KYLE

“And where do you think you’re going?” I snagged Laurie’s wrist and pulled her back to me. She laughed and shit if it didn’t sound like heaven. Something had shifted between us. Things were... better. I didn’t want to jinx it, but the texts had stopped, Laurie was smiling again, and I felt good. Better than good, I felt fucking awesome. There was another ten days until football camp kicked off at USC which meant ten more days enjoying the summer with my friends and my girl.

“Kyle.” She smiled, pressing her hands against my chest as I leaned against the rails to The Shack. “I’m just going to catch some rays with Lo. I’ll be back.”

“Yeah?” I eased back to get a better look at her. She had a summer dress on giving me—and every other punk here—a great view of her sun-kissed skin. Shoulders. The curve of her chest. Arms. Legs that I knew went on for miles.

“You have that look again.” Laurie pressed a kiss to my lips and went to move away, but I caught her again, sliding my hand up her arm and into her sea-air-tousled hair.

“What look?” I said against her lips in my huskiest voice possible. Fuck, this girl... she owned me. Even though things hadn’t been great, she was it for me. Call me crazy, call me stupid, but I knew that one day, I’d put a ring on her finger and call her Mrs. Laurie Stone.

“Like you either want to eat or....” Her words died on her tongue as I deepened the kiss, sweeping my tongue into her mouth, licking every inch. She moaned, falling between my legs so perfectly, so right, that I wanted to freeze frame the moment.

“Kyle,” she sighed, her eyelids fluttering open. “We’re in public.”

“So?”

“So, people are looking.” She glanced around, lingering on a couple of kids over by the ice-cream stand.

“Babe?” 

Blinking, she snapped out of her trance and turned her attention back on me. “Did you see her? That was so weird.”

“Who?” I craned my head around to try to see what had gotten her so on edge.

“There was a girl looking right at us.”

“It’s probably just someone from school.”

“Yeah.” She pursed her lips and my good mood shriveled. “Probably. I’ll be back in a little while, okay?”

I stuck out my bottom lip and looked up at her through my lashes. “I’ll get lonely.”

“No, you won’t. Trent and Matty are right there.” Flicking her head at the guys, she let out a small laugh. “Besides, you get me all to yourself later.”

“Tonight?” I frowned schooling my amusement. “But I have plans tonight.”

“Plans?”

“Yeah. A date actually.”

“A date, you say?” her uncertain expression melted away replaced with a look of playfulness. “She’s a lucky girl.”

“Oh, really lucky.” My fingers stroked the line of her neck as I leaned up, closing the distance between us “So lucky.” It was a whisper against her cheek. “I’m quite the catch, you know?”

“I’m sure you are.” She breathed out, tilting her head to give my fingers better access. I don’t even know if she realized she did it, but she did. Her body gravitated to my touch, it always had.

“Get a room,” someone yelled, and Laurie snapped out of her reverie, her cheeks flushing a deep pink.

“I’ll see you soon.”

I watched my girl walk away from me, taking the path down to the beach.

Matty came over. “Fuck you have it bad.”

“It’s always been her.” I said with no shame or embarrassment. So what, if I was only seventeen? I’d never been interested in sowing my wild oats or sleeping my way through the cheer squad like some of the guys.

“And that’s cool, my man. But we’re only kids. Shouldn’t we be experimenting?”

“Yeah,” another voice chimed in and I groaned. I could handle one, but together, Matty and Trent were a different story. “We should be fucking and getting fucked up. Not settling down.”

“Insightful as ever, Trent,” I said raking a hand through my hair. Laurie had disappeared into the crowds out making the most of the summer.

“Come on, you know I talk sense,” he went on. “We’re not even seniors yet and you’re completely whipped.”

“One day, it’ll happen and then you’ll see.”

He stared at me as if I was talking Latin.

“I think Laurie is cool, you two are good together.” Matty added, but I didn’t need his approval or validation. I didn’t give a flying fuck what anyone thought of her. I only cared about what she thought. What she wanted.

Growing up, I refused to believe I’d been scarred by my eventful arrival into the world. I didn’t push people away, I clung on with both hands. I wasn’t frigid with my emotions, I loved fiercely. And I never made stupid promises to my younger self to never to trust a woman with my heart. If anything, I couldn’t wait to meet her—the love of my life—to be everything for her that my mom never was to me.

Okay, so maybe I did have unresolved issues. But I’d done okay so far. Sure, the first time around, Laurie had broken things off because I came off a little strong, but kids or not, I knew what I wanted.

And Laurie Davison was it.

We headed inside to play pool. The Shack was our local hangout. It had the best shakes in the whole of Wicked Bay and the air conditioning didn’t suck this time of year.

“Prepare to get your ass whooped.” I chalked the end of my cue while Matty racked up the balls. The Shack was quieter, the lunch time rush gone.

“You’re so full of it, Stone.” 

I waggled my eyebrows and smirked. “Damn straight.”

“Hey check it out, potential clinger, two-oh-clock.”

