Chapter 20
twenty
ZEKE
Jenny: Can you pick me up?
Zeke: Um… I wasn’t really planning on driving. I was just about to light up.
Jenny: So save it for the shore. We’ll smoke it together.
Zeke: It’s alright. Be there in 10.
The shore is already crowded with people when Jenny and I show up to the clambake on Sunday evening. I’m not very thrilled about having driven together, but I wasn’t sure how to say no when she asked—given that I was the one who’d asked her if she was planning to go.
Which I realize now made it sound like a date.
And it is not. At all. I need to figure out a way to convey that without being a total dick.
Like, we fucked a couple of times. And I’d probably be down to do it again if she wanted—what do you want from me?
She’s cute, okay?—but I’m really not trying to start something with Jenny.
I just needed to… I don’t know. Distract myself.
Things have been weird since I started spending more time with Autumn. I need to get back on my normal game.
“So,” Jenny asks, sidling up next to me as we walk, our flip-flops sinking into the soft sand. “Is your family gonna be here?”
Dude, what the heck kind of question is that? So I stuck my dick in her. I’m not trying to introduce this chick to my family. I’m hit with the sudden urge to turn and hightail it out of there, but when Jenny continues her train of thought, I relax a bit. I think I’m being paranoid. Or something.
“I heard you guys can all see ghosts, and I wonder if there’ll be a bunch around tonight. Like, maybe you’ll each see different ones. That’d be freaking cool.”
I clear my throat, laughing to shake off my paranoia. Jenny’s not trying to start something with me or weasel her way into my family’s good graces. She’s just stoked about the ghosts.
“Uh, yeah. They’ll all be here, which doesn’t happen very much these days. We can say hey if you want—just don’t mention anything about ghosts to Will. He’s kind of a grouch.”
Jenny laughs, tossing her pink and blonde hair. “He seems that way. I’ve seen him around town. He’s engaged to Lydia Chandler, right? The librarian?”
“Yep. They’re getting married next May, I think.”
“What about the others? Do they live close by?”
“Nah. They’re up in Boston. Although Will keeps trying to convince Benji to move here and open a yoga studio. I think Phoebe—”
I’m cut off by a sharp whistle. “Yo! Little asshole!”
Well, speak of the devil. There’s my sister, standing up at a picnic table and waving her arms at me, a devious grin on her face. I grin back, making my way over to her. I don’t bother explaining who she is to Jenny—she’ll figure it out.
Phoebe jumps up from the picnic table to strangle me in a hug.
Benji, who’s been sitting next to her, gets up too, holding out his fist for me to bump.
On the other side of the table are Will and Lydia, and next to them, in sandy, sun-faded lawn chairs, sit Autumn and two other guys, one of whom I think was at her house the night I forgot my keys.
They’ve all got plates of food and are chowing down on coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Autumn catches my eye, and I flash her a grin.
But dang—she’s got on a pair of super short jean shorts and a low-cut tank top that shows off her amazing tits, the pendant I gave her dangling between them.
That shit should be straight up illegal, because I can already feel my dick stirring, and home girl hasn’t even uncrossed her legs yet.
Ugh. I need to look at Will or something. He’s a boner kill for sure.
“I’m Phoebe.” My sister holds out a hand to Jenny, introducing herself in the straightforward, no bullshit way she does everything. “Who’re you?”
I bite my cheek to stifle a laugh. My siblings are used to seeing me with random chicks, and I can tell Jenny’s presence doesn’t faze them. Autumn, on the other hand… I’m not letting myself look at her. There’s nothing between us except a few orgasms. I don’t need to explain myself.
“This is Jenny,” I say before Jenny can answer. I’m nervous she’s going to act like we’re some kind of item. “She’s a friend from the paranormal meet-ups. Fan of the podcast.”
Jenny nods, smiling that dimpled smile. If she’s offended, she sure doesn’t show it. “Yeah. I’m totally into the ghost stuff. Zeke’s show is amazing.”
Will grunts and stuffs a forkful of baked beans into his mouth.
