Neither of us can talk, let alone catch our breath, for a few minutes. That was a new high for me. I turn her onto her side and tug her back against my chest as I pull the sheet up over us. I love the way her soft skin feels against mine and how her soft curves seem to fit perfectly against my hard, angular lines.
“I could get used to this,” she whispers, her chest still rising and falling a bit quickly. I laugh as I move her still damp hair away from her neck and press my lips to her skin. It's just on the edge of her bruise and I hope that I haven't hurt her at all.
“Good, 'cause I already am,” I whisper right above her ear. I feel her shiver against me. I hadn't meant to give in to her advances so quickly, but damn she's tempting. And I absolutely hate when she thinks I'm rejecting her because I don't want her. I am positive that would never happen.
We both doze off again and are awakened later to a pounding on her door. “Haylee, are you still sleeping?” Griff's voice comes through the door and I feel her go still again. I glance behind me at her clock - 11:45. I smile knowing she's gotten some more sleep after I let her have her way with me. Who the hell am I kidding? She doesn't even have to ask!
“We were,” I call out to him and Haylee flips over to face me with a look of total shock. I chuckle at her. “It's just Griff,” I whisper and nuzzle into her neck.
“Okaaaaaaaaaaay,” Griff chuckles as he realizes that Haylee and I are in here together. “I'll just leave you kids alone then.”
“No, we're getting up!” Haylee calls out to him and sits up. We each get dressed quickly; me, in the clothes I'd worn to bed, and her, in a t-shirt and denim shorts. It isn't my first time doing the walk of shame. She's pulling her fingers through her tangled hair as we walk down the stairs. I can't erase the smile from my face as she tries to smooth her hair out and appear like nothing happened. Griff is smirking at us from where he sits on the couch with his feet on the coffee table, and Haylee is trying to ignore him.
“So I guess that's why it didn't look like you'd even slept in your bed,” Griff smiles at me and I just nod, still smiling myself.
I notice Haylee looking back and forth between the two of us. “You guys are assholes!” she shouts and picks up a couple of pillows from the chair to throw at each of us. Her cheeks are cherry red, and I've never seen her look more adorable. The two of us just laugh, and finally she gives up and breaks into a smile as well.
“So what are we doing today? None of us are working. . .” Haylee finally asks. I'm sure she's attempting to change the subject.
“Well, we could hit the lake for a while, grab some dinner somewhere, and then maybe I could show Hayles that surprise,” I say and watch the expression morph on Haylee's face.
“So Griff knows?” she demands with her hands on her hips.
“Yeah, he helped me out,” I reply, loving her reaction. I can't wait to show her, but I'm also kind of enjoying dragging this out.
“Then let's just go now,” she challenges me.
“Nope, after a nice dinner should be the perfect time,” I tell her.
So we get into our bathing suits and head out in Griff's boat just like old times. Brynn even ends up dropping by to check on Haylee and comes with us. I'm not sure wakeboarding is something Haylee should do today, but I know she isn't going to listen to anyone if she decides she's good to try it.
The afternoon is hot and the cool lake water is just what we needed. It's so nostalgic for just the four of us to be out here. I'm thankful not to have Max and Parker along this time. Max is an all right guy, but sometimes it's just, well, different. I wonder if Haylee misses her dad out here at times like this. I know I do. I haven't truly felt his loss until just now. He'd always been out here with us until we were old enough to get out here on our own. He would coach us on what to do to be better, sharper, and always made sure we had plenty of down time just swimming and chillin', just being kids. I'm sure Haylee has dealt with this for the last few years, and I find myself once again wishing that I could have been here for her.
Haylee turns down the first go at boarding and Brynn surprises us all by saying she wants to try and see how much she remembers. I sit up front with Haylee, and while Brynn gets her board on out in the water, I decide to ask her if she's up for this.
“I know what you're going to say,” she says to me before I even have a chance to utter a word. I just look at her kind of stunned. “I know you're worried about me going out there with my 'injuries.' You don't have to worry though, I'm not going to board today.”
To say I'm shocked would be an understatement. I'm glad that she's being sensible, but I also wonder if she's really hurting more than she's letting on. “I know you want to be out there,” I tell her as Griff pulls the boat around and tosses Brynn the rope. “But I'm glad you're gonna give things a chance to heal.” She's wearing a large t-shirt over her bathing suit which is unusual, so I assume she's trying to cover some of her bruises to spare us.
