“Why is it so important to keep your real name a secret?” she asked.
By then, she was mostly done with the article. First, she’d transposed her handwritten notes to the bottom of a Word document, then started writing at the top, copying and pasting, rearranging until it sounded perfect. She’d even gone the extra mile and composed two versions, one briefly mentioning that the famous surfer went by two names. Although, she’d kind of almost totally decided to not go that route—knowing what happened between them last year was becoming more and more important.
“Off the record,” she added, flashing him a smile while closing her laptop as a gesture of trust.
Before speaking, Will flipped his sun visor and rolled up the window. “For starters, I haven’t always been the well-adjusted guy you see today. When I was starting out, I let the fame go to my head. I was a bigger douchebag that Justin Beaver.”
“Bieber,” Justine corrected.
Will laughed. “Right. Well, things got out of hand. One night, some people—fans, they said—broke into our house. They thought no one was home, so when my mother came downstairs, they…reacted. It was dark.”
When he didn’t go on, Justine felt herself holding her breath.
“There were ten of them. Seven took off right away with some of my trophies and clothes, but three stayed. They were high, so they probably didn’t realize… Well, that’s what the judge said, anyway. The worst of my mother’s injuries happened when one of them threw my longboard across the room before running out. My board.” He shook his head. “She never saw it coming.”
“Will,” Justine whispered, staring at the side of his face. “Is she…okay?”
He ran a fist over his mouth and nodded. “She spent a few nights in the hospital, but even after installing a new security system, she hardly left the house. We ended up moving and it took her a long time to feel safe again. I didn’t want to quit competing, she didn’t want me to give it up, either—she knew how much I loved it, but there was definitely a problem. My solution was to lay low. That’s why I’ve stayed away from photographers and interviews. Since then, we’ve managed to live relatively quiet lives on Oahu, but if fans or the press found out where she lives and works…” He blew out a long exhale while squinting into the sun. “Obviously, I can’t be here year-round to look out for her.”
Justine felt like a queen jackass and she made a mental note to delete the hell out of that second version of her article, no matter what happened.
“On the flip side,” Will continued, “you might not realize it but back in L.A., Chase Ryder is a pretty big deal. I’m not comparing myself to a movie star being hounded by the paparazzi, but at the beach, a famous surfer never gets a moment’s peace.”
“I get that. Thank you for telling me,” she said, sympathizing, completely understanding his situation now, and what had motivated him to seem a bit standoffish when they’d first been getting to know each other.
Damn. What if Will wasn’t a bastard? What if he was just what he seemed…a good guy, a compassionate, protective son, and an amazing kisser? This was getting complicated.
They made a pit stop for tacos at a silver van at one of the beaches along the way. Will bought the food and they sat on a rock a few yards from the water, enjoying their meal and the warmth of the late afternoon sun. Will wore sunglasses and a ball cap that he’d brought with him from the Jeep. Apparently, that was disguise enough, because no one bothered them while they ate.
“I need to find a wifi hot spot,” she said a few miles later.
He eyed her computer. “You’re already done?”
She noticed the hesitant tone in his voice, accompanied by the way he gripped the steering wheel white knuckled.
“Almost,” she said. “I’ll do a final proof before sending it.” For a second, she actually did think about showing it to him, like she needed his blessing, or wanted to put him at ease. But she’d never given any other subject the option to read a story before it went to print. Why should she make special courtesies for Will?
“Did you keep your promise?” he asked. The uncertain tone was in his voice now.
“You mean the one to make you look badass?”
He chuckled and turned on the blinker, pulling off the road and toward a residential neighborhood. “Sure, Juss. That’s what I’m worried about.”
“I took an oath to only report the truth. And I hate to tell you, Will, but you are very badass.”
He laughed. “My mother will be so proud. Speaking of…” His voice trailed off as he pointed toward a white house they were approaching. “Shoot, she’s not home.”
“Who?” Justine asked.
“My mom.”
She kept her gaze on him for a moment, then looked at the house. It was two stories with wraparound porches on each floor and the most amazing, colorful trees and vegetation in the front and both sides.
“Your mother lives here?” she asked, reaching for the door handle before the car had even stopped.
“After we had to move, it’s where I spent four months a year when I was growing up.”
She pushed open the door and was standing on grass so green and soft and spongy, it felt fake. And the view of the ocean… It was more spectacular than his five-star hotel. “Will, it’s gorgeous,” she exclaimed, walking along the side of the house where the lawn literally led right to the beach.
“She likes to garden,” he said, coming down to stand with her. “I wish she was here. I know she’d love to meet—”
“Chase!”
They both turned toward the voice. A middle-aged, very suntanned man was walking across the street toward them. He wore a white golf shirt over his ample stomach pooch and khaki shorts.
“Karl, hey,” Will said. Justine made a mental note that she was to refer to her companion as Chase.
“Welcome home, buddy,” the man said as they shook hands. “You staying a while?”
“Few days, maybe. I surfed at the Eddie this morning, so life might get pretty busy.”
“You’re back in the circuit?” Karl said. “That’s great, son. Scene wasn’t the same without you.”
