Chapter 19
Jackson walks up to me in the living room. “I have to go. I need to be at practice soon.”
“Okay.” I get up. “See ya later.”
I sneak out the back and walk home on the beach, arriving in my room right as Shayla rings the bell.
Making my way through the giant house takes so long that she rings again.
“Sorry,” I say, opening the door.
“No problem.” She holds up a key. “I could’ve used this, but I didn’t think I should since I’m not working today.”
“Is your mom coming over?” I ask as she comes inside.
“Probably not. She usually doesn’t work on Saturdays unless Brock is entertaining and needs her to clean.”
“Let’s go to my room. I need to change.”
“It’s weird being here and not working. I feel like I should be dusting or something.”
We go into my room and shut the door.
“So where do you want to go?” I ask.
“I was thinking lunch and then maybe to the beach?”
“The beach is right here,” I say, pointing to it.
“A real beach,” she says. “One you can actually use. I have beach towels and sunscreen in my car.”
“Um, yeah, we could do that.”
“You don’t want to,” she says, sensing my lack of enthusiasm.
I shrug. “I’m not really a beach person, but I’m open to giving it a try.”
“We could do something else. It’s just that I’m kind of low on cash so I need to do something cheap.”
“I can pay. Brock gave me a debit card. I haven’t even used it yet. I might as well break it in.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather pay my own way. I don’t want you thinking we’re only friends because you have money.”
“I don’t think that, but I understand.” I go to my closet. “So lunch and the beach. Is there a place to change there?”
“A public restroom but it’s gross. Just wear your suit under your clothes like me.” She lifts up her t-shirt, showing me her bikini top, which is white with orange and yellow flowers on it.
“I’m not sure I want to be seen in my swimsuit. It’s really old and worn out. I need a new one.”
“I bet you have one.” She goes to my dresser and opens the drawers. “See?” She holds up a hot pink bikini.
“Where’d that come from?” I ask, taking it from her.
“The stylist must’ve brought it over. I was working that day. She brought over a ton of stuff. Not just clothes but all the stuff for your room.”
“Why’d she get me pink?” I ask, holding it up. “I almost never wear pink.”
“Try it on. I think it’d look great on you.” She pulls another one from the dresser. “Or there’s this.”
I take the black bikini from her. “This is definitely me. I’ll wear this one.”
“You’ll get more guys with the other one,” she says, sitting on my bed.
“I’m not looking for guys. I have a boyfriend.”
“Already? That was fast.”
“Not here. My boyfriend is back home in New York. We’ve dated for two years.”
She nods and looks away.
“You don’t think it’ll last,” I say, feeling my anger rising. I’m really getting tired of people assuming Axl and me will break up. They don’t know us. They have no idea how much we love each other.
“It’s just hard. It doesn’t mean it won’t last.”
“I know it’ll last. We’re planning our future. We’re moving in together when I go back.”
“That’s great,” she says, but her lackluster tone makes it clear she thinks we’ll break up.
“I’m gonna try this on,” I say, taking the black bikini to the bathroom.
She jumps up from the bed and grabs the pink bikini. “Try this one first.” She tosses it to me.
“Okay, but I’m not wearing it.”
“Even if you aren’t looking for a guy, it’s still fun to get attention.” She smiles. “The beach is full of hot guys.”
I try on the pink bikini. It does look good on me. It makes my pale skin look less pale, and the padding in the top pushes my boobs up.
“What do you think?” I ask, coming out of the bathroom.
She looks up from her phone and smiles. “I love it! You have to wear it. Don’t even bother trying on the black one.”
“But black is my color. I always wear black.”
“You did in New York. You’re in California now. We like brighter colors.”
“You sure?” I ask, looking down at the suit.
“Positive. And that top makes your boobs look huge.”
“I know, right?” I turn to the mirror. “They look two sizes bigger.”
“Throw on a shirt and some shorts and let’s go.”
Opening my dresser drawer, I pull out a t-shirt and my cut-off shorts.
There’s a knock on the door. “Rumor.”
It sounds like Braden. What does he want?
I go and open the door. “What do you need?”
His eyes immediately drop to my boobs in the tiny bikini, then lower.
“Did you need something?” I ask.
He smiles as his eyes move up to my face. “Nice outfit.”
“What do you want, Braden?”
“I’m looking for my dad.”
“Haven’t seen him. He was here this morning, but I think he left.”
“He didn’t say where he was going?”
“No.” I watch as his eyes lower back to my boobs. “Is that it?”
“Yeah.” He backs away. “See ya.”
I shut the door. “He’s such a pervert.”
Shayla races up to me. “Did you see how he looked at you? He totally wants you.”
