by A. M. Brooks
I stared at his address feeling completely exhausted from the mental breakdown I had been putting myself through. I typed out a quick response.
Me: It’s okay. ☺ I’m actually feeling pretty tired and have a lot of unpacking to do.
Lie. I listened to the swoop of the send, closing my eyes and praying he didn’t respond. My cheeks heated up in a blush at how stupid I had been all night. I was just about to hit play on a little old song by Jewel, my mom’s favorite, “Foolish Games” when another ding echoed in my room.
Darrian: PLEASE babe. I’m so sorry. It’s been fucking crazy here. I need to see you.
Babe. That one word leaped off the screen at me pulling me in and telling me to get my act together. My heart beat faster in my chest. I placed my hand over it to help calm myself down. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before typing out:
Me: I can’t stay long.
Darrian: See you when you get here ;)
And shit he sends a winky face. Not caring what I had on anymore, I headed downstairs and grabbed the keys on my way out the door. I’ll just stay for a few minutes. I repeated the mantra in my head the whole time driving to Darrian’s. Surprisingly, he only lives a few blocks away from me. The gate before his driveway was wide open. Cars lined both sides leading up to the house. Music and laughter sounded all around me. I took a deep breath questioning if I really wanted to do this. I was about to pull up and park when the passenger door to my SUV was jerked open. Darrian turned to meet my stunned face.
“Hey beautiful,” he said, giving me a small peck on my cheek.
“What are you doing?” I asked, completely unsure about what was going on.
“You said you can’t stay long,” he said. “Let’s go.”
“What?” I was completely lost. “You have a party going on at your house, you can’t leave.” I wanted to laugh.
“Ethan and Elijah can hold it down,” he assured me. “I’d rather just spend time with you. Let’s go.” He ran his fingers down my jaw. I felt myself melting again.
“Where do you want to go?” I smiled at him.
“Get back out on the main road. Head toward the island we were at this morning.” I could make out Darrian’s smile in the darkness as I pulled away from his house. Gavin DeGraw’s “She Sets the City on Fire” flowed through my SUV as I drove us back to the island. We drove past Tilly’s Café and turned left down a dirt road. Soon the ocean was in front of us. The water was quiet unlike the huge waves crashing on the beach earlier today. The moon glowed off the water. Darrian got out and held my door open. I jumped down into the sand and kicked off my flip-flops. Darrian’s fingers laced with mine as he led me down a path that was lit up with tiki torches. At the clearing, we arrived at a boat launch. One small yacht swayed slightly next to the dock. I heard voices from farther down the path and noticed a small outdoor bar. Twinkle lights strung over the beams.
“Where are we?” I asked curiously.
“My parents dock their yacht here on the island. You know Tilly’s where we were earlier?”
I nodded my head yes.
“Her husband owns this bar and launch. That’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere.” He nodded his head toward the bar. I giggled.
“I think I’m in love with this island,” I told him.
“It’s my favorite too.” He was watching me again when I turned to look at him. Before I could say anything, Darrian’s mouth swooped down on mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, catching his growl of approval in my mouth. His tongue clashed with mine. I noticed no trace of alcohol on his breath considering he was at the party. His arms lifted me effortlessly. I pulled away slightly and nipped at that damn lip ring.
“Are we going on there?” I asked him, looking toward the boat.
“Do you want to?” he asked. His eyes stayed on mine.
I smiled and nodded. Darrian grinned before setting me back on my feet. Our hands clasped together as we walked the plank and stepped onboard. It was dark except for the light from the moon.
“Hang on,” Darrian said before he disappeared down a small stairwell. I stood frozen on the deck waiting. Small lanterns turned on around me lighting up the main deck.
“Drink?” Darrian asked, carrying up two beers. I accepted one as he led me over to the large overstuffed cockpit seating. Music from the bar started in the distance. I leaned back into Darrian as his arm laid across my shoulders. I shivered slightly remembering I only had the thin jersey material on. Darrian laid a blanket across our laps.
