Flirting With The Enemy

by Henson, Sally

  Ugh, forget him.

  Period.

  5

  Griffan

  I leaned against the granite countertop and asked Mom, “So you and Ariel just picked up where you left off after all these years? How do you even do that?”

  The fact that Jade’s whole family, minus her dad, was on their way to eat brunch with us was still blowing my mind. Mom thought we should all reconnect. I didn’t want to connect with anyone right now.

  “Best friends can do that, son. You and Jade could do the same thing.”

  “This is the first time I’ve seen or talked to her since we moved. Call me crazy, but when a girl slaps your face, it’s a sign she doesn’t want to see you ever again.” I rubbed my cheek, remembering the sting. She had a Rhonda Rousey quality, for sure.

  Mom placed the cut quiche into the warmer drawer. “Sweetheart, be open-minded about this. Ariel says Jaden has been through a lot. I know a young man who’s going through a lot right now, too.” She turned, tilted her head, and gave me that mom smile that said she knows best.

  I scoffed and flung my arms out wide. “Did Ariel say Jade wanted to be my friend? She smacked me for no reason, Mom.” I dropped my arms. “You can tell by looking at her she’s not the same Jaden I used to make sand castles with.”

  “How hard would it be to get to know her again? She’s very beautiful, don’t you think?”

  Beautiful? If you like the “I’m gonna rough you up and make you like it” kind of thing. Attractive in a magnetic pull kind of way? Oh, yeah. Truthfully, when I first laid my eyes on her, I would’ve done just about anything to get her to spend time with me. Until she threw that open-handed left hook. “Mom.”

  “She could use a good friend. I think you could, too.”

  I sighed and looked away. A friend? I had Dev. He was pretty much the only friend I have left. And I didn’t know what crawled up Jade’s butt, but I didn’t need any more drama in my life.

  Mom poured herself a cup of coffee as Grandma walked in and asked, “Is little Jaden coming over to play with Griffan? She is such a sweet girl.”

  “She’ll be here soon, Mom.”

  Grandma scanned the space around us. “Where is Griffan?”

  Mom dropped her gaze to the mug in her hand with her lips pressed into a thin line.

  “I’m right here, Grandma.”

  She turned back to me, confusion covering her face, but she quickly laughed it off. “You’re getting so big.” She stretched her arms toward me. “Come here and give me a hug.”

  I crossed the room and did as she wanted.

  “You’re a good boy.” She patted my back, and then leaned away. “How about some cookies?”

  “Uh, maybe later.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  We were about to each brunch and I try to keep this body a lean machine. My lacrosse scholarship to University of Virginia depended on it. I wanted to go to Duke, but now that we were broke… I would go wherever I got the chance to play.

  The doorbell rang, causing my body to stiffen. Grandma started toward the front door, but Mom stopped her.

  “Mom, would you help me with the coffee cups? Tyler can answer the door.”

  “I’d love to help you, Clover dear.”

  I took a deep breath and prayed this little get together didn’t start or end in disaster. The boulder in my stomach told me to be ready for the latter. “If I come back with a black eye, you’ll know it didn’t go well.”

  “Stop thinking the worst is going to happen. We’ll have a great time.” Mom waved me off and yelled out the patio door for the girls to come inside.

  After Dad got arrested, how could I not think bad things are headed for us? I left the room to greet our guests, rubbing the back of my neck on the way.

  I plastered on a winning smile and opened the door. The older version of Jade’s mom stood front and center. The two redheads behind her caught my attention right away. Tucker and Ben were just kids when I saw them last. Jade’s cornrow braids peeked up behind them.

  “Tyler Griffan Stonebridge.” Ariel took a step and wrapped me in a bear hug. “Aren't you a good-looking thing.”

  Our moms decided it was a good idea for Jade and me to have the same first name. That’s how close they were. I thought it was cool when we were kids. Now? It was just awkward.

