Between the Boys (The Basin Lake Series Book 1)

by Stephanie Vercier

  “Me too,” Natalie says with a glint in her eyes.

  During a break in classes the next day, I find a quiet spot in the quad and call Garrett. My heart is racing, and my stomach feels like it might lurch right there. Part of me expects the call to go to voicemail. He’s probably in a class or practice or hanging out with friends.

  “Hey, babe,” he says after two rings, and I’m rendered speechless. “Paige?”

  “Hey…” I get out. “I… um… need to talk to you.” I feel like I’m about ready to jump over an abyss, having worked myself up into believing that I can do it and then wanting to walk back, wanting to face it another day.

  “What about?” He doesn’t sound concerned just yet.

  I close my eyes, knowing I have to make the jump. “I think we need to break up.” I spit the words out as fast as I can, and my entire body feels like it might explode while I wait for a response from him.

  “What?” he says. “No… you don’t mean that.”

  “I’m sorry, but the distance is too much, and you need someone there. You need someone in person.”

  “I need you,” he says resolutely. “I can do the distance thing. We’ve been doing it.”

  “But I can’t anymore.” I’m actually crying now and I’m doing my best to stop my wobbling chin from garbling my words.

  “You’re upset,” he says. “You haven’t thought it through. I can fly out there—I’ll come for Thanksgiving. We can spend a few days together at least—that’s all we really need to get back on track.”

  “That’s sweet,” I say, “but no. It won’t work, Garrett. I’m so sorry, but you deserve to know. I just can’t be your girlfriend. I just want to go back to the way it was.”

  There is a long silence, and I think maybe he’s hung up on me, but I keep my phone to my ear, listening for him.

  “Is there someone else?” His voice has taken on a new tone. He’s angry.

  “Garrett, I—”

  “There is,” he says and lets out a long, frustrated breath. “I’ve been totally faithful to you, Paige. I thought I could trust you to do the same.”

  “I…” I can’t exactly tell him that’s a lie, because it’s not.

  “Please just tell me it’s not Evan.” His voice is like concrete now, and I feel like he could crush me with it.

  “No.” I say it with conviction. Me breaking up with him is hurting both of us, and I don’t want to compound that hurt by confirming it’s the last person Garrett wants to imagine.

  “I don’t think I can talk to you for a while,” Garrett says, emotion now returning to his voice. “You don’t seem to get how much I love you.”

  “Garrett, I love you too…”

  “Not enough. I’ve got to go.”

  He hangs up before I can utter another word. I sit in silence until the sounds of the world slowly return, the chirping of birds, the whistling of the breeze through the last of the remaining leaves in the trees, the sounds of students chatting as they walk from class to class. It’s all so normal, peaceful even, and I should be feeling the same, having just gotten one of the biggest weights I’ve ever felt off my chest. But I don’t feel that way. I feel bad. I feel even worse than I did before I called Garrett. Maybe it was wrong, but I see now that a part of me was holding onto him because maybe I liked how happy he sounded when we talked on the phone and how bright his eyes were when I saw him back home.

  But now?

  He hates me. He loathes me. He “can’t talk to me for a while.” How long is a while? Is it a month, a year, forever? Just the idea of never having my friend back makes me want to double over and hurl, even if he did lie to Evan about my feelings.

  And I do.

  I throw up all over the nice gravel walkway below the bench I’m sitting on.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  EVAN

  November 16th

  “I broke up with him.”

  Paige had walked into the apartment, sat adjacent to me while I was studying at the coffee table and delivered the news with what sounded like relief.

  My first inclination had been to take her hands and kiss her, but all I could seem to do was ask, “Did you bring my name into it?”

  She looked at me with such disappointment and huffed a “no.”

  “I know you’re still mad at me,” I say a week later in our small kitchen. “You’ve pretty much been avoiding me every chance you get.”

  “I am mad at you,” she says, finishing loading some dishes into the dishwasher. “But I don’t want to argue with you, not tonight.”