“You like the water?” he asked me.
“Yes,” I said, laughing at his randomness. Darrian laughed too.
“No,” he said. “I’m just asking because we’re surfing again tomorrow and you should come.”
“Oh,” I said, looking down. “I don’t have a board anymore,” I said quietly.
“Not a problem,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “We can stop and get one on our way in.”
My cheeks heated. I knew my dad and I were on our last pennies until he started working more for Anders and bringing in his own clients. To others like the Kings and Mikayla, having to wait for something like money was probably unheard of.
“That’s okay,” I told him quickly. “I actually just remembered I have to help my dad tomorrow with the house.”
His smile fell. His face darkened, all emotion suddenly gone, like it had earlier today when Mikayla had been baiting him.
“If you don’t want to be with me, all you have to do is say so,” he said quietly, pulling away from me.
“No,” I said, reaching for the sleeve of his sweater. “That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?” he asked. He sounded annoyed and pissed off. I didn’t know how to answer.
“I just...” I looked away, biting my lip trying to find a better excuse than the actual truth. “I just should really help my dad tomorrow since I’ve been gone the last couple of days.” My eyes fell to my fingers twisted in my lap. My face felt on fire from the blush that was intensifying.
“Yeah,” he said, standing up. “Okay.” Darrian was walking away from me toward the plank to go. I felt panic gripping my throat as I scrambled to get to him.
“Darrian,” I said, reaching for him to bring him back.
“Don’t, Nora,” he said, pushing my hand away. “Not if you’re going to lie. I’ve got enough people who lie to me.”
“I—”
“Let’s just go,” he said, giving me his back, he got up on the dock.
“I can’t afford a new board.” The words escaped before I could think twice. It would probably have been better to just let him believe I lied. The more time he spent with me, the closer I was starting to feel to him. I already knew leaving here was going to hurt worse than the others. My head lifted to meet his eyes. His were watching me, taking in my face and the trembling in my hands. “I can’t afford one and I’m not even sure I’ll be here long enough to enjoy one. My dad has a tendency to screw up jobs and we move every time.”
“Do you really not like to party?” he asked.
“No,” I answered with no hesitancy, our eyes still locked.
“You were planning to come to mine tonight though earlier.” His head cocked to the side.
“You asked me to.” My voice turned soft and low as he unraveled me. He jumped back onto the deck standing just a few inches from me now.
“Don’t be embarrassed about the board. I’m sorry I pushed,” he said, then asked, “Whose jersey is that?” He pointed at me.
I fingered the material. “It’s just from homecoming at one of my old schools. Everyone had one.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“I wouldn’t be here with you if I did.” I looked back up at him. He was closer to me now, brushing the pieces of hair away from my face that escaped my messy bun. “Do you have a girlfriend?” I asked, biting my bottom lip worried he’d mention Mikayla.
“No lies,” he whispered as he touched his forehead to mine. I nodded. “I
don’t do the boyfriend and girlfriend thing.”
That didn’t really answer my question but having him so close and the look in his eyes made me think I didn’t care. Did I really want to be his girlfriend anyway if I could be leaving soon? He didn’t comment about me moving and I wondered if that made things easier for him if he didn’t do exclusive. I decided I could do casual for him. I nodded my understanding before his lips met mine. He pulled me against his body. My arms wrapped around his neck again as I came up on my tiptoes. Darrian’s lips moved slowly across mine. His tongue darting out to meet with mine before sliding fully into my mouth. I moaned from the contact, my arms gripping him tighter for balance when my knees began to feel like Jell-O.
“People lie to you?” I asked breathlessly as I pulled back.
He smirked. “The curse of being a King.” His fingers trailed down the side of my neck. I shivered.
“I don’t really have to be home anytime soon,” I told him. His smile told me he already knew. The knowledge sent my heart racing again knowing he left the party to be with me not caring if he came back. This King was getting to me.
