8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Piper
For over twenty-four hours, I didn’t step outside of our cabin. I don’t want to see Asher. Not that it’s his fault. He was mature about it. I’m acting like a pouting child who didn’t get the toy she wanted. It’s not like he said anything, but I felt the shift in him. One second, he was laughing and having a good time, and the next, his face shut down.
The second he left the cabin, Charlotte grabbed my upper arms. “The man is gorgeous and clearly into you.”
“Please.” I rolled my eyes. “He’s not. He helped me deal with a panic attack, and you know how pathetic I am when one of those hits. I’m sure the only thing he felt was sorry for me.”
“Don’t.” Charlotte’s face was tight as her eyes sparked with anger. “You’re not pathetic, and you rarely have panic attacks unless something serious happens.”
I shivered as the sound of squealing tires flashed through my mind. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll be leaving in a few days.”
“Fine.” She sighed and turned on her heel. “But I won’t stop wishing you’d give him a chance.”
“To do what?” I chuckle halfheartedly. “Be pen pals?”
“You’re a pain in the ass.” She whips her head around. “You’re as stubborn as your brother. I’ll never forget the first time when Weston brought you into the dance studio. Sullen, pouting, and oh, so stubborn.”
One corner of my mouth arches upward. “I love you, too.”
She winks and saunters into the kitchen. “I love you, Pip.”
Why are you thinking about him again? It doesn’t matter if your sister-in-law and mother are shipping you together. If he’s not interested, he’s not interested.
Besides, there’s no reason we should get attached to each other. We live over 1,000 miles apart. My break from school will be over in less than two weeks. And…. And I’ll be what? Be busy?
Yes, I’ll be busy. Maybe I should get a job. My brother helps our mom out, so she only works one job now, and they’ve both sheltered me. It’s nice not having to worry about money, but I could work part-time. Maybe Chloe would give me a job at the bakery. I’ll need something to keep from thinking about Asher’s golden skin, green eyes, and how his wetsuit showed off every bulging muscle as he shifted his weight. The man is pure sin. Lexie’s voice floats in my head. Go into town. Get drunk. Get laid.
I could skip the getting drunk part. It’s not that I’ve never drunk or that I’m a prude, but I hate hangovers. Getting sick is something I avoid at all costs, so drinking is out. Or limited to a couple of drinks at the most.
“Didn’t go to the beach today?” Charlotte breezes into the room with her purse slung over her shoulder. My sister-in-law’s face is wrinkle-free, tan, and glowing. At least someone had a good night last night.
“No. I stayed in today. I didn’t want to get burnt.” The lie falls from my lips, causing me to cringe. It was cloudy all day, and once again, dark clouds are brewing as another storm rolls closer to the resort.
“Hiding from Asher?”
“No.” Heat creeps along my skin until my cheeks are burning. “Okay. Fine. I’m hiding.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “That’s better. What do we talk about in counseling? How can we expect anyone else to be honest with us if we aren’t honest with ourselves?”
“That’s bull–” The word trails off as Roe follows Charlotte into the room.
“Hey baby, why don’t you go make sure you have your smaller toys in the bag?” She returns her attention to me. “We’re going into town to eat dinner with your mom. We want to spend the evening with her since we’re returning soon.”
Weston, Charlotte, and the kids will leave in a couple of days, but Mom and I will stay through the weekend.
****
Two Hours Later
I stand at the shoreline as the water laps at the surf. The rumbling signals another summer storm is approaching. As always, my leg told me hours before that the weather was approaching. I’d gotten tired of hiding and pouting, so I ventured out and down to the water’s edge.
The stars to the east glisten in the sky, while the ones to the west are covered in dark, rolling clouds that crackle with lightning. I stand with my sandals in my hand and my toes lapped by the waves. Despite the swirling wind, or maybe because of it, the night is beautiful. When my mom said she wanted to attend a festival in the Lowcountry, I didn’t see the appeal.
