The Keatyn Chronicles: Adore Me

by Dodd, Jillian

  “You don’t have to worry about her being safe, Aiden. He’s a great guy.”

  He squints his eyes at me, judging. “What does he do? Is he in school? Have a job?”

  “Um, he’s in a band called Twisted Dreams. They did a European tour this summer and then Japan this fall. And he got his GED so he could go on tour.”

  “So, does he hook up with girls on tour?”

  Uh, yeah, I think, but I can’t say that. “I don’t think so.”

  Aiden rubs the side of his face. “You sure she’ll be okay?”

  “I promise.”

  “Fine. I’m really tired, anyway. I was hoping to head to bed soon.”

  “Bed?”

  “Yes, bed,” he says. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your room.”

  “Um, are you tired?” I ask as we walk to the turret. Did he decide that he doesn’t want to sleep with me?

  When we get to my door, he gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Good night, then.”

  I nod at him, so he turns to walk away.

  But I can’t let him go.

  “Aiden, I don’t . . .”

  “I don’t want to be alone either,” he says, quickly finishing my thought and hugging me tightly. “I know we have a lot to talk about, but when you came back from putting away your board, you seemed—I don’t know—distant.”

  “We have all break to talk,” I say, avoiding the inevitable. “And I’m just tired.”

  “It has been a really long day, Boots.”

  “I know,” I reply as he opens the door and sees my room at night. The bedding is turned down and the candles in the hurricane lanterns on each side of the bed are lit. The screen door is pulled shut to keep out the bugs but allow the soothing ocean sounds in, and the sky is dotted with a million stars.

  He looks around the room. “This is beautiful.” He laughs. “I think I say that about everything when I’m with you.” He pulls me onto the bed with him, kisses my shoulder, and then whispers in my ear, “You make every moment beautiful.”

  We lie down on the bed and I snuggle into his shoulder.

  He doesn’t talk, just gently strokes my hair.

  I soak up his presence, trying to absorb everything that is Aiden into my memory. His dreamy scent. The way my head fits perfectly on his shoulder. How when I’m with him I feel like I’m in a bubble, safe and protected from the outside world.

  Tears start sliding onto Aiden’s chest before I can stop them.

  “Baby, why are you crying?”

  “Because I didn't think I’d ever get to lie in this spot again.”

  “You fit perfectly.”

  “I’m sure other girls have fit just fine.”

  “Maybe, but that was BK.”

  “BK?”

  “Yeah, Before Keatyn. Because since you came into my life, no one else fits.”

  “Aiden, why did you write on the moon?”

  “I was trying to be poetic and tell you how I feel.”

  “So, you feel like the moon has been holding your dreams afar?”

  “Lately, yes.”

  “Me too.” I say, snuggling closer and quickly falling asleep.

  Thursday, November 24th

  Thanksgiving Day

  What if bullshit.

  5:50am

  I wake up when I realize I forgot to close the curtains before we went to sleep. It’s dawn and there’s a soft breeze flowing through the windows.

  I slip out of bed carefully so that I don’t wake Aiden. He makes a sleepy little moan, then rolls over onto his stomach as I hit the button to close the curtains so the sun won’t wake him.

  I head to the bathroom, throw on a bikini, and then wrap myself in one of the long teal cashmere robes that is a fixture in every room. Peeking back at Aiden, who seems to be sleeping soundly again, I sneak out to enjoy one of my favorite parts of the day when I’m at the beach.

  I wander down the pathway to the sand, curl up in one of the big daybeds, and stare out at the ocean.

  A little later, I hear the toy shed opening. I turn around and see Damian walking out with a surfboard.

  “You’re up early,” he says to me.

  “I forgot to close the curtains.”

  “My internal clock is on a different time zone. You wanna grab your board and go out with me?”

  “Um, probably not,” I say in a sad, pathetic voice.

  Damian jams his board into sand. “What's your problem?” he asks in pissed off tone.

