“Hey, Danica,” I said. “If she talks like a pirate again, just push her. Make her walk the plank, right?”
Danica smirked. “Good one. But even from this distance, if she did fall, she-”
“Show us your tits!” Lizzy yelled.
“Lizzy!” Danica yelled.
“Look! They’re doing it!” Lizzy said.
I jumped to the railing, wobbly, but whatever.
I had no idea why I was suddenly so excited to see some drunk girls…
It was some dudes.
Standing on the beach, pointing to Lizzy, pulling their shirts up.
“Ohplease,” I whispered. “Like that actually counts.”
“Nipples count, Belle,” Lizzy said.
“There’s some words of wisdom for you,” Danica said. “Put that on a sign above your bed. Nipples count.”
“Your turn, sexy!” one of the guys yelled.
“Three for three!” another yelled.
I scoffed. “Really? Like I’m going to stand here and lift my shirt…”
Lizzy had her shirt halfway up.
Danica shook her head. “I quit. As long as she ends up home safe, whatever.”
“You know, Danica, if I did this…” I swallowed hard. “And I told Them…”
Danica’s face dropped. “They’d find those three guys down there and gouge their eyes out.”
I shivered.
I knew that already though, right?
There was always the threat of violence. There was no calmness.
It was just the same thing… the thing I liked.
“I need to go get that drink,” I said to Danica. “I’ll catch up with you and No Shirt Lizzy in a little bit.”
“Yeah, go,” Danica said. “Get a drink and walk the beach. Just relax. It’s a real party here, Belle. Nothing to worry about. And if anyone gets in your way, do what you did with Raza.”
“Mention Them,” I said.
“Exactly.”
I didn’t even bother to look at Lizzy again.
I didn’t want to see anything.
The steps led to the deck that went across the back of the house but also connected with the side porch that wrapped around the front of the house. I guess this was what a beach house was in BFH. And it amazed me that the place was so bright, music playing, people everywhere, fires on the beach, and nobody seemed to care that the party was going to get busted up.
Where I came from, the cops loved to bust up parties. They loved to grab anyone they could to write tickets, take them to the police station, but most of all, they just loved knowing they were messing up everyone’s plans. Including the parents of those who got busted.
But here…
I walked along the deck to a large set of doors that looked a lot like the doors to my bedroom.
They opened before I could reach for one of the handles.
Two guys stepped out and looked down at me.
One smiled.
The other elbowed him.
Something was said and the first lost his grin and quickly moved to hold the door for me.
He nodded and didn’t say a word.
Like he was afraid of me.
Maybe they were afraid of me.
Maybe everyone was afraid of me.
Because of my past. Because of where I came from. Because I lived with Jo.
Or because of Them.
The music poured through the beach house and I caught myself moving my shoulders as I walked toward the long counter full of bottles. It was definitely a pick your poison kind of thing.
I spotted Raza and waved to him.
He put his hands together for a second and then showed me his hands.
I pointed to the bottles and shrugged my shoulders.
He lifted his hands into the air, said something to the girl he was dancing with, and danced his way to the counter.
“I have no idea what Danica had gotten me,” I said.
“I don’t get drinks, Belle,” Raza said.
“For me you do,” I said.
“Hey… why don’t you go back up to the top of the world and I’ll come up. I’ll even sit across from you. Friend to friend.”
“I’m good right here.”
“Belle…”
“Raza. Sorry I saw you then.”
“No, no, no, no,” he said. “I’m just…” He waved a finger at me. “I’m just going to suggest to you to get some of that magical liquid at the end of the counter. In that big, clear bowl. Don’t ask what’s in it. Just take a cup and sip.”
“Was that so hard?”
“My apologies to you,” he said, putting his hands together again.
Raza started to dance again, moving back into the group of people and back to the girl he had been dancing with. He whispered something to her. Her eyes went wide and she looked at me.
Feeling good… I showed her my middle finger.
She turned to face Raza.
I dipped my cup into the bowl of whatever the hell the stuff was, skipping the fancy, silver ladle.
I sipped the drink and it wasn’t the same drink Danica had made for me, but it was damn good. It tasted like pineapple and… strawberry… and… dangerous. Because it was one of those drinks that didn’t taste like alcohol but it was definitely in it.
I walked from the kitchen back to the deck.
There was no sign of Danica and Lizzy.
Which meant Lizzy was either still trying to figure out how to lift her shirt or she was still trying to walk down the steps.
I walked to the corner of the deck and took it all in.
The ocean literally right there.
The sound of the music from the house behind me.
The fires on the beach.
Music coming from there too.
I swore I heard the relaxing sound of reggae music too.
It was all so perfect.
I took another sip of the drink and nodded.
I heard the sound of a giggle and turned.
There was nobody behind me.
For a second I thought the drink had been potent enough to make me hear voices.
But I heard the giggling again.
