HIDDEN CREEK LOVE: a hidden creek high novel, page 17
“You’re not a virgin?” I asked.
Julia slapped my leg. “Thanks for that. That makes me feel really good.”
“Stop. I’m kidding.”
My insides burned so my cheeks wouldn’t. Only because when I stepped foot into Julia’s house, I was a virgin. But thanks to Wes… well… bye bye…
“Can’t believe I just told you that,” Julia said with a laugh.
“Everything okay with you?” I asked.
She glanced at me. She frowned.
“Oh,” I said. “Right. Have at it. Dig through my drawers. Under the bed. Want me to leave the room?”
“No,” Julia said. “I don’t want to do this anymore, Aira. I don’t want to look through your stuff. I want to be done with it. All of it.”
“Okay,” I said. “Then be done with it.”
“You’ve had a lot happen recently.”
“Thanks, Miss Carson,” I said, lifting my left eyebrow.
“Aira. I don’t want to hover over you. I don’t want to bother you. I just need to know you’re okay.”
“Well, you can either trust me when I say I’m okay or search my room. It’s up to you. I have nothing to hide.”
“Look, things are tough. And they don’t always get easier. Not to be negative.”
“No, not at all,” I said.
“I just don’t want you in any kind of trouble. I’m trying to come around about Wes. Especially after what he did to get that doll for you. That was really nice.”
“Everyone thinks what they want of him. Me too. And I don’t really care.”
“Who thinks what of you?” Julia asked.
“Nothing,” I said. I swung my legs off the bed. “I have to get going. Feel free to dig around if you need to.”
“Aira, I just… just be smart.”
“I’m the smartest person I know,” I said.
I stuck my tongue out and rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, I feel comforted now,” Julia said.
“Thanks for that. That makes me feel really good.”
“So now you’re mocking me,” Julia said.
“Nope,” I said and left the bedroom.
I walked through the house and had a sinking feeling in my stomach. As much as I loved living with Julia and as much as I appreciated her taking me in, this didn’t feel like home at all. I felt more comfortable with Wes, and not just for the obvious reasons either. I wanted to be free.
But with Wes.
My heart craving so much yet so little.
I wanted what he wanted.
To live together.
No matter what anyone said.
Even if that meant waking up and still needing to go to HCH to finish our last year.
I left the house to head to the diner.
The last thing on my mind though was work.
* * *
I kept to myself the entire shift. At first I thought Ryland didn’t have the balls to show up. Of course, he came strutting through the back a little after six. So he could talk to Bartly for a little bit and pretend he contributed. Eddie didn’t care though. It was his nephew and my guess was that whatever famous skeletons there were, they were at play. So, as long as Ryland didn’t spit in anyone’s food or spill something on someone, Eddie could look the other way.
Between me and Eddie, we took on all the tables, which seemed to double right at six-thirty. I thought there was no way the place was closing up on time, but in some miraculous turn of events, a minute before seven, the last customer paid their bill at the register. Eddie was there with his big grin and a handshake.
The second they left he nodded for me to lock the door.
“I have to get out of here,” he said. “I have an appointment. I’m going to leave the key with Ryland. Make sure he locks up.”
“Great,” I said. “You sure you trust him?”
“Nope,” Eddie said. “Have a good night, Aira.”
He grabbed a briefcase and walked through the kitchen, telling Bartly the same he told me. Funny enough, Bartly asked the same thing about trusting Ryland.
I wiped down the tables and heard the slam of the kitchen door as Ryland pushed a mop and bucket out to the floor.
“You’re going to clean the floor?” I asked.
“You are,” he said. “I’m in charge now.”
“Yeah, right,” I said. “My shift is over.”
“No it’s not.”
“See you around,” I said. “Don’t forget to lock the door.”
Ryland dropped the mop to the floor and blocked the kitchen door.
As if I was some kind of idiot and didn’t know how to get out.
I unlocked the diner door and went out the front.
I told myself if Ryland followed…
The door opened behind me.
I turned and made a fist. “You’re lucky I don’t punch you in the face for what you did.”
“What did I do now?” he asked.
“Dean. Nick.”
“What about?”
“You had nothing to do with them coming after Wes?”
“Oh, that little thing,” Ryland said. “Sorry. Just wanted to make sure things were okay. They have some stuff to work on.”
“What did I have to do with it?”
“Nothing,” Ryland said. “I warned you. You get close to Wes and you get hurt.”
“That’s a message to me? Here’s one for you. You’re an asshole. Oh, and I also know what you did to Noelle. I don’t know how you live with yourself for that alone. I hope someday she comes after you. I hope she cuts your dick off.”
That was the first time I ever saw Ryland speechless.
And it felt good.
Hey - and I didn’t need a fist or a stupid rumor on a piece of paper either.
I could stand my ground in a different way. A better way.
Instead of playing into their games, I could just stand up to them and watch them all crumble.
I gave Ryland a few seconds to answer.
When he didn’t, I walked away.
And I didn’t call Wes for a ride either.
I sort of wanted to be alone.