  I wasn't expecting Ariel to hug me, but I took the opportunity to check Jade’s expression. She finally looked up from her phone and rolled her eyes. My guess…still wasn’t excited to see me.

  “It's great to see you, too.” I pulled away from Ariel and nodded to her sons. “You're a lot taller than the last time I saw you.”

  “Yeah, you too,” Tucker said.

  I bobbed my head to the side, peering between Ben and Ariel to see Jade. “Hello, Jaden.” The smile on my face wasn't forced, which was a bit of a surprise.

  Her eyes connected with mine. “Are we eating on your front stoop?”

  “Jaden,” Ariel scolded her.

  Heat struck my ears from the inside out. I took a couple of steps backward, and stumbled over the words, “Right. Uh, come in. Sorry about that.”

  Tucker looked back at her and mumbled something I couldn't make out.

  They filed in. Ariel went straight to the kitchen. Jade's family used to spend quite a bit of time here back in the day, and she knew her way around this place.

  Jade shot me a look that said, “Don't mess with me.” It didn't have the effect she was undoubtedly going for, though, because it sparked a desire to be closer to her. She was different. Different than she used to be. Different than other girls I’d known in high school.

  My sisters' chatty voices carried through the house. Ben watched me out of the corner of his eye while Tucker asked, “So how long are you staying?”

  Mom called for us, “Come on in kids.”

  Jade made a beeline after her mom.

  “I'm not sure.” I grabbed Jade’s arm before she got away. “Could I talk to you for a minute?”

  She narrowed her eyes, giving me a death look.

  “Outside?” I had to remind myself I was doing it for Mom’s sake. Maybe mine, too.

  She spun around and stepped on to the porch. I followed, leaving the door cracked open behind us.

  “Look, I don’t really know why you hate me, but can we try to get along for our moms?”

  “Whatever.” She stalked through the door and disappeared around the corner. I took a few deep breaths and said a few affirmations to psych myself up for the day.

  Mom had Jade in her arms just outside the room, and then Grandma latched on to her. She didn't seem like the touchy-feely kind of girl anymore, but she stood there and took it.

  After we all ate, Mom and Ariel turned their focus on Jade and me.

  Mom started in, “I’ve been telling Ty, uh Griffan, he needs to get out of the house more.”

  My eyelids slid shut, and I dropped my chin to my chest. “Mom.” I opened my eyes and silently pled for her to stop.

  “Jaden has no life either,” Ariel added.

  Jade’s brothers chuckled before she turned a glare on them. “I like it that way,” Jade growled.

  It could’ve been being with her once best friend or the mimosas, but Mom’s bubbly chatter wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.

  One way to escape? Collect the dishes and hide out in the kitchen. I stood, taking my plate and Ashlyn’s, but Mom stopped me.

  “Why don’t you two go take a walk along the beach? Catch up and get to know each other again.”

  “Yes, you two run along.” Ariel grinned at Mom, and then scurried to the door, opening it. “Unless you want us to start on the embarrassing stories.”

  6

  Jaden

  I was never so happy to be leaving with someone I couldn't stand in my life. Griffan and I walked silently outside, through the gate, and onto the beach.

  “We should probably walk for a while. Make them happy.” He motioned for me to take the lead.

>   As much as I hated to agree with him, my mom could use some fun. She couldn’t wait to see Clover, Griffan’s mom. Refusing to walk with him would’ve thrown cold water on her excitement.

  “Mom thinks we should be friends,” he mumbled with his smooth, all grownup voice.

  If he was going to blather, he could make it count. “So why are you back? Did you come to see the mess you left? Or did your conscience finally get to you?”

  “Jade,” he said softly.

  I peered up at his blue eyes but quickly looked away. Why did he have to look so good? “So, what’s the deal with your name? Is it Tyler or is it Griffan?”

  He let out a sigh. “What's your problem? What did I ever do to you that deserved the left hook you landed on my face? And in public?”

