Finding Us (Finding #1)(8)
Author: Megan Smith

Holy Hell! It’s hot as hell in here; I guess Summer already turned the air conditioner off.

Knox laughs, “Red looks good on you.” He winks and strolls out of the room.

Knox 1. Jasmine 0.

This ‘ruining his challenge’ is going to be my personal hell.

Taking her to the house that holds so many memories for me is going to screw with my head, but it needs to be done. I need to devote some one-on-one time with her. I just hope no one brings them up.

If I’m being honest with myself, the more I’m around Jasmine, the more I’m reminded of her. Not only do they appear strikingly similar, but I’m finding they act and do some of the same things. She loved to dance, Jasmine loves to dance too. She ran every day, Jasmine runs every day. When you paid her a compliment she would get all bashful. Jasmine is the same way when her cheeks turn all red.

I miss her so much.

5

Knox’s car doesn’t surprise me when we walk out of our apartment building. There was a sleek black Ranger Rover parked at the curb with its four ways blinking. Obviously he’s got some kind of connection because there is no way in hell that he would have been allowed to park there and run up to our apartment.

“Fancy.” I say sarcastically as he opens the passenger side door for me.

Knox has a smug smile on his face, “Only thing fancy here is you, sweetheart. Now get your fine ass in the car so we can get going.”

I cross my arms over my chest and glance over in Rex’s direction. He is still loading his bag in the trunk. Summer has been watching our banter back and forth and she knows I’m about to ask Rex if I can sit in the back so she pulls the puppy dog face. I shake my head and give in, even though I don’t want to sit next to Knox on this long ass drive. After I’m seated I buckle my seatbelt and adjust it until I’m comfortable. Knox walks around the front of the car, all the while watching me, and then climbs in the car. I’ll admit Knox’s car is really nice, something I’m sure my father would have bought me for a graduation present had I gone back home and worked for his company. The interior is just as sleek as the outside, the leather seats are gray and black and super comfortable. Most of the interior is black and gray throughout; there is a navigation system that comes to life when Knox starts up the car. All the interior lights are cool blue, giving it the perfect glow even in the broad daylight. There is a nice full size panoramic sunroof and when he turns the radio on, the speaker system sounds crystal clear.

“Sweet, there are TVs in the headrest.” Summer announces as she and Rex both climb in the back seat. “How do you turn this thing on?”

Summer gasps and Knox and Rex both curse under their breath. I turn in my seat to see Summer’s eyes as big as saucers.

“What wrong?”

Summer looks to Rex who starts chuckling. “My brother here must have forgotten to take his  p**n o DVD out.”

I look back to Summer who has a disgusted look on her face. I shake my head and turn back around in my seat. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that that’s what would be playing.

Our ten hour drive to Myrtle Beach is for the most part uneventful. At least it is for me because I slept most of the ride. If I wasn’t sleeping I had my headphones in to drown out what was going on around me and keep my focus off Knox. Nothing was stopping him trying to get under my skin the whole ride though. He’s brushed up against my arm at least a million times. I had my arm resting on the center console and my hand dangling off when he slipped his pinky finger around mine. I didn’t react even though maybe I should have but I just kept acting like I was asleep. Another time Knox was handed a water bottle from Rex and when he finished he “attempted” to put it in the cup holder and completely missed. Conveniently it fell on my side of the car so he tried to reach for it while he was driving. I knew what he was doing all along but I wasn’t about to fall for it so I moved my legs over and out of his reach, but of course that wouldn’t stop Knox who still managed to get a nice long feel up my calf to my knee where I flung his hand away.

We pull up to the house and I’m a little blown away. Okay that’s a lie, I’m really blown away. I was thinking we were coming to a condo that they have on the beach. I mean what more could two guys like Knox and Rex need when they don’t permanently live here?

It’s a burnt orange two-story house with a grand double staircase. There are two palm trees planted on both corners of the house and beautiful landscaping all along the front of the house. A porch lined the front with rocking chairs placed on either side of the front door and great big bay windows on either side of the entrance. There is a tall gate surrounding the house too. The second story is mostly lined with windows. On both corners of the house are French doors that lead out to small balconies.

I open my side of the car door and step out. The salty air invades my senses. I take a deep breath, hold it in and then release it. The sounds and smells of the ocean are calming.

“Damn guys,” Summer says when she climbs out from the other side.

Knox, who has already got out of the car, shrugs his shoulders, “It’s just a house.”

I snort, Knox turns and smirks at me. Our apartment in the city feels like a shoebox compared to the house we are about to be staying in.

Summer tilts her chin in the direction of a black Jeep sitting in the driveway in front of where Knox parked. “You didn’t tell me everyone would be here this weekend, ass**le. Where are we all going to sleep?” Rex says when he opens the car door.

Knox shrugs his shoulders again, “When aren’t they here, Rex?”

Knox reaches back into the car to grab his cell phone then leads us up the front steps. I take a survey of all the other houses around. None are really close which is nice. They all have the same style but all different colors. It seems like the houses across the street are all lightly colored and the oceanfront properties are all brightly colored.

Knox is unlocking the door when he turns and peers over his shoulder, “Prepare yourselves.”

I prepared myself but not for what I hear. He pushes open the door and all we hear is music playing from somewhere in the house and a female voice moaning, “Not that hole Cade!”

Summer elbows me and I lose it. I can’t hold the laughter back. We are crying from laughing so hard and my stomach is aching. Rex and Knox are looking at us like we have completely lost it.

Finally, catching our breath, we straighten ourselves back up as the guys still gawk at us like we have two heads.