Weslee didn’t respond though.
He just walked away, leaving me almost breathless.
In front of me Ryland had sat Kailey on the counter and was nestled between her legs and was gently kissing her. She reached for a red cup and snuck it between them so she could drink.
To my left I saw Charlotte with some guy. He was holding her. He had dirty blonde hair and was in a black t-shirt just like Weslee. I assumed that was Flynn.
The party started to regain its life.
I turned around and hurried through the house to the front door.
Outside, I looked around, trying to find Weslee.
I didn’t get it.
Why was everyone so afraid of him?
He had always been the bad boy when we were younger, but what was such a big deal now?
I licked my lips, realizing how dry they were.
My heart raced. My mind raced just as fast.
Together, they came up with the same conclusion.
Maybe there were certain things I was best not knowing.
But I knew myself…
Chapter 5
Wes
I chewed the hell out of some cinnamon gum on my ride home. My motorcycle growled loud enough to chase away all the thoughts. And it was exactly what I needed. I didn’t mind leaving Flynn and Leo behind. It wasn’t like they were going to sit bitch on my ride or anything. Flynn had to worry about his girl Charlotte. She didn’t know how to take one drink at a time. She pounded and got herself into trouble. Flynn didn’t mind because he reaped the benefits, at least until she got sick. And Leo was Leo.
Whatever.
I cruised the streets with the ocean to my right, plastered in darkness, the water’s dark silhouette like a bleeding horizon into the night.
It was when I felt alive and ready to do something.
I rode by the shop like I always did. The light in the apartment above the shop was on. That’s where Pop lived. The guy had more money than anyone I knew and he loved that apartment above the shop.
When I got back home, I slowly went up the long driveway to the house, not wanting to wake up Ma. I couldn’t control much of her life or the things that had happened, but if I could come home without sounding like a damn wild boy, then I’d give that to her.
The porch light came on and the door opened right away.
Ma stepped out to the porch with a cigarette lit.
Our relationship was nothing short of rocky. The one thing we all had in common was the shop. For as grumpy as Pop was, we needed him around. And Jett was always the middle guy to keep things together. He took care of Ma and never crossed the line with her. Which was good. As much as I thought of Jett as a hero and a father figure, if he went too far and wanted to be stepfather, I’d have fucking killed him.
“You’re home early,” Ma said as I walked up the porch steps.
“Just getting started here,” I said with a grin. “You know me. Night owl.”
“Yeah. Whoo-whoo to you. That’s when the trouble comes out.”
There was a forever kind of sadness in Ma’s eyes. As she had every right to feel that sadness and I wished there was more I could have done for her.
“Why are you up?” I asked her.
“Cherry called.”
“Damn. She okay?”
“She’s got a cough and wanted a ride to the pharmacy.”
“This late?” I asked, laughing.
“You know her,” Ma said. “She has no concept of time. I was going to take her some medicine.”
“I’ll do it,” I said. “You should get some sleep.”
Ma worked crazy days and hours as a nurse. Pop always took care of her - and us - financially but she insisted on having her own career. Her own money. Which I respected. But truthfully she did that because she knew if she was bored at all, she’d lose her edge. When my old man had still been around, they’d get lost together and wind up in deep trouble. Drinking and other things. Leaving Pop using Dusty to get them out of trouble. And all of that shit fueled the rumors of my family being corrupt and having ties to a motorcycle club.
“You sure?” Ma asked.
“I’m sure.”
She handed me a shopping bag. “Don’t go drinking that.”
“Why the hell would I drink that?” I asked.
“I’ve seen kids do stupid stuff, Wes.”
“I’m not a kid and I’m not stupid.”
Ma laughed. “I used to say the same stuff when I was your age.”
“Night, Ma.”
“Love ya, Wes.”
“Love ya back,” I said.
She went inside and I went for a ride down the street to see Cherry.
She lived on a dead-end street.
Her name was Sherry but when we were younger we couldn’t pronounce her name, so it was Cherry. And the name just stuck. She was a sweet old lady with a heart of gold, but a vicious side if you pissed her off. She had done a lot for our family too. Secrets and things like that.
Not to mention she took in Noelle, which was a whole other messed up thing.
It was no shock to me when I saw Noelle sitting on the porch with one of her notebooks and a small flashlight in her mouth.
She ignored my motorcycle until I turned off the engine.
That’s when she looked up, pointing the light right at my face.
I blocked the bright light. “What are you doing out here?”
“Writing.”
“I can see that. Anything good?”
“Check it out,” she said.
I turned and crashed down next to her. I threw my shoulder into hers and she giggled. She put her head to my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my right arm.
I was the only person who could look at her notebooks. Her sacred diaries and poems and sketches.
“Looks good,” I said to her.
“You didn’t even read it, jerk,” she said.
“I skimmed it.”
“You skipped it.”
“I’m tired, Noe.”
