“Cheesecake Factory,” Talia cried and then looked a little astonished when she realized she’d yelled so loudly. In a softer tone, she added, “I really want some cheesecake.”
“That sounds good to me.” Rebecca nodded.
“I’ve never been,” I mumbled.
They both looked at me like I’d grown two heads. “It’s only the best.” Rebecca shook her head.
I followed them into the restaurant, and after a short wait, we were seated.
I picked up the menu and began flipping through the pages. “Oh, wow, there’s a lot to choose from.”
“They have everything,” Rebecca agreed.
“And even more cheesecakes.” Talia licked her lips.
The three of us each decided to only get a sandwich because it was necessary to get cheesecake. You couldn’t go to a place called Cheesecake Factory and not get the cheesecake. Blasphemy.
When the waiter set down our waters and left, Rebecca clasped her hands together and announced, “So I met a guy.”
“Ooh, a guy-guy?” Talia waggled her brows and took a sip of water.
Rebecca nodded with a silly grin.
“Tell us about him,” I urged, surprised she hadn’t brought him up last night.
“His name is Chase, and we’ve only gone out twice, but I had a good time. He’s nice, but not overly so, if you know what I mean.” She winked.
“So he’s dominant in bed then?” Talia laughed.
“Oh, yeah.” Rebecca nodded. “The boy knows what he’s doing.”
I shook my head, pink staining my cheeks.
“Ari, what’s Liam like?”
“Huh?” My eyes widened.
Rebecca laughed. “What’s Liam like in bed?”
“I told you we’re not together.”
“So?” she questioned. “You don’t have to be in a relationship to have sex.”
I squirmed in my seat. “Can we talk about something else? Anything else?”
Talia must have sensed something in my tone of voice, because she quickly jumped in and started talking about something Ollie had done that morning.
I gave her a grateful smile. Talia was a lifesaver, in more ways than one.
***
I came home to find Liam getting settled in the family room with a bowl of popcorn.
“Hey,” he gave me a half-smile as I entered the room, “how’d it go?”
“I had fun,” I replied, leaning my shoulder against the doorway. “What’cha watchin’?” I nodded my head at the TV.
“I was going to start The Fast and the Furious. You wanna join me?”
I hesitated for a moment. I’d run out on him the night before and things had been kind of tense in the morning. He seemed genuine, though, not like he was asking just for the sake of it.
“Sure.”
I sat down and he started the movie.
He set the bowl of popcorn between us and grabbed a handful, shoving it into his mouth.
I sat awkwardly, unsure what to do.
I couldn’t get into the movie, and I kept thinking about our time in the dark room. I was dancing around my past, and Liam wasn’t dumb. He knew something was up and I knew it was only a matter of time until he figured it out, or something close to the truth, and the thing was, I was starting to want to tell him. It was like the truth was clawing at my throat, desperate to get out.
Liam paused the movie and set the remote down.
“I can feel you thinking,” he said, turning so he faced me. “Do you want to talk?”
Right there, on the tip of my tongue, were the words I was kidnapped.
My heart screamed for me to say it, to rip them off like a Band-Aid, but I couldn’t. Not only was I terrified to share that truth with someone, but I was even more afraid of saying the words out loud. I never had. I’d never been able to bring myself to acknowledge the truth. I fed myself as many lies as I did the world. It was easier that way, and after a while, the lies start to feel like the truth.
“I’m sorry about last night,” I said instead. “I know I act weird sometimes and I’m sorry for that. I’d love to go with you to Hawaii.”
He stared at me, his eyes seeming to peer right through me. His face was unreadable. He never gave me any sort of clue as to what he was thinking and sometimes, like right then, it was so incredibly frustrating.
I kept waiting for him to say something or do something. Anything. But he continued to stare at me like I was some sort of complicated jig-saw puzzle he was trying to figure out.
“Why?”
“Why what?” I replied, completely confused.
“Why are you here?”
There were so many ways to interpret that question.
Why am I in California?
Why am I staying in his house?
Why am I still there?
“I don’t know,” I answered, when I really wanted to say:
I am saving myself.
I need the protection.
I’m in love with you.
Liam
“Whoa,” Ari’s eyes widened as the car parked near the plane. “You weren’t kidding about the private plane thing.”
I looked out the window at the jet. It was painted a dark blue with a willow tree on it and the name of the band, WILLOW CREEK, emblazoned across the side.
“Why would I joke about that?” I gave her a funny look as the driver opened the door.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, stepping out of the SUV. “It seems pretty unbelievable.”
I ducked my head, hiding my amusement.
I followed her out of the car, and the driver grabbed our luggage from the back. We started toward the plane as another SUV rolled up. Ollie, Talia, Jeremiah, and Brady hopped out.
Ollie cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “I don’t know if Hawaii is ready for us.”
“It’s probably not,” I yelled back while they waited for their luggage.
The competition still a few days away, but we were all headed to Hawaii. I hoped my nerves would calm down before the day of the event, but that wasn’t likely. I couldn’t wait to get out on the water there, though. Hawaii had some of the best waves, and I’d been itching to go back before I even qualified for this event.
