Identical Disaster (The Sterling Shore Series Book 8)

by C. M. Owens

  Groaning, I turn and head to the kitchen. This is not a pre-coffee conversation. Yeah, it’s three in the afternoon and I’m just getting up, but I still need coffee. Bo and I stayed awake until seven this morning, because I think we’re both dreading life back in the real world.

  “You made the gym too big too soon,” he points out. “The pool, the fifteen, private studio rooms, the top-of-the-line equipment, the basketball court, the tennis court, the—”

  “I get the point,” I interrupt, annoyed. “It’s Sterling Shore. Go big or go home. I’m not hard-up for cash or anything, but I’d like to make sure that I don’t get hard-up for cash, so I’m working on a few things. Those things take up a lot of my time.”

  I should have been paying closer attention to my financials. Instead, I’m a spoiled dick who thought I would never run myself low.

  “Don’t say anything about this in front of Bo,” I tell him, already feeling inferior to her since learning her true net worth. Yeah, it’s a hell of a lot more than I thought, and she brushed over it like it was just casual conversation when Dustin—being the blunt, nosy ass he is—asked her about it straight up.

  “Like I’d tell your girl that she makes more than you,” he scoffs.

  “I think she probably knows that,” I mutter dryly. “I don’t care that she makes more, dick.”

  He shrugs as we walk into the kitchen just as Cody joins us. He’s been unusually quiet, and he keeps acting as though he has a problem with Bo. Probably because he knows a girlfriend means less time with friends, and we’ve already lost four from our high school group.

  “Makes more dick,” Dustin snorts belatedly, using my words differently because he’s a perv like that.

  “Asshole,” I grumble.

  “What’re we talking about?” Cody asks, confused.

  “Jax trying to figure out a way to make Bo and him stick after we go home tomorrow,” Dustin tells him.

  Gee. I wonder why I’m private.

  Fucking big mouth friends. That’s another reason why.

  Cody cocks an eyebrow at me. “Serious, dude? I mean, I get being all over her right now. Hell, she’s the only available chick around unless you drive a fucking million miles into town. But back in Sterling Shore, you won’t need to limit your pickings.”

  He waggles his eyebrows, and I flip him off. Again, I want to punch my other best friend in the face, because I’m apparently suffering “roid rage” without actually taking steroids.

  “What’s your problem with Bo?” I ask him, unable to keep the hard edge out of my tone.

  His eyebrows go up as though he’s surprised, then he motions up and down with his hand, gesturing at me.

  “Let’s not do this before he has coffee,” Dustin says, trying to defuse the tension with humor, but it doesn’t work.

  Cody ignores him, just like I do.

  “This is my problem, man. You’re acting like a pussy-whipped toy for a girl who pretended to be her sister so she could come here with you. Can you spell psycho? I can. Bo. Then she claims to have issues with groups so she can keep you isolated from your friends and family while you’re here. It’s like brainwash or some shit, because this isn’t you. She’s nothing but a bitch in saint’s clothing, and she has you wrapped—”

  My fist is colliding with his face before I can even stop myself, and Dustin’s yells are lost as white noise plays in my ears. It’s not until Vince shows up and helps Dustin pull me off Cody that I finally stop pummeling his face.

  When I try to launch myself at him again, Vince and Dustin slam me back against the counter. I blame the fucking pancakes when I can’t break free.

  “The fuck is wrong with you?!” Cody roars, clutching his bloody nose as he peels himself off the ground.

  “Seriously suggest leaving, dude,” Dustin tells him, struggling to keep me from breaking free.

  “What the fucking hell is going on?” Vince growls.

  “Goodness!” My mother’s screech barely even reaches me because I’m still in tunnel-vision mode. Cody glares daggers at me as he spits blood to the floor and shakes his head.

  “I’m your best friend and this is how you treat me? Over some girl you barely know? Over some girl who lied to you? Wake the fuck up. This is crazy! All of this is crazy!”

