3. Ashley
CHAPTER 3
ASHLEY
EIGHT YEARS AGO
W e haven’t spent a summer in Birchen Beach since Mom and Chris got engaged five years ago.
I never told anyone about the incident with Sean in the kitchen. At first, I was too stunned and afraid to open my mouth. I didn’t understand what I had done to get such furious reaction from him. I tried my best to stay out of his way the rest of summer, certain that he hated me.
That certainty didn’t go away. Year after year, Sean treated me like I was his worst enemy. But at least we stayed in Boston and, thanks to all the summer camps he and I attended, we rarely saw each other. This year is different. Mom and Chris decided to return to Birchen Beach, and even rented the same house as before. Nothing I said could talk them out of the idea.
This will be hell.
At least I have Kenzie. She’s become my best friend, the sister I never had. It’s too bad she lives so far away from me. She’s funny, creative, and supportive. I can tell her anything, even things I don’t tell my mom. She knows I have anxiety attacks, which is something I don’t want anyone to know about. It’s my biggest shame and weakness.
I’m lounging by the pool when Chris returns from the airport with Kenzie and Sean. I’m still wet, so I don’t go inside the house to greet Kenzie. She’ll make her way to the pool soon enough.
I put in my headphones and flip onto my belly to tan my back. I’m just dozing off when I sense I’m no longer alone. I turn and find Sean standing next to my chair. I stop breathing for a second and try not to shake as my pulse accelerates. He’s so tall and broad shouldered that he blocks the sun.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“Nothing. Not a damn thing.”
He walks away, and I relax, but too soon. He breaks into a run and cannonballs into the pool, splashing cold water all over me.
“What the hell!”
He emerges from the water and shakes his head. The asshat is laughing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do that. It doesn’t matter. His amusement is at my expense. I quickly dry my phone, hoping it didn’t get water damage.
Kenzie walks out of the house. “What happened?”
“Your brother is such a jerk! He better not have ruined my phone.”
“You shouldn’t keep electronic devices near the pool,” he retorts.
“My phone was perfectly safe until you showed up.”
“Whatever.” He dives back into the water, effectively blowing me off.
So it begins.
“Ignore Sean. He’s the only person alive who hates spending the summer at the beach.” Kenzie gives me a hug, then sits next to me.
“I don’t think he hates the beach. He hates me .”
Kenzie opens her mouth to reply, but Sean resurfaces, so she doesn’t say anything. We proceed to ignore him and, mercifully, he doesn’t linger. After he swims a few laps, he gets out of the pool and leaves.
This will be a long-ass summer, and not in a good way.
SEAN
I was ready to start my games with Ashley. Five years ago, she found out about my secret, giving me a solid reason to hate her. My threat worked, and to this day, she hasn’t told anyone. But it doesn’t change the fact that she knows about my weakness.
She might not have realized you did it on purpose, Sean.
I stomp on that pesky voice. I’m choosing to believe she knows so it’s easier for me to be a jerk without feeling bad. Honestly, it’s getting harder and harder to hate her. She’s genuinely nice and caring. Kenzie adores her. Worst of all, Ashley is so damn pretty too.
When I saw her sunbathing earlier, I couldn’t stop myself from walking closer and ogling her like a creep. She caught me staring, so I acted out immediately. I can’t let her know I think she’s stunning.
Unfortunately, it’s hard not to pay attention when she comes down to dinner wearing a snug light blue dress that shows all her new curves and highlights her tan. She’s still petite, but her body is smoking hot. My body reacts, and I start to get a boner. Fucking hell . I rush to the bathroom before anyone else notices it, and I have to wait a few minutes before I can walk out again.
I barely touch my food, and after dinner everything becomes even more fucked up when Kenzie asks Dad if she and Ashley can go to the bonfire party at the beach.
“Hmm... I don’t know. Is Sean going?” He turns to me.
I want to say hell no, but I was planning on going. I might be here against my will, but I’m not going to turn into a hermit.
Kenzie wrinkles her nose. “I don’t know. He never likes to do anything with us.”
“Because you guys are annoying,” I retort.
Dad frowns. “Too bad. You’re going together, or no one is going.”
“That’s not fair,” Kenzie complains. “What if Sean doesn’t want to go?”
I glance at Ashley. Her gaze is downcast. It’s like she’s certain already that they aren’t going because of me. The annoying guilty feeling makes its presence known in my chest. Hell. Before I can stop myself, I say, “Stop whining, Kenzie. I’ll go to the stupid party.”
Ashley whips her face up, and stares at me. “What’s the catch?”
“There is no catch. I want to go.”
She narrows her eyes and flattens her lips. She thinks I’m bullshitting everyone, but the joke’s on her. For the first time, I’m not.
D ad drops us off at the beach’s parking lot and says he’ll pick us up in three hours. If we want to go home earlier, we need to call him, but we can’t stay longer.
I start toward the path that leads to the beach, but Kenzie says, “Wait for us.”
I turn and see them both removing their high-heeled sandals.
“You guys are so smart,” I say. “Why didn’t you wear flips-flops like me?”