  “You still think I shouldn’t face Garrett?”

  She looks over her shoulder at me. “I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish. You’re just going to make it worse for him.”

  I cross my arms, feeling like she just won’t understand. “I grew up with him, so this isn’t something you do over the phone. And it’s not like I haven’t thought about it. I’ve lost sleep over it.”

  She shakes her head. I know she had a busy day at work, and she’s probably exhausted. “I’m so over this, Evan. All I want is for you and him to make peace. All I want is our trio back. We have too many memories to just throw that away.”

  “Even if it costs us what we have?” I drop my arms and take her hand after she’s slammed the dishwasher door shut.

  “No…” She sighs. “I don’t want to lose you, but we have to go back home at some point, and I’d prefer we go hoping to see Garrett as his friends instead of preparing for war against him.”

  “Is that what you think I’ve been trying to do?”

  She grips my hand. “I understand why you’re angry. I am too.”

  “Yeah, well then you get it, and this is the only way for me and him to hash things out.”

  “You know, I still remember when you guys used to wrestle each other after a disagreement, and then you’d be back to your normal selves after roughing each other up.”

  I smile at the memory. Garrett and I used to do lots of stuff together—he was my best friend. “I wish it was that simple now, but it’s not.”

  “It was never simple. I always hated it when you guys would fight like that. It wasn’t something I thought friends should do.”

  “It was just our way of settling things,” I reply. “And I’m not planning to throw a punch at him—I just want to talk.”

  She offers a weak, concerned smile, and I doubt she believes me. I think she’s about to say something else when she glances at her phone and then opens the kitchen cupboard.

  “It’s officially after midnight,” she says, lifting a dishcloth and revealing a cake that was hidden underneath. She pulls it out and sets it down on the kitchen counter.

  “You remembered,” I say, my worry melting away for the time being.

  “I’d never forget your birthday. No matter what’s going on between us.” She pops open the plastic cover over the cake and grabs a box of candles out of the drawer. “How does it feel to be nineteen?” she asks, setting the candles into the frosting.

  “Feels like I’m officially older than you now.”

  “Only by five and a half months.” Her voice is easy, her eyes bright, as if we’d not just been arguing a few moments ago. She uses a camper lighter to light up all the candles and forces me to follow her into the dining room where she sings Happy Birthday and then tells me, “Make a wish.”

  I look right into her eyes. “I’m sure you can guess what it’s going to be.”

  “You can’t tell me or it won’t come true,” she reminds me.

  “Fine.” I formulate my wish, which is pretty much to get beyond everything that’s going on right now and have a long, happy future with Paige. Once I’m satisfied with the wording in my head, I blow the candles out with one strong puff.

  She smiles and scurries back into the kitchen, returning with a cutting knife, some forks and some well hidden Rocky Road ice cream.

  “You’re kind of amazing,” I tell her. Amazing is actually an
understatement.

  “I try. Now wait here. I’ve got presents.”

  “Paige. You didn’t have to do that too.”

  She waves dismissively. “I’ll be back,” she says, rushing into her room and then returning and gently depositing three wrapped gifts on the table. “It’s not a lot, but I hope you’ll like them.”

  “It’s more than enough.” I get up and kiss her softly on the cheek, wondering what I’ve done to deserve such an amazing girl.

  We both sit as I open my first gift, which is a set of championship Frisbees. “Definitely will be using these on the quad!”

  She’s certainly taken note of my new favorite sport.

  “I hear it can be freezing and snowing one day and seventy and sunny the next,” she says. “I hope you guys can use them before next spring.

  “I’m sure we will,” I say and then go for the second one. It’s a small flat box that once unwrapped contains two season pass ski lift tickets to a nearby resort. “Wow, Paige, nice. This means you’ll be going with me, right?”

  “Yep, but you can take Marvin or Jason or whoever if you’d prefer.”

  “Yeah, sure.” She’s crazy if she thinks I’d take anyone but her. “But I thought you were sort of terrified to ski.”

