Odis
What a fucking bitch. Rage ripples through my body as I lift myself out of the pool. Denver is right behind me, and I hear him curse under his breath.
I can’t believe Chelsey did this. I walk across the deck, my hands turning into fists, itching to punch something. Chelsey better be glad I don’t hit girls.
Gemma climbs out of her chair with her head bowed. Red fruit punch drips from her hair and down her body while Chelsey and her friends cackle like a coven of witches.
“Time to leave,” Denver orders from behind me.
“Are you serious?” Chelsey’s high-pitched voice makes my ears hurt, and I seriously wonder how I ever found her attractive.
“Very,” Denver growls. “Let’s go! Everyone leave!” He starts to usher the girls out while I head for Gemma.
I hear the guys get out of the pool, but my focus is on Gemma. Just then, she raises her head, and I catch a glimpse of her eyes as she wipes wet strings of hair from her face. The pain reflecting back at me feels like a sucker punch to the chest.
Denver was right. I was a self-absorbed asshole. I was so busy ignoring her that I didn’t realize how badly hurt she really was, how miserable she must have been.
“Hey—”
“Don’t even,” she cuts me off, probably thinking I’m going to make fun of her.
She grabs her towel and phone, ready to escape, but I step in her way.
“Don’t leave. Just come in the pool with me.” I snatch her wrist and take her phone from her hand, dropping it back onto the table.
“No thanks. I’ve had enough fun with you guys. Just admit that this was a setup!”
“It wasn’t. I didn’t know Chelsey was gonna do this. I didn’t even invite her. She just tagged along with some of the guys.”
“Sure. I believe you,” she says sarcastically, still trying to pull away from me.
I tug her closer to the pool. “Come on, let’s just jump in together.”
“No!” She screams loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.
I know she is angry, but if I let her go now, she’ll just go to her room and hide out there for the rest of the day. She’ll hate us even more. I need to fix this now. Show her that I’m serious.
Instead of letting her go, I lean down and pick her up. She shrieks, but her arms come around my neck as soon as she is off the ground. Her warm body is sticky against my chest, but I couldn’t care less. My cock stirs in my swimming trunks, having her so close.
“P-put me d-down!” she yells, getting even more furious.
“Nope.” I step to the edge of the pool, ready to jump into the deep end. “Hold your breath.”
“If your dad listens to women like you do, no wonder your mom left you,” she spits out. “I hope he learned his lesson.”
That, I didn’t expect. I knew she could fight dirty, but that was the sort of low blow even I would never deliver. There are certain subjects that are off-limits.
“Mommy? Where are you going? Can I come?” I look at the bags sitting by the front door. She’s going someplace, like a vacation, but she didn’t pack my stuff.
She crouches in front of me and puts her hands on my shoulders. Her perfume is always the same and always makes me think of her. When I smell it, I feel safe.
“No, baby, you can’t come with me.” She pulls me in for a hug so tight it almost hurts. Her brown hair is like a cloud around me, and it smells like her perfume, too. “I’m sorry.”
“But where are you going? When are you coming back? I need you to help me with my art project, remember?” She promised to help me find pictures in her magazines to make a collage.
“I know.” She kisses my forehead, and I see the tears in her eyes when she pulls back. Denver is next to me, and she kisses him, too. “I love you both, okay? Don’t forget that.” Then she stands up and turns around, going to the door. There’s a car outside, and a man comes in to take her bags to the trunk.
“But when are you coming back? Why can’t we come?” Denver sounds like he’s going to cry as we follow her to the door.