Cam’s guilt trip was successful. With a loud sigh, Louis reluctantly slid into the car behind me and slammed the car door. I glanced over at Travis, who appeared rather amused at the scene that had just transpired.
The ride to the beach was a quiet one. All three men sat silently during the thirty-plus-minute drive to the Atlantic coast. I played along in the game of who can be mute the longest. I just increased the volume on the radio and listened intently, not daring to sing along with the words to any of the songs, as that would cause me to lose the battle of reticence.
We finally reached our destination. Travis parked and the rest of us grabbed the items we brought along. Travis unloaded the cooler from the trunk. I grabbed my beach bag, and the guys each grabbed their respective bags and beach towels. With our items in tow, we trudged through the sand to mark our spot on the beach, still not exchanging any words with each other.
“I can help you with that,” Travis said as I spread out the blanket.
“Thank goodness you spoke first.” I was so relieved that Travis finally broke the deafening silence. “I wasn’t about to lose to Cameron and Louis. They would never let me forget it.”
“Travis may have been the biggest loser, but Louis and I still held out longer than you, Lean Bean.”
I reached into my bag and grabbed a bottle of sunscreen so I could throw it at the face of my twin. He dodged my futile attempt at hitting him and laughed.
“And you throw like a girl.” Okay. Now it was game on.
“You won’t be saying anything like that when I beat you at volleyball, Cameron Callahan. You will have to hide your head in the sand when you lose to a girl.” I turned my nose up and grabbed the bottle of sunscreen I had tossed, that was now laying in the sand. “Which of you two boys would like to be on the winning team…AKA, Charlie’s team?”
Travis and Louis exchanged scowls and grunts. It was very caveman-like. I was used to my brother and Louis fighting over who got to have me on their team. They both had always wanted me on their team, but this showdown between Travis and Louis was uncomfortable. I didn’t think either one of them wanted to be on my team.
“Obviously, you should be on Charlie’s team since you are her boyfriend.” Louis’s stern voice held a serious undertone, and I couldn’t help but laugh at what sounded like a hostile accusation.
Travis squinted and drew his brows together. “I am not her boyfriend.” Why did all three of these boys seem so indignant?
The lines on Louis’s forehead arched, creating a shocked expression. I guess when I saw him yesterday at the diner, I had been sitting next to Travis. And then again today, we arrived in the same car. I would say it was a safe assumption to make given the appearance of the situation.
“So you are just friends?” Louis no longer looked in Travis’s direction. He darted his gaze toward me.
“Yes. We are only friends.” I forcefully pulled my sunglasses off my face and peered directly into his big, beautiful blue eyes. I somehow thought I could send him a signal indicating I was not interested in anyone but him.
“Friends like you and I used to be, Charlene?” Obviously, he misinterpreted the signal I was trying to send. His furious demeanor took hold again.
“No, Louis. I have never been friends with anyone like I was with you.” His allegation stung, and he didn’t seem satisfied with my response. He was trying to get under my skin, so I turned my attention to Travis. “Travis, you’re on my team. Louis can play with my dumb brother.” I was still annoyed with Cam, and now that I was livid with Louis, it made sense to abandon them both for Travis. Still fuming with anger, I yanked off my tank top while I shimmied out of my cotton shorts, revealing my favorite orange bikini. I swear Louis’s mouth gaped open as he watched me disrobe. “See something you like, Coleman?”
22
Louis
Of course I saw something I liked. She was my kryptonite. I couldn’t not look. Her beautiful curves were on display for every man on this beach, and I wanted to be the only one that was allowed to appreciate her figure. When she handed the bottle of her sunscreen over to Travis, I forced myself to look away. I couldn’t stomach watching another man, friend or not, rubbing lotion over her shoulders and back.
I only caught a quick glimpse after Charlie’s comment. I didn’t want to look like I was gawking. As it was, I probably looked like a cartoon character with my mouth hanging open and tongue tangling out as she removed her outer beachwear. The orange pieces of material clung proudly to her bronzed skin. Outdoor running graced her skin with a wonderful, glowing tan. Even though her legs are lean and her stomach is flat, the curves from her breasts and hips reminded me of how much of a woman she is now.
My swim trunks started to feel tight, and I only saw her in that damn bikini for ten seconds. How am I going to watch her across a volleyball net and not be mesmerized by her body? More importantly, how am I going to have my body not react to the sight of hers? This was not a good idea, and without my own transportation, I was trapped in this situation. I was stuck with her, my best friend, and some guy I just met stranded on the end of the continent.
“Louis?” Cam calling my name brought me out of the whirling thoughts in my head. “You look like you are a thousand miles away. You okay?”
I shook my head slightly to help draw me back to my current situation. “Yeah, man. I’m fine. Just have a lot on my mind, I guess. Nothing that a day at the beach won’t cure.”
Cam’s lips turned up in a smile. “Well, come on.” He rolled a volleyball out of his bag and motioned for me to walk with him toward the nets that were already set up off to the right where we had our belongings set out.
