Collide (a Collision novella)

by L. B. Dunbar

  “Stay right here,” Gage says, and something forces me to move. I break free of the towel and grip his arm.

  “You’re not jumping in, are you?”

  Thankfully, Gage doesn’t have to answer me as his friend pops up on the ladder, climbing quickly and flipping his body to stare out at the dorsal fin.

  “Did you see that? Did you fucking see that? I swam with a shark.”

  “You were under attack,” I say, but Jared laughs.

  “She was swimming parallel to me.”

  “She almost had you,” Petty embellishes.

  “Any second, she would have bitten your leg,” Gage adds, but there’s a hint of laughter laced under his voice.

  “Or gnawed on your big dick,” Petty says.

  “Dude,” Gage says.

  “Eww,” Jared follows.

  “How do you know he has a big dick?” I ask, and thankfully they all burst out in genuine laughter.

  By the time we take our seat on the upper deck, the story has embellished to Jared fighting off the shark and the gash on Petty’s leg is a shark bite even though he wasn’t anywhere near the creature. I laugh as the two try to impress a gaggle of girls, one of whom bandaged Petty’s leg. Gage sits close to me, our sides pressing together. He’s wrapped a towel around me again.

  “You’re shaking,” he mutters, slipping an arm around my back. “Cold?”

  “I think it’s shock. I was really scared.”

  “I told you I’d never let anything happen to you. Why did you swim away?”

  I shrug, uncertain I can explain my rationale or irrational behavior. “Pregnancy?” I say squeamishly as if it excuses me.

  “Like yesterday?” he says, finally bringing up the dreaded subject.

  “I think swimming away from a shark might be a little different,” I gently mock.

  “And was I different? Or was I just like him?” It takes me a minute to process who he means.

  “Gage, I—”

  “Just don’t lie to me, Ivy. No matter what is or isn’t between us, never lie. If this is your thing, I get it. You don’t owe me an explanation.”

  The accusation offends me, and I slide out from under his arm to put space between us. “First of all, it isn’t a thing for me although it’s none of your business. And yes, you were different from Cash, and that’s why I was looking for you at the club back in June. I wanted to apologize for how I acted when we first met. I already told you I wasn’t in a good head place that day.” I don’t know why I’m defending myself to him. If he wants to judge me, screw him. I’m sure he’s not perfect. He’s probably been with three times the women.

  “Hey,” he snaps, returning his arm to my back and tugging me into his side. “I’m not judging. I just don’t want you to lie and make me think I was something to you I wasn’t. And you don’t need to apologize. I told you, no regrets.”

  “I don’t really regret it, I just…” How do I explain myself? The guilt I felt for treating him like I did. The hope he didn’t hate me. The fact the incident lingered in my thoughts for months. Sometimes I wondered if it really happened.

  “Just tell me I’m the best orgasm you’ve ever had, and I’ll be happy.” He’s teasing me, and I snort.

  “You’re the only one I’ve had. Yesterday.”

  He chokes, and I turn to slap him on the back.

  “What?” He coughs. “Never?”

  “Not with a guy. It just never happened like that.” I don’t know why I’m offering him so much information.

  “Ivy.” He’s still struggling to speak. “Not even when…?” His eyes drift between us.

  “Nope. It was too quick.”

  “Damnit,” he hisses. Then his lip crooks. “I’ve got some making up to do.”

  My body shivers with the suggestion, and I wonder if straddling his lap in front of the others on the boat would be inappropriate. Probably, I tell myself. My face heats with the thought, and he continues to clear his throat.

  “You okay?” I chuckle.

  “I’d ask you to give me mouth-to-mouth, but there’s no way I’d stop there,” he warns, and I realize for the first time that Gage and I never kissed before, during, or after what we did yesterday.

  12

  GAGE

  I want to know more about her lack of orgasms, but first, I want to kiss the crap out of her. I’m honored I was her first. In fact, my chest swells with selfish pride, and I want to give her another one right here. I wonder if she’d left me slip my hand under the towel. No one would notice what I do to her. I could get my fingers inside her bikini bottoms. It’d be fast and hard…then I recall what she said.

