Chapter 29
The Party
“Billy!” Erica’s voice cut through the night, and Billy lifted his head to see her run toward him from the dunes. She was barefoot, still in that bikini, but her hair was wet and when she knelt down beside him, he realized her skin was, too. She smelled salty, like the sea. “Are you okay?”
Billy pushed himself to sit and swung his head around to see that Ethan and Dylan were holding Justin back.
“Get off me!” Justin called. “He deserves to get his ass kicked.”
Billy tasted blood and he looked down to see red stains on his T-shirt. When he brought his fingers to his cheek, he flinched, touching the scratches etched into his skin.
“Relax,” Dylan told Justin, yanking him back. “Let it go, man.”
“Fine!” Justin wrenched loose but he stopped swinging.
Billy turned away from Erica so he could spit out a loogie onto the deck.
“Come here,” she said, pulling him to sit on one of the lounge chairs. “Let me see.” Her fingers were cold when they touched his skin, right above his eye where Justin had landed his fist. Billy winced.
“I’ll get a first aid kit,” Trevor said. Billy glanced up and saw him standing close to Erica, his fingers light on her shoulders. Trevor’s jeans were damp at the bottom, and his hair was slicked wet, too.
He was down there with her on the beach.
He had taken Erica away from the party. Which didn’t make sense. None of this made sense.
“Fuck off, Little Silver,” Billy said, glowering at the kid.
Ethan appeared next to his brother, grabbing him by the forearm. “Come on, Trev. Let’s go.”
“I’m gonna make sure Justin gets out of here,” Dylan said from behind Billy’s back. “You guys okay?”
Billy nodded. “Thanks.” But he kept his eyes on Trevor, who was looking at Erica expectantly.
Dylan jogged off after Justin, and the two of them gathered their bikes from the lawn and rode off down French Moor Drive.
The only people left were Trevor, Ethan, and Erica, and right now, Ethan was talking close to Trevor, whispering something into his ear.
Ethan’s jaw was tight. So was his grip on Trevor’s arm.
“Hold still,” Erica said, dabbing his forehead with a wet towel.
Billy gritted his teeth and strained to listen to what Ethan was saying to Trevor. “You said it’d only be an hour,” Ethan hissed. “We gotta go.”
Trevor knelt down next to Erica. “Let’s go. He’s fine.”
Ethan put himself between Trevor and Billy like he was guarding them from each other. “Dude, stop.”
Erica twisted her head around to Trevor. “You go home, okay? We’ll talk later.”
“Can someone please tell me what is going on?” Billy asked, though the knot in his stomach told him that he already knew the truth.
“Nothing,” Erica mumbled.
“We’re together, Billy,” Trevor said. “Have been for weeks. She didn’t want to tell you yet, but that’s the truth.”
Billy stood up, yanking his arm out of Erica’s light touch. “What?”
“Trevor.” Erica was stern as she turned to him, using the same kind of voice she used when she broke up with Billy. “I think you should leave, okay? Let me talk to him.”
“He’s serious?” Billy turned to Erica, demanding an answer.
Erica didn’t say anything, and Billy shoved Ethan, trying to get to Trevor. He couldn’t see straight, couldn’t hear anything. Just wanted to get his hands on the kid.
Ethan jumped between them again. “Trevor,” he said. “You can figure this all out in the morning.”
But then Billy realized what Ethan had said only moments earlier. You said it’d only be an hour. “You knew about this?” Billy said, jabbing a finger at Ethan. “You knew your brother was screwing my girlfriend?”
“I’m not your girlfriend,” Erica said. Her voice was shaky now, like she might burst into tears.
“Is that why you came tonight?” Billy asked. “So you could distract me while they hooked up? So I wouldn’t try to destroy your brother?”
“Let’s all calm down,” Ethan said, pumping his hands. “Billy, we’ll talk everything out in the morning.”
Billy scowled as Ethan pushed Trevor in the opposite direction, leading him back toward the dunes.
Only Erica remained and when Billy turned to her and saw the desperate, helpless look on her face, it was as if every emotion he had ever experienced exploded from his chest, an eruption he had never felt before. He couldn’t help but burst into tears.