Love Surfaced Page 13
I’m positive he wouldn’t have cared if I’d told him the truth.
He releases my hands and places his palms along my cheeks. Tipping his head down, he rests his forehead on mine. “Will you be okay though, if I leave?”
“Yeah.”
I’ll just stay locked in the room. Anxiety and panic rise in me because Curtis was supposed to be my shield from Tanner and it leaves me vulnerable. Of course, Curtis wasn’t much of a shield a minute ago.
His hands leave my face, and his lips press to my forehead. “I’ll call you tonight,” he says. Then, he digs in his pocket for his keys.
“I’ll tell my parents you said goodbye?”
“Please.” He steps into me, giving me a chaste kiss across my lips. “You’re the best. I promise to make it up to you.”
I kiss him again to induce some sort of arousal to bottle up while he’s gone, but he backs away. I can’t help but assume he isn’t too worried about Tanner.
“I saw you eyeing that Marc Jacobs purse the other day at the store.” His lips turn up into a cat-ate-the-canary look.
“Be careful going home.” I ignore his comment about the purse because I don’t want his forgive-me present.
He’s halfway down the driveway when I hear his Mercedes beep. Without a look back my way, he slides into his car and rolls down his window, waving to me. “See you later, beautiful,” he calls out. Then, he steadily drives down the street.
“Beautiful, huh?” Tanner’s deep voice mocks behind me. “Another cliché, huh?”
“Jealous, huh?” I sneer, never turning around before walking to the front of the house.
twelve
AFTER CURTIS LEAVES, I RELUCTANTLY VENTURE into the kitchen to help my mom and to keep the hell out of the backyard. If Tanner stays outside, I should make it through tonight unscathed.
As I mindlessly cut the rolls, his words from out by the garage bring butterflies to my stomach. I want him to be jealous. I want him to know what he ruined two years ago. Mostly, I want him to want me because I want him more than I should.
Then, I think about Bea and her words about forgiveness. How can I forgive him for almost ruining everything Brad strived for? Tanner’s lucky he didn’t ruin his own chances at the Olympics. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be sporting the cover of Swimming magazine.
At some point in my life, I guess I might not have to forgive him, but I do need to deal with him. If Brad can still be his best friend, I should really stop obsessing over his actions. I think it hurts that Tanner lied to me and so many others. The deceit is what makes me question him most.
“You’re thinking pretty hard over there.” Lana sits across the counter from me, sipping her chardonnay. “Want to talk about anything?”
Not with you.
“It’s nothing. Just the wedding,” I lie. Lately, I’ve been no better than Tanner on this front.
“Oh, don’t be upset. I’m positive your time is coming soon.” She refills her glass.
I’m guessing her elbow has been permanently bent that way for the last two hours. Lana tends to drink a little heavy at times, especially at parties.
“It’s not—”
“Can you imagine the ring you’ll get from Curtis Zeker? I bet it will come from a robin egg–colored box.” She winks as though it’s sly. “Probably a bigger ring than your mom’s and mine combined.”
She beams with more excitement than me in this moment. The last thing I want is for Curtis to propose. It’s only been two months.
“Believe me, Curtis knows how to buy happiness.” My voice is tainted with disdain.
Most girls would love a guy like Curtis doting over them. I’m confused why I don’t. I love the high-end things he buys me, but I desperately wish my heart would swell and fully open for him. But having experienced true love with Tanner, I doubt I’ll ever feel the same for Curtis. Would I be settling for second-best?
“I can imagine. Lucky girl.”
How can Lana be so oblivious to the fact I love her son?
Shrugging my shoulders, I walk over to the fridge to pull out the tomatoes, onions, and pickles to place them on a plate for the hungry masses outside.
“You’ve always been so low maintenance. I think a guy like Curtis might be a waste on you.” She downs another sip of wine, her cheeks already rosy.
The shock I feel from her words startles me, and the pickle jar slips from my grasp, shattering into a million pieces, only making Lana scream. That, in turn, brings all the boys barreling into the house.
