Kiss with Cherry Flavor (Grover Beach #4)

by Anna Katmore

  “I’m sorry I hurt you so much. Let me take care of you now.” Tony walked on, and even though Chloe whined and told him no, she didn’t back away anymore. She just stood, up to her waist in water, and cried in the cold night.

  What happened then hurt me deep in my soul. Tony reached out, took her face between his hands, and pressed his forehead to hers. I didn’t hear what he said to her then, but I knew it was something very intimate and personal. Chloe reached up and closed her fingers around his wrists, shaking her head slowly, choking on her tears. He caressed her wet hair, then he pulled her tight against him.

  At the sight of them so close in the beam of my flashlight, my heart stopped and my throat tightened. Hold your shit together, I told myself. There was a simple reason for this. But when Chloe put her arms around his neck and he let her, I wanted to drop to my knees and cry.

  Tony bent and scooped her up in his arms, lifting her out of the water. Her hold on him grew even tighter as she buried her face against his throat. Turning, he carried her out of the sea.

  My breath froze in my lungs as I watched them coming toward me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to shake this picture out of my mind for the rest of my life.

  “Get her shoes,” Tony told me without any hint of emotion in his voice. He didn’t stop and wait for me. Heading back the way we’d come, he carried my cousin through the night.

  *

  From afar, we spotted the flashing blue lights of the two police cars parked in front and behind the cars of our friends. Over there, it was bright enough to alarm the entire street. Since we didn’t need the flashlight to brighten our way anymore, I pushed my phone back into my pocket and followed Tony silently across the beach.

  So many people had gathered by the cars. Ryan and Jack stood face to face, having a loud argument. Ryan’s parents had also come. Jessie Hunter tried to calm her son and my uncle with soothing gestures, but they kept ignoring her.

  Brinna was sitting at the curb, her face buried in her hands. A female officer patted her back and spoke quietly to her. Only Aunt Pamela stood away from the rest and gazed out onto the black sea.

  No one noticed us coming at first. But then Nick Frederickson turned our way and the next instant shouted, “Hey, there they are!” Everyone else pivoted in our direction, and Nick and Alex rushed down to the beach toward us. Jack and Pamela followed.

  I didn’t know what to say or do, so I just stopped next to Tony, who glared at Jack then handed Chloe over. Without a word, Jack carried my cousin to their car and helped her get inside. Pamela was at their side all the time.

  I was tired. I was cold. Exhaustion had me in a stranglehold. And I was crestfallen.

  All I wanted to do was get into Tony’s car, go to Caroline Jackson’s house, and on the way, question Tony about what the hell had happened between him and Chloe out in the water. My hopes, however, were trampled when the young, female officer, who was taking care of Brinna just a minute ago, came over. Her long, fair hair was hanging in a loose braid down her back and the brim of her cap shaded her compassionate eyes. She told us we had to follow her and her colleagues to the police station, just like all our friends, to be questioned about tonight’s events.

  A frightening cloud of dizziness came over me. I experienced everything—heard and saw people talk and move—through a haze. If it hadn’t been for Tony dragging me along, I’d have stood there for the rest of the night, gazing into nothingness for sure. He made me climb into his car and helped me buckle in, then he followed the police cars down the road to the station. Once there, my small group of friends surrounded me and walked with me up the stairs to a pretty new building. Their presence helped soothe me a little, which was a miracle, because not even my aunt could do that anymore.

  Each of us had to make a statement, separately. The young lady officer sat down with me first and took notes when she started questioning me. Vaguely I heard her say, “You’re the cousin of the girl who had the accident tonight. Is that right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Were you involved in the accident?”

  “No.”

  “Were you at the accident location with your friends?”

  “No.”

  “Are you aware that your cousin drank alcohol tonight?”

  “Um, I didn’t know.”

  “Did you drink alcohol tonight?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  What kind of stupid question was this? “Of course I’m sure!”

  “You and your boyfriend were the ones who found Miss Summers, weren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where?”

