Page 14 of Make Me Unwind
I shivered as the sound of squealing tires flashed through my mind. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll be leaving in a few days.”
“Fine.” She sighed and turned on her heel. “But I won’t stop wishing you’d give him a chance.”
“To do what?” I chuckle halfheartedly. “Be pen pals?”
“You’re a pain in the ass.” She whips her head around. “You’re as stubborn as your brother. I’ll never forget the first time when Weston brought you into the dance studio. Sullen, pouting, and oh, so stubborn.”
One corner of my mouth arches upward. “I love you, too.”
She winks and saunters into the kitchen. “I love you, Pip.”
Why are you thinking about him again? It doesn’t matter if your sister-in-law and mother are shipping you together. If he’s not interested, he’s not interested.
Besides, there’s no reason we should get attached to each other. We live over 1,000 miles apart. My break from school will be over in less than two weeks. And…. And I’ll be what? Be busy?
Yes, I’ll be busy. Maybe I should get a job. My brother helps our mom out, so she only works one job now, and they’ve both sheltered me. It’s nice not having to worry about money, but I could work part-time. Maybe Chloe would give me a job at the bakery. I’ll need something to keep from thinking about Asher’s golden skin, green eyes, and how his wetsuit showed off every bulging muscle as he shifted his weight. The man is pure sin. Lexie’s voice floats in my head. Go into town. Get drunk. Get laid.
I could skip the getting drunk part. It’s not that I’ve never drunk or that I’m a prude, but I hate hangovers. Getting sick is something I avoid at all costs, so drinking is out. Or limited to a couple of drinks at the most.
“Didn’t go to the beach today?” Charlotte breezes into the room with her purse slung over her shoulder. My sister-in-law’s face is wrinkle-free, tan, and glowing. At least someone had a good night last night.
“No. I stayed in today. I didn’t want to get burnt.” The lie falls from my lips, causing me to cringe. It was cloudy all day, and once again, dark clouds are brewing as another storm rolls closer to the resort.
“Hiding from Asher?”
“No.” Heat creeps along my skin until my cheeks are burning. “Okay. Fine. I’m hiding.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “That’s better. What do we talk about in counseling? How can we expect anyone else to be honest with us if we aren’t honest with ourselves?”
“That’s bull–” The word trails off as Roe follows Charlotte into the room.
“Hey baby, why don’t you go make sure you have your smaller toys in the bag?” She returns her attention to me. “We’re going into town to eat dinner with your mom. We want to spend the evening with her since we’re returning soon.”
Weston, Charlotte, and the kids will leave in a couple of days, but Mom and I will stay through the weekend.
****
Two Hours Later
I stand at the shoreline as the water laps at the surf. The rumbling signals another summer storm is approaching. As always, my leg told me hours before that the weather was approaching. I’d gotten tired of hiding and pouting, so I ventured out and down to the water’s edge.
The stars to the east glisten in the sky, while the ones to the west are covered in dark, rolling clouds that crackle with lightning. I stand with my sandals in my hand and my toes lapped by the waves. Despite the swirling wind, or maybe because of it, the night is beautiful. When my mom said she wanted to attend a festival in the Lowcountry, I didn’t see the appeal.
I inhale a lungful of ocean air and sigh. I was wrong. The areas small-town charm is appealing and not so different from the Midwest. When we drove through Magnolia Point, we saw mom-and-pop stores, clean streets, quaint flower boxes, serene parks, and then we got to the beach. The water sweeps at my toes as another flash of lightning makes the night sky bright, followed by the echoing rumble of thunder. Beautiful.
“You realize it’s dangerous to stand at the water’s edge during a storm, don’t you?”
My skin tightens as every hair on my arms stands at attention. I don’t have to turn around to know it’s Asher. Even in the dark, his voice is a pure velvet caress. Did I come here hoping he’d see me and seek me out?
I cross my arms over my chest and shiver. The temperature has dropped, but that’s not why I’m on edge. There’s no use in pretending I didn’t come here for this very purpose. I wanted to see him.
“I won’t stay here long enough to get zapped.” I glance at him as he stops beside me as usual he’s not wearing a shirt. “The storm is still thirty minutes away.”
His stance is nearly identical to mine. “Haven’t you heard of stray lightning strikes from miles away?”
“Isn’t that one of those old wives’ tales that parents say to their children to get them to go inside? Kind of like, don’t eat within thirty minutes of going into the pool?”
“Have you tried swimming on a full stomach? I wouldn’t recommend it.”