And here I thought this was the best shower ever before.
Now it was.
“Nothing looks different, darling,” Wes said.
“Where?”
“I went outside to check on things. Maybe we scared someone off.”
“Which means whoever did it was someone we talked to.”
“Maybe,” Wes said.
“You don’t like that answer.”
“Not at all.”
“Hey,” I said. “What did you say to Miss Carson? I mean… that was crazy what you did. You’re supposed to be this big bad boy in Hidden Creek High and you walked into her office to talk about wet dreams?”
Wes laughed. “Anything for you, Aira. And the thing that made her make you leave? It involved a place where things aren’t really supposed to go into.”
I felt my cheeks burning a little. “Wes…”
“I don’t think she’ll ever look at me the same,” he said.
“Probably not. I think when you graduate, they’re going to change the locks.”
“It’s not hard to get back in there,” Wes said. “There’s a door or two unlocked. Not that I ever would want to go back.”
I put my head back and let the water hit between us. My chest. His chest. My breasts pressed against him.
Wes gently kissed my neck.
I shivered and groaned.
My mind raced.
Like… it really raced.
There were a few things that didn’t feel right at the moment.
But what did feel right was Wes.
His kisses moving down my body.
I kept my head back and felt the swirl of his tongue over my right breast. The tip of his tongue flickering up and down over my nipple. As though I needed any other reason to be turned on.
His left hand eased between my legs like he was always meant to be there.
My legs parted and the touch became more.
I sucked in a breath and forced my right hand between us. My fingertips against his body, traveling down his length, slowly attempting to grip him so I could make him feel what he was making me feel.
Wes turned and pressed me against the shower wall.
The tiles were cool and it made me cry out, but he stole that sound with a kiss.
Any thoughts I had became a blur.
The steam from the hot water collected around us, hiding us.
His fingers explored my depths as my hand moved against him with the same speed.
We kissed. And kissed.
And ohmygod… kissed…
I never wanted to leave that shower.
Because the truth was slowly starting to make sense.
* * *
I darted through the front door and made a line for my bedroom.
And by my bedroom I meant the room that was mine but also where my mother decided to leave all of her bags.
Of course she was standing at the large window in the living room that faced the beach.
She was holding something in her hand.
I expected - and hoped - it to be a wine glass.
Early morning wine would tell me she would be heading back to her fancy apartment where she could be fake and travel to the wineries she invested so much into.
Nope.
It was a cup of coffee.
“Rushing around before school?” she asked me.
“Just needed to get something,” I said.
“Or is it something else?”
I stopped. “What? Do you want to talk about what you did to me?”
“What I did to you?” Mom asked.
“That list of names… do you realize what they thought?”
“Do you realize what I thought, Aira?”
I curled my lip. “You don’t know anything about me, Mom. What that list was.”
“Then tell me.”
“You could have asked me first. I’m tired of spending time in that office. With them all accusing me of things.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong but everything you’ve been accused of turned out to be true.”
I swallowed hard.
“Do you still hurt yourself?” Mom asked so boldly.
“No.”
“Should I believe you?”
“Want me to drop my shorts?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You know, after that happened, Julia was up my ass about it. Checking my room randomly. She was there for me.”
“And I wasn’t? You left, Aira. And I let you leave. I understood why you wanted to come back here.”
“Oh, so you did me a favor? That’s what this is?”
“No,” Mom said. “This is me admitting my regret and fixing it. You are not the daughter I wanted to raise.”
“What?”
“That’s right. So you need to get your things in order because this isn’t the life you’re going to live. Cutting yourself? Going to parties? Fooling around with Weslee Jackson?”
“What’s so wrong with Wes?”
“His entire family,” Mom said. “You don’t even know the half of it, Aira. Believe me.”
“Believe you. I’ll believe you when I get the truth of what happened to our house. Tell me, Mom. How does the house catch on fire and there’s nothing happening? I thought it was arson?”
“They’re investigating,” she said. “Looking at all possibilities and trying to put the pieces together. We know a lot of people.”
“So someone you know…”
My words trailed off.
“This isn’t your battle, Aira,” Mom said. “You need to get some priorities straight. Because this isn’t life. You don’t want to live like Julia does. No offense to her. She could have had a great life with your uncle. She threw that away. I won’t let the same happen to you. So we can either stay here until you’re done with Hidden Creek High. Or you can pack up and leave with me. We’ll finish your education somewhere else.”
I shook my head.
I had no words for her.
Because I was… her.
I was my parents.
In some sick and twisted way, I was them.
Mom thought someone was after them and that’s why the house was set on fire.
And here I was… someone after me. Leaving notes. Breaking windows.
I turned and ran to the bedroom.
I threw my bag of clothes to the bed and looked around at the mess Mom had already made. Without a housekeeper she was nothing but a slob.
