Shane
“Well, that was intense,” Serena said softly as I glanced down at her.
God, she was so beautiful, especially with all the excitement going on in the park. I couldn’t help it. I leaned down and kissed her. As she instantly opened her mouth, I dipped inside, catching her soft moan, and hugged her closer. I loved the feel of her against me, and although I took her in the shower that morning, I wanted her again.
Sure, we were young, so there was always a need, but the thing was, I never felt that good about anyone but her. The pull was so strong, and part of me acknowledged it was more, but part of me didn’t, because at the end of the summer, I would have to let her go, no matter how much I didn’t want to. But there was something called a long-distance relationship, wasn’t there?
“Yeah, Maggie surprised me,” I replied, as Ren came out of the building, covered in lipstick and adjusting his shirt while the redhead came out and did the same with her skirt. She had a dreamy expression when she stared at Ren and attempted to hug him, but he pushed her aside.
“We’re done.” His voice was void of emotion and cold, as usual.
“What do you mean?” The redhead sounded annoyed, but honest to God, I didn’t understand what girls expected from encounters like that. It was always about getting off and would never lead to anything more. Especially as I suspected Ren wanted someone else entirely and was filled with self-loathing.
Becky finally came back with three bags, looking excited. I groaned inwardly, because I already put all the toys the girl or I had won in the car, and it looked like she was ready for another ride. “Girls, why don’t you go on those rides alone, and I’ll talk to Ren and join you later?” I mostly addressed my question to Serena, because take me for a jerk, but I didn’t really care what her friend thought about my absence, yet I didn’t want her to think I was leaving her alone.
She nodded and gave me a peck on the lips before taking off with Becky, who I heard gossiping, “Oh my God, did you see the biker dude? That Maggie sure gets around with the guys here.”
Rolling my eyes, I went to the table where Ren was having a beer and giving off a “don’t fuck with me” vibe.
As usual, I ignored it. Taking a chair from another table, I sat near him and instantly a young waitress was by my side. “Would you like something?” she asked.
“Yeah, just a Coke please.” Silence fell on the table, just the sound of people around us and Ren swallowing his beer. He ordered another and the waitress brought it, along with my drink. Finally, I decided enough was enough.
“Don’t get drunk.”
He devoured his beer as if he were in the middle of the desert and needed water. “Don’t fucking interfere in my business. We aren't friends.” We weren’t, but that didn’t change the fact some part of me felt responsible for him and Maggie.
“No. But don't you think it’s time to move on? We already punched each other. Or do you want more?”
He chuckled, but it lacked humor. Thinking of it, I couldn’t really remember the last time he genuinely smiled or laughed. I was analyzing his behavior like some damned woman.
“I’ve hated you for a long time,” he murmured.
“You blamed me.” I wasn’t asking a question; I knew it for sure. Like I was blaming my aunt for something she wasn’t responsible for while she just tried to protect me. For the first time since coming here, I considered calling her.
“It was easier than blaming her.”
“Do you still love her?”
“She was my first girlfriend. I liked her. I wanted to spend my life with her. She seemed like a good choice.” His eyes focused on the young couple with a small kid who stood in the corner, near the popcorn machine. They seemed happy and about our age. He indicated in their direction with his head. “You see them? That was my dream. To have a kid, a wife, and ranching. It was all I ever wanted. Losing her hurt, because I thought we could have built something. But the worst part, though, was losing the fucking dream and knowing I could never come back to that.”
I wasn’t expecting that, the confusion and pain from his words. “You can still have it.” It wasn’t as if his life was over.
He shook his head. “You let her go with that fucker.” There was accusation in his tone, and I was glad he was finally talking about that too. The tension with Maggie in and out of the house was tiring, and it would explode someday. If anything, today’s incident proved that.
“Grady is hardly a fucker. Plus, she wanted to. She’s grown enough. It’s not like I can tell her what to do.”
“She just turned twenty-one.”
I chuckled, because for me, his argument was fucking hilarious. “My point exactly.”
He slammed the beer on the table. “Why do you even trust him?”
“Because there is no reason not to trust him, and besides, didn’t you grow up with the guy? And while we’re at it, if that bothered you so much, why didn’t you just say so and stop her?” His hand squeezed the bottle harder before taking a swallow as he watched the children on the mini-train rides who squealed in delight. “Right,” I said at his continuing silence. “So it was my job to tell her to stay while you took off to fuck some chick.”
“Don’t talk about something you don’t know.” His voice held warning.