  “I’m sure you’ll get me through it,” she says.

  Though it’s been several years since Mom and Bill have taken the family up to the slopes, I assure her, “I will. You’ll be safe with me.”

  PAIGE

  Tonight is the first time in a while that I feel completely at ease with Evan. So, I’m slightly worried the last gift he has to open will upset that. I’d put the gift together a long time ago as a reminder of our childhood in Basin Lake, but I’m not sure how Evan will respond to it. When he’s torn the last of the wrapping paper off, I don’t know how to take his semi-stunned expression.

  “Hmm…” he mumbles, looking at the framed picture of himself, Garrett and I that was taken at the big county fair when we were all thirteen. I’m in the middle, loaded down with all of the stuffed animals they won for me.

  “I seem to remember you got me more than Garrett did. I don’t think Lexi was very happy when she found out about that.”

  Evan’s somewhat confused expression morphs into something more pleasant. “No, she wasn’t, but she and I weren’t official then, and all I wanted was you. I spent all of my allowance winning those, and then I borrowed another twenty bucks from Ben Forester. Garrett was so pissed.”

  All he wanted was me.

  “But we’re all smiling,” I say. “He wasn’t mad for long.”

  Evan shakes his head at me. “I know what you’re trying to do… well, anyway, this has still been the best birthday I’ve ever had, thanks to you.”

  His next kiss is on my lips instead of my cheek, and pretty soon I’m following him down the hall and into his bedroom. We face one another, knowing so well what we both want. He slips out of his shoes and unbuttons his shirt while keeping his eyes on me. I peel my blouse and jeans off, and I step toward him, unbuttoning his jeans and unzipping them. He looks down and smiles.

  I drag my hands up his chest and hold onto his shoulders underneath his open shirt. A kiss is all it takes for me to be overcome by the tactile pleasure of being so close to him. I can’t push his shirt off fast enough while he works his way out of his jeans and snug boxer briefs. Our lips connect again, and he brings his hands to my back, unclasping my bra. It drops down to the floor as he’s moving his hands to my waist, pulling my panties down my thighs until I easily step out of them.

  He lifts my entire body and lays me down on his bed, and I watch with anticipation as his eyes scan my naked body below him.

  “You’re so damn beautiful,” he says, kneeling on the bed and bringing himself over me.

  “And I’m so in love with you,” I say, reaching for his strong shoulders and drawing him closer to me, kissing him while I conform the angles of my body to his, allowing him to rest in between my legs.

  “I’m not sure it’s possible you love me more than I love you,” he says in a low growl right before he fully connects with me.

  I moan in pleasure once he’s deeply rooted within, as does he as I drag my fingers over his skin and through his hair. I can’t take my eyes off of his, and he mirrors this by looking deep into my soul. We’re connected in a way that I don’t believe I could ever be with another human being.

  My body tightens, then loosens, hums and tingles, warms then cools in a string of heavenly orgasmic releases. When Evan’s face begins to redden and contort, he starts to pull out, but I hold him close and allow him to release himself into me, wanting to connect to him in every single way possible. When he’s finished, he finally unhooks himself, pulls me close to his warm body and kisses my shoulders, my neck and my hair. “I love you so much,” he repeats.

  “I love you just the same,” I whisper to him, feeling like I’m finally free to be with him without feeling an ounce of guilt.

  “Will you go to my father’s with me for Thanksgiving?” he asks, his tone giving away that he thinks I might say no.

  “Of course,” I readily answer. “I’ll be there.”

  He grips me a little tighter.

  “Thank you,” he says.

  Eventually, I fall asleep in his arms.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  PAIGE

  Thanksgiving

  I spend half an hour on the phone with my mom early Thanksgiving afternoon, recounting everything that has happened with Garrett and Evan, before having the phone passed around and talking to Kate, my grandma, and finally Claire who, as usual, seems a little annoyed with me.

  “I’m sorry about Garrett,” Mom says when the phone is passed back to her. “But I think you’re with the right boy.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I say. “But please don’t tell anyone else, not even Kate or Claire or Grandma.”

