“Yeah, the girl slipped away and left town without him.”
“Bless him, how is he?”
“Lucky to be alive,” I snort, “He took my dad’s stash cash to help her and she took it when she ran. Dad was ripping him a new one when I left.”
“Oh my god,” she gasps, “How much did he take?”
“Twenty grand.”
Her mouth falls open, but nothing comes out. Same reaction as dad without the throbbing vein in her neck.
“Anyway, when can you get away from here?” I ask.
Luca is old news now and more importantly, I want my day with the girl in front of me.
“Not till five.”
It’s not what I wanted to hear.
“Meet me at the cabin when you finish?”
“Sure,” she smiles.
“And you don’t have to be worried, if this doesn’t work out to be whatever it could be, I won’t be a dick to you, I always want to be at least your friend.”
I mean it too, I can’t imagine her not in my life in some way. I can’t help myself, I lean on the counter and press my lips to hers. She always tastes of mint from the gum she’s always chewing. Just as I break away from her and step back, the door opens and Slade strolls in and she can’t argue with me about the possibility of being destroyed.
“I thought you were going to see your new girlfriend?” he chuckles and squeezes India’s shoulder as he passes to get behind the counter. I want to punch him.
“I never said I had a girlfriend,” I mumble, not making eye contact with India.
“Whatever you say, what are you doing here?”
Thinking quickly, I lie.
“I was looking at your jewellery selection.”
“I didn’t realise you were such a gentleman, buying jewellery for someone who isn’t your girlfriend.”
Fuck this. I’m going to hear this all over the club later once Slade has gossiped like a bitch.
“Don’t worry about it.”
I get out of there without saying goodbye to India which pisses me off. I only needed a few more moments with her before Slade came in. He must’ve left the house shortly after I did.
My phone goes off and I smile when I see it’s from India.
‘I’ll meet you at the cabin, I get off at five.’
India
I drive straight to the cabin as soon as my mom says I can leave. I don’t mind working in the store, dad pays me well and it isn’t too taxing. Leo’s bike is parked by the side of the cabin but he’s nowhere to be seen. His words from the store still ring loud in my head, he’ll at least be my friend, it’s nice to know but I don’t think I could ever just be his friend now. I’ve shared way too much with him to ever be friends without sharing more.
A message comes through from Leo disrupting my internal battle.
‘You gonna sit in the car all night?’
I smile and shove my phone in my bag. Throwing open the door, Leo appears on the porch and holds out his arms for me, I walk straight to him and he pulls me over the threshold. I forget everything and relax against him.
“I thought you weren’t going to come in,” he says, pushing me up against the hall wall.
I don’t get the chance to speak, his mouth crashes onto mine and I lap him up and sweep my tongue against his. He growls into my mouth and I chuckle. Him doing that will never get old.
In his embrace, senses aren’t only dulled, they are ripped from me and held prisoner until I’m away from him. My top hits the carpet, and I wonder when that happened? Like I said, I lose all sense around him.
Ripping my bra down, he takes my nipple into his mouth, after the shock of the sensation dies down, he teases it be between his teeth and then releases it.
“I can’t wait to take you like this,” he tells me and the edge to his voice causes me to quiver.
“Do it then,” I say, feeling brave.
If fire could blaze in his eyes, they would be burning up right now.
I’m hoisted up around his waist and I cling to him as he takes us upstairs.
“Not until I’ve broken you in a little more, I don’t want it to ever hurt for you.”
For the rest of the evening, he played with me like I was his personal toy and I didn’t hurt once. It was the complete opposite of pain, to the point it was painfully beautiful.
“Will it always be like this?” I ask him, after I manage to keep my eyes open for longer than five minutes.
“No, it will get better,” he says, running his fingers across my shoulder blade.
“Better?” I flinch.
I know I don’t have much experience, nowhere near as much as the girls at the club, but I didn’t think I was that bad.
“I mean, better for you, not me,” he quickly clarifies, “I’ve never felt that good before. When you’re used to me, it will be even better. We’ll learn each other’s bodies and what we both like. We’re going to be fucking amazing,” he laughs.
Even though he’s grinning, I believe him, but it doesn’t make me feel better.
“What’s it like when you’re with the girls at the club?”
I’m not jealous or trying to be malicious, I genuinely want to know.
“I’m not answering that,” he says, firmly.
“Why?”
“Because I’d never compare you to anyone, there’s no comparison to made, not with you.”
I pull myself up and cover my chest with the blanket. Soft droplets of rain hit the window and Leo looks like he wants to jump out through the glass.
“Why me, Leo? Up till three days ago, we were friends who saw each other at the club and now, we’re in bed for the second time in two days.”
He leans up on his elbow and pulls my hand to his mouth. He presses a soft, brief kiss to my palm and pierces me with his deep brown eyes.
“I’ve felt more with you in this bed than I have with anyone else. Can we please drop this?”
He’s getting angry and I don’t understand why. It was only a question.
“Sure.”
