I burst out laughing, trying to picture how uncomfortable that conversation was for everybody involved. “Holy shit, poor Sebastian. Poor Arthur.” I don’t know Charlotte well enough yet to know how she might have reacted, but she was probably embarrassed too.
Elliot nods, still laughing. “Yeah, I know. But that’s totally beside the point.” He gives me the same serious and earnest look as before. “Do you get what I’m saying? I know she’s pretty, but I want her to stick around for a long time. I know this sounds cheesy as fuck, but I feel like we were meant to meet her.”
If Elliot wasn’t still making that stupid serious face, I would definitely crack a joke or make fun of him for saying that. I also want to correct him. Charlotte is not pretty. She’s breathtaking. But I do understand what he’s saying, and I agree with him to an extent. The fact that Sebastian’s crushing on her makes things different too.
“Yeah, alright. I won’t ask her out.” Maybe after we’ve hung out more, and we get to know each other better.
“Oh, shit.” Elliot and I look up to see Liam frowning at his phone as he walks over to us. “Have you guys checked your phones? Grayson just group-messaged us.”
I pull my phone out of my pocket to read Grayson’s text. “Just a heads up, Madison Taylor gave Charlotte some shitty ass tour at the school this morning and told her a bunch of stuff about us. Mostly about Sebastian and Remy.”
“Jesus Christ,” Elliot mumbles angrily. “Why the hell was she given a tour anyways? Like we wouldn’t have shown her around once school starts back up.”
I’m pretty sure I’ve stopped breathing and I haven’t looked away from my phone. Obviously, Charlotte knows why I went to juvie and what happened with my—alright, don’t think about it. I try not to think about it ever, if I can help it, but I’m freaking out right now. Charlotte seems so sweet and understanding, and I probably would have told her everything eventually. But not yet. It really sucks I wasn’t given the chance, and now she’s heard about what happened from someone else. Someone I absolutely despise.
Since the phone’s still open in my hands, I see Elliot write back to Grayson. “Is she pissed?”
Grayson immediately responds, “Yeah.”
I finally look away from my phone and stare at my friends in panic. “She—she knows what I did. She fucking hates me now, I know it.” Forget about going out with her or even trying to be her friend. I’ll be lucky if she ever even talks to me again.
Liam shakes his head, making some pathetic face like he feels bad for me. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
My phone buzzes in my hand and I force myself to read the new text Grayson just sent. “Sorry, should have clarified. Charlotte is pissed at Madison and nearly beat her ass before we picked her up.”
I’m stuck staring at the phone again, unable to react. But Elliot laughs happily and claps me on the shoulder. “God, she’s perfect.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Thanks for lunch, guys. That was really good!” I smile at Sebastian and Grayson as we leave the restaurant. They’d spent pretty much the entire time we were eating telling me funny stories, which I was thankful for after such a crappy morning at the high school.
“Don’t worry about it.” Sebastian looks like he’s going to open the passenger door for me, but Grayson beats him to it.
There’s a split second where Sebastian awkwardly has his arm outstretched toward the car door while Grayson raises his eyebrows at him. Sebastian finally laughs like he’s uncomfortable and walks around to the driver’s side. I feel really flattered, and I want to tell them that I appreciate the gesture. All the boys have acted like such gentlemen with me since I met them, and it really is the sweetest thing ever. But I don’t want to embarrass Sebastian, so I keep my mouth shut as I slide into the car.
Grayson settles in behind me and starts playing with a lock of my hair. “Liam, Elliot, and Remy should be heading over to your and Sebastian’s place now. They might actually beat us there.”
It’s both satisfying and terrifying to hear him refer to Arthur’s house as mine. But I give him a smile over my shoulder and ask, “What did you all have planned for the rest of the day?”
Sebastian shrugs and glances sideways with a nervous half-smile. “We were probably going to hang out at Grayson’s and play in his pool. But if you want to do something else, I’m sure the other guys wouldn’t mind.”
