HIDDEN CREEK LOVE: a hidden creek high novel, page 18
Kailey cringed until Flynn hurried away, calling for Charlotte.
Now it was just Kailey, me, and Wes next to the fire.
“Where’s Noelle?” I asked Wes.
“She was with Nova the last time I saw her,” Kailey said. “Didn’t know they knew each other.”
“Dorky artist friends,” Wes said. “Go figure.”
“Who’s Nova?” I asked.
“Novalee,” Kailey said. “She’s kind of quiet in HCH. You’ve seen her before. She has another group of friends. She’s kind of cool, I guess. She’s really good at painting. Like, really good. Her parents bought her a gallery and stuff.”
“Seriously?” I asked.
“I don’t get it,” Wes said. “Scribbling lines and colors. I could do that with my eyes shut.”
“Or maybe with a paintbrush stuck in your ass,” Kailey said.
“I’d pay to see that,” I said.
Wes jabbed his strong fingers into my ribs.
I let out a scream of laughter and threw my drink back, spilling it all over my myself and Wes.
“Fuck,” Wes yelled.
I turned and put my hands to the sand. The sand stuck to the wetness from the drink.
Wes jumped up and wrapped an arm around me, lifting me up to my feet.
“Careful, darling,” he said. “Don’t want you to catch on fire too.”
“I already am,” I whispered in a fake sultry voice.
“Now you sound like Ryker,” Wes said. “Are you wearing sunglasses wearing pepper panties?”
“Want to find out?” I asked.
The best thing about Wes… he knew better than to answer that with words.
He kissed me.
“Yeah, I’ll just hang here alone,” Kailey called out.
Wes broke the kiss. “She could join us.”
“I’ll fucking kill you,” I whispered back.
“God, I love you, Aira.”
“I love you too, Wes.” I kissed his cheek. “Now get me out of these clothes.”
* * *
Waking up next to Wes was a dream.
I didn’t care if it was the first time or the tenth time.
And I was totally getting used to it.
Him having his own place at Jett’s was coming in handy more and more.
I leaned over Wes as he slept and I kissed his nose.
He groaned and slowly opened his eyes.
“Hey, darling,” he said in a groggy voice that made me melt.
“We have to get going,” I whispered.
Wes let out a growling sigh as he stretched his neck.
It was almost too much for me to handle.
My toes curled tight and I wanted to just stay there with him. Waste the day. Skip everything that looked like responsibility. What did it matter, right?
There was a gentle knock at the door.
“Who is that?” Wes asked.
“I can’t see through doors, Wes,” I whispered.
“Funny.”
I got out of the bed and grabbed Wes’s t-shirt and put it on. It smelled like fire and rum. That made me smile.
I opened the bedroom door and saw Kailey standing there, her eyes wide.
“Morning,” I said. “Where did you sleep last night?”
“I slept… uh…” She bit her lip.
“What’s wrong?”
“I kind of slept with Ryker,” Kailey said.
“You slept with Ryker?” I called out.
“Shut up,” Kailey growled.
“Who slept with Ryker?” Wes yelled from the bedroom.
“Kailey did,” I said.
“Ohmygod, you bitch,” Kailey said.
“How did that happen?” I asked.
“Wait a second,” Wes yelled. “I have to hear this.”
He got out of the bed and covered himself with his hands. Yes, he needed both hands. He strutted to the bedroom door wearing nothing but his hands.
“Wes,” I said.
“What?” he asked. “I’m covered up.”
“Not nearly enough,” Kailey said.
“See something you like?” he asked.
“Both of you shut up,” I said. “I want to hear this story.”
“There is no story,” Kailey said. “It just happened.”
“What about Emma?” I asked.
“What about? She doesn’t like him. I don’t know. I was there… alone… thanks to you two…”
“This isn’t my fault,” Wes said. “Don’t put your regret sex on me. Unless it’s with me.”
I looked at Wes and curled my lip.
He blew a kiss at me.
“I don’t regret it,” Kailey said. “I don’t think… I don’t know.”
“This is huge,” I said.
“Yeah, it kind of was,” Kailey said and bit her lip.
“Nice,” Wes said. “He at least got one of the good family genes.”
“Where is Ryker right now?” I asked.
“He just left to head to Tech. And find Walker. I don’t know where they all ended up. I assume they all went home.”
“Are you going to tell Emma?” I asked. “I mean, you have to. In a way. Right?”
“Who cares about Emma?” Wes asked. “Ryker threw himself at her and she didn’t want him. That’s her problem.”
“I feel guilty though,” Kailey said. “God. This is crazy. We were just standing there. Talking. And then…”
“You fell for the sunglasses wearing peppers,” Wes said.
“I totally did,” Kailey confessed.
“This is crazy,” I said. “I need clothes, coffee, and the rest of this story.”
“I’ll meet you downstairs,” Kailey said. She looked at Wes. “Don’t say anything to anyone.”
“I won’t say anything,” Wes said. “But I am going to break Ryker’s balls like crazy.”
