by Ronica Black
“I should get going,” Blake said. “I…I wish you nothing but the best.” She started to walk away, but Cam spoke again, halting her.
“Tomas told me he saw you.”
Blake faced her again and nodded. “Believe it or not we ran into each other again. I’m beginning to think that living here is a lot like living in a small town. Everyone seems to know each other.”
“Sometimes,” Cam said. She crossed her arms over her chest, but Blake didn’t get the impression that she was cold. Was it a subconscious indication of protection or discomfort?
My words have really hurt her.
“He said you’re interested in Javier’s building.”
“It looks promising.” Does she know what Alejandro told me?
Another chill swept through and Blake squeezed herself tighter.
“You’re planning on living here, then? In Mexico?”
“Yes. But not here,” she said quickly. “Not—on this beach.” She looked back toward her favorite stargazing spot, wistful, knowing she was going to miss it. “You wouldn’t have to worry,” she said softly.
She brought her focus back to the patio. “I really should get back. I can’t feel my feet anymore.” She laughed a little, unnerved with the silence.
“Would you like to come in?”
Blake wasn’t sure if she was serious. Her eyes were full and dark, like the surface of a lake at night. A lake that had depths one couldn’t even begin to fathom. She seemed to be offering Blake a chance to explore those depths a little further, and for a very long, tumultuous moment, Blake considered accepting the invitation to dip her toe in the water.
Would things between us be any different this time if I did? Or would we enjoy each other’s company for a little while only to end up arguing again?
Cam already looked distraught enough. Another round of hurtful words and assumptions wouldn’t be good for either of them. Especially Cam.
“That’s very nice of you, Cam, but I—I should go.” She said good-bye to the dogs and gave Cam a soft, sincere smile. “Good night.”
She heard Cam wish her the same as she hurried down the steps. The dogs followed her a little ways, but then stopped when she neared the edge of the house.
She walked back to Sloane’s and entered with the intention of grabbing another sweater and possibly a blanket. But when her skin tingled from the warmth of the house and the tension she’d been carrying for days over Cam began to dissipate, she was suddenly so tired she could barely make it to her bed. She left the light off and didn’t even bother with changing her clothes. She just pulled back the covers, slipped inside, and cozied up, feeling relaxed, truly relaxed, for the first time since she’d arrived in Mexico.
The next morning, she was jarred from sleep by loud singing and the bouncing of her mattress. She opened her eyes and saw first the wall moving up and down, then the ceiling moving, and finally, the hovering faces of her friends, Rylee and Sage, who were carefully balanced on either side of her.
She’d totally forgotten they were coming. And that’s even after Sloane reminded her yesterday over breakfast.
Where has my head gone?
She immediately thought of Cam and had her answer.
“Morning, Dr. Livingstone,” Rylee said, her mischievous eyes twinkling. Her closely cropped blond hair was the same shade as her older cousin Sloane’s. That and her affluent tom-boyishness, were where the similarities between her and Sloane stopped. Rylee, however, had always idolized Sloane, and she’d been tagging along behind her for as long as Blake had known them.
“Your nurses have arrived,” Sage added in an equally seductive tone from the edge of the bed. Her face crinkled all the way up to her eyes with her devilish grin. Her oversized, purple tortoise-shell eyeglasses didn’t stand a chance at hiding their ominous intentions. Blake had only known Sage for a couple of years, but that had been plenty of time to get to know her inside and out. She and Rylee were tight, kind of like Blake and Sloane.
“Oh, God help me.” Blake covered her eyes with her arm.
“What would you have us do first?” Rylee asked. “A thorough examination? A sponge bath?”
“Think she’s naked?” Sage said and Blake felt the covers pull away from her body.
“Hey!” She quickly grabbed the blankets and yanked them back up.
Sage shook her head at Rylee. “No-go. She’s fully dressed.”
“Go away, you pervs,” Blake said, unable to stifle her own grin. “I’m tired.” She hadn’t seen either of them in months, and their ridiculous antics reassured her that they were just the same as ever.
Rylee bounced the bed again. “It’s after eleven, Blakey B. The day’s a wasting.”
Blake sat up on her elbows. “After eleven? That can’t be right.”
Sage showed her the time with a flick of her wrist. “We’ve been here over an hour already. We couldn’t resist harassing you any longer.” She poked at her stomach.
“As you know, patience is not our strong point,” Rylee said.
Blake knew that was true. They were ten years younger and their boundless energy often made her feel ancient.
Blake eased Sage aside and stumbled from the bed, still confused as to how it could be nearing noon. “I never sleep this late,” she said, pulling the shade aside to look outside. The sun was bright and high overhead. Morning seemed to be long gone.
“Kenna said you needed to rest,” Rylee said, sliding from the mattress. “Said you haven’t been sleeping much.”
Blake ran her hand through her hair. “Yeah, but still. This is just not like me. I haven’t slept this late since high school, and even then it didn’t happen very often.”
Sage stood and slipped an arm around her waist. She was shorter than Blake and thick with curves and muscle. “So, you needed to sleep? It’s not a crime, you know.”
