“Nova!” Kailey yelled. “Go Nova!”
“That’s my girl,” Britt said.
I moved away from Flynn and he stayed in the sand like a smart guy.
Nova hurried to her feet and Charlotte propped herself up on her elbows and just stared.
“Flynn started it,” Nova said to Charlotte. “Don’t even try to go after Elijah again. And that goes for anyone here.” Now Nova was looking at everyone. “I don’t give a shit what any of you think of him.”
“Okay, babe,” I said, slipping my hands around Nova’s waist. “We’re good here. Thanks for defending my honor. We better go. Before I have to fight everyone here.”
“Then do it,” Nova said. “If that’s what they want. Then do it.”
I looked at Wes and raised my eyebrow. Then I looked at Aira.
Dweedle Dumb and Fuck finally decided to join the frame for a second.
“Nobody wants to fight anyone, Nova,” Aira said. “We’re… we’re happy for you. You and Elijah…”
“Hey,” Wes said. “Flynn’s an asshole anyway, right? You didn’t see any of us come to his defense.”
I pulled Nova closer to me. “See, babe? It’s good.”
“It’s not good,” Nova said. “You all hate each other.”
“Hate is a strong word,” Wes said. “I don’t like this prick but I don’t think I can go as far as to hate him. After all, it’s your judgement, Nova. And if you love Aira and you love Elijah…”
“Not that I want to be lumped together with Elijah, but Wes is right,” Aira said.
“There we go then,” I said. “Now we can all hug each other and kiss goodbye.”
“Yeah right,” Nova said. “I’d love to see you kiss Wes.”
What the fuck was I supposed to do?
I moved as fast as I could. I knew what was at stake here.
And Wes never saw it coming.
My hands grabbed his face and I slammed my lips to his grubby cheek and kissed as loud as I could.
A wet smack to his cheek and I walked away, knowing it was dangerous to turn my back on Weslee Jackson.
There was a collection of ooohhh’s and laughs.
I left it at that and just kept going, waiting for Nova to catch up to me.
She did.
Only because I purposely slowed, knowing her full speed was at half speed thanks to whatever she had been drinking.
She grabbed my arm, laughing. “You’re fucking insane, Elijah. What you just did…”
“Got you to smile, babe,” I said.
“Yeah…”
“Nova… I will always do whatever it takes to make you smile and make you happy.”
* * *
We still played the sneaking around game at Cherry’s just out of respect for her. I wasn’t sure if that was actually respecting her or not, but it was still fun to come up with a plan for Nova to sneak inside and do her best to act sober as she went to her bedroom.
I, of course, had mastered how to get into Cherry’s house through the window. Not just because of Nova but I had come and gone from that window when I lived in that bedroom myself. It did make me wonder if Cherry knew all along that I was leaving and coming back. But tonight wasn’t the night to ask.
I pushed the curtains out of the way and put my feet on the floor just as Nova shut the door and gently turned the lock.
It was like the world had been lifted off of my shoulders somehow. Like we were right back where we started and where we were meant to be. Yeah some things had changed a little (more than a little) but it was still about Nova and I figuring this thing out.
We didn’t do some cliché slow walk toward each other either.
Which was good.
I wasn’t in the mood for anything slow.
Not with her eyes flirting with me all night. Or the feel of her body lingering on my fingertips. Or the echoing sounds of her voice in my mind as I took her down the beach, behind those giant rocks.
She jumped into my arms and I held her tight as our lips came together and quickly started to battle for control. It was a battle Nova stood no chance in winning. I felt like I had waited another year to get to her again. Just like all those years after our summers together. Except this time I had to see her over and over.
My hands grabbed the bottom of her hoodie - my hoodie - and I wasted no time in making sure the night was going to end the way we both wanted all along.
Nova put her feet on the floor and I quickly threw the hoodie to the floor. She grabbed my t-shirt and curled her lip like she was pissed that I decided to wear clothes today.
My hands eased up to her face and I held her for a few seconds. “You’re drunk, babe.”
“Who cares?”
“I do.”
“I don’t. I’m getting what I want right now, Elijah. One way or another.”
I gritted my teeth. Her hands pulled at the bottom of my shirt, wanting it off.
Nova took my shirt off and we collided together again, my body against hers. Our hands cut between each other, moving in a fluttering fury for the button on each other’s pants. Until I finally pushed her hands away and swept my hands to the back of her legs and guided her down to the bed.
She was mine.
All fucking mine.
My lips carefully moved along her skin, starting at her neck and inching their way down.
Nova shuddered at my touch, melting into the bed, her hands slowly strengthened their grip on the sheets. My hands touched where my lips weren’t. Making sure she was completely engulfed in my touch. She lifted her hips off the bed so I could slide the rest of her clothes off, leaving everything in a neat yet messy pile on the floor next to the bed.
As I climbed up the bed, completely ready myself for her, Nova moved her hands to my back, digging her fingers into my muscles.