“Ren, we both know this thing with Maggie can’t continue. I’m damn fucking happy she finally spoke up. You couldn’t expect her to be quiet all her life.” I was starting to get pissed, because it seemed he wouldn’t listen to anyone but himself.
At his continued silence, I gave up, because there was no getting through to him, at least not from me. I stood and was about to leave when his words stopped me.
“I can’t give her what she wants.”
Sitting back down on the chair, my eyes focused on his. “Why not?”
A hollow laugh left his throat, and it took him several seconds to stop and finally answer me. “I chose Miranda over her first. Then I chose the useless one-night stands. I’m damaged goods for her.” Self-loathing in his words was hard to miss.
“Look, Ren, I don't know how much I should explain about Miranda—” He didn’t let me finish.
“She never wanted the life I did, and with you, she saw an out, and I get it. I mean, I wanted to have the ranch from Hawk and never wanted to go to college. I just assumed we would get married. I was wrong, so wrong. I don’t blame you anymore.”
Well, I was shocked, to say the least. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Yeah.” His thumb played with the neck of the bottle. “But that doesn’t change me and Maggie. She has college and a whole shitload of possibilities, and I know if I said I needed her, she would stay with me.” He chuckled. “When I was a kid, I thought she was it for me. I moved on to Miranda, because I thought it would numb the feelings. It did. Sometimes I forgot about Maggie. Now she’s here, but I can’t give her what she wants.”
Did he really love her though? A man usually went after what he wanted and would have waited for her. I couldn’t imagine having Serena out for the taking and not making a move on her. Ren had formed a connection with Maggie when they were kids, and it seemed to me both of them created something that wasn’t there. Maybe I was wrong, but wasn’t love supposed to be intense? I hoped they would be able to figure it out.
He studied me with interest and finally spoke. “You’re falling for her.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Part of me knew from the beginning that getting attached to Serena wasn’t a good idea, because I would want more. Maybe that explained why I acted like a dick for several weeks before anything started between us. I couldn’t believe we were together for one week and I’d already considered that. No one falls in love in one week.
Right?
“It’s irrelevant, don’t you think?”
“Little brother.” I hated the nickname he gave me, because he was usually using it to mock me, but that time his tone sounded serious. “If you truly want her, hold on to her. Because an opportunity like this doesn’t come every day. The next thing you know, she’ll be riding on someone else's bike into the sunset. Trust me, I know.”
Fuck, I so didn’t want to picture that, but he was right. If she wasn’t mine, she could be someone else’s. And the thought alone was unacceptable.
We paid for the drinks and headed to see the girls, though that was after I had to point out to Ren he had lipstick marks all over him, and I laughed my ass off while he wiped them off with a napkin.
Serena
I forgot when the last time was I’d had so much real fun in my life. After that awkward scene with Maggie—though I was totally happy she was finally sticking up for herself—I grabbed Becky and we made it to the rides. First, we went to a carousel with mostly horses and hopped on, taking tons of silly pics. Most of the people were kids, but they laughed with us, and in the end, we took a group picture. After that, we went to the haunted house and laughed our asses off, though the sounds were a bit scary. Next were bumper cars and I let Becky drive, though she had no idea how to drive in real life. Like she said, if you have a limo, what was the point?
We enjoyed several other rides and were about to go on the Ferris wheel when I saw Ren and Shane approach us. I loved the warm, fuzzy feeling I was getting in the pit of my stomach every time I saw him. Shane’s hand circled my waist and hugged me close.
“You girls done?”
“Nope, we want to do that.” I pointed at the ride. “And then we can go home. The park wouldn’t be complete without that experience.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Right.” Then he turned to Ren. “So, what do you think? Should we join the girls?”
Ren just shrugged. “Whatever. I have nothing to do anyway. May as well do this.”
We bought tickets, and the person who operated the ride put Shane and me in the first one and Ren and Becky in the second.
As I looked out at all the grass and trees that were lit with fairy lights, I realized the park was, indeed, in a secluded area, but it didn’t change the fact that lots of people were there despite the late hour. Shane’s soft fingers gently touched my chin and tilted my head toward him.
“Baby, we gotta kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel. It’s tradition,” he told me, making me smile. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, or hungry or heated. Instead the kiss was very gentle and meant to savor the moment, and I loved it. I wanted to have it forever pictured in my head and I took out my phone. Shane groaned beside me. “What’s with you girls and selfies?”
“Hey, it’s not only us girls!” I acted annoyed but grinned anyway. I leaned in again to kiss him while I snapped a picture of us. Once it was done, I checked it quickly.
“Well, I feel used.”
I shook my head, laughing, and kissed him again.