  “I have a whole lot of problems, Damian. Which one are you referring to?”

  “Well, that’s one of them, right there. Last night you were crazy. Sometimes you seemed like you were ready to burst into tears. Other times you seemed pissed off at the world. Sometimes there were glimmers of a smile. And other times you acted like a big bitch, just like you are now.”

  “He put a sticker on my board,” I say quietly.

  “Aiden did?”

  “No, B did. Sometime between when he told me he was leaving and my party.”

  “What's that got to do with anything?”

  “He was telling me the truth. He did want to throw me in his suitcase and take me with him. And if I hadn’t almost gotten kidnapped and left for Eastbrooke, the next time I surfed I would’ve seen the sticker and known. And I would have gone to wherever he was.”

  Damian grabs my wrists tightly. “This has to stop. All this what if bullshit. It's not your fault you were almost kidnapped by some psycho dude. You can only control now. The present. And if in the future you get your life back, then you can decide if you want to give B a chance. But until then, you need to live in the now. It's not every guy that gives you dirt, ya know.”

  “I only have 79 hours left.”

  “Until what? Are you dying?” he says in a panic.

  “No, although it feels like part of me is. I have 79 hours left until I end it with Aiden. I’m not going back to Eastbrooke.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I don’t know yet. Somewhere I can hide out while I try to take over Vincent's company.”

  “You need to go back. You’re safe there.”

  “I have a feeling that when this all goes down it will not be pretty. Seriously, Damian, it might all blow up in my face. That’s why Peyton needs to be just a fling.”

  “But, if you’re not going back, I could date her.”

  “If he found out you were together and that I went to Eastbrooke, neither one of you would be safe. Don’t do that to her, Damian. Don’t put her in that kind of danger.”

  “I have a better idea. You go back and I’ll keep our relationship a secret.”

  “Your relationship? Damian, you've known her for less than twenty-four hours.”

  “And it only took about two seconds of those hours for me to know. All of a sudden, I’m a fate loving, love-at-first-sight believing, fairy-tales-can-happen kind of guy.”

  “That sounds like a song.”

  “Speaking of songs, I'm writing one. I've never felt more inspired. Everything looks prettier with her in the picture.”

  “Aren’t you going on tour again?”

  He gives me a smart-ass grin. “Studio time. Recording a new album, then touring the good ole U.S. of A. And I was thinking this morning, Dad's got a sweet apartment in New York City that I've never taken advantage of, and with my stepmom pregnant, they won't be using it any time soon.”

  “Your dad and Tommy start filming the third Trinity movie there in December.”

  “Shit. Well, it's a big place. Or maybe I'll just get a little apartment near your school.”

  I raise an eyebrow at him.

  “Fine. I'm being impetuous and crazy. But come on, Keats, you've known me forever. Have you ever seen me like this?”

  “No. But maybe you're just sick of groupies and craving a girlfriend. It doesn’t mean she’s the one. You’re barely eighteen.”

  He shakes his head and squints his eyes at me. “No, don't say that. You of all people. Maybe Vincen
t changed your life, but don't you dare let him change who you are. You should be clapping and jumping with excitement. You should have a huge smile on your face and that dreamy look in your eyes.” He pulls me up off the daybed and twirls us around in a circle. “Be happy for me. Be excited. Be your usual hopeless romantic self. Write me a script where I'm the prince and not the frog. Make a wish on the moon. Or a shooting star. Or at 11:11. Throw a penny in the fountain. Tell me you saw the green flash.”

  Tears flow from my eyes as I remember my old self. The girl who saw possibilities instead of roadblocks. The girl who believed in fairy tales and wishes.

  We stop spinning and both drop dizzily back onto the daybed.

  “I’ve been trying not to, Damian,” I say, wiping my tears. “But I can’t pretend. This is my reality. Vincent was there when I went to see B surf. When I saw my mom in New York. When I went to Vancouver. My drama teacher almost invited him to my school so I could audition for his movie. You don’t understand. I can never let my guard down. I have to monitor every word I say. Think about every move I make. I can't live in the moment anymore.”

