“Can Raina and I head down to look at the lake?” Oaklynn asks, and I want to hug her for offering to take me with her.
“Sure,” Mr. Saffran answers. The Saffrans get back in their vehicle to follow Matt, who jumps on an ATV and starts up the motor.
“You hanging with the girls?” Oaklynn turns to her brother who is standing behind us, his arms folded over his chest.
“Someone’s gotta watch for trouble,” he teases, his smile deepening the dimple in his right cheek, and his eyes land on me.
For some stupid reason, I duck my head, my cheeks suddenly feeling warm. Oliver is gorgeous and while he hasn’t been creepy to me, I still feel shy having his eyes on me. He has a nice guy vibe, but I get the feeling there is more to him than he lets on. Since I’m not sure how long I’ll be living with this family or what will happen when I turn eighteen, I’m gun-shy to get too close to either of the twins.
Oaklynn rolls her eyes and takes my hand, leading me down the dirt path to where the faint sound of water lapping against the sand can be heard. As we get closer, the sun becomes more visible, the golden rays skimming over the tree line across the lake. The body of water is huge, yet seems private at the same time. Several docks surround the entirety of the lake. Peering to the left, I notice that the lake seems to go through a small channel and then opens up again, indicating just how vast the lake is.
“There they are!” Oaklynn yells, and does a little jump. I follow her line of sight; way down and over to the right, a small cluster of rocky cliffs can be seen and there stand three tall, male bodies and next to them is a smaller girl. I can’t make out much about them, except that two of the guys have dark swim trunks on and one is wearing bright orange. The girl is wearing jean shorts and a black swim top. From here, I can see her hair is lilac purple. My brow rises as one of the guys jumps first, his body hurtling toward the water, and he somehow manages to keep his body perfectly straight as he hits it. There’s cheering and the girl makes her way over to the edge. It looks as if she says something to the guys behind her before jumping off and away from the edge of the cliff. I hear Oaklynn squeal next to me when the girl disappears under the water. One after the other, the bodies fall from the cliff until they’re all just bobbing in the water.
“You sure that’s them?” Oliver questions. I turn to look at him, only to find his eyes already on me, before they flick to his sister.
“I’m positive,” Oaklynn responds, giving him a smirk. Her eyes swing back to the water and mine follow. The jumpers have climbed into a sport boat, which is heading toward our location. “Told ya,” Oaklynn calls over her shoulder, and I hear Oliver scoff under his breath.
I want to look and see if he is as irritated as he sounds, but I can’t take my eyes off the small group that is getting nearer to us. They’re huddled together, the girl waving her arms over her head, while the blond guy next to her keeps an arm wrapped around her waist while his other arm is braced on the windshield. Once they pull up to the dock, Oaklynn takes off down the trail yelling, “Say!” My eyes fly to the girl and it hits me that this has to be Saylor.
Saylor untangles herself from the blond guy and jumps over the edge of the boat, running toward Oaklynn. Both girls embrace and bounce around laughing. Oaklynn pulls back first and picks up a lock of Saylor’s hair, a huge grin on her face while they chat. Soon, both of them glance up at us, and Saylor’s grin grows wider. “Ollie!” She whoops before taking off up the trail toward us.
“Say!” the blond guy shouts after her, but she keeps going, completely ignoring him.
He may be too far away for me to hear him, but I can read his lips and the amount of fucks he just dropped are making it tough for me to keep a straight face. He and one of the other guy are messing around with the boat, while the guy in the orange board shorts hops over the edge of the boat onto the dock, right as Oaklynn reaches him. He meets her, his hands cupping her face before kissing her. Oaklynn’s arms wrap around his waist and I look away to give them privacy.
Shivers run along my skin and travel upwards to the roots of my hair, despite the summer heat, and my head snaps toward the source. Crystal green eyes catch mine and I’m momentarily struck by the intensity of the look he’s giving me, as if he knows me inside and out. It’s as if I’ve been waiting my whole life to meet him; it’s a crazy feeling, and I don’t like the way my stomach lurches and drops. It all ends as quickly as it began when he looks away, as if he’s dismissing me. My lips turn down into a frown because what the hell was that?
