by K. Walker
This would’ve been the perfect time for a nice, romantic date. But, so far, Wes and I hadn’t spent much time alone outside of the house. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but I figured Wes was just trying to take things slow. I should’ve been thankful for that, but damn if I didn’t want to figure out exactly what was going on between the two of us.
Wes shrugged, but when I looked up at him, he let out a sigh and smiled. “Mom used to take us here when we were little kids. She always made Dad come along, too. It was one of the few things we always did all together as a family. She’d even take us to the arcade and make a contest out of it. She’d give all three of us the same amount of money, and whoever earned the most tickets at the end got to choose where we had dinner that night.”
“Let me guess you always won?” I teased.
“God, no!” Wes said with a bark of laughter, shaking his head. “Sebastian almost always had more than Chuck and me. Though I’m pretty sure Mom slipped him extra money whenever we weren’t looking. He was never that good at ski-ball.”
“You don’t sound upset about that, though.”
“Nah. Sebastian was the baby. All he had to do was smile up at Mom with his puppy dog eyes and he’d have her wrapped around his little finger. It used to annoy Chuck and me to no end, but we got over it as we got older. Besides, it was just nice to be able to spend time all together as a family. With Dad always working, getting to spend entire days together were rare.”
“You miss your mom.” It was a statement, not a question, but Wes nodded. I understood completely how he felt. I still missed mine every single day, and I doubted that would ever change. “Do you see her a lot?”
“Sometimes. She lives a couple of hour’s south in San Diego, so I try to go see her as often as I can. But with school and wrestling, and everything, it’s not nearly as often as I’d like.” Wes let out another sigh, staring off into the sunset. “She used to come up and visit us too, but that was before Kathy moved in. Mom and Dad still get along well enough, but Mom won’t come near the house if Kathy is there.”
“Is that why you don’t like her?” So far as I could tell, Sebastian was the only brother who didn’t hate his step-mother. Though she wasn’t technically their step-mother, I guess, since Lucas and her weren’t married.
“I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t part of it. But she’s always rubbed me the wrong way like she’s just with Dad because of his money. Other than her being kinda hot, I can’t understand what he sees in her. She walks all over him like he’s her servant or something. And Christ, she spends more money on a single shopping trip than the rest of us spend in a month.”
I nodded, completely understanding how he felt. I’d seen it for myself, that first night I’d met her when she’d demanded Lucas make her food instead of just eating pizza with us. And God, if Wes knew she was screwing around behind his father’s back, he’d go ballistic. Part of me really wanted to tell him about it, but I was still worried about Sebastian. I didn’t want to out the kid and risk screwing things up for him.
“I’ve tried talking to Dad about her, but he just doesn’t want to see it or hear it. I think he’s still screwed up after him and Mom split and with us getting older and getting ready to start our own lives, he’s worried about being alone after we’re gone. But damn, there are plenty of other women out there, ones who aren’t gold digging bitches.”
I snorted, fighting down a smirk. “Is that what you guys were arguing about the other night?” Wes took a deep breath, and then nodded. “Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned since moving in, your father is just as stubborn as you are, Wes. If you keep badgering him about her, he’s just going to dig his heels in and stick his fingers in his ears.”
“Gee, is that what you think about me?” Wes teased, and I elbowed him in the ribs. “Yeah, okay. I guess you’re right. Maybe if I back off, he’ll figure it out on his own. I just hope it’s before she bleeds him dry.”
“Well, if she does spend up all of your inheritance, you can always mooch off Paisley. She’s got plenty of money, and I’m sure she’d just love to be your sugar mama.”
Wes groaned, and then playfully shoved me aside. When I shoved him back, Wes smirked. He lunged forward and grabbed me, dragging me down into the warm sand. The two of us ended up wrestling around for a minute or two, hands all over each other’s bodies. Wes wasn’t trying at all, but I was thoroughly enjoying letting him press his body against mine, letting his hands roam all over me, keenly remembering our night by the pool. It wasn’t until I heard Jaxon, Hunter, and Adrian cheering me on that I remembered we weren’t alone.