  “Maybe you can’t at school, but you can here.”

  I shake my head. “I wish I could, but when Peyton told me some guy was walking up the beach, my first thought was that it was him.”

  Damian nods. “Okay. I get it. But I’m here now. So I want you to let go and at least enjoy your next 79 hours. Stop holding Aiden at arm’s length and let him in.”

  “What about B?”

  Damian frowns and furrows his eyebrows. “Fine. You want reality? Here’s reality. B cares about you. But he chose his dream over you.”

  “That sounds so harsh.”

  “It’s supposed to be harsh. It’s the truth.”

  “But he said . . .”

  “What he said doesn’t matter right now because you can’t be with him. So, move on. Besides, it’s Thanksgiving. You should be thinking about what you’re thankful for.”

  “I’m thankful for you, Damian.” I get tears in my eyes again. “I’m sorry. I swear, all I do anymore is cry. But I really am glad you’re here. And I’m glad you met Peyton. So, if after this weekend you still want to see her, you can have my loft.”

  “Yeah, what’s that all about? You bought a loft and didn’t tell me?”

  “I didn’t tell anyone from my old life; not even my mom. I needed somewhere safe to go.” I smile. “It’s a really awesome place. You’ll love it.”

  “So, is that where you’re gonna fight Vincent from?”

  “Oh, no. I can’t go back. I took Aiden there and he . . . well, he infused it with love potion.”

  “Love potion?”

  “He has special powers.”

  Damian doesn’t look convinced. “Like what?”

  “When he’s around, my head feels like it’s filled with cotton candy and I can’t think. His smile is as bright as the sun. He knows what I’m thinking even before I can think it. I’m almost positive his tongue is infused with love potion. You should be careful because I think his sister might have . . .”

  “Her tongue is definitely infused with love potion,” he says dreamily.

  “Damian, how do you know that?”

  “We hung out last night.”

  “Did you sleep with her?”

  “No, I was a gentleman and dropped her off at her door, where I kissed the hell out of her. And then I couldn't sleep. Which is why I'm up so fucking early. I wish she'd just wake up already. Shouldn't she be dying to see me?”

  “Text her.”

  “And say what? Wake the fuck up so I can see that gorgeous smile again?”

  “That’d work for me.”

  He smiles and pulls out his phone. “I’m going to text her and you’re going to do two things. The first one is to stop blaming yourself.”

  “And the second?”

  “March your ass to Aiden’s room and start living in the present.”

  I nod, agreeing with him. “You’re right. I shouldn’t waste what little time I have left with him.”

  “Exactly. So go wake him up and let’s have some fun.”

  “I’m gonna run up to the house and get him breakfast; then I’ll see if he wants to surf with us. I don’t know if he even knows how.”

  When I get in the house, I find Peyton in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of orange juice and smiling at her phone.

  “Have you seen Aiden?” she asks with a smirk. “I don’t think his bed was slept in last night.”

  “It wasn’t. He stayed with me.”

  “Ooh la la.”

  “It's not like that. We're not having sex.”

  “I bet you do before this trip is over.” She waggles her eyebrows up and down and grins.

  “No, we won’t.”

  “Is that what the dirt means? Taking it slow?”

  “That’s part of it, yeah.”

  She sighs as she picks up a muffin and examines it.

  “It’s coconut-banana with an orange glaze.”

  “Yum,” she says, putting it on her plate. “I’ve never really taken it slow before. Damian seems like he’s a gentleman.”

  “I take it he didn’t jump your bones last night?”

  “It’s not just that but, like, he held the door open for me when we went outside. He has great posture. And last night, there was this big moth and he kinda protected me from it. He just has this presence—like, he makes me feel safe.” She smiles. “He even walked me to my door last night. We kissed,” she says slowly touching her lips. “It was . . .”

  Damian sneaks up behind her, kisses her cheek, and finishes her sentence. “The best kiss of her life.”

