CHAPTER FOUR
ALEXIS
Birds are singing. The sun is shining. I have a spring in my step.
Trashy novel lines aside, something about Devon is magical. When I opened my curtains earlier this morning, birds really were singing and the sun really was shining. In fact, the birds are still at it, and the sun just keeps higher, the temperature hotter. Because of this, I’m just not quite Tigger today.
I fall backwards and look at Grammy incredulously.
‘‘How can you carry on? It’s too hot,’’ I moan, wiping my forehead with my hand.
‘‘It’s about six degrees hotter in London, Lexy girl,’’ she replies, yanking a weed out and setting it aside.
‘‘Yes, but at home I’m not likely to be weeding a garden,’’ I point out.
‘‘Oh, away with ya, girl.’’ She shakes her head fondly. ‘‘Go and text Jen and go down the Bay. If you see Alec, tell him not to worry about coming tonight. You kids have fun.’’
‘‘You know, Grammy,’’ I say as I climb up. ‘‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re trying to set me up with him.’’
‘‘Is it working?’’ Grammy turns to me, that twinkle in her eyes again.
‘‘No, it’s not.’’ I look at her pointedly and go back inside.
‘‘Then you know better!’’ She laughs after me.
I shake my head and grab my phone from the kitchen side. I pull up my messages and text Jen.
Beach?
She replies almost instantly with a resounding yes and we agree to meet in ten minutes. I thank my lucky stars I thought to pack a bag earlier, and I pick it up from its place by the front door.
I step back into the muggy summer heat and slide my sunglasses on.
I pass rows of brightly coloured houses, pink, blue, yellow, green. Somehow, they don’t look out of place in the small, tucked away village. Flower boxes adorn the windows with every colour of the rainbow. I find myself smiling and I don’t know why. A week ago I hated the idea of coming here, but now... I’m kinda enjoying it.
My revelation surprises me, and as I approach the Bay, there’s another surprise waiting for me.
A surprise in the form of Alec.
I’m undecided whether he falls into the bad or good category.
‘‘Are you stalking me?’’ I peer at him over the top of my glasses.
He leans against his surfboard and flicks his hair out of his eyes, grinning.
‘‘Would you like it if I was?’’
‘‘I’d be pretty scared if you were, to be honest.’’ I sweep past him and find our spot by the rocks. I lay out my towel, readjust the waistband of my shorts and pull off my top.
When I sit down, I feel Alec’s eyes on me. Bravely, I look at him. His eyes are slightly hooded as they sweep me from my head to my toe. A shiver runs through me at the look in his eyes.
God damn, this guy is dangerous.
‘‘Please stop looking at me like you wanna eat me,’’ I say in a bored tone.
‘‘Just admiring the view.’’ He winks.
I roll my eyes and point to his surfboard. ‘‘You do realise you might have a tough time with the surfing today, right?’’
‘‘Na, we won’t.’’ He looks out to sea and points to the cliff. ‘‘There’s a bit of the cliff that juts out. When the spray hits that full force, you’re good to go with your board.’’
‘‘But there’s no wind?’’
He sighs like I know nothing and props his board up before coming and sitting next to me. His wetsuit is undone to the waist and yes, I admire him yet again.
If he can look, so can I.
‘‘It doesn’t necessarily need to be windy here,’’ he explains. ‘‘Because the beach is so small and surrounded by cliffs, the waves naturally come in stronger. Croyde is the best place. It’s a bigger Bay, so bigger waves. It’s probably the best place in North Devon to surf, but here comes in a close second.’’
I nod like I understand. I do a little - sorta, kinda.
Okay, maybe I don’t, but since I don’t plan on doing any surfing any time soon it’s a moot point.
I check the time on my phone and I’m not surprised when it’s past the ten minutes me and Jen agreed on.
‘‘Jen’s never on time,’’ Alec comments. ‘‘You’ll figure out it’s best to tell her to meet you half an hour earlier than you actually wanna meet her, otherwise you’ll be hanging around for ages.’’
‘‘How do you do that?’’ I ask.
‘‘Do what?’’ He turns his face towards mine and somewhere in the back of my mind I’m aware of how close our faces are to touching.
‘‘Know what I’m thinking. All the time,’’ I muse.
‘‘I pay attention to you, Princess.’’ He smiles.
Dimples. Dimples.
Look away, Lexy!
‘‘Why do you call me ‘Princess’?’’ I narrow my eyes at him.
He laughs silently.
‘‘Well, your hair reminds me of Rapunzel’s...’’