It wasn’t behind me.
It was… below me.
Like off the deck. Down in the sand.
I leaned forward and looked around.
I still couldn’t see anything.
So I jumped up and leaned forward, my drink on the railing next to me, my hands balancing my body on the railing, which was really stupid to do.
When I looked to my left, I saw who was giggling.
It was that bitch Lila. The super model wannabe with the jet-black hair that wanted to fight me because of Sophie.
That part meant nothing compared to who she was with.
I blinked fast to make it all go away.
But that didn’t work.
Lila stepped back and grabbed his wrists and pulled.
He stepped forward without any hesitation at all.
He was big enough to not be moved… nobody could move him.
Lila put his hands to her waist and turned, putting herself against the side of the house.
He put his hand to her face and leaned forward like he was going to kiss her.
That’s when I lost my balance and fell forward.
I was going to fall face first into the sand right in front Ash as he was just about to tongue fuck Lila.
* * *
“Holy shit, Belle,” a voice said from behind me.
I had already punched my drink off the railing and I was ready for… whatever.
But I stopped falling.
Hands grabbed the back of my legs, near my ass.
I started moving back… I wasn’t going to fall into the sand now.
Score.
My feet touched the deck and quickly spun around, throwing a right fist.
My middle knuckle clipped Raza’s bottom lip.
I then gasped and covered my mouth.
&n
bsp; Then I jumped at Raza and touched his mouth.
“Holy fuck,” he said.
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “Oh, shit, Raza…”
He touched his lip and there was blood on his fingertips.
“You’re ruthless, Belle,” he said. “You were going to fall. What the hell were you doing? You could break your neck or something like that.”
“I…”
I looked around. I turned and jumped at the railing again. I leaned over it and looked for Ash and Lila again. They were still there. His hands to her waist. Holding her against the house. Her hands up in the air… her shirt pulling up…
“Belle,” Raza said.
When I faced Raza again, he put up his hands to cover his face.
“Did you know?” I asked
“They never show up,” he said. “Ever. I swear. This isn’t their scene. The only time I’ve seen Them here is to beat the shit out of someone. Or when things were okay between all of Them, they’d play guitar. Well, Uly and Hil would. But anymore? Never. I had no idea he was going to be here tonight.”
“With that bitch too?” I asked. “Is that a thing?”
“I’m not getting in the middle of this,” Raza said. “Fuck no, Belle.” He touched his lip. He shook his head.
“What’s going on?” Danica asked as she finally made her way over.
With Lizzy behind her, stumbling around.
“Belle hit me,” Raza said. “And you need to take her and Lizzy out of here. Now.”
With that, Raza stormed off.
“You hit Raza?” Danica asked.
“I didn’t mean to. Ash is here. He’s with Lila. Against the side of the beach house.”
“Fuck,” Danica said. She looked around. “Okay. Let me get you and Lizzy out of here then.”
“No,” I said. “I’m going to figure this out.”
“What? Belle…”
“Ohhhh shit! Someone just puked!”
Danica turned her head and Lizzy was leaning over the deck, getting sick.
That was my opening.
I ran away from Danica.
I wasn’t with anyone. I wasn’t with Them.
But… fuck… my heart felt like Ash was cheating on me.
six
I hurried around the deck and of course the side of the house was now empty.
Ash and his whore Lila were gone.
Whore.
The anger ripped through me like the way the ocean waves hit the shore.
I broke out into a full run when the sand changed into gravel into bigger rocks.
I felt like I ran a mile by the time I got to the front of the beach house.
The place was a lot busier now than when we got there.
People were everywhere.
I looked for Ash but couldn’t find him.
I ran up the porch steps and through the open front door.
The music hit my ears with the thump thump beat. But I had no desire to dance.
My eyes moved to the stairs.
I took one step and stopped.
If Ash took Lila upstairs… that was for one thing. He took her to a bedroom. Some random room with a random bed for some random night of fun. Or maybe there was something more there.
But why her?
Why Lila?
Why one of Sophie’s fucking dogs like that?
Because she’s easy. And she knows about you and Them.
I felt angry and sick at the same time.
In a way I stayed at BFH for Them.
This wasn’t a game I was willing to play.
Not unless I knew this was how it was going to be.
Even still, I had no idea if Ash was upstairs or not. The only choice was to go up there and start kicking down doors. Like I was some crazy and angry ex-girlfriend, right?
I hadn’t even done that to Gray.
Gray drew that giant red V on my locker and I just split town.
I grabbed for the curved railing on the stairs and readied myself…
My head turned to the left.
The drinks were still working their magic on my brain.
I swore I saw a puff of smoke.
I waited a few seconds and saw it again.
Then people suddenly broke apart, making way for…
Uly.
* * *
He smoked his cigarette inside the house. And I was willing to bet anything that he and Hil were the only ones ever allowed to do that.