  “’What did you ever do to me?’” Fire ran through my veins in an instant. Without thinking, I stepped in front of him and let him have it. “Maybe you were too busy jet setting all around the world to notice that life was falling apart. That my dad lost everything we had, turned into a drunk, and we had to move.”

  I pushed against his chest. “You were supposed to be my best friend. Instead of defending me, you said I needed to start sticking up for myself. And the next thing I know, you’d moved and didn’t bother to say goodbye.”

  He took a step back and shook his head. “This is about stupid stuff when we were in what, fifth grade? Kids made fun of me for wearing the wrong kind of shoes back then. No one stuck up for me.”

  “My parents were constantly fighting. We had to move out of our nice house into a crappy one. I was a ten-year-old trying to keep my family together, and you were nowhere to be found. What kind of friend does that?”

  He turned toward the ocean, focusing across the waves as the breeze ruffled his hair.

  When he didn’t say anything, I wanted to tell him how after he left I cried every day when I came home from school. Dad said Griffan and his family didn’t care about anyone but their money.

  I thought I’d accepted that it was all true. But my heart was hurting, pounding, waiting for Griffan to give me an explanation. It didn’t look like I was going to get one, though. I secured my mask in place, grumbling, “Whatever. I can pretend to be friends until the end of the week when you leave.”

  After getting all of that off my chest, it was still heavy, even though it should have been light. I dug my toes into the warm sand and started back to the house.

  “Wait,” Griffan called.

  I paused but didn’t turn around. Thinking about that time of my life only made me feel like a helpless little girl again.

  When he caught up to me, he still wouldn’t look me in the eyes. “Look,” his throat bobbed before he continued, “I didn’t know it was that bad for you. It’s not like leaving was my decision.”

  Not sure I believed he didn’t know. My stomach knotted. It wouldn’t be the first time Dad lied.

  He rubbed the back of his neck, staring off in the distance. “My life has changed, too.”

  What kind of life change has he had? A new trust fund? “Yeah, you’ll follow in your daddy’s footsteps and be a millionaire,”

  “You don’t know, do you?”

  “What?” If he told me he was a billionaire, I was going to deck him.

  “It was all a lie.” He clasped his hands on top of his head and stared out at the ocean again. A scoff spewed out of him before he said, “My dad was, is, nothing but a cheat.”

  I wasn’t following. “He cheated on your mom?”

  “Ramsey Stonebridge is going to prison. Had some kind of Ponzi scheme going all these years.” Griffan placed his hands on my shoulders and finally looked me in the eyes. “I wish I could go back and change everything, do things over, but I can’t.”

  “Your dad’s going to prison?” I wasn’t sure what a Ponzi scheme thing was, but going through something like that had to suck.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. With a tilt of his head, he asked, “You didn't know anything about this? Camera crews have been following us around for months. It’s all over the news.”

  I shrugged. “Who watches the news? I get plenty of bad in my life without it.”

  He plopped down in the sand and hunched over his knees. I sat beside him. Did he want me to say anything? Should I? Debating what to do, I fixed my eyes on an old guy wading out with his body board. Each wave that crashed against him made him stumble back a step.

  We sat in silence for a while and let the breeze clear the air around us.

  “I’m sorry, Jade.”

  I watched him speak. Flickers of the person I used to know were there.

  “I didn't even know all that about your dad. Are your parents divorced?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, but she still loves him. Still tries to help him. I wish he would just go away and leave us alone.”

  “My parents have something like that too.” He dug his hand into the sand and threw a fist full. “Why does life have to be so complicated?”

  The water was calling me. I stood and waded into the surf until it met my knees. Even though the waves could pound you and get brutal, something about it brought calm—steadied my soul.

  Griffan followed. I could sense him standing next to me. He said, “You know the water in Miami is a whole lot warmer than this.”

  I didn't answer. Could I have had it wrong all these years? I turned to face him. “Did you know people started calling me Jaded back then? I blamed it on you.”

