“They talk about you,” Mel said. “Not just you personally. But the Rulz. I’ve heard things. Names and all that.”
“I know, love,” I said. “Things have been crazy. Cole made a move. And he went after Pres and…”
Mel shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Then what do you want to talk about?” I asked. “I put my hand to that tree that night, Mel. And you put your hand over mine. And we both knew what that meant.”
“So you just told me you’d keep an eye on me?” Mel asked. “Now what?”
“I told you I would and I did,” I said. “You never wanted me to get you out of there. Now you don’t have to be there. So why stay?”
Mel laughed. “Who said I was staying there?”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” she said. “I want to put my feet in the ocean. Is that okay?”
“I don’t own the thing, Mel. You can do anything you want.”
She plopped her ass down to the sand and wrestled with her shoelaces.
My eyes were addicted to every move she made.
Her pink socks seemed to go along perfectly with her dirty white shoes.
I knew it from day one that me and her together was a disaster in the making.
And now here we were again.
She rolled up the legs of her jeans and got back to her feet.
As she stood in the sand, letting the last little touch of a wave hit her feet, she wiggled her toes.
She looked back at me and smiled. “Will you come too?”
“What?”
“I want to walk out a little bit but…”
“You’re scared,” I said.
“No.”
“You still don’t believe that sharks can get you in six inches of water, do you?”
“It’s true,” she said.
“Not here.”
“Says who?” she asked. “Some big ass great white shark just comes swimming and says. ‘oh, damn, this is Bay Falls High water, I can’t be here’ and just swims away?”
“Actually, yeah,” I said.
“You’re annoying, Barr.”
“I’m annoying?” I asked.
“Whatever,” she said. “I’ll do it myself. I’m used to do everything myself.”
The classic Mel low blow comment.
She stepped forward and I flicked my cigarette as hard as I could away.
Then I untied my favorite leather boots and stepped out of them and peeled my socks off.
So I could join Mel in the ocean.
Because that’s what she wanted me to do.
Because I had gone looking for her and got exactly what I wanted.
Her.
I stepped into the water and walked until the water was just below my knees.
Of course for Mel, when she moved into the water that far, the water was well above her knees.
Getting her jeans wet.
But she didn’t care.
We just stood there, sort of facing each other.
I felt my lips wanting to move with plenty to say.
I saw her lips doing the same.
The cut on her lip on the corner of her mouth…
Who. Fucking. Did. That. To. You. Love?
Mel looked to the ocean.
I did the same.
She inched her way closer to me until she was up against me.
We held hands again.
She put her head on my shoulder.
“We always said we were going to go to the beach, right?” Mel asked.
“Yeah, we did, love,” I said. “We always have a way of making things interesting.”
“Can’t just pack up and go to the beach, right? We have to meet up in the middle of the night. Me with a bloody lip. You with the Rulz. Speeding around turns. Leaving my heart racing. And then suddenly it’s… calm.”
I looked down at her. “I still make your heart race, Mel?”
She sighed and pushed away from me. “Those moves are never ever going to work on me.”
* * *
Pres and Kip were waiting for me as I parked at Kip’s house.
Mel tagged along, staying by my side.
“Glad you’re alive,” Pres said.
“I always knew you cared about me,” I said.
“What were you thinking?” Kip asked. “You took off like that…”
“It was my fault,” Mel said. “I wanted to go see the ocean.”
“Seems like a lot is your fault,” Pres said.
“Hey,” I said, putting my hand to Pres’s chest. “Don’t ever say that again. You want to go down that road? The shit Tinsley put us through? Huh?” I looked at Kip. “Or the shit Ruby put us through?”
“He’s just tired,” Kip said, nodding to Pres. “And he was worried about his little Barr bear.”
Pres rubbed his jaw. “Tinsley is waiting for me. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t end up dead.” He looked at Mel. “Glad you’re safe too. Hope whatever is going on is something that can be taken care of.”
Pres walked to his SUV and he drove away.
“I’ve got Ruby upstairs waiting for me,” Kip said. “Clothing optional.”
“Does she know that?” I asked.
“She will when I rip her clothes off with my teeth,” Kip said.
He then chomped his teeth together.
And then quickly stopped.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Thought I chipped a tooth,” he said. “Shit. Whatever. Um, guesthouse is yours. Well, both of yours. Unless you leave this pretty girl all alone. At which point I’ll have no choice but to invite her into the big house with me. And Ruby.”
“Don’t buy into it,” I said to Mel. “Ruby finds out he just said that and she’ll twist his dick like a clown making a balloon animal.”
“You just called Ruby a clown,” Kip said.
“She is for falling for you.”
“Wait,” he said. “For those balloon animals… the balloons are really big, right? So that means you think I have a really big-”
“This is Kip,” I said to Mel. “I can apologize in advance or you can just learn to tune him out.”
Mel smiled. “I’m not staying here.”
“Why not?” Kip asked.
“My situation,” I said to Kip. I looked at Mel. “Why not, love?”
