“You wish, man,” Nova said. “You couldn’t handle it. You’d blow your load in a second.”

  “Ha!” Ryker yelled.

  He smacked Walker so hard on the back, his drink spilled to the sand.

  “Fuck, bro,” Walker yelled. “My drink.”

  “Let the pussy lickers have their time together,” a voice said.

  The last person I wanted to see was Mika.

  I looked up at her and saw how heavy her eyes were. She really loved Ryland. That was for sure. She loved him so much. She had been with him. And I wondered whose decision it was for her to… do what she did.

  But my heart wasn’t in the mood for caring or giving.

  “Jealous?” I asked her.

  “Oh, please. So jealous. Dirty fucking skank whores licking each other in the sand. Oh, yes, can I please join in?”

  “You might want to, Mika,” I said. “Looks like you won’t have anyone to pity fuck you now.”

  I heard everyone around me groan with shock.

  Mika’s eyes widened and her eyes filled with tears.

  I climbed to my feet, trying to look steady even though I was far from it.

  “Cunt,” Mika said. “That’s what you are, Aira. I loved him.”

  “And he loved me,” I said. “He used you when I wouldn’t give him what he wanted.”

  “Aira, come on,” Emma said as she tried to get between me and Mika. “Not here.”

  “Not here?” I asked. “She had no problem doing what she did to me. Right?”

  “You have no idea what I lost,” Mika said.

  “Oh, you poor thing,” I said. “Go light a candle and cry yourself to sleep.”

  Mika jumped at me, knocking Emma into me.

  I stepped back and tripped over Nova, hitting the sand again.

  I tried to get to my feet but couldn’t get my footing.

  “Just stop,” Emma yelled at me.

  She tried to grab me and I swung to hit her hand away.

  “Stay on your back,” Mika said. “That’s where everyone likes you anyway.”

  “I’m going to kill you,” I snapped.

  That brought on nothing but silence.

  “Holy shit, darling,” Wes said as he hurried with Leo and Ryker to the commotion.

  “Get her out of here,” Ryker said, pointing to Mika.

  “Oh, I was just going,” Mika said.

  “You’ll never get him again,” I called out. “You can never kiss him. He can never use you. You’ll be alone forever!”

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Wes growled.

  “Aira,” Nova said.

  I dug my heels into the sand and pushed away from everyone.

  I finally got to my feet.

  When I turned, I saw Walker standing there.

  “Hey,” he said.

  I swiped the drink out of his hand and took off down the beach.

  Tears streaming down my cheeks.

  Totally ugly crying like a damn fool.

  Drunk, emotional, realizing some of the things I just blurted out where not meant to be said at that time or place.

  When I stopped, I drank some more.

  Wes was right there alongside me.

  “Aira…”

  I looked at him and put the cup to my mouth again.

  “What are you trying to do?” he asked.

  “Forget everything,” I said.

  “Nothing to forget. If anything, we should remember.”

  “He’s dead. He’s gone.”

  “Right,” Wes said. “Ryland is dead. Ryland is gone. And you let him in, didn’t you? You never walked away for good. You never stayed away for good. You kept getting closer and closer… and look what happened.”

  I swallowed hard. “So you do blame me. So Ryland made a move and I pushed him away. And then he went and got himself killed. So, again, this is all my fault. Because I came back to Hidden.”

  “You know how to spin a story in your heart, darling,” Wes said.

  He backed away, shaking his head.

  I looked forward, across the beach.

  The sand. The waves. The breeze in my hair.

  None of that mattered.

  I drank some more.

  I wanted to forget Wes… and everyone else in Hidden.

  Chapter 19

  Wes

  I carried her to bed and watched her cry in her sleep.

  Cuddling tight to my blankets in my bed, Aira wept.

  I thought about waking her but I didn’t want to ruin her moment.

  All I could think about was that she was crying for Ryland. That motherfucker would never go away, no matter what. He had somehow navigated his way into Aira’s heart. There was nothing I could do about it either. It wasn’t like I could beat the shit out of him. He was in the ground. I wasn’t.

  Neither was Aira.

  Fuck.

  I made sure Aira was tucked in tight and I kissed her goodnight.

  But I didn’t sleep.

  I stood at the window and watched the night turn into morning.

  The waves never stopped. Not even for a fraction of a second.

  And in some way that’s how I felt about Aira. It was waves that never ended. From the time we were kids until now. And it would never go away.

  “Wes?” Aira’s groggy voice whispered as daylight pushed through the window.

  I turned my head. “Morning, darling.”

  “Did you sleep?”

  “I did just fine,” I said as I stood up. I approached the bed. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I was drinking and crying all night.”

  “That’s about right.”

  She forced herself to sit up in my bed.

  “Did we fight, Wes?” she asked.

  “I wouldn’t call it a fight, Aira. Just some truths came out.”

  “What truths?”

  “Shit you said to Mika. Shit you said to everyone else. But to put it simple… Ryland.”

