“So it was Whit.” A strange feeling builds in my chest. Pride? Appreciation. It’s weird.
“Whit has a temper,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s done inspecting the room, which means his eyes are on me. “His grandpa used to beat his granny. He doesn’t handle violence against women well. And you already know he doesn’t give a rat’s ass if he gets kicked out of the Citadel.”
No. I suppose he doesn’t.
“And Justin? What’s he up to?”
He shrugs. “He’s hurt. Pete’s just sad. Anita is crushed.”
I didn’t say goodbye to her either. If anyone could have talked me into staying, it would have been her. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. That’s why I left. Trouble seems to follow me around. Better now than later.”
He walks across the room and it’s strange. We don’t have a lot of men in our house. It’s usually just me and my mom, and Nick feels both out of place and perfectly at ease. He stands before me and pushes my hair over my shoulder, fingertips igniting a fire on my skin.
“You came into our world like a breezy afternoon and left like a raging hurricane. You didn’t think there would be damage?”
“I didn’t mean to.”
He frowns. “Sometimes life doesn’t work that wa
y. People connect. Bond. Walking away doesn’t cut the cord.”
“I told Justin that I know you guys have plans. A life outside of Ocean Beach—one where I don’t fit. And I get that, I have plans, too. I was part of your life when it was just the Pact—just fun—nothing more. But it moved somewhere else for me.” I look up at him and connect with his eyes. He’s listening to every word. “It was supposed to be a summer fling. A rebound from my disastrous relationship with Mason.”
“Was supposed to be?” he asks, repeating my words.
My heart pounds, aches. “Yes.”
“What happened instead?”
I shake my head, not wanting to say it out loud. He may be here but that doesn’t mean he or the others want the same thing I do.
“Well, I’ll tell you what happened to us. You brought a breeze into our hot corner of the world and opened yourself up to us—allowing us to open up in return. None of us had much time for relationships before you showed up. We said were committed to one another and getting the hell out of Ocean Beach—at least for a minute. But the truth is, we were scared. Scared of being locked in and locked down. Scared of caring for someone—building something lasting with someone outside our tiny group. But you showed up and made us realize that being from that little strip of sand isn’t a bad thing.”
“No, it’s not.”
“What we have there is special and when the right girl came along, we had something to offer. That she’d accept each of us for who we are and that we could give that same unconditional acceptance back.”
Hot tears build in the corners of my eyes. “As much as all of that is nice to hear, it’s not sustainable, Nick. Not the type of relationship we have and not with all of us going our separate ways.”
He touches my chin and tilts it upward. “You can’t relax, can you? Just let this develop naturally and see where it goes.”
“Ride it like a wave?” I wipe a tear away.
He smiles. “Exactly like a wave. See? We did rub off on you.”
“I’m going to France. Tomorrow.”
Whatever he feels from that statement he holds back. Instead he makes me an offer. “I won’t stop you if that’s what you want, but do me one thing.”
“What?”
“If you’re leaving, then spend the night with me. Give me that.”
My knees threaten to buckle at his suggestion. His voice is think with sincerity. His eyes full of desire. I have no doubt he’s serious. He drove all the way up here to find me. He took a risk for himself and everyone else.
I nod and he wastes no time crashing his mouth into mine. In a matter of seconds, what were well-controlled emotions crumble, unleashing weeks of pent-up feelings. Unlike the library or the beach house, we don’t have to hold back, and I break away from him long enough to lead him, panting, up to my room.
Nick doesn’t waste time assessing my room, the knickknacks or mementoes. His eyes are on me, never wavering, blazing a trail over my skin. He leads me to the edge of my bed, kissing my neck, my shoulders, my mouth, and I tug him on top of me, desperate to feel his weight.