“Come on.” My hand settled on Ari’s waist, and I ushered her up the last steps into the plane.
I’d been avoiding her the last few days, ever since I asked her to watch the movie with me. I’d seen something in her eyes that night, something I couldn’t quite describe, and it scared me, so I’d backed off. I knew she was hurt, but I’d chalked up my absence to all the training I was doing, which wasn’t a lie. I’d been living in the water, and it was paying off, but against some of the best surfers in the world, I didn’t think I stood a chance. I wanted to win, more than anything, but I was also so grateful to even be a part of the competition that I wouldn’t care if I lost. Okay, I would care, but I’d be okay. I couldn’t let my desire to win cloud my love for the sport.
The attendant was already waiting on the plane to stow away our stuff, but I insisted on doing it.
Ari settled into one of the aisle seats, nervously rubbing her hands over her bare legs. She blew out a breath, and her eyes shifted around.
“Are you okay?” I asked her, squatting down beside her. I didn’t know why, but I put my hand on her knee and rubbed my thumb in smooth, calming circles.
“I’ve never been on a plane before,” she whisper-hissed under her breath while the others began to get on the plane.
“It’s not scary,” I assured her. “I’ll sit right beside you and hold your hand. Whatever you need me to do.”
Her teeth dug slightly into her bottom lip. “Liam—”
“Liam,” Brady hollered, and I turned to see him with his arms spread wide. “My man. Thanks for this.” He held out his clenched hand for a fist-bump.
“Yeah, of course.” I bumped my fist against his.
“What were you saying?” I turned back to
Ari.
She shook her head, her eyes looking anywhere but at me. “Nothing. It was nothing.”
I didn’t believe her—not for one second.
I lingered a moment longer there beside her giving her a chance to say something, but she didn’t take the bait. With a sigh, I stood up straight and went to make sure everything was on track.
It didn’t take long to get everyone settled, and I took my seat beside Ari.
“Breathe,” I whispered in her ear. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“There’s everything to be afraid of,” she countered.
“Here,” I reached forward, securing her seatbelt, “you need to strapped in.”
I fixed my belt and the plane began to taxi.
“Hold my hand,” Ari pleaded, outstretching her hand towards me. “Please?”
I gladly took her hand.
“Don’t let go,” she pleaded.
I wouldn’t. I didn’t want to.
***
We arrived in Hawaii, and I couldn’t get off the plane fast enough. I dragged Ari behind me, and we nearly fell down the plane steps. The sun was shining high and bright above us, the day already scorching hot. I looked up at the blue sky and the few clouds floating above us. My whole body vibrated with the need to grab my board and head out into the water. I was sure the guys felt the same way.
Ollie and Talia came off the plane next. “Whoa-oh, man. This place is nice. I forgot how much I loved Hawaii.”
Jeremiah and Brady got off behind them as an SUV circled around to pick us up.
“There’s a place Talia and I know,” Ollie began, rubbing his hands together, “it’s got a sick view and there’s a jump. Wanna go?”
“A jump?” Ari questioned, confused.
“Cliff-jumping,” I told her. “It’s more fun, and less scary than it sounds.” To Ollie I said, “Yeah, we should all go once we get settled at the hotel. After that, I need to get in some surf time.”
“Hell yeah.” Jeremiah grinned. “This is gonna be one epic vacation.”
The car driver of the SUV hopped out and opened the door so we could get in. Brady took the front seat while Ari, Talia, and Ollie took the third row. That left the two middle seats for Jeremiah and myself.
I loaded the bags into the trunk of the car, much to the driver’s dismay.
I hadn’t discussed it with Ari, but she was staying in my suite. It had two bedrooms since it was one of the larger rooms in the hotel, so I hadn’t seen the point in asking her if she was okay with it. I mean, she stayed at my house in her own room, so what was the difference? For some reason I suddenly felt unsure and thought maybe I should’ve said something to her. Too late now.
We pulled up to the hotel after a thirty-minute drive. The place was nice. More than nice. Everything seemed to…sparkle. Like it was coated in glitter or something. The outside was a bright white and it boasted towering columns. The place screamed money, and it definitely wasn’t cheap. My room was covered by the competition hosts, but I’d paid for my friends so I knew this place was the likes of which celebrities stayed at.
We filed out of the car, and while everyone else oohed and ahhed, I went to check us in.
The receptionist was polite and friendly, and spoke in a tone of voice that was supposed to make you feel calm. I wondered if she was trained to speak that way.
Armed with four room keys, I joined everyone where they lingered in the lobby. All of them looked around in awe. The lobby floors were a shiny white marble, with white walls, and white furniture. Large chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, adding to the opulence. The place was certainly minimalistic, but you’d have to be an idiot not to notice how expensive everything was.
The six of us filed into an elevator, along with a bellhop rolling a cart with our bags, and I doled out the room keys.
“Where’s mine?” Ari asked, looking at the lone key left in my hand.
I held the slender credit-card-like key between my index and middle finger. “You’re staying with me.”
She paled, and her Caribbean blue eyes widened. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally managed to utter, “What?”
