"I needed to get your attention somehow. I didn't expect you to get so angry. You were like a fourth of July firecracker going off!"
"Because you ruined my book!"
"Yeah, but I got you a new one."
He did. Two days later, he came over apologizing and handed me a new copy of my book. Then asked if I wanted to have a turn on his jet ski. I was torn. I wanted to hate him but had always wanted to ride a jet ski, it looked like so much fun. The jet ski won out, and from that day on, we spent everyday together. Not always on the jet ski, some days we'd take out the paddle boards or the kayaks, a few times we even went for a hike. His nickname for me started that summer too.
"It was a good summer." He muses, lost in the same memories.
"The best yet." I agree.
"Do you remember your last night here?" he warily asks, not looking at me. I freeze, and my heart pounds rapidly.
I remember it, I could never forget it. I had also until recently been unable to admit it, but it was also the night that changed my heart forever.
Chapter 22
I don't answer for a long time, lost in the memory.
The memory of the last time I was on this pier. His parents and my dad had become friends, so that night we all had a 'last supper' as they were calling it, together outside on the big deck. The parents were getting tipsy on the red wine and pulling out the embarrassing 'I remember when' stories, so Nick suggested we go down to the pier.
The pier had sort of become our place. We'd sit here most days, and most nights we would sneak out and lay on our backs watching the stars. Sometimes talking, sometimes not. I told him things I've never told anyone that summer.
That last night, we were doing what we always would, lie back looking up at the stars when I suddenly felt him interlock his warm fingers with mine. It wasn't the first time we had touched. There had been a few hand grazes and arms around each other on the jet ski, etc. that kind of thing, but this was different. It felt different, and I felt different.
I knew it was wrong, so wrong, but it also felt so very right. Somehow like the entire world had tilted and come back into alignment. Looking back now, I know I instantly felt something for him, but all month I had tried to fight it.
I fought the lust I felt when his hair would fall forward onto his face. I fought the butterflies when he smiled his megawatt smile at me. I fought the way my skin would tingle when we brushed up against each other, and I fought the urge to stare at his gorgeous abs whenever he didn't have a shirt on.
But when he held my hand, I didn't want to fight it anymore, and so I didn't. Mason and the guilt seemed to just slide away. We stayed there for a while, just holding hands, and it was amazing. I remember hoping he couldn't hear my heart pounding in my chest because it felt like it would leap straight out and do a little dance.
"Lee?" he had eventually whispered.
When I turned to face him, I saw he was already staring at me. I could feel my cheeks turning red under his gaze, but I didn't care, and I didn't turn away as he leaned forward and kissed me.
Soft, gentle and the most perfect first kiss ever. I can recall the exact feeling, like it was yesterday. My stomach exploding with a million butterflies and thinking it was the most amazing moment of my life. I felt so alive. Even in that moment I knew it would forever be the kiss I would compare all past and future ones to.
Coming back from my memory I finally answer him in barely a whisper, "Yes, I remember." Before turning to catch his gorgeous brown eyes, already staring intently at me, just like that summer night.
Without warning, his lips are suddenly on mine, and we recreate our first kiss. I can feel my heart expanding and then breaking within seconds.
I can't do this. I can't go through this again. It took me months to heal from it last time. I won't let it break me again. I've lost too much already. We only just became friends again. I just can't.
"I'm sorry." I whisper as I break away with an aching conflicted heart.
The very look he gives at that moment almost breaks me on its own.
"I can't.... we can't..." I trail off, before jumping up to run back down the pier, because that's what I do. I run away, it seems. When the going gets tough, Hailee gets going.
He catches me quickly when I'm only half-way down the pier and grabs my arm gently but firmly.
"Lee, what the hell!" he demands, waving his arms, gesturing to where we were lying only a minute ago.
"I can't Nick. I'm sorry, I- I just don't feel the same." I pull away from his grip and turn away, attempting to hide my true feelings.
"That's bullshit! I know you felt everything I just felt back there! Why are you fighting this?"
"I'm not fighting anything!" I retort, trying to hold the tears at bay.
"Stop lying to me and stop lying to yourself!" he yells before his face softens. "Just talk to me."
"I-I'm not. Just forget it, Nick. Forget it all!"
"Give me one good reason and I'll walk away right now," he demands making me sweat under his intense and pleading stare.
I thought I loved you and then you started dating my best friend.
"Because…Because I can't handle you breaking my heart again!" I scream at him just as the rain thunders down, drenching us in seconds.
I can't believe I just admitted that, fuck. He looks stunned, and a little taken back by my confession. But it's too late now. It's out there, already floating above us in the atmosphere. Swirling around in a thick fog of instant regrets and what nows.
"You can't put that on me!" He suddenly whips back. "You're not the one who spent weeks thinking about when I'd see you again! About how I would surprise you at school with a grand gesture just like those books you love. I had it all pictured in my head. I'd walk into school and you'd be so happy that you'd run and jump into arms. But you know what I got instead? I walked straight into you making out with some other guy!”
Fuck! I feel like someone just sliced a hot poker straight through my heart and then started twisting, just for the hell of it. He's one hundred percent right though. I was with Mason.
