Chapter 8
EIGHT
EVERLY
The sun has fully gone down behind the mountains as we make our way down the path to the marina.
There is tense silence between us. I’m starting to regret the defiant gut reaction I had to Hux’s rudeness about me coming along.
I don’t get this guy. Last night, he acted like my protector, I dare say maybe even a little sweet, and now, today, I’m again just some nuisance he’s been stuck with.
What did I do? On top of that, for the second night in a row, somehow, Hux has managed to come between Nick and my plans.
Here I am, trying to hang out with my best friend, have a carefree, fun summer, and get to know the nice guy for once, and yet I’m constantly derailed by this jerk.
And look, here I am, following him down the trail like a lost puppy.
What is it about him? Or, for that matter, what is it about me? I have always been a people pleaser. Maybe I just can’t let it go that he doesn’t like me.
We walk out on the dock to a well-loved but nice-looking sports boat with “The Anderson’s” logo painted on the side.
Hux jumps down into the bow and then turns around, holding out a hand to me.
The soft light from the fixtures atop the dock posts highlights the muscles in his toned and tanned forearms.
“Let’s go. I’d like to find him before he turns into a fuckin’ fossil.” His eyes meet mine, and I swear, there is a glimmer of humor behind the sarcastic tone. My cheeks flush, and I roll my eyes, hoping he assumes I’m just frustrated and not secretly wondering what his touch would be like.
Snap out of it, Ev.
I place my hand in his, and the butterflies attack my stomach so viciously I feel disoriented, and without meaning to, I let out a small giggle.
His hand is weathered and rough in the most perfect way.
I imagine what it would feel like if those hands were to wander all over my body.
Caressing my bare skin and most sensitive places.
I giggle again, a little embarrassed at the burning tingle I’m feeling below the waistband of my shorts.
“Ha.” Hux smugly snorts, quickly letting go of my hand once my feet are firmly planted on the boat.
Talk about embarrassing. I freaking just giggled because a guy touched my hand, a guy who has absolutely no interest in me.
My thoughts drift to my ex, Austin, as Hux points the boat out onto the lake.
The engine softly purrs as the boat cuts through the glass-like surface, causing ripples in the perfect reflection of the emerging starry night sky.
Since being in Silsby, my thoughts of Austin have been limited.
I haven’t seen or spoken to him since the end of winter break.
Even going to different colleges and the fact that he has a new girlfriend didn’t stop me from keeping the door just barely cracked—just enough contact to keep me hooked.
Something about the uninterested tone in Hux’s voice has brought on the painful insecurity again of not being enough.
I will never be the girl a guy can’t live without.
I lack the effortlessly cool-girl, confident vibe like Ashlee or Alex possess to attract a guy like Hux.
With Austin, I was always so damn nervous.
I loved him so much that my bones ached.
I’ve never been a risk taker; I’d rather play it safe, make my dad proud, and never disappoint anyone, but if Austin had asked me to marry him the day I turned eighteen, I would have.
Without knowing all the details and terrible things Austin put me through, my dad still never trusted his intentions, and I guess his intuition was right.
It was a rainy, cold fall day when he yanked my heart, lungs, and anything else that kept my heart alive. Yet, just this Christmas, I ended up hooking up with him in the back seat of his mom’s car that he was borrowing while he was home on break from his Ivy League college.
What a cliché I am.
“Earth to Everly.” I tear my gaze from the barely visible horizon and blink back the moisture in my eyes caused by the emotional scab I’ve just picked.
I look over at Hux, who is setting up a spotlight next to where I sit.
“Remember, you’re here to help, not just take a starlight cruise,” he grumbles.
“Pretty simple, just stay here in the bow and keep the light on the shoreline. Knowing Big Earl, he usually stays in shallow water.”
For over an hour, we slowly cruise along the shore, looking for the missing tin boat.
We linger near a few camps where people are sitting out by a fire or at the end of their docks stargazing.
Everyone instantly recognizes Hux as we approach their docks, but there is no sign of the lost fisherman.
Working our way to the far end of the lake into one of the remote coves, Hux explains this is a popular fishing location for the locals and long-time guests.
It’s clear the spot is secluded. It feels like ages since I’ve seen the flicker of a campfire along the shoreline.
If I were with any other guy I barely knew, I would start worrying that I am going to end up on one of those crime documentaries. Yet, for some reason, I feel safe and protected in the middle of this massive lake, surrounded by mountains, pine trees… and Hux.
I feel the boat abruptly slow, and then the motor shuts off. With the reduced noise level, I can hear Hux talking into the radio.
“Are you fucking kidding me? We’ve been out here for almost two hours! That bastard, tell him he owes me.”
“What was that about?” I ask when he hangs the radio up.
“Oh, Big Earl was found. His boat was down at cabin six. Supposedly, he had stopped to talk to some out-of-staters on their dock, and they invited him for a drink.” Hux takes his hat off and pushes his hair back, leaving both hands on the back of his head as he looks up at the sky.
“Seriously?”
“Yup, passed out cold in the guest’s front bushes,” he grumbles. “Time to get you home, Cinderella,” he mocks as he goes to start the engine.
I might not know much about boats, but I know that the clicking noise I’m hearing in place of the motor rumbling to life is not good.
Not good at all.
Hux attempts the starter multiple times with no luck. His voice echoes as he yells, “Fuck!” into the nothingness. “This would be my fucking luck tonight.”
