“You too,” I smile, not giving a damn about pissing dad off and drawing Noah right in for a showstopping smooch.
Dad clears his throat while Noah smiles against my lips and it’s not until dad grabs hold of Noah and pulls him away from me that our kiss is finally broken. “Knock it off, Henley,” dad scolds. “I know it’s your big day and all, but I have no issue handing you your ass in front of all your classmates.”
I sling my arm over my father’s shoulder and give him a smile I know he can’t resist. "You wouldn’t do that to your little, baby girl, would you?”
“Damn right, I would. You’re not a little girl anymore. Aria’s the new baby girl of the family. You’re a grown-ass woman and you know better than to mess with me. Where do you think you get your fiery attitude from?”
Damn it. He wasn’t joking around.
“Geez, I think today is the best day of my life,” Tully says. “Graduating and getting to see Henley being put in her place by her old man all on the same day. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
“Ha. Ha,” I grumble, dropping my arm off dad’s shoulder, only to make him stand a little taller knowing he still has the power to put me in my place. Though, something tells me that’s something that will never change.
I see a particular blonde cut through my vision and I turn to Noah, squeezing his hand. "I’ll be right back,” I tell him. “There’s something I need to do.”
Noah’s brows draw down as he watches me, trying to figure out what the hell is going on, but eventually nods and releases my hand.
I break off into the crowd, trying to work out where the girl went when I find her standing amongst a crowd of preppy cheerleaders. “Candice,” I say, calling her out.
Candice looks back over her shoulder just as the rest of the cheerleaders do and her eyes instantly go wide before a wariness settles over her. She turns to the girl beside her. “I’ll be right back,” she says, knowing the cheerleaders would most likely follow along had she not said anything.
She steps away from the group and I indicate with a nod of my head for her to follow me somewhere private. We walk down into the girls’ locker room and it doesn’t go unnoticed that this is the place where it all started on that very first day when I stole her black tank out of her locker.
I try to forget about it. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have done that, but I was desperate and it’s not like I knew whose locker I was breaking into or what kind of drama would unfold because of it.
I spin around the locker room, taking it all in for the last time before turning back to face Candice. “What’s up?” she questions warily. “I’m not in the mood for one last showdown. It’s graduation and I just want to get out of here unscathed. Besides, I haven’t done anything to you.”
“I never said you did anything to me, I wanted to give you this back,” I tell her, digging into the pocket of my jeans beneath my graduation gown and pulling out the photo of her and Monica. Her eyes go wide and she greedily takes it from my hand. “I promised you that if you stuck to your side of the bargain, I’d give you this back after graduation.”
“Oh, thank fuck,” she cries in relief. “You have no idea how fucking daunting it is knowing someone has a photo like this of you.”
“I bet it felt something a little like someone having a video of the shit getting beaten out of you.”
Candice cringes and I see the regret heavy in her eyes. “Did I ever apologize for that?”
I think back but I’m drawing a blank. “To be honest, I have no fucking idea. I’ve put it all behind me and I’ve had so much going on that I haven’t even thought about it in months. So really, who cares if you did or didn’t? I just want to forget about it.”
“Ok, well, for what it’s worth, I am sorry. I didn’t intend to start senior year like that. It just sort of happened and I really wish I was a better person and could say that it never happened, but it did and that’s something I have to live with the rest of my life.”
I shrug my shoulders, not wanting to revisit the topic. "We’ve all done some really shitty things this year,” I admit. “But it’s over and now we get to start over and fuck it all up again.”
“Not all of us get a chance to start over,” she tells me. “You’re one of the only seniors who made it into a good college. The rest of us are just fucking around, hoping we can find a good enough job to pay the bills. We all peaked already, but you have so much more to give.”
“At least I hope so,” I say, feeling a strange connection between the two of us. I mean, what the hell is happening here? We’re not friends, yet here we are talking about our lives and moving on in the world. At the prom, it was Monica and now Candice. What’s next? I’ll be knocking at Anton’s door asking if he’d like to go see a movie? What the fuck is wrong with me? Maybe I’m just searching for drama now that it all seems to have faded away.
Candice steps back from me with a tight smile. “Well, umm…thanks for this,” she says, holding up the picture. “You didn’t show anyone, did you?”
“God no,” I say taken back. “Who do you think I am? Flashing it around to everyone I walk past is more your style, not mine. I might be a bitch at times, but I know a thing or two about respecting another person’s privacy.”
Candice cringes once again and we both know I’m right. Had the tables been turned, that picture would have been copied a million times and stuck up on every available surface in Haven Falls. Hell, she probably would have sent a few to Broken Hill too.
With that, she walks over to her locker and puts in the combination for her lock before opening the door wide and tearing it apart. She emerges a moment later with a lighter and instantly lights up the picture so it will never see the light of day again.
I leave her to it and get my ass out of the locker room. After all, it’s graduation and I’m supposed to be celebrating.