Silas
I hate introductions, so the fact that Saylor will be welcoming our newest target, and I won’t have to, makes me extremely happy. Technically Val already explained Rogue to our new target, Raina, at least that’s her name now, when she arrived at their home, but I know Matt wants Saylor to give her a more in-depth version since she’ll be here all summer.
I let my eyes touch on Raina, sliding up her naturally tan calves to her jean shorts, ones that are longer than most girls around here would wear, and up to the plain, baggy, white, V-neck t-shirt she’s wearing. Her long black hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and she wears a skeptical look on her face. When our eyes clash, I can read the brief flash of insecurity in her gaze before the dark irises shutter closed and she lifts her chin in response to me staring. I doubt she is even aware she did; it’s almost like a defense mechanism. Dropping my eyes, I wonder why I care so much or why I would even be interested in figuring out what her little tells mean.
“Are we done yet?” Ciaran gripes from behind me and I know he’s really just pissed that Saylor took off and is talking to the male Saffran twin, who has his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
“If you want to chance all our stuff being stolen, then yes,” I respond, keeping the sarcasm light.
“Fuck you,” he mutters under his breath for the fourth time, and I smirk.
We finish grabbing all our equipment from the boat and jump effortlessly to the dock.
“Air,” I cough under my breath as we walk past Kai and Oaklynn, who are still making out. They both pull back, laughing, before he grabs her hand and follows behind us.
Ciaran’s stride is long and purposeful while he climbs up the trail, but I keep mine more leisurely. I don’t think he will hurt Oliver, but I don’t doubt that he will have something cutting to say and Saylor will be the one left to defuse the situation. I have no worries, though, she can handle him.
Saylor must sense that Ciaran is moments away from losing his shit because she steps out of Oliver’s hug and right into my friend, the minute he gets there. Instantly, some of the tension leaves him and I roll my eyes. Ciaran glances at Kai and raises his chin, a silent communication for him to lead the Saffrans away, so we can get past the whole introduction phase.
Kai whispers in Oaklynn’s ear, and she nods excitedly at whatever he says. “Oliver, we’re going to check out the game room quick, you play?” Kai asks, a lazy smile on his lips.
“Sorta.” He shrugs and agrees to go with them.
I keep my eyes on them until they’re a safe distance away. When I glance back, Raina’s eyes are darting amongst the three of us that are left. She stands a little taller and drops one arm to her side while the other is crossed over her body. She glances at Saylor and does a quick double take to ensure that no one else seems to notice. My brows pinch together while I study her more.
“Hi Raina,” Saylor says, stepping forward and offering her hand. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m sure Val has told you some things.”
Raina takes her hand and gives is a small shake. “Just about what you all do and that I’m safe under this alias.”
“She’s right,” Saylor nods, “you are safe. Val probably told you, but Matt and his friend Jason currently run Rogue. Minnesota is the main hub where we operate from with Matt running the show. We take kids and families from all over the country who need our protection and set them up in safe houses. The only thing we ask in return is that you always
use your alias and don’t discuss who you used to be to anyone. When you turn eighteen, you will get to choose what you want to do. After the summer, I’ll go over how school runs and what you can expect. Right now, we’re just trying to have a good summer. Everyone here is part of Rogue, in some way or another. I know Val already talked to you about this, but she doesn’t want Oliver or Oaklynn to know for their own protection.” The way Saylor says the last part, I can hear the struggle in her voice.
Raina nods her head, her face solemn. “I understand. They’re good people.”
“I agree,” Saylor responds, “and it kills me to keep this part of me from my best friend.”
Raina’s eyes shoot to Saylor and the girls share a moment between just them. I can see Saylor’s face go soft and the instant like she has for the new girl.
“We should head in,” Ciaran speaks up, and we all silently agree.
I trail behind them up to the house and notice that my dad’s vehicle is still gone. We just got here, yet he and Matt have been trying to get information on Calvin from Erika. Our wifi here is good, but there is a spot closer to town where the best reception can be found, and they’ve decided to take turns going there to get work done.
Ciaran and Saylor show Raina into the house while I wait on the deck, letting the last rays of the sun warm my skin. My eyes close and my brain jogs over everything that has happened today and what needs to be done tomorrow.
“Hey,” Ciaran says, stepping out onto the deck with me. “I’m taking Saylor into town for a little bit. She wants to get some things for Mila.”
