HIDDEN CREEK KISS: a hidden creek high novel, page 17
“Yeah. You saw what happened. Wes and I almost broke up over it.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Elijah gave Ryland money to invest in something. I don’t know what. But whatever Ryland did with that money… I think that’s why he got killed. And I think that’s why they’re coming after Elijah now.”
“Holy shit,” Aira whispered.
“Please don’t say anything to anyone, Aira. Not even Wes.”
“I won’t. But that makes more sense. Why Elijah won’t let this go.”
I nodded. “I think he planned on coming here just to stir things up. And then leave. But…”
“He got a taste of your sweet honey pot, huh?” Aira teased.
“Please don’t turn into Kailey or Charlotte and say weird shit,” I said.
“It’s true. He got a taste of you again and that was it.”
“Well… I mean, have you met me? I’m pretty fucking cool.”
“I think so,” Aira said. “I’m jealous of you sometimes.”
“Of me?”
“Look at you. You can be seen from a mile away, Nova. Your hair. Your eyes. Your fucking body. You just ooze confidence when you’re near the water. It’s insane. You probably don’t even realize it either. I can’t imagine how many hearts you’ve broken without realizing it.”
“Thanks. But I grew up being best friends with Britt. She’s wild. And not afraid to say or do whatever she wants.”
“Best friends, huh?” Aira asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Before things got kind of weird.”
“I’m sorry that happened. She seems cool. Just not the friends she hangs with.”
“I know,” I said. “Maybe we can convince her to ditch those bitches.”
“Let’s do it now.”
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “Let’s go.”
“I’m serious,” Aira said. She pointed down to the beach. “They’re all down there walking right now.”
* * *
I wasn’t sure what it was, but when Aira got something inside of her, that was it. There was no turning back. There was no convincing her to think about it. It was almost the perfect explanation why she was with Wes.
It was probably because of everything that happened to her. Growing up in Hidden. Being ripped away by her parents. Coming back to live with Julia after her house burned down. Only to find out later that it was her own father who burned the house down. Just this insane round and round kind of life. Which fit perfectly with my life.
Aira walked right down to the beach, Kailey, Charlotte, and Emma following.
I took my time, waiting to see how this was going to play out.
Ashley and Lacy were in these pink string things that looked like shoelaces instead of bathing suits. That was always their style. They needed to put out the whore vibe to attract the attention that could turn nothing into a party.
Carly and Britt were shoulder to shoulder, talking. Carly was in a white hoodie. Britt was typical Britt. Gorgeous in her cut off jean shorts with the top button open and black bikini top that held her but definitely not in place. Top that with her curly, black hair that did what it wanted and that forever tan that plastered itself to her skin and she was the same wild looking Britt as I always remembered.
Aira whistled to get their attention.
Britt looked at me. We both shrugged our shoulders.
Carly looked at me and then looked away.
Aira, Kailey, Charlotte, and Emma pounced on Ashley and Lacy like lionesses to hyenas. They circled around them and I wasn’t sure what they said, but it was enough to make Ashley and Lacy start to run away.
I hugged Britt. “I think they’re trying to keep your BFFs away for good.”
“Oh, I don’t care,” Britt said. “Those two are vile. I thought by now they’d calm down but they’re worse than ever. Becoming adults has only opened doors for them.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t ask,” Britt said.
“I won’t then,” I said.
Aira, Kailey, Charlotte, and Emma walked toward us.
They were all smiling. Even Emma.
“Do I want to know?” I called out.
“I was going to tell them what I planned on doing with my baseball bat,” Emma said, “but then I figured they’d like it too much.”
“So I made it clear what we can do,” Aira said.
“Which is?” I asked.
Kailey laughed. “That if we saw them on this beach again we’d cut their hair.”
“Shave their heads to match their-”
“Or just smash their pretty faces,” Emma said, cutting off Charlotte.
“You don’t mess around,” Britt said.
“Why waste time?” Aira asked. “Believe me, we don’t have time for that kind of shit here.”
“I like it,” Britt said.
“Then why are you always with them?” Emma asked.
Britt showed her hands and shook her head. “For the fun?”
“And what’s her deal?” Kailey asked, pointing to Carly.
Carly stood facing the ocean, hugging herself.
“Butt hurt over her cousin still?” Emma asked.
“That’s kind of gross,” Charlotte said.
“That’s how Carly always is,” Britt said. “She wants everything her way and if it doesn’t go that way…”
“You know what?” I asked. “Fuck. That.”
“I agree,” Aira said. “Let’s go.”
“No,” I said. “I’ll handle this one myself.”
I broke away from the group, leaving Britt alone with everyone else.
That was okay.
Britt could handle herself if things got rocky.
But they weren’t going to get rocky at all.
Because I was going to have their attention.
How?
I grabbed Carly by the shoulder and spun her around.
Her eyes went wide.
And I slapped her across the face.
* * *
Carly slapped me right back and then it was on.
