CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jake
Six Years Earlier…
“This is epic!” Trey yelled over the music and excited voices. A huge bonfire roared in front of us, making me sweat.
“Epic is correct, dude.” I tossed him a beer from my cooler. “Drink up.”
His hand went to his stomach, and I noticed how white his face looked even in the glow of the fire. “Stomach’s messing with me. If I drink, I’ll puke. Gonna wait it out.”
I took his beer from his hand and stuck it back on ice. “You don’t look so good.”
He waved me off but twisted in his seat, pain flashing over his face. “I’ll be fine. Can’t let something like this spoil your graduation night.”
Someone tossed another log on the fire and sparks burst into the dark sky. On the other side, the girls were dancing to pounding music. I watched Skye lift her hands over her head as she swayed her hips back and forth, slowly, sensually. Her movements were much slower than the rapid beat, but seemed to be perfectly choreographed.
Trey nudged my arm with his elbow. “They’re something, aren’t they?”
I looked over at him, but knew where his eyes were directed. He was watching Skye too. Watching her laugh when one of the girls backed into her.
Damn, she was beautiful.
Even more so because she had no idea just how attractive she was. And I knew that beauty wasn’t only surface deep. It went all the way through.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Trey said.
I forced my eyes away from Skye and looked back at Trey. He was sweating now, his hand still on his stomach. “You really don’t look so good. Want me to take you home? Or the hospital? Something?”
“Naw, I’ll be fine.” His grimace defeated his positive attitude. “I need to ask you something, and I don’t want you to be mad. Okay?”
I’d never been mad at Trey in my life. “Okay.”
“You’re leaving for Europe in a couple days…”
I waited, but he didn’t go on. “Yeah. Wish like hell you were coming with me.”
He smiled and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. “Me too. But since I’m not, I was wondering how you’d feel about me and Skye… you know…” He turned his head back to gaze at her.
I felt like someone had reached between my legs and was twisting my balls in an iron fist. I couldn’t breathe. Speak. Think. I’d always known his feelings for Skye, but I never thought he would act on them. He was too loyal. Too good.
Yes, Trey was good.
Skye was good.
I was bad. And I was leaving.
They would be here together.
They should be together.
“Sure, man. It’s cool.”
The next sip of beer lodged in my throat, and I thought I was going to puke it out. I forced it down, then another until I finished the entire bottle and reached for the next.
“Sure?”
Fuck, man. Don’t make me say it.
“Sure I’m sure. You two would be good together.”
They deserved each other.
I downed the second bottle and reached for a third.
“You better slow down, man. And thanks. If things work out, I’m planning to change colleges. I was accepted to Columbia so I might end up in the big city with Skye.”
I turned the beer up. “My graduation night. Gonna get hammered. My final fuck you to school bells and homework.” I snorted. Not that I ever did much of that.
We sat that way for a long time, just watching the girls. Watching her. My buddies came over, and we shot the shit. I faked having a good time pretty damn good. When Skye came over, I gave up my chair so she could sit next to Trey, then went over to dance with pretty little Abigail Foster.
But I couldn’t concentrate on her. Not even when she ground onto my thigh and rubbed her breasts into my chest. Not even when her hand traced the outline of my dick.
All I could see was Trey and Skye laughing. How they were leaning in toward each other. How her hand reached for his forehead. How she frowned.
Trey didn’t look good.
I unwound Abigail from my neck and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Gotta run.”
She didn’t hide her disappointment. “Will you be back?”
“Not sure.”
Back in front of Trey, I grabbed his arm. “Alright, you are going home.”
Skye nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he looks really sick.”
“I’m fine,” Trey said, but it was clear he was lying through his teeth.
“Come on, I’ll drive you home.”
He yanked his arm away. “No. You stay. I’ll drive myself.”
“You sure?”
He clapped a hand down on my back. “Yep. See you tomorrow?” The question was directed at Skye.
She smiled and patted his arm. “Of course. Hope you feel better.”
He looked like he was going to say something but grimaced. I heard his stomach rumble, and his eyes widened. “Yeah, I better go.”
“I’ll pack up all your shit and bring it back to you tomorrow,” I told him as he rushed off.
He gave me an awkward little wave of his hand. “Thanks, man. You’re the best.”
We both watched him walk away and into the trees, where his car was parked on the other side. He looked steady on his feet, maybe a little hunched over. Skye read my concern. “Do you think we should let him drive?”
Then he was lost in the shadows. A moment later, I heard a car start then tires crunch across gravel. I smiled down at Skye, trying to exude confidence. “I think he’ll be fine. He doesn’t have far to go.”