My jaw drops and I spin around in my seat to narrow my eyes at Grayson. “You have a pool? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Sebastian and Grayson make eye contact, and they both chuckle. Grayson shrugs and smirks as he tugs on my hair again. “I don’t know. I’m kind of surprised my mom didn’t mention it when she took you shopping.”
Hmm, maybe she did. But Evelyn talked so much that it was hard to keep up with, and I was pretty overwhelmed by all of the clothes I was trying on at the time. Plus, I have to admit I was much more interested in hearing about the boys than anything else that day.
“No, let’s definitely do that! I can’t remember the last time I went swimming!” I don’t even attempt to hide the level of excitement in my voice.
They seem pleased, and they talk more animatedly about the remainder of the day ahead of us. It only takes a few more minutes before we’re turning onto our street, and I’m delighted to see Elliot, Liam, and Remy standing beside an unfamiliar truck in Arthur’s driveway.
Elliot grins and shoves the other boys out of the way so he can open my door first. Before I can unbuckle my seatbelt, he leans against the car and looks down at me with an exaggeratedly flirtatious smile. “Hey, gorgeous, did you miss me?”
The whole thing is a little embarrassing, especially when I see the way the other boys are glaring at Elliot. But the look on his face is so comical that I can’t help giggling quietly. I greet him warmly as I get out of the car, and I turn to smile at Liam and Remy.
Liam smiles back, but Remy frowns before turning his gaze away from me. My heart lurches at the slight, but I barely have time to think twice about it before Sebastian gestures to Liam’s truck.
“This is it, then?”
Liam nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, I’ll help you carry it up to her room.”
They’re obviously talking about me, so I turn to look in the back of the truck with my eyebrows raised in alarm. “What?”
Elliot wraps his arm around me and lightly squeezes my shoulder. “Sebastian said you wanted a mirror in your room, so we went and got one for you!”
He looks so proud and completely oblivious to my distress. I already feel like I owe these boys so much, and I still feel guilty for everything Arthur has bought me since I’ve been here. I look over at Sebastian, honestly feeling betrayed. That might sound stupid, but I am never mentioning needing or wanting anything around him ever again.
Sebastian widens his eyes in surprise and brushes his hand through his hair. “Are you mad?”
I look away from him to stare at the mirror. It’s wrapped up in some sort of cloth, so I can’t see what it looks like, but it’s huge! A very tiny part of me is excited about the gift, and I’m definitely grateful. It really is so thoughtful that they went to all the trouble, but it’s hard to see past my guilt and unease right now. I look up to meet Liam’s eyes since he’s still standing with his hand on part of the mirror. His cheeks and ears are bright red, and he looks so nervous. He’s probably the one that paid for it.
I realize I’ve been quiet for so long, and they’re staring at me anxiously. Even Elliot’s arm has tensed up around me. I clear my throat and quietly say, “I really appreciate it a lot. It’s just...you guys can’t buy me stuff like that.”
It’s silent for another minute, which only makes me feel guiltier. I didn’t mean to make them feel bad. Eventually, Grayson gives me a forced smile and says, “Well why don’t we take it upstairs anyways?”
Liam and Grayson lift the mirror from the truck, and Sebastian darts ahead to open the front door for them. After they’ve carried it inside, Elliot
squeezes my shoulder again and turns me so that we’re facing each other. He looks so serious and unsure of himself, and he lowers his voice to nearly a whisper.
“Are you really mad at us? It’s so hard to tell what you’re thinking.”
I bite my lip and shake my head. “No! I’m not...of course I’m not mad at you. I just feel really bad.”
Remy sighs from behind me and storms off toward the house. He glares at Elliot over his shoulder and angrily says, “I fucking told you guys.”
My heart actually stops. Now Remy is upset? God, I seriously am the worst. I should have just thanked them, but of course I messed everything up. I’m still staring in the direction Remy disappeared when Elliot gently places his hand on my cheek and tilts my face up toward his.
He still looks worried, but his mouth is turned up in the smallest smile. “Please don’t feel bad. We’re a bunch of idiots who are trying to impress you and make you like us. But I’m really sorry we made you uncomfortable.”
