Page 23 of Drowning
Once the pitcher is gone and we have all had a good buzz, we walk hand in hand back to the house, noting that no one has returned yet.
The trees sway in the wind, and the waves crash loudly behind us, like angry thunderclaps reverberating across the beach.
Nothing but darkness and the flames of the roaring fire in the fireplace greet us as we walk inside, stomping our sandy feet on the mat in front of the sliding glass doors. We walk through the house together, turning on random lights to help us find our way up the steps. Ace looks at me over Em's head, giving me an intriguing yet playful look as if he's wondering if the same thing on her mind is the same thing on our mind.
He gets his answer as we come to a halt in the middle of the hall in front of her room, her hands gradually slipping from our grasp. With her back against the closed door, she crosses her tattooed arms over her chest, pushing her tits out and giving us a menacing look that makes my cock hard again.
"What's that look for, Blue Eyes?" I step toward her slowly, rubbing my hands together without taking my eyes off her face.
"We still have a few minutes before they should be back..." She winks at me and then looks at Ace, giving him the same look that makes us both want to fall to our fucking knees and worship her.
"So, what does that mean?" I ask, playing along as I take a final step toward her, stopping mere inches away.
"Yeah, Brat. What's on that dirty, little mind of yours? Me and Stone are fuckingdyingto hear," Ace mutters, taking a few steps closer.
"It means," she says with such dominance that it almost makes me bust a load in my shorts. "If you want to kiss me, then fucking do it." She licks her lips and waits, while Ace and I try to figure out our next move.
Without hesitation, I lean in and press my lips against hers, sensing the warmth and urgency between us. Ace brushes his hand against her cheek before joining in, our three-way kiss full of passion and desire. The sound of the front door opening interrupts our moment, but we couldn't care less. We are completely engrossed in each other, consumed by the intense pleasure and addictive flicks of our tongues against one another.
When we hear Eli calling out to us, we reluctantly break away from the kiss. He stands in the doorway, looking at us with a mix of shock, anger, and irritation. "Seriously, guys? What the fuck?" he seethes, shaking his head.
Ace smirks and takes a step towards him, separating himself from Emerson. "Well, maybe if you didn't leave us alone for so long," he teases, playfully patting him on the back as he walks away, leaving Eli glaring at me and Emerson.
"I get it, Eli, but come on. You have to know your sister is old enough to make her own decisions."
"That's not the fucking point, Stone, and you know it." Eli storms off, shaking his head and muttering under his breath loud enough for us to hear.
Turning back to Emerson, a lost look consumes her pretty blue eyes and the vulnerability radiating off of her tugs at the thin heartstrings I do have. "Blue Eyes," I whisper, tucking her hair behind her ear to showcase her stunning face. "Don't let Eli ruin this for you. This trip is for you,notfor him."
"I guess you're right, but still," She clears her throat and wipes the wetness away from her eyes. "I hate disappointing my brother."
I pull her in for a hug and linger for a bit, taking the time to inhale the way she smells, savoring it for as long as I can. I know this isn't the way she wanted her brother to find out, but now that it's out in the open, none of us have to hide anything anymore…
thirteen
The Rebel
E m e r s o n
It took me a minute to compose myself after my brother walked in on me, Stone, and Ace making out.
Fuck.
I didn't want him to find out that way or this soon. He still doesn't know about Kane or Seven, and when he finds out, it'll be much fucking worse.
Anxiously, I run a brush through my long, dark hair, looking nervously at my reflection in the mirror. I can see the sadness in my eyes—the pain I am trying to mask; it is written all over my fucking face. I reapply my makeup, trying to look presentable, wiping the smeared lipstick from around my mouth, which is also stained on the guy's lips.
Fuck.
After popping a Xanax and an Ambien, I wash them down with the last sip of water in the bottle, crushing it and tossing it into the garbage when I'm done. The alcohol still vigorously courses through me, giving me a slight boost of liquid courage, but I know that as soon as I see Eli, all that shit will dissipate and I'll crumble like a weak bitch under his feet.
With my back to the door and my eyes on the beach out the window, flashbacks of my parents dance heavenly in my mind, making the pain of not having them here much worse. There are times when I don't think about them as much, but being here, at the beach house, is bringing up all the past trauma I have been trying to work through. I don't know why Eli thought this was a good idea, but I hope he knows what he's doing.
"Knock, knock."
I turn around, dropping the tube of mascara, a blush covering my tanned cheeks, when I see Seven standing in my doorway, leaning against the frame. The smile on his beautiful face gives me fucking butterflies, but it also brings up all the nerves I've been working on pushing to the side since I've been locked in my room, afraid to face the real world downstairs.
"Hey," I finally manage, my voice coming out in a cracked whisper.