Face red, I broke away from Wes, the guys groaning now that their show was over. I turned and glared at them, and Adrian gave me a shy smile before herding her two meatheads away. Wes was still sitting in the sand, grinning at me, and I offered him a hand up, though I knew he didn’t need it.
“You know things are over between Paisley and me, right?” he asked as we continued walking toward the party. He had his arm around my waist again, keeping me pulled tight against his side. It was like he didn’t want to risk letting me wander away from him, not that I minded the close contact. “It was never anything serious between the two of us. She was just someone to keep busy with. It’s not like we were ever going to go off and get married or anything like that.”
“That’s not what she seemed to think. I’ve seen the way she’s been glaring at you now that you’re not hooking up with her in bathroom stalls or janitor’s closets or wherever the two of you went for quickies during school.”
“The storage closet in the band hall, I’ll have you know. Even at Forest Grove, the bathrooms are just way too gross for that. And you never know when the janitor might need a mop or some paper towels or something. The band’s storage closet is almost never used when there’s not a performance going in.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes, elbowing Wes in the ribs again. I really hadn’t needed to know that. Like, at all. I could’ve gone the entire rest of my life without knowing the details about where and when Wes and Paisley had hooked up.
“And Paisley’s just being... Paisley. She knows damn well it was never serious between us. Especially since she was screwing most of the wrestling team anyway.”
“That’s gross,” I informed Wes, hoping he wasn’t getting any ideas about sharing me with any of his teammates. “And I hope you all get tested regularly.”
Wes laughed and nodded. “Don’t worry; none of us would ever be dumb enough to have sex with any of those girls without using adequate protection. But yet, we all get tested every couple of months, just to be on the safe side. Does that make you feel any better?”
Truth be told, not really. I didn’t expect Wes to be a virgin or anything, but it was strange hearing about him talk about having sex with various women so casually. Would he be expecting that from me as well? What would he say after he found out I was a virgin?
I let out a sigh, and then pushed that thought to the back of my mind. That would be a problem to figure out later.
Chapter 6
“You’ve gotta space your feet farther apart!” Adrian shouted over the sound of the crashing waves. The sun was high overhead, beating down upon all of us. Even with constantly getting tossed off my board and dunked under the water, I was still sweating up a storm.
I flipped Adrian off, which made her laugh. It hadn’t taken long into our session before Hunter and Jaxson had wised up to Adrian’s trick, figuring out she wasn’t the novice she’d pretended to be last time. Now, all four of them had ganged up on me, eager to teach me to become a pro surfer in the span of a single day.
As much as I enjoyed Wes’s hands on me as he kept helping me adjust my stance, showing me where to distribute my weight, I could’ve done without the audience and their commentary. It’d been much easier last time when Jaxson and Hunter had both been focused on Adrian and only Wes had been paying attention to me.
Finally, after falling another
two dozen times, I gave up for the day. I just wasn’t in the best frame of mind for figuring it all out, and it wasn’t like there was any rush for me to master it—no sense in getting stressed out over something that was just meant to be fun.
“You’ll get the hang of it, eventually,” Wes said, moving off his board to sit behind me on mine. He pulled me back tight against him, his firm muscles pressed against me. Damn, if he kept that up, I’d be very tempted to sneak back to the car with him for a parking lot quickie, no matter how many times I’d told myself I wasn’t going to be like all the other girls he’d been with.
“Yeah,” Jaxson piped up with a smirk. “If your meathead boyfriend can figure it out, you’ll be riding the waves with ease in no time!”
“Keep it up, Driver and your girlfriend is going to have to go without access to a certain body part of yours for a while!” Wes shot back.
“She’s not my girlfriend!” Jaxson said immediately.
Adrian, at the same time, also shouted, “I am not his girlfriend!”