  Aira lowered her head. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

  “Explain it to me then. Because it seems clear in my head. I was going to put my life on the line for you, Aira. To take him out. I could be sitting in jail right now. I should be. Explain that to me then.”

  She looked at me and her eyes glossed over again. “I never for a second thought about him like that. I hated him as much as you did, Wes. Maybe more. He exposed the darkest secret of my life. What I had been doing to myself. And then he took credit for me not doing it anymore. When the Mika rumor happened… it was my rumor to tell. But he took it. And he made it seem okay.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “I’m happy he’s dead,” she said. “And that… that scares me.”

  Her voice cracked.

  She shut her eyes.

  I crawled across my bed and touched her cheek. I swiped away a tear. “Talk to me.”

  “Because it feels so normal now,” she said. “The things I can say without care. Or that everything with Jesse had been a lie. My father tried to kill me. I come here and it’s an even bigger mess. I’m not crying because I miss him, Wes. I think I’m crying because I didn’t get to do it. And because it could have been you. Either killing him or you in a casket.”

  I threw my arms around Aira and pulled her close.

  She lost it.

  Oh, fuck, did she lose it.

  She cried like I never saw her cry before.

  I felt my shirt soaking through from her tears.

  I had to peel her away from me, my thumbs moving like windshield wipers in a hurricane.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I said.

  “But when does it end?” she asked.

  That was an answer I didn’t have.

  To me it would end when we didn’t have to walk the fucking halls of HCH. And that time was coming soon. Or better yet, we could split right then and there. Figure out how to finish what was needed elsewhere.

  But I didn’t like to run from problems.

  Ever.

  “You can’t even answer me,” Aira said.

  She fought me and the covers away.

  “Where are you going?” I asked.

  “To take a shower. And figure out what day it is and what I’m supposed to do next.”

  She walked into the bathroom.

  I heard the water turn on.

  My eyes looked to the nightstand and I ripped the drawer open.

  I reached inside and grabbed something.

  For me.

  For Aira.

  To make sure she damn knew what it felt like for me to love her.

  * * *

  She was beautiful under the rushing water in my shower.

  The word my flew through my head because it was true.

  This was my shower. My bedroom. She had slept in my bed. She had partied on my beach. She walked my halls at Hidden Creek High. And she had destroyed my heart.

  In other words… she was all mine.

  I walked through the bathroom as the steam rose up over the shower.

  Through the clear glass of the shower, her figure was nothing short of worth dying for. In that moment everything that took me to her was worth it.

  Her hands were at her sides, but not for long. They slowly inched up her perfect body, following lines that only one other person could and would ever touch.

  Me.

  When I stepped into the shower, Aira didn’t move. She knew I was there with her and she didn’t make a move.

  Her head was back, the water pounding against her chest. It made me jealous in a way that was horribly unfair. How the fuck could I be jealous of that?

  I watched the soaked and slightly curled ends of her hair touching her back.

  I stepped forward and gently ripped open the condom wrapper. Just the sight of her in the shower was enough have me ready for her.

  With the wrapper tossed out of the shower and the condom rolled tight against me, I placed my hands to her slippery hips. I pulled her back, letting her know I was ready in more ways than one.

  Aira put her head back to my chest, her eyes shut.

  Water streamed down her cheeks and I knew there were tears mixed in there.

  Which was fine.

  I could live with that.

  “I love you, darling,” I whispered.

  “I love you, Weslee Jackson,” she said.

  Using my full name…

  I gritted my teeth.

  I turned her to face me.

  My right hand slipped to the back of her left leg and I pulled her closer.

  I bent my knees and pressed myself against her.

  Her back touched the tiles as the water poured from above us.

  I leaned down and smashed my lips to hers with force.

  There was a mix of need to love her and fuck her that battled deep inside me.

  There was no control over it all.

  I pressed forward as she bit my bottom lip.

  There was a second of me pausing as her body ached for all I have to give.

  My left hand slid up her body, feeling everything it could in its path. It finally rested against her jaw, holding her.

  I gritted my teeth and thrust with everything I had to give her.

  Aira shut her eyes as she cried out.

  I pressed my lips to hers again and kissed her. Took her. Made her mine again.

  She put her hands to my back and dug her nails into me.

  The pain felt good.

  Oh, fuck, did the pain feel so good.

  And so did Aira’s body…

  * * *

  “I want to talk to you,” Jett said as he grabbed the wrench out of my hand.

  “So talk to me,” I said with a cigarette bouncing between my lips.

  He plucked the cigarette out of my mouth and dropped it to the floor.

  “What happened with Ryland?”

  “He got what he deserved,” I said.

  Jett grabbed my shirt. “I need to know everything.”

  “You know what I know.”

  “Then why is Dusty sitting in the office making small talk with Pop?”

  “What?”

  “Weslee… I swear on my life…”

  “Jett, I didn’t do anything.”

  “Why were you there that night?”

  “Because I was going to do something,” I said. “That’s the truth. But someone else did. He was involved with some bad stuff. Shit that nobody knew about. The guy who loved exposing everyone’s secrets had the worst of his own.”