After the lake house, I had tried to fight and squash down everything that had ignited inside of me that summer. In an effort to clear my guilt, I had even confessed to Mason that I kissed someone else. In true Mason form, he forgave me instantly and insisted we move forward and forget about it. I was trying, but then when Nick turned up at my school, it became that much harder.
"Well, I didn't know you were moving here!" I yell, but I have no solid argument.
I was in the wrong. Utterly and completely in the wrong.
"And I didn't know, you had a boyfriend," he utters with unusual bitterness, causing my tough girl facade to shatter to pieces.
"I'm sorry." I whisper, my head falling into my hands. "I know it's no excuse, but you have to understand the position I was in. I had known Mason for two years, and we had been together for half of that time. I had only known you for a month and thought I'd never see you again. I tried to fight everything I felt that summer, but when you kissed me, it became near impossible. Then when you appeared at school, I felt like my perfectly constructed world was crumbling around me and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. It took me a few weeks, but I finally realized and accepted what I needed to do – I was going to end it with Mason."
"You were going to break up with him?" He whips back around to face me stunned. "For me?"
I nod.
But…" His brows knit together and his mouth forms a straight line. "What happened?"
"It was the Friday of the first game." I explain, no longer able to contain the silent tears from sliding down my face.
"I was on my way to find Mason to break it off. I felt bad doing it before the first game of the season, but I couldn't hold it in anymore and he deserved better than that. Then Hope came up to me, squealing with excitement. She was telling me about how the cute new guy had just asked her out on a date. I couldn't believe it, I felt so stupid for thinking y
ou could feel the same and that I would break up with Mason for some stupid unrequited summer crush.”
"Oh, Lee, it wasn't unrequited. I felt the same.”
He grabs my hands, interlocking our fingers making my heart stop.
“I still feel the same."
Chapter 23
His genuine warm eyes bore into mine and I can feel all of my insecurities about him and me and us wash away with the rain, hammering down around us.
I don't look away, which he takes as an invitation, and his lips crash softly onto mine. Our first kiss was incredible, but this. This is all sorts of amazing.
He lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his hips. Our lips never breaking apart. My whole body is on fire, my heart is full, and I have an intense desire to be as close to him as possible.
Longing to let the fire consume me and melt into him, I pull myself in even tighter to his chest and drive my hands through his hair while he holds me firmly.
We eventually break apart only to catch our breath and Nick rests his forehead against mine, breathing heavily.
"Fuck," he mumbles.
"Yeah." Is all I manage, it's enough.
More than enough. Thunder cracks above us, reminding us of the crazy storm whipping around us.
"We should probably go inside." I suggest laughing as I slide down to my feet.
He grabs my hand and we run up the pier to the house, both laughing as we go.
"Hurry up, I'm freezing." I call from just inside the door.
I can feel the chill now that I'm not pressed up against his warm insanely good body. He appears seconds later from the laundry and wraps a towel around me pulling me in for another epic all-consuming kiss.
With the worst timing in history his phone rings from the kitchen bench, interrupting the perfect moment.
"It's my mom. I better get it. Hey, Mom. No, I haven't left. Really? All right. Yeah, let me know. Thanks"
"What's wrong?" I walk over to him noticing his concerned face.
“Mom just got an emergency notification, from the county emergency services. The main road is blocked. There's a massive tree down and they aren't sure how long it will take to clear it.”
"Oh, is that all." I sigh, pulling myself up to sit on the kitchen bench
"You're all right with maybe being stuck here for the night?" He says with a devious smile crossing his face.
I shrug, "Yeah, I mean there are worse places to be stuck than a gorgeous lake house. Lucky, it's a teacher's day tomorrow and we don't have school. But don't get any ideas, QB!" I point a wagging finger at him.
"Never!" He puts his hands up in defense. "Should I make us something to eat then? I assume we'll probably have a gourmet selection of cup-a-noodle or packet mac ‘n’ cheese?" he laughs, opening the pantry to inspect the contents.
"Mac ‘n’ cheese without a doubt." I answer matter-of-factly nodding.
"My thoughts exactly." He returns my grin before stepping between my legs and resting his hands on my thighs.
With the bench height, we are now face to face and this time I lean forward and just before our lips touch; I turn away with a smile.
"Actually, do you have any spare clothes here? I wouldn't mind changing out of these wet ones." I tease wondering if he will catch the double meaning.
Who am I right now!
"Jesus Munroe, you're killing me." He moans, resting his head on my chest causing me to try but fail in suppressing a girly giggle.
Hey, he started it in the car earlier.
"Come on, I have some upstairs.” he eventually huffs and steps back so I can jump off the bench.
I follow up the narrow timber staircase to this room. Looking around, I notice it's also still the same as last summer. A simple black chest of drawers against one wall and on the opposite wall, a double bed covered by a plain gunmetal gray comforter.
I lean against the doorframe, watching while he sifts through his drawers for something suitable. Too soon for my liking, he hands me a plain black shirt that looks massive and some running shorts with a drawstring.
"Thanks." I smile and head into the bathroom connected to his room.