My gaze followed his less-than-discreet head flick to one of the tables in the main dining section.

The girl looked to be our age, maybe a year or two younger. She instantly dropped her gaze and pretended to be studying a menu. I shrugged. “Don’t recognize her.” But then she lifted her head, and I narrowed my eyes. “Actually, she does look kind of familiar.”

“Trent, she one of yours?” He worked his way through Wicked Bay High’s female population quicker than I could eat one of Loretta’s homemade pies. 

“How the fuck would I know? Get in, get out, that’s my motto.”

“She seem familiar to you?” Matty asked. I wasn’t looking directly at her any longer, but I felt her watching us, following me as I moved around the table to line up my shot. “She seems a bit too trailer park for Wicked Bay,” he added as an afterthought.

“Trailer park?” My eyes flashed to his. “Way to keep it cool, bro.” 

“What?” His brows hit his hairline. “She does. Check out her boots.”

All our eyes went to her table. It was just instinct. Like when you knew you shouldn’t do something but did it anyway.

“Those are some mean looking shitkickers.” Matty took his shot, potting two balls, and I groaned.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean anything. Maybe she’s from out of town?”

“So why she’s watching you like a hawk?”

“Because I’m fucking irresistible, why else?” I played it cool, but my fingers flexed around the cue a little too tight and my pulse was no longer beating a steady rhythm.

“Aaaand she’s outta here.”

Thank fuck. The last thing I needed was some stalker causing more shit for Laurie and me.

“At least if things go south with Laurie, you know you’ve still got it.” Trent clapped me on the shoulder, but I shirked him off. “Chill, man,” he said as I glowered at him.

“Never come between a guy and his girl,” Matty added throwing me a sympathetic look.

“I’m going to order some fries.” I stalked away from them, needing space before I pulled a Rick on their asses.

Usually, their banter rolled off me. I was Kyle fucking Stone. I didn’t get stressed or pissed. I was the epitome of chill. But not lately. Lately, I didn’t know who the fuck I was. It was like living with a stranger. So when I saw Lo and Laurie enter the diner, I said a silent prayer and made my way over to them.

“Soda, I need soda.”

Raising a brow in Lo’s direction, I said, “Rick know you’re wearing that?”

“Wearing what?” She glanced down at what I figured was supposed to be one of those coverup things except it did little in the covering department.

“Kyle,” Laurie chimed in. “Don’t be so rude.”

“Babe, she’s my cousin. She also happens to be my brother’s girl. I’m only looking out for her.”

“Stepbrother,” Lo corrected.

“Semantics, Cous, semantics. So, does he?”

“Does he what?”

“Know, does Rick know you’re here virtually naked?”

“Oh, for the love of...” She threw up her hands. “I am not naked. I’m wearing my costume, and this is a kaftan.”

My eyebrows went higher, and she poked her tongue at me. “Maverick happens to love this outfit thank you very much.”

“I’m sure he does, when he’s with you to fend off all the vultures.”

“Laurie, make him stop.”

“Me? What the hell can I do? Now you know what it’s like being me.” She stifled a laugh, glancing between us.

“There’s no way I’d let you loose in that.” I directed my words in Laurie’s direction and she blew out an exasperated breath.

“I need to pee. Someone order me a soda or an ice cream. Anything with ice. And lots of it.” She pressed a quick kiss to my cheek and disappeared toward the back of the diner.

“You really think he’ll lose his shit over this?” Lo no longer looked pissed, she looked worried, and I smirked to myself.

“You have met Rick, right?”

“But it’s like thirty degrees out there. And it’s not like you can see anything. I’m covered.”

“Keep telling yourself that. Speaking of, where is he?” Rick had said he’d meet us here, but it was almost three and there was still no sign of him.

“He’s with Rebecca and Macey. They’re bonding, apparently.”

“Shit. I’d love to be a fly on that wall. I can’t believe she talked them into it.”

“Threatened them, more like. After everything...” Lo trailed off, and I said, “Yeah, it’s been rough. But the two of you are good?”

“Yeah.” She smiled, but I saw the uncertainty around her eyes.

“Cous?”

“Nope, I’m not going there. We still have a month. I want to enjoy the summer and worry about the rest later.”

“Whatever you say.” I dragged a hand down my face and waited. After a couple of seconds of silence, Lo sighed, her shoulders sagging with defeat.

“He’s leaving, Kyle.”

“But he isn’t leaving you. You’ll figure it out. Besides, you still have me and we both know I’m the better brother.”

Her elbow dug into my ribs as I slung my arm around her shoulder. “It’ll be fine. It’s our senior year, baby. What could possibly go wrong?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back, but Lo wriggled free and said, “Thanks, Kyle, for everything.” She held my conflicted gaze, understanding passing between us.

“You don’t need to thank me, Cous. We’re family.” And that meant something.

It meant everything.

And I’d do whatever I could to protect mine. Even if it meant losing a piece of myself in the process.