Wes and I both laughed, knowing that was far from the truth. They may not have been using those terms yet, but there was no denying how close by Jaxson and Hunter had gotten to Adrian. I had avoided asking her too many questions about how it worked, dating both of them at the same time, mostly because I wasn’t sure I wanted the nitty-gritty details.
Heck, I wasn’t even sure if Wes and I were officially boyfriend and girlfriend yet. We’d been spending a lot more time together, but unless we were just hanging out at the house, it was almost always with a group of other people. Nor did I really want to push Wes to define our relationship either. I figured if I tried to rush it, he’d end up getting overwhelmed and bailing. Plus, it wasn’t like we were in a rush to get married or anything like that.
“And here I thought all the girls hated me for taking Wes off the market. I can only imagine what they’re saying about you snagging both Jaxson and Hunter!” I teased my best friend with a wink. It was hard to believe we’d only known each other for such a short time. Already, she felt like a sister to me. Outside of the Cabots, she was the one person I’d really connected with since coming to this world of rich and spoiled youth. She was one of the few who didn’t have her head in the clouds.
“You joke, but Paisley is still pissed about you and Wes. You better watch your back with her.” Adrian’s grin dropped as she warned me. Everyone else stopped laughing too, frowning at the two of us. “She’s got a vindictive streak, and even though everyone knows she was just a warm body for Wes, she’s still pissed you took him away from here. She’s gonna try and get her revenge.”
I let out a sigh. I’d suspected something like that, but I’d hoped she might be smart enough to fuck right off. Apparently not though. “Well, let her try. I’ve faced worse than her, trust me. And while she may be Queen Bitch, she’s still small enough to fit in a locker.”
Everyone burst out laughing at the thought of Paisley being stuffed into a locker. Sure, it was probably a bit juvenile, but if she wanted to be petty, I could be petty right back. Maybe spending a period or two locked in a locker would teach her not everyone is scared of her prissy ass.
“Come on, let’s go in and get some food. I’m starving,” Wes said as he nodded toward the shore. There was a diner on the small pier that Wes and his friends usually hung out at, either after surfing or on days when the waves were crappy. Unlike the Santa Monica pier, where Wes had won me my giant duck at the arcade, this pier was more of a local haunt. Other than the restaurant sitting where the pier met the beach, there wasn’t anything else around other than open beach.
There was even a spot outside the restaurant for us to leave our boards. I was iffy about leaving them right out in the open like that, with no one around to watch them, but Wes assured me they’d be fine. Thieves weren’t much of a concern to them, apparently, and I wasn’t going to argue. We left our beach bags sitting with the boards, though we all grabbed our phones out first.
I also pulled on a sundress after stripping out of my wetsuit. While the guys might’ve been perfectly fine wearing nothing but their tight bathing suits, I was not keen on being on display for the entire restaurant. Adrian pulled a sleek dress on too, smirking as she glanced over at the guys, their asses and bulges on display for anyone who cared to look.
I’d asked Wes about the tight spandex the three of them called bathing suits the last time we’d all gone surfing since I knew those weren’t his normal attire. When they’d all been at the house swimming or even the times we’d just gone to the beach without surfing, he’d worn normal board shorts. Those didn’t fit under a wetsuit though, he’d explained, so they’d all gotten used to wearing suits for competitive racing when they were younger.
“Is it wrong that I can’t decide if I’m turned on by their outfits or if I want Wes to cover up?” I whispered to Adrian as we walked into the restaurant.
She giggled and nodded, whispering right back. “I feel the same way! I mean, damn they’re hot, but I’m not sure I like all the other girls ogling them that much. Those asses should be for my eyes only, thank you very much.”
The guys all turned to look at us with raised eyebrows when we burst into laughter. But we just grinned at them, and they shrugged, resigned to having two crazy girls along for the ride.