Will chuckled and held the back of his neck, looking all modest and adorable. “I don’t know about that. Karl, this is Justine, a friend of mine from L.A.”
“Ahh, the mainland,” Karl said. “Aloha. If you want to know anything about this guy, I’ve lived across the street twelve years.” He leaned toward her and grinned. “I know all the dirt.”
“I’ll remember that.” Justine laughed. “And it’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Karl said. “Well, gotta get back to the pit. We’re having a block party tonight.” He glanced at Justine. “Authentic Hawaiian lu‘au.”
“You have a lu‘au every night, Karl,” Will said, punching the guy on the arm.
“But tonight is special.” He wiggled his bushy eyebrows. “Two pigs. You should stop by.”
“Wish we could,” Will said, resting a hand in the middle of Justine’s back. “But we’re only dropping by now to jump on wifi.” Just then, two other neighbors crossed the street, greeting “Chase.”
“Juss,” Will said, leaning down to her ear. “I might be out here a while. Why don’t you head up to the back porch?” He pointed toward the stairs. “I’ve used the wifi out there a hundred times. The password is ‘catch a wave,’ no spaces.”
“Thanks,” she said, grateful for his thoughtfulness. She grabbed her laptop from the car, said a quick hello to the growing crowd of neighbors gathered on the lawn, then climbed the stairs. The sun-drenched second-story deck had dark brown planks with a waist-high railing. A gas grill, two porch swings, and a four-top table took up hardly any room on the spacious patio. Another set of stairs dropped down to the golden sand. Justine sat at a black table with turquoise chairs, did some last-minute rearranging, composed a note of explanation to her boss, then made sure she was properly connected to the internet.
The story was damn good, if s
he said so herself. She pushed back from the table, kicked off her flip-flops, and propped her feet on an empty chair, exhaling, letting the sound of waves and wind wash over her. Paradise…
“Any problems?”
She shaded her eyes to look up at Will. “Not at all.”
He sat on the chair beside her and slid on a pair of sunglasses. “You mentioned needing wifi at the perfect time. Though it’s pretty impossible to go anywhere in Le’ia and not run into people I know.”
“Especially when you’re Chase Ryder.” She nudged his knee with her foot.
“No one around here gives a rip about that,” Will said after a quiet laugh. “They’ve known me since I was a bratty kid. This is one of the tightest communities on Oahu.”
“You were joking about your neighborhood having a party every night, right?”
“Maybe a slight exaggeration, but no one knows how to throw a lu‘au like Karl. That’s the way it is here. There’s not much Little League or PTA, so we have beach parties.”
Justine smiled. “Sounds like my neighborhood in Franklin. Comparatively speaking, we’re a small town, too. We have pool parties and cul-de-sac potlucks.”
“Same thing.”
“Last summer, my brother Greg hosted a party at his new apartment. Half the guests came down with food poisoning. Bad crab dip.”
“Yikes.” Will cringed, showing his bottom teeth. “I remember you talking about Greg. And your sister Mackenzie—Mac. She was about to get married.”
“That’s right. It’ll be a year in January.”
Will leaned back in his chair. “I recall you were worried about your bridesmaid dress.”
“Ha! Only because green-freak Mac insisted on vintage, but since there aren’t any decent vintage shops in Franklin, we had to borrow.” She placed an elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. “Do you remember bubble skirts from the eighties?”
“Please tell me you have a picture,” he said with a grin, grabbing her phone. For the next hour, Will looked through every photo on Justine’s cell. He asked her questions and laughed with her over silly family stories.
“Charlie’s stationed at Fort Shafter? And he’s got a thing for Michael Bublé, huh?” He chuckled, rubbing his jaw. “Well, he’s no Justin Timberlake.”
“That’s a family secret,” Justine said. “If Ellie finds out I told you…”
“Your secret’s safe with me. And thank you, Juss.”
She closed her photo index. “For what?”
He ran a hand over her laptop on the table. “There’s been a lot of unauthorized bullshit written about me over the years. I hate to admit it, but I’m actually looking forward to reading your interview when it comes out.”
“I haven’t sent it yet.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I like to let a story sit for a while if I can. Make sure I come at it from the best angle. I ended up writing two versions of this one.”
“Am I that complicated?”
“I wanted to make sure I got it right. Also, I know how nervous you are.” She paused and sucked in her lips, then slowly slid the computer in front of him. “Do you want to read it?”
Will looked at her for a moment, then his eyes moved to the screen, but flickered away. “No. I trust you. I need to trust you.” He leaned toward her, resting his arms beside hers on the table. “And you need to trust me.”
So touched by his words, Justine’s throat went dry and a verbal reply seemed impossible. She wanted to trust him, too. She wanted to discover that their last night together wasn’t just a hook-up for him…that he really was the caring and sweet guy who’d opened up to her, trusted her with his most private information.
Yes, they needed to trust each other.
He reached out and slid a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The touch made her shiver, made her want to move close and tuck herself inside his arms.
“Juss,” he said in a low voice. “I want to…” He swallowed and glanced away, his long lashes shading those beautiful eyes.