She looked at me. “I can’t. No way. Us together… and I’m in regular clothes. My jeans are wet from the ocean. I’m gross.”
“Two quick things,” Kip said. “First off, there’s clothes in the guesthouse. Between Tinsley and Ruby I’m sure there’s something you can wear to bed. Unless you sleep naked…”
“Kip,” I said.
“Right. And number two… I think gross is sexy. So if you want to join Ruby and I…”
I made a fist and put it to Kip’s chin.
He looked left to right and grinned. “Have a goodnight. You two crazy kids keep it real.”
Kip backed away and I waited until he was completely gone before looking at Mel again.
“No,” she said.
“I’m not taking you back there.”
She opened her mouth but still.
She sighed.
“This… I don’t want you to get hurt. Or your friends. Or their girlfriends.”
“This isn’t about them,” I said. I touched Mel’s face like I always used to do. “Does anyone know you’re here?”
“No.”
“So there’s nothing to worry about. Tomorrow you can tell me what you want to do and I’ll make it happen.”
“Barr…”
“Let me keep my fucking promise, Mel.”
She nodded. “Fine.”
I walked her to the guesthouse.
There were a ton of clothes on the kitchen counter.
Leave it to Tinsley and Ruby to do this. Trying to pull Mel into our group. Wanting her to be here… for me.
But it was never that easy.
&nbs
p; Mel grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms and an all black hoodie with holes in the wrists for her thumbs.
I waited at the bedroom door for her to change.
She opened the door and stood in her fresh clothes with her hair down.
“Goodnight, Barr,” she said.
“Goodnight, love,” I said.
I touched her face and my thumb touched the cut on the corner of her mouth.
I kept to my word and didn’t ask about it.
She turned her head and kissed my thumb.
I backed away a few steps and Mel slowly grinned.
“What?” I asked.
“You still do…”
“What? Still do what?”
“You still make my heart race, Barr,” she said.
She shut the door.
I touched my chest over my heart and curled my fingers.
I walked out of the guesthouse for one last cigarette.
Pres was with Tinsley. Somewhere.
I looked at Kip’s house and he was with Ruby.
And behind me inside the damn guesthouse Mel was tucking herself into the bed.
My mind went back to an old thought… about the calm before the storm.
I nodded and enjoyed my cigarette.
I knew what needed to be done.
And it was going to cost me everything I owned and loved in my life.
Chapter 7
I opened the bedroom door and saw the figure of Mel as she was still asleep.
I shut the door as quietly as I could.
In the kitchen I stacked up all the clothes Tinsley and Ruby left out for her and carried them to the couch, which had served as my bed last night.
There wasn’t much sleep though.
It was merely naps, with breaks in between for a cigarette.
My mind raced.
My heart raced the same.
Everything pointing right back to Mel.
I opened the front door to the guesthouse to go have another cigarette when I see Tinsley and Ruby standing there.
Ruby wore big sunglasses and looked pissed off at being awake.
Tinsley looked bright and excited.
“Coffee,” she said.
She handed me a cup.
I started to bring it to my mouth and she grabbed my wrist.
“Not for you,” she said. “For Mel. Where is she?”
“Sleeping,” I said.
“Told you,” Ruby said. “Humans are sleeping right now.”
“Be quiet, I’m excited,” Tinsley said.
“Don’t be excited,” I said. “This isn’t some…”
“If I wasn’t excited, I would have to kill Pres,” Tinsley said. “He and Kip bailed on us last night to go help you.”
“Which I told them not to do,” I said. “Remember that.”
“Oh, I heard all about it,” Ruby said.
I looked at her. “Why are you in such a bad mood?”
“I’m tired,” she said. “I want to be sleeping still. But this bitch woke me up.”
“Wait a second,” I said to Tinsley. “You just walked into Kip’s bedroom?”
“I jumped into the bed,” Tinsley said.
“How’d that go?” I asked.
“Kip made a comment about his dream coming true,” Ruby said.
“That’s why you’re pissed,” I said.
“Okay, who cares?” Tinsley said. “I want to meet Mel.”
“Um… good morning…”
I turned and Mel was standing behind me.
I stepped back and opened my mouth but it was too late.
Tinsley rushed into the guesthouse and grabbed the coffee from my hand and gave it to Mel.
“This is-”
“Tinsley,” Tinsley said, cutting me off.
She went in for a hug that caught Mel off guard.
Ruby came next and stuck her hand out. “I’m Ruby. I’m not hugging you right now. I’m tired. You look tired. Tinsley is out of her mind.”
“I’m excited,” Tinsley said. “This is the mysterious Mel. The one who won Barr’s heart over. This is amazing to me.”
“Hey, what happened to your lip?” Ruby asked Mel.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Hey, shut up,” Mel said to me. “I can talk for myself.”
“I like her already,” Tinsley said.
“Thanks for the clothes,” Mel said. “I need to find something else to wear for today. I should have grabbed a bag.”
“If you need a bra, let me know,” Tinsley said. “What’s your bra size?”
“Oh, yes, let’s talk about that now,” Ruby said.