  “At the beach.”

  “Where exactly?”

  “In the water.”

  Again the picture of Tony carrying Chloe out of the water danced up in front of my eyes. I squeezed them shut, fighting back the tears that would have been more a result of exhaustion than pain anyway.

  “Miss Summers?”

  “Hm?” The officer startled me and was now looking at me as if she’d been waiting for my answer for a while now.

  “I asked you if we should call your parents,” she said.

  “I—ah— No. They don’t live in the States. My aunt is actually over there. I guess if you have to talk to a relative, she’s as good as any.” Rubbing my temples, I got to my feet. “Can I go now? I told you everything already.”

  At that instant, Pam turned toward us. She was holding Chloe and someone had draped a dark brown blanket around them. What I would have given for such a blanket. Only now I realized how badly I was shaking.

  “Of course, you can leave in just a minute,” the officer told me and held a clipboard with a few sheets of paper under my nose—most likely the record of my answers. “Would you please sign this? Then you’re free to go.”

  With numb fingers, I scribbled my name at the bottom but didn’t pay much attention to it. My gaze was still fastened on my aunt and cousin across the room. Pam detached from Chloe, stroking over her wet hair one last time, then she came walking toward me. Looking after her, Chloe’s eyes soon met mine. Tears trailed down her cheeks. While she looked torn and sheepish, my expression was probably as telling as a grave right now. A moment later, she lowered her glance and slowly turned back to the Asian guy who was throwing questions at her like the blond officer had done with me.

  Only when Pam had reached me and placed her palm to my cheek did I drag my gaze away from Chloe. “Sam,” my aunt said in a very low voice, and then nothing else for a really long moment.

  Closing my eyes, I drew in a deep, steadying breath. When I looked up again, I saw Tony two steps behind her. He must have finished making his statement too. I more than wanted to walk to him and sink into his embrace, but Pam was in the way. And then I wasn’t even sure if Tony wanted it after all. Whatever had happened back at the beach, it had managed to build an invisible wall between us.

  When Pamela said my name again, I concentrated on her instead of the closed-off face of my boyfriend.

  “What?” I croaked.

  “Jack and I will take Chloe home now. We think it’s best if you came back with us.”

  Was she kidding? “I don’t understand—”

  “Chloe just told us what really happened last night…what she did in your room.” Another long pause followed before my aunt went on. “Jack and I are unspeakably sorry that we didn’t believe you. Come home with us and we can talk about everything tomorrow.”

  My gaze skated across the police station until it landed on Jack who was standing in the back of the room by a coffee dispenser. He must have drunk his coffee already, because right now he was leaning with his forehead against his arm on the machine.

  So they were sorry? How nice. After everything they’d done to me, I should just get over myself and their betrayal and act like everything was fine? “What makes you guys think you always know what’s best for me?” I yelled at Pamela then. “You have absolutely no idea!”

  “Sammy—�
��

  “No! Don’t you Sammy me! I’d rather sleep under a bridge tonight than actually go back home with you and Jack!”

  Since I’d finally found my voice again, I was now drawing the attention of the entire station. Jack turned with a sober expression. Had I taken this a step too far? Of course I didn’t want to camp out under a bridge, but both of them had hurt me a great deal. And not only them, but Chloe too. I didn’t feel welcome in their house any longer, even if they were practically begging me with their looks to forgive them. For the first time today, I really longed to go back to Cairo. Home, to my parents.

  Suddenly someone’s hand closed around mine. It totally escaped me when Tony had stepped to my side, so I was looking up at him now, dumbfounded. He just gave me a sidelong glance then snarled at my aunt, “I guess everything’s been said. Take care of Chloe. Sam’s coming with me.” He sounded so controlled yet so angry that a cold shudder tiptoed down my spine—and he wasn’t even talking to me.

  Tony didn’t give Pam or anyone else in the room time to contradict him. Instead, he pulled me through the door, down the stairs, and outside. He stopped by the car and pulled the door open for me, and all I could do was stand rigid and gape at him, wide-eyed, before climbing in—none of my unspoken questions answered yet.