  Vince tenses beside me, and he takes a step toward Cody that has Cody stepping back. Damn it! Dustin is still holding me, and I’m still pinned.

  I’m never eating a pancake again, and I’m living in the gym.

  “If this is about my daughter, then get the hell out of my house!” Vince tells Cody, vibrating with fury.

  He’d be the one kicking his ass if he knew what Cody had just said. Cody stands in place defiantly, probably figuring he can take Vince on.

  “Even if it’s not about Bo, get the hell out.” My dad’s voice comes from out of nowhere as he steps up and crosses his arms over his chest. “Jax doesn’t lose his temper for no damn reason, so leave. Now. Before I tell Dustin to turn him loose.”

  Cody curses before stalking out of the house, because he knows he doesn’t stand a fucking chance against me—even in pancake shape. Dustin doesn’t let me go until a few minutes after the door slams.

  “What’s going on?”

  Bo’s voice has everyone turning to see her as she walks in with wet, freshly showered hair and a robe. I push away from the counter and go directly toward her, wrapping my arms around her waist while walking her backward.

  “Nothing. Just some bullshit. It’s handled.”

  I’ll talk to Cody after I cool down, but that sure as hell won’t be tonight.

  She frowns and acts like she’s about to say something, but I’m not going to let Cody ruin our last uninterrupted day together in a place where there aren’t supposed to be real world problems.

  So, I kiss her to keep her from speaking, and she melts against me as her fingers tangle in my hair with practiced familiarity. I should have stayed in bed instead of trying to get anything else done.

  Chapter 35

  BO

  He punched his best friend. For me. He stood up for me. He took my side without hesitation.

  Jax Marshall just destroyed every small barrier I was trying to keep in place with one simple action: He was on my side.

  Even against his best friend, he took my side.

  My head is on his chest as the sun sets, and his fingers are gingerly running up and down my back.

  “How high do I rank on the crazy scale for girls you’ve been with?” I ask to break the silence, smiling when a rumble of laughter vibrates through his chest.

  “Believe or not, it isn’t that high.”

  I pull my head up to see his face, and love the amusement I see in his eyes. He’s not blaming me for the fallout between him and Cody. No resentment. No hesitation.

  I’m definitely in slick territory. One wrong step, and I’ll be falling without any chance of climbing back up.

  “Elaborate,” I say, feeling curious.

  He continues to run his fingers up and down my back, while pulling his other hand behind his head.

  “One girl was a klepto, and she got me arrested twice when she couldn’t stop shoplifting on dates.”

  I raise my eyebrows and he shrugs.

  “You stayed with her?” I ask.

  “Until it got cold, yeah. Hell, she even stole random things from my house. Another girl had to sing the ABCs every time someone used A in a sentence. You have any idea how hard it is to never use ‘A’ in a conversation?”

  I choke back a laugh, and he grins at me.

  “I met one girl because she was sleeping in my car. That’s what I get for leaving it unlocked. We dated for a month or so. She had a sleepwalking disorder, and there was no telling where she’d end up. Once she was stuck on the roof of my apartment building for half the day because that door is a one-way access. She was actually pissed at me for not coming to find her. As if I’d think to check the roof.”

  I laugh because it
really does sound like he has a habit of collecting crazy relationships.

  “Were any of those relationships serious?” I ask before I can stop myself.

  He won’t label us, but maybe because he’s been burned.

  “Nah. Never. I’ve always been too laidback for the drama a serious relationship usually involves.”

  Not going to lie and say that doesn’t sting a little. I also try to backpedal away from the edge of that slippery slope.

  “And none of them really ever cared about me,” he adds. “Hell, I honestly think you’re the first girl to ever know how I take my coffee, or my choice in beer brands, or what side of the bed I prefer… You know a hell of a lot more about me than some of my friends even do. Most of the girls were too busy talking about themselves to ever ask anything about me, considering I had a type. And since I’m usually not one to just tell things openly, none of them ever learned anything other than my body.”