‘‘Rapunzel was blonde, and I’m pretty sure no one will be climbing my hair any time soon.’’ I half smile at him, amused.
‘‘Let me finish!’’ He taps my knee with one hand, and twists a lock of my hair around a finger of his other hand. ‘‘Your hair is silky like Rapunzel’s, your lips are as kissable as Sleeping Beauty’s, your skin as flawless as Snow White’s, and like Cinderella, it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing crap clothes or a ball gown, because you’re still beautiful.’’
Something passes between us as he looks into my eyes. Something marginally stronger than a simple attraction. Something that could seriously test my resolve around him.
I look away, breaking the moment and shake my head.
‘‘You’re good, I’ll give you that.’’ I laugh. ‘‘How many girls has that worked on?’’
‘‘You tell me,’’ he says seriously. ‘‘It’s the first time I’ve ever said it.’’
‘‘I’m not stupid, Alec. I see the way girls round here look at you - like you’re God’s gift to women - and I see the way you lap up the attention. Actually, it’s quite sickening,’’ I tell him, on a roll. ‘‘Thankfully, I’m not one of those girls that will bat my eyelashes, stick my chest out and smile suggestively at you, so I’m definitely not the kinda girl that will believe that line. Nice try, though.’’
I hear clapping and look up. Jen is clapping her hands together, grinning manically. Carl is looking to the sky for help, a sign that Jen has let her crazy out to play.
‘‘You two could be on a soap opera, no, no, serious.’’ She taps her chin. ‘‘But seriously, Lexy, thank you so much for saying that. I’ve totally wanted to let rip at him for his cheesy lines but Carl’s all ‘Jen, baby, leave it alone.’ ‘‘ She imitates his voice to perfection and I cover my mouth with my hand to muffle my laugh.
‘‘Jen...’’ Carl warns.
‘‘See?’’ She throws her hands in the air and drops onto the sand next to me. ‘‘He’s at it again.’’ She looks at Alec and waggles her finger at him. ‘‘You leave her alone, you man slag. I won’t have you messing with her, you hear me? Go and find Bianca if you want some fun.’’
‘‘Jen,’’ both guys say simultaneously, Carl with a frown and Alec with a sigh.
‘‘You know I’m about as interested in Bianca as I am in learning about what hair products you use daily. You know me better than that.’’ Alec gives her a look I can’t discern, and her face softens slightly. She nods at him.
‘‘Go and surf, you two,’’ she orders. Carl looks at me helplessly and I smile. Both the guys grab their boards and head out to the now surf-able water.
‘‘For the record, Princess,’’ Alec says, walking backwards. ‘‘I couldn’t be any happier that you’re not one of those girls.’’
I watch him as he turns around and jogs down the beach. I can’t work him out. He’s an enigma, unlike anyone I’ve met before. I barely know him, and despite my resolve, a part of me wants to know him.
That part of me wants to pull away his outer shell and see inside his heart, see who he really is, not the show he puts on for everyone else.
I think all this fresh air is getting to my head.
‘‘Looks like it’s mutual,’’ Jen says thoughtfully, absently watching the guys surfing.
‘‘What?’’ I look at her. The sun is glinting off her light blonde hair making me squint.
‘‘Oh, nothing.’’ She looks at me and smiles slightly. ‘‘Just thinking out loud.’’
‘‘About?’’
‘‘The way Alec looks at you like you’re a giant gummy bear and he wants to eat you up, and the way you look at him like you want to lick chocolate sauce off his abs.’’
‘‘That’s ridiculous!’’ I scoff.
‘‘Is it?’’ She raises an eyebrow at me. ‘‘‘Cause the tension coming from you two is somethin’ else. It’s like, holy shit, you’ve known each other a week and he already wants to jump your bones, rattle your cage, get in...’’
‘‘Okay, you can stop there.’’ I laugh and lie back on the sand. ‘‘I’m not gonna deny the guy is hot-’’
‘‘Smokin’ hot,’’ Jen interjects, lying next to me.
‘‘Smokin’ hot,’’ I correct myself. ‘‘But I’m not gonna fall at his feet because Mr. Flirty-Pants wants me to. I don’t do summer romances. In fact, I don’t do romance at all. I haven’t been in a relationship for two years, and I’m happy for it to stay that way, thank you. Especially where he is concerned.’’
‘‘So you are in denial.’’
I prop myself up on my elbow and nudge her. ‘‘I am not.’’
‘‘You so are.’’ She smiles. ‘‘You want to save a horse and ride the cowboy, I get it, I get it.’’