“Why?” Kailey asked. “Is there something wrong with me?”
“No,” Wes said. “I’m proud of him. He finally lost his virginity.”
“What?” me and Kailey both yelled at the same time.
Wes started to laugh. “Holy crap, I’m kidding. I’m going to bust on him though.”
“Go get dressed,” I said to Wes.
He turned and walked to the bed.
I stepped out of the bedroom and shut the door behind me.
Kailey’s eyes were wide. “This isn’t my first… you know… it’s not like I don’t have fun. You know?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s fine. We’ll talk to Emma and figure it out. Like Wes said, she had her chance.”
“I didn’t like pounce on him or anything,” Kailey said. “It was just… he was so cute. The way he was going after Emma. I mean… you know…”
“You fell for the cheap moves,” I said. “That’s okay.”
“I just don’t want to fall for him,” Kailey said.
“Sounds like you already did.”
Kailey rolled her eyes. “I need coffee.”
“Meet you downstairs.”
I went back into the bedroom to find Wes already dressed. Same jeans but a fresh t-shirt. Looking sexier as ever.
I had a bag packed with clothes and dug through to find something to wear.
“This is wild, Wes,” I said.
“Not really,” he said. “They fucked. So what? Good for them. There was so much tension there anyway. I don’t know what Emma’s deal is though.”
“I don’t know. The way Kailey feels guilty…”
“Not our problem, darling.” Wes walked around the bed to me. I stood in nothing but my bra and panties. He slipped his arms around me. “I’m going to head out. Track down my cousins and get the story. I won’t say anything to anyone else.”
“Okay,” I said as I put my head back to his chest.
“Let you two have your girly talk.”
I turned my head. “I like this, Wes. Waking up next to you. Being together like this.”
“We can do it every single night, Aira. Told you things were going to be okay.”
“Are they though? Or are we just hiding?”
Wes kissed me.
Which wasn’t the answer I wanted from him.
But it was the answer I had no choice but to accept.
Chapter 21
Wes
I took off and blew right past HCH without even looking back.
I told Ryker and Walker to meet me at the shop so we could talk some business.
Business as in what the hell Ryker was doing inside Kailey’s panties. Not that it was my business but it was interesting. And good for him for finally making a move on someone.
When I got to the shop, the last thing I wanted to see was West.
But there he was, standing outside an open garage bay with a coffee mug in hand, smoking a cigarette with the other.
He was just a leech that refused to go.
And after everything he’d done in my life. And everything he hadn’t done.
Considering what happened the last time he left…
More so, he showed up to the diner and talked to Aira.
I could barely get my motorcycle to stop moving before I jumped off of it.
Ryker and Walker were already there, keeping their distance from West. They stood at Ryker’s car. He had his arms crossed, leaning against it with a grin on his face that told me the entire story of the night before.
I pointed to them. “I’ll be right back.”
A voice inside my head said to ignore West but that was impossible.
“There’s my boy,” West said. He opened his arms. “Coming to give your old man a kiss good morning?”
I didn’t say a word at first.
I just stared him down. Looking into eyes that were the same as mine. Everyone always said I looked more like my mother, which was supposed to be a good thing. Even though I couldn’t say much for her and the way she always let him back in. But not this time. She learned her lesson hard the last time.
Even still… his eyes were mine. Mine were his. However you wanted to look at it.
He brought his cigarette to his lips.
He blew smoke at my face and I punched the coffee mug out of his hands.
It hit the ground and shattered.
“Pop’s going to be pissed now,” West said. “That was one of the good mugs.”
I moved toward him and Jett appeared from nowhere.
“You need to get to class,” Jett said to me. “You don’t need this.”
“Sure he does,” West said. “What’s class going to teach him, huh? We’ve got everything we need right here.”
“We?” I asked.
“All of us. A family. Even Aira.”
I pushed at Jett and he grabbed my shirt and put his forearm to my throat. “Don’t do it, Wes.”
“Stay the fuck away from her, West,” I said. “I swear on my life…”
“Look at this,” West said. “My son. Ready to take on his old man over a piece of ass. God, you’re just like me. You know how many guys I had to fight for your mother’s heart.”
“What the hell is going on out here?” Pop’s rough voice growled.
He stuttered stepped out of the office, his right hand rubbing the left side of his chest.
“Nothing, Pop,” Jett said.
“Father son time,” West said.
Pop looked at Jett.
There was something going on here.
“Pop, are you okay?” I asked.
“Fine,” he said. “You here to work?”
“No,” I said.
“Then get out of here.”
“Listen to your grandfather, son,” West said. “No need to come here and cause trouble.”
“Then what are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m having a smoke and was having a coffee. Was going to talk to my father.”
“Nobody is talking to anyone,” Jett said. “Everyone split up and leave.”
“The voice of reason,” West said. “From the little orphan we found, huh? The little forgotten piece of shit that nobody loved. Nobody wanted.”
I pushed Jett out of the way and lunged at my father.
