Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) (31 page)

Kaitlyn
gasped, “Erica!”

“She knows I am kidding,” Erica defended herself. “I have got to get rid of these losers,” she sighed, seeing
Monty
fall on his face trying to grab the ball. “What are you all doing tonight?”

“I have a feeling I am going to play matchmaker with a couple that can’t keep their eyes off each other.”
Kaitlyn
was oblivious to what I was talking about as she clapped
,
seeing Derek slam-dunk the ball. “That was sexy,” she said.

“Well,” Erica stood up, “I hate to leave this p
ow-wow, but I’m gonna go.
”

“Where are you going? You can hang with us. We hardly ever see each other.”

“I was at the hospital seeing you everyday,” she smiled. “It’s not my fault you slept through it. We will get together tomorrow.
”

“What do you have planned?” I asked.

She looked at her phone, “Eh, nothing.
I might go to bed early tonight. I’ve been pretty tired lately. You look really good. I forgot to tell you,” she smiled.

“Really? Thanks. I haven’t looked in the mirror since…”

“Probably a good thing,” Erica said.

“Erica!”
Kaitlyn
scolded again.
             
“What?” Erica looked stunned, “She looked like a train wreck. You couldn’t look at her with out crying.”

I felt sick to my stomach knowing I had probably looked hideous and Michael saw me that way. I immediately wanted to look.
             
“Michael, I’m going inside for a sec. OK?”

“Sure,” he walked over and lifted my chin.” You are so beautiful today
,
”
h
e smiled.

I wondered if he heard our conversation and felt sorry for me. But Michael wasn’t the type to say or do anything that wasn’t sincere.

I walked into this room and went to his closet and opened the door remembering I had seen a full-length mirror in it.

I looked at my face and saw my eyes were darker than usual but basically looked like I hadn’t slept
well. They
weren’t black like people had talked about before. I didn’t look bad, not beautiful at
all,
but not bad. I lifted my shirt and saw the whole front of my body was bruised. There was not a spot on it that wasn’t purple brown or yellow. I took my shirt off and turned around and looked at my back. Half of it was bruised. I could see a bald spot on the back of my head where I had stitches, knowing they were going to be removed the next day. I pulled it in a ponytail and made it where it wasn’t as noticeable. I heard a knock on the door, “Alex?” I heard Michael say.

“I’m in here,” I said.

“May I come in?”
             
“Yeah”. I just stood in front of the mirror and saw him walk up behind me. He put his arms around my waist gently and kissed my neck “You okay?”

“I just don’t understand how he did this to me. I don’t understand why I let him.”

“You didn’t let him, Alex. It wasn’t you. It was all him.”

“I hadn’t looked yet. I had no idea. I just knew I hurt. I had no idea.” I looked in the mirror again. “Hmm, I just don’t even know what to think.”

“Well, I think you better get your shirt on and we need to get back outside.”

“Oh,” I covered my breast not even realizing I was topless. The bruising was so bad I wasn’t aware. “I really wish the first time you saw me topless I looked better.”

“Well you don’t look as good as you did before,” he said, imitating Lloyd, “but you can still give a guy a hard-on. It’s cool,” he laughed, punching my arm, “I am one lucky son of a bitch!”

Derek and
Kaitlyn
were sitting at the picnic table talking. I could tell she was
me
smerized
but also scared to death.

“Where did Erica and the boys go?” I asked.

Kaitlyn
looked up, “She had to go home. She and
Monty
had a bit of a spat that you missed.”

“Oh, do tell.”

“Well apparently Lloyd made a comment that had to do with
Monty
and Erica “doing it” that
Monty
had told him that they were going to have a three-way,” she blushed
, looked up, and asked forgiveness
. “
Anyway,
Erica about had a fit.”

“You said a spat,” I smiled. “It sounds more like it was going to be a fight.”

“Well, I was trying to be nice. Yes, it was a bit of a fight. She said, ‘get your ass in the car,
Monty
’, and pointed to it, like he was a little child. She said ‘once you take me home
,
don’t you think that you will see me again
’.
”

“Wow. That was ballsy. I think I would have waited till I got the ride home and
then told him he was through.”

“Well
,
Erica isn’t much of a thinker when she is mad.”

“What do you all want to do tonight?” I asked

“I would love to go back to the lake,” Derek suggested. He looked at
Kaitlyn
, “You want to go?”
             
She nervously looked at me not knowing how to answer.

“Yes, she wants to go.” I answered for her. “I will help you in this journey, Little Grasshopper.”

Chap
ter 18

We all got in
the car
and drove through
The Lane
. I was relived there wasn’t anyone out since it was fairly early. I knew I would get the stares
,
the points and the whispers. I knew it was going to happen, I just needed more time to prepare. I also knew there was going to be non-stop questions. I had a stack of get-well cards that I hadn’t even opened and my phone was filled with texts that I hadn’t read. I just hoped people would understand that I wanted to forget about the drama for a few days. I had lost a week of my life and I wanted to be with Michael and not play 20 questions for a few more days.