  She smiles and playfully slaps his arm. “I wasn't going to say that.”

  Damian grabs her, tickles her sides, and pulls her into a chair with him. She squirms around, laughing and screaming, but then Damian stops her screaming with his lips.

  They kiss.

  And kiss.

  And keep kissing.

  “Uh, I’m gonna go take Aiden some breakfast,” I say, even though I’m ignored.

  Die by the wave.

  6:40am

  I set Aiden’s food on the nightstand and then gently perch on the edge of the bed.

  He’s still lying on his stomach and I can’t help but admire his muscular back, the adorable way his buff arm is curled under his head, and the sexy scruff trailing across his cheek.

  I reach out and run my hand through his soft hair.

  He opens his eyes slowly and sits up. “Mhmm. I was just having the best dream.”

  “I’m sorry I woke you, then.”

  He quickly pulls me into his chest and kisses the top of my head. “Don’t be. This is even better than the dream.”

  “I was going to let you sleep in, but Damian wants to surf. Have you ever surfed before?”

  “No, I never have.”

  “Well, then either I can teach you, you can watch, or you can eat and go back to sleep. I brought you a smoothie and a couple homemade granola bars. When we’re done surfing, Inga is making Damian’s favorite breakfast.”

  “What’s the favorite breakfast?” he asks, while taking a drink of his raspberry-coconut smoothie.

  “Homemade cinnamon waffles drizzled with her amazing pecan caramel sauce and spicy fried potatoes. The combination of the spicy and sweet is to die for.”

  “That sounds really good.”

  I snuggle closer to him and close my eyes. “Aiden, I’m sorry about yesterday. My emotions were kinda all over the place.”

  “It’s okay. Mine were too.” He rubs his palm down my arm. “I was afraid you’d kick me off the plane, then I was so happy you didn’t, then I was pissed when I thought Damian was your ex. Then, after you put your board away, you seemed really distant. But what you said about being afraid you’d never lay on my shoulder again made it all worth it. I went to sleep feeling quite content.”

  I laugh. “Sounds to me like your feelings were feeling
complicated.”

  “Exactly,” he says with a laugh as he rolls on top of me and kisses me with lips that taste of raspberry.

  After a thorough kiss, he leans his elbow above my head. “We were supposed to talk on the plane.”

  “Do you still want to?”

  “That all depends,” he says, his fingers making a lazy trail down the side of my neck. “In forty years are you going to dredge it back up?”

  “If I do, I won’t be mad about it anymore.” I picture myself watching Aiden forty years from now, dressed in jeans and dusty cowboy boots, his dark blond hair starting to gray at the temples, those bright green eyes still speaking to my soul as he wanders onto our front porch, our grandchildren in tow, their hands and mouths full of dark red grapes they just picked from the vineyard.

  “Promise?” he says, those green eyes asking way more about what the promise implies.

  I can think of a million reasons why I won’t even know Aiden forty years from now, but I can’t make myself say anything but, “I promise.”

  “So let’s focus on the positive.”

  “Right,” I agree, willing myself to let go and live in the now. At least for the next seventy-some hours. “It’s Thanksgiving day. We’re together in paradise, and we have a busy day.”

  “A busy day? I thought we were supposed to be relaxing.”

  “We will be, but there’s a lot to do here. Surf. Eat. Lie in the sun. Eat more.”

  “You forgot something important,” he says as he curls his hand into my robe and draws me in closer. “This is soft.”

  “What’d I forget?”

  “Kissing.”

  Then he kisses me until I can't think straight.

  Eventually, I force myself to say, “We’re supposed to be out surfing. You need to go get your suit on.”

  He reluctantly nods, but then gives me another electrifying kiss.

  The kind of kiss that infuses me with so much more than love potion.

  It infuses me with hope.

  Aiden follows me to the storage shed so I can outfit him with a board.

  “I’m going to start you out on this board. It’s a little bigger and more forgiving when you’re learning.”