  It was too quick.

  It reminds me of what I already thought. Ivy needs someone to take his time with her, and that someone is me.

  When we return to the condo, Ivy says she’s going to nap. She’ll see me later, and I already feel giddy. She’s coming out with us tonight. I want to follow her to her room and lie down next to her again, but Tommy awaits us in the living room. Ivy excuses herself, and I sit across from Tommy. Tommy doesn’t look pleased, and something in his expression has Petty following Ivy down the hall as well.

  Petty and I already had it out earlier. I apologized for pushing him off the ladder, not intending to cut his leg.

  “Yeah, what the fuck was that all about?”

  “I wasn’t going to let another bandmate cut me off from her.”

  Petty stared at me, not aware of what I meant. I patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.”

  He’d been quiet near me after the conversation, sticking to his new story of a shark bite.

  As I sit across from Tommy, he glares at me.

  “What’s this?” He holds up his phone as if I can see it. I reach forward and find an image of Ivy wrapped in a towel with my arm around her, and I was kissing her temple.

  “Damnit.” So much for privacy on the small tour. We didn’t consider an NDA for each passenger, but once people figured out who Jared and Petty were, there was no denying us.

  The caption under the image reads: Is that Ivy Carrigan? Moving on from Cash Bennett.

  “How the fuck?”

  “Some people pride themselves on looking up dirt and then spreading that shit everywhere.”

  I hand the phone back to Tommy.

  “I’ll manage this.” We have a personal assistant to monitor our media for this type of stuff. I text her instantly, demanding a takedown and search if possible. Who did this?

  “This is the type of shit I warned you about. You leave my niece out of your business.”

  “Look, I have no intention of dragging her into anything.” I understand his protectiveness of her, but he needs to understand I’d throw myself in front of a bus myself for her.

  Tommy pauses a minute, stroking the silver-black mix of hair on his jaw. His eyes narrow on me. “You stay away from her, and I’ll become your manager.”

  My eyes open wide. He’s asking me for a death sentence. I couldn’t stay away from her if I tried.

  “No deal. You just said to leave Ivy out of things, and you want to throw her on the table as a bargaining chip.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Tommy huffs. “You’re going to flounder with shit like this.”

  I glare at him. Just tell me to fail, and I’ll prove you wrong. This is the way of Meredith, the step-monster who wants money from me now that I have it.

  “You don’t know anything,” I say, standing and dismissing myself.

  13

  IVY

  Gage invites me to go dancing with them in the evening. Eight used to be early for me, but now…I take a nap as soon as we return home from the turtle excursion so I can make it till nine. I’m tired of being tired, but I also know my body needs the rest, and it’s all preparation for never sleeping again.

  “Where the fuck is she?” Gage snaps, lifting his drink for his lips as I walk up behind him.

  “She’s right behind you,” I say although sudd
enly I wonder if he meant me. He slams his glass down on the table and stands quickly, spinning to face me, and then he stops. His eyes roam my body from top to bottom.

  “My God, you’re gorgeous,” he states, drawing in a breath and stepping forward to kiss my cheek. I’m wearing a silver sequin shift dress. Cut mid-thigh, it disguises my belly well enough, but it’s tighter around the middle than normal. My hand covers my stomach, and Gage grips my fingers, entwining ours together. “No one knows.”

  He tugs me to the table. He’s upset, and the energy vibrates around him. Once I sit on the high-top stool, he drags the seat closer to him with his foot. He slides a wine glass toward me.

  “What’s this?” I look at him.

  “Water.”

  “In a wine glass?” I clarify. It’s a sweet gesture especially since I can’t drink alcohol. I giggle, and he bumps my shoulder with his before picking up his glass and taking a slow slip.

  “You’re angry.” His jaw clenches, and he turns to face me. His eyes are hooded, but he isn’t drunk. The way he looks at me—like he drinks me in—makes me feel woozy. How can he do this to me with just a look?