We drove out to the lake and parked in the same area as before. It seemed like so long ago since I had been there
,
not just several weeks. Michael got the blanket out of the car and we walked down by the lake.
Kaitlyn
was a nervous wreck.

She pulled me aside, “He knows I won’t go all the way, doesn’t he?”

“Pretty sure he’s not going to try anything. He had a sure thing with Erica and never even kissed her. Why do you think he is going to jump your bones tonight? You are plenty safe,” I smiled, patting her arm. “Just relax.”

We sat down and started eating. “Who won the game?” I smiled.

“Which one?” Derek asked. “We played two. The second one was
Monty
and Lloyd against me, when Michael went to check on you.”

“Oh fun! Who won that one?”

“I think it was too close to call. It was probably a tie.”

“Oh my
gosh
, Alex,”
Kaitlyn
laughed, “It was a bloodbath. Literally! I have never seen anything so pathetic in my life.

Pathetic, I thought
,
feeling a chill, wondering why that word scared me
so badly
.

I looked back over to
Kaitlyn
, and decided it was nothing, “Lloyd,” she continued, “was jumping and jumping trying to get the ball until he fell down from exhaustion. Do they not know that you two are like the best players in the country?
Monty
kept saying
‘W
e are in college. We should be able to whip this kid’s ass
es
with our hands tied behind our back
s
.
’
Oh, the best part was when Derek actually had me tie his hand behind his back, oh, you owe me my shoelace back, and he still creamed them. It was the most embarrassing thing I have ever seen in my life. I was really embarrassed for Erica. She wouldn’t even watch. She
was
text
ing someone
the entire time.”

“I really wish I had seen that,” I laughed.

“OH!” she said, “This was super funny. They all started getting sweaty so Derek and Lloyd took their shirts off. So Lloyd looks like he might and I am saying a big might weigh 110, I might give him 120 and he is pasty white and he sucks in his gut and looks at me like he is showing me his six pack. I look over at Derek and Holy cow!” She stopped and looked at Derek forgetting during her exciting story that he was sitting beside her listening.
“
Uh,” she hesitated.

I knew I had to help her, “Derek has a hot body. We all know it.”

“Thank you,” she smiled,
“I hope I don’t go to hell for thinking that. But anyway, t
he funny part was Lloyd had n
o idea that he looked pathetic.” I instantly felt the chill again and goose bumps were all over my legs. I shook it off and concentrated on what
Kaitlyn
was saying. “
He kept strutting around in front of me. Get this
!
H
e said I have a perky pair. What the heck did he mean by that?”

“Is she the same person as
Abbie
?” Michael whispered. “Have you ever noticed they have the same personality?
I have always wondered that and always forget to ask.
”

“Uh yep,” I laughed.

“I didn’t mean to make him look bad,” Derek explained, “he was so full of himself that I didn’t car
e any longer. I feel bad now.”

“I wouldn’t.” Michael said. “He told me before I went into the house that when I get finished tapping it, come back out.”

“He did not!” I laughed.

“Hand to God, Alex, hand to God!”

“And what did you do?”

“Went in and tapped you,” Michael laughed.

“Oh
,
my
g
o
sh
!”
Kaitlyn
yelled.
             
“He’s kidding,
Kaitlyn
. Calm down, Michael, stop giving
Kaitlyn
a heart attack.”

I could tell he was just as amused with
Kaitlyn
as he was the night we rescued
Abbie
. “Well,” he said, taking my hand, “I am sure going to miss Lloyd. I have to say we had some pretty good times at his expense.”

“You are bad,” I laughed.

Derek stood up and asked
Kaitlyn
to go for a walk with him. She looked at me like I was supposed to decide for her.
             
“Go ahead,
Kaitlyn
. Have fun. And Derek, after you get done tapping that, come back.”

“Alex!”
Kaitlyn
gasped. “She doesn’t mean that!”

I watched them walk down the shore. “They are going to come back holding hands and she is never going to stop smiling.”

“You want to bet?”

“Quarter?” I said, handing him my hand.

“Deal.”

I la
id
down on the blanket and looked at the sky. “It’s so nice out. It
’
s exactly
like the
last time we were here,” I sighed.

“Not really,” Michael moved over beside me, taking my hand. “I was a nervous wreck that night.”

“You were not! You were like Joe Cool acting like you had dated every chick in the world and were so calm and suave.”

“I guess I am a great actor,” he smiled. “I was scared to death.”

“And now?” I leaned over and kissed his check.

“Scared to death,” he laughed.

“You are a bad liar. Man, look at all the stars. You ever miss
Texas
and your friends there?”

“Not really. I talk to them on Facebook some but I really didn’t socialize a whole lot. I was always busy with sports and studying, just didn’t do much outside of school. I was always with Derek. I notice you pretty much stay with your group. Is there a reason why you never branched out? Is
it like a safety net for you?”

“Is that a jab at me?”

“Not at all. I just know you play things safe. You never rock the boat. You have one enemy and the only reason she hates you is because you are better than her. You are nice to everyone. I have not heard one person ever say anything bad about you.”

“You almost make that sound like a bad thing.”

“Why are you being so defensive?”
             
“Am I?” I asked.