by K Swanson
The door swung open to reveal a man who looked a lot like an older version of Sam. Even his reddish-blond hair was cut in a similar fashion. The only difference was this man wore a pair of silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.
His hazel eyes met mine, then a grin transformed him from drab to actually handsome. Was that what Sam would look like if he full-on smiled? Maybe I’d have the opportunity to see today.
“You must be Haylie! It’s so great to know Sam’s been making new friends.”
I blinked, unsure how to respond.
The man slowly seemed to realize what he’d said, and his cheeks turned pink. “Not that I don’t like the friends he does have, because I do.”
Before I could come up with a reply, a much larger man shoved Sam’s dad aside. “Just stop, Charlie. You’ll only dig yourself into a deeper hole.” Holding his hand out to me, he added, “I’m Michael, Sam’s uncle. You must be Haylie. Sam and Lex are out back.” His friendly smile didn’t change as his gaze jumped from me to Phil. After pulling a small piece of paper from his pocket, he handed it to Phil. “We promise she’ll be in good hands. The kids will be in the pool, but if you need to get a hold of her, here’s our house phone.”
Phil smiled in return. “Thank you. I appreciate it. And Haylie, I’ll be home all day, so call if you need anything, and if you need a ride home.”
I thanked him and said goodbye.
Michael gestured for me to follow him. “The guys would have come to the door, but Sam and Lex are getting the pool ready.”
I followed him silently through the dark hallway, which led to an open family room and kitchen.
An oversized, dark brown leather couch sat in the middle of the room facing away from the kitchen and toward a marble fireplace. A large TV had been mounted above the mantel.
I was impressed that the marble countertops in the kitchen were spotless. In movies and books, weren’t bachelors always messy? This place was pristine.
Unless I’d misunderstood. Maybe a woman did live here? Oh, maybe they had a maid!
Or perhaps that was just a stereotype? It wasn’t as though I had firsthand knowledge or anything.
The sliding glass door on the far wall stood open, and Michael led me onto the back patio. “Boys, your girlfriend is here. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Well, don’t do anything I would do either.”
He chuckled, and my entire body felt as if it were on fire as he went inside. A quick glance at Sam told me he was just as embarrassed.
Their girlfriend? How would that even work? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what he would or wouldn’t do either.
Forcing the thoughts out of my head, I glanced at Lex standing near the pool wearing a pair of black swim trunks with reddish-orange flames on them. For a moment, I nearly forgot how to breathe. He wasn’t wearing a shirt.
“Hey,” Lex said as he gave a nod in greeting.
“Hi.” I didn’t have a chance to say anything else before shouting came from the front of the house.
Sam rose from the chair he’d been sitting in, a frown on his face. “What’s g-going on?”
I glanced into the house, wondering the same thing.
Lex gave a half-hearted sigh. “It’s my cousin. Whatever is happening, I want no part in it.”
I started to step back inside to go investigate, but Sam grabbed my arm. I blinked a couple times. He’d actually touched me? Voluntarily? My gaze jumped to his face, and he was blushing, his freckles standing out in contrast. He opened his mouth to say something, but then Jayden stumbled through the doorway, a scowl on his face. Nick and CJ followed him out.
Jayden wore a black T-shirt and black cargo pants, and the black smudges under his eyes matched his clothing. He wasn’t wearing any of his normal black eyeliner, and he looked a bit different without it, but not in a bad way.
The most surprising part was the large red bow on top of his head.
“Jayden?”
His dark eyes slid toward me, his scowl firmly in place. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he grumbled, yanking the bow from his head and shoving it at Nick.
Jayden didn’t sound fine, but I didn’t want to draw attention to whatever was bothering him if he didn’t want to talk about it.
His fist wrapped tightly around the strap of his bag, and his jaw clenched.
My gaze jumped to CJ and Nick. “Did you guys kidnap him? Cause he doesn’t look thrilled to be here.”
Nick smirked. “Of course we didn’t kidnap him. He just didn’t really want to come.”