I take my hand back and scoot over to the edge of the bed. I’m not embarrassed I lack experience, I’ve just turned eighteen, I’m hardly going to be a porn star and know all the moves. I’m embarrassed because I pushed him for answers most girls would hate to know.
I know Leo’s had more girls than the average guy, there’s no point hiding from it.
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
I don’t say anything.
He moves across the bed and pulls me back against him.
“Please don’t go, call your mom and tell her you’re staying at a friend’s house.”
He peppers his soft kisses along my shoulder and murmurs, “Stay with me tonight.”
Turning my head, he pins me in place with his warm, pleading stare and I’m done. I couldn’t leave this cabin if I tried.
I lean in and snuggle my head in the crook of his neck.
“Stay,” he urges one last time.
“Okay.”
Before I know it, he’s rolling us around and I land on my back with him on top of me.
“Give me the summer, be with me till you leave for college.”
“Don’t ask me that, not unless you really mean it.”
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t,” he growls into my neck.
“And there won’t be anyone else but me?”
“I’m not a complete prick, Indie. If I say you, I mean only you.”
“Then I’m yours…for the summer,” I tell him.
His eyes blaze as he stares down at me and I daren’t breathe. He rolls us over so fast my hand lands on the nightstand.
“What’s that?”
“Sounds like something dropped.”
We both lean over the edge of the bed, and a wad of photographs tied together with an elastic band has fallen from somewhere close by.
I get to them first and sit up as I undo the batch. The first photograph is of Cas and Alannah, they’re si
tting in the kitchen here at the cabin. She is sitting on his lap and he’s holding a cigarette to his mouth as he looks at her.
Leo’s dad was hot back in the day, and it’s obvious where Leo gets his looks from.
“Your mom doesn’t look like she’s changed much,” I say, flicking to the next photograph of Sparky and Bonnie.
Leo looks over my shoulder, pressing his lips to my shoulder blades and it’s nearly enough to distract me.
I flick through photos of Pope, and men I’ve never met before, but I know all their names. No one forgets them at the club. We’ve all grown up being told stories about them.
The last two photos are of my mom and dad, and the last one is dad holding Zach on his lap while he works on his laptop. I run my finger over them and sigh.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I miss the days when we were a proper family. Since Zach moved out, it hasn’t been the same.”
“Yeah, we’ve all noticed.”
Dad loves him so much and all Zach can do is throw shit at him. I’m starting to hate him for it, and I hate seeing dad upset because of him.
“Hey, let’s put these down and forget about your brother. If we only have the summer, he isn’t going to get in my way.”
Wrapping his arm around my stomach, he wraps himself around me like a glove. An entire summer of Leo Jackson…yes please.
Leo
The afternoon sun is hot, and the heat is getting to the brothers. India had to work at the shop today so I’m hanging around the club, waiting for her to finish.
“If you can shoot all ten cans down, I’ll give you a hundred bucks.”
Cocking my brow at my brother, I wonder where the hell he got a hundred bucks from and then I wonder why he wants to take me on, he knows I’m a better shot than him. He’s not bad, but I’m better. Since his little girlfriend ran off with dad’s cash, Luca has been paying him back every penny he comes into contact with.
“You better get your cash ready, little brother. Set it up.”
The twins quickly gravitate towards us, hearing a bet in the works and the use of guns.
“What do you think, Myles? Big bro Leo or baby bro Luca?”
“I don’t know, Mase, big bro Leo has the experience, but baby bro Luca has an edge that beats Leo’s experience, I’ll bet you fifty that Luca beats him.”
I snort, “All you should be prepared to lose your money talking shit like that.”
Luca returns from setting up the cans and cocks a grin at me as he loads his gun.
“Unless you’ve been practising, you’re not going to win,” I mock him.
“What else do you think I’ve got to do all day since mom and dad grounded me to the club?”
I light a cigarette while he digs out a coin to flip to see who goes first. I lose. That better not be a sign of what is to come.
I step back as Luca takes his place to aim and I pull on the cigarette. He hasn’t said much about the girl who ditched him, and she hasn’t returned to town. Dad promised he’d look for her, but I don’t know if he truly is.
Luca lets off his first shot and the bullet pings the can to the ground ten foot away.
“Lucky.”
“It’s nothing to do with luck, brother,” he grunts, not falling for my taunts.
He steps aside, and I take his place. I’ve been shooting cans for years, if he honestly thinks I’m going to lose, I should shoot him myself.
I pull the trigger and hit my first can.
One each.
It goes on for eight more cans.
“Each brother has one can left, who will be the first to miss and humiliate himself in front of the whole club,” Mason commentates and makes me smile.
Inhaling another drag, I wait for my next turn and catch sight of Pippa and Zara sunbathing. Christ, I didn’t realise bikinis could be that small. Still, I’ve been there, done them both and got the hazy, drink fuelled memories. They were good times, but the times I’ve been with India are way better.
“Ohhhhh, and Luca Jackson has made his last shot,” Mason and Myles holler simultaneously and I tune back in.
“If Leo gets his last shot, we’ll have a tie and we’ll have to go to sudden death.”
