“Are you fucking serious, Elliot? I still have my dress on and now it’s probably ruined! And if my glasses broke and I have to go blind for the next two days, I swear I’m going to hit you!” My voice comes out shrill, but I’m honestly too angry to be self-conscious of that or the words coming out of my mouth right now. I sniffle before adding, “And I didn’t even put on sunscreen yet, and now it’s going to be pretty much freaking impossible until I’m dry again!”
I’m met with complete silence until Grayson starts snickering from beside me. He puts his arm around me and leans in to whisper, “Sorry, Princess. I just wish you could see the looks on their faces right now.”
I hear a splash, so I can only assume one of the boys jumped into the pool. Grayson leads me over to the lounge chair where everyone was standing and hands me a towel. I spend a couple of minutes drying myself off, which is much longer than necessary. I don’t know what to say, especially after I spazzed out in front of them like that.
I turn my head when I hear someone get out of the pool and walk over to me. I can make out Liam’s bright red hair even though everything else is fuzzy. He holds his hand out, dripping a few droplets of water onto our feet.
“Here, I found your glasses. They’re not broken, but you should still hit Elliot anyways.” His voice is so soft and full of concern.
I quickly dry my glasses off before putting them on again, and I look up with a smile on my face. “Thank you, Liam.”
Now that I can see clearly, I turn around to glare at Elliot again. He holds his hands out in a shrug and gives me an adorably shy smile. “Well, I was wrong before. It’s definitely easy to tell when you’re mad for real! I’m sorry.”
I roll my eyes and huff quietly. God, why does he have to look so cute? “I’m going to forgive you for now. But just know I am definitely plotting revenge.”
Grayson, Sebastian, Remy, and Liam snicker and Elliot’s eyes light up mischievously. Until I take my dress off, that is. His jaw literally drops, and when I glance sideways, I’m alarmed to see the other boys doing the same. I pretend like I don’t notice while I lay the dress out on one of the pool chairs so it can dry in the sun. Inside, I’m freaking out and praying I’m not blushing. Seeing them look at me like that makes me feel really embarrassed, but it also makes me feel really, really good. And that’s so messed up, right? I should not be relishing in the attention of so many cute boys at one time like that!
None of them have said a word. When I turn back around to look at them, they’re still staring at me with bright red cheeks. I put my hands on my hips and huff at them indignantly. “What?”
Sebastian turns away and starts laughing nervously, and Liam looks so mortified that I actually feel bad for him. Remy, Elliot, and Grayson grin at me though and act like nothing happened. At least they’ve come to their senses.
Grayson tilts his head at me in the most adorable way and says, “I’ll find you some sunscreen really quick, and then we can finally swim. Alright?”
Hours later, I’m sitting on the edge of the pool with my feet dangling in the water. The boys are still playing a game of volleyball in the shallow end, but I need a break. It took them a while to get used to playing with me earlier. For the first half hour we spent in the pool, they were very delicate with me. Sebastian’s still a softy and overly concerned about every little thing hurting me, but the others no longer have any qualms when it comes to playing rough with me. They’ve been throwing, tackling, and dunking me in the water pretty much all day now. I’ve been having so much fun, but I’m definitely exhausted. I don’t know how they still have so much energy.
I sit up straighter and smile when I notice Liam swimming toward me. The other boys are still very invested in the game, and they’re ridiculously competitive with each other. I should have known after seeing them play at the arcade, but it’s still really funny and adorable.
Liam reaches the side of the pool where I’m sitting and lifts himself up out of the water. I try not to focus on the way his arm muscles bulge when he does that, but my efforts are unsuccessful. I smile when he meets my eyes and ask, “Did you get tired of playing too?”
He shrugs and smiles back shyly. “I just don’t like seeing you over here all by yourself.”
I’m about to tell him that I don’t mind, but it’s really sweet that he came over just to keep me company. There’s a comfortable silence between while we watch the other guys play their game. I’m trying to think of something to say, and I don’t feel rushed or anxious like I normally do with people.