Adrian wasn’t wrong, though. All the waitresses had their eyes glued to the guys every time they walked by. No shirts, no shoes, no service didn’t seem to apply to guys built like Greek gods! I was pretty sure Wes and them could’ve strutted in there fully naked and they’d have gotten the best service of their lives.
Every time our waitress came over, I reached out and took Wes’s hand in mine. It wasn’t much, but it was a subtle reminder he was taken. No doubt, he’d slept with at least one or two of the waitresses here, but those days were in the past. The only person he’d be sleeping with now would be me.
Well, assuming we ever got that far. We still hadn’t done more than make out and grind against each other. I wasn’t sure if Wes was holding back on purpose or if I was subconsciously doing something that stopped us from going any further.
Either way, the two of us were going to have to have a chat together soon. Because, as much as I enjoyed the heavy petty and the kissing, I wanted more from him. Wes was the first guy I’d ever felt this way about. And sure, it might’ve just been puppy love or something, but I didn’t care. Even if it wasn’t forever love, I did love Wes. And I was ready to lose my virginity.
“You okay?” Wes asked, leaning over to nudge me with his broad shoulder. “You’ve been quiet since we sat down. Don’t tell me the surfing wore you out that much.”
“You try getting knocked on your ass a hundred times,” I said with a teasing smirk. “Not all of us are used to getting knocked around for fun.”
“I’ll have you know; I do most of the knocking around when we’re on the mats, thank you very much. And you would know that if you ever came to any of our meets. I’m undefeated again this year. The only one in our division doing better than me is Hunter.”
“So, what you’re saying is you’re not quite the best, is that right?” I teased, enjoying the spark of indignation that had formed in his eyes. He really was so easy to goad.
“Come to our meet this week and find out,” Wes said with a growl.
I made a show of rolling my eyes. “Because that’s just how I want to spend a Thursday evening, watching a bunch of guys in skin-tight Lycra grind all over each other.” Then, I grinned at him and started nodding. “Actually, that does sound like fun. What do you say, Adrian, wanna go with me? It’ll be like watching gay porn except they sell popcorn and hot dogs!”
Adrian and I grinned at each other as the guys exploded, launching into tirades about how there was nothing gay about wrestling and how it was a manly sport that dated all the way back to the ancient Greeks. I resisted the urge to remind them that the ancient Greeks were running around fucking anything that moved, including other dudes. They
were getting themselves all riled up without me having to stoke the fire anymore, though.
In the end, I promised Wes I would come to see him wrestle at his next meet. As much as I teased him about it, I was kind of interested in going. Not so much for the actual sport itself but more to support Wes. Could I really expect him to be supportive of me if I wasn’t willing to give up two hours of my night to cheer him on from the sidelines?
The food at the diner was surprisingly good. It was the kind of greasy burger and fries you’d expect from a beachside place like that, but the burger was bursting with flavor. And, while it was definitely greasy, it was the good kind of greasy, not the one that makes you gag looking at it greasy.
If the guys ate here regularly, I could only imagine the hell their coach must put them through to maintain the physiques. By the time I was finished my food, I was ready to pop. If I ate like that more than once a month, I’d have to be rolled around the school to get to my classes!
“So, now what?” I asked, leaning back in my chair. It was tempting to go back to the house and take a nap, but with how late it was getting into the year, I wasn’t sure how many more gorgeous days we’d get like this, and I wanted to enjoy it while we could.
“Go tan on the beach for a bit, and then hit the waves again once the food digests?” Jaxson suggested, and everyone nodded.
We’d all just stood up when Wes’s phone went off. Grabbing it off the table and flipping it over, he frowned. When I leaned in to read over his shoulder, I saw it was a text from Lucas telling us to come home, now.
I looked up and locked eyes with Wes, my heart pounding. Lucas had always given us free rein on the weekends and even most evenings. He’d never sent a text saying we needed to come home before. Had something happened?
“Sorry, guys,” Wes said as he slid his chair back in. “Looks like Bella and I have to get home. I’ll catch up with you guys at school tomorrow.”