“K,” I answer, keeping my eyes closed. “Probably a good idea to distract her for a while.”
He blows out a frustrated breath. “That was the hope. The cliffs worked for a while, but once we got back, she’s already jumpy again. Everything good if we leave?”
“Matt inside?”
“Yeah. The whole Saffran family is inside. Bentley and his family are having dinner in their cabin tonight and Reed is with your dad, I believe.” Ciaran goes over everything and I keep track, nodding my head.
“Should be good,” I tell him, right as Saylor comes outside, now wearing a long summer dress instead of the shorts and her swimsuit from earlier.
“Here’s your shirt.” She hands a tank to Ciaran, who takes it from her hand and throws it over his head. He then grabs her by the hand and they start walking down the stairs to Ciaran’s truck.
“See you in a few,” he calls to me and I lift my hand in goodbye. My head tips back, and suddenly I wish my bed was closer. I also wish I had a bottle of Jack, because damn if this summer isn’t going to be a chaotic nightmare. It’s only day one and I already feel strung tight, like I’m waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. So much for relaxing.
After dinner, everyone decides a bonfire is in order. I eventually throw on some jeans and a long sleeve shirt and join the rest of them, after my dad made sure to ask me again to make an appearance. I’m not sure what’s up with him wanting to spend all this time together, but I can take a guess, and my guess would be it has something to do with Saylor. She sits across from me at the fire, Ciaran on her one side and Oaklynn on her other, with Kai sitting next to Oaklynn. Both of my friends look addicted as fuck to their girls and I notice for the first time that they are truly coupled up.
I’m happy for them, yet at the same time, my throat aches and I have to drop my eyes to the flames of the fire in order to keep past emotions at bay. It’s been years since I’ve thought of my mom. I’ve managed to put all my anger and frustration on my dad instead. With all the changes this past year, I realize that that too isn’t helping me. I can go round and round in circles for days, weeks, and even months, but because I wasn’t there back then I’ll never understand what happened. I used to not feel wanted, now I just feel responsible for things not working out how they should have.
My gaze flicks up to Saylor again, and I see the smile on her lips when she looks at my best friend. I should be happy for him, and I am, but right here and now, I swear off love or whatever it is that both of my friends are feeling. I just don’t have the capacity for it.
I feel eyes on me and tilt my head to the right, only to find my dad studying me as hard as I am the flames before me. We’ve had some conversations since the new revelations were made, but I know he’s holding back. He wants to talk, yet neither of us really knows what to say.
A brush against my arm has my head snapping to my other side, right as Raina sits next to me on the log. She also changed into warmer clothes, some black leggings and a jean jacket. Her long hair is free and creates a halo around her face. Her eyes widen slightly, and I feel a sliver of panic in my chest.
“Easy,” she tells me, keeping her voice low, “I just don’t really do the whole small talk thing. Seemed safe to sit over here since it looks like you don’t either.”
I tilt my head and really look at her. Her deep brown eyes stare back at me, unflinching, but wary. Her lips are pressed tightly together and I see the small, single freckle that sits by the corner of her mouth. Even with the smoke of the bonfire, I can smell the hint of coconut on her skin. Flicking my gaze back to the fire, I shrug. After that, she seems to relax and I go back to trying not to care that she is suddenly next to me.
“I’m sure the girls wouldn’t have bothered you if you told them that,” I try to make conversation, seeing if I can maybe get her to move away from me.
I drag my gaze to her lazily. Her brow arches. “I guess I judged you wrong, Mr. Chatty.”
A laugh escapes my mouth before I can stop it, and a few heads turn in our direction before they resume their own conversations. I shake my head then go back to keeping my gaze fixed ahead of me. The longer we sit in silence, the more comfortable she gets. Her legs stretch out in front of her and cross at the ankles. She takes sips of her water and her back starts to relax instead of sitting ramrod straight. Eventually, I hear a small sigh leave her lips. It makes me want to ask her why she sighed and what she’s thinking. I want to pry into her brain and find out something about her that no one else knows. Something that isn’t in her file that I’ve already read. The fact that she feels so relaxed in my presence alone has me questioning her sanity.
I’m about to open my mouth when another body drops next to her other side. “Hey Rai,” Oliver says, holding out a package of Twizzlers to her, “Want one?”