“So, you have a twin sister?” That had been pretty much the only thing Madison had told me about the guys that wasn’t negative, and I’m curious. Liam hasn’t mentioned anything about his family since I’ve known him.
He turns his head and looks at me like he’s a little surprised. “Yeah, her name is Olivia. I’m technically twelve minutes older.”
I giggle at the playful tone in his voice. “Do you guys not get along? I’m just surprised I haven’t heard any of you guys mention her to me before.”
Liam shrugs and kicks his legs back and forth in the water. When our feet accidentally touch, he smiles at me with another shy smile on his face. “We get along okay. We just used to be a lot closer when we were younger. She’s the Head Cheerleader on the squad at school, and she hangs around with all the jocks and popular kids. Olivia’s always been worried about what other people think of her, but I don’t really give a shit. So, we never talk at school, and neither of us really spends too much time at home. We just don’t see each other that often.”
I brush my foot against his on purpose and frown at him. “That’s kind of sad, actually. That you never see your twin sister.”
“It’s alright.” Liam chuckles lightly. “We’re just really different people. Our parents are pretty much never home, and they’re really distant with me and Olivia. But if she needed me for something, I’d be there for her in a second. And I know she’d be there for me too.”
I absolutely love that he can be so positive even though his home life sounds really crappy and lonely. And I’m so, so glad that he has Grayson, Elliot, Sebastian, and Remy as friends. It’s obvious that they’re practically brothers. My friendship with the boys is still fresh and new, but I really hope someday that I’ll be able to consider them my family too.
Chapter Seventeen
“Charlotte! Charlotte, wake up!”
I startle awake at the sound of Sebastian’s frantic voice and quickly sit up in my bed. “What? What is it!?”
His figure beside the door frame is even blurrier than usual since I just woke up, and I blindly reach for my glasses on the nightstand.
Sebastian responds in a much calmer tone than before. “Did you still want to go to the gym with us this morning? We’re leaving in a little while.”
I stare at him in absolute bewilderment while my brain processes the fact that everything is fine. I slump back down and pull the covers completely over my head, groaning loudly and dramatically. “You are seriously the worst.”
I hear a soft chuckle, letting me know that Grayson must be here too. Before I can muster the energy to peek my head out from under the blankets, somebody roughly jumps onto the bed and lies beside me with their arm thrown over my side. They pull my blanket down just enough to uncover my face, and I’m met with a familiar pair of springtime green eyes.
Grayson’s face is so close to mine that, while it’s a pleasant surprise to see his gorgeous eyes so clearly, I can also feel his breath tickle my cheek when he chuckles again. And that reminds me I haven’t brushed my teeth yet, so I furrow my eyebrows and frown.
Grayson squeezes me tighter with the arm that’s around my waist. “What’s that look for, huh? I thought you wanted to go to the gym with us.”
I narrow my eyes even more. “How would you like it if I crawled into your bed and woke you up ridiculously early like this?”
Grayson smirks and leans even closer, and my breath catches ever so slight
ly when his cheek brushes against mine. He whispers in a quiet, deliciously husky voice, “Why don’t you come over one morning and find out, Princess?”
My toes curl and my entire body flushes. I already like it way too much when he calls me Princess, but hearing him say it like that...
Luckily, I’m not given time to respond, because I would definitely say or do something stupid if given the chance. Sebastian smacks Grayson’s head before smiling down at me. “Sorry, I know it’s early. This is usually the time we try to go because Adrian is busy teaching a bunch of classes later in the day.”
It’s been a few days since I registered for classes at school and played in the pool with the boys. When they’d asked me to go to the gym with them, I was definitely nervous, but mostly excited. It’s something they’re pretty serious and passionate about, and they confided in me that fighting and working out at the gym help them all control their anger. Lord knows that’s something I need to work on.
I frown at Sebastian and grunt. “Who wakes somebody up like that? I thought there was a fire or a tornado!”
Grayson snorts and raises his eyebrows. “A tornado?”