Lex sighed. “Nicholas, you can’t take people from their homes.”
After yawning into his hand, Jayden stared at the ground. “Wasn’t forced.”
“Coulda fooled me.” Lex snorted, then glanced at the sky as the sun went behind a cloud.
Before anything else could be said about Jayden’s lack of enthusiasm, CJ said, “Nick and I will go change, and then let’s swim!”
He turned and jogged back into the house, pulling Nick along behind him.
Nick didn’t mind, considering he easily went along with it.
Sam fidgeted and opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something. No sound came out, and he cleared his throat. “D-did you w-want to go ch-change?”
He cringed every time he stuttered, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Was it best to ignore his stutter and act as if it didn’t happen?
I tilted my head as I considered him. “I’m already wearing my swimsuit.”
Lex squatted next to the pool, dipping a hand into the water to test the temperature. “Then let’s get in.” He glanced at me over his shoulder, a smile on his face.
In that moment, I swore my heart nearly stopped. He actually knew how to smile? I’d begun to have my doubts.
With a nod, I set my bag on one of the white lounge chairs nearby, then removed my clothes. I placed my bracelets in one of the small pockets of my bag. Butterflies swarmed my stomach, and they weren’t the good kind. The silver might not keep me from using my power completely, but the jolt they gave me when I did usually kept me from accidentally accessing my power. My bracelets were loose enough to fall off in the water, and I didn’t want to lose them, so this seemed like the safest option. I’d just have to concentrate extra hard on making sure I stayed… visible.
A shout made me pause and I turned in time to see Nick race by, yelling, “Cannonball!” He didn’t even pause before he sailed through the air, pulling his knees into his chest. As soon as he hit the water, a geyser rose up, drenching Lex and Sam. Sam shook his head and gave a small smile before sitting on the edge of the pool and sliding in as Lex shouted something at Nick and jumped in after him.
An arm draped over my shoulders. “Hey, Hayls.”
I let out a small squeak, turning to face CJ. Had he made his voice deeper, or did it always sound that way?
“Hey.”
He chuckled, his brows going up slightly as he stepped back to look at my swimsuit. His dark eyes lit up. “I’m thinking we need to go swimming more often.”
My cheeks heated. I wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“You can swim, right?”
At my nod, he lifted me and tossed me straight into the water. I was vaguely aware of him jumping in after me as I let out a small scream before hitting the water. My heart pounded hard as I kicked my way back up to the surface, treading water while I wiped my eyes. I tried not to inhale water while giggling.
“I’ll save you, m’lady!” The shout came from the other end of the pool.
I blinked rapidly, clearing the last of the water from my eyes. With a squeal, I latched onto the nearest body, putting Lex between Nick and me. He didn’t even seem to notice my extra weight, although he did take a few lazy strokes toward shallower water so he could stand.
It didn’t take Nick long to reach us, and when he did, he popped up, scowling. “My princess needs rescuing.”
Shaking his head, Lex chuckled
. “You snooze, you lose.”
The fact that Lex openly showed amusement was almost enough to make me let go of him. Almost.
With a sigh, Nick pouted. “I was going to be her Prince Charming.”
Upsetting him hadn’t been my intention. I bit my lip, trying to decide what to do before an idea came to me. “You’ll have to catch me first!”
From nearby, Sam snorted. “N-not s-smart.”
What wasn’t smart? Before I could ask, I noticed a predatory gleam in Nick’s eye.
Lex leaned his head back toward me. “You might want to swim.”
After a moment of indecision, I released Lex and swam toward deeper water. Without my bracelets on, I had to focus hard on not turning invisible. There were a couple moments when I couldn’t tell if I’d succeeded or not, but when I came to a stop next to CJ, no one seemed to have noticed.
With a giggle, I dove underwater, opening my eyes to see Nick was almost to us. As he was about to swim around CJ and grab me, I dove farther down, ducking between CJ’s legs and popping up in front of him.