I inhale a lungful of ocean air and sigh. I was wrong. The areas small-town charm is appealing and not so different from the Midwest. When we drove through Magnolia Point, we saw mom-and-pop stores, clean streets, quaint flower boxes, serene parks, and then we got to the beach. The water sweeps at my toes as another flash of lightning makes the night sky bright, followed by the echoing rumble of thunder. Beautiful.
“You realize it’s dangerous to stand at the water’s edge during a storm, don’t you?”
My skin tightens as every hair on my arms stands at attention. I don’t have to turn around to know it’s Asher. Even in the dark, his voice is a pure velvet caress. Did I come here hoping he’d see me and seek me out?
I cross my arms over my chest and shiver. The temperature has dropped, but that’s not why I’m on edge. There’s no use in pretending I didn’t come here for this very purpose. I wanted to see him.
“I won’t stay here long enough to get zapped.” I glance at him as he stops beside me as usual he’s not wearing a shirt. “The storm is still thirty minutes away.”
His stance is nearly identical to mine. “Haven’t you heard of stray lightning strikes from miles away?”
“Isn’t that one of those old wives’ tales that parents say to their children to get them to go inside? Kind of like, don’t eat within thirty minutes of going into the pool?”
“Have you tried swimming on a full stomach? I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“There was one time when I didn’t listen to my mom and drank a full can of soda during a break at the pool and jumped off the diving board the instant the lifeguards blew the whistles. I nearly threw up.”
Lord, leave it to me to talk about vomit with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met. No wonder I’m still a virgin.
He chuckles and turns to face me. His eyes rove over me, taking in my signature leggings and oversized T-shirt. If I wanted to get a man’s attention, I should try harder–wear cute tops, maybe a pushup bra to emphasize my chest, and shorts that showed off every inch of my legs. Only I can’t. If I wore shorts, everyone would see my scars. He’d see my scars.
“What are you thinking about?”
I step back from the water’s edge as the clouds roll closer. I’m not stupid. I know it’s possible to get shocked on the water. It’s even more dangerous than on land. He watches my movements as his question weighs heavy in the air.
Truth or evasion? What the hell? Truth. “I was thinking about how women entice men with a show of skin to get their attention, but if I wore shorts, I would have the opposite effect.”
“That’s not true.” The set of his jaw is tight in the remaining moonlight.
“That’s what people are taught to say.” I shrug and return my attention to the ocean. The waves swipe angrily at the sand.
“Piper.” He grips my chin and lifts it upward. “You’re a beautiful woman, and a few scars aren’t going to change that.” The sincerity of his gaze makes my knees weak.
“I’ve exposed my scars to people in the past, and it didn’t end well.” His jaw flexes in anger as his thumb strokes over my jaw. The faint brush of his calloused flesh has my toes curling into the sand.
“Whoever they were, they were assholes.” His voice is rough as his gaze drops to my lips, and I fight to catch my breath. Is he going to kiss me? I lick my now dry lips as my head spins. Our chests rise and fall in tandem as the breeze catches my hair, blowing it away from my face.
“What about you?” I arch an eyebrow as my heart hammers wildly in my chest. “It’s not like you show your skin to anyone either.” His chest may be bare, but his legs are covered in skintight jeans that leave nothing to the imagination.
Lightning arches through the sky, slamming into the ground with a snap. I jump and scream as panic surges through me. This was not a good idea.
“Shit.” Asher drops his hand to his side and searches the sky. “We should get inside.”
My heart drops to my feet. He was so close to kissing me. I think. Maybe. I don’t know. But now, it’s time to go back to the cabin. I lift my head high and swallow. Don’t act like it was a big deal.
Asher grabs my hand. “My house is closer.” One corner of his mouth arches upward. “My parent’s house.”
“Right.”
“You can stay there until the storm passes, and it’s safe to walk back to your cabin.”
“Sure.” I move to dislodge my hand from his, but his fingers tighten over mine and then lace them together.
“Come on before we get soaked.” He tips his head toward the sky. “Or get struck by lightning.”
The butterflies in my stomach flutter. It’s stupid. Juvenile. Naive. But it doesn’t stop my body’s response to him.