“I’m in!” Kip announced as he walked through the open front door.
“I’m still not talking to you,” Ruby said to Kip.
“Oh, come on,” Kip said as he slipped his arms around Ruby’s waist. “I was kidding.”
“You were hard,” Ruby said.
“Every guy is hard in the morning,” Kip said. “Right, Barr?”
I looked down at myself and shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not talking about what my dick does in the morning.”
“Wow,” Mel said. “Is this how this always is?”
“Always,” I said.
Pres was the last to enter the guesthouse.
He looked miserable.
He looked around and stopped at Mel. “Morning there.”
“Morning there?” Tinsley asked. “What are you trying to be some tough cowboy?”
“No,” Pres said. “In case anyone has forgotten… we were warned about going up there. And what could happen.”
“Meaning you’re worried,” Kip said.
“I don’t worry,” Pres said.
“He’s right,” I cut in. “I warned you guys. But we’re good for now.”
“Because of me,” Mel said. “And that’s why I told Barr to stay away. I have to get out of here then.”
“No you don’t, love,” I said.
“Don’t leave,” Tinsley said.
Mel looked at Tinsley. “Why?”
Tinsley grabbed Ruby’s hand. Then she grabbed Mel’s hand. “Because we’ve all been through it. And whatever that it is, we can relate. I’ve personally dealt with Brooks Crest. I can’t imagine you being there all the time. Unless you want to be there.”
Tinsley’s eyes looked at me for a second, then back to Mel.
Mel being Mel, she sipped her coffee.
When that steel wall went up, you weren’t going through it or over it.
“I just want to go back to sleep,” Ruby said. “I’m sorry. I’m such a bitch right now.”
“Blame me for that,” Kip said with a big grin.
“You make her into a bitch?” Mel asked.
“No. I kept her up all night. Poke. Poke. Poke.”
“You poked her?” Mel asked. “With what? Your boner?”
“Damn straight,” Kip said.
Ruby lifted her hand. “Okay, now this is making me look stupid. Kip, stop talking. Just please stop talking.”
“They’re in love,” Tinsley said to Mel.
“Right,” Mel said.
I could feel Pres staring me down, silently seething.
I got closer to Mel and touched her back. “Why don’t we let everyone wake up or something here… I don’t know. I need to talk to Pres.”
“Coffee on the beach, Mel?” Tinsley offered.
“She can’t turn that down,” I said.
Mel looked at me. “Don’t speak for me, Barr.”
The steel wall was starting to come down a little. There was life in her eyes. There was still dried blood on the corner of her mouth though.
“Yeah, Barr,” Ruby said. “I’m pretty sure she could kick your ass without breaking a sweat.”
“Don’t kiss my ass after being a bitch,” Mel said to Ruby. She looked at Tinsley. “Coffee on the beach sounds nice.”
“It’s a date,” Tinsley said.
“Nice,” Kip said.
Ruby turned
and punched Kip in the arm. “Asshole.”
“What?” Kip said. “I’m keeping it in the family.”
“What?” Mel asked. “That sounds even worse.”
I leaned toward Mel. “Don’t mind him. He can’t help it. It’s a mental thing.”
“No,” Ruby said. “He thinks with the wrong head all the time.”
“I think with my biggest one,” Kip said.
All three girls let out a collective sigh of disgust, which was music to Kip’s ears.
I watched Mel leave the guesthouse and it made me very uneasy.
I didn’t want her gone. I didn’t want her at a distance.
Because everything Pres was thinking as he stood there in silence was right.
BFH and the Rulz were getting into some serious trouble.
* * *
I smoked a cigarette while Pres stared at the pool and Kip stared toward the beach.
We were all thinking something completely different.
But we were all on the same page.
Protecting the girls we loved.
The women we loved.
“I couldn’t leave her there like that,” I said.
“I know,” Pres said.
“I wouldn’t have,” Kip said. “Mel is hot as hell, Barr.”
“You think everyone is hot,” Pres said.
“There are levels of hotness,” Kip said.
“We can talk about that some other time,” I said.
“Agreed,” Pres said. “I’m trying to think this one out, Barr. Where it goes. Tinsley settled herself into BFH. Ruby is bouncing between here and her grandmother’s. Everything is quiet enough on her end. But this… I don’t know much about you and Mel together. You’ve never opened up to us about it. I’ve got bits and pieces. And a lot of assumptions.”
“Assume all you want, Pres,” I said. “I know the truth.”
“Just like before you got sent to BC,” Kip said.
I pointed at Kip. “You don’t know anything about that either. I came back from BC and this place was in bad shape.”
“We don’t need a history lesson,” Pres said. “Bad enough we’ve got East vs. West burning again.”
“Want to hear something about Uly?” Kip asked.
“No,” I said. “I really don’t care about him. Or the others.”
“I’m just going to say it like it is,” Pres said. “And I’m not going to step away either, Barr. You’re going to want to put your cigarette down to make sure you can hit me.”
BARR: a bay falls high novel Page 6