To my surprise, CJ wrapped an arm and both legs around me while he held on to the edge of the pool with his free hand. “I’ve got her, mon ami.”
“Excellent!” Nick moved in my direction and grabbed me. “You can’t escape me now!” His shout was said with a fake Dracula-type accent, making me giggle again as I thrashed, trying to get free.
Eventually, we all ended up in the shallow end, and Lex and Sam joined us to play some water volleyball. Jayden never came close to the pool, but sat at the covered picnic table with a large pad of paper, drawing something.
“Food’s ready!” Sam’s dad and uncle had taken turns checking on the burgers, and it was his dad who made the announcement.
Nick made it to the edge of the pool, and I frowned, trying to figure out how he’d gotten there so fast. I understood being good at swimming, but I blinked and nearly missed his entire swim across the pool. Was it even possible to swim that quickly?
As soon as he pushed himself out of the water, my thoughts stalled. He used his hands to shove his dark hair out of his eyes, then he headed for one of the lounge chairs that had been piled with towels.
A gentle tug on my arm made me realize I was staring, and I blushed, following the others out of the water. When I was out and on dry land, my eyes felt heavy, the combination of exercise, sun, and chlorine making me tired.
Before I could head for my bag, a towel was dropped over my head. With a smile, I thanked Nick and wrapped it around myself.
While we dried off, Sam’s dad brought chips, some fruit, and condiments to the table. “Enjoy, kids. I have some work to do inside, but holler if you need one of us.” With a smile, he left the platter of meat on the table.
I pulled on my shorts, and Sam and Nick pulled their shirts on before we sat down to eat.
In my bag, my phone went off. I frowned. The only reason someone would be trying to get a hold of me was if there was an emergency with Phil and Min, right?
Quickly getting back to my feet, I went to investigate.
A glance at the screen showed another text from a blocked number. Was it the same one from yesterday? That’s a hot little number you’re wearing. Can’t wait to see what it looks like off you.
Blood drained from my face, my stomach churned, and I swallowed hard to keep the nausea at bay. Who was this? I didn’t want to text back. It might give them the satisfaction of knowing they’d gotten to me.
I was vaguely aware of someone standing up from the table, then the phone was taken from my fingers. Before I could stop myself, I grabbed my T-shirt from my bag and pulled it over my head. With my hands shaking, it wasn’t exactly easy, but I got my arms shoved into the fabric and yanked it down to cover my stomach.
A pair of arms wrapped around me, and I became aware of the voice whispering in my ear. Sam? One hand was fisted against my back, while the fingers of his other hand gently pressed against my spine. His voice was soft, and I couldn’t really make out what he was saying.
The others had abandoned their food and were staring at me. I turned my head against Sam’s chest, feeling rather than hearing the rapid thump of his heart.
Lex narrowed his eyes at the phone in his hand. “What the hell? You’re going to find the sick fuck who sent this to her, right?”
Who would? How did he expect anyone to find them when they had a blocked number?
Sam’s voice got louder as he said, “Th-this isn’t the f-f-first time this person has t-texted you, is it?”
The way he said that made me think he already knew the answer, but I shook my head anyway.
Sam unlocked my phone without asking for the code as Nick peered over his shoulder, crowding him. He read the text, shaking his head, frustration and anger flashing in his eyes. “Fuck. You’re going to find out who sent that, right?”
The question mirrored Lex’s and I frowned. At first, I thought he was speaking to me, but Sam nodded. I knew he was into electronics, but was that something he could actually do? Wouldn’t finding out the number be something the police would do?
Did we need to involve the police? I didn’t think so. More than likely, someone was just trying to scare me.
I scanned the perimeter of the yard, noticing that Nick did the same. We were surrounded by a tall fence. “How would someone have even seen me…?”
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I’d rather none of them had seen the text. The guys didn’t seem to share my desire to keep it private though.
Sam rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free hand and closed his eyes.
“Are you okay?”
His fingers paused and he slowly opened his eyes again. “Yeah. The r-r-real question is, are y-you?”