I give him a look, but don’t bother saying anything. Sebastian winces. “I didn’t mean to freak you out. Grayson was getting ready to jump on your bed, and Remy said we should be careful about waking you up in case you scared easily or had any triggers since none of us knows what you’ve been through.”
He sounds so sad and apologetic, and my heart warms. I sit up and reach over to successfully grab my glasses this time. “When did Remy say that?”
Sebastian brushes his hand through his hair and lets out a nervous laugh. “The first night you got here, when you fell asleep on the couch.”
Grayson sighs and looks up at me with his head still on my pillow. “I wasn’t there, so I didn’t know I was supposed to be careful. We’ve rough-housed with you a bunch already, so I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal! Sorry.”
I reach out and run my fingers through his ashy blond hair without even thinking about it, and feel embarrassed for being affectionate like that. I can feel my cheeks reddening, but I smile at the boys nonchalantly and act like nothing happened. “It’s alright. You don’t need to worry. I don’t have any triggers that I know of. I mean, I get nightmares sometimes. And you guys already know that I turn all psycho when I get angry.”
Grayson’s eyes light up and he smirks mischievously. “Yeah, we still don’t know who gets scarier between you and Sebastian.”
Sebastian rolls his eyes and smiles at me, and I can’t help smiling back. This is why I love these boys so much already. After such a short time, I feel so close to every one of them, and it’s so easy to be myself and talk about things that should be uncomfortable like it’s the most normal and natural thing in the world.
“Alright, I’m getting up.” I make my way over to my dresser, silently thanking Evelyn for suggesting I get some sports bras and workout clothes. “How long do I have to get ready?”
“Don’t worry, we won’t rush you. We’ll just wait downstairs.” Sebastian smiles warmly before practically dragging Grayson out of my bedroom.
It doesn’t take me too long to get dressed, since I don’t need to shower first. I do spend a couple of minutes pulling my hair into a high ponytail and putting my contacts in. They were finally delivered yesterday, thank god! I brush my teeth and wash my face, and I head downstairs.
Once the three of us are in the car and on our way, I turn my head so I can look at Grayson in the back seat. “You guys promise not to laugh at me? I’m not in good shape at all.”
“Of course not!” Sebastian glances sideways at me. “And if you don’t like it or you never want to go back after today, that’s fine too.”
I smile back and forth at them. “So, Adrian is your trainer, right? Is he really good?”
Grayson nods. “Yeah, he’s fucking awesome. He was actually fighting professionally when he was just a couple of years older than we are.”
“Wow, that’s really cool!” I smile and ask, “Why doesn’t he do that now?”
Sebastian shoots me a nervous look and shrugs. “Well, Adrian had a drug problem for a long time, I think. He went to rehab a couple of times, but he overdosed and ended up going to prison for possession when he was twenty-two. But he’s been clean since he got out. About three years now, right?” Sebastian raises his eyebrows questioningly at Grayson over his shoulder.
“Yeah, about that long.” At the look on my face, Grayson smiles and reaches forward to rub his hand on my shoulder. “Adrian is really open about everything. I have a lot of respect for him for overcoming his demons and all that shit. He works really hard, and he’s really fucking passionate about his job. And you know, it’s probably stupid, but I like that he pushes us. He can come across as a real asshole sometimes, but he’s been a really good friend to us the last couple of years. There’s stuff I’ve told him that I won’t even say to my therapist.”
I’m quiet for a minute, taking all of that in. Now I’m honestly even more nervous to meet Adrian. He’s obviously more important to the guys than I’d realized, and I’m determined to make a good impression.
Sebastian must take my silence the wrong way because he grabs my hand and glances at me with panic-stricken eyes. “I swear he’s a really good guy. But you don’t have to train with him or learn MMA fighting. The guys and I are more than willing to help you come up with a regular work-out schedule, if you’d rather do something like that.”
“No, I want to learn to fight!” I smile genuinely.
Sebastian visibly relaxes and gives me a warm, radiant smile in return. “Okay.”