You want to what? she inwardly screamed while her heart pounded, still feeling where his hand had brushed against her cheek. Whatever you want, do it.
He pressed a hand over hers, the touch reminding her of their kiss…how it had gone from gentle to steamy in two seconds flat. He lifted her hand and pulled it toward him. She watched in anticipation, wondering what he would do next.
“I think you should send this.”
Her vision was blurry when she focused on where he was looking. At her computer screen.
“It’s time.” He let go of her hand but then moved his to the side of her neck. She was sure he could feel her jumping pulse.
“Yeah,” she said. Her index finger shook as she slid it across the touch pad, chose the attachment, then hit send. “Done.”
When she looked at Will, his deep brown eyes seemed more intense than ever, and she wondered if their second Hawaiian kiss was about to be as mind-blowing as their first.
“Now you can ask me about that night,” he said, his voice a husky whisper. “When Anna died.”
There was a sudden buzzing inside her ears. For a second, she felt the irrational urge to run away, until Will’s hand curled around hers.
“I told you about that?”
He nodded. “Some of it.”
For the past year, she’d gone back and forth between trying desperately to recall that night, to trying to block the whole thing out. She couldn’t remember telling him about Anna, though obviously she had.
What she did remember—all too clearly—was receiving a phone call from Anna’s mother about what had happened to her best friend while at the lake. Justine had been in a panic, trying to get to Franklin where their families were. She’d needed to be with them so they could grieve together and support each other. But thanks to a line of storms hovering over Indianapolis, all flights had been delayed for the next twenty-four hours.
When Will had surprised her by dropping in at her apartment, she was already three sheets to the wind. The rest of the night was fuzzy at best.
Justine stood and walked to the railing. “She was boating with friends at the lake,” she said, feeling the need to say it aloud. “They were racing another boat to meet at a cove when they hit choppy water; they think it was a wake from another boat. The jolt tossed Anna around like a rag doll. She hit her head.” A weight pressed down on Justine’s lungs. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t been there when it happened—she could picture the scene clearly. “She got thrown overboard but she was still conscious and trying to swim—she’s an excellent swimmer, but there’s a dam on one side of the lake and it has strong currents, stronger than Anna. They said her lungs were filled with so much water not even CPR…” She trailed off, trying desperately to not imagine her best friend’s face, blue and lifeless.
“It was an accident—I know that, intellectually, but that doesn’t lessen how afraid I am of the water…which isn’t even logical. I mean, I should be more afraid of other people drowning, not me. Right? Who said any of this is logical. Most fears are irrational anyway, and—”
“Justine,” Will said, coming to stand beside her. “I’m so sorry.” He placed a hand over hers that had been clasped around the wooden railing like a vice grip. His touch was comforting, but it immediately brought another memory to her mind. Or rather, the lack of a memory: Waking up in Will’s bed alone, with no idea how she’d gotten there.
“My best friend had just died,” she said, needing to speak before the lump in her throat got any lumpier. From out of nowhere, tears sprang to her eyes, so she covered her face with her hands, ashamed and hurt from the unhealed, Will-sized wound in her heart. “I was upset, you knew I was.”
“Yes.”
“And still you…you did that.” She felt his hand on her arm but she pushed it off.
“Justine. It hurt you, I know. But I would do the exact same thing again.”
Chapter Six
Will hoped what h
e was about to tell her would clear the air and give them a chance to start over.
Or maybe, after she heard what had happened, it would just be over.
Justine had gone very still. “I don’t remember everything that happened that night.” She took another step away from him. He didn’t follow. “I do remember crying. A lot.”
“Yes, you cried a lot.”
“You showed up at my apartment. Why?”
He felt his brows knit together. “We had a date.”
“We did?” She blinked slowly, looking baffled. “I don’t remember that.”
“We had dinner plans. I was there to pick you up but you were…” He paused and ran a hand over his face, not enjoying recalling the memory. “You were hysterical, not making sense. You didn’t want me to stay but I wasn’t about to leave.”
“I…don’t remember that part, either.”
“Okay.” He turned to face her, leaning a hip against the railing. “I’m going to fill in some holes now,” he said, then waited for her to nod. “When I showed up at your apartment that night, you were pretty out of it.”
“Meaning?”
“You’d been drinking.”
“Right?”
“A lot, Justine.”
“After Anna’s mom called, I raided my liquor stash.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “But after that…”
“It took a while for me to get the story straight, but I finally pieced together that she’d drowned.” He paused, trying to gauge her reaction. She looked okay so far. “You were sad…inconsolable, and you were out of alcohol. You wanted to go to a bar, so you took off out the front door before I could stop you. It was pouring rain and you were halfway down the block when I caught up.”
Justine touched her forehead. “Rain?”
“You fought me at first. The only way I could get you into my car was to promise we’d stop at a liquor store.”
Her eyes were wide. “Did we?”
“No. I took you to my place where you’d be safe and I could watch you.”
“Oh.” She dropped her hand. “Then what?”
Making Waves: A Perfect Kisses Novella Page 5