I once again had no room. Had no home.
All I had was Wes. And his place. But even his place wasn’t exactly his.
It was Jett’s.
“You can act like a spoiled teenage brat all you want,” Mom said from behind me. I heard her then slurp on her coffee. “That’s up to you.”
“Yeah, I guess it’s all up to me,” I said.
“I’m not trying to be hard on you,” Mom said. “Hey, the Weslee Jackson thing. I get it. It’s cute.”
“Cute?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Of course. You two lived next to each other. You know, your father was always worried about you and him. He was afraid Weslee was going to kiss you. Ruin his pretty daughter. But you were tough enough to handle him.”
“Is that why we moved away?”
“No,” Mom said. “I mean, that didn’t factor in the decision. We wanted you to be in a place where you could thrive. Because here…”
“And look where you sent me,” I said. “To a bunch of fake people. My entire life became fake, Mom. You know, maybe our house catching on fire was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Don’t you ever say that again, Aira.”
“Why? Does it ruin your image?”
Mom laughed. “My image. I’m trying to show you what it’s like to be a strong and independent woman.”
“How?”
“Look at what I’m doing,” Mom said. “The investments I’m making.”
“In wine.”
/> “Doesn’t matter. I’m a decision maker.”
“Julia owns her own business.”
“A shit bakery in a shit town,” Mom said.
“This is my town,” I said. “My hometown. My life. Don’t insult it or me.”
“I almost feel sorry for you,” Mom said. “But I can’t. It’s my job to push you. And I will.”
“If you don’t mind, I have to leave. I don’t want to be late. Last thing I need is another trip to the office, right?”
Mom stepped out of the bedroom.
I shut the door and locked it.
Her words slowly started to crush me.
But I had to fight them all off.
She was full of crap. She was attacking me to feel better about herself. She had no idea what Dad was doing. Business. Pleasure. No idea.
She could hate Julia. Hate the bakery. Hate the house.
But I thought it was all perfect.
A simple life on the beach.
Was that such a bad thing?
I felt a gripping pain in my heart.
Could I ever actually have something like that with Wes?
* * *
Kailey sat down and looked right at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Busy night?”
“Something like that.”
“A Wes night,” Charlotte said.
“I was worried about you,” Kailey said. “Thought something happened.”
“Well you know about the list situation,” I said.
“And what’s that I hear about Wes busting into Miss Carson’s office?” Emma asked.
“I know,” Kailey said. “I heard he made a move at her.”
“A move?” I asked.
“Yeah. He tried to put her on her desk to… you know…”
I rolled my eyes. “Not a chance. I was there.”
“That’s naughty,” Charlotte said.
“So is having your boyfriend going down on you in the school parking lot,” I said.
“I don’t mind,” Charlotte said.
“I’m sure you don’t,” Emma said.
She was a little less bitchy. Which meant she finally got what she wanted. But I didn’t want to know from where.
“Whatever,” Kailey said. “I know Wes didn’t sleep with Miss Carson. I just didn’t know what happened to you.”
“We went surfing,” I said. “I mean, I surfed. He was just in the water with me. Well, he watched me first but…”
“Wes went into the ocean?” Emma asked.
She grabbed my arm.
“Yeah.”
“Because of you?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Wow,” Charlotte said.
“He really does love you,” Kailey said.
“I know about Azel. What happened.”
“No, Aira,” Emma said. “It’s a big deal. One time some girl splashed him from the ocean, right? He flattened all her tires.”
“What?”
“Seriously,” Charlotte said. “He never goes near the water like that. Ever.”
“Emma even got naked once to lure him in,” Kailey said.
“Hey, shut it,” Emma said.
“Sorry,” Kailey said.
I chomped on the jealousy for a second as I stared at Emma. “Oh?”
“Long time ago. Please… just don’t…”
“Nope,” I said. “I don’t care.”
“This is getting really serious,” Kailey said.
“It has been for a while,” Charlotte said.
“I don’t even know if we’re back together,” I admitted. “Okay? We haven’t even talked about it. We just…”
“Fuck,” Emma said.
“Yeah,” I said. “That.”
“Just enjoy it then,” Emma said. “Don’t ask questions. Take the free dick while you can.”
Charlotte snorted and then coughed, spraying soda from her mouth across the table.
I jumped up and got away just in time.
“Gross,” Kailey said.
“Oh, it burns in my nose,” Charlotte said.
“You bitches are weird,” I said. “I have to go. Need to finish up with Miss Carson.”
“Good luck,” Kailey said.
“No, seriously, it’s burning,” Charlotte said.
I laughed and walked through the lunchroom.
I hated the sense of eyes on me. And even worse, anyone I looked at would quickly look away. I wondered what they were thinking. Not that it should have mattered but it did.