I scrunch my eyebrows together and frown. “You guys don’t need to impress me or do anything to make me like you. I think you’re all wonderful!”
Elliot’s smile widens and he brings his hand up to smooth his finger over the crease between my eyebrows. “You look adorable when you’re frowning like that. But I’d much rather see you smiling, gorgeous.”
I swat his hand away and smile, but only for a second. “Do you think I upset everybody? I didn’t mean to make it seem like I was ungrateful.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it!” Elliot throws his arm around me and starts leading me into the house. “We did something stupid and over the top, and you let us know that’s not okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. But at least now you won’t have to sit in the sink when you’re doing your makeup.”
I push my glasses up on my nose and shake my head. I’m probably blushing now. “God, I didn’t know Sebastian was such a blabbermouth. Do you guys tell each other everything?”
“Yep, pretty much!”
Upstairs in my room, the other boys are standing close together and whispering. I have nervous butterflies in my stomach, knowing they’re upset because of me. I just hope fixing things with them will be as easy as it was with Elliot. They’ve set the mirror up against the wall catty-corner on the right side of my window.
It still has that cloth covering it, and Elliot walks over with his typical wolfish grin. As he goes to pull the covering off, he turns to me. “Ready for the big reveal?”
I’m glad he’s being cute and silly, acting like nothing happened. I nod eagerly with a tiny smile on my face. But when I finally see the mirror, my smile transforms into a huge grin. It’s beautiful! It’s so large, much taller than I am, so I definitely won’t have any trouble looking over my outfits head-to-toe every day. Its frame is ornate and painted white, so it almost looks shabby chic.
I clasp my hands together and beam at the boys through the mirror. “Thank you, guys. You really, really shouldn’t have, but I love it!”
Sebastian, Liam, and Grayson look relieved, but Remy is still frowning and standing slightly apart from everyone else. They all mumble that they’re welcome, and Grayson gives me an adorable crooked smile. “Did you still want to go swimming?”
Chapter Sixteen
A little while later, I’m standing in front of my new mirror with a slight frown on my face. The boys went over to Grayson’s a few minutes after I insisted they didn’t need to wait any longer. I was so excited at the prospect of swimming earlier that I somehow completely failed to realize I’d have to wear a bathing suit in front of them. God, I’m so incredibly stupid!
I turn in front of the mirror as I continue to take in my reflection. When I was shopping with Evelyn, I’d thought this swimsuit was adorable. It’s a two-piece with a blue and white floral pattern. The bottoms are like super-short shorts, and the top is a bustier style. So, it’s not super revealing like most bikinis, but I am still showing a lot of skin! And I’m so skinny and pale, and just—
Okay, it totally doesn’t matter. I’m pretty sure the guys think I’m pretty, but I need to stop worrying about that or thinking of them that way. They’re all so cute and sweet, and if I’m not careful, I can totally see myself getting a crush on any one of them. Having friends is so much more important. Besides, I haven’t been swimming since before my dad died.
I tie my hair into a side braid and smile to myself. There was a lake not too far from where I lived with my parents, and we used to go there every weekend during the summer. My mom would always put together these fancy and elaborate picnics for us. She never really swam with me and my dad, but she always had fun sitting on the shore tanning, reading, or watching us. My dad never got tired of playing or swimming with me.
I never went back to the lake after he died, and my mom certainly never suggested it. She changed so much afterwards that I honestly feel like I lost her too, the same day I lost him.
Okay, enough of that! I grab a sundress from my closet and pull it on over my head before making my way downstairs. As soon as I step outside, I’m taken aback to see Remy standing on the front porch with a deep frown on his face.
I open my mouth to say hello, but I lose my voice the moment he settles his intense gaze on me. I’m startled to realize that his piercing blue eyes seem guarded, and my stomach churns nervously before he even speaks.
“Can we talk for a minute?” His voice is deep and quiet, and my heart practically leaps into my throat.
He’s definitely upset, and all I can think is that he was so angry at my reaction when the boys gave me the mirror. Everything had been perfect between us when we were texting last night and this morning. I want to apologize, but all I can manage to do is nod.