“What happened?” My dad rushes over, bending over to pick up some of the pieces of broken glass.
“It slipped out of my hands,” I softly say to my dad.
He smiles. “Well, let’s clean it up.” He stands up and disappears down the hallway.
“I got it, Mr. Ashby.” Tanner squats down next to me, grabbing up the larger pieces.
I mop up the smaller pieces and the juice with paper towels.
“Don’t worry about it,” I whisper.
Tanner places his hand on mine, igniting a shiver to run up my arm.
“I’m sorry,” he says.
I hate that damn sweet voice. The sincerity practically brings me to tears. All of this overwhelms me. I should have refused to be a part of the wedding festivities, but I knew my mom needed help, and the last thing I wanted was for her to overdo it.
“Okay.” I brush off his apology because I don’t want a scene, and he doesn’t need to know how much I still ache for us.
My dad enters the kitchen and hands Tanner the broom to clean up the mess I made. . Everyone decides to go back outside leaving the two us alone in the kitchen. and the close proximity to him only unnerves me.
“I’m truly sorry, Piper. It just took me by surprise.” Oh, he’s apologizing for his smart-ass comment earlier, not ripping my heart out.
I hold the dustpan as he focuses on sweeping the glass into it. He never looks down to me, and I desperately wish he would.
“It’s just odd, seeing one another.” I offer him an out, giving him the benefit of the doubt.
He glances behind us, confirming we’re alone. “It’s more than that, Piper. If I’d known you were involved with someone—”
“Brad didn’t say anything?” I ask, constantly double checking others aren’t coming in.
“No, but I’m not surprised by it.”
I stand up and dispose of the glass in the trash bag. Then, I bend back down to finish. He sweeps the remaining particles into the dustpan, and I silently throw them away. When he walks back into the kitchen, I’m staring outside at all the carefree people enjoying their night. Only a few are observant ones that can tell the turmoil I’m in.
“You guys don’t talk about me much?” I ask, turning around.
“No. I stopped asking about you a while back.”
He adds no more, and I don’t push it further.
I wash my hands and dry them on a towel before facing him. He’s leaning against the counter, his hands gripping the edge, showing the small muscles in his forearms.
“How’s Colorado?” I make small talk.
“It’s all right. I train most of the time.”
I raise my eyebrows at his comment, and he shakes his head.
“Not letting it go yet, huh?” he asks.
“You cheated, Tanner,” I solemnly say.
He shakes his head. “So, that’s it? You’re never going to listen to my side of this?” He pushes off the counter, stalking toward me.
“I don’t need to. You told me all I needed to know that day in your bedroom.” I slide over to the left to dodge his advance.
He follows, his body inches from mine. “Damn it, Piper. Why are you so stubborn?” He places each of his hands on either side of my body.
I rear my head back at his angry voice. “You failed more than me that day, Tanner. You failed yourself, and your team. It was a conscious decision,” I argue.
He cocks his jaw in disbelief. “My back. I was
out. Brad—”
“I don’t want to hear your lame excuses.” I throw my hand in between our two heated faces.
I duck under his arm, but he grips my wrist, whipping me around. My eyes pin his hand on my arm, and he releases his grip. The anger in me that never went away surfaces immediately.
“They aren’t excuses,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Listen”—I hold my hand up—“let’s just get through our time here together. I’m sure we can be cordial, and after the wedding, you can go back and deceive people into thinking how hard you train and how you’re an all-around great guy. I’ll stay here and teach at the community college, and then I’ll marry some ordinary, everyday guy and pop out some kids.” I might be acting a little dramatic.
He walks toward me again, faster than I can move to escape. Caging me against the fridge, his hands press above my head. “You’re telling me that it’s gone? My body doesn’t burst fireworks in your body anymore? Me pressed against you right here”—he pushes his body flush against mine—“doesn’t make your heart beat faster, your breathing stagger, from the mere memory of me being deep inside you? When you dipped into the pool outside, floods of recollection from our Truth and Dare games, like when my fingers snuck under your bathing suit, doesn’t come to mind?”