I bit my lip and glanced around the table. Jayden yawned behind a hand, then his gaze flicked between me, the phone, and Sam. CJ got up to investigate the message, and if it were possible, my cheeks burned even more. How much should I tell them…?
With a small sigh, I supposed I shouldn’t be anything less than honest with them. “I’m mortified.”
Nick raised a brow, then ducked down to wrap his arms around me before standing. My legs dangled in the air, and I pressed my hands against his firm chest so I could look up at him.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” Nick said. “And Sam has mad skills. He’ll find whoever is behind this.”
How could they be so certain? Not that I doubted Sam’s ability, but still, figuring out a blocked number seemed to be a skill a teenager wouldn’t have.
CJ must have seen the skepticism on my face, though I tried to hide it. I didn’t want to insult anyone. He chuckled. “Sam’ll get that fucker. And then we’ll make him pay.”
I shivered as his chocolate eyes darkened, appearing to be nearly black.
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
My hesitant words seemed to knock the scowl from CJ’s face as he tilted his head. “Didn’t what?”
For a moment, I had difficulty finding my voice. It wasn’t that I wanted whoever this was to get away with being a creep, but… “Make them pay.”
Nick snorted as he set me on the table while still keeping his arms around me, but it was CJ who replied. “You think we can’t?” His lip stuck out, and I couldn’t tell if it was an act or if he was really upset. “Trust us, mon étoile. We’ll kick that fucker’s ass.”
This time, Nick chuckled. “I call first dibs.”
Jayden appeared to be watching the entire exchange with interest. “What exactly did the text say?”
I groaned, dropping my forehead to Nick’s chest. Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned my head in time to see Lex handing Jayden my phone.
Jayden scowled, his dark eyes narrowing as he read the message. “That’s fucked up.”
With a frown, I studied Jayden. I had been under the impression he found me an annoyance, so I didn’t really understand the amount of venom in his voice.
Suddenly I realized the sun, which had been shining brilliantly, seemed to have gone into hiding. Clouds took over the sky, gathering rapidly.
“Did anyone else feel that?”
Nick sighed. “Let’s move this inside. It looks like it might start raining any moment.” His voice seemed unnaturally loud.
Lex jerked back from Sam and glanced at the sky, a bigger scowl darkening his features.
Sam ran his fingers through his already dried hair and glanced up as well. “W-watch a m-movie?”
Nick stepped away from me, allowing me to slide to the ground. “Whatever you want, bro. It’s your birthday.”
Sam scrunched his nose. “Th-that was yesterd-day.”
With another snort, Nick grabbed his plate. “Technicalities.”
Biting my lip to hide my smile as the heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach slowly dissipated, I grabbed my own food and followed them inside.
After changing into clothes that weren’t wet, we sat in the living room and gave Sam his gifts. Nick got him a pair of gray sweatpants with Black Panther written down the side and a Lego set that said Harry Potter on the front. By the way Sam smiled and assured Nick he didn’t have that particular set, I wondered if Sam had a lot of Legos.
From Lex, he received a handful of… they called them USB sticks. They were shaped like cute little people and, after seeing my blank look, Nick informed me they were from Harry Potter. CJ gave him the flower he’d shown me earlier, and Sam’s face lit up. “Th-this is awesome, Ceej.”
With a relieved breath, CJ replied, “Glad you like it.”
Jayden winced as he handed Sam a large, unwrapped frame. I had to scoot closer to see that Jayden had drawn a picture of a dragon that took up the entire paper inside the frame.
Sam’s eyes were huge as he took in the entire picture. “Th-this is am-m-mazing.”
Nick leaned over Sam’s shoulder. “Dude, do you take requests? Cause I want an awesome picture.” His fingers traced the lines of one of the scales on the dragon. “This is what I want for my birthday.”
“When is your birthday?” Jayden asked from where he sat on the floor, leaning against the couch.
“Not till January. I’ve got a mind like a steel trap though, so don’t think I’ll forget.”