There were a few seconds when I felt something like relief after seeing Uly.
But those seconds were spent fast and turned into anger.
Ash was here… with Lila.
And now Uly was here too.
“Hey, doll,” Uly said to me.
“Where’s Hil?” I asked.
“Why does he matter right now?”
“Well, you’re here. Ash is here. So where’s Hil?”
“Yeah, doll, I saw Ash for a second…”
“So where’s Hil? Huh? Is he fucking someone upstairs too? Maya? Or Sophie herself? What about you? Who are you fucking?”
Uly’s lip curled. “You know, I don’t like to be pushed into a corner and accused of anything.”
I faced Uly and put my fingertips to his chest.
I pushed at him. “Too late. You all started this.”
Uly grabbed the blue polo shirt of some guy with messy, blonde hair.
“Hold this for me,” Uly said as he gave the guy his cigarette.
“What?” the guy asked.
“Hold my cigarette, motherfucker,” Uly said. “Don’t smoke it. Don’t let it die out either. I’ll be back for it later.”
Uly put his hand to my back and I elbowed him away.
He did it again, this time his hand grabbing at my side.
With force.
Enough to make me gasp. Enough to tickle me. Enough that the tickling feeling went away and was replaced with a burning heat.
Uly put his lips to my ear. “I didn’t fucking come here with Ash. Or Hil. I don’t know if Hil is here or not. You said you were going to a party. There’s only one kind of party those lame ass girls you hang out with would go to. I came to see you. That’s all, doll.”
I looked up at Uly.
I felt emotion trying to fight its way through the anger and confusion.
“Yeah, well, Ash is here. With Lila. Know anything about that?”
Uly looked up the stairs and then gritted his teeth. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
I let Uly lead the way out of the beach house and down the steps.
Again, everyone moved out of the way.
It was like he was royalty.
Or just the kind of guy that would hit anyone who didn’t move out of his way.
Just like the rest of Them.
I looked back at the house.
Then I stopped.
I clawed Uly away and turned to run back.
“Belle, stop,” he growled.
His hands slid around the front of my body.
I threw my elbows wildly.
“No!” I screamed. “He’s not getting away with this. I fucked up with Gray. I’m not fucking up now. Fuck him. Fuck this. Fuck you, Uly!”
Now I had people looking at me.
“Stop this now, doll,” Uly ordered me.
“Fuck you!” I yelled again.
Uly didn’t move his hands from me.
He pulled me against him tighter.
“Everyone look the fuck away,” he said. “Don’t piss me or my girl off right now.”
My girl?
That made me stop dead in my tracks.
And everyone listened to Uly.
I looked down at his strong hands as they were locked together tight around my stomach.
I gasped for a breath.
Then another.
I hung my head.
Tears won the battle… between the images of Ash and Lila… the thoughts of Gray… and the fucking booze…
I started
to cry.
Tears fell to Uly’s hands as I stood there.
“It’s not worth it right now, doll,” Uly whispered to me. “No matter who did what to you and when. Come with me right now.”
“Take me home,” I said.
Uly turned me around and touched my face. “I’m not taking you home, doll.”
“Then where are we going?”
His thumbs touched my tears.
“I’m taking you somewhere safe.”
* * *
Uly’s version of safe was his house.
I shuddered when I saw the house.
Miss Whitaker was inside there.
That just made the entire situation even more awkward.
“I can’t…”
“Yes you can,” Uly said. “She’s not even home right now.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s on a date,” Uly said. His face looked twisted and pissed. “She’ll be home in a little bit.”
“So why…”
“Listen to me, doll. That gives you plenty of time to get in there, relax, and get ready to sleep.”
“Sleep?” I asked with a laugh. “Are you fucking crazy?”
“Yeah, I am, Belle,” Uly said. “Why the fuck would I ever show up to a party a Raza’s beach house? For you. That’s why. And you’re not going to go home to that mansion you live in now and toss and turn all night, waiting for your stupid friends to text or call, wondering what’s happening. Got it?”
I blinked fast.
My tears were suddenly gone.
God, it’s so fucking hot watching him yell at me…
Which was probably really wrong to think.
“Fine,” I said. “I’m not sleeping with you, Uly. Or even near you.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he said as he opened his door. He looked back at me again. “Judging by the way you’re being a crybaby right now, you can sleep in a different part of the house.”
He got out of the car and slammed the door.
I wiped my cheeks, wondering how much of a shitty mess I looked like.
Uly walked around the car and opened the door for me.
“This is weird,” I said to him. Trust me, the booze was willing to talk. “You and Miss Whitaker living in the same house. I can’t get over that.”
“Well, you’re going to have to, doll,” Uly said. “Let’s go. Now.”
I looked up at him. “You know, I’m feeling like shit right now. Could you not be a dick to me?”
NOT SO Beautiful: a bay falls high novel Page 6