He gets back on the radio, and after several curse-filled transmissions, I gather that we are currently stranded until his father or someone else at the resort can come out to tow us back.
Based on the restaurant and bar being slammed earlier and how far out on the lake we are, I assume I can kiss my party plans goodbye.
What is more concerning is how little disappointment I feel about this.
Hux, on the other hand, is wearing his frustration proudly.
Heaven forbid he has to keep Ashlee waiting.
I can already tell this is going to get interesting.
After a solid thirty minutes of Hux’s tinkering and sporadic explosive profanities at the motor, the boat will still not run.
I surrender to the fact that we aren’t going anywhere as he continues his aggressive attack on the motor.
I lie down on the deck of the boat and watch the stars instead.
Luckily, there is little wind, so we don’t seem to be drifting anywhere.
Once Hux exhausts every demeaning name he can think of on the non-living piece of equipment, he throws himself down beside me.
We lie shoulder to shoulder in silence. The skin on my arm that is making contact with him is so hot I feel like I might combust at any moment, and yet, I’m terrified to move a muscle and break the minor physical connection.
Finally, I whisper, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many stars.” The lake is silent other than the soft lapping of water against the boat. My voice, even quiet, feels intrusive.
“Really is something, isn’t it?” For once, he sounds relaxed. “Aurora Lake was named after the night sky. People have forever sworn this lake is one of the best places to view the northern lights.”
“I’ve never seen them, have you?”
“A couple of times. My dad used to wake my brother and me up anytime he caught a glimpse of them.” I remember seeing the photo in the lobby of the young boys, but something in Hux’s voice makes me refrain from asking where his brother is now.
A somber tone coats his voice as if childhood memories are too painful for much detail.
I feel the warmth of Hux’s breath on my cheek. He’s no longer looking at the sky but instead at me. If I dare to turn my face just slightly, our noses will be touching. I keep my eyes locked on the Milky Way sparkling above me .
A star streaks across the sky, leaving a brilliant tail in its wake. “Woah!” I gasp as I bring myself up on my elbows.
Mouth agape, I’m speechless. I try to comprehend how, in a split second, something so beautiful could start and end, then disappear forever.
“It’s funny how only some stars fall,” I whisper.
“Well, technically, they will all burn out someday, or already have, and we are just seeing the aftermath,” Hux states matter-of-factly.
“What? Who says that?”
“Astronomers. Science.”
“Well, I choose not to believe science on this one. I don’t want to imagine a world without stars.”
I lower myself back down, anticipating the warmth of Hux’s shoulder, but it isn’t there. He’s sitting up now, looking at his watch, probably calculating how long before he’ll be lying next to, under, on top of, or behind Ashlee, not me.
“I guess I’ll give her another go. Maybe time will have straightened her out.
” We both stand, and I head back toward the benches at the bow.
As I walk past him, he turns the key, and the engine abruptly rumbles to life.
It startles me, and I trip over my feet, landing squarely in Hux’s arms. The force of my body pins him to the boat window behind him.
“Still haven’t found your lake legs, have you?” His sarcastic tone seems to be replaced with something playful. I’m suddenly very aware that his hands are firmly grasping my hips.
My heart is pounding so violently out of my chest that I’m positive he can feel it.
I look up at him, trying to think of some remark that will make this less awkward and cut the tension that is rapidly building.
My lip quivers as his gaze locks with mine.
I can’t say for sure who makes the first move, but our lips slam into each other’s.
This kiss is not gentle; it’s hungry and urgent as I press my body harder against his.
I hear nothing, but the blood rushing through every vein in my body and taste only him. All other senses evaporate.
I’m entirely consumed yet still a little timid, keeping my hands where I can see them, firmly planted on his shoulders while his, on the other hand, grip the curve of my ass.
I can feel him against my stomach. His tongue moves into my mouth, and I willingly let it explore.
My confidence building, I lower my hands down his body and across the contours of his chest.
Instantly, I’m blinded, but unfortunately, it’s not from the sensation of Hux’s hands but actual light. A boat is speeding toward us with a spotlight. Realizing how quickly it’s approaching, I jump back, putting a safe amount of distance between Hux and me.
“Brian,” he grumbles, pushing his hair out of his face and placing his baseball hat back on.
I’m a deer in headlights, and from the gloating smile on Brian, the manager of the marina’s face, he definitely caught a glimpse of what we were up to.
“Rumor has it you two are having some trouble? But it looks to me like you’re doing just fine.” Brian chuckles. I, on the other hand, contemplate jumping overboard and sinking to the bottom of the freezing lake, this time willingly.
“Just throw me the cables, will ya,” Hux barks.
“You got it, boss.”
Brian tows us back to the resort, which is a deathly slow and quiet ride.
I sit in the bow, hugging my knees to my chest for warmth while keeping my eyes on the dark shadows of the mountains ahead.
There’s a feeling in the air between Hux and me, almost as if the closer we get to the resort, the further Hux and I become again.
As reality comes back into view, I find myself doubting the last few hours.
When we finally dock, Brian offers me his hand and I climb back onto the familiarity of land. Hux secures the boat and thanks Brian for his help, patting him on the back as he walks by. Hux heads back toward the bar without so much as a nod toward me.
Brian eyes me cautiously. “What’s the rush?” he humorously calls out to Hux.
“I’m late,” he replies, never even looking back.