  I really don’t like thinking about anyone else ever learning his body the way I have, but it’s a little stupid to be jealous of them. Especially since they missed out on a whole other level of Jax that has nothing to do with the physical.

  “What about you?” he asks. “Any relationships more bizarre than this one?”

  “I dated a guy who once hated for his socks to match. He would wear one black and one brown sock all the time.” I immediately realize how sad and pathetic that sounds by comparison to his stories, especially when his lips twitch. “This is the most bizarre,” I confess.

  He snickers softly, still tracing lines on my bare back.

  “What about serious?” he asks, the amusement falling from his face.

  Is that… jealousy?

  No. Can’t be.

  “Nothing serious. They… I’ve never met anyone I had that connection with. You know? The one you just can’t deny?” Until you, I silently add. “And I also never found anyone I could trust. I was always ready when they let me down.”

  He frowns.

  “Let you down how?” he pries.

  “I’d realize I was being used usually. I’m not naïve. Gullible, yes. Naïve, no. I can be duped, usually, but I catch on quickly. The ones who weren’t using me slowly grew resentful because of my success. Finding that medium is a hard balance.”

  He purses his lips like he is thinking that over. “I’ll admit your success is intimidating, but I’m in no way going to ever resent you for being good at what you do. Impressed? Hell yes. But not resentful. And I sure as hell don’t want to use you.”

  Slippery slope, here I come again. It’s not like I haven’t already figured out he’s in that middle area. I think that’s one of the many reasons Jax is a problem for me. But hearing him confirm and seeing the sincerity in his eyes makes it so much realer.

  “You trust me?” he asks seriously.

  “Yes,” I say immediately, almost wincing at how exposed it makes me feel. “You punched your own best friend. You… You were on my side. Other than Ruby, I’ve never had anyone on my side.”

  His fingers pause their ministrations, and he adjusts so that he slides down and faces me, wrapping his arm around my body as he pulls me closer and puts us almost nose to nose.

  “What about your dad? You seem close.”

  I nod. “We are close. I’m close with my mother and sister and Shanna, too. But they always carve out time for me when it’s convenient for them. They also speak to me like they don’t care how it affects me. It doesn’t bother me, so don’t think I’m complaining. I’ve gotten used to it, because it’s just how they are. But it’s not how I am. And they team up on me. None of them are ever on my side. Mom and Dad team up, and Bora and Shanna team up almost always, even though they both talk smack about each other. Ruby… She’s always on my side.”

  I blow out a harsh breath. “Real talk” is exhausting.

  “I’ve never gotten serious with anyone because they don’t treat me the way I want to be treated. They treat me whatever way is easiest for them. I want to be the important one for once. I want someone to think of me instead of just themselves, because I always put everyone else’s needs above mine. I want them to agree with me and be on my side when it matters. It’d be nice to get that in return for a change.”

  Why I just lay all that out there, I don’t know. But it’s out there, and he knows now why I like him so much. He doesn’t treat me like he treats everyone else around him. He’s actually not as nice as Bora once claimed.

  He treats me differently. He thinks about how something will make me feel, even if he doesn’t realize he’s doing it.

  He’s on my side.

  That’s something new, and I love it. It’s also the main reason why I’m on that dangerously slippery slope.

  “You deserve that,” he says softly, brushing his lips against mine, and I melt against him. “I’ll try to make sure I do things right,” he adds, chipping away that last bit of resolve I have left when he gives me hope for the future for the first time.

  “You’re doing things right,” I whisper, letting him push me onto my back as his weight gently comes down on top of me and he deepens the kiss.

  “Good,” he says, slowly pulling back to look into my eyes. “Because I’m not ready to lose this. We’ll figure out a way to make it work.”

  And I’m done. Just like that, I belong to Jax Marshall.

  I really hope he doesn’t make me regret it.

