11. BAILEE
BAILEE
Fuck, I wanted him too! It was like after last night, my libido had just exploded. I hated it and loved it at the same time. I sipped at the juice in a fancy margarita glass before me, because that’s what it tasted like. But since my head was swimming, I knew the bartender had made a damn good drink. A few of them. Malia was all over Benji, although my sister kept calling him by his first name – Logan – as if she was something special. Elissa had grabbed a to-go order of nachos to share with my niece before dipping five minutes later.
Sometimes, I wished my youngest brother went on these family vacations because he would have taken all of the attention away from me completely. My parents were even more worried about his lifestyle than me, Phoenix a wild child that could not be tamed. He was still in college, halfway across the world or at least that’s what his Instagram posts showed.
All I knew is that whatever he wanted, he took. And he looked to be having so much fun doing it, compared to the rest of the Reynolds’ children.
I huffed out a tense laugh, turning my attention back to my drink and then Benji, who kept looking over Malia’s shoulder at me, wrapping my attention around his finger. I didn’t know why. Was he trying to antagonize Malia or just start shit? He had had to have learned at some point in the last few minutes that Malia and I were sisters and I was the sister who spelled trouble. I didn’t know why I still hadn’t left.
Malia wouldn’t miss me, drooling all over Benji like he was dessert. And he was. Totally was. One deep breath later, I pushed away from the counter and headed for the back door away from the beach. My hand landed on the knob and I swung the door open, relishing the heat on my face. All of this was going straight into my journal when I got home.
“Bailee?”
“It’s Lee,” I replied, out of habit. Fuck . It was Benji. I twisted around and looked up before shooting him a sheepish smile as I tumbled out of the door. Benji was one step behind me, the door locking shut behind us. If he had intended to only check on me, he’d have to walk around the entire boardwalk to return to the bar.
Benji chuckled at my misfortune as I straightened myself up. “Well, Lee. I had the most interesting conversation with your sister.”
I wrinkled my nose at that, knowing that Malia had very few positive things to say about me. “Told you all about me and how much of a mess I am, huh? Damaged goods and all that.”
“She didn’t say those words.” His Russian accent hardened his speech, making me shiver with a mixture of desire and uncertainty. How those worked together, I would never know. He stepped closer, and I had to angle my face to meet his. “But you believe them.” That I’m damaged goods? Yes.
The way he just seemed to look through me, into my soul, had me cringing. “What is it with guys on this fucking island reading into everything? Like fuck.” It was a foreign feeling. No one wanted to understand where my self-confidence had disappeared to. They just decided I wasn’t worth it because I had decided it first.
“Because it’s the truth.” Mason had said it wasn’t. But… Benji moved closer, his hand gripping my chin lightly. “Lee, the fact that someone hasn’t swept you off your feet yet? I’m surprised.”
“Why? I’ve got issues. ” I spit out like a goddamn child. This was why I never got a date. It wasn’t my “issues”. It was the fact that I didn’t know how to handle myself in public. God forbid someone gave me attention.
A hearty laugh fell from his lips as he squeezed my chin and then let go. “So does everyone. You’re not special in that regard.” A cheeky smile spread across his face. “Come on, let’s go catch some waves.”
“Must I?”
“Would clear your mind, wouldn’t it?”
I studied the Russian in front of me for a moment. “What about Malia?”
“What about her? She’s crazy.” He managed a small shrug but didn’t seem perturbed that he had just told me that my sister was crazy. Second person who’s dissed my family and hasn’t even blinked…
“She is. But I’m not mean enough to have you leave her sitting at the bar waiting.” I was definitely mean enough – but to have to hear that Benji left her in the bar? I’d never hear the end of it.
He headed down to the beach, calling back to me. “I didn’t. I told her my time was up, and she took off after trying to kiss me.”
“Was she drunk?”
“Very. It was hilarious. Now – about those waves?”
I bit back a grimace, staring at him as he continued to eye me up. It was similar to the way Mason looked at me last night, like I was worth it. It was a look I craved, I realized, which had me following him toward the water without another thought.
Well, maybe just one thought.
Malia’s going to fucking kill me.