I get back to find Aiden and Spencer have joined our group while Dad talks animatedly with Mr. Carver about the science program at Broken Hill University. I have to laugh at how smitten he appears with the teacher. Dad is going to have to take back his comments about the teachers at this school not giving a damn about the students’ education. After all, without Mr. Carver, I never would have even considered applying for that scholarship.
I owe that guy everything and I’m hoping that one day the other teachers here can take a page out of his book and pull their shit together, because dad is right, my little sister will be attending here one day and I want the best for her. Hell not just for her but for the whole next generation of students who come through Haven Falls Private.
The idea that kids from here can’t go anywhere in life is ridiculous and if we only had a few more good teachers helping to mold us into great students who want to learn, Haven Falls might just be able to break free of that stereotype.
“You all good?” Noah murmurs, wrapping his arm around my waist and drawing me into his side as I return to our group.
“Yeah, just had some old issues to put to rest.”
“With Candice?” he questions warily, making it clear that he was watching me earlier.
“Yep.”
“Alright.”
Aria groans when her feet start getting sore from standing around, so Noah plucks her off the ground, raising her high into the sky so she can sit upon his shoulders. I can’t help but laugh, but it’s interrupted by Tully who barges into me and throws her arm over my shoulder with her phone hovering in front of us. “Selfie,” she declares, giving me only a slight chance to make myself presentable before she starts taking hundreds of pics.
She pulls her phone back in and instantly turns it around, scanning through the pics before finding the perfect one and getting busy adding a ridiculous filter. “I think we should send this one to Rivers. He’d like to see it.”
“Ok, sure,” I say. “Just remember that he probably won’t be able to reply for a while.”
“That’s fine,” she smiles. “I just don’t want
him missing out.”
I give her an encouraging smile. On one hand, she’s right, Rivers would want to see this moment and it’s probably killing him that he’s not here to witness it, but on the other hand, reaching out to him isn’t exactly helping her to move on.
Mr. Carver says his goodbyes and gives me one last proud smile before wishing us all well with our futures and taking off to visit other students and their families. He’s hardly even turned his back before dad is already stepping back into our circle, demanding my full attention. “Alright, this is what’s going to happen,” he starts, making one of my brows raise in curiosity. “Now, I’m smart enough to know that you’re planning on taking off somewhere to celebrate with all your classmates, so I’ve rescheduled my next delivery until late tomorrow afternoon so you can stay out tonight and not have to worry about watching Squirt.”
“Really?” I gasp with wide, excited eyes.
“Just don’t make me regret it,” he says, reaching up for Aria. She drops down into dad’s arms before he places her back down on the ground. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I can’t help but smirk. “Says the guy who knocked up a stranger in a bar.”
“Scrap that,” he tells me, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t approve of.”
“That’s more like it,” I laugh.
Dad shakes his head and slips his hand into Aria. “Come on, Squirt. Let’s get out of here before your big sister makes me change my mind.”
I hand dad my diploma, knowing he’ll keep it safe, as I have a feeling it could possibly be a very messy night. They disappear and it’s not long before we have ditched our graduation caps and gowns, stopped by Tully’s closet and picked out some bikinis, and are pulling up at Haven Falls beach along with the rest of our senior year.
Looks like it’s going to be a beach party.
Noah drives his car right down onto the beach, turns up the music, and within moments, the party is centered around his Camaro. I don’t even bother telling him just how likely it is that his car’s going to get stuck. It’s a party and we’re all having fun. We can deal with the car later.
People bring coolers of drinks down onto the beach while others take off to the water. The cheerleaders start dancing around Noah’s car, letting loose to the music while Tully and I sit down in the sand, taking it all in while soaking up a bit of sun.
Her phone chimes on the sand and she scoops it up, dusting off the sand before reading her text with an adoring smile that instantly turns into an evil little cackle. “Here, read this,” she tells me, handing me her phone.
I take it from her and read over the text before laughing myself.
Rivers – Congratulations, babe. You’re a fucking beast! I assume you’re going to spend the night partying? Be safe and don’t let any of those fuckers touch you. You’re too fucking good for them. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about my car! I know you haven’t cleaned that shit yet!
I hand it back and she instantly starts replying, knowing it could be a while before she gets a chance to talk to him again.
Aiden disappears and returns ten minutes later with a bottle of Midori and just like that, our afternoon beach party is set, and I have a feeling this is exactly how it’s going to stay until the early hours of tomorrow morning.
That is until the sun is setting and Noah thinks it’s a great idea to tip a whole cooler filled with water over the top of me and Tully before sprinting away down the sandy beach, howling with laughter at his sheer evilness.
Tully and I both screech and Spencer is there right away, throwing a towel at Tully and trying to be her hero while all I care about is the guy taking off down the beach, terrified of what his girl is going to do to him.
I hurry after him but with all the people it takes all off three seconds before I lose him. I walk down the beach until I’m far away from the people and call out. “Noah? I know you’re here somewhere. Come out and face me like a man.”
“Looking for me?” a teasing voice comes from behind.
I spin around to find Noah striding towards me, but he doesn’t look at all terrified, he looks more like a lion about to pounce and it’s then I realize that this was all part of his game. He lured me out knowing that I’d come tearing after him, and I think I like it.