Blake opened her mouth to disagree or to explain her concern, but as she looked at them with their happy, glowing faces, already dressed for a day in the sand, she realized they were right.
“You’re right,” she said, squeezing Sage tight. “Who cares?”
They walked from the bedroom toward the living room.
“That must’ve been some sleep,” Rylee said. “I’ve never heard those words come from you before.”
“Me neither,” Sage said.
“Yeah,” Blake said as she looked out the back window and saw Sloane and McKenna rubbing suntan lotion on each other in the near distance. “I feel good. Really good.”
“Fantastic,” Rylee said. “Because we’ve got an adventure planned.”
Blake continued to watch as Sloane and McKenna finished with the lotion and then eased on their sunglasses. McKenna handed a helmet to Sloane, and then pulled another one onto her own head. Sloane moved away from McKenna, and Blake saw what the adventure Rylee spoke of was all about.
“Ready for some serious fun?” Rylee asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
Blake slowly nodded.
“Know what? I think I am.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Blake and her friends sat at the patio table enjoying their late evening dinner of grilled fish tacos with a delicious spicy coleslaw Kenna had concocted and icy cold beer. They were pleasantly sun-soaked and fatigued from an eventful afternoon riding Rylee’s quad runners down to the estuary, where they’d fished and snacked and collected dozens of beautiful seashells before riding back.
It had been a wonderful day full of laughter and good fun and Blake felt so content she was sure her friends would have to peel her from her chair because she’d happily melted into it like a long burning candle.
“You look just like you did after that crazy costume party in college,” Sloane said, looking at Blake.
Blake was surprised at Sloane for bringing up such an old memory. She hadn’t thought about that night in many years. “I do not.”
“Um, yeah, you do.”
“What party?” Sage asked, being her extremely curious s
elf.
“Tell us,” McKenna said, placing an encouraging hand on Sloane’s forearm. She knew damn well Blake wouldn’t spill the beans.
“Okay,” Sloane said, taking a swig of beer. “It was our junior year of college, during rush, and one of our friends threw a party at her house off campus for all the people who weren’t trying for a sorority or fraternity. Tons of people came, and her house was so full I thought it might literally pop. So, anyway, I had to just about force Blake to go with me, because as we all know, parties were too much of a distraction from studying for Miss Goody-goody over there.”
The others voiced their agreement and Blake leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, somewhat amused, wondering as to what all Sloane was about to share.
“I had to bribe her with the promise that I’d wear my headphones from then on when listening to music if she was in the room studying, but I got her to go.”
“You guys were roommates?” Sage asked.
“Oh, yes,” McKenna said. “And they’ve been as thick as thieves ever since.”
Sloane continued.
“So, this party was a costume party and we didn’t have anything to wear, so we went across the quad to some friends of ours dorm and they tricked us out in disco outfits, complete with wigs, platform shoes, everything. They were theater majors and these guys always had all kinds of crazy stuff. Well, there just happened to be a woman at their place, who was also a theater major, who we had never met before, who took a very big interest in Blake. And she ended up coming with us to the party.”
Sloane held up her palm.
“Now, I can’t say for sure what happened at the party between the two of them, but I do know that Blake got drunk, like silly, happy kind of drunk, and she got very demonstrative with me and her new friend. At some point they disappeared together, and the next time I saw Blake was hours later when she finally made her way back to our room. She stumbled in the door, wig in hand, hair and makeup askew, and plopped down on the beanbag chair. She had this big, sloppy grin on her face, and this totally relaxed devil-may-care look to her eyes that I’d never seen before.”
She motioned toward Blake. “Very similar to the way she looks right now.”
Sloane took a drink.
“Only one thing is missing.” She raised an eyebrow at Blake. “You have any idea what that may be?”
“No, not a clue,” Blake said.
Sloane grinned. “Hickeys.”
They burst out laughing, McKenna clapping her hands.
“She had three on her neck and from what I could see, at least that many on her chest.” She tipped her beer at her. “Remember now?”
Blake was blushing, but she wasn’t really embarrassed. She was remembering, what, up until that point, had been the best damn night of her life.
“You’re exaggerating a bit, but yes, I remember.”
“Remember how we had to go back to the same theater guys to have them cover your hickeys with makeup the following week when your parents came to visit?”
Blake grimaced and sipped her beer. “Ugh, yes. I was so worried I still wore a turtleneck on top of the makeup.”
“So, what happened with the woman that night?” Sage asked.
“She got laid,” Sloane said. “At least that’s what I always thought.”
They all looked at her, as if waiting for confirmation.
Blake threw up her hands. “All right, fine. I got laid.”
They laughed and cheered, and Blake rolled her eyes at their silliness.
“Your first time, huh?” Sloane asked. “I knew it.”
Blake didn’t bother to answer. Sloane knew her too well.
“And you kept seeing her for a while, didn’t you? Those nights when you thought I was asleep and you snuck off and returned a few hours later. You were hooking up.”
“Maybe,” Blake said, her own grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.
“Why didn’t you just tell her?” Rylee asked. “I thought you two told each other everything?”