His mouth is inches from my lips, and I hold a deep breath. With my panties wet and my heart pounding in my chest, I attempt to gather a speck of control before I grab his hand and guide it to where I want it to go.
“No.” I shake my head, my teeth nibbling on the inside of my cheek.
“Hmm.” Two of his fingers move down my arm, and he takes my wrist, resting on my pulse. “You’re a liar.”
“Oh, I’m not the liar,” I contradict him.
He shakes his head. “Piper, damn it. Let me explain.”
My hands land on his chest, and I push him away. “You had your chance two years ago.”
Here we are, back again to this carousel ride, with each of us on opposite sides. We’ll never be on the same side of this issue.
He holds his hands up in the air. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You ran. You stopped answering my calls.”
“What were you going to tell me? Sorry?” I roll my eyes and cock my head back and forth. “Sorry you got caught.”
“You know what? Screw it. I’m not even sure why I want you to know the truth.” He ventures out of the kitchen, out the back door, and away from me.
I suck a deep breath through my clenched teeth as my fingers ball and release at my sides. “Bastard,” I mumble to myself, walking over to the kitchen sink to peer out the window.
Tanner sits at the table with his friends again, and Bayli’s friends are already flocking like vultures. They have him surrounded, and I watch with distaste as his head pings from girl to girl as they drill him with questions. My palms tightly grip the counter.
“Piper?” My mom walks in from outside.
I quickly turn around, appearing innocent.
“Curtis leave already?” She opens the fridge, taking out her signature deviled eggs.
“Um . . .” I try to focus on what she just asked me. “Yeah. He says bye.”
I step away from the window and meet her halfway, but she continues moving back and forth from drawer to drawer.
“Mom.” I attempt to distract her, but she doesn’t turn around.
“Yeah, honey?” She busies herself with a few of the dishes in the sink.
“Do you need anything?” I rush over, placing my hands in the sink.
If she looks out the window, she’ll notice that I was staring at Tanner, and she’ll know her intuition about Tanner and me is right.
She grabs the dish in her hands. “No, silly. It’s five small plates.” She rinses the dish off and places it in the dishwasher.
Just when I think I’m in the clear, she grabs a dishtowel, staring out the window. She turns back to me and then out the window again. Her face falls. The corners of her mouth couldn’t look sadder.
“Piper,” she sighs. “Do you want to talk?”
“Not really. No.”
“You sure?” Her hip rests against the counter, and she places the dishtowel down.
“Yep.” I begin to step out of the kitchen. I’m praying someone will walk through the back door and interrupt us, ask for something I have to get them.
For heaven’s sake, where the hell is Bea? When I glance out the door, I see her laughing with Dylan. She’s practically in his lap.
“Piper?” Mom questions as though I’m sixteen and came in past curfew.
“Nope, Mom. I’m not talking about it.”
“Did he hurt you?” she cautiously asks the question.
I can imagine the nightmare running through her head.
“Who?” I play dumb to buy myself some time for someone to interrupt.
She cocks her head. “Tanner, sweetheart. Has he hurt you?” she repeats the question.
“No, Mom—not physically anyway.”
Her face blanks, and she walks over to me, cupping my cheeks with her hands. “Oh, honey. I knew something bad happened. You came home that weekend and stayed in your room almost the whole time. Then, Tanner never came home from Colorado. I hoped it was a fling, something short, that didn’t involve feelings.” She raises my head to examine my eyes. “That was naive of me. There’s always been something between you two.” Her hands move down to my shoulders, and she pulls me into a hug.
“It’s fine, Mom, really. Just because we didn’t work out . . .” I don’t finish the sentence. “I have Curtis.” I change my tone to be more upbeat.
