EPILOGUE
HARPER
Around One Year Later
“I think I'm gonna cough up a lung,” Phoenix panted, planting a quick kiss on my cheek before bending over as he tried to get his breath back.
I was standing on our makeshift finishing line beside the picnic area we’d set up the previous hour.
Hudson, Reed, and Nix had just raced up and down the beach like loons; another one of their competitive dick-measuring moments.
Reed was starting a new college soon, and we had set up camp for the day to enjoy what was left of the sun.
Drinking and relaxing had also been part of the plan, although the Sawyer Brothers were never still for long.
“Fuck that boy is fast,” my boyfriend wheezed.
“Who, Reed?” I asked, glancing down the beach. The reigning champion of their race was now talking on his cell, staring out across the ocean. The shimmering light danced off the soft waves. It was the end of the summer holidays, but the weather was still beautiful.
“Yeah,” Nix replied, coughing air into his hand. At least there was no sign of the lung he’d mentioned.
I smiled and pointed out. “Well, you’re carrying more weight than he is.” I meant because he was taller and packed with more muscle than Reed’s leaner quarterback frame.
Nix frowned at the same time Hudson got back, chuckling. “That’s your girl’s way of saying you’re a fat bastard,” pounding his brother on the back.
Phoenix nudged him off and straightened, stating in a lofty voice. “I beat your sorry ass.”
Hudson screwed his nose up and shrugged. “I wasn’t even trying; I had other things on my mind.” We both knew he was talking about Molly; she’d been at Storm’s all morning, and the boy was pining like a wuss as usual.
Nix rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I think I’ve put my back out,” he huffed, placing his hand at the bottom of his spine and stretching it out. “Or maybe I did that last night,” he added with a wolfish smile at me. Hudson didn’t miss the sexual intonation.
“OK, tone it down,” Hud batted back with a grimace. He saw himself as my real brother; he was bound to be grossed out.
“And I kicked a stone. Felt like my toe was going to come off,” Nix added, lifting one bared foot.
“Quit bellyaching like a bitch and pass me a beer,” Hudson said, throwing himself into one of the chairs and holding out his hand.
We had placed some foldable seats in a line so we could all look at the stunning shoreline.
There was a blanket on the floor, and in the center, a cooler full of beer and sodas.
Molly messaged me earlier to say she was helping Storm with something and would join us later.
When she arrived, we would go back to her house for a dip in Principal Miller’s pool and share a BBQ.
I bent down, grabbed a beer can, and passed it over to Hudson. “Thanks, Baby S.”
“How you guys ever made the team, I’ll never know,” Reed cajoled as he jogged over, pushing his cell into the pocket of his denim cut-offs.
Phoenix dropped to his haunches and then handed Reed a cold one from the cooler. “Don’t look at me, I don’t need speed, I’m the muscle. What’s Hudson’s excuse?” he replied with a flick of his head.
Hudson pushed to his feet again and moved to perch his backside on the rocks behind where we set up camp. “I’m the psycho.”
As Phoenix made his way over to me on his knees, Reed glanced around our group, taking in all our expressions. “Well, I don’t think any of us would disagree with that.”
I watched Phoenix, greedily drinking him in as he knelt in front of my chair and ran his hands up my legs.
My thighs were bare as I was wearing my Daisy Dukes, and his rough fingers made my skin tingle.
“Molly might?” I added thoughtfully, sipping my Coke.
As Nix's hands got to my waist, he took the can from my fingers and made a nest for it by twisting it in the sand.
I smiled as he shifted between my legs, lifted my palms from my lap, and placed my arms around his neck.
“You need to make sure you don’t burn,” he whispered.
“Otherwise, I’ll be forced to rub lotion all over your body.
” His words were a wicked promise and one I looked forward to.
Nix then kissed me, running his tongue over my lips.
I loved that we could be intimate in front of each other without the other Sawyer Brothers bitching about it now.
“OK, get a room,” Hudson snorted. Well, almost without them bitching about it.
I found his comment ironic, considering how he climbed Molly like a tree in front of everyone, even Ma.
At least in front of our mother, we had toned it down a bit.
Ma had known about Phoenix and me for the past year, and she had finally come to terms with it.
Reed cleared his throat, frowning and glancing around the beach. “Talking of Molly, where is your better half?
Transferring his beer to the other hand, Hudson slid his cell out of his jeans and glanced down.
Planting another kiss on my mouth, Nix pfft as he stood up. I lowered my arms as he winked at me and turned to Hud. “Don’t tell me you’ve put Find my Phone on her cell? Stalker.” I found that rich considering he’d done the same to me years ago.