We cheer as Brynn pops right up out of the water with a triumphant smile on her face. I sit behind Haylee and pull her back against my chest as she sits on the bench between my legs.
Brynn is cautious out there. She just glides back and forth across the wake, allowing her muscles to remember what they are doing. “This is a strange day,” Griff calls up to us as we watch Brynn behind the boat. “Brynn is out there boarding again, you two are all lovey dovey. . .am I the only one who hasn't gone through some kind of transformation?”
Haylee leans her head back against my shoulder and laughs. “Pretty much,” I shout back at Griff. He's right though; it is a strange day. But strange in a totally good way. The best way actually. I've called my parents briefly after everything has settled down and I let them know that I'm here safely. They think I'm being childish for returning here. They can think whatever the hell they want because they have no idea who I am or what I want. They've never even bothered to try. I feel at home here, at peace, happy, and being able to be with Haylee. . .finally, I feel like there's a future in my life.
I don't know how it's possible, but even though I'm scarred and covered in bruises, I'm. . .happy. I survived what Parker did to me, thanks to Chase, and Chase and I have actually had a chance to clear the air and forgive each other for all the drama of the last few days. Lexi hasn't gotten her claws into Chase like she hoped, and I've learned that I can trust him.
Getting to sleep in Chase's arms last night had been a little piece of heaven for me. I'm convinced that I probably wouldn't have slept a wink if he hadn't crawled in my bedroom window. Just knowing that he's there makes it feel like everything is right in my world again. I know the bruises and soreness will fade over time, and even though I know I will never forget what Parker did, thoughts of it and him will fade over time as well.
I'm not really one to get embarrassed easily, but I find that I am shy and hesitant to flaunt my new relationship in front of my mom, Griff, and Brynn. Not that I don't want them to know, it's just strange for me after having been friends with Chase for so long, and then not talking to him for four years. To be together like we are now is just new for me and for all of them as well. Griff and Brynn tease us, probably because they can tell it gets to me, but I know just by looking at them smiling at us when they don't think we're looking that they're happy for us. I also know without a doubt that my dad would have been happy. He treated Chase like a son when we were kids and thought the world of him. My dad was the kind of man who I could have told all about Chase's shady history and he still would have been able to see the change, the good in him, just like I do. I'm still just sore enough, especially around my throat and neck, that I opt to hold off on boarding. I know that a rough landing could really jar my neck and I don't need to add any more pain to my body right now. I'll be back out there in no time. I just sit back and enjoy the ride while the three of them go at it. Getting to watch Chase out here doing, well, one of the things I now know he does
so
well is the icing on my cake. I'm so turned on by the time he comes running up front to wrap me in a cold, wet hug that I wish Griff and Brynn would go swimming for awhile so that he and I could be alone. Is this normal? I feel as though the only thing on my mind when I'm awake now is sex. I've never before craved another male the way I now do Chase and I understand when people say they can't get anything done because all they want to do is have sex. That's me now!
When we're finally heading back to Griff's, Chase and I end up in a heavy make out session up front. I blame this completely on his gorgeous body while he was boarding earlier and my out of control hormones.
“Seriously, you two?” Griff shouts over the roaring engine. Chase doesn't release me from his grasp though and keeps right on kissing me as though Griff hasn't said a word. “You're right in my line of sight and I have no choice but to watch because I've gotta see where I'm going!” I hear Brynn's laughter, and Chase and I begin chuckling so he pulls back only slightly.
“You love it and you know it,” Chase shouts back to him. His hair is plastered against his forehead from the hauling wind from behind him.
“No, really, you two are like a brother and sister to me, and I'm really not into incest!” Griff shoots back. Once we make it back to the dock, Brynn has to take off to get ready for work.
“Don't do anything I wouldn't do,” she calls over her shoulder. We can hear her laughing as she climbs into her car. The three of us are then headed to get ready for an early dinner out somewhere, but Griff bows out telling Chase and I to take the chance to be alone together. I don't want Griff to feel left out, but I know that even if he came, he'll feel like a third wheel despite our best efforts. I give him a kiss on the cheek and whisper thank you.