  “No? He’ll find out you and Evan are together eventually, honey.”

  “I know, but Evan wants to tell him himself… in person.” That’s still his plan.

  “Oh dear.” Mom sighs. “I hope they can work it out. They’ve been friends for far too long.”

  “Me too,” I say, not wanting to imagine them being lifelong enemies. “Mom, I should go, but I love you, okay?”

  “Love you too, honey,” she says.

  Evan is on the couch watching a football game, stretched out in his usual pajama bottoms with no shirt. I, on the other hand, am fully dressed in the charcoal gray dress with a cinched waist that I bought just for Thanksgiving dinner with his dad and pregnant girlfriend at their new house in Ballantyne.

  “That’s not the Apple Cup, is it?” I don’t say Garrett’s name, but that’s who I’m thinking about. The WSU Cougars play the University of Washington Huskies every year in the Apple Cup right around Thanksgiving.

  “You look amazing,” Evan says, eyeing me in my outfit.

  “Thanks for the critique.” I smile and sit down next to him. “So, that’s not WSU playing?”

  “Nope,” Evan says, easing his arm around me, obviously not wanting to discuss football. “And I’m having second thoughts about going to Charlotte. Maybe we can just stay home and get a turkey?”

  “I wouldn’t eat it even if we did,” I say.

  “Oh, yeah,” he says with a smirk.

  “And it would be too late to cook the poor dead thing anyway. I think we should probably just go to your dad’s like we planned.”

  Evan is toying with the tiny fabric belt around the cinched waist of my dress, eyeing me like he’d rather get me out of my clothes than keep me in them.

  “Evan.” I look at him like a taskmaster. “We can’t get sidetracked.”

  He lets out a somewhat exasperated breath and says, “Fine. We’ll go.” He gives me a quick kiss before disappearing down the hall and into the shower.

  I tidy up around the apartment while I’m waiting for him and imagine domestic life for us, not just being roommates
but something more… eventually. It brings a smile to my face and a sense that things are falling into place for us just the way they should. And I’d been just as tempted as he was to stay here in Well’s Creek and have our own little Thanksgiving, but considering how fragile Evan’s relationship is with his dad, I thought it best we keep our word and show up. Who knows, there might even be some kind of family breakthrough like the kind Grandma tells me happen on Dr. Phil

  When Evan appears again in the living room, he’s wearing slim fit charcoal slacks that match my dress and a light blue dress shirt with a red tie around his collar that coincides with my red lipstick. He looks incredibly sexy so dressed up, and I can’t resist running my palms against the cool fabric over his chest. In response, he cups my ass with both of his hands.

  “So, you don’t want us to go to Charlotte then?” He raises his dark eyebrows, and I’m sure that if we can’t keep our hands off of one another, we’ll end up in bed again, something that has been happening quite a bit lately.

  I sigh. “You’re making it harder because of how hot you look, but we have to go!” I slip out of his arms and rush for the door.

  It’s a long, rainy drive to Charlotte, and the traffic is heavier than I ever remembered it being when I was a kid, but then again there was never much traffic in Basin Lake to begin with. Mom said there was a time when stores didn’t open at all on Thanksgiving, and if you forgot to buy dinner rolls, then you just went without them or hoped the one 7-Eleven that was open would at least have a loaf of bread.

  “This is pretty nice,” I say as Evan drives into Ballantyne, an upscale suburban part of Charlotte.

  “If you say so.” He doesn’t look impressed and has grown quieter the closer we’ve gotten.

  I recognize the black SUV in the driveway of the massive brick house we drive up to as the one Mr. Mattson picked Evan and I up from the airport in. A silver Lexus is next to it—must be his girlfriend’s.

  “What’s her name?” I say as Evan parks next to the cars.

  “His girlfriend?” He shrugs. “I don’t know—I guess I was so floored by the fact she’s pregnant with twins that it didn’t even register.”