They crash down into the sand in a heap of limbs and muscle while Aria races forward. The laughter comes tearing out of me and I have no choice but to fall to my knees while Tully crosses her legs. “Shit,” she booms. “I’m going to wet myself.”
The boys grunt and groan and start wrestling around in the sand, and I can’t help but think that this is the best damn day of my life.
Chapter 12
I lay on my couch on Sunday afternoon, feet propped up on the armrest while Aria sits on the ground in front of me, her eyes glued to the TV.
I’ve been having the best time getting to know this little girl and now that she’s here with us, I don’t think we could ever give her back. We still haven’t heard from mom, so I have no idea what the hell is going on, but something deep within my guts tells me she’s never coming back.
Hell, I still can’t get over the shock of seeing her on my doorstep in the middle of the night. It was like my childhood hitting me in the face, only for it to instantly disappear again.
Oh well, I don’t want to dwell on it. I’ve moved on and now it’s Aria’s turn to do the same.
My phone buzzes on the couch beside me and I dig it out from between the cushions.
Kaylah – What’s going on, skank?
I grin as I hash out a reply.
Henley – Watching freaking SpongeBob AGAIN!!!!!!!! How is this my life now?
Kaylah – Better than what I’m doing!
Kaylah – Download attachment.
I hit on the picture and burst out laughing when I see her family dog, standing in the middle of her living room after tearing her bean bag to shreds. Little foam balls cover every available surface in the room and I can only imagine how painful it’s going to be cleaning that shit up.
Henley – Sucks to be you!
Henley – What’s going on? Haven’t heard from you in a few days.
Kaylah – ?
Kaylah – I think Jesse is cheating.
Henley – WHAT???????
I don’t wait for her response and hit call. “That’s ridiculous,” I tell her as she answers the phone. “I mean, I hardly know the guy but it’s clear as day he’s crazy about you.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what I thought, but…I don’t know. There are always girls hanging off him and this one girl followed him into the bathroom at a party on Friday night and when she came out, she was acting like she’d just had the best dick of her life. I mean, that’s my dick.”
I scoff. Freaking bitches. “Are you serious right now? What did Jesse say?”
“We haven’t talked about it. He’s got shit going on with his brother and his girlfriend. I don’t really want to make shit worse by accusing him of cheating. I’ll just…I don’t know.”
“I don’t think he’s cheating.”
“How would you know? You go to a different school.”
“I don’t know,” I defend. “My gut is telling me that he’s the real deal. Just give him a chance to explain himself. Do you seriously think he’d cheat after having to fight your brother for his approval? I mean, no guy would go through all that shit just to fuck it up at the end.”
“True,” she murmurs.
“What does your gut tell you?” I question, looking down at Aria to check she’s still alive.
Kaylah lets out a sigh. “I don’t think he would, but then shit like Friday night happens and it makes my head all foggy.”
“Do you love him?”
“So freaking much.”
“Then go and talk to him. You know how these girls are. We’ve dealt with them all our lives, just because you’re at a different school now doesn’t mean they’re any less conniving. This bitch in the bathroom could be pulling all sorts of dirty tricks to get what’s yours. If you love him then you need to learn to trust him.”
“Ok, enough of me now. What’s going on with you? Is Noah still as swoon worthy as you thought at the beginning?”
“Yeah,” I laugh. “More now that I’ve seen him with Ari. He’s like this fearless pack leader, but the second she’s around, he turns into a freaking marshmallow.”
“That’s kind of…surprising.”
“Two months ago, I would have agreed with you, but not now.”
“You sound like you’re falling for him.”
I press my lips together before letting out a sigh. “I think I already have.”
“Oh, shit,” she laughs. “Have you told him that?”
“No,” I rush out. “What if…Argh. I don’t know. What if he’s not there yet and I throw it on him like a grenade? I don’t want to freak him out.”
“I don’t think it’s possible to freak out a guy like Noah. He seems like he’s always prepared for anything.”
“Trust me, I’ve seen this guy freaked out. It’s definitely possible,” I tell her as a big ass truck pulling up in our driveway steals my attention. “Oh, shit. Dad’s home. I’ll talk to you later.”