  TONY

  IF I CAN’T have you, I don’t want to live any longer.

  The words rang out in my mind time and again—all the way from the police station, where Sam and I had to give statements about tonight’s events, until we arrived at my aunt’s house. I cut the engine and pulled the key out, but I couldn’t make my body move to get out of the car.

  “Are you cold?” Sam whispered. It was the first thing she’d said to me since the moment I’d walked into the sea to get her cousin.

  “I’m freezing,” I answered in an equally low voice, tilting my head back and staring at the roof of the car, all the while playing with the keys in my hands.

  “You should go home and take a shower to warm up.”

  “In a minute.” There was something I needed to tell her first. Something I hadn’t told the police or Chloe’s parents when they’d found us down at the beach with Chloe. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Do you still hate your cousin?”

  When Sam didn’t answer, I cut her a sidelong look. Her lips had thinned as she studied me silently.

  “Do you hate her?” she asked eventually.

  Tell me you love me. Tell me you love me, or I’ll drown myself tonight.

  I—Love you.

  “No… I feel sorry for her.”

  After another long pause, Sam whispered, “Me, too.” By the sound of it, I knew she wasn’t telling the entire truth, even when she continued, “I’m just glad she finally told her parents that it was her who trashed my room and put the money and Scotch bottles in there.” She sighed. “But she still hates me.”

  “She’ll get over it. Just give her some time.”

  “Yes, maybe. But will she ever get over you?” And you over her? The unspoken question gleamed in her eyes.

  I couldn’t answer her real question immediately, because I didn’t want to lie to Sam. “Eventually, she will. But out in the sea, when I held her in my arms, I realized something.” Turning my head toward her, I swallowed, and it hurt my throat. Sam looked scared. I knew she’d been hurt when she saw me carry and hug her cousin. “The way Chloe feels about me…it won’t change for a long time. And I can’t drop out of her life completely. It was a mistake to think I could.”

  Sam’s lips trembled slightly. “What do you mean?”

  “She’s unstable. I was the one responsible for what happened to her tonight, because I ignored her. She might do something reckless like this again.”

  “You think she’s suicidal?”

  I nodded.

  “Then it sure isn’t your fault. You don’t owe her anything.” Her hurt gaze dropped to my hand on the gearshift. “Just tell me one thing.”

  “What?”

  “When you held her in the water…” She looked at me again. “What did you tell her?”

  “I’d rather not say.” The words came out on a painful breath.

  Sam chewed on her bottom lip. Then she sniffed. “I understand.” She turned away, opened the door, and stepped out.

  Fuck.

  I got out, too, rushed around the car, and caught her arm before she could walk away from me. “You don’t understand, that’s the problem,” I said, more harshly than I meant to. “I didn’t mean what I said to her. She needed to hear it, so I spit it out, but I—Fucking. Didn’t. Mean it. Because there’s only one girl in this world I really wanted to say it to at that moment. Or now, or yesterday, or last weekend, when I kissed you in the woods.”

  Letting go of her arm, I cupped her cheeks and made her look at my face so she saw the truth in my eyes. “I’ve never said that to a girl, because I never felt it before. Not even for Lisa. And it took you walking into my life to make me realize that, Sam.”

  Her eyes grew wide, but in the next instant she pushed against my stomach, her expression tight. “Stop it. I don’t want to hear any of this.”

  I knew she doubted every word I’d just said.

  Oh girl, don’t make me fall to my knees in front of you.

  “I don’t care if you believe me or not. Because it’s the truth, and whether you like it or not, you’ll have to fucking deal with it. I’m falling in love with you, Bungee. With you alone.”

  And then I kissed her so hard, she gasped against my mouth. It was time for her to see, hear, and feel what I felt for her. There was no place for doubts or an argument. She was my girl. And I didn’t intend to ever let her walk away from me again.