Remy takes a deep breath and glances next door at Grayson’s house before taking a step closer to me. He doesn’t meet my eyes this time. “I just don’t want things to be weird between us now. I know that’s probably impossible, but I really like you and I hope we can somehow still be friends.”
I feel my cheeks reddening. I don’t know if I’m embarrassed, angry, or sad. Maybe a combination of the three. It’s obvious Remy is not talking about the mirror incident. Elliot already admitted they all tell each other everything, but my god! It’s barely been an hour since Sebastian and Grayson picked me up from the high school.
I clear my throat, but my voice still comes out quiet and squeaky. “Sebastian and Grayson told you what Madison said to me?”
Remy nods, still not looking at me. “Yeah, Grayson texted me a little while ago.”
“Bunch of blabbermouths...” Remy’s head snaps up, and he finally meets my eyes with a surprised expression. My face flushes again. I didn’t mean for him to hear that. I clear my throat again and reach forward to grab his hand. “Listen, Remy. I wasn’t planning on saying anything to you about it. Madison was so awful, and I couldn’t stand being around her after a while! But I promise it doesn’t matter what she said.”
Remy squeezes my hand lightly and shakes his head back and forth. “But...she told you about my dad, right? She might not know details, but she was telling the truth. That’s why most kids at school avoid me. And I wouldn’t blame you—"
I cut him off. “You don’t owe me any explanations.”
I may not have known Remy for very long, but I refuse to judge him for something in his past. Especially if what happened is as awful and heartbreaking as Sebastian told me. I also can’t deny the similarities between our stories.
Remy stares down at me for another moment, and his mouth tilts up in a half smile so that only one of his dimples is showing. “Okay.”
He continues to hold my hand while we walk around the house to Grayson’s backyard. I pretend like it doesn’t affect me even though I have butterflies in my stomach.
The pool is giant, and there’s a small waterfall at one end. It’s designed to look like it’s coming from some rocks that are large enough to climb onto and jump off of. It looks like there’s a separate hot t
ub as well, and plenty of lounge chairs set up around the pool. I’m only able to concentrate on all of this for a second though because Grayson, Liam, and Sebastian are all standing next to one of the lounge chairs laughing about something. And they’re all shirtless.
Holy crap, why do they all have to be so cute and sweet and attractive? And apparently very muscular on top of all that!? If Remy wasn’t still holding my hand and leading me closer to the boys, I probably would have stopped in my tracks while drooling at them. Sebastian and Grayson are both incredibly toned and muscly, but Liam is definitely more ripped than they are. How did I not notice just how muscular his arms are? Or his deep v-lines or the scattering of freckles across his tanned shoulders and chest?
I mentally smack myself and raise my eyes to meet Grayson’s. He’s smirking at me, but luckily the other boys seem oblivious to my ogling them for the time being. And then Remy casually drops my hand and pulls his shirt up over his head in one motion. That’s it, I’m going to die. Arthur was totally right, and my stupid teenage hormones are going to kill me.
The guys have been talking amongst themselves since Remy and I walked over, but I honestly haven’t been listening to a word. I’m trying to keep my face blank, but I can’t do anything about my stupid flushed cheeks. Grayson is full out grinning at my distress. I awkwardly clear my throat before I manage to squeak out, “Where’s Elliot?”
Somebody grabs me from behind and lifts me off my feet. I panic for a split-second before I realize it’s Elliot. My relief doesn’t last as he runs toward the pool with me. I barely have time to let out a high-pitched shriek before he throws me into the water.
It’s freezing ass cold, and I break the surface coughing and sputtering after getting water in my nose. Sebastian, Liam, and Remy are yelling at Elliot, but Grayson rushes over to the side of the pool with a concerned look on his face.
“Are you okay?”
When I reach the edge, I take his outstretched hand and let him help me up out of the pool. My glasses fell off in the water, so I can’t see shit. I still wipe my eyes and glare in Elliot’s general direction.
Smile Like You Mean It (Charlotte Reynolds Book 1) Page 16