It's modern with a large double rain shower that has black chevron tiles covering the walls. I take off my wet shorts and peel off my tights before hanging them over the towel rack. I don't want to put them in the dryer, but hopefully, they'll dry if I put them in front of the fire downstairs.
Turning around to wiggle out of Nick's jersey, I notice I haven't closed the door properly to the bathroom. Walking over to close it fully I can't help but glance through the opening. I pause, grounded in my spot, staring like a deer in headlights as Nick takes his shirt off and is standing there, with his back to me, wearing only his black Calvin Klein boxers.
Wow, I mouth to myself. I am so done.
Naturally, at that moment, Nick senses me staring and spins around to catch me with my eyes wide and jaw still on the floor. His eyes turn dark and I don't miss the very obvious track down to my exposed legs which are peeping out from under his jersey.
Dead. I must be dead right now.
His eyes travel back up to meet mine and with all the confidence I can muster, I step out of the bathroom walking slowly towards him, still holding his now serious lust-filled gaze. I pull his jersey off over my head and let it drop to the floor. It's only when I'm standing in front of him and place my hands on his chest, that I notice the heavy rise and fall of his chest and I feel the rapid racing of his heart under my right hand.
"You are so beautiful," he whispers trailing his fingers down my arms before they come to rest on my hips. "So, fucking beautiful," he says before pulling me against him and kissing me with more passion than I've ever thought possible.
"Nooo." Nick groans and wraps his arms around me pulling me back into his chest. "You're not going anywhere.”
I'm tucked in under his arm facing his chest. I trail my fingers across his tattoo. It's a gorgeous black shaded rose with rosary beads intertwined and smaller rosebuds of varying bloom down the stem. Tiny roman numbers are barely visual inside one of the main rose petals.
“Hmmm Lee, you're cruel." He moans as he slowly opens his eyes, releasing his grip around me slightly so I can look up at him.
"Morning, gorgeous. How lucky am I right now?" He muses. A big cheesy grin crosses my face.
I think I'm the lucky one. Sitting up slightly, I lean in like I will kiss him managing to slip out of his grip and out of the bed to race to the bathroom. A total mood killer I know, but so is morning breath.
"You better get back here right now, Munroe!" He booms with amusement in his voice.
I find Nick's discarded shirt from last night and slip it on before walking back out to the bedroom. He is sitting against the headboard, the sheets just covering his hips while frowning at something on his phone. I lean against the door frame for a couple seconds, admiring the view until he spots me and throws his phone down on the bed.
"Lee, get over here!" He demands with attempted authority.
"Over there?" I innocently say, pointing to the bed.
"Yes, over here!"
“Hmm, I don't know" I tease, backing up out of the room.
"Oh, no you don't." He jumps out of the bed and chases me down the stairs as I squeal running away from him. "You can run, but you can't hide Munroe!"
I know I have no hope, but I still try. I run around the kitchen bench before he corners me at the couch. I try to fake left, but he sees right through it and wraps his arms around me, lightly throwing me down on the large comfortable couch. He is pinning me down while I squirm, but we are both laughing.
"You will pay for that." He declares with a sparkle in his eyes.
I suck in a quick breath.
"Promise?" I whisper before sliding my arms around his neck.
We are stirred awake by a loud noise coming from outside and then a car door slamming shut.
"Nick, it's me! Where are you?" A woman’s voice I don’t recognise call
s out.
"Shit! That's my mom!" He reveals, eyes wide with panic.
"Crap!"
I jump out from my cozy spot nestled against his chest on the couch and run for the stairs. I make it to the stairs, just as I hear her walk into the living room. Lucky the stairs aren't open otherwise, I would have been so busted. I quickly tiptoe up the stairs and into the bathroom to get dressed.
I hear Nick and his mom talking, but it's muffled, and I can't make the words out. Dammit, I stare at my still wet clothes. We got a little distracted last night, and I completely forgot to put them in front of the fire. I slip the shorts on Nick gave me last night and sit down on the bed. Should I go back down or stay here? It's not like Mrs. Marshall is a stranger, but I also haven't seen her in a long time, and I'm not sure walking downstairs in her son's clothes will make a great impression.
Still torn, I sneak back over to the top of the stairs and strain my ears to hear what is going on, but there's nothing. It's dead silent. A couple seconds later, I hear a car start and the front door slam shut.
"She's gone!" Nick calls out and comes running up the stairs.
“Well, that could have been really embarrassing." I sigh, sinking back to the bed.
"What was she doing here?" "I missed a bunch of calls from her last night and this morning. She got worried something had happened, so she drove up to check."
"What did you tell her?" I question, suddenly nervous.
"That I had a hot chick here and that nothing else mattered.” He winks cheekily at me.
"You did not!" I cry out, throwing a pillow at him that he effortlessly catches before lying on his side next to me on the bed.
"No, I didn't. Even though it was the truth." He smoothly answers before pulling me in for a sweet, gentle kiss that does nothing for my already melting heart.
"We do need to go soon though, I have an extra practice this afternoon for Homecoming next week."
Just a Little Complicated: A Highschool Sports Romance (SANCTUARY COVE Book 1) Page 10
