Thane was unusually silent and just stared at me.What is his problem?
Evan and Regan pulled out guitars, and we sang some campfire songs. “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “Where Have All The Flowers Gone” by Peter, Paul, and Mary were my favorites, and I felt so blessed to be spending quality time with my friends.
Sometime during the songs, Thane went and sat beside Shellene, and it looked to me like he was flirting with her. His arm was around her shoulders, and they were swaying side to side and laughing at each other’s jokes. Shellene looked positively thrilled to be there with him.
Something inside me ignited, and I suddenly felt jealous. Why is he so lovey-dovey with Shellene all of a sudden?Then it dawned on me. Thane saw Lyle and I hit it off, and he was getting back at me. This new development amused me.
I went inside to use the bathroom, and when I returned to the kitchen, Thane was waiting for me, and he did not look very happy.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked me, jaw clenched.
“What are you talking about?” I tilted my head to the side.
“Lyle. Leave him alone, Darcy. He’s vulnerable right now because he just got dumped. The last thing he needs is a new love interest,” Thane told me.
Anger shot up to the surface, and I stepped toward him. “First of all, you don’t tell me what to do and who to do it with. Second, Lyle is a grown man and can make his own decisions. And if we really want to talk about something, it should be about you and Shellene. Dating her is not a good idea since we are now neighbors. If you dated and then broke up, it would become very awkward for everyone. Don’t just think about yourself in that scenario.”
“Wow. Aren’t you a hypocrite? You don’t get to tell me whether I can or can’t date Shellene. Just like Lyle, she’s an adult, and if she wants to date me, that’s her decision to make, not yours,” Thane threw back at me.
“Are you going to ask her out?” I was worried and felt I had a right to protect my friend.
“That’s none of your business,” he said, a smug look crossing his features. “I’m going to retire for the night. I think you should do the same. You’re looking a little sickly.” He whirled around and went down the hallway to his bedroom, leaving me standing there.
I said good night to everyone and went off to the bedroom I would be sharing with Addison. She wasn’t in bed yet, and I stared through the window at the moon, which shone brightly in the hazy sky. Would Thane really date Shellene? I didn’t think I could handle seeing her getting all cozy with him. Not to mention she could do so much better than Thane Erickson!
THANE & DARCY
Thane
Waking up to the smell of blueberry pancakes wafting through the air was like waking up in heaven. I swung my legs over to connect with the cold wood flooring, flinching. I was used to my heated floors back home.
I put my hand to my chin and rubbed, feeling lots of stubble. I hadn’t had a chance to shave yesterday before we left, so I’d better do it before breakfast so I didn’t forget again. I looked out my window and was greeted by freshly fallen snow. Although it didn’t snow in Miami, I’d traveled enough to see it many times. Since Lila, Evan, and I were avid skiers, we saw it at least once a year, sometimes more. It was lovely for a few weeks, but that was enough of the cold for me. Sunshine fueled my happiness meter.
I went to use the downstairs bathroom, but the door was locked. I knocked. “Hey, who’s in there?”
“Sorry, Thane,” Lila answered. “Shellene, Remi, and I are all in here doing our makeup. I think we’re all going skating after breakfast, so we’re trying to get a jump on getting ready.”
I shook my head. I knew this was going to be a problem. I went to the bathroom on the second level and heard the shower on. “Who’s in here?”
“Thane, what are you doing? I’m showering. Get out!” Darcy yelled.
I smiled.Perfect.I went in, put gel on my face, and proceeded to shave. It took everything inside me not to pull the curtain aside and look at her goddess-like body.
A wet head popped out behind the shower curtain. “What the fuck are you doing?”
I looked up and saw her angry expression reflected in the mirror. She had black streaks down her face. “You practicing to become a clown?” I asked. It was nice to see she wasn’t perfect lookingallthe time.
“Thane, I’m showering. Please leave,” she asked. Her tone was less than friendly.
“You certainly know how to state the obvious. I’ll be a few minutes, so don’t mind me. There’s no other bathroom to get ready in,” I explained.
“Why? Why can’t you just flippin’ leave me alone?” Her head disappeared, but I heard the profanities.
When I turned the water on to rinse the shaving cream off my face, I heard the soap drop. I pulled the shower curtain aside. “You okay?”
Darcy crossed her arms in front of her breasts and turned away. “Thane! Fuck right off. You turned the water on and froze me half to death. It startled me, and I dropped the soap. I’m fine. You really want to get out of here before I make you get out.”
“That should be interesting. Maybe I should stay here to see what you have planned,” I told her, laughing. “Wish I’d had my phone with me. That would have been a nice sequel to the last video. You’re going to be a superstar.”