I grabbed one of the blankets to cover us as I stared down into her eyes.
“Holy shit, babe, you’ll never know how much I love you,” I whispered.
“I know, Elijah,” Nova said. “I’ve always known. I’ve never doubted it.”
I lowered my lips to hers as I lowered my body to hers.
The moment was nothing we had ever experienced before. Shades of that first time but with the wild feelings of right now. The way she felt. The way she moved. The way my right hand balled up tight around a pillow, telling myself this was too good to be actually happening like this. Each second delicately laced with the notion that at any second this could all go away.
And that was it.
That was the moment and the feeling.
Actually realizing that I could lose Nova for good. For forever. Not just kiss her goodbye at the end of a long, steamy summer. But actually not even get a kiss goodbye and never have her again. Even if I had to see her again.
That filled me with something but I couldn’t figure out what it was.
I held Nova like I had never done before.
We kissed like the world was coming to an end in an hour.
My left hand traced lines up and down her body, wanting to make sure I’d never forget her… just in case something happened.
And in the wild mix of all the good feelings there was a sense of sadness.
A sadness that I never saw in her eyes.
I stared at her as her nails scratched at my back as she crashed hard like the waves to the shore. That rushing feeling that left me no choice but to join her. I kissed her once and then stopped, wanting to taste her breath and all the little sounds she made as I lost my own edge.
Her left hand stayed at my back. Her right hand moved up to my hair.
My right hand was still in a fist, my left hand inching toward her face.
Touching her cheek, tracing her bottom lip.
I wanted the moment to stay just like this for forever.
But then Nova bit her bottom lip.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
“I had too much to drink, Elijah,” she whispered.
I started to
move away from her. “Does that mean…”
“No,” she said. She grabbed for the top cover and moved from the bed. “I love you, Elijah.” She wrapped the blanket around her body.
“So what’s wrong?” I asked.
“I think I’m going to puke.”
* * *
Nova had the bathroom locked.
I gently knocked on the door. “Babe… are you okay?”
There was no response.
I twisted the doorknob again as though it were going to magically be unlocked.
“Nova,” I said. “I’ll kick the door down if I have to.”
A few seconds later I hear the lock open.
The door opened and Nova was on the floor, wrapped up in the blanket, staring up at me.
I smiled at her. “You’re not the first one to get sick after sleeping with me, babe.”
“Fuck off,” she groaned. “I didn’t throw up.”
“That’s good. Maybe.” I crouched down and ran my fingers through Nova’s hair. “You okay, babe?”
“I don’t know,” she said. She looked at me. “I ruined our night.”
“Not even close,” I said. “And honestly, if we’re keeping score on who ruins the most nights, you sort of owed me one after all I’ve done.”
“Good point,” she said.
She slid across the floor and put her back against the shower door.
I stared at her with temptation eating me alive. Knowing that she was wearing nothing under that blanket. Knowing that what was under that blanket had just been under me.
I stood up and walked into the bathroom and sat next to her.
“We could be in bed, Elijah,” she said.
“Bathroom is fine,” I said. “At least it doesn’t smell like puke.”
“Funny.”
“Truth.”
Nova looked at me. “Truth…”
“What?”
“You really didn’t know?”
“Know what, babe?”
“Cecily.”
I shut my eyes for a second. Fuck.
I reached across my body and my fingertips touched Nova’s cheek. “No, babe. I didn’t know. No clue. And I got the story about it all too.”
“I want to hear.”
“Why?”
“Because I do. It matters to me.”
I nodded. “Right. Of course it does. Rory and her parents never saw eye to eye on the pregnancy. She agreed to give Cecily up for adoption. But then changed her mind. That’s why I never knew anything. It sounds like a giant fucking mess, which seems fitting for my life.”
Nova shook her head. “I want to hate so much about it all, Elijah. I want to get really angry and do something. But I can’t.”
“We can go bust up some windows.”
“Shut up,” she said, elbowing me. “I’m serious.”
“I know, Nova. And if I knew what to do I would do it. But what I told you before I meant. There is nothing there for Rory and me. Other than Cecily.”
“You never loved her?”
“Nova…”
“What?”
“What about your surfer guy?” I asked. “Huh? Want me to poke at you about that? How many times did you sleep with him? Did you love him? Do I want to know what happened the day I saw you and him sharing a surfboard?”
“Elijah. I didn’t have a baby with Dex.”
That cut my heart pretty hard.
I opened my mouth to respond but there was no good response to that.
I nodded. “Okay. You win then. You get everything about me then. I told you who Rory was to me. We knew exactly what we were doing and why. She knew all about you. And I loved her in a different way than what was normal. I loved her for being the distraction I needed. I loved her for being the opposite to you. If I never saw her again for the rest of my life I wouldn’t think twice about her. But… if I never saw you again, Nova…” I shook my head. “Fuck. I would be empty. And maybe I’d find someone else and fall in love and all that bullshit, but I would forever be empty. Because it’s always been about you. No matter the time. No matter the mess. Maybe you can find a way to hate me for good and this will all be a memory. Or maybe…” I reached for her hand. “Maybe it’ll still be a memory but we can be together and laugh about it.”