Right there on the beach.
Splashing in the water and wrestling down into the wet sand, we were settling things. I knew Carly would never just talk things out or admit that she was being a crazy bitch over her stupid cousin. And I also knew that she was mostly right. I never really had feelings for Conor. And, yeah, maybe I did use him a little. Just to see what Elijah would do. I fucked with his heart and I deserved the slaps and punches I took.
Carly and I rolled in the sand, yelling bitch and cunt at each other until I finally got on top of her and threw an elbow across her jaw. She let go of my hair and grabbed her face. Her eyes welled with tears. I tasted blood on the corner of my mouth.
I climbed off her and planted my ass into the sand and sat there, catching my breath. She scrambled to get to her knees and made a fist and showed it to me.
I showed her my middle fingers. “You really want to keep going?”
“No,” she said.
She had scratches on her cheeks and her right eye was red and swollen.
“Good,” I said. “Can we be done with this bullshit now?”
“What if I say no? Are you going to keep fighting me?”
“If that’s what it takes. Cut the shit, Carly. I’m sorry for what happened with Conor. But don’t try to play the hero here. You built things up between me and him for so long, what did you think would happen? Huh? I gave him the time of day. Maybe my intentions weren’t the best, but I tried. He’s a good guy. He’s sweet and romantic and he deserves someone who cares about him in a way I couldn’t do.”
Carly just stared at me. She swallowed hard. When she touched her swollen eye, she winced in pain.
“Everyone okay here?” Britt asked.
I looked back and up and everyone was standing there.
Aira gave me a thumbs up.
“We’re good,” I said. “I think.”
“So everyone knows the truth?” Britt asked.
“Don’t,” Carly said.
“What truth?” I asked.
“I said don’t,” Carly said.
“Sorry, Carly,” Britt said. “I hate secrets.”
“What secret?” I asked.
I got to my feet and Carly did the same, shaking her head. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s something,” Britt said.
“What’s your fucking problem?” Carly asked Britt. “You hang out with Nova a couple times and now you’re with them?”
“Yeah, she fucking is,” Emma said. She slid her hand into Britt’s hand. “That a problem?”
“Tell me this secret or I’m going to drown you,” I said.
Carly’s eyes widened. “It’s nothing…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Britt said. “Carly has the hots for Elijah. That’s why she’s pissed. She doesn’t care about her damn cousin. You being with Conor though made it seem like she had a shot with Elijah. That’s the big secret.”
“Seriously?” I asked, looking at Carly.
She didn’t say a word.
I jumped forward at her and she screamed. When she stepped back, she fell into the water.
We all started to laugh.
She scrambled to her feet and took off down the beach in the direction where Ashley and Lacy had gone.
“That was cool,” Britt said.
“You just backstabbed your friends,” Kailey said.
“But I still have my best friend,” Britt said and she nodded to me.
I touched my lip. “That bitch got me.”
“Um, speaking of that,” Charlotte said, “what the hell is happening back there?”
We all turned.
Wes, Leo, and Flynn were on Julia’s deck.
Wes was smoking and his face looked a little more than roughed up.
“Shit,” Aira said.
Then I saw Elijah.
Standing on the beach, smoking his own cigarette.
His face looked just about the same.
Aira and I looked at each other.
I guess it was bound to happen…
* * *
I closed in on Elijah, feeling pissed off.
Just in general.
At everything and everyone.
He pointed at me. “What happened to your face?”
I pointed at him. “What happened to your face?”
“Took care of some old demons,” Elijah said.
“Yeah? So did I.”
I was inches from him.
He flicked his cigarette away.
He touched my face, his thumb stroking the cut at the corner of my mouth.
I reached up and touched his face. I ran my pointer finger along the cut under his left eye.
“I think you’re fucking stupid right now, Elijah,” I said.
“Well I still think you’re beautiful,” he said.
Cheesy and cringeworthy but I moved to my toes.
We kissed each other, which was the only way to completely forget everything. And everyone.
When I stopped kissing him, I looked to the deck and saw Wes and Aira embracing each other. Poor Britt just kind of stood in between all of us.
“What happened?” I asked.
“You first,” he said.
I laughed. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
I gave him the quick rundown of Carly. I started the fight. I ended the fight. And then her big secret which was as pathetic as a sixth grade crush.
“See what happens?” Elijah asked. “The effect I have on women?”
I punched his chest. “You would say that. Asshole.”
Elijah grinned. “Everything is good, babe.”
“Good? Your face doesn’t look good.”
“Let’s ask Carly if my face looks good,” he said.
“I’ll cut your tongue out and then cut your di-”
“I’m kidding,” Elijah said. “Wow. You’re getting a little into the red on the crazy chick meter here, Nova.”
“It’s your fault,” I said.
“I know. And, yeah, Wes and I settled some things.”
“Settled?”