Hudson’s expression lit up as he read a message and then glanced up at Nix. “Fine, I won’t. She’s messaged me, dill-hole,” he pointed out, waving his phone in the air.
“And?” Reed jumped in.
Hudson thumbed a message back and then put his phone away. I stretched in the sun, watching as he stared past Reed like he was looking for something.
After a beat or two, he announced. “She’s just parked up. But don’t turn around.” After telling us of her arrival with such joy, his latter instruction was directed at Reed.
Reed’s eyebrows joined up in confusion. “Why?”
Hudson made a face. “She’s not alone.”
I glanced behind Reed to see Molly and Storm climbing out of the latter's new sports car. Oh dear.
Reed scowled at his brothers and glanced over his shoulder before quickly turning back. “I don’t care. I’m over it now. I’m moving on.” His strained tone suggested otherwise.
“You mean you’ve moved on,” I corrected.
“Whatever,” he snapped back with a look of annoyance.
Stepping over to Reed, Nix patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah. We don’t believe that for a second.” He then turned back to face me. “Come here.” Holding out his hand. I placed my palm in his, and he tugged me to my feet.
As Nix wrapped his arms around my waist, Reed questioned while keeping his back to the approaching girls. “Is she walking over?”
Hudson moved to stand beside us as Phoenix planted a kiss on the side of my mouth.
“Yes, they both are. Play nice,” he said, pointing his beer at Reed.
Reed took a huge mouthful of drink. “I always do,” he said after swallowing, belching, and then wiping a hand across his mouth.
“Liar,” Nix said with a fake cough as he released me.
“So, when do you leave?” I asked, skimming the sand back and forth with my toes.
“Monday,” Reed replied. He’d been awarded a football scholarship and was transferring from Epic Heights to an elite sports college in New Jersey.
“Shit, that soon?” I asked. We’d arranged the small gathering at the beach as a farewell party, but I didn’t realize Reed was leaving so soon. And with so much unfinished business. I felt a wave of sadness at the thought of our little family being broken up again, first Micah, and then Reed.
“There’s my girl.” Hudson boomed, scrunching his empty can in his fist and dropping it onto the sand. He then shot forward and pulled Molly into his arms, lifting her in the air and spinning her around. “Hudson, my skirt,” she half-giggled, half-scolded as her white panties appeared.
Placing her back on her feet, he smoothed down her dress and grinned wolfishly. “Don’t worry, they won’t look. They value their teeth too much.” After kissing the hell out of her, he pulled away and acknowledged Storm with a nod. “Storm.”
Storm stopped just shy of our semi-circle. “Hudson, Reed, Harper,” she said with a smile. One that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Storm,” we all said in unison.
‘Are you OK?’ I mouthed, and she nodded with a tight smile. Storm and I had buried our differences ages ago and were now friends.
“Er, hello?” Nix grunted, stepping forward and giving her a wave due to being left out of the greeting.
Storm rolled her eyes at her half-brother and pointed out. “I saw you this morning, dick.” Phoenix and Storm saw each other regularly when he was visiting their father. Mr. Summers had recently offered Phoenix the pool house as an alternative to staying on campus. “Remember?”
Realisation swam into his features. “Oh, yeah, right,” he replied with a goofy grin. God, I loved him so much. He’d mellowed over the last year; the sense of humor he used to have when we were kids was back.
Smoothing her long, dark hair down her front, Storm glanced around us, purposefully keeping her gaze off Reed. “So, what were you guys talking about?”
A knowing smirk appeared on Hudson’s face. He wouldn’t allow her to blank his brother. “Reed’s transfer.”
Her cheeks heated, and her eyes flickered towards Reed.
It was a brief look. The coward's way out, really, but we all knew she was hurting. “Oh, of course.” We’d all had a lengthy discussion about whether you could call what happened between Reed and Storm a breakup, considering they were never officially an item.
I noticed she hadn’t taken her diamond engagement ring off her finger. It was that one she had disregarded as a dress ring one day in the car last year. There was nothing fake about it; the stone was real and extremely expensive. She didn’t usually wear it around Reed, for obvious reasons.
When the news that Storm was engaged came out, we were all shocked. Reed, on the other hand, was broken, beyond repair. Not that he would ever admit that, the stubborn idiot. I wanted to punch him in the nuts and tell him to fight for her!
“It’s an opportunity too good to miss, I suppose,” she muttered sadly.