  When her lips remained tensed and closed, I feared she was going to kick me in the gut. But not even that could stop me. I pressed my mouth harder against hers, stroking her cheeks with my thumbs.

  And finally, she loosened. The push of her small hands against my stomach eased, then she clutched my sweatshirt, pulling me tighter against her.

  I swept my tongue across the seam of her lips, and she opened her mouth for me. This time, I didn’t go gentle on her. I couldn’t. I was so in need of this girl that it hurt throughout my body, centering in the tiny spot at the left side of my chest. I found her tongue with mine, played with it, danced with it, slid in and out of her mouth slowly, seducing her to love me the same way I loved her.

  She tasted wonderful. Sweet. Soft. Like cherry candy and Sam. And when she lifted to her toes, wrapping her arms around my neck, I knew I had her. All of her. She was mine. No doubts left.

  Her breath was hot on my skin as she yielded to my demands, exploring my mouth with her tongue in turn. Her delicate body pressed against my front, making me want to feel every inch of her. My hands dropped from her face to roam up and down her back; once, twice. The third time, I scrunched up her hoodie between my fingers and shoved it up. Sam shivered as I touched her naked skin there, giving me one helluva good feeling.

  I nipped her bottom lip. Then I broke off the kiss, staring into her eyes with only a couple of inches of space between us. “Don’t go away,” I breathed. “It was so hard to win you.”

  Sam took my face between her hands, pulling me toward her so she could place a brief, soft kiss on my mouth. “I’m not going,” she whispered and kissed me again, and again. “I’m not going, Tony. Never.” Her lips suddenly tasted salty and wet, but she wouldn’t let me look at her. She just kissed me, and the kiss turned deeper, harder, and hungrier.

  Good tears, I told myself. They had to be. I licked them away from her lips, meeting her hunger with the same eagerness for another long moment. Time seemed so unimportant when I was with her.

  “Scary how easily I can make you cry,” I said softly against her mouth then.

  Sam’s lips stretched in a smile. “You only can because I kinda you. A little, you know.”

  Thrusting my fingers into her hair, I pressed a kiss to her brow, then I cuddled her aga
inst my chest, resting my chin on top of her head. She was the perfect fit for me.

  “I’m so tired,” Sam whispered against my shirt. “I feel like I could fall asleep standing right here.”

  It was a good thing we’d all gotten excuses to stay home from school tomorrow. Sam could sleep in then. “Let’s get you inside and into bed, Bungee.”

  She let me walk her up to the house, tucked under my arm. With the key Carrie had given her today, she unlocked the door, then she turned to me. I was ready to say good night, but Sam didn’t release my hand.

  “Could you sleep here tonight? Up there, with me? Not like…you know. Just beside me, so I won’t be alone?”

  Carrie sure wouldn’t mind, but I knew my mom was still up waiting for me. I’d told her at the police station that I’d only take Sam to my aunt’s house and then come home as well. So I sent her a short message, saying that I would be home tomorrow morning.

  Sam smiled at me when I put the phone back into my pocket. We sneaked upstairs into her new room, and she slumped onto the bed, dipping back. “What a weird day…” she drawled.

  “Absolutely.” I pulled the wardrobe open, knowing that Carrie always stored some spare clothes on the top shelf for the kids who came here. A white tee and light gray cotton shorts would do for tonight. Turning to Sam, I gave her a half-smile. “Mind if I rush into the shower? I feel wet to the bone.”

  She didn’t look up, just waved a dismissive hand at me. “Go. I’ll get the bed ready in the meantime.”

  With the clothes tucked under my arm, I went to the bathroom. For the next three minutes, I enjoyed the hot spray of water warming me from top to bottom. Hell, I’d so needed this. I toweled off, ran a hand through my damp hair, then slipped into the borrowed clothes.

  As I came back into the room, the sight of Sam lying still on the bed made me smile. Silently, I walked up to her. Her eyes were closed, her breathing deep and even. She looked adorable.