28. Kyle
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
KYLE
A fter the watermelon blow job, we finally leave Arizona, crossing through Nevada, and ending up in California— our final destination .
But before we take PCH up the coast, we stop for a day or two in SoCal to enjoy beach life.
The energy in the RV is thrumming, both of us practically bouncing in our seats as Ren takes the next exit, leading us to the small, secluded beach he found on some random surfing blog.
We’re beyond excited to see the ocean for the first time.
Ren parks Carmen in the closest public lot, and I hop out of the RV while he changes into his beachwear.
The sun blazes down on me, and the smell of saltwater is as refreshing as the constant cool breeze. Seagulls fly above, calling to each other as they hunt for crabs and small fish.
It’s soothing here. Magical even. And I haven’t even stepped foot in the sand or seen the ocean.
Warren finally comes out, locking the door before he jogs down the steps in a pair of tiny swim trunks and a white T-shirt with the sleeves cut off. The armpit holes are so big I can see his nipples, including the one with the piercing. His baseball cap is on backwards, and he’s wearing a pair of Nike slides.
I can’t deny that he looks good, despite the fact that I’m really not into guys.
Just Ren.
“Ready?” he asks, and I nod.
We’re both calm despite the excitement of seeing the ocean for the very first time.
We jog across the parking lot until we reach the small wooden boardwalk running along the dunes.
Hand in hand, we start our walk, avoiding looking to our right and catching a glimpse of the water through the sparse beach grass.
After ten minutes, Ren’s phone finally alerts us that we have arrived at our destination.
We turn to stare up at the steps leading to a platform with two outdoor showerheads before more steps lead down to the beach.
This is it.
We’re finally here.
As we crest the dunes, I finally see it.
The Pacific Ocean.
Glistening blue-green water stretches on for what seems like an eternity, and foam-capped waves crash against the shore.
It’s majestic.
Truly beautiful.
We both freeze at the top of the steps, our eyes scanning the horizon.
A couple of surfers shred the waves, and several groups of people are scattered around the beach, but other than that, it’s pretty empty.
Snapping out of our reverie, we finally descend the old wooden steps, hand in hand.
Something deep within me settles as I dig my toes into the sand and stare out at the wide expanse of ocean for the very first time.
Warren lets go of my hand, slipping his slides off and holding them as he ambles through the soft sand toward the water’s edge.
He drops his slides before he gets to the wet part of the sand, wading ankle-deep and allowing the waves to crash against his shins.
I sneak up on Ren, uncaring of who’s around us or who might see, and wrap my arms around his torso, curling my body around his.
“What do you think?” I whisper into his ear, giving it a little nip before resting my chin on his shoulder.
“It’s mesmerizing,” he says, speaking over the roaring waves. “Seemingly endless and full of wonder, yet what appears chaotic and unorganized is actually predictable, based on the moon.” He turns to look me in the eye instead of staring into the picturesque ocean and watching for rogue waves. “It’s the one thing constant in the sea’s life, and as long as the moon is there—controlling the tides—the ocean waves will never stop rolling ashore.”
Suddenly, I don’t feel like he’s talking about the actual ocean anymore.
It feels like he’s talking about us.
I spin Warren around, clutching his face between my palms as my eyes ping-ping between his.
“You’ve always been there for me, Kyle. I hope I’ve paid it back even a sliver with this road trip.”
Oh my God.
“Renny,” I whisper, moisture pricking at my eyes.
Fuck. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“You don’t need to pay anything back. You’ve been there for me just as much as I’ve been there for you,” I confess before I crush my mouth to his, not giving a single fuck who on the beach sees.
I don’t know what I want, or what I expect things to be like after this trip, I just know that I don’t want to go home yet.
And I don’t want to stop messing around with my best friend.
I’m not ready.
Planting one last peck on his ridiculously plush lips, I wade further out, diving under a wave to forget about everything.
The next day at the beach, we lay out for hours, enjoying the sunny weather and a cooler full of drinks.
“If I don’t go home with the deepest tan of my life, Val will give me shit for weeks,” Ren chuckles next to me as he tosses the sunscreen right back, skipping a second application.
“And she’ll also give you shit if you come back looking like a lobster or a snake shedding its skin. So, put some on.”
I won’t take no for an answer.
“Fiiine, Dad,” Ren teases, giving himself a quick spray before hopping up to finish his sandcastle. He’s been working on it all morning with the kid’s shovels and buckets we bought from the nearby beach shop, along with a boogie board and two low-sitting beach chairs.
I sip my mango White Claw, sinking lower into the seat as I alternate between watching the waves and watching Ren enjoy himself building a sandcastle.
It’s a calm, peaceful afternoon, and I love everything about it.
Just as I’m cracking open another drink, a guy with wild blond curls walks up to Ren, squatting down to talk, and I stiffen in my seat. The surfer dude with a bright white smile and flawlessly tan skin flirts with my best friend.
Right in front of my face.
I’m on guard, ready to shoo him away as soon as Ren seems even remotely uncomfortable. But instead, he just laughs, hopping up and nodding his head enthusiastically. He points toward me, saying something before jogging over.
“Hey, Ky. That’s Dex over there, and he’s offering free surfing lessons, wanna join?”
“ Why? ” I blurt, nearly cutting him off and dampening some of his excitement.
“Why what?” Ren’s dark brows furrow behind his shades.
“Why is he offering you a free lesson?” I clarify a little too harshly.
Nothing in this world is free, and Ren definitely knows that. If only I could see behind those reflective lenses, I swear there’d be a sparkle in his eyes.
Is he pushing me to step up and prove something to him?
“Dex is just being friendly, Ky. He saw my pathetic boogie board and offered something better. Are you in or not?”
“ Not, ” I deadpan, tilting my baseball cap further down my forehead until he walks away.
I take a deep breath, swallowing my annoyance and my pride as I watch Dex go through different moves on shore, showing Ren how to pop up and balance on the surfboard.
His gropey hands slide down Ren’s bare waist, gripping his hips and turning them this way and that as he instructs him how to maneuver on the board.
When he steps behind Ren, pressing his groin to Ren’s ass, I’ve had enough.
Fuck that.
He’s manhandling him, and no one manhandles Ren except me.
An unfamiliar, jealous rage bubbles up like a geyser ready to blow.
Before I realize what I’m doing, I stomp across the sand, grab Dex’s wrist, and shove it away harshly. “Get your fucking hands off him, bro.”
I’m sick of people touching what’s mine.
Dex instantly holds both hands up, stepping away. “Oh, sorry, mate. Didn’t realize you two were together, or that you were even gay.”
“We’re not— I’m not.”
Dex creases his brows but doesn’t contest my answer.
It’s none of his business.
“Just don’t get so fucking handsy,” I grumble.
Ren is beaming, like I passed some sort of secret test he set for me.
Dex glances between us, sensing the tension. “ Look. I’m not trying to get in the middle of whatever’s going on here.” He checks his smartwatch suddenly. “I actually have an appointment in the city that I completely forgot about,” he says, grabbing his board. “Catch ya later, dudes.”
I sure hope not.
“Jealous much?” Ren asks with a satisfied edge to his voice when Dex disappears over the dunes.
“ Shut up. The guy was pawing all over you.”
I’m starting to realize that Ren has some sort of universal sex appeal for girls and guys.
“ Was he? ” Ren asks innocently. “I thought he was just being friendly.”
Is he trying to get a rise out of me?
I lean toward Ren’s face, whispering low so that he can barely hear me over the crashing waves behind us. “I’ll show you exactly how friendly I can be.”