  “You’re late.” I am. I’m an hour late actually. I overslept and then showered, trying to put some effort into myself.

  “I am. I’m sorry.” He leans over and kisses my shoulder.

  “Wearing that dress, you’re forgiven.” He smiles slowly as he draws back from my shoulder.

  “Have you been dancing?” I ask, uncertain why I ask and not wanting the answer.

  “Not yet,” he says, not looking at me and lifting his glass again. He’s standoffish once again like he was this morning, and I’m too tired to play games with him.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

  He shakes his without answering. Jared sits across from us, and tension surrounds the table. Petty works his way over to us, disentangling himself from a pretty redhead.

  “Poison Ivy,” he blurts. Unoriginal, but I laugh anyway. “Girl, in that dress, you’re toxic.”

  “Petty,” Gage hisses, and I think, not this again. Gage already hurt his friend earlier in the day although it wasn’t intentional, and he did apologize.

  Petty shakes his head, ignoring Gage. “Dance with me,” Petty asks, reaching for me over the table. He lifts my hand over Jared and drags me out to the floor. It’s been a while since I’ve danced, and I’m self-conscious of the new shape of my pregnant body. I don’t move as I once did, and I don’t feel sexy wiggling on the dance floor, but I can’t help but fall in with Petty. His laughter is infectious, and his crazy dance moves have me less embarrassed.

  “You think I’m funny,” he says as I can hardly breathe, I’m laughing so hard.

  “I think you’re adorable,” I reassure him.

  “They think I’m an idiot.” His expression turns serious as he nods in the direction of Gage and Jared. Gage takes another sip of his drink, watching me over the rim. Jared faces his friend, swinging his hand as he speaks to his bandmate.

  “Why would you say that?” I ask over the heart-thumping music.

  “They think I don’t know about you and Cash, or the fact you’re pregnant.” I stop dancing to stare at him. Someone bumps into me, and Petty wraps a hand around my waist.

  “Why don’t you announce it to the bar?” I say, choking on the lump in my throat.

  “I can keep a secret.” He’s still dancing, but he’s slowed his pace. A momentarily somber expression on Petty’s face tells me he has own secrets, and his silly antics hide them.

  “You were on social media today. With Gage.”

  “What?” I’ve stopped moving again, blinking up at him.

  “Someone on the boat caught him kissing your forehead. Not a big deal, but they tried to make it into one.”

  My heart drops. I don’t need this type of exposure, and it’s the last thing a rising rock star wants.

  “I…” I turn to search for Gage, only I notice he’s no longer seated at the table. He’s dancing with a girl in the opposite corner of the dance floor. I watch his sultry moves. His hips sway into her like he might roll them during sex, and bile builds in my stomach. He spins her around, drawing her hips to the front of him. She lifts her arms over her head and reaches back for him. He leans out of her touch and spins her back to face him. Her hands smooth up his shirt, but he grabs her wrists. He draws her hand up to his lips and kisses her knuckles, but his eyes cross the floor to me. I look away, forcing my eyes to Petty.

  Petty gazes over his shoulder before spinning me to look away from him.

  “After sitting here for an hour, bitching about you being late, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s dancing with her to keep the spotlight off you. If someone takes a picture of him with her, it will draw people away from speculation.”

  “Speculation?”

  “That he’s into you.”

  It all hits me hard. He shouldn’t be into me. Even Petty knows the reason, and it’s only a matter of time before social media takes a hit at my belly. I should appreciate the gesture. Gage is dancing with someone else to protect me, but I can’t rationalize at this moment. I’m jealous. She’s slim and sleek, and her clothes fit her tight ass. Her hair shines midnight black down her exposed back where Gage rests his hand. Other images join my imagination of them together, and the bile in my stomach crawls up my esophagus.

  “I need air,” I shout to Petty over the music. I shouldn’t be here. I’m creating a silly fantasy of Gage Everly being into me from his Neanderthal behavior and his tender touches. It’s just him being sweet, and it’s all wrong.