  He grimaced. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve lost everything, too. No money. No friends. I’m like the plague.”

  I chuckled at his comparison to a disease. “That, I can relate to.” A big part of me wanted him to feel every stinking moment of it. But what happened with my family forever changed my life. I’m not sure I’d wish that on my worst enemy.

  We walked along the wet sand. I liked the way the water sucked the tiny grains from under my feet with the tide. It was consistent and orderly, and even though most of my life was out of my control, it was proof order in this universe existed. And maybe Griffan showing up was part of the big plan.

  “Looks like we have a lot more in common than we thought,” Griff said, throwing me a sideways glance.

  We did. That fact squeezed my heart. My understanding of what had happened between us was changing like an avalanche. Another fact? He might be the one person in this town who can relate to my life. Having the rug pulled out from underneath you by your parent is a hurt no one should have to endure. “Our dads are a couple of jerks.”

  He looked up at the clear blue sky. “I don’t’ want to be like my dad.”

  Those words echoed my life goal for the past five years. Before I realized what I was doing, I had reached for his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Me too.”

  He looked down, and shared a silent thank you.

  So much had come to light. My dad’s lies. His dad’s lies.

  We’ve both had enough heavy conversation, so I asked the first non-past question that came to mind. “Can you believe how weird our moms are making things?”

  He chuckled. “I think they were trying to set us up.”

  I shook my head. “That's crazy.”

  “I don’t know.” He smirks, bumping his arm against mine. “Before I knew it was you, I would have taken you out.”

  I snickered. All of a sudden, giggly bubbles bounced around my chest. “Oh yeah? You think I was interested?”

  “You were into me,” he joked, wearing a smile that made me dip my chin and smile back at him.

  Was I flirting again? Oh, my gosh! I had to stop doing that.

  “Jade.” He paused, waiting for me to look up at him. “You're not going to tell anybody I'm here, are you? I mean, I don't want to be hounded, but I really don't want my mom or my sisters to have to deal with it.”

  My heart fell. I don’t know what I thought he was going to say, but it wasn’t that. “I’m not gonna say anything. Like I have friends anyway.”


  “Thanks. Can I ask one more favor?

  He was pushing it. I mean, I’d hated him for years, and in one day he asks me two favors? He may have turned into Mr. GQ, but I still had my pride. “What?” I barked, letting him know it wasn’t likely to happen.

  “Since our Moms want us to hang out, could we extend this truce for a while longer?”

  My eyebrows shot up. Another surprise from my ex-friend.

  “I promise not to be a jerk.” He pressed his palms together as if he were begging.

  Luci was right. He was the hottest guy that has come along in a year or two. I agreed, “For our moms.”

  He engulfed me in a hug before I knew what was going on. I didn’t know what kind of cologne he wore but it should be illegal. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The exceptional chemical mix of his smell, sand, surf, and sun with his defined body pressed against mine was dizzying.

  I was in trouble.

  7

  Griffan

  “Mom, I don't need a girlfriend right now. I've got enough drama in my life the way it is.” If I even went out with a girl, she’d find out who my dad was, and then the media would be on our doorstep. I sank onto the wicker chair. The sunlight was beginning to fade. “Besides, we're leaving in another month or two. What's the point?”

  “I didn’t say girlfriend. And I'm not saying just any girl. I'm saying Jade.”

  I saw where this was going. “Why do you and Ariel want us together? Jade doesn't even like me.”

  “Oh, sweetie. Life is hard sometimes. We need people in our lives that we can trust, to share with. You need friends, and you don't have any friends here.”

  “I have Dev, mom.” Dev was the only friend I had left, and I wasn’t gonna lose him.

  “What about Jade? Her mom told me she thinks you abandoned her.”

  “I know.” I laughed, not that it was funny, but Jade had left a good stinger on my face with her hand. I guess I deserved it. “What happened with her dad?”