“Not always,” McKenna said. “Blake doesn’t usually like to kiss and tell. Especially if it’s a new relationship or she really likes the woman.”
“Seriously?” Rylee asked.
Blake shrugged. “It’s no one’s business.”
“But weren’t you dying to tell someone?” Sage asked.
Blake thought for a moment. “No, it was exciting enough on its own. And keeping it just between the two of us made it even more so. It was ours and ours alone.”
“It must’ve been good because you mysteriously disappeared a lot that semester,” Sloane said.
Blake laughed and lifted a shoulder. “It was…definitely an experience.”
“Whatever it was, it was good for you,” Sloane said. “And it’s nice to see you look like you did then. Like you’re happy.”
“I’m getting there.”
McKenna suddenly leaned forward, eyes wide. “Oh, my God, did you get laid? Is that why—”
“No!” Blake said. “God, Kenna.”
“You can’t blame me for thinking that. The way you’ve been sneaking off at night recently. And Cam…”
Blake massaged her brow. “Kenna, nothing has happened.”
“You did say you were wanting to go over there to apologize,” Sloane said. “Maybe you did and maybe you two did a little making up.”
“Nothing happened,” Blake said. “Nothing.”
“Did you go over there?”
“Yes, but—”
“Who’s Cam?” Sage asked.
“Our neighbor,” McKenna said.
“Is that her?” Rylee asked, her gaze somewhere beyond Sloane who turned to look along with McKenna.
“Yes, that’s her.”
Blake shifted for a better view and saw Cam coming around the side of her house carrying some two-by-fours. She had on what Blake now knew were her renovating clothes. Worn jeans, work boots, a tank top, and an old Billabong cap. And dear God did it make Blake’s heart race.
“Damn,” Rylee said.
“Double damn,” Sage added.
Blake felt the burning churn of jealousy and she tried to drown it with beer.
“Cam!” McKenna called.
Oh, God, Kenna no. Please, no.
Cam glanced over at them and McKenna waved her over. Cam crossed through the sand.
“We want you to meet our new additions,” McKenna said. “Cam, this is Rylee, Sloane’s younger cousin, and this is her good friend, Sage. Guys, this is our neighbor, Cam.”
“Hi,” Cam said with a polite smile.
“Hiya, hiya,” Sage said, making her approval of Cam well-known.
“Ditto,” Rylee said.
Blake didn’t like the blatant lust her friends had for Cam. They were ogling her and she wanted them to stop. She wanted Cam to go, so they would have to. But what she really wanted to stop, was the fucking jealousy gnawing at her insides.
“How have you been, Cam?” Sloane asked. “Haven’t seen you much.”
“Oh, I’ve been busy.”
“Come, sit down and eat,” McKenna said. “We have plenty and you look like you need a good meal.”
“Thanks, but I can’t.” She tugged off her cap and scratched her head. She had, as Blake had suspected when she’d seen her in the shadows the night before, lost some of her color, and she was noticeably thinner. But she was still absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately for Blake, she was not the only one who seemed to think so.
“You can have my chair,” Rylee said, standing.
“No, please,” Cam said, tugging on her cap. “That’s not necessary.”
“How about joining us around the beach fire tonight?” McKenna tried.
“Maybe another time,” Cam said.
“You better come back around again soon,” McKenna said. “Or I’ll hunt you down. You know I will.”
Cam laughed. “I don’t doubt it.”
“Have we met somewhere before?” Sage asked Cam, surprising e
veryone.
Cam studied her briefly. “I don’t think so.”
“You look familiar. I could swear I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
“You got me,” Cam said. “I gotta run. You guys enjoy your dinner.” She gave Blake a look that lingered just a little bit longer than the one she gave the others. It seemed to be a silent message that what had happened between them the night before had resonated with her and that it had meant something. Cam was gone, though, before Blake had been fully able to comprehend.
“Whoa,” McKenna said.
“She is fine.” Rylee added.
“That’s not what I meant,” McKenna said. She looked at Sloane. “Did you see that?”
“Mm-hm.”
McKenna looked at Blake. “Something happened between you two. Don’t even try to deny it. I saw the look, so did Sloane.”
“Kenna,” Blake sighed.
“Are you two an item?” Rylee asked. “Because if you are or you want to be, I’ll back off.”
Sloane again raised her eyebrow at her. “Well?”
“Nothing is going on,” Blake said. “Nothing has happened. Besides, you know I don’t kiss and tell, so I wouldn’t tell you if it had.”
“Exactly,” McKenna said. “Which is why we’re grilling you.”
“Do you want something to happen?” Sloane asked.
Blake stood and gathered her plate and beer. She didn’t want to answer and she shouldn’t have to answer. Her feelings were her business even if she didn’t understand them or think them possible.
“B?” Sloane said.
Blake looked at her, frustrated that she was pushing, but knowing damn well it was because she cared and because she and McKenna seemed to think that she and Cam would be good together. Why and how they’d come to that conclusion was still a mystery to her.
“I’m going to go for a walk,” she said. “Kenna, dinner was amazing. Thank you.”
“Blake—I won’t—” Rylee stammered, still standing in front of her chair.