I decided to mess with her. “Yeah, I couldn’t get another room. You’ll have to sleep in my bed. I don’t snore, so you don’t have to worry about that, but I love to cuddle.”
She inhaled a shaky breath. “I can sleep on the floor.”
My friends watched us in amusement.
“It’s a king bed, Ari, it would be silly for either of us to sleep on the floor. Don’t be ridiculous.”
She leaned her back against the wall of the elevator like she needed the support. “Still, I think that would be for the best.”
“Are you sure?” I drawled, tapping a finger to my lips. “All we’d be doing is sleeping. It’s not like I’d touch you or whisper sweet-nothings in your ear. Sleeping, that’s all we’d be doing.” With a smirk, I added, “Unless you’re afraid you’ll want to touch me. I’m pretty irresistible, so I wouldn’t blame you.”
That fire that I loved so much blazed in her eyes. “I’m capable of keeping my hands to myself.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me.
I chuckled. “Good. Besides, you have a separate bedroom in my suite.” I winked at her, enjoying the way her mouth fell and her brow wrinkled with irritation.
I fucking loved riling her.
The elevator chimed with a happy ding, and we stepped off on our floor. All our rooms were in the same section—I requested it that way—and the bellhop followed us down the hallway.
He unloaded everyone’s bags, except mine since I wanted to do it myself, into their rooms, and I tipped him generously before he left.
I entered my suite to find Ari walking around the central living room; the two rooms and respective bathrooms branched off of each side of the living space. There was also a fairly spacious kitchen, and a large balcony that overlooked the ocean.
Ari brushed the tips of her fingers against the white couch before taking a seat.
“So, this is how the rich travel?” she asked. She didn’t say the question rudely, in fact, she seemed to be holding in a laugh.
“Of course,” I replied, heading over to the refrigerator. I found it fully stocked with food and drinks, and grabbed each of us a bottle of water.
I took a seat in the chair beside the couch and handed her the extra bottle.
“Thanks.” She untwisted the cap and took a sip. “So…” she began hesitantly. “Cliff-jumping?”
My lips quirked into a half-smile. “You’ll love it. Trust me.”
She looked doubtful, but didn’t say anything. “When are we leaving?”
“Knowing Ollie?” I raised my brows. “Three, two—”
Right on time, there was a knock on the door followed by, “My bitches, where ya at?”
Ari pressed her lips together, but it was pointless. The laughter escaped her, and she clutched her stomach.
He banged at the door again.
“I wonder what he’ll do if I don’t answer?”
She wiped tears from her eyes. “Something tells me we don’t want to find out.”
“Li-am,” Ollie sang, drumming his hands together. “I’m here to give you your—” I ran and opened the door before he could finish that sentence. I didn’t want to know where he was going with that.
“I thought you’d never answer.” He sighed dramatically and his hands dropped at his sides.
“We need to change,” I explained. Ollie had somehow already changed into a pair of board shorts, sans shirt.
Ollie groaned. “You guys are so slow my grandma could ride a turtle and get done faster than you. And let me tell you, my grandma is a nice lady, but she’s the size of a bus.”
“Why don’t you go check on your pregnant girlfriend and see if this place has some Cheetos,” I suggested.
He nodded in agreement with a sly smile. “You’re always looking out for me. You’re so smart.”
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“Mhm, yeah dude.” I shut the door in his face and started toward the bedroom on the right.
Ari snickered from the couch. “You’re so rude.”
I snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know. Now go get changed. You’ll need to wear a bikini. Preferably something black. And skimpy.”
She rolled her eyes, her lips lifted into a smile. “And bossy too.” She stood from the couch and stretched her arms above her head. “I need ten minutes.”
“Ollie will give you two,” I warned her.
“Then stall him.” She smiled, and did this little skip/hop thing toward the other room. “Braid his hair or something.”
“I don’t braid hair,” I scoffed.
“Then learn.” She cackled, closing the double doors leading to her room
I stood there, staring at those stupid closed doors. My heart thumped like an out of control freight train in my chest. Even a stupid conversation like that could rile me up when it came to Ari. My heart was shouting the truth at me, even as I continued to deny it.
She was mine. My perfect other half. The one that completed me.
I scrubbed my hands over my face roughly. I’d known for a while, deep down, but I hadn’t wanted to believe it. I still didn’t. But you can only bury the truth for so long because it always comes back, and she was my truth—the future, the life I’d forced myself to abandon, but there it was right in front of me. Mine for the taking.
And I was finally going to claim it.
***
I took Ari’s hand as we climbed the narrow dirt path up to the jump. Everyone else was up ahead of us, but I’d been more than willing to let them go on.
Ari kept looking down at her feet, careful not to trip on any of the loose rocks.
I didn’t really care about that. I was too busy checking her out. She had her dark hair pulled back in a messy bun on top of her head, her face was clear of any sort of makeup, and I could clearly see a few freckles sprinkled across her nose. She was dressed in a tiny pair of shorts and a black bikini top with some kind of straps crossing over her middle and tied around the back.
“I can feel you staring at me,” she scolded, and her lips lifted into a smile.
“I like looking at you.”
The Lies That Define Us Page 18