  Chapter 36

  BO

  It was not normal to feel disappointed about not being asked back to his house after we landed in Sterling Shore. He had all sorts of things to do to get ready for a meeting the next day, and I’d literally been with him for almost every second of the past three weeks.

  It’s not normal to get annoyed about the fact we won’t be able to see each other unless we want to spend the night with together, because right now, that’s the only way it’s going to happen for at least a week or so.

  It’s not normal to feel irked that I haven’t been asked to sleep over.

  Separation anxiety, maybe? You get used to having something, then you realize you can’t have it like you want it, so you handle it… I don’t know.

  Most couples don’t start a relationship the way we did. It’s not like we’re ready to just start hosting nonstop sleepovers, even if we did just share a room for three straight weeks.

  It’s not normal. Then again, we’re not normal. So our abnormal relationship is trying to transition to a normal relationship, and I’m struggling with it. Because I miss the bastard and it’s only been two days since I saw him.

  Just to add insult to injury, I started my real period yesterday. Damn my week.

  “Got your winter line ready?”

  Bora cuts through my thoughts as she walks into my office, and I jump in my seat.

  “Yeah. I stayed up all night finishing them up.”

  I hand them to her while yawning, and she takes them, looking them over with a surprised gaze.

  “These are way sexier than I was expecting.”

  “I’m in a mood. Sorry.”

  “No,” she says, grinning over at me and winking. “Love them.”

  Bora has never loved any of my designs. Liked them? Yes. But not loved.

  “Thanks,” I say, unable to contain my proud smile.

  “Guess being in love agrees with you.”

  My blood freezes in my veins, and she bursts out laughing. “Holy shit! Look at your face!”

  I roll my eyes, trying to ease out my tension as she continues to chuckle. I’m not in love. It’s not possible to fall in love after three weeks. I’ve dated guys longer…

  Okay, so I spent more time with Jax in three weeks than I’ve spent with some guys in four months, but that doesn’t mean I’ve had time to fall in love.

  My phone buzzes, and I ignore Bora as I pick it up.

  JAX: I’d give up both my nuts to Amani if we could go back to paradise right now. Fuck the real world.

  “And now you’re smili
ng like a girl who just found her clit for the first time, so I’m guessing that’s Jax,” Bora says too loudly.

  A few stumbles happen outside my office, and a stack of papers goes flying in front of my window.

  “Bora,” I hiss, feeling the heat rise up my neck and to my face.

  She just laughs while walking out and shutting my door behind her, leaving me to deal with the freaks who are peeking in my in-office window like they expect to actually find me playing with my… um… little lady bud.

  “Perverts,” I mutter under my breath while texting Jax back.

  ME: I’d give up both your nuts for paradise right now too. ;)

  I grin while refraining from patting myself on the back for being able to send that without blushing. That’s right; no blush on this girl’s cheeks and I typed nuts to Jax.

  I feel like I should get an award, or graduate from something right now.

  JAX: This conversation took a wrong turn. You’d love my nuts if you ever tried them. And you’d NEVER offer them as sacrifice.

  I can’t believe I’m actually having this conversation. Even worse, I’m smiling about it.

  ME: Every time I’ve tried to try them, you’ve stopped me.

  JAX: Next time I won’t. Promise. And I’m beyond ready for next time. This week blows. Pun intended.

  Laughing, I start to text back, when suddenly I hear, “Ms. Brendon, your father’s on line one.”

  I almost fall out of my chair, startled. Yep. Way to look guilty, huh?

  “Sorry,” Felisha tells me, backing out of my office slowly while I try to smooth down my dignity.

  Why can’t she ever just buzz me instead of coming in here to tell me?

  Considering my father is waiting for me to speak to him, the flirty moment is ruined.

  ME: Gotta stop talking about your nuts now. Dad’s on the phone. Can you get free tonight?

  JAX: Did I mention my dick hates your father?