There was one more thing I wanted to do before the night was done.
* * *
I caught myself reading the words on the paper again. I was going to crumble it up and throw it into the water. Let the waves ruin it. Turn the paper into nothing. Make the ink run and disappear. That way if Mika ever got out of line I could whisper in her ear what I knew and leave it at that.
I still had to ask Kailey, Charlotte, and Emma where they found out about it. And I needed to make sure they were okay with being sworn to secrecy. It was my weapon to use. One I would never use though.
My presence alone in HCH was enough to drive Mika crazy.
Ryland too.
He was just a petty, jealous boy. Because he set his eyes on me and I already had my eyes on Wes. And because Wes wasn’t afraid of a fight. That’s what it all kept coming down to. Fighting. Fighting for what you believed in and what you loved.
I wanted to tell myself I didn’t come to Hidden to fight, but I did.
That was the truth.
I came here to fight.
For myself.
I fought to get away from where I lived. Whether the house burned down or not, I never wanted to be there. I hated it there. It was fake. And maybe in some strange way, my heart always longed for Wes. Because I never got to say goodbye to him. I never got to understand why he made me feel the way I did. Or why he acted like such a boy. But that’s what he was at that time. Just a boy. Instead of kissing me like he did now, he needed to do something crazy like spray paint the welcome sign to Hidden to get my attention.
My hand curled around the note with Mika’s secret on it as I smiled.
Wes and I could get through anything.
There were no more secrets.
There was just us.
“Figured you’d be here.”
I jumped and turned.
Ryland.
I slipped my hands into my hoodie pocket. “Go away. I’ll call Wes.”
“You’ll call Wes.”
“Yeah. I will. And he’ll show up. And he’ll kick your ass. Because you can never face him one on one, can you?”
Ryland laughed. “That’s what you think, huh? Okay. You can think that. I’m not here to talk about Wes. At least not yet.”
“Well, you can talk to the ocean,” I said.
I pushed away from the pier and tried to walk by Ryland.
He put hand out and touched my arm.
I quickly took my hands from my hoodie pocket and pushed at his arm.
“Don’t touch me,” I said.
Ryland stepped around me and showed his hands. “Sorry. Fine. Just thought it would only be fair to give my side of the story with Noelle.”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I said. “So, again, talk to the ocean.”
I walked away but knew Ryland wasn’t going to have it.
I reached into my back pocket and got my phone ready. I honestly didn’t want to text Wes to come over. I didn’t want any more fights. I didn’t want him in any more trouble.
“What you heard is true,” Ryland said.
I froze and looked back. “Excuse me?”
“It’s true. I slept with her. She showed up at a party. I had seen her before. She was this little, wild, innocent thing. Temptation. She was looking for a crazy night and I had one in my back pocket.”
“What the hell does that mean, Ryland?”
“That means we hung out and had fun together.”
“That’s not her version.”
“We both knew what we were doing,” he said. “And, yeah, it didn’t hurt that she was Wes’s little pet. To think all the time he had spent with her. All those chances just hanging there and he did nothing about it. Maybe he was waiting for the right moment. You know? To make it special for her. I mean, you know they kissed a lot, right?”
I didn’t respond.
I didn’t show an ounce of emotion.
“I would assume you know that. If you and Wes love each other, then there’s nothing to hide, right? Then again, what’s a kiss or two. It’s nothing serious. But for me, I wasn’t afraid to make the move. Wes knew it. That’s why he didn’t do anything about it. He was too hung up on someone else at the time. Lost in his own world, forgetting about the girl he swore he’d protect and love. Wow, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”
I shook my head. “I don’t care what you say, Ryland. I really don’t. I’m on Noelle’s side. You’re disgusting. You took something from her that she can never get back. And it should have been her decision.”
“It was,” Ryland said. “Believe me, it was. That’s why nothing happened. All she wanted from that night on was Wes’s attention. To start another fight. Sounds familiar again, huh? Girl comes to town. Torn between me and Wes. Starts a fight.”
“That’s what you think I’m doing here?” I asked.
“Just give it up, Aira. I’m right here, waiting for you.”
“There is nothing you can do to get me, Ryland. There is nothing you can do to me. To Wes. You have nothing. That’s the truth. You have no idea who me and Wes are. How long we’ve known each other. That when he used to tease me, he did it with a smile. Or that when someone pulled my hair as a joke, he punched them in the nose. Or that when I was crying on my back porch because I hated my parents, he hugged me, gave me bubblegum, and told me it was going to be okay. You… you’re just a loser, Ryland. You’re not even a bully. You try to find things out about people and use that to look tough. Just do yourself a favor. Go fuck Mika. Have her. Enjoy her. Because you two deserve each other.”
Ryland didn’t move.
He didn’t even make a face.
I wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad.
“You really don’t get much of anything, Aira,” he said. “I almost feel bad for you. Maybe you inhaled too much smoke when your house burned down.”
“Fuck you,” I said.
“I’m ready,” Ryland said.
“Goodnight, Ryland.”