I run home and get ready as quickly as possible. I shower and even dry and straighten my hair. I wear makeup and, not that I'm ever sloppy, but I suddenly care so much more about how I look. I slide on a slim fitting, deep blue sun dress that I think I've only worn once before to a dinner for the dance team. I dig a pair of silver sandals out of the back of my closet, spray myself with a tiny bit of perfume, and head down the stairs. I'm surprised to find that Chase is already on the couch in my living room waiting for me. I hadn't heard him come in, so it must have been while I was drying my hair.
“Damn, you're fast,” I smile, taking a moment to drink him in. He's wearing a pair of dark jeans that ride low on his hips and a modern, white button-down shirt with some kind of black dragon design on one side. His hair is still damp and looks like he's just dragged his fingers through it. I swallow as I imagine running
my
fingers through it. . .I'm snapped out of my daydream when I notice that his icy blue eyes are only half open and his pupils are huge.
“You look amazing, Hayles,” his voice is a husky whisper and it makes chill bumps break out all along my body. Maybe we could just stay in tonight?
“I'm kind of worried about being out in public with these bruises,” I admit quietly as I lift my hand up to my throat. I usually don't care much about what other people think about me, but I know my appearance right now with a huge purple bruise along my entire throat will garner stares and maybe even questions.
“Who cares what people think?” he says quietly, reaching out to take the hand that is touching my neck and holding it in his. “I think you look absolutely breath-taking.”
“Thank you,” I whisper before he leans down and kisses me briefly on the lips. “Hold on, I have an idea,” I tell him as I race back up the stairs and down the hall into mom's room. I grab a scarf out of her drawer that will match my dress and wrap it around my neck like I've seen Brynn and some of the other girls do. Chase just shakes his head at me and smiles when I come back down the stairs.
“So the first part of your surprise is outside,” he says with a crooked grin as he holds the front door open for me. I furrow my brow, trying to think quickly about what the heck could be out here. I scan the porch and the front yard briefly looking for anything that stuck out and then I see something different in the driveway. There's a big, black and silver F150 parked in my driveway, completely concealing my little car beyond it.
“Is that actually yours?” I ask pointing toward the sparkling new-looking truck. I've never seen a rental that looked that good and he'd had a truck already as a rental, so why would he need a different one?
“Yup, bought it right before I left California and told the dealership that I'd pick it up when I got settled here,” he explains as we walk toward the truck. “I sold my truck back in LA so I didn't have to drive all the way across the country. I put the money toward this one.”
“Wow,” I say as he opens the passenger door for me. It's tall enough that he has to put his hand on my behind to boost me up a bit. I glance back at him and find a very proud, goofy grin playing on his face. I take in the black leather interior while he hurries around, opens the door, and climbs behind the wheel. I've never owned a brand new vehicle before, and it even smells new, like freshly molded plastic and leather.
“So, you like it?” Does he really have to ask?
“Of course! It's awesome and it totally fits you,” I smile at him and slide over to press my lips to his cheek. I can tell he's excited about his purchase. Right in this moment, he looks so much like the boy next door that I had always known.
“I made sure it had just a bench seat in the front so you can sit right here next to me,” he says patting the soft leather between us. I laugh out loud just imagining his thought process. Then of course I slide over so close that our thighs are touching and buckle in here. He has a smile on his face the entire time we're driving, to where I have no idea, and I don't even care. I'll go anywhere with Chase Atwood. He keeps his right hand on the top of my left thigh the whole way, tucked just beneath the cotton seam of my dress. I catch him sneaking a glance at me in the rear view mirror every once in a while and I shoot him a teasing little smile in return.
“God, I've missed you,” he groans and squeezes his hand tighter on my thigh. He doesn't need to elaborate; I know exactly what he means. Some part of me had gone missing back when I was fourteen and he'd moved away. I had known in some deep part of my mind, even back then, that I was in love with him, but I'd been young and completely unsure of those kind of powerful feelings. I feel whole again now that he's back. I feel so alive. I don't know how else to describe it. I feel this surge of energy throughout my body, like a constant adrenaline high, and I'm lost to it, lost to him.
