Chapter 1 Boats and Hoes
CHAPTER 1: BOATS AND HOES
LACEY - PRESENT
I made the mistake of googling him. For nearly a decade, I have succeeded in avoiding him, but this morning I finally caved. Seeing him a week ago at Poppy’s graduation party really fucked up my head and as much as I’ve been telling myself I hate him, the vision of him walking into the party won’t leave my brain.
He looked older than he did at eighteen, but I guess that’s what happens when you haven’t really seen someone in a while. Gone was his boyish frame and instead he looked like a grown-ass man. His black hair was longer than it was in high school. A short beard covered his face. He was all muscles, tan skin, and tattoos. Fucking tattoos. When did he get tattoos? His ocean blue eyes pierced right through me. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a black T-shirt that showed off his corded arms. His always present camera was still in his hand.
I knew it was him the instant he walked in. It’s hard to forget the guy who broke your heart into a million tiny pieces. Ten years worth of heartbreak and hatred hit me like a semi-truck.
I should’ve been focused on celebrating my best friend getting her master’s degree, but then he walked into the room and took all of my attention. He took my breath away, but not in the way you read about in a romance novel. No, this was more like I had been sucker punched so hard my lungs were depleted of all oxygen. The room started to spin the moment he hugged Tanner and Logan. I needed air. I couldn’t breathe and so, I ran.
The only thing that got me through the night was copious amounts of champagne and Poppy. But now, it’s been a week and reality is starting to set in. He’s back and realistically I don’t know how much longer I can ignore him.
At twenty-seven, I shouldn’t care what he’s been doing. I shouldn’t want to know how he spent his days after he ripped my heart out, but here I am staring blankly at the dozens of links that popped up the minute I typed in his name. Well not his name, but his nickname. Jacks. That’s what Tanner and Logan called him at the party. Jacks Jackson.
I click on the first one and scan the words. Unable to believe what I’m reading, I click out and tap the next one. It confirms what the first one revealed.
I click out and scroll up and down, scanning the screen. It’s a mix of social media and articles all highlighting his accomplishments. The third link appears to be to an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . My finger hovers over the words: Photographer Jacks Jackson’s Motivation For His Latest Discovery Might Surprise You.
I take a deep breath. I’m not sure I want to read it. I’m not sure I can handle what I think it’ll say, but dammit if I’m not a little curious.
He fucking did it. I’m not surprised. Of course he did it. I shouldn’t care, but I can’t help but wonder if part of him did it for me? I shake the thought from my brain. No, that was always his dream, not mine.
“Lacey!” Poppy shouts from across our small apartment, breaking me out of my internal dilemma and interrupting my research. I quickly panic-throw my phone across the room like a teenager hiding porn from their parents. It hits the wall with a loud thud. Shit.
“Please come with us,” she yells, her voice getting closer by the second. “You can’t hide in there forever.” She barges through the closed door of my room. I immediately try to hide under the blankets and pretend to sleep.
“I know you’re not asleep. I just watched you pull the covers over your head,” she says dryly, obviously not amused by my antics.
I peek out from under my comforter. She’s standing in my doorway with her arms crossed, wearing a bright pink bikini and denim shorts. Her dark brown hair is pulled up into a messy bun and sunglasses sit on the top of her head.
“Please come,” she begs. “The guys rented a boat. You invited Gray. It’s going to be fun.”
We’ve had this day planned since before Poppy’s graduation party, but then Jace showed back up. I pull the covers back over my head with a loud exasperated breath. I don’t want to risk him being there and I definitely don’t want to see him half-naked in a bathing suit. I don’t want to go, especially after what I just read. I want to stay home alone and read.
I peek out again and my best friend hasn’t moved. She has her phone out and her thumbs are tapping away at the screen. My cell pings and then pings again and again. I roll out of bed and stomp over to where it sits on the floor. Thank God the screen isn’t shattered.
I swipe up on the phone and am instantly met with all of those links again. I can’t believe he fucking did it. My breath hitches as I spy the interview link, but I push the thought from my brain and swipe out of the browser quickly. I click on the little white and green message app. Three separate text messages are waiting for me.
Tanner: Boats and Hoes GIF
Gray: This is my first Saturday off in months. Why is Poppy telling me you don’t want to come on the boat anymore?
Logan: I promise he won’t be there.
“Do I want to know how your phone ended up over there?” she asks.
I don’t answer her and instead, I walk back over to my bed. I plop down onto my mattress with a huff. “You texted everyone?” I roll my eyes and let my body fall back. My head completely misses my pillow and hits my wooden headboard with a thunk. “Ouch.” I frown and rub the spot that’s now throbbing.
“Well, you weren’t listening to me. He’s not coming. The guys didn’t invite him.”
“Really? They’re cool with telling their best friend he can’t hang out with them because of me? I mean you and Logan haven’t been together that long. I know you love one another, but why would he pick me over Jace?”
“Because I don’t really want to see him either. You aren’t the only person he hurt, you know.”