“Hey, Aira,” he said. “I think you know I’m right. I think you’ve seen enough of Noelle to know. I could have anyone I want in this town, including her. There’s no reason for me to ever take something… well, especially when it’s given to me.”
I shook my head with disgust and walked away.
I only looked back once, to make sure he wasn’t following me.
He wasn’t.
He was crouched down, looking at something.
Maybe he was trying to find his pride.
Because he found someone he couldn’t have. No matter what he did.
And if he didn’t watch himself, something bad was going to happen.
Eventually, it would be out of my control.
Chapter 20
Aira
I settled between Wes’s legs as we sat in the sand next to a fire and listened to the sound of music faintly echoing around. I had a drink in my hand, one that Kailey made, and one that definitely was made to make me feel really good.
I had no idea that on the other side of the large brush and trees on Jett’s property there was a private beach like this.
It was seriously paradise.
Fucking paradise.
And I needed it in such a bad way.
Wes rested against a log or something like it and had his arms around me, holding me. He had his right leg bent and I rested my face against his jeans. Everything about it just felt comfortable. Just felt right.
Flynn and Charlotte were in the water, splashing at each other, drunk and flirting like they had just met for the first time. Flynn ran at her, splashing water as she screamed his name to stop. He then wrapped his arms around her and threw himself and her into the water.
“What a dumbass,” Leo said as he sat on a log next to Wes. “Can’t ever help himself from making it weird.”
“I think you’re jealous, bro,” Walker said as he stood next to the fire holding a drink. “You don’t have that.”
“I don’t want that,” Leo said.
“It’s not all that bad,” Wes said.
“Not all that bad?” I asked. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing, darling,” Wes said. He laughed and kissed the top of my head.
“Just one dance, girl,” Ryker said to Emma. “You and me. Together. Bodies touching.”
“He’s so cute when he begs,” Kailey said.
“Then you dance with him,” Emma said.
She turned away and Ryker reached for her.
His fingers grazed her shoulder and Emma wasted no time in kicking back at him. Ryker jumped back, trying to cover between his legs from her foot. When he did, he walked right back into the fire.
“Holy shit,” Leo said as he jumped up.
Ryker let out a yell and scrambled forward, smacking his butt.
Wes started to laugh, his stomach bouncing, making me bounce.
“Your ass is on fire, bro,” Walker said.
“Are you okay?” Kailey asked.
Emma turned and just stood there shocked.
Ryker looked over his shoulder, trying to look, and ended up looking like a dog chasing its tail. He stopped and dropped his shorts, stepping out of them.
“Wait a second,” Wes said. “Please tell me those aren’t peppers on your boxers.”
“Why the hell are you looking?” Leo asked.
“Are they wearing sunglasses?” I asked.
Ryker turned. “Hey. I like things spicy. And cool. Want to see the biggest one?”
Wes put a hand over my eyes. “Bro, I will cut your hands off if you even think about showing my girl your little pepper.”
My girl.
I shivered from the inside out.
Ryker held up his shorts. “I don’t think they’re burned. That was close.”
“Put your pants back on,” Emma said.
Ryker looked at her and dropped his shorts to the sand. “You set me on fire, Emma.”
“Oh, god,” she groaned.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Ryker said.
He moved toward her and she put a hand out. “Come near me with your sunglasses wearing pepper dick and I’ll throw you into that fire for good.”
“Dirty talk,” Ryker said. “It only turns me on.”
“If he gets hard, I’m ripping my own eyes out,” Leo said. “Never mind. I’m out of here.”
Leo walked away.
Wes laughed again.
“Bro, just put your clothes on,” Walker said.
He grabbed Ryker’s shorts and slowly shoved Ryker away from the fire pit.
Emma crossed her arms and shook her head.
“Sorry about my cousin,” Wes said.
“I think it’s cute,” Kailey said.
“Then you go play with his pepper,” Emma said.
I snorted. “Kailey doesn’t like spicy things. Remember when she got cayenne pepper in one of her smoothies and freaked out?”
“Come on,” Kailey said. “That was like fire in my throat. Who drinks that?”
“Who drinks any smoothies?” I asked. “Honestly.”
“You don’t like them?” Kailey asked.
“No,” I said. “Paying like ten bucks for ground up grass?”
Emma finally laughed. “She does have a point.”
“Who has a point?” Flynn asked as he walked with his arm around Charlotte.
They weren’t in bathing suits, which meant their clothes clung tight to their bodies.
“Cold over there, Char?” Emma asked.
“Shut up,” Charlotte said.
“My god,” Kailey said. “Can your boobs get any bigger? You go into the water and they like inflate.”
“Indeed,” Flynn said with a smile.
Charlotte punched him in the arm. “Asshole.”
She pushed away from him and grabbed Emma’s hand.
“What did I do now?” Flynn asked.
“Think you just bought yourself a date with your right hand,” Wes said.
“Gross,” Kailey said.
Flynn lifted his right hand and wiggled his fingers. “Don’t be ashamed of it, Kailey. It’s good to spend time alone with yourself.”