I see Lydia elbow him in the ribs, while Autumn just looks out coolly from behind her Prada sunglasses, a gentle smile on her full, pink lips.
The guy next to her is sizing me up, his amber eyes looking me up and down like he thinks I’m going to pull a gun on them or something.
Jesus. Tough crowd.
“So, uh. Yeah.” I run a lazy hand through my hair, already feeling the salt of the sea breeze stinging my face.
It’s been a couple days since I last went for a run, and my muscles are aching to move, to stretch.
I glance over at the volleyball nets set up across the sand. “Anybody up for some beach volleyball?”
“I’d be game,” Benji says. He looks at Phoebe, and she shrugs. “Will? Lydia?”
Neither Will nor Lydia has a chance to answer before Autumn’s on her feet. She stretches her arms high above her head, her shirt hiking up to reveal smooth, white skin. Skin I just ran my mouth over less than forty-eight hours ago. Fuck.
“Oh, I am down,” she declares, grabbing her guy friend’s hand and pulling him to his feet. The dude next to him rises too, and Autumn high fives him. She turns to me, grinning. “You’re on, kid. Me. Will. Trey and Dustin. We’ll show you guys what’s up.”
Kid? Oh, hell no. Ain’t no kid giving this woman multiple orgasms, that’s for damn sure.
But I keep my cool, shake it off. “Perfect. What about Lydia?”
Lydia waves a hand. “Trust me. It’s better for everyone if I sit this one out. Autumn knows. She was there in that team sports class we had to take in college.”
Autumn murmurs her agreement, then does the one thing I was both hoping she would and wouldn’t do.
She unclasps her necklace and shoves it in her pocket.
Then she strips off her tank, revealing a hot pink string bikini top that barely holds her tits up.
How the hell is she gonna play volleyball in that?
And more importantly, how the hell am I going to get through this game without drooling? Fuck my life.
I glance at Jenny, who doesn’t seem to have even noticed the change in Autumn’s attire.
She’s laughing along with the rest of them, and doesn't even wait for me as she jogs across the sand, where Trey and Phoebe are already tossing the volleyball around. Jenny’s boobs also look pretty good as she runs, and I’m really starting to regret my suggestion.
I never thought too many bouncing boobs would be a bad thing, but holy shit. Here we are.
Benji comes up beside me as we jog, claps me on the back. He must have seen me staring because he shoots me a sideways grin and mutters, “Keep it in your pants, bro.”
I scoff. “My dude, these chicks will be taking it out for me by the time this night is over.”
“You’re nasty,” Benji says, scrunching up his nose while laughing just the same. “Although I honestly don’t doubt it.”
I’ve got half a mind to tell him I’ve already had both those chicks out there—excluding Phoebe obviously, ewww—but then I remember my promise to Autumn. Benji wouldn’t tell Will or Lydia, but he might tell Phoebe, and Phoebe would absolutely go spilling that tea. So I keep my mouth shut.
“You ready?” Trey shouts from across the net.
We’re all lined up on our respective sides: me and Jenny with Benji and Phoebe, and Autumn and Will with Trey and Dustin.
Trey tosses the ball up in front of him and, with a long, muscled arm, serves it over the net.
Jenny’s got her eye on the ball, hopping back a few feet to give it a little bump so I can glide in to set things up for Phoebe.
With a loud grunt, my sister jumps high and spikes the ball hard, pummeling it down over the net where it looks like it’s going to—
Boom.
Dustin dives low, and the ball goes flying up again.
The game’s in full swing, and we’re all laughing now, our shouts mingling with the music and the voices drifting in from the crowds.
We’re keeping it pretty even, and you better believe Phoebe’s keeping score.
If we win, there’s no way she’s letting Will forget it for the next five years.
Her competitive streak is second to goddamn none.
But Autumn’s the real star of the show. She must’ve played in high school or college or something, because shit.
Hot stuff can spike. I’ve already missed one spike of hers, and Benji’s missed like three—although, to be fair, for being a yoga teacher, Benji kind of sucks.
He definitely didn’t get the sports gene.