I briefly glanced in Charlie’s direction again before following behind my friend. During my brief look, I observed Charlie now applying sunscreen to Travis’s back. Part of me wished I hadn’t already applied sunscreen to myself prior to leaving Cam’s apartment just so I could have her rub her hands on my back. Then the other part was just sad that she was applying sunscreen to another man’s back—friend or not. My feet walked in Cam’s direction, but I couldn’t look away just yet.
What if things between Charlie and Travis morphed into something like she and I had, although only briefly? I wanted to kick myself or punch something. I really wanted to punch Travis, although I know I’m the one truly at fault here. She wanted me, and I chased her away. I guess I needed to blame someone other than myself, and Travis was the easiest target.
I watched that messy bun of light brown hair bobble around with every serve Charlie made during our volleyball game. When she was up toward the net, I could see the reflection of sun and sand in her aviator glasses. The mirrored lenses prevented me from seeing her eyes, though. I couldn’t decipher if she was looking at me or not. I knew my eyes were on her the entire time. I hoped the dark lenses in my own glasses hid that fact.
I missed their game point because I was caught up in watching her. Cam struck his hand on the back of my head when I missed what would have been an easy spike from my height and position at that moment. “Ow! Sorry, man.” I rubbed the back of my head but didn’t remove my line of sight away from Charlie—that was until I saw Travis run toward her and lift her in a bear hug around her naked waist.
“If you stopped watching my sister and watched the ball, we would have won that game.” His sunglasses didn’t hide the fact that he was annoyed with me.
“I’m going to grab a water before the next game. It’s still two out of three, Cam. Simmer down.” The outcome of the game was meaningless to me, which probably only made my old friend more frustrated.
“I’m going for a swim before the next game to cool off.” If we weren’t on the beach, he would have stomped away. Instead sand just kicked up behind him as he plodded away. He really didn’t like to lose. Even worse, he really didn’t like to lose to a girl…especially his sister. The two of them are a great team, but they are fiercely competitive when playing against each other.
I reached the
blanket where our cooler was and opened the lid. The sound of additional footsteps sifted behind me, prompting me to turn around.
“I’m going to run after Cam and dunk him in the ocean. Either of you want to join me?” Charlie stood tall and proud next to Travis and me displaying a happy grin on her face.
“Nah. I think I am going to sit awhile. You go ahead.” Of course, Travis responded. I didn’t speak. I wasn’t about to watch her bikini get wet and barely cling to her skin.
I did watch her run toward the coastline though as I sat down on the blanket with a bottle of water in my hand.
“You know, even though I am not her boyfriend, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be someone else that will want to be.”
I turned toward the man I considered my adversary but remained silent. He knew he was going to aggravate me, so now I felt like I needed to intimidate him. But he didn’t budge. In fact, he sat next to me.
“We might as well get out in the open the reason we don’t like each other.” He sure was full of himself. He leaned back on his arms and crossed his legs out in front of him.
I tossed a brief look at him sitting next to me and then resumed my attention toward the ocean. I watched Charlie and Cameron splashing each other and although I couldn’t hear her laugh from where I was sitting, I could see that she was.
“Okay, I’ll go first.” His deep voice pulled me from the trance Charlie always seemed to put me under. I remained steadfast in my silence, but returned my glare in his direction. I figured I would hear what he was going to say, and if I didn’t like it, I would punch him. “I don’t like you because you are the asshole that broke her heart. She is my friend, and you hurt her.” Although I couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, I was pretty sure his eyes were imagining tearing me limb from limb. “So why don’t you like me?”
Was he serious? I thought it was pretty obvious that I despised the closeness of his relationship with Charlie. I also didn’t like the fact that he was able to show off his shoulders and chest, and I was forced to cover up with a shirt due to the burns to my back.
I was proud of how mature I was. I was respectful while he spoke. I faced him and listened, and now I was done with that. So I pulled my eyes away from him and back to Charlie and Cam while I continued to sit in silence.
“I’m not interested in her in that way, you know.” Why was he still talking? “But there will be someone that is someday.” That thought caused me to flinch. I couldn’t think about her being with anyone else. “If I had another chance to be with the woman I love, I wouldn’t be sulking on a beach blanket next to some dude I barely know.”
His comment got a chuckle out of me, and I finally spoke. “Another chance to be with the woman I love? What? Did your last girlfriend dump your ass?” He deserved to be dumped as far as I was concerned.
Travis stood and brushed off sand from his legs. “Nah. It wasn’t like that. She died in a car accident.” He peered down at me from his standing position. “Life is short, man. I know you want to be with her. I’m new to this circle, and I can see how you feel about her from a mile away. Just tell her you love her. Tell her you want to be with her. Appreciate every day you have with her, Louis. Being in my shoes really sucks.”
I was relieved he walked away then so I could pull out the foot I had shoved in my mouth. That was some heavy stuff. He was right about so many things. I barely knew the guy, and I had been a total asshole to him. I had no idea what he had been through. I just knew I didn’t like him being around Charlie. I wasn’t sure how exactly to make things better, but maybe being friends was a good place to start. I figured it was time to splash in the ocean.
After some swimming in the ocean, another game of volleyball, and lunch at a restaurant on the boardwalk, we headed back to our town. We sat in our respective places. Travis and Charlie sat up front, while Cam and I sat in the back seat.