The edges of her mouth fall. I know she’s right. Jace didn’t just break my heart, but he broke Poppy’s too. I lost the boy I thought would be my happily ever after and she lost one of her best friends. For a split second I think about telling her what I found, but then I change my mind. Saying it out loud will make it real and I’m not ready for any of this to be real.
“Look, this is all really new, and I know neither of us were expecting to see him at my party or to find out he’s friends with Logan, but unfortunately, they’re friends. I love Logan and I love you, so please, can we go have some fun? He’s not coming.”
“Does Tanner know about all the drama?”
“No, you asked Logan and I not to say anything and we won’t until you’re ready.”
“I appreciate that.”
She offers me a smile. “I’m not going to allow him to make you go back into hiding. We aren’t doing that again. You’ve been doing nothing but wallowing since he showed up at my party and it’s time to get out of bed. You need to do something other than work and read. I’m finally done with school, let’s go have some fun. I think the sunshine will do you good.”
“Fine,” I grumble.
“Yeah?”
“Yes, I’ll come. Just make sure you pack some sunscreen. I’m worried you might burn after not seeing the sun for the last six years.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny. Joke all you want, but all the studying paid off. In a month or so, we get to work together which is what we always wanted.” She turns around and heads into our living room.
I begrudgingly swing my legs out of bed and begin to move around my room, getting dressed in my new black bikini. I throw a sheer cover up over the top of it and dig through my jewelry box. I’m looking for my paperclip chain and having no luck when another piece catches my eye. I pull out a delicate gold necklace that holds a small, oval locket. It was a gift from my brother and I haven’t worn it in years.
I grab my phone and click on his name. The last text is dated over a month ago and I remind myself I need to do better at staying in touch with him.
Lacey: Thinking about you today! Miss you!
Colt: Miss you too. I should be home after summer ball is over. Mom is already planning a dinner.
Lacey: Should we skip it and maybe grab dinner just the two of us?
Colt: Tempting, but no way she’d allow it. I’m pulling up to the gym. I’ll call you when I can.
Lacey: Can’t wait!
I place the locket around my neck and add a second dainty silver chain. Looking into the mirror, I double-check my appearance before packing my bag with sunscreen, my favorite sunglasses, and a towel.
I hear a knock at the front door and walk out of my room to see Poppy wrapped up in Logan’s arms. His best friend and Jace’s roommate, Tanner, is standing behind them in the doorway sporting an aqua tank top and swim trunks covered in bright pink, purple, and yellow tropical leaves. His blond hair is tied into a bun on the top of his head.
“Hey buddy,” Tanner says through a cheeky grin. He walks past the happy couple and playfully punches my shoulder.
“I know we agreed to be friends, but you don’t have to be so weird,” I remind him.
Tanner lets out a laugh, grabs me in a headlock, and playfully rubs his fist into the top of my head, completely messing up my hair. “I thought you liked it weird, Lace.” He throws a wink and cocky smile in my direction as I swat him away.
“What are you wearing? You look like a neon sign and a frat boy had a baby.”
“You really do wonders for a man’s ego,” he laughs.
“So, who’s all coming today?” I ask, walking over to the mirror to fix my hair.
“I already told you. It’s us four and Gray,” Poppy answers me. “Right, guys?” She looks straight at Logan.
“Don’t worry. Jacks won’t be joining us,” Logan says.
“I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to y’all being friends with him or you calling him that,” Poppy says with an awkward laugh.
“Me either,” I agree.
“Are you ever going to tell us what happened?” Tanner pries.
“No,” I answer. “You can ask him. He’s your friend. I don’t want to talk about it.” I play with my hair pretending to fix it a little more. Deep down I know I should talk about it, but who am I to ruin Jace’s friendship with Tanner? Poppy told me Logan has barely spoken to him and I don’t know how to feel about that.
“Gray said she’d meet us there,” Poppy says. “So we can head out whenever.”
“Wait, who’s Gray again?” Tanner asks.
“She’s the physical therapist at Dogwood Manor and a good friend of mine. Poppy’s met her a few times. She’s cool and makes one hell of a margarita.”
“And why is she coming? I thought we were going to have a little double date.” He pretends to pout. My face must say exactly what I’m thinking because his frown quickly turns into a big goofy grin. “Don’t look so disgusted,” he says through fits of laughter. “You’re too easy to tease. You know that?”
“Ugh. You see? This is precisely why I invited her.”
I glance over at Poppy and Logan. Logan moves a piece of fallen hair behind Poppy’s ear before leaning down to whisper something only she can hear. She giggles. They’re completely lost in their own little love bubble. I exhale and look back at Tanner.
“Those two over there,” I gesture in our friends’ direction, “are going to be so enamored with each other today that the last thing I need is to only have you to talk to.”
“And what if Gray is enamored by me?” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“Highly doubtful.”
“Well, like I said, always doing wonders for my ego,” he chuckles. “Y’all ready to head out?”
The four of us head down to Logan’s truck. I guess I am going on a boat today.