a few more minutes before a neighbor came wandering out. Not wanting to draw attention, Chase put his shades back on, and we both ducked back to the privacy of Barrett’s porch. I enjoyed the shade while Chase pulled out snacks for us to share. As I tried to get comfortable in the chair, a tiny flutter in my stomach made me stir.
“What the crap?” I sat up and put my hand to my bare stomach. It didn’t feel like gas, and it wasn’t painful. It felt like my heart had moved, and my pulse was in my stomach.
“You okay?” Chase looked over from his spot beside me.
“I think.” I paused as I felt the flutter in my stomach once more. Yes, this time I was for sure. “I think the baby is kicking.”
I gasped as the motions in my belly became stronger. This was real. The doctors didn’t lie. There really was something inside of me. Chase sat up, knocking a bag of trail mix onto the floor and put his hand out on my stomach.
“I don’t feel anything…” he whined.
“Well if you would shut-up you might.”
He pretended to zip his mouth closed and waited patiently. The baby kicked again. A tiny flutter in my lower abdomen.
“There it is!”
Chase raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I felt it…barely. That’s our baby?”
He reached out to wipe away a stray tear that fell down my cheek. I hadn’t even realized I was crying.
“Yes, that’s our baby,” I said as Chase laid his head down along my stomach.
“I don’t want to leave tomorrow. I wanna stay here with you and feel our baby kick every day.”
“I don’t want you to go either.” I ran my fingers through his dark hair. We had just started dating, and now his work would be pulling him away.
“Just promise me that you’ll trust me. Don’t believe anything the tabloids say. In fact, don’t even read them. Just focus on taking care of yourself and our baby. I don’t want you getting stressed out and risking your health.”
He sat up and enclosed my hands in his.
“I promise.”
“Good.” He picked up his phone and flipped through a few messages. His face scrunched up in annoyance.
“I need to make a few work calls real quick. Change and we’ll go back out to the boardwalk.” He gave me a quick kiss before leaving the room. I looked around at the oddly bare home. There weren’t any photos or anything that made it homey. Barrett wasn’t the type to claim a space. He wouldn’t even claim his own girlfriend. It was probably still decorated the exact same way as when his parents lived there.
I realized I left my sunblock down near the water, so I sighed and started out through the hot sand to retrieve it. As I neared our spot on the beach, a small figure caught my attention. A young girl was walking along the shoreline. Every few feet she’d stop and pick up a small object. Maybe a shell? I knew her from somewhere. I just couldn’t pinpoint it. She seemed vaguely familiar. I lifted my hand to shade my eyes from the sun. The girl had blonde hair that flew in the wind and a thin figure.
“Quinn?”
She walked a bit closer and smiled. Yes! It was Jenna, the girl from the plane.
“Fancy seeing you here,” I told her.
“I live near here.”
“What an odd coincidence, there are like a million people in this town.�
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She looked me up and down. “I see you got a boyfriend.” She nodded at my belly.
Laughing, I placed my hands on my stomach.
“I did.” I wanted to ask her where her parents were, and why she was always alone, but I decided against it.
“I know, you wanna know where my parents are.”
“I didn’t want to pry, but you’re always alone. Most kids your age aren’t so… independent.”
“My dad is an actor, so he works a lot. My mom is off at some charity or event. She’s hardly ever around. I spend most of my time at the beach house with friends.”
“You could hang out with us tonight. We’re going to the boardwalk.”
She shook her head. “Thank you, but I have some friends from school coming over tonight. We’re gonna watch movies and eat junk food. Yum!”
“Sounds like a good time.”
“So what’s your boyfriend like? I can’t wait to get one of my own.”
“He’s an actor like your dad. He’s sweet and passionate, not at all like I first thought he was.”
“That sounds so romantic.” Her eyes were dreamy.
“I guess so.”
“Do you love him?” she giggled and covered her mouth. Something tugged at the back of my mind. I’d heard that laugh before.
“I’m not telling you that!”
“Oh, well. I better get going. I just came out here to get some fresh air and your boyfriend is watching us.”
I turned around to see Chase watching us from the porch. I gave Jenna one last look and smiled.
“See you soon, Jenna.”
Chase gave me a concerned look as I walked up to the porch. He tightened a white towel around his waist and leaned against the railing.
“Who were you talking to?”
“Some girl who lives around here. I actually met her on the plane when I moved here.”
“Huh. What a coincidence. Everything okay?”
He kissed me on the forehead and pulled me close. I took one last look at the lonely girl walking along the beach. I felt bad for her, but she looked and seemed happy. There was something about her though. Something that I hadn’t noticed the first time we’d met. It irritated me that I couldn’t figure it out.
The Last Thing Page 14