“Mom said she cleared it with you, that I could stay here for the weekend.”
I needed some time away. I needed to be alone and some place quiet. What I really need is to figure out what the hell I want to do and how I’m going to handle things when I see Jake again. I shake thoughts of my boyfriend — my ex-boyfriend — from my head and yank the towel from where I flung it over the glass shower enclosure.
“Your mom didn’t clear anything with me.”
“She told me… well, she told me she would. She was sure you’d be okay with it. I guess I didn’t call her back to confirm.”
“And she didn’t call me — or apparently call you to tell you she didn’t get a hold of me.”
I wrap the towel around myself and step out of the shower.
“What’s wrong?” Beck demands.
My shoulders slump in defeat. I’ve never been a pretty crier. My face gets red and blotchy. My eyes get all bloodshot.
“I broke up with my boyfriend.”
Add that to being caught naked in the shower and the humiliation threatens to swallow me whole. I refuse to think about the fact that I've had a huge crush on Beck for as long as I can remember.
“I just wanted a quiet place for the weekend,” I continue. “Mom suggested the cabin, since I always loved being here.”
Beck huffs out a sigh. “Makes sense. I just wish she would have called me. You used the hidden key to get in?”
I nod. “Bet you wish you’d moved it.”
Then, for the first time since he stepped into the bathroom, he smiles. “Nah. I’m glad you felt like you could use this place. Next time, why don’t you just call me instead of using your mom as a middleman?”
“I don’t have your number.”
“I’ll give you my number.”
My heart skips a beat because his voice is a little gruff. It almost feels like we’re flirting. I know that’s not what’s happening, but it still lifts my spirits a little.
“So, what happened—“
“Beck?” someone calls out.
“Shit,” he whispers as he steps out of the bathroom and turns toward the hallway. “Everything’s fine,” he calls out.
My eyes widen. “Who else is here?”
“I brought my two buddies. We planned on going fishing. You’re welcome to join us.”
“I didn’t mean to intrude on your guys’ weekend.”
“Lia. We’re going to fish and drink beer. You being here won’t change much. Now, what happened with the boyfriend?" Beck asks.
I shrug. I don't want to tell him that Jake cheated on me because I wasn't ready to sleep with him. That makes me sound like I can't satisfy my man, doesn't it? Not that Beck would care one way or the other.
"Lia, you're obviously upset. What happened? Did he hurt you?"
"Not physically. He just humiliated me."
"There's no 'just' when it comes to humiliation."
Tell me about it. My face is still hot from getting caught in the shower by my stepdad. Though he's not technically my stepdad anymore.
Beck narrows his eyes. "Did he cheat on you?"