“That’s disgusting! I’m his cousin.”
“But if he wasn’t your cousin, would you go out with him?”
“I have a boyfriend.”
“Assuming you didn’t.”
I pause. “Probably not.”
“I would, if he wasn’t such an ass. Braden is so damn hot. Trystan is too but Braden’s got that mysterious bad boy vibe that makes him even hotter.”
“Trystan’s just as bad.”
“He thinks he is, but he’s not. You need to be careful around both of them.” She goes to the couch to sit down. “Those boys are dangerous.”
“How so?” I ask, putting on the t-shirt.
“Braden gets you under his spell without you even knowing it. Part of it’s his looks but most of it’s his personality. It’s how he gets girls, even girls who claim to hate him.”
“What about Trystan?” I ask, pulling on my shorts.
“He rats people out. If he wants to get you in trouble, he will.”
She’s right. Trystan’s been trying to catch me doing something since I got here. He’s trying to find something to get me in trouble, and I have no idea why.
“Assuming you weren’t related,” Shayla says, “you really wouldn’t date Braden?”
“No! He’s rude, obnoxious, and thinks he’s better than everyone.”
“Okay, be honest.” She gets up and comes over to me at the mirror. “You’re not even the tiniest bit attracted to him?”
I turn to face her. “Yeah, a little, but then I remember he’s my cousin. You ready to go?”
“Yeah. Where do you want to eat?”
“You’ll have to pick. I don’t know the area.”
We go outside and get in her tiny, rusted-out car, which is littered with soda bottles and candy wrappers.
“Sorry about the mess,” she says with a laugh. “Spending hours cleaning up houses makes me too tired to clean up my car. Or my room. It’s a mess too.”
“You think you’ll keep doing it?”
“Being a maid? Probably. It’s good money and I can work for my mom. And when she retires, I’ll take over the business.”
We drive through town and come to an area I recognize from earlier in the week. I smile when she pulls off the road and parks next to the long, green metal building.
“I’ve been here,” I say.
“Really? When?”
“A few days ago. I went here for breakfast.”
“Brock took you here?” she asks, sounding shocked because this place is too dumpy for Brock.
“I went with a neighbor.”
She looks at me. “Who?”
Do I tell her? What if I can’t trust her? Her mom knows I was with Jackson, but she doesn’t know I’ve continued to see him.
“Rumor, who is it?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“Why?”
I hesitate, wanting to tell her, but worried she might tell my cousins.
“It’s Jackson,” she says. “Am I right?”
I don’t answer.
“My mom said she saw you two together. It has to be him. He’s the only neighbor our age.”
“Okay, yeah, it’s him, but you can’t tell anyone.”
“You only went out that one time, right? The day my mom saw you with him?”
“I’ve seen him since then.”
Her brows draw together. “Seen him or gone out with him?”
“Both. We’ve kind of been hanging out.”
She sighs. “Rumor, why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Making things harder on yourself. Out of all the people you could hang out with, you pick Jackson Novak? The guy your cousins hate more than anyone else?”
“I don’t care if they don’t get along. They don’t have to. It doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with Jackson.”
“It’s not just about them not getting along. It’s worse than that.”
“Meaning what?”
“Let’s talk inside. I’m starving.”
We go into the taco place, put our order in, and find a table in the back.
“So what is it?” I ask. “What’s the story with Jackson and my cousins?”
She looks behind her, then back at me. “Braden’s the one who hates him. Trystan hates him too but only because of what he did to Braden.”
“What’d he do?”
She lets out a breath. “I don’t want to get into this. It’s none of my business. Ask Braden about it. He’ll tell you. Or Trystan.”
“I can’t ask them. They’ll wonder why I’m asking. Just tell me.”
She shrugs. “I really don’t know that much. What I know is more rumors than anything else.”
“Yeah? So? What are the rumors?”
“Braden and Jackson used to be friends. And they—”
“Wait — when were they friends?”
“When Jackson went to Twisted Pine. He and Braden were on the football team. They were both really good. They were the reason the school was finally winning games. If Jackson had stayed last year, they would’ve gone to State, maybe even won.
But he left and went to Legion, Twisted Pine’s number one rival. ”
“So this is about football?” I sit back in my seat. “That’s stupid.”
“It’s not just football.” She checks behind her again. “It’s also about a—”
“Order for Shayla,” the guy at the register calls out.
She gets up. “I’ll be right back.”
She returns with our food, setting mine in front of me.
“I love their tacos.” She bites into one.
“Finish what you were saying. Why does Braden hate Jackson? Besides the football thing?”
“A lot of reasons.”
“Like what?”
“Well, for one, Braden claims Jackson stole his girlfriend.”
“Who was the girl?”