  + + +

  I don’t head to the penthouse right away but opt for a walk. The boardwalk is quiet and peaceful once again, and I swing my arm holding my strappy sandals. I shouldn’t be out here alone, but I take the risk to collect my thoughts.

  What do I even want from him? It wouldn’t be fair to take on me and a baby that’s not his. We shouldn’t be attracted to each other the way I thought we were. Then again, he’s the one giving me orgasms, not the other way around. Maybe he feels some warped obligation to take care of his dead friend’s kid. My chest hurts with the thought. I don’t want his sympathy. I want him.

  I finally turn around and head back to the resort. I have no idea how long I’ve been gone. When I reach the penthouse, I find Tommy sitting on the loveseat on the patio.

  “Hey, baby girl.” His voice sounds groggy like he’s tired or had too much to drink. From the bottle of Jack on the table and the glass in his hand, I’m going to assume option B. I fold down next to him and lean my head against his shoulder.

  “Gage was here looking for you.”

  Ignoring the statement, I jump to another. “Social media saw me today with him. Nothing happened, but they’re going to make a thing of it.”

  “You remember what your mother always said about social media, girl?”

  “Negative things are more about the other person than you.”

  I haven’t risked a peek at the photo myself. I’m too afraid of what I’ll see. We’re silent a second, and I look up at the stars, considering Gage. Two stars collide and they collapse. Gage will collapse me.

  “He wants me to be their band manager.”

  I roll my head to look up at Tommy. “He does?” I pause. “Will you do it?”

  “Nope. I’ve already been in a band. I don’t need to be outside one.”

  “Could be fun?” I tease. “The other side of a coin.”

  Tommy laughs. “Except I don’t need more money.”

  I settle back against him. My brain hurts from the roller coaster of Gage.

  “What do I know about managing a band?”

  “I bet you’d know a lot about it. You kept Chrome Teardrops together for almost two decades, which was no small feat,” I tease, knowing the volatile history with their cousin, as siblings, and the love-hate relationship with Hank.

  He huffs and sits forward to pour anoth
er half-glass. “I know you miss it,” I remind him. “And you see in them what they can be.”

  “I think he’s trouble for you.”

  “We aren’t talking about me, and I can take care of myself.” I’m going to have no other choice. I’m all I have left next to Tommy, and I think he needs something like this. Managing a band will give him new purpose.

  Tommy harrumphs, and I sit forward, intending to stand. He grips my wrist, stopping me. “Problem is, it’s more than you now, darlin’.”

  He leans over and kisses my temple. “I think I need some sleep.” He hefts himself upward, grabs the bottle off the table, and walks around the sofa. I remind myself that losing my mother was hard on him, too. They were siblings, best friends who fought like cats and dogs, but they loved each other hard. I rub my belly, wondering if this baby will ever have sibling love like that. I know I didn’t although I love my brother.

  I stand and move to the railing, looking out at the black ocean. The moon shines down in a funnel-like ripple reflection. It’s beautiful and dangerous and reminds me of Gage. He’ll break me if I give in to my attraction to him. My heart has no more room for aches.

  “Ivy.” I turn to find my thoughts materialized into the man himself. He’s moonlight in a dark moment of my life. Twice actually. His eyes meet mine across the patio, and the pull I feel to him raises the wispy hairs on my neck. In less than a second, he crosses the rooftop. A hand delves into my hair while the other covers my cheek, and his mouth collides with mine.

  It’s the same kiss as the time in the closet yet so much more. Hungry. Desperate. Needy. He takes my lips with his, sucking at the bottom before covering both again and tilting my head for better access. My body falls against his. My arms wrap around his neck, and my fingers fumble in his hair. I can’t get close enough to him, and then his tongue invades my mouth. Instantly, we tangle, twirl, taste. Beautiful and dangerous.

  “Where did you go?” he mutters against my mouth but returns to devouring my lips before I can answer. The kiss consumes me, and I can’t even remember walking away from him. He slowly pulls back, taking my lower lip with his for a final taste. “Why did you leave?”