For the next week, Darrian was continuously on my mind. The days rolled together in the same pattern: wake up text from Darrian, go to the beach, have dinner together or in a group, and end the night either at a beach bonfire, or just the two of us at the yacht or at my house. As expected, my dad rarely was home. He continued to leave notes saying he was building his client list or helping Anders. Each time I tossed his notes in the garbage trying not to care. If Darrian was around, he pulled me close knowing I was upset. It was starting to feel like my dad was pulling away now that we were in Araminta. I was thankful Darrian was around more. He was becoming my own personal source of strength and comfort. I didn't bother trying to hide my feelings from him or lie to not feel embarrassed. After that first night on the yacht, I'd been an open book. A book Darrian paged through, slowly, learning all my secrets. It was a foreign feeling to me.
Darrian’s friends became my friends with the exception of Mikayla and Taylor. They were cordial if a King was around, but when the boys played, the claws came out. The night after my first visit on Darrian's yacht we hit the beach the next day. All the guys surfed, and I took a seat next to Lily who was becoming my second favorite person. Ethan drove his truck down to where our spot was, his music blasting, he grinned at us before hopping out of the driver side.
"Anyone here need a new board?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me. My cheeks paled, and embarrassment started to roll through me. I jumped up and grabbed him by the sleeve of his tattered sky-blue T-shirt.
"What are you doing?" I gritted through my teeth.
"Chill, gorgeous," Ethan said, that grin still on his face, he leaned closer to me. "A little birdie told me you had a problem and I knew I could help." He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.
"No," I said, pushing back from him. "I'm not a charity case." My eyes stung with unshed tears. I had confided in Darrian about my finances. I could not pay Ethan back nor did I want to be in his debt.
"Whoa!" he said, pulling me back in. "Nora, it's my sister’s old board. She's at college, so technically you're just borrowing it." He gave me a reassuring squeeze around my shoulders.
"You promise?" I asked him quietly, making sure no one was listening.
"I promise." Ethan dramatically gripped his chest over his heart.
"I'm sorry," I said, rubbing my hands over my face. The panic was beginning to ebb. Feelings of stupidity replacing it. Ethan gave me a small smile before chucking his hand under my chin.
"It's okay Nora," he said, all smiles again. "I get it. And it’s refreshing. Most girls wouldn’t care if it was new or borrowed." I watched him take the pearl board with purple and teal stickers out of his truck and place it upright in the sand. He grabbed his own board and with a wave to the other girls he was gone.
"Wow," Mikayla sneered from the sidelines. "Guess to get nice things you have to do both Kings at once." Taylor snickered.
"Shut up Mik," Summer said in my defense. Everyone else was volleying between us.
"I just can't decide who has the bigger dick sometimes," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Whitney almost spit her drink out of her mouth and Lily threw her head back from laughing so hard. This bitch could go fuck herself. I didn’t care how unpopular it made me. I grabbed the board and headed to the water. The first splash in cooled my emotions, and after resurfacing I had shaken the moment off.
A few days later and the remark still made me see red, but I was calm. I had fully expected Mikayla to say something to Darrian. If she did, he never mentioned it. I kept the whole episode to myself, not wanting to stir up more drama. If only she knew how untrue her words were. While Darrian and I have had some steamy make-out sessions, there had been nothing else beyond that. Part of me appreciated that he wasn't pushing while another part of me wanted to jump him and beg to be under him. I could only imagine how that little piece of metal in his lip would feel against my skin. His comment the other night about not doing the relationship thing seemed to hold true. As far as Lily knew, she'd never seen him have a girlfriend, just a lot of back and forth drama with Mikayla.
I could see them now standing together by his Jeep. His chin rested on his fist as he watched her waving her arms around. She seemed upset and I was guessing I was the source of it.
"That's what they do," Taylor said, suddenly next to me.
"No idea what you’re talking about," I said, feigning disinterest.