“Me too, Wes,” she said.
She wiggled her nose at me.
I stuck my tongue out.
She laughed.
“Brought Cherry some medicine. She said she has a cough?”
“She sounds rough,” Noelle said. “I offered to help her but…”
“Yeah, you can’t offer to help her,” I said. “You just do stuff for her.”
“She called your mother for help.”
“That’s different.”
“How so?”
“It just is,” I said. I stood up.
I put my hand to Noelle’s hair and made a mess of it.
“Fuck. Jerk.” She growled under her breath.
I laughed and let myself into entering Cherry’s house without knocking. To the right was the kitchen table I had seen my mother spend a lot of nights crying at. Cherry would tuck me under a blanket on the couch and give me the remote and tell me I could watch anything as long as I stayed on the couch. And Ma would just let it out at the table. Sometimes no matter how loud I turned the TV up I could still hear Ma crying.
Cherry was in the living room in her favorite off pink chair. The thing was old and dirty, but she refused to give it up.
“Weslee,” she said with a big smile.
Her glasses pushed up on her face from her big cheeks.
“Cherry,” I said. “Heard you’re sick.”
“Cough,” she said.
“Brought you something for it,” I said.
I gave her the shopping bag and she took the cough medicine out and studied the box.
“This is perfect. Tell your mother I owe her one,” Cherry said.
I leaned down and Cherry planted a kiss to my cheek. “Nah. We owe you for life.”
Cherry grabbed the back of my arms. “I heard Dusty was at the shop today. Everything good?”
“It’s fine,” I said. “He was asking about a stolen motorcycle.”
“Nothing you had to do
with it?”
“Nothing,” I said. “We don’t do that stuff, Cherry.”
She laughed. “Sure thing, Weslee.”
I backed away and watched her open the medicine. She drank right from the bottle.
“Hey,” I said. “How’s No?”
“She’s here,” Cherry said. “Her heart just wants to wander the world.”
“Yeah. She’s always on the search.”
Cherry looked over her glasses at me. “You could end that search, Weslee.”
I grinned. “Not me. You know that.”
“Okay,” Cherry said.
“If you need anything else, call me. Okay?”
“Too good to hang out with an old lady?” she asked.
“You used to pay me to hang out with you,” I said.
“Get my purse then. I’ll give you a dollar.”
I laughed. “You’re crazy, Cherry. I love ya though.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said. She waved a hand. “Get outta the way, Weslee. I need to watch the news.”
“Have at it,” I said.
I left the house and saw that Noelle was gone.
She left the flashlight on the steps with a piece of a paper under it.
When I opened it, it was a quick sketch of a heart.
With my name and her name in the middle of it.
I crumbled up the paper and threw it into the bushes.
I put the flashlight back down.
As I climbed on my ride, my mind asked what’s next?
But I already knew the answer.
I wanted to make sure Aira got out of that party safely.
The party had died down.
I walked through every room, stepping over the mess left behind. Everything from cups to bottles, to people passed out, I looked like the lone survivor in a scary movie. But there was nothing scary about this. They’d wake up the next morning to the maid clapping her hands and chasing them all out so she could clean the house fast enough so Liam’s ass wasn’t handed to him by his parents.
He fucking paid the maid on the side too. So she was double dipping from Liam’s parents. What a genius move on her part.
I checked every bedroom and bathroom and by the time I was done, I needed a cigarette.
I parked my motorcycle back home and went for a walk down to the ocean.
I sat on the railing of the pier and listened to the waves crashing as I enjoyed my last smoke of the night.
Eventually I’d need to talk to Aira.
Find out where she went, why, and why she was back here again. Dusty had already warned me to stay away, which made me wonder what exactly was going on with her. If she wasn’t with her parents, what did that mean?
And hell, seeing that goddamn fool Ryland with his hands on her made me want to explode. I rarely wore jealousy but when I did…
My eyes caught movement and I jumped off the railing and turned.
Someone was walking along the beach.
It was too late for that.
Nobody out here at this hour was doing so with good reason or intention.
Except me, of course.
I watched as the figure got closer.
Then I realized it was Aira.
She was barefoot with her jeans rolled up.
I grinned, wondering if she owned a pair of shorts. Or why she was afraid to wear shorts. Because she wasn’t in the past. She always wore shorts. Or dresses.
Damn, those dresses…
I took a step and paused.
She didn’t see me.
She had her head down, watching the sand as she stepped onto it, leaving footprints that existed only until the next wave came up to shore and washed them away.
There was something about that… the way the water washed it all away.
I swallowed hard, the memories of too much hitting me at once.
That was the effect of Aira, I guess.
Which meant maybe my distance was a good thing.
For both of us.
She walked right by the pier.
She lifted her left hand and tried to tuck her brown hair behind her left ear but the beach breeze wasn’t going to allow that to happen.
The breeze took her hair in whatever direction it wanted.