He put up a fist and was ready to attack me right back.
“He’s more of a father than you ever were,” I yelled at West.
West took a swing but missed.
“Jesus Christ,” Pop yelled.
From the corner of my eye I watched as he side stepped and reached for the wall. His knees started to buckle and I moved my attention to him.
“Pop!” Jett said as he hurried to his side.
“I’m fine,” Pop said. “I didn’t eat yet today. That’s all. I’m a little dizzy.”
Jett had a firm grip on Pop’s arm, holding him up.
Jett looked back at me. “You have to go, Wes. It can’t be like this.”
I nodded and backed off.
I turned and West was right there.
“You’re going to fucking kill him,” I said.
West grinned.
I walked by West, my entire morning tossed to the side.
I had come to the goddamn shop to meet up with Ryker and hear about him sliding in TT’s pants. Instead, I was ready to fight the world.
“Shit, bro, is Pop okay over there?” Walker asked.
I hated myself as I grabbed Walker by the shirt and slammed him against Ryker’s car.
“What the hell?” Walker screamed.
“You want to get laid from being beat up?” I asked.
I threw an elbow and hit Walker in the nose.
His head snapped to the side and he crumbled down to the ground.
I stepped back and ran a hand through my hair.
What the fuck did I just do that for?
I looked up and saw Ryker charging around his car.
“What’s your problem, Wes?” he yelled.
“Nobody could call and tell me West was here?” I asked.
“We didn’t know until you pulled up.”
“I don’t even care. I’m out of here. I’m going for a fucking ride. Clear my head. And well done on ruining things with Emma. Asshole.”
“Emma?” Ryker asked. “She wants nothing to do with me. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“Hope you had fun sucking on Kailey’s little tits,” I said. “I asked you two to help me out with West. And he’s just fucking standing here, causing problems.”
I turned and walked away, knowing almost everything I had just said and done was horribly wrong.
But I didn’t care.
I wanted everyone else to feel what I felt in that moment.
I got on my ride and took off, not looking to check on Walker or even looking to check on Pop.
That pained my heart.
But I needed to clear my heart.
And get back to HCH and find Aira.
She could calm the storm, even for a minute.
The storm was actually about ten of them all slowly ready to collide.
Part of that storm came out of nowhere as I was headed in the direction of Tech. The ride had long and twisted roads, which I loved to take with speed. Right next to the ocean, almost like a picture out of a movie.
After taking one of the wider turns, I noticed something behind me.
I turned my head for a split second and saw Nick and Dean tailing me.
On their black colored street rides, gaining speed on me by the second.
I let off the throttle of my ride and slowed.
They picked the wrong fucking day to mess with me.
The two of them whizzed by me with their whiny engines and they both quickly tried to stop. Their rides turned sideways and they kicked up smoke as they spun around to face me.
When they came toward me, I laughed and sped up to meet them.
They cut around me, one on each side.
Dean made a fast move, almost dropping his street ride completely as he turned back around. He sped right back up and was alongside me.
I reached out with my right hand and threw him the middle finger.
He came at me, forcing me to cross the yellow line in the road.
I kept my balance as I started to slow.
But Nick was right there on my left side, turning at me.
I gritted my teeth as I tried to go right, but had no more room.
I started to lean into the move, figuring if I was going down, I’d find a way to take Dean and Nick with me. Then I’d get up and rearrange their faces with my bare fists.
Dean hit his throttle and moved forward as I lost my front wheel for good.
Nick turned sideways to make sure there was no way I’d save my ride.
“Fuck!” I yelled as I watched - and felt - my motorcycle smash the pavement.
I shut my eyes and went for another kind of ride.
* * *
“What the fuck happened, bro?” Leo asked.
“Are you okay?” Flynn asked.
They both came running at me as I sat on my tipped over motorcycle, smoking a cigarette.
I wasn’t hurt.
Much.
I wasn’t going all that fast so the scrapes were minimal. My jeans got torn up a little and right arm hurt like hell, but I’d survive. Easily survive. I had thrown my helmet against the side of the road on some cherry brown colored rocks.
“Ryland is dead,” I said.
“He did this?” Leo asked.
“His toys did it. They fucking chased me down, boxed me in and made me lose it. Fuck. I wasn’t fucking focused either.”
“Shit,” Flynn said. “That’s some damage there.”
“I can fix my ride,” I said. I stood up. “I already called Jett. He’s sending Tony up here with the flatbed to take it back to the shop. Trust me. I’ll fix her up good as new.”
“You haven’t been to HCH yet?” Leo asked.
“No. I met up with my cousins… that’s a whole other story.”
“Damn,” Flynn said. “You better tell him what’s going on.”
“What do you mean what’s going on?” I asked. “What now?”
“Get in the car,” Leo said.
“I don’t take orders, Leo.” I grabbed his shirt. “I’m having a fuck of a morning.”
“Yeah, well it’s about to get fucked up even more,” Leo said as he pushed me away.
“Did you know Mika had an abortion?” Flynn asked.