“No, thanks,” Raina responds, and I instantly can tell her body is rigid once again. The Saffran kid has to be an idiot not to notice the change in her the minute he sat down.
“I’m meeting up with some of the guys I used to go to school with tomorrow, want to join us?” he asks, continuing on about the boat they have. I instantly recognize the last name of the family and know that they are situated on Robin Lake. We have a standing rivalry with this group of guys and every summer, we bump heads at least a time or two, sometimes settling those situations with our fists. Usually, though, we save it for the softball field. Each lake has a team that participates in the weekend long tournament over Fourth of July, and this year, something tells me a victory might just be a little sweeter.
“You’ll have to tell Isaac and the boys hey from us,” I say loud enough to gain Ciaran and Kai’s attention.
“Not the Robin guys?” Kai’s brow arches and Oliver turns a questioning gaze my way. His attention leaves Raina and to my surprise, she inches closer to me.
“One in the same,” I nod, “Oliver, here, knows Lincoln.”
Ciaran snorts and Kai fights to keep his face neutral. He is dating this guy’s sister after all. “We all get a little competitive on the softball field. If their team is full this summer, you can play with us,” Kai offers and some of the tension in the air simmers down.
Oliver’s fingers slide along his jaw, as if he’s contemplating it, until finally he nods at Kai. “I’ll think about it.”
After that conversation, Oliver excuses himself to take a call and I expect that Raina will move back t
o where she was. Instead, she stays close to me, and I have to squeeze my eyes shut in order to keep my body still. Never have I experienced this feeling and I don’t like it. I feel out of control in a way that makes my heart race too fast. I’ve spent years schooling my emotions and locking down anything that resembles happy feelings deep inside. In less than twelve hours of her being here, this girl is shaking me up on the inside like a damn snow globe. Today is just a blip on my life span; tomorrow, I will go back to how I normally feel. Maybe it’s the heat or maybe it’s just the rush of the past few months since we’ve all been on edge. Either way, I force myself to sit through the bonfire and repeat in my head over and over that things will be back to the status quo when I wake up. Fuck, I hope so.
Lux
Agreeing to a sleepover is most definitely not on the top smartest things I’ve done lately, but it sounded good at the time. I need some details about Saylor, so I can go back to ignoring the five text messages on my phone and not feel guilty. I hadn’t checked in since we first arrived and I know he is getting irritated that three days have gone by without any new information. In my defense, we’ve been busy every day. The Saffrans took me and the twins into town shopping for supplies and essentials, which led to dinner at the Country Club with Oliver’s friend’s family. Oaklynn and I were the only ones desperate to get back to the cabins, but everyone else had fun. The next day I spent with Saylor and Oaklynn, getting Saylor’s sister’s room ready and the bedding cleaned. That eventually led to sun tanning and them catching up on girl talk, which is what led to tonight’s sleepover in Saylor’s room.
Needless to say, I have spent a lot of time with Saylor, but there isn’t much to report, unless I’m telling him how head over heels she is for Ciaran, which does not seem like the type of information he wants. Not that I blame Saylor, or Oaklynn for that matter. These boys are strikingly good-looking. I would have to be blind not to notice. Ciaran is all cold exterior and sharp angles, with ice blue eyes and tan skin that makes his unruly blond hair look almost white. He looks untouchable, until Saylor is around, then the guy seems to melt and his personality comes out to play. Kai is just as handsome, but where Ciaran is light, Kai is dark. Pitch black hair and coffee brown eyes, and his skin is just a shade tanner than the other two. Of course, my Native coloring makes my own skin golden brown year round, but Kai is right up there with me. He comes off as the jokester of the group, but there is a silent intensity that comes from his Chinese heritage that gives him this badass vibe. Or it could be the deadly looking dragon tattoo across his back. And then there is Silas. The guy who appears so aloof, that you almost feel like a fool for even thinking you can talk to him, when really, he’s probably the one who has the most to say. When Silas talks, you listen. If Ciaran’s exterior is cold, Silas looks almost impenetrable. He’s closed-off and distant, yet something about him calls to me. Almost as if we’re kindred souls. His flashing green eyes and permanent scowl do nothing to deter me. If anything, I want to sit closer to him, even if we sit in silence.
#SummerGirl Page 3