‘‘Oh my god!’’ I half laugh, half shriek. ‘‘Where do you think up this stuff?’’
She grins and puts her hands behind her head. ‘‘It’s all part of my crazy, baby.’’
I’m beginning to wonder if there’s anything about this town that isn’t crazy.
ALEC
I jog after Carl, leaving Lexy staring at me.
‘‘God knows what you’re playing at, mate.’’ My best friend shakes his head. ‘‘But if you’re playing her, you know Jen will kick your ass to some remote place of Russia, right?’’
‘‘Why would I be playing her?’’ I look at him as we wade into the sea.
‘‘Because that’s what you do, Alec. You take girl’s hearts and you fuck with them.’’
‘‘Maybe she’s different.’’
‘‘Maybe ain’t good enough for Jen.’’ Carl shakes his head and puts the board on the water.
‘‘Fine.’’ I follow his movements and we get ready to catch the first wave. ‘‘There isn’t a maybe. She is different.’’ I look behind me and move on the board. ‘‘I want her so bad it hurts, Carl, but I’m not just gonna fuck her then leave her. She deserves more than that. She’s worth a thousand of the girls round here.’’
‘‘She ain’t gonna fall for your shit.’’
‘‘You’re the second person to say that to me in as many days.’’
‘‘Maybe you’ll get it, then.’’
‘‘Carl, mate, I get it. I’d rather not touch her than play her. And it’s got nothing to do with the fact her brother promised to break my legs.’’
‘‘Already having run-ins with the brother?’’ He chuckles.
‘‘I may or may not have imagined what her ass would look like bent over in front of me whilst he was in the room.’’
Carl shakes his head and we ride the wave to shore, the wind blowing against us. Out here, on the water, I’m free. It’s an escape, something to throw myself into. Something I need whenever Alexis Edwards is around me.
‘‘You asked for it then,’’ Carl says in response to my last comment.
‘‘Thing is, if I did hurt her, I’d probably deserve broken legs. She’s too good to hurt.’’
~
ALEXIS
‘‘Lexy?’’
I hear my brother’s voice calling my name and groan. I sit up and push my sunglasses to the top of my head, squinting.
‘‘What do you want, Bing?’’ I yell at him.
He jogs over to us and his eyes rake Jen’s body.
‘‘Just thought I’d come and spend some time with my baby sister,’’ he says without taking his eyes off her.
I snap my fingers. ‘‘I’m here, not on her chest, moron.’’
Jen lowers her sunglasses and glares up at him.
‘‘Who is your friend?’’ he says, clearly struggling to keep his eyes on me. And people wonder why I don’t spend time with him. Really.
‘‘You remember Jen.’’ I smirk.
‘‘No way!’’ He slaps his thigh. ‘‘Well, you got hot, gorgeous.’’
‘‘I also got taken, Sam, so control yourself,’’ she quips.
‘‘Always the hot ones.’’ He shakes his head.
‘‘Bing, you’ve had more girls than most people have Sunday dinners.’’ I look at him pointedly.
‘‘Oh, shut it,’’ He sits down.
‘‘I guess you’re hanging around, then?’’ I sigh.
‘‘Why not? It’s a beautiful day,’’ Bing grins and lies back, resting against the rock.
I huff and roll over onto my stomach, set on ignoring him.
‘‘Hey, sis?’’ he asks.
‘‘What?’’ I snap.
‘‘Where’s your guy?’’
‘‘I don’t have a guy, Bing.’’
‘‘Sure ya do, Alec. I saw the way you were looking at each other yesterday.’’
‘‘Bing?’’ I lift my head and look at him.
‘‘What?’’
‘‘Go and fuck yourself.’’ I look away and rest my head back on my arms, shutting my eyes.
‘‘I was just sayin’, sis. No need to get so defensive.’’ He laughs. ‘‘Gram seems to think you’re well in there.’’
‘‘Gram would. She’s the bloody instigator in this,’’ I grumble.
Jen laughs. ‘‘Your gram is a legend, I swear.’’
‘‘She’s at home drinking Baileys and ice,’’ Bing chuckles.
‘‘I left her two hours ago.’’ I shake my head. ‘‘Can’t leave her alone for ten minutes, she’s like a child.’’
‘‘She’s awesome, but very flighty,’’ Jen comments. ‘‘Kinda makes her, her, though, if you get me.’’
‘‘No.’’ Bing shakes his head.
‘‘Whatever, Bing.’’ I mumble and wriggle, getting comfy.
‘‘Lover boy’s coming,’’ he teases.
I swear, I’m gonna kill him one of these days.