I was confident today helped all us move forward. I felt more relaxed than I had in weeks. Of course, that was because of Charlie. She always provided me with a calming presence. When she turned toward the back seat, I was hoping she was about to say something just for me.
“Cam, Claudette is going to be in town in a few days. Can you go out to dinner on Tuesday night?” My hope for a talk between just the two of us blew away since she obviously only had family business to discuss.
I turned toward my friend, and I swear I saw him roll his eyes. I knew that Claudette wasn’t his favorite sister, but at least he had siblings. “I don’t know, Lean Bean. She usually just ignores me.” It was true. Claudette did ignore Cam when Charlie was with them.
“Oh, come on, Cam.” She shifted in her seat and lifted her sunglasses from their place perched on her adorable nose to the top of her head, revealing her amazing gray eyes. “I will invite Alexis.”
“That’s not fair, and you know it.”
Charlie snickered at his comment.
“Then maybe you can be ignored by more than one woman.” Then a sweet rumble of laughter from her echoed within the confines of the car. “Louis, you should come, too. I’m sure my sister would love to see you again.”
“Sure, I’ll go,” I replied rather quickly. Even though I had a grueling twenty-four-hour Monday shift upon me tomorrow, I would happily rush back after work on Tuesday to be with them again. Any time I got to spend with Charlie was time I would gladly accept.
“Fine. Then I’ll go, too.” Cam sounded reluctant, but we both knew he was going to give in. He never said no to his twin. “Travis, how about you? You want to go with the rest of us to dinner?”
Charlie turned toward the driver’s seat then. “That’s a great idea. Claudette would love to meet you.”
“Sounds like fun. You can count me in.” I guess I was going to need to get used to that guy. It seemed Charlie and Cam like him.
After another twenty minutes, Travis dropped Charlie off at her apartment. Each of the three of us offered to walk her to the door, but Cam insisted that he needed to speak to her about something privately, so Travis and I backed down.
The silence was slightly uncomfortable as Travis and I sat in the car alone while the twins walked up to Charlie’s apartment. “I’m really sorry I have been acting like such an asshole.” I couldn’t bring myself to look in his direction. So I stared out the window. “You haven’t done anything wrong, and I have been a jerk to you. You have every reason to dislike me. Cam and Charlie think of you as a friend, so I should do the same. I’m ashamed of how I acted earlier.”
“Okay.” He didn’t say anything else. We sat the rest of the time in the car waiting for Cam to return in silence. But even with the silence, I hoped that Travis and I could move beyond this standoff we had with each other. Hopefully my apology was the olive branch needed to insert myself into the new circle my friends had created.
23
Charlie
I worked Monday night and slept most of the day on Tuesday, but I woke up in enough time to get ready for my dinner with my siblings and favorite people. I don’t know how many outfits I tried on before I decided on khaki-colored capris with a lavender linen sleeveless shirt. I matched the ensemble with some strappy sandals and left my brown waves of hair loose around my shoulders. After applying a coat of shimmery lip gloss, I gave myself one last look in my full-length mirror before grabbing my purse and running out the door.
Travis had texted me that he was driving Cam and Louis and asked if he could pick me up, too. I gently refused, knowing I needed more time to get ready than they did, and I didn’t want to keep them waiting. Alexis and Claudette were meeting us at the restaurant, each driving themselves. I hadn’t really spoken with Alexis about the situation with my brother, but she must be warming up to the idea since she agreed to come to dinner without any coaxing needed on my part.
The guys pulled into the parking lot at nearly the same time as I did, so we walked in together. Alexis was sitting in the lobby. We exchanged pleasant hellos and the hostess guided us to a si
x-top table in the middle of the dining room. I followed Cam, and Louis followed behind me to fill the three seats on one side of the table. Then Alexis sat across from Cam and Travis sat next to her, across from me. As I looked to the right at my brother and the left to Louis, I was reminded about how natural that seating arrangement was for us.
During our classes in school, we were seated in alphabetical order. The three of us always sat in this order either next to each other or behind one another depending on the room arrangement. I was always sandwiched between those two boys. And now I was sandwiched between these two men. It still felt the same. I felt secure and protected with these two guys by my side.
Cameron and Alexis began a conversation, which left Travis, Louis, and me to strike up our own discussion. When my brother wanted to speak to me privately the day we returned from the beach, he explained how he strategically mentioned to Louis that I had a new beau. He didn’t say the new guy in my life was Travis, but Louis made that assumption. He said he was trying to help, but he was worried he may have caused unnecessary hostility to develop between the two of them. Right now, they seemed to at least be pretending to get along for my benefit, so I wouldn’t look that gift horse in the mouth.
Just as we were deep in meaningless conversation about the weather and the new traffic travel pattern due to the construction of a new bypass highway, Claudette flew in like a cyclone of blond hair. Even in the whirlwind state, she was still impeccably dressed. She wore a flowing sundress and high heels on her feet. Her makeup was perfect even though she arrived in such a fury. “I’m so sorry for being late,” she said near breathlessly.
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