And like fuck am I going to let him win by throwing my last shot.
I step up to the mark and raise my gun. One last can and I don’t intend on missing. Taking a deep breath, I narrow my eyes and tighten my finger around the trigger.
“India just sucked me off, no wonder you want to keep her a secret,” JJ whispers in my ear and my shot goes wide.
Spinning on my heels, I shove against him in the chest and he falls back not ready for me.
I go to yell at him, then remember what I’d be yelling about and it’s not anyone else’s business.
“The fuck?” I yell instead.
“The kid could do with a hundred bucks, your mom and dad are going hard on him.”
The twins laugh their asses off, and line more cans along the barrel. I begrudgingly hand over the prize and Luca grins.
“You got that cause he cheated, you know that, right?”
“Whatever, big bro. Whenever you want to go again, holler at me.”
Holler at him? Shaking my head, I turn around and focus on JJ. He’s going to pay for his comment about India.
With no one paying us attention to us, I back him up against the wall.
“If you talk like that again about India, I’m going to rip your fuckin tongue out,” I threaten him, actually, I promise him.
“Fuck, man, I get it, now get your fuckin’ hands off me.”
I loosen my grip on him until my fingers uncurl from his cut and I step back from him.
“I don’t want your filthy mouth speaking her name, she’s not up for discussion ever again.”
He raises his eyebrow and pats his cut down back into place.
“Are you in love with her or something?”
Narrowing my eyes, I clench my hands into fists, ready to punch him if he doesn’t shut the hell up.
“Piss off, you don’t have to love someone to not be a jerk about them behind their back.”
“We’re still talking about Princess McCarthy, yeah? The girl we’ve fucked around with for our whole lives? Or is it because now you’re fucking her, it’s all changed?”
“She’s a cool girl, she doesn’t deserve you talking shit about her.”
His attention drifts over my shoulder and I can guess what’s got his focus. Two mostly naked bodies.
“Is it me, or does the heat bring out the sex in our women?”
I can’t help but laugh, JJ takes nothing seriously and in the time it takes to click your fingers, the last few minutes have vanished from his mind, and his dick is all he cares about now.
I smell their sun lotion and hear their giggles before I see them. JJ throws his arm around Zara and Pippa inches closer to me. Subtly, I move away from her, but she continues to keep coming at me. Nobody but JJ knows about me and India and I’m starting to regret keeping us a secret. Her fingers trace over my bicep and I sigh. This is becoming a game of cat and mouse and I really don’t want to play.
“You’re all sweaty, why don’t we go for a shower and cool down from this heat,” she offers.
Fuck. Showers with Pippa are adventurous and a hell lot of strenuous fun, I know this from past experiences with her, but it’s not her I want to be cooling down with.
Come on, India, I silently plead. I need you and as I look up, ready to move away from Pippa again, I see my girl and how her eyes are zeroing in on how close Pippa is to me.
“Not today, Pip,” I grunt, and shove my empty beer bottle at her, “Get me another.”
I don’t even want another drink, I want to be with India somewhere we are alone, and preferably naked.
“Why not?” she asks, ignoring the bottle, “Have you got someone else, because I’ve been hearing you haven’t been with anyone at the club in weeks.”
“It’s none o
f your fucking business who I’m doing, you are not my old lady, Pippa. Now, run along and get me a fucking beer.”
With her around, there’s no way I can watch India. If Pippa finds out about us, everyone will know.
“Who wants to go another round? Leo? JJ? I’d ask Luca but he’s already gone,” Myles asks, coming up beside Pippa.
He throws his arm her and she isn’t exactly pulling away from him. Shaking my head, I head inside and get my own damn beer and get a text from India.
‘Your room. Now.’
I’ve never cared about a girl’s feelings before, and I’ve never took the time to work out and decipher their moods. But, when I’m texting with India, I read them in her voice, in my head of course, and right now, I’m thinking her text tone is not happy.
I bolt up the stairs and wipe the sweat from my face with my t-shirt stuffed in my back pocket.
I was right about her text tone, she isn’t happy. When I open the door, which I thought I had locked this morning, she is sitting on my bed, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed.
“Before you say anything, I just want to say, can you tone down this happy mood, it might be contagious, and I don’t want to catch it.”
“Why do you let them get so close to you?” she blurts out, obviously ignoring my attempt to lighten the mood.
“I don’t.”
“You do,” she throws straight back at me.
“Look, they’re around all the time, but I’m not interested in them. I’m only interested in you. If you were closer, you would’ve heard me telling her I wasn’t interested.”
I sit beside her on the bed and deem it safe enough for me to put my arm around her. It’s too damn hot for her body heat but it doesn’t matter for long. She moves away from me and stands, choosing to pace back and forth in front of me.
“Babe? She got the message in the end. You’re here, I’m up here with you and not down there with her. I’ve been waiting all day for you, so can I get a fuckin’ kiss or what?”
I pull her down on my lap and make sure she’s listening.
“You’re the one I’m interested in, a lot, and as you’ve kept me waiting all day to see you, I think you should…”