Page 6 of Make Me Unwind
“Nope.” Weston turns me back toward the resort. “This is our gift to you. You have a new lesson today. You’re learning to kayak.”
“What?” I groan while digging the tips of my shoes into the floor. Weston shoves me, but I stay rooted in the spot. “I don’t want a gift.”
“Just go with it.” Charlette wrinkles her nose. “It’s not like learning to paddleboard was awful, was it?”
My eyes narrow into slits as I turn to face them. “The instructor was a di–” I clear my throat as Roe tips her head sideways with her wide eyes staring up. “He was unpleasant.”
But gorgeous in a cranky ‘the world is against me’ kind of way. Strong. Athletic. A thorough instructor. My teeth grind together. Thankfully, I caught on quick as he cut the lesson short due to my tardiness.
“Thankfully, this is a new activity.” Charlotte beams as Gavin snuggles against her chest.
One corner of my mouth arches upward. “Fine. I’ve always wanted to learn to kayak. It looks fun.” Besides, it can’t be as bad as yesterday, and he wasn’t down at the beach earlier.
“That’s the spirit.” Weston squeezes me to his side, kisses the top of my head, and shifts his embrace to Charlotte. “Have fun. We’ll see you later.”
“Later.” I give them a halfhearted wave and stride toward the main resort. When we were at the waterpark, I saw the kayaks and the instructor with a couple of students. The female instructor.
As I navigate the pebbled walkway, my phone rings. It’s Lexie, my best friend. “Hey.” I grin as I answer her call.
“Hey babes, how’s your vacation?”
“Good.” I stretch my back and realize my answer is true. The weather is beautiful. The sun. The cloudless sky. All of it is perfect. Even though it will rain soon if my leg is predicting the weather as correctly as always. “I haven’t seen much of Mom as she’s been busy preparing for the festival, which opened today, but I’ve been able to spend lots of time with the kids, Weston and Charlotte.”
“Any sexy times?”
“Between Weston and Charlotte?” I laugh as I dodge an older couple strolling arm in arm from the resort to one of the individual cabins.
“No. I don’t care if they have sex. I want to know if you’ve found a gorgeous guy to have meaningless sex with while on vacation. It’s the perfect opportunity. You’re away from everyone, and you never have to see him again.”
“I don’t know.” I gnaw on my bottom lip as my stomach churns.
“Pip.” My best friend’s voice is sharp. “At some point, you need to lose your virginity.”
Heat covers my cheeks. “I know.” I guess I know. Maybe I’ll never lose my virginity.
The one time I came close was back in high school during my junior year, but that prick took one look at my scars and fought down vomit. Clearly, that situation went downhill, and every other guy in class avoided me like the plague. I blink furiously at the tears stinging my eyes, watching my footsteps rather than looking up at the sun.
I attended public school for two years before returning to homeschooling. It was too humiliating to have everyone staring and whispering behind my back and in front of my face.
“Do it. Go to a bar, get drunk, and sneak out with some guy. It’ll be dark. Just rip it off like a Band-Aid. It’ll get easier after the first time.”
A seagull swoops down, snatches something out of the water, and flies back into the air. “I’m underage, remember?” Twenty-one is months away. More like over a year away.
“Please. Like that stops anyone.”
I laugh at her and stop in mid-step. Asher stands beside the stack of kayaks. You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s not possible. I blink. He doesn’t go away or turn into someone else. It’s him. Again.
“Pip?”
Seconds later, Lexie calls out again, “Piper?”
“Sorry. I’ve got to go.”
My sandals cause the sand to dust up over my feet as I approach him. “You seem to be everywhere.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Did you see my name on the list and decide to harass me again?”
He stares down his nose. “Do I look like someone who stalks women who don’t like me?”
Lord, why did I say that? My face burns red. He probably thinks I am flirting with him. My heart beats loudly in my ears. Am I?