Kenzie wrinkles her nose. “Because they didn’t go with our outfits.”
I roll my eyes. “Now you have to walk barefoot and hold your shoes. The logic of your thought process is shocking.”
“I knew there was a catch,” Ashley pipes up. “You only came to annoy us.”
“Whatever. Go on now. We’re wasting time here.”
I let Kenzie and Ashley walk ahead of me, trying my best to not look at Ashley’s ass, but hell, that’s a battle I can’t win. The weather is nice tonight. There’s a soft breeze, and the smell of burning wood from the bonfire reminds me of camping trips. Someone brought portable speakers, but the music is distorted from where we are.
The boys at the party all turn to check the girls out, and I’m annoyed that they’re looking at Ashley. That surprises me. I should be indifferent to her. I don’t like the brat.
I see a couple of guys I met last year at hockey camp and go say hello. I didn’t come here to be Kenzie’s and Ashley’s bodyguard. John Armstrong and Billy Webber attend a private school in New York City, but they aren’t snobby assholes.
John is the first to notice me. “Hey, it’s London boy. What are you doing here, dude?”
“Same thing as you, I guess. What’s up?” I greet both with a fist bump.
“Not much.” Billy shrugs. “Are you going to camp next week?”
“You bet. I’ve been looking forward to that all year.”
John looks over my shoulder. “Who are the hot chicks that came with you?”
I groan. Fuck me. They had to notice them, didn’t they?
“My sister and stepsister.”
“Is that short one your stepsister?” Billy asks, now looking in their direction too.
I narrow my eyes, not amused by his interest. “Yes, why?”
“Why?” He laughs. “Are you blind or something? She’s hot. Does she have a boyfriend?”
“I don’t know. I’m not her keeper.”
“Don’t mind Billy. He thinks he has a chance.” John chuckles. “Look, they’re already surrounded by the sharks.”
I turn and, sure as shit, there are a few guys talking to them. My irritation grows. “Who are they?”
“Beats me. Never seen them before.”
Kenzie and Ashley walk away accompanied by two of the guys. “Come on. Let’s introduce ourselves to them.”
“Uh-oh, Sean’s protective-brother mode has been activated,” Billy jokes.
I ignore his comment and walk faster. The beach is more crowded than I anticipated. Most of the people are surrounding the bonfire, but it’s easy to miss someone if they stray from it. When I reach the center of the party, I see only Kenzie, talking to a guy and a girl.
“Where the hell is Ashley?” I ask when I get closer.
Kenzie looks to her left, and then at me. “I don’t know. She was here a second ago.”
“I think she went with Artie to get drinks,” the guy with Kenzie replies.
“Who the fuck is Artie?”
The guy tenses. “My brother. Are you her boyfriend or something?”
“He’s my brother,” Kenzie answers for me.
The idiot exhales. “Relax, dude. She’s safe.”
Like I’m going to trust you, asshole. “Which way did they go?”
“That way,” the girl next to Kenzie replies and points.
I turn around and head in the direction she indicated. John and Billy stay with Kenzie, so she’s safe. Moving away from the fire means I walk a path without illumination. I can see only silhouettes. I take my phone out and use the flashlight app, pointing it at everyone I come across. Most are couples making out. Yeah, getting drinks my ass.
“Dude. Cut it out,” someone complains.
I keep going until I finally find Ashley and Artie. He’s putting a jacket on her— his jacket—and standing much too close to her.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask, pointing my flashlight in his face.
He jumps back, spooked. “Hey, put that light away.”
“Get lost, Sean,” Ashley chimes in.
“Do you know this jerk?” Artie turns to her.
I shove him back. “Who are you calling a jerk, asshat?”
“Sean, cut it out!” Ashley shouts.
Distracted by her, I don’t see Artie until his knuckles connect with my jaw. I stagger back and trip over something, then fall on my ass.
Fury erupts from the pit of my stomach. “You’re dead.”
I jump back to my feet and slam my body into his, sending him into the sand. Ashley begs me to stop, but I tune her out. I manage to get in two solid punches to Artie’s face before John and Billy drag me off him.
“Dude, calm down,” John urges me.
“What the hell is your problem?” Artie’s brother, who also joined the fray, asks as he helps get him up.
“My problem is your punk-ass brother, who started a fight he can’t finish,” I grit out.
“I didn’t start anything!” Artie retorts.
“What the hell, Sean. I can’t believe you started a fight,” Kenzie chimes in.
“He punched me first!”
“You shoved him,” Ashley contests.
Of course she’d take his side. I shrug out of John’s and Billy’s hold and announce, “We’re leaving.”
“I don’t want to go. We just got here,” Kenzie protests.
“I don’t care.”
I walk away with my phone out, ready to call Dad. I’ll probably get in trouble for getting into a fight, but it was worth it. I don’t even care that my jaw is throbbing and I might get a bruise. Pain and I are old friends.
Kenzie and Ashley follow me, but only Kenzie is talking, saying how selfish I am and listing all the bad things I’ve done in the past year. Some are bullshit, but I don’t care. She can complain all she wants. The party is over.