  “His parents are going to come after this place,” Jett said.

  “Let them try. I bet they know more than they are willing to share. They’re just as bad. Look at the old man. The mighty Alexander. Everyone knows what he did. Right? And everyone just looks the other way.”

  “No matter who they are, Wes, they just buried their son.”

  “I’m sure they can find a replacement.”

  “Get in the office now,” Jett said. “If you get taken away and I have to call a lawyer…”

  “No worries,” I said.

  I opened the office and found Pop with his arm on the table.

  “Come on, Dusty,” he growled. “I’ll show you what I used to be.”

  “Your grandfather wants to arm wrestle me,” Dusty said.

  “Pop, have some whiskey and relax,” I said.

  “Now that Wes is here, can we find out why you’re here?” Jett asked.

  “No welcome to me, huh?” Dusty asked.

  “We’re busy,” I said.

  “I just wanted to come by and let you know that the shop is cleared of anything to do with the stolen parts. Your father, however, Wes, is in trouble when I catch his ass.”

  “Big surprise,” I said.

  “But I figure if he knows I’m looking, he’ll stay away,” Dusty said. “And I assume that’s something we can all agree on. Keeping West out of here.”

  Pop sipped his flask.

  “That’s it?” Jett asked.

  “No,” Dusty said. “Ryland…”

  “Who’s that again?” I asked.

  Jett smacked the back of my head. “Smart ass.”

  “I’ve been taking heat for you, Weslee,” Dusty said. “Over this thing. And Ryland was really in deep with some people. I think he was trying to follow in his parents footsteps. Doing anything he could to get what he wanted. And it went too far. I wanted to go back to the house and look around again. But when I got there, Rosemary met me at the door. She told me the house was professionally cleaned and they were going to grieve on their own. They didn’t want anything else to be done.”

  “Fucking backwards and shady,” I said.

  “So that’s it then?” Jett asked.

  “That’s it,” Dusty said. “I can work with what I have. Which isn’t much. And without their cooperation, I guess… what’s the point?”

  “Damn,” I said.

  “Whoever did this, do you think they’re in Hidden?”

  “Not sure,” Dusty said. “I guess I’m dropping by as a friend to just tell everyone to stay out of trouble. Please, stay out of trouble.”

  “You could say pretty please,” I said.

  “Ignore him,” Jett said. “I’m going to hit him in the head with a wrench.”

  “Make it twice,” Pop said. “Once for me.”

  “Add another,” Dusty said as he looked at me.

  “Have at it,” I said.

  “You all take good care,” Dusty said with a head nod. “Maybe the next time I see you it’ll be for a repair. Something not related to law.”

  Dusty nodded again and left the shop.

  Pop’s head slowly turned so he was facing me.

  “Don’t ask me,” I said. “I’m in the dark on this. But I was right.”

  Jett grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back toward the door.

  We went back into the garage.

  Leo and Flynn were working.

  Tony and Rhyno were going through paperwork.

  “Whatever Ryland was involved with,” Jett said, “were you involved too?”

  “No clue what he was involved with,” I said.

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “Jett, don’t worry about anything.”

  He laughed. “With you? There’s no choice.”

  I heard Leo whistle.

  He gave a nod and when I looked beyond Jett out toward the lot and the road I saw two street rides sitting there.

  Nick. Dean.

  I curled my lip, figuring they would eventually show themselves. They were at the funeral, but so was everyone. That wasn’t the time or the place to get into anything crazy over Ryland.

  Leo walked toward me, holding a wrench.

  “It’s okay, bro,” I said to Leo. “I’m going for a ride anyway.”

  “Where?” he and Jett asked at the same time.

  “I need to check on Noelle,” I said. “This situation is…”

  “Hey, want to hear something funny?” Flynn called out.

  “Would love to,” I said.

  “She’s with Aira.”

  “Who is?”

  “Noelle,” Flynn said.

  “Aira and Noelle are together?” I asked.

  “Oh, I wish that was true,” Flynn said.

  His mind started to wander - I could see the grin on his face.

  “Throw the wrench at him,” I said to Leo.

  “Don’t throw the wrench at him,” Jett said.

  “Charlotte texted me,” Flynn said. “They all went to Cherry’s.”

  Leo slapped my back. “Better go check up on that. They’re either talking shit on you or beating the shit out of each other.”

  I nodded.

  Great.

  * * *

  They were sitting on the porch next to each other.

  Aira and Noelle.

  I wasn’t sure about the sight but I took it in. The girl I loved with all my heart. And the girl I took care of like a sister. It would forever bother me the way Noelle felt about me but I couldn’t control that. In a way it was everyone else’s fault. Building her up that things were going to happen between us but I never once suggested it.

  I lit a cigarette and slowly approached.

  “Hurry, change the subject,” Noelle said.

  “Funny,” I said.

  Aira stood up and jumped from the second step into my arms.

  I looked at Noelle and she turned her head.

 

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