Jenny’s holding her own, and I have to admit…
I feel a little smug watching her go at it across from Autumn. I’m not even sure why.
Or maybe I just like watching the two of them as they jump high and land back in the sand, their tits bouncing in their bikini tops and their hair coming gorgeously undone in the sea breeze.
At one point, Phoebe’s spike hits Will square in the face, and I burst out laughing, falling into Jenny and toppling us both into the sand.
As we get up, still gasping with laughter, she cuts in front of me to retake her position in front of the net, and I can’t help it—I reach out and give her ass a little pinch. She flashes me a suggestive grin, and we both zero back in on the game.
It’s quick, hardly even noticeable. But there’s Autumn, gearing up to serve the ball, and her eyes are shooting fucking daggers at me. No way. Is she… jealous?
With her gaze fixed on me, she holds the ball still, swings back her arm, and brings her fist pummeling into the ball, sending it flying sharp and hard in my direction. I hit it easily, and Phoebe keeps it in play, sending it back over the net to Trey.
We go back and forth like that for a minute, a quick, punchy play of the ball across the net, punctuated only by our panting and Will’s dumbass grunting.
And then suddenly, Autumn gives the highest jump I’ve ever seen and smacks the ball right down in front of Jenny, so hard it sprays sand everywhere as Jenny gives a little shriek.
Yep. Definitely jealous.
When I look up, Autumn’s jaw is taut, and her green eyes are blazing.
She looks like some kind of fiery, hotheaded vixen, and it turns me on.
Even though she’s got the smuggest fucking look on her face, she still ducks under the net to help Jenny up, clapping her on the back.
She tucks the ball under her arm and juts a hip out to the side.
“I think I’m done,” she pants.
“Me too,” Jenny says, flashing Autumn a smile. She looks at Phoebe. “Who won?”
“I don’t know, I lost track,” Phoebe says with a shrug.
Which means we lost—but I don’t say anything. Because dang, I’m not trying to get more women mad at me. I can tell from Benji’s smothered smile he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
“Good game, guys,” Autumn says. She high fives the guys on her team, and slips an arm around Phoebe’s waist in consolation.
And then, with her pert little nose in the air, she strides right past me in a way that makes my skin prickle.
Her jean shorts are riding up her ass as she walks, and although I’m already in a state of semi-hardness, I can’t help but stare. Down, Richard. Stay. Down.
“Maybe she wants her ass pinched,” Jenny breathes into my ear.
My pulse quickens, and I whip around to face her, guilty as fuck for being caught out.
But she only rolls her eyes, giving me a playful little jab in the ribs and tilting her head toward the rest of the crowd.
Relief rushes through me—because not only am I not about to get yelled at, but Jenny’s apparently clear on what we are and are not.
At the same time… shit.
It’s not only me that’s noticed Autumn’s jealous. Jenny, at least, picked up on it—and I’d be willing to bet it didn’t get past Benji, either.
And although I don’t really care if other people noticed, the fact that Autumn’s jealous to begin with worries me. Am I flattered? Duh. Does it make me want to drag her back to the car and fuck her brains out? For sure.
But it also makes me nervous. Because she’s about to be disappointed. I thought it was obvious, but… I don’t do relationships.
Nah, ma’am. Unless we’re talking about my dick, Zeke doesn’t do deep.
Zeke keeps things cool.
As Jenny hooks me by the elbow and leads me off in search of food, I push the volleyball game to the back of my mind. It’s too much to think about right now, and I just want to enjoy the summer night.
Because if I let myself slow down enough to think about it, I’m pretty sure I’ll realize something.
Although she may be the one who’s jealous, the fact remains that Autumn Carroway is a million miles out of my league—so what happens once the heat of the sex wears off and she sees reality for what it is?
I see reality right now. I’m the fuck-up whose very existence made his dad walk out. I’m the kid who wasn’t good enough, who was easy to leave. And I am never giving someone the opportunity to do that again.
If Autumn wants my cock inside her, fab. But I’m not gonna mess around and pretend like there’s anything else between us. I’m fun and reckless. Happy go lucky. And I intend to keep it that way, thank you very much.