Chapter Eight
Beth
Beth spent the day with Amber. It was the first time since Derek was born that she had spent time without her son, other than when he was at school. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but knew he and Devin needed time together, to create a bond.
“Stop worrying!” Amber said for the hundredth time. Beth couldn’t help it. What if her father found out she was here? What if Derek got hurt? So many ‘what if’s’ ran through her head.
“I’m trying. I really am,” she sighed in frustration.
“Okay! Let’s go to the pool. You need some sun. Girl, how can you live in Texas and be so white? Aliens can tell your location just from your glow!” Laughing, Amber jumped off the bed when Beth tried to swat her.
Maybe swimming and sun-tanning was just what she needed. Beth grabbed her swimsuit from the dresser and went to the bathroom to change. Walking out, she turned to Amber when she heard her new friend give a loud whistle.
“What?” Beth giggled.
“Damn! You’ll have every guy here drooling puddles!” Amber exclaimed.
Shaking her head, Beth slipped on a shirt and jean shorts. “Whatever!” she laughed.
The girls spent the rest of the morning swimming and lazing around the pool. Beth loved the water. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon, that their ‘Girls Date’ was interrupted when Zander walked out of the house and leaned over to place a brief kiss on Amber’s lips. Beth looked away, not wanting to encroach on their moment. “You ladies enjoying yourself?” he asked.
“Yes,” they both said at once, giggling.
“Trying to get the sun to burn some tan into Beth, before airplanes start landing in the parking lot because pilots think her glowing white ass is a damn light beacon,” Amber told him, earning another swat from Beth.
“I can’t help it that I give Frosty the Snowman a run for his money!” she defended, with a laugh. She liked Amber and Zander. They both made her feel welcomed and a part of the family.
“Okay, well you both behave. I am heading to the garage. Sledge and I are teaching mechanics 101 to Derek this afternoon,” he stated, leaning down to kiss his beautiful wife again. “See you both at dinner.”
“Should I be worried, now?” Beth wondered.
“No,” Amber laughed. “Derek will have a blast with Zander and Devin.”
The girls continued to lounge and swim for the next couple of hours. Beth couldn’t remember a time when she ever got to relax like this, even before Derek was born. Everything growing up was always so prim and proper. She hated it, but this, this she could get used to. She could be herself, and that calmed her like nothing ever had in the past.
The relaxation came crashing to an end when three other women came walking outside to the pool. They sat on the opposite side and kept looking at Beth and Amber.
“Great!” Amber said sarcastically, “The resident ho-train is here. Ugh!”
“Who are they?” Beth asked, because ‘ho’ really looked like an accurate description. The swimsuits they wore barely covered anything. She was glad Derek wasn’t out here. She would have flipped shit if they wore that little in front of her child.
“Those are the club girls,” Amber explained. “They literally bounce from bed to bed.”
Beth couldn’t help but wonder if they had bounced into Devin’s bed. Not like it was any of her business. She left him, and while she was the mother of his child, they were not a couple. If she were honest with herself, they probably never would be a couple. She couldn’t expect him to remain celibate. Even back then, Devin had a healthy sex-drive and she had no doubt that he still did. But the thought still made her nauseous.
Deciding to ignore them, the girls left the pool area and headed to the living to watch some TV. This day called for a NCIS marathon. For the next three hours, the girls watched episode after episode until dinner was ready.
“Let’s go eat. I’m starving!” Amber exaggerated. Granted, she was pregnant, so it was allowed.
Laughing, Beth followed her into the kitchen. “Everything smells so good. I think I am going to gain thirty pounds by the end of the week,” she complained.
“Even then, you’d still be beautiful,” a voice said behind her.
Beth turned to see a tall, lean man behind her. He was handsome in a boyish way, but something about the way he looked at her put Beth on edge. It was like he was trying to see into her soul, and was succeeding.
“Thank you,” she said politely.
“Slither off Viper!” Amber demanded. “She isn’t interested.” Turning back to Beth, Amber acted like the man wasn’t even there.
What did she call him? Viper? Like a snake? That name didn’t seem to fit him. Snakes were nasty, ugly creatures. And this guy was definitely none of those. He was handsome, in a classical way. He had a smile that put her at ease.
“Don’t pay any attention to him Beth. He is literally a snake!” Amber smirked, still looking straight into Viper’s face. Whatever issue was between Amber and the man beside her, Beth didn’t want to get involved in it.
Turning back to fix her plate of food, she felt Viper at her back again. “Don’t mind her, she is still mad because I questioned her sanity in men.” He laughed, placing a hand on Beth’s lower back.
“Whatever, asshole.” Amber rolled her eyes, but there was no heat behind it.
“Well, it’s true,” Viper laughed. “Anyway. Would you lovely ladies care to join me for dinner?”
Beth felt him before she even saw him. It was like he was burning holes into her back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Devin, Derek, and Zander walk into the kitchen. Zander made his way over to Amber, but Devin and Derek walked over to the same table they sat at this morning.
As Devin sat down, one of the club girls that she saw earlier at the pool walked over and put plates in front of him and Derek. Beth went rigid. She watched as the club whore bent down to talk to Derek. Whatever she said made him look to his father and smile. Instantly, Beth was pissed.
“You’ll notice the club girls making plates for the single guys. They try to buy their way into their beds with food. Fucking pathetic,” Amber told her. Beth couldn’t help her eyes narrowing at the scene she was witnessing.
“I think I’ve lost my appetite. I’m just going to head up to my room. Will you bring Derek up when he is finished eating please?” There was no way she could sit here watching some skank try to win her way into Devin’s pants - with food! Seriously, who did that? Pathetic didn’t even begin to describe what she thought of the idea.
“Hey, don’t let those girls run you off,” Viper told her. “Come sit with me.”
“No, that’s -” she started, but Amber interrupted her.
“Actually, that’s a great idea. Go eat with Viper. If you leave, Candy will think you're weak and try even harder to get to Devin. Plus, it will probably bug the shit out of my brother.”
Zander overheard the conversation, but said nothing. He chuckled to himself and with his plate in his hand, walked over to the table with Devin and Derek.
Viper grabbed both of their plates in one hand and with the other, guided her over to a seat next to his. “Act like it doesn’t even bother you. Like you couldn’t care less.” So that is exactly what Beth did.
She spent the next hour laughing harder than she had in forever. Today was full of new events for her. Viper, or Cedric as he told her, was hilarious. While she had no romantic feelings for him, she could definitely use another friend, and he agreed.
After he was finished eating, Derek made his way over to her. She couldn’t help but smile at how dirty he was. Mechanics 101 was messy. Beth tried to excuse herself from the group, but Viper insisted on walking her and Derek to their room. As they were leaving the kitchen, she couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction when she saw the look on Devin’s face.