“Maybe,” I tell him.
His eyes rake up and down my body, taking in my curves and the way the water continues dripping from my hair, keeping my body wet and glistening in the dim sun that continues to dip down towards the horizon. “You look good enough to eat.”
“Too bad. I’m not on the menu.”
His eyes sparkle and heat floods me as I become desperate for his touch. “You wanna fucking bet?”
Noah breaks out into a run and I squeal before taking off, only his strides are so much longer than mine. His body crashes into mine and we tumble down into the cool sand beneath the old boardwalk where we’re completely concealed from prying eyes.
His lips are on mine in seconds and I absolutely love it, the only issue is that I can’t stop smiling, making kissing him harder than it ought to be.
Noah’s hands roam over my body and I can’t help but fall in love with the way his thumb skims over my tattoo. I catch him looking at it all the time and something tells me that he has a new preference for girls with ink, just as I do for his.
Noah’s hands scoop around my back and he pulls the string of my black bikini ever so slowly that the anticipation begins to kill me.
He finally rids it off my body and I arch my back, desperate for his touch as I invite him in, and naturally, he doesn’t disappoint. My hand roams over his exposed skin, loving how it feels beneath my fingers. It’s as if his body was perfectly carved just for me.
I’ve never been naked out in public before but having Noah with me makes it so much better. It’s the risk of being caught. It's exciting. It’s like playing with fire. It’s dangerous and makes me want to push the boundaries.
Who would have ever known that I was such a risk taker?
My excitement seems to spur Noah on, and I open my legs before wrapping them around his waist and pulling him closer. He doesn’t waste a second and pushes deep inside me, making my head fall back with a satisfied groan.
He works my body until I can’t possibly take it anymore and when the sand has gotten in places that it simply shouldn’t go, only then does he lift me off the beach and walk us down, deep into the cold water, starting his sensual assault all over again with the moonlight shining down on us.
Chapter 19
Noah walks up to Rivers’ car, shaking his head at the way Tully and I have been trying to break back into the thing for the past twenty minutes. “I could watch this shit all day,” he laughs to himself before pulling out a set of car keys. “But it’s fucking hot and you two are going to die of heat exhaustion before you figure out that the car is locked.”
My mouth drops open as I watch him unlock the car and effortlessly pull the door wide open before instantly going green with the foul smell that comes pouring out of it. “Holy fuck, Tullz. What the hell did you put in here?”
We each smother a laugh but I’m too focused on the fact that the doors were just locked to enjoy it too much. I mean, fuck me. We’ve been standing in this heat for ages trying to get into this stupid thing and all this time it was just locked? How stupid can we be? I had assumed the car was too fucked up for the doors to open and close properly, but noooo. Apparently, they were just locked and now we have to live with the fact that Noah’s been standing back and laughing at us for the past twenty minutes as we put on a performance, showcasing just how idiotic we are.
Great job, Henley. Give yourself a pat on the back.
I raise an accusing brow at Tully who presses her lips into a tight line and shrugs her shoulders. “My bad,” she grumbles with an innocent smirk. “But you can’t deny that it was so worth it.”
“How was it worth it when we’re the ones about to clean this shit up, not him?” I mutter,
heading for the passengers door with deep dread sinking heavy in my gut. Noah can handle just about anything and for him to go green with the smell, that tells me it’s bad. Like, really bad.
I find a set of balls and rip the door open. The quicker I get this over with, the better. The smell instantly smacks me in the face and I have no choice but to spin around as I start to gag. I fall to my knees. “Abort mission! Abort mission!” I cry with tears beginning to sting my eyes from the foul smell pulsating out of the car. “Save yourselves.”
Tully laughs and starts making her way around to me. “It couldn’t be that b…HOLY SHIT!” she gasps, struggling for breath. “That’s fucking rank.”
“Sucks to be you two,” Noah says, shaking his head as he walks away from the car and drops down on the steps of the front porch where he can watch us suffer from afar.
“Hold on,” Tully says, hurrying into the house and returning a moment later with two pegs and two pairs of thick rubber gloves. She tosses a peg at me before shoving the other onto her nose and getting prepared.
The peg falls into the grass beside me and I scramble around until I can shove it on my nose, only it’s not as comfortable as it looks in all the movies. “This fucking hurts,” I say, scrunching up my face as I look to Tully with a bright pink peg attached to her nose.
“I know,” she groans, twitching her nose and watching the peg dance around in front of her. “Come on, let’s get this over and done with.”
We dive down into the car and while the peg helps a little, I still feel like I’m about to hurl my lunch up all over the grass, but it’s got to be done. I start under the seat and look around every little hidey-hole that Tully could have possibly found while ignoring the dried blood that is still smeared over the car.
We work quickly and I start doing a double check of everything, knowing there’s no way we could have gotten every last one.
“You know if the car was actually locked,” Tully muses. “I wonder if we actually broke the trunk with all that shit we did to get into it.”
Undeniable: Haven Falls (Book 5) Page 19