When I got to Miss Carson’s office, it was empty.
She wasn’t behind her desk.
Her chair was turned, facing the door.
I shrugged my shoulders.
At least I could tell her I showed up.
Right?
I stepped back and heard my name.
I looked to my left and there was Ryland, standing in the corner of the office.
Tucked away into the darkest part, next to a tall, green plant.
One foot up on the wall, his hands in his pockets.
He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.
“Ryland?”
“She wanted to know why I was on some list of yours,” he said.
“What did you say?”
“I told her we had a thing for each other.”
“Really?”
“You know, just playing into all the lies, Aira.”
“The lies?”
“That’s what it all is,” Ryland said. “All fucking lies.”
“Like what?”
“That list. Your list. You think I would fuck with you like that? I’m up front, Aira. I’ll tell you how it is. No need to worry about me scratching the word cunt into your locker. If I think you’re a cunt I’ll tell you to your face.”
“Yeah? Says the guy who broke into my locker to expose my most personal secret, right? And then the guy who stole a secret he knew nothing about…”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong.”
“What?”
“Why do you think Mika still talks to me? Huh?”
“Because she’s stupid. And she thinks she’ll get you into bed.”
“That’s already happened.”
“Good for her. And you.”
I turned to leave.
“It was me,” Ryland said.
I froze. “What was you?”
“With Mika.”
“I know that. You found what was written on that piece of paper and-”
“I was the one who got her pregnant,” Ryland said.
Fuck.
I caught myself turning back again. “What?”
“It was me. I got her pregnant. And my parents forced her parents to… you know. Take care of things. It was our secret. Our thing together. It’s why I keep her close. Whether you believe it or not, I am capable of caring.”
I swallowed hard. “So why…”
“It was time,” Ryland said. “Someone knew something. I mean, you had it written down. I figured I could get ahead of it. I thought about taking the heat from you. And I did a little. Mika got really pissed at me over it. But I can always smooth talk her. I can always calm her down.”
“I don’t know what to say to that, Ryland,” I said. “It’s fucked up. Is that why you’re a mess right now?”
“Who says I’m a mess?” he asked, laughing.
He pushed from the wall and walked toward me.
“Look at you. You look like you haven’t slept in days. You’re different. Ever since that secret came out…”
“Shhh,” Ryland said. “Your problem, Aira, is you never know where to look. You’re always looking the wrong way. You think I give a shit about what happened to Mika? Your innocence is just so sweet…”
Ryland reached for my face.
I jumped forward and lifted my knee, hitting him in the balls.
He let out a loud groan and fell to his knees.
That was the exact second Miss Carson came int
o the office.
“Aira? What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Just talking to Ryland,” I said. “Looks like he fell for me again.” I backed away and then faced off with Miss Carson.
She looked at Ryland, then at me.
“Oh, about the list,” I said. “Those were all my lovers. I didn’t want to confess it. I didn’t want to look like a whore.”
“Excuse me?” Miss Carson asked. “There were…”
“What? Boys and girls on that list? I know. Is there a problem with that?”
“Of course not.”
“Then it’s settled. Now you know what the list was. Now you can leave me the fuck alone.” I looked at Ryland. “You too.”
“Your time is coming, Aira,” Ryland said. “You have no idea what’s about to happen.”
I left the office and walked the hallway with a grin on my face.
My stomach flipped around though.
Ryland. Mika. The rumor. Their secret.
I turned the corner and Wes almost crashed into me.
His hands touched my shoulders. “There you are.”
“What’s up?” I asked.
Behind him stood Leo and Flynn. And Kailey, Charlotte, and Emma.
Nobody was smiling.
Wes looked me dead in the eyes. “We need to get you out of here, darling.”
Chapter 23
Wes
“We can’t do anything here,” Aira said to me. “My mother and Julia are here.”
“I’m not doing this at Jett’s,” I said.
“The shop,” Leo said. “Nobody will be there.”
“What about Pop?” Flynn asked.
“He always has the TV turned up,” I said. “That’s perfect. We’ll do it at the shop.”
“Are you sure?” Aira asked, holding my shirt tight.
I nodded. “I’m sure. And we’ll get your car taken care of too.”
“I’ll bring my baseball bat,” Emma said.
“Bring more than that,” I said.
“Wes… be careful.”
I cupped Aira’s face. “This ends right now.”
I kissed her and walked off the deck.
Leo and Flynn were staying to keep an eye on things.
Walker and Ryker were on the outside of Hidden, just in case things came into town again.
Seeing the word dead cunt scratched into the side of Aira’s new car was the line for me. Hell, everything had been the line. But that…
That was it.
HIDDEN CREEK DARKNESS: a hidden creek high novel Page 20