She nodded and pressed into my side, just like she always did. I draped an arm over her shoulder, just like I always did. She leaned her head against me, just like she always did. My cock stiffened. Just like it always did.
I pulled away from her, using the excuse of getting another beer as the reason. “Want one?”
The brightness of her grin seemed dimmer somehow. “Sure.”
I popped the top for her, then handed it over and took my original seat. She sat down beside me and lifted the bottle to her lips. Condensation dripped onto her thigh, and I watched her rub the water into her skin.
I knew how soft that skin would be. I’d touched it many times. Not the way I wanted to touch it, but when we were swimming or wrestling around.
“Are you excited about Europe?” she asked me, and I shrugged.
“Yeah, it’ll be good to get away from here for a while.”
She looked hurt for an instant but quickly pulled her face back to neutral. “I’ll miss you.”
Because it seemed to have a mind of its own, my hand reached for hers and our fingers linked together so naturally they seemed to have been created to do so. “I’ll miss you too.”
And I would.
Not just her physical presence in my life, but that small spark of hope that I realized had been living inside me for so long. Hope that she would one day be mine. That this thing I knew was real between the two of us could consummate, produce a seed that would grow, weaving our lives together until the end of time.
But that wouldn’t be happening.
She belonged with Trey, the best person I knew.
I’d quietly slip out of their lives and let the two of them find happiness with each other. I’d make excuses about traveling and living the billionaire playboy life like the tabloids already thought I did. And they’d forget me. They’d get married and have babies, and maybe think of me every once in a while.
I can do that.
I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed the soft skin.
Maybe if I said it enough times, it would be true.
Present Day…
Skye’s face was plastered against the plane’s window. We’d been in the air a little over three hours, and the captain had called for our descent. We’d eaten a wonderful breakfast of omelets and waffles, made fresh by Paul as we watched.
We drank more mimosas. We laughed and held hands and kissed.
“Is that the Grand Canyon?” she squealed, sounding like a little girl.
“Hm… I don’t know. Does it look really grand and like a canyon?”
She turned and punched me in the arm, then glued herself to the window again. “It’s so beautiful. How did you know I’ve always wanted to come here?”
“It was on your dream board and it didn’t seem like you’d had a chance to visit it when we talked on the ferry.”
She turned to me again, this time tears were shining in her eyes. “I can’t believe you remember.”
I remember everything.
I lifted a shoulder. “As many times as you shoved that damn thing in my face, how could I forget?”
She launched herself at me, her lips pressing against mine. “Thank you. For this and for everything.”
I kissed her, pulling her onto my lap, my hand running up her rib cage to her breast. She moaned into my mouth, and I swallowed the sound.
“Pardon me, sir,” Paul said, clearing his throat. “The captain has asked that we prepare for landing.”
I scowled up at him, and a smile played at his lips as Skye wiggled off my lap and into her own seat. “Thank you, Paul, for your reminder. You’re fired.”
His face fell and Skye gasped.
“I’m kidding.”
Apparently, my joke fell short of the mark because everyone just kind of chuckled uncomfortably. It really had sounded better in my head.
“Thank you, Paul. Seriously. Breakfast was fantastic.”
“You’re welcome, sir. It was my pleasure. I’ll be going to buckle up myself. See you on the ground.”
“And all the arrangements are confirmed?” I asked.
He smiled. “Yes, sir. It will be a glorious day.”
Skye huffed beside me as Paul walked away. “And let me guess, I don’t get to know about that either?”
I offered her my fist, and she bumped it. I mimicked Jagger’s little explodey thing, and she laughed. In a few minutes, we were on the ground and walking down the steps to a waiting Land Rover. An attendant handed me the keys and wished us a good day. Paul followed with the bag I’d need for our next surprise.
When Skye walked to the other side of the Rover, I asked, “Where do you think you’re going?”
She looked at me, her nose wrinkled in confusion. “Um, I thought we were getting into the car.”
“Then you would have thought incorrectly.”
Her head tilted to the right, her eyes narrowing. “Then would you please enlighten me?”
I crooked a finger at her, and she headed my way, looking more than a little wary. I took the bag from Paul, gave him the keys, and he headed back to the jet. I pressed the button for the liftgate and sat the heavy bag in the back. I unzipped it and pulled out two jumpsuits and two pairs of shoes. Skye frowned at them.
“Do you trust me?” I asked and was suddenly terrified to breathe.
She inhaled deep through her nose and looked me in the eye. On her exhale, she said the one word that ripped the seal from my heart.
“Yes.”