“You really swear on it all, Elijah?” Nova asked.
She made me smile. Her voice had almost that same innocent tone as it did when I first met her. No matter how many times I told her she was pretty or that I was falling for her, she second guessed it.
“I swear on my life,” I whispered.
I leaned toward Nova and we met halfway for a kiss.
“I don’t want to fall asleep in the bathroom,” Nova said.
“Then let’s get you to bed.”
“I wish you could stay the night.”
“Soon,” I whispered. “One thing at a time here, babe.”
I helped Nova to her feet and I helped her trade the cold bathroom floor for her comfy warm bed. I gently took the blanket off her body, leaving me gritting my teeth as all those wild intentions came back to me. I helped her put her hoodie (my hoodie) back on.
Then she was in bed.
And her eyes were fast to close.
I watched for her a minute or two, nodding, knowing what the future had to look like. No more shaking hands with fate. It was time to meet fate head on and point where things needed to be.
I kissed Nova goodnight and she didn’t move an inch.
I had to keep to my word and go back to Cecily. Not Rory.
After sneaking out the window and walking along the stone path of Cherry’s house without her rushing after me, I got into my car and drove away. It really wasn’t even that late. Which made me feel like Nova and I had some time we didn’t take advantage of. But that was okay.
We were going to have the rest of our lives.
* * *
The lights behind me came out of nowhere.
They turned on and exploded with so much brightness, I ducked down a little and tried to cover my eyes. I couldn’t even look in the mirror the lights were so bright.
I was too far on a back road to hurry up and pull over. Even though my hands were gripped to the wheel tight.
Of course my mind started to flip through the pages of those who hated me.
And that was a pretty damn big book.
The lights got closer and closer to the back of my car.
If I sped up, they sped up.
If I slowed down, they slowed down.
So it was more than obvious that someone was following me.
I thought about pulling a daring move and cutting the wheel to the left and turning around. Taking off. Seeing what happened then.
I just needed a little more space in the road.
My foot pressed the gas pedal harder.
My speed increased and I turned on my high beam lights, looking for a spot where I could make my move. There was a small curve up ahead and I knew that was going to be my only shot. If I turned fast enough, maybe the asshole following me would lose control and I could figure out who was doing this.
Before I could get to the curve, the lights behind me were the lights next to me.
It looked like the same large vehicle that had done this to me once before.
Except this time…
The passenger window went down and something came smashing against the driver’s side window of my car. It hit with an explosion of glass. I turned my body to avoid the glass and my car lost control. I felt a sharp pain against the left side of my head as I moved the wheel left to right, right to left.
I kept the car from actually crashing.
The other vehicle took off.
There was glass all around me.
And a brick in my lap.
A fucking brick.
With a piece of paper attached to it.
And the words were very clear.
YOURE NEXT
I studied the note a hundred times befor
e throwing the brick out the broken window and the note to the passenger seat.
I didn’t need to question who it was or why.
This was tied to Ryland. And I was tied to it. My brother was gone but his sins were still alive and well. And I had a family to take care of now. A baby. A daughter. And whether I liked it or not, I had to make sure Rory was safe from this too.
But most of all… Nova.
She had been through enough.
I drove back to the house and knew I’d have to have one hell of a story for my father about the car window. Or just tell him the damn truth. Because the silence surrounding Ryland’s death was something my father was part of.
I shoved all of that to the back of my head and I hurried to my bedroom.
It was quiet, dark, and empty.
I needed to see Cecily.
I carefully snuck into the bedroom and saw the crib. And I saw the little outline of her body. She was sleeping peacefully.
I walked across the room and Rory was sleeping in her bed.
I grabbed the baby monitor, I wanted it with me. Even if Cecily cried, Rory would get up. But I wanted to be able to see the baby.
Rory slowly turned, moving to her back. She let out a purring sound in her sleep. Her black hair was across her face. The blankets halfway down her body. Rory being Rory, what she wore to bed didn’t cover much up. One of her breasts was almost completely out of her top.
I covered her up and moved the hair out of her face.
I wanted her to be safe and be happy. And never regret anything that had happened in her life or between us. But she needed to do it alone.
“Elijah,” she whispered and she gently touched my arm.
Her eyes fluttered open.
I shook my head. “Go to sleep, Rory.”
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m taking the baby monitor. Close your eyes.”
“I need you to know something,” she whispered.
“What?”
“I always loved you,” she whispered. “I knew you never loved me. But I really loved you. I still do, Elijah…”
I put my fingers to her lips. “Sleep, Rory.”
Rory kissed my fingers and I moved away fast.
She let out a long breath and licked her lips.
HIDDEN CREEK CRY: a hidden creek high noval Page 19