My mom pulls back, holding my shoulders in her hands. Her face lights up at Curtis’s name. “That’s right, and he’s a great guy, Piper.”
“Yeah.” I refrain from adding in more. As much as I love my mom and trust her, I’m not about to cry on her shoulder about Tanner. Especially when he’s twenty feet away.
Luckily, Brad bursts through the door before stopping in his tracks. “What happened?” He slowly shuts the outside door and tentatively walks over to us. “Is Grandma okay?” he asks, leaning into us.
My mom and I laugh, crinkling our brows, breaking apart.
“Yeah, she’s fine, Brad,” Mom informs him, pretending to fix the tray. “Just a mother-daughter moment.” She looks at me from the corner of her eye with a devilish grin.
“Sappy shit, I’m sure.” His eyes roll to the back of his head. He points his attention to me. “Listen, we’re going to have a volleyball game tonight. Grab your suit, Pipe. You have to head the girls’ team.”
“No, I don’t. Have Bayli do it. She’s the bride.” I sit down on the stool and help my mom finish the setup.
“Piper, you know as well as I do, she’s not athletic.”
“Are any of the girls?”
He shrugs. “Not really.”
“Then, make it coed. Split the guys and girls up.” I arrange a tray full of olives and cheese.
“Why? It’s pointless then,” he whines like the baby he is.
“I’m going home after we eat,” I announce.
They both whip their heads to me.
“Why?” my mom asks. She stops cutting the tomatoes.
“I have a work thing in the morning. Just some meetings with a few students who are attending summer classes. I’ll be back right after.” The retreat of my apartment sounds nice right about now.
“But you’ll stay tomorrow night, right? We have to do the favors and the table arrangements, and I have a refrigerator full of flowers downstairs.”
My mom is my brother’s florist. It’s something she dabbled in for a few years, but now, she mostly does it only for friends.
“I’ll be here right after, and I’ll stay until the wedding.”
My mom releases a breath, relieved.
“You taking Bea with you?” Brad asks.
I shrug.
“She’s all over Dylan out there. She won’t even allow the poor guy to breathe.”
My mom disregards us. She’s used to our unimportant conversations.
“Look at her.” He points outside.
I laugh, witnessing Bea holding Dylan’s hand and pointing to different tattoos. “It’s none of your business.”
“Everything’s my business.” He laughs.
But I don’t find any humor in his remark.
“Hey”—he knocks my shoulder with his—“I’m kidding.”
He chuckles again, and I smile up at him.
I change the conversation. “Good luck with the Barbies out there. Make sure you don’t lose one of them in the water.”
My mom and I laugh, as Brad pretends to narrow his eyes.
“Hardy har har, Piper. You sure you won’t join us?” He reaches over and snags a black olive. I smack his hand and he comes back for another.
“Nope. Have things to do.” I’ve exceeded my fill of Tanner for tonight, and I’ll be safer at my apartment.
“I’ll get you in the water at some point this week,” he threatens.
I know he will.
thirteen
CURTIS AND I SIT BY the pool, our feet mindlessly swishing the water back and forth. The guilt eats me up about the lie I told him about Tanner and me. Maybe my confession of a previous relationship with Tanner wouldn’t have bothered him. He’s not a self-conscious person, and he definitely has self-esteem—maybe too much at times.
“How’s the internship going?” I ask. I allow his foot to mingle with mine, but it leaves no goose bumps rushing up my spine.
“It’s good. Dad is . . . you know.” He shrugs his shoulder.
Truth is, I don’t. I met Curtis’s dad once, passing him in the hallway of the office. He barely acknowledged me, except for squeezing my hand so hard that I thought blood was going to burst out. I doubt he remembers my name or anything else about me. From what Curtis says, his dad’s a workaholic to the top degree. He’s never home, always at the office or in court. When he isn’t, he can be found at the corner bar with his partners or high-profile clients.
“You positive law is what you want?” I’ve asked this exact question to Curtis other times because he’s beyond unhappy too often.