He finally parks the truck in downtown Wake Forest and comes around to help me out. I don't really need his help, but I'm not going to pass up on an opportunity for him to put his hands on me. “Do you like sushi?” he asks as he closes the door behind me.
I shrug. “I don't know. I've never had it,” I tell him and he smiles. It appears that he likes getting me to try new things. The restaurant that we walk into looks every bit Japanese. Dark woods, bamboo everywhere, and paper lanterns, but all done in a very modern, upscale way. We are seated in a small, round booth tucked back in a corner and I can feel the hostess staring at my black eye. If she could only see beneath the scarf I'm wearing. As we sit down I like that he slides in right beside me, leaving no space between our bodies. He wants to be close to me the same way I do him, and this thought does funny things to the lower portion of my abdomen.
“I hope this is okay. There are a ton of sushi places in LA, and it quickly became my favorite kind of food,” he explains as he leans his head closer to my ear.
“I'll try anything once,” I reply and his head snaps to face me, startling me. His eyes are liquid azure, quickly becoming pools of onyx.
“Really?” he asks. It's more a statement of surprise than it is a question and his lips curve up at one end. Of course, his mind would go there.
“I would have thought you would know that about me by now,” I smirk wickedly back at him, letting my hand rest on his thigh this time. He sucks in a quick breath and his eyes flash. I have to fight back the proud grin that threatens to escape from knowing how I affect him.
We're interrupted when our waitress comes by and gives us each a menu. She's a tiny, smooth, dark-haired Asian girl and she only sees one person in this booth, and it isn't me. She never takes her eyes off of Chase as she speaks and smiles and flirts her little ass off. Really, I'm sitting
right
here beside him, and not just next to him, but
right
beside him! He speaks the language of sushi and asks her questions about their specials, and they may as well have been speaking in Japanese for all I understand of what they're talking about. If my eyes were death rays, she would be leveled to a pile of dust by now. She finally turns to leave, even coyly glancing back over her shoulder at him. I raise my eyebrows and shake my head.
Chase seems completely oblivious as he snakes his arm around my lower back and runs his nose along the column of my neck just beneath my ear. I shiver and pull away slightly. He cocks his head to the side and scrunches up one eyebrow. “What's wrong?”
“Are you telling me you didn't notice our waitress undressing you with her eyes?” I ask in disbelief. It was so obvious, but maybe he's just used to that kind of behavior from women and doesn't even notice anymore. He shakes his head looking at me like I'm crazy.
“She never even looked at me once, and I'm sitting
right
next to you. I can almost guarantee you that she'll slip you her name and number on the check or something,” I tell him, and he narrows his eyes at me for a moment.
“Hayles, are you
jealous
?” he asks with a smirk.
“Of course I am!” I hiss. I want to grab my glass of water and dump it over his head. His smile grows to a huge grin, and he leans in to press his lips just beneath my ear. I feel the warmth of his breath on my skin.
“You're cute when you're jealous,” he whispers against my neck and I can tell that he's still smiling. “But you have nothing to worry about. In case you hadn't noticed, I wasn't even aware of her in that way. I don't even see any other girls anymore. They're invisible. I only see you, Hayles.”
Okay, I am flattered. And I wasn't ever really mad, just astounded that a woman would act like that right in front of me. I'm new to this dating thing where I actually care about the guy I'm with, and I am floored by the audacity of our waitress. She picks that moment to return with a sushi menu that I guess Chase asked for. One of the perks of being out with Chase, and having the waitress eating out of his hand, is that I get to drink as well even though I'm just shy of nineteen. He orders us something called sake, going with my earlier exclamation that I'll try anything once.
She brings our drinks in this cute little pottery vase-like thing with two matching shot glasses. I watch what Chase does and follow his lead. It tastes similar to a white wine I'd once had and surprisingly it isn't too bad. Chase just smiles at me while I continue to drink it.
“So, do I actually get to see the rest of this surprise tonight?” I ask, and he chuckles.
“Definitely,” he replies and he has this deep, contented expression on his face. The sake is warming my throat and belly and stripping down some of my inhibitions, so I get braver with my questions.
“Do you think that I'll really be enough for you?” I ask sort of quietly and feel my cheeks burn instantly. I can't lift my face and meet his eyes; I'm so terrified by his answer.