“Yeah. Took care of stuff up at Tech. He had to defend his cousins and his crew. I defended my crew. No worries. Everything went smooth. Then we got into the parking lot. Things were said. Things were brought back up.”
“Like what?” I asked, gritting my teeth.
“He made a comment or two about me hurting you.”
“And?”
“And I told him that Aira would have ended up with Ryland if he hadn’t been killed.”
“Shit,” I said. “Elijah…”
“It needed to be said, babe. So everyone cleared out and gave us some space.”
“And that was it?” I asked.
“Yeah. We stopped because of you and Aira. That was the deal. We got at it for a few minutes just to burn off some of that tension.”
“Guys are morons,” I said. “Seriously. I can’t be near you right now.”
Elijah hooked his arm into mine and pulled me back. “I love you, Surfer Girl.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said. “I love you too, Summer Boy.”
I walked away from Elijah and met up with Britt. Then Aira joined us.
“Are we good?” I asked Aira.
“We’re great,” Aira said. “Our guys? They’re idiots.”
“Okay. Good.”
“Did they fight each other?” Britt asked.
“Yeah,” both Aira and I said at the same time.
“Is it weird that turns me on?” Britt asked.
Aira and I looked at each other.
“No,” we both said at the same time.
Britt snorted and laughed.
That was enough to make Aira and I laugh too.
The three of us hugged and then we broke apart as always. Aira went to be with Wes. Britt said she had to get home. And I walked back to Elijah.
“Back so soon, babe?” he asked.
I grabbed his shirt and curled my lip. “You’re lucky you’re so hot. You know that?”
“Oh, believe me, Nova, I know how lucky I am,” he said.
I rolled my eyes.
I sighed.
The way I was hooked on him was unfair.
But it was what it was.
Elijah drove us to Cherry’s and we sat on the porch together, dabbing wet towels to each other’s wounds.
“What the hell am I going to do with you?” I asked him. “I thought things were working out. And now you fight Wes?”
“It wasn’t even a real fight,” he said. “And things are fine.”
“You might need them,” I said. “For this BC thing…”
“Forget about that for a second,” he said. “I’m enjoying this moment with you. This is fun.”
“Fun?”
“Look at us, babe. It’s crazier between us than ever before. I can’t get enough of it.”
“If you say so,” I said.
“Hey,” he said. “You’re one to talk too. Are you going to fight every person who has the hots for me?”
“If I have to, yes,” I said.
“Then that’s a lot of people, Nova,” Elijah said with a cocky grin.
I pulled the towel from his face and slapped him with it. “Idiot. Such idiots.”
“Who?”
“Guys,” I said. “All of you.”
“Yet you can’t get enough.”
I opened my mouth but stopped when I saw Cherry and Noelle.
Walking toward the house.
I couldn’t remember the last time I saw Cherry leave the house. Or not be home.
When Elijah and I had gotten there, I darted into the kitchen to get towels and that was it. I yelled HEY! to Mom and Cherry and ran right back out of the house.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Cherry. “I mean… I’ve never seen you leave.”
“Stay seated,” Cherry said.
“I’m going inside,” Noelle said.
She stuck her earbuds into her ears and hurried between Elijah and I up the steps and into the house.
“What was that?” I asked. “Is Noelle okay?”
“She’s fine,” Cherry said. “She was helping me with something.”
“Okay,” I said.
Cherry frowned. “I’m really sorry, Nova.”
“For what?”
“Your mother… she left.”
“Left?” I asked. I hurried to stand up. Elijah jumped up too. “Left? Where? She left Hidden? The state?”
“No,” Cherry said. “She left here. My house. I tried to talk to her. Tried to calm her down. She insisted on leaving. I didn’t want him here so I took her…”
“Who?” I asked.
Cherry swallowed hard. “Your father.”
“My father? Why…”
I looked at Elijah.
“Shit,” Elijah said. “She went back to him.”
“Yeah,” Cherry said. “I guess they’ve been talking on the phone the last few days or so. Working through… whatever. She insisted on going and I didn’t want him here to cause problems.”
“You took her back there?” I asked, trying to hold it together.
“I had no choice, Novalee,” Cherry whispered. “She was going one way or another. At least with me taking her, I was able to tell your father exactly what I thought of him and the entire situation.”
Cherry choked back tears and walked up the steps to the porch.
Elijah pulled me close and held me as my body went numb and weak.
At some point I knew I needed to just scream.
Chapter 15
Elijah
I coaxed Nova to my car and got her into the passenger seat. I wasn’t sure where else she was going to feel safe. Being at Cherry’s wasn’t going to work for the moment. She was pissed at Cherry. As was I. Even though there was a sense of reality that went through me, telling me that Cherry could only do so much. And Cherry had probably done all she could.
Even still…
I drove the hell away from Cherry’s house and pulled into a parking lot that faced the ocean.
Nova sat with her knees to her chest.
She was shaking.
Rightfully so.
I reached for her arm and she screamed when I touched her.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “It’s just me.”