When we walk into the gym, I’m taken aback by the size of the building and the amount of people here. Since it’s locally owned, I guess I expected it to be smaller and less popular. That’s clearly not the case, and I can already feel myself getting nervous and freezing up. The guys make me feel so normal when I’m with them that I somehow keep forgetting what a freak I usually am around other people.
“Hey, there you guys are!”
I don’t even notice Liam walk up until he lightly touches my arm in greeting. I turn around to smile at him while Grayson and Sebastian say hello. I’m happy to see him, but I’m still so nervous that my voice comes out extra quiet. “Hi, Liam. Where are Remy and Elliot?”
“Elliot’s doing some bench presses and Remy’s spotting him, but I think they’re almost finished.” Liam rests his hand on my arm again and sweetly asks, “Did you sign up for a membership and get a pass yet?”
I shake my head and Sebastian huffs in annoyance. “We literally got here, like, two seconds ago, dude.”
Liam rolls his eyes and smiles at me. “Well did you do any warm-up stretches or anything at home before you left?” I shake my head wordlessly again, and Liam glares at the other boys. “Jesus, you two are fucking useless. Come on, Charlotte.”
Liam leads me over to a desk where a woman is typing on a computer. She grins at him in recognition when she looks up.
“Well good morning, sugar!” She only keeps her gaze on him for a second before turning to me with a sweet smile. “You must be Charlotte. My goodness, the boys were certainly right about how pretty you are!”
“Oh...” I should probably feel flattered or maybe embarrassed, but I’m seriously too nervous to really react. I try to smile back at her, but I think it comes off as more of an awkward grimace. “Thank you.”
I turn my head to look at Liam. Sebastian and Grayson have walked up behind us, and Sebastian and Liam both look positively mortified. Their faces and ears are bright red as they stare at the receptionist in horror.
Grayson winks at me and laughs. “Thanks for outing us, Mary. Is there anything Charlotte needs to sign, or did Arthur already take care of it?”
Mary nods and grins conspiratorially at Grayson before addressing me. “He did. He came in yesterday afternoon to fill everything out for you. I have one final form you need to sign,
and then you’re good to go, sweetie. Your membership is paid in full for the next year.”
I stare at her in shock without saying anything. I didn’t think about the fact that I’d need Arthur’s permission to come here since I’m under eighteen. I can’t believe he came and already took care of everything just like that. It’s amazing how much my life has changed for the better in the last couple of weeks because of my uncle. I’ll never be able to repay him for all he’s done for me.
Mary hands me a form and I barely glance over it before going to sign my name on the line she has highlighted. Before I can hand it back, Liam gives me a crazy look and furrows his eyebrows at the paper.
“Your last name is Reynolds?” he asks.
I blink and nod slowly, wondering what the big deal is. “Yeah, why?”
Grayson snickers, and Liam barks out a laugh too before he grins at Sebastian and says, “It’s Sebastian’s last name too, that’s all.”
Sebastian looks more embarrassed than he did when Mary was teasing the boys, and he glares murderously at Grayson and Liam. I’m alarmed by his reaction, honestly. I guess it makes sense, if Arthur adopted him when he married Adelaide, so I don’t really get why they’re so surprised we share the same last name. But I can’t deny that the thought does give me a weird feeling in my stomach. I’m reminded of Arthur’s comment about Sebastian and I being something like cousins or siblings.
I hand the paper back to Mary and mumble a quiet thank you, and she hands me a gym pass with my name already on it. Barely another second passes before Liam excitedly grabs my hand and pulls me away from the desk.
“I’ll show you around really quick, and then we can do a quick warm-up before you meet Adrian. Is that okay with you?”
I look up to meet his chocolate brown eyes before darting another glance around the loud, chaotic gym. “Yeah, I just, there are so many people here. I didn’t realize it would be so busy, and I’m so nervous. I always freeze up like an idiot around people.”
Smile Like You Mean It (Charlotte Reynolds Book 1) Page 17