"Don't be a bitch." She rolled her eyes. "Figure it out. This is their thing. They are apart, they make each other jealous, she tells her daddy, there is a big party, and they get back together. He isn't sleeping with you. Do I need to spell it out for you?" She walked away, taking her too sweet, cotton candy perfume with her. Her words though stuck with me. My eyes went back to where Mikayla and Darrian were standing. Only this time his eyes were on me. He held my gaze and it was as if he was reading my thoughts. Unfortunately, I was left to my own devices. I was the new girl and had no idea how these people rolled, only that they had everyone else terrified of them. I went back to sit by Lily when the squealing sound of tires was heard. My head snapped up, catching the tail end of Darrian’s Jeep speeding away from the beach entrance.
"Guess you're going to need a ride?" Lily said, arching her eyebrow.
“I guess so,” I responded exasperatedly. “I wonder what happened.” Lily shrugged her shoulders then nodded her head as Mikayla finally reached the small group of people.
“Party at Darrian’s tonight!” she shouted. There was a loud cheer and whoops from everyone around us. I looked at Taylor. I told you, she mouthed at me. A sly grin on her lips. I turned back around to Lily and Hannah. “Want to get ready at my place tonight? My dad won’t be there so we can pregame a little.”
“Ah yes!” Hannah practically shouted.
“Alright,” Lily said, giving me a knowing grin. “I think a little girl time will do you good.” She chugged back the rest of her water. We all got up, dusting sand off ourselves. A few of the others around us were leaving as well.
“You leaving?” Ethan asked, suddenly standing next to me.
“Yup,” I said, lifting my chin to the girls. “We’re going to my house.”
“Where’s Darrian?” he asked, looking around.
“Don’t know,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. I was more pissed he left me here rather than sad now. I patted my hand on his shoulder before walking around him.
“Do you need a ride home?” he asked, texting at the same time. Part of me was curious if he was talking to Darrian.
“Nope, Lily is taking me home.” I started walking away.
“Oh,” was all he said as he fell into step next to me as we all headed to Lily’s parked convertible, similar to her sister’s, but not in obnoxious yellow.
I didn’t look at Ethan as I slid into the passenger side of Lily’s car. She pulled away while I was still fastening my s
eatbelt and started singing along to a song I did not recognize. “What is this?” I asked laughing.
“Bechin’,” she said, waggling her eyebrows. “A little country gem.”
I groaned.
“Do not rain on my country music parade, Nora. This is a great song,” she emphasized her point by cranking the volume up to thirty-eight. After the third time, I found myself not caring and soon we were shouting the lyrics to the whole highway. “And it's sunshine, blue eyes, tan lines, slow tide rollin'!” I realized I had missed having girls my age around. I missed having friends.
My house was empty like I knew it would be. I decided to ignore the note my dad left on the fridge, I chucked it right into the garbage. I walked into the living room and went straight to his prized stereo system and connected my phone. Becky G’s “Shower” filled the room. Hannah joined me in the middle of the room shaking our butts and singing fake karaoke into the TV remotes. Lily made her way over to us holding a bottle of Grey Goose. I nodded at her in approval, tipping the bottle back to take a pull, not missing a beat of the song before handing it back to her. She took a pull, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth then handed it to Hannah. Back and forth the bottle went until my chest felt lighter, my body was warm, and I had no fear. Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” became my favorite. I fell to the ground laughing at everything and nothing when it was over. Lily and Hannah joined me, our dance party officially over.
“We should-uup- probably-uup- probably get ready,” Hannah said in between hiccups.
“Yeah,” I said, laying down. “I guess.” I sighed. “What does one wear to a King party?” I looked at Lily.
“Mmmm, well with that look in your eye, you should probably go with anything short and wild,” she answered, grinning. Hannah started giggling again. Ugh short and wild. Nothing sounded less appealing at the moment. I closed my eyes and brought back the image of Darrian and Mikayla in their heated argument at the beach and the sinking feeling when Taylor talked to me. Plus, that ass-hat left me. I still hadn’t heard from him either.
“Let’s go,” I said, getting up, walking with purpose toward the stairs.