“That’s a man and a woman loving each other,” he states matter-of-factly.
“Do you see this a lot on the beach?”
“Yes. I thought the man was hurting the woman, but when I tried to save the woman, they yelled at me and said they love each other.”
I stifle my laugh, imagining poor Aiden hearing some woman getting fucked and screaming and him thinking she was being hurt. He’s too innocent and sweet for his own good.
“These are really good,” I tell him, handing him back his book. I wish there were something I could do to help him, but I have no clue where to even start, and I’m scared if I speak to the wrong people, I could do more harm than good.
“Thank you, Lexi,” he responds, beaming with pride.
“I have some water for you.” I grab the bottles of water from my bag and hand them to him. “Are you hungry?”
“I had breakfast,” he says honestly. “Brian gave me extra bagels.”
Brian is the owner of the breakfast restaurant on the pier. Instead of throwing out the food from the day before, he puts it out for the homeless to take.
“Okay, good. Then I’ll see you soon.” I always say soon instead of later or tomorrow. I made that mistake once and Aiden accused me of lying because I didn’t return later that day or the next.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m stepping through the door as Georgia is walking down the hall with her backpack slung over her shoulder. It’s crazy to think in a couple months she’ll be graduating from college. I wish I had the motivation for school she does, but if all goes well, I’ll win the Vans Surf Classic and be on my way to a career in surfing, which will hopefully open other doors of opportunity. I still plan to finish school, especially since it’s so important to my parents, but at least I’ll be able to say I’ve created a future for myself.
She doesn’t see me walking up, since she’s staring down at her cell phone with a frown marring her face. “Hey,” I say to get her attention. Her head pops up and she gives me a strained smile. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Hilda sent another email requesting a meeting with me.” Hilda is Georgia’s biological father’s mother—her biological grandmother. Her bio dad died when she was little and she’s never had any contact with his family. Our mom is a lot like our dad, tightlipped about their past. I know they’re that way to protect us, but we’re not babies anymore and deserve to know the truth, even if it’s hurt us.
“Have you told Mom?”
Georgia scoffs. “Yeah, right. She’ll freak out, probably beg me to delete my email address.”
“Maybe, or maybe she’ll support you and be there for you. I think she would want to know, and if she finds out from someone other than you, she’s going to be hurt. What if Hilda contacts her because you won’t respond?”
“Since when did you get so wise?” Georgia jokes. “You’re right, I’m going to set up a meeting with her.”
“And you’re going to tell Mom?”
“Not until I know what’s going on. I don’t want to upset her. Every time her past gets brought up I can see the pain in her face. I’m not putting her through that if I don’t have to. If I feel like I need to tell her, then I will.”
“Okay, if you need me, I’m here.”
“I know. Thank you. I better get going to class before I’m late. I’ll see you later.”
I head back to Alec’s room and find him in the bathroom brushing his teeth. He’s dressed in a pair of jeans that hug his perfect ass and is shirtless, his back glistening with tiny droplets of water from his shower. He glances up at me and smiles, and my insides turn to mush.
“I’m going to take a quick shower,” I tell him, stripping out of my clothes and sliding into the shower. When I get out, I towel dry my hair, brush my teeth, and put on deodorant. Unsure of where we’re going, I wrap my towel around my body and go in search of Alec to find out how I should dress. When I don’t find him in the room, I venture out to the living room, only to find him standing next to Chase and some woman.
Shit, I didn’t think about him being home. And who’s that woman?
At the sight of my towel-clad body, Alec’s eyes burn with lust, while Chase glances at me with laughter in his own. The woman next to Chase glares.
“Sorry,” I say, quickly backing up. “I wasn’t sure where we’re going, how I should dress.”
“I can show you,” Alec says, walking toward me like a lion stalking his prey.
“Oh no!” I exclaim. “You showing me will lead to us never leaving.” I turn and race down the hall with Alec following after. I swing open my bedroom door and am about to shut it on Alec, when he slips inside at the last second, slamming it closed behind him.