Strung (Seaside 0.5)(18)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

“Both you and your brother undressed me? Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that sort of thing illegal in all fifty states?”

“Chill, Nat. It’s not like we took turns with you or anything.”

Without responding, she tried to get up, putting weight slowly on one foot and then the other. “You can’t go around stripping people of their clothes, just because they’re sick.”

I frowned. Okay so maybe lying wasn’t the best option. I thought it would make her feel better not worse! “But you were uncomfortable. Plus, I’m the one who did it. Alec was here supervising. For some reason he didn’t trust me to do the deed without peeking.” There, totally fixed.

“I’m going home,” she announced.

Just kidding. Not fixed. I reached for her arm, “Like hell you are. You’re staying here and that’s final. You’re sick. You shouldn’t be up and walking anyways. Come on.” With a grunt I lifted her into my arms and carried her down the hall towards the stairway.

“She try to escape or something?” Alec asked, suddenly appearing at the bottom of the stairs. I rolled my eyes and nodded.

Alec put his hands in the air. “She’s scary when she’s sick.”

“She’s also suicidal. She wanted to walk home.” I snapped.

Alec scowled. “Nat, you’d make it as far as the kitchen table, pass out, and most likely crack a tooth in the process.”

Nat tensed in my arms. Damn she was a firecracker.

“Lock the doors.” Alec’s intense gaze flickered from me to Nat.

I put her down on the couch and then walked to the doors, locking each of them. “Crap, how long have they been camped out?”

“Since you came back with the flowers.” Alec answered.

“Who’s camped out?” Nat piped up.

“Photographers, news crews, fans. Basically everyone in Oregon.” Alec cursed and took a seat next to Nat. “Thanks to my brother’s heroic kiss in downtown Seaside, the media can’t wait to dig in to you.”

“Great,” Nat grumbled and laid her head on the arm of the couch. “If they saw me now they’d wonder what the fuss was all about.”

Alec tilted his head. “You really don’t see it do you?”

I walked back in the room and only heard the last part of the conversation.

“How breathtaking you are.” Alec’s eyes shone with appreciation. “Nat, you’re absolutely gorgeous without any help from make up or fancy clothes. And you’re the only person in the known universe who hasn’t asked for one of our autographs.”

“She hasn’t?” I interrupted “Rude, Nat. Rude.”

Nat laughed. “So that’s how I get rid of you two? Ask for your autograph and throw my panties like the rest of them?”

I plopped onto the couch in between Nat and Alec. “I could live without the autograph part, but the panty-throwing sounds intriguing. You planning on doing that soon? I’ll wait.” I grinned and received a chuckle from Nat and a kiss on the cheek. Take that brother…

Alec cleared his throat. His eyes moving from me to Nat then back again. “I’ll go see what I can do about the media for now. Why don’t you guys watch a movie or something?”

Nat sighed. “My pick. I’m sick.”

I cursed. “My head hurts, does that count?”

“Your head always hurts when you use it, silly, so no, doesn’t count,” Nat joked.

Alec left the room laughing, leaving me scowling at Nat. It was easy being with her. Talking with her. I didn’t feel pressure to be someone that I didn’t want to be. Yet, I couldn’t’ shake the feeling that something was off.

Especially when her eyes kept flickering behind the couch — as if she were looking for someone.

As if she were looking for Alec.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Alec

DEMETRI NEVER COULD last through an entire movie. High or not, he had a serious issue with keeping his eyes open when the TV was on. Nat and I watched movies until midnight. I knew it was time to take her home, but I really, really wanted to cuddle with her on the couch.

Yeah. Cuddle. That was how bad I had it. I didn’t even want to peel pieces of clothing off; I just wanted to comfort her, to hold her.

Ugh.

“Thanks, Alec.” Nat yawned and rose from the couch. “For staying up with me.”

Her eyes were still partially closed as she tried to walk towards me like a drunken sailor. Poor thing needed to go to bed.

I smiled. “Anytime you want a movie buddy. I’m there.”

Great, so she’d forever associate me with being just a friend. Right. Because that’s what I had in mind.

Shaking my head, more at myself than her, I looked between the blinds and noticed that the photographers were nowhere to be seen. Good.

I turned around and whispered, “Ready?”

Nat nodded. I unlocked the door and grabbed her hand as we slowly made our way across the backyard and up to her door.

Everything was blanketed in black. I hadn’t turned on the sensor lights because the last thing we needed was to put a spotlight on the fact that Nat had been in our house all day.

Not that it mattered. The media already knew, which meant Nat’s normal life was about to be over. I didn’t want to freak her out, but she needed to be warned. The desire to pull her into my arms and comfort her damn near overwhelmed me.

Nat’s hand stilled on the doorknob as I leaned in and whispered, “Everything’s going go to change, Nat.”

“What do you mean?” her voice wavered a bit.

“You’re going to be on every news station, every radio station, every gossip site. I just want you to know, it’s about to change and it’s not going to be easy.”

Nat looked away. “They’ll get bored with me.”

When I didn’t say anything, she simply wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me.

If I died tomorrow — it would be with a smile on my face. Her body felt so right pressed against mine. “Nobody could ever get bored of you, Nat. That’s impossible.”

“You’re just being nice because I’m sick.”

I chuckled and stepped back so I could look into her eyes. “I’m not just being nice, I’m being honest. Now get some rest.” One kiss. On the cheek. Just one. I leaned in, but just as I was about to brush my lips across her cheek, a flash went off. Rage pumped through me. “Get in the house, Nat. Now!” I pushed her into the house and turned to face the photographers.