Just like it did to my hair and my smoke.
When Aira finally stopped walking, she turned her head and saw me.
I thought about her at the party.
The way she handled herself with Ryland. Although things would have gotten really bad if I hadn’t stepped in. And at that point, if Ryland wanted to kick up that old war and make it explode worse than ever, I was more than ready.
Even though it didn’t seem fair to have that happen because of Aira.
She knew nothing.
Literally nothing.
Then again, I knew the same about her.
I brought my cigarette to my lips and took a drag.
I’d much rather have tasted her lips, but that I could save for later.
Aira offered a wave.
I didn’t wave back.
She put her head back down and started to walk.
I moved to the other side of the pier and watched her for a little bit.
I finished my smoke and had one question burning in my mind.
What the hell has you awake like this, darling… and how can I help you?
Chapter 6
Aira
“Did you do anything with Ryland?” I asked Kailey as she drove to school.
“I don’t want to talk about that,” she said. “That was a messed-up night. That was all my fault.”
“How?”
“I should have talked to you about things.”
“Things?”
“The way this all works, Aira,” Kailey said. “Just…”
“Just what? Did you sleep with him?”
“No,” Kailey said. “I didn’t even… whatever. I just needed him distracted enough to forget about you.”
“Well, what was the deal with Weslee stepping in? Everyone got so quiet.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Aira, you have no idea what you’re stepping into right now. Hidden Creek High… it’s like its own town in the halls, okay?”
“What does that mean?”
“Everyone has a secret. Everyone.”
“Do you have a secret?”
“Everyone,” Kailey said. She swallowed hard.
“You’re really painting my first day here to be wonderful.”
“Just mind your own business and do your own thing,” Kailey said.
“Just tell me the deal with Ryland. Why is he so arrogant?”
“He’s the richest guy here,” Kailey said. “Well, maybe the richest.”
“Maybe?”
“Look…” Kailey sighed. “I don’t know what’s true or not. But there’s word that maybe Ryland isn’t the richest guy around here.”
“Who is then?”
“Weslee.”
Shock rippled through me.
Weslee? Richest?
That didn’t make a lot of sense to me.
He didn’t dress or act…
I thought of him from the middle of the night, standing on the pier, smoking.
He seemed as lost as me.
“You didn’t hear that from me. Forget it even. Shit. Just go with the flow of the day. Hopefully we’ll be in classes together. If not, look for Charlotte.”
“I’d rather be alone.”
Kailey laughed. “I know she’s goofy, but she means well.”
“I know. I’m just being a judgmental cunt.”
“Damn,” Kailey said.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Hey… do you own anything but jeans?”
I put my knees together and touched my legs.
I swallowed a lump in my throat.
“I… Kailey, my house burned down,” I said.
“What?”
“That’s why I’m here. It’s been a rou
gh year. And after the fire… I guess… whatever. I’m here now.”
“Ohmygod. Your house burned down?”
“Yes.”
“Like…”
“It’s gone, Kailey. The entire house is gone.”
Kailey touched her face. “Ohmygod. And I just made a comment about your clothes. I’m the judgmental cunt now.”
“Sort of, yeah,” I said with a grin.
“That’s not funny!” Kailey yelled. “I’m so sorry, Aira. Why didn’t you say something to me?”
“I didn’t want to talk about it. All I’ve done is talk about it. And think about it. And dream about it. I appreciate you being my friend. I appreciate Charlotte and her blondeness. I appreciate the party. I appreciate Weslee. I-”
“Do not appreciate that guy,” Kailey said. “Whatever you knew about him, just forget it.”
“Is it really that bad here?” I asked.
I started to smile but the serious look on Kailey’s face wiped that away.
Kailey made a right turn and I saw the building.
Hidden Creek High.
An old building that was tall and wide. Massive tan looking concrete steps. Four large red doors with black trim and bolts above them. Above each door was some kind of stone statue. I couldn’t make out what each one was. The building had that same old pristine look that I had been used to from my old school.
Kailey parked in the student parking lot and we walked to the steps.
I put my foot up on the first one and paused.
I wasn’t the type to get super nervous about much.
Kailey kept walking.
People all around me passed me by like I was invisible.
Someone bumped into me and before I could say something, I realized it was Ryland.
He looked back and pulled his sunglasses down his nose.
“Hey, sweetie. Once you go inside, you’ll never be the same again. Kind of like a night with me.”
He blew me a kiss and I wanted to throw up.
I stepped back off the step and a hand grazed my back.
“Time for school,” a deep adult voice said.
A man stood next to me. He was tall, skinny, with black scruff on his face. Handsome, maybe, for a man his age.
“You must be Aira,” he said. “I’m Principal Henders. Let me show you the way in. If my memory serves me correct, you have a meeting with Miss Carson to talk about your classes.”
Hidden Creek Secrets (Hidden Creek High Book 1) Page 4
