Strung (Seaside 0.5)(24)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

“I’ll be the perfect gentleman.” Says the guy who just checked her out and had visions of mauling her. Right.

Nat hesitated briefly. “I’ll go with you. Thank you for asking.”

Why the hell did it feel like she’d suddenly opened the door and let sunshine into my life? I felt like a weight had been cut away from me. I couldn’t help the smile that parted my lips as I realized… I had a date. With Nat. It may not be a real date, all things considering, but I’d imagine it was. And when the night was over, I’d have that memory to hold me over for the next few weeks.

We said our goodbyes. I watched Nat run to her truck and get in. She seemed happy that things worked out — while I was… absolutely, thrilled. Lame, never thought I’d see the day where going to a high school dance would make me want to break out in song.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Demetri

AIRPORTS WERE NOT my happy place — and this time it was worse because I wasn’t with Alec.

By myself. I was all by myself.

I checked my phone. Nat had texted me. God, I loved that girl. More than life, more than air, more than freaking Starbucks or my guitar or —

Cursing, I shoved my phone back into my pocket.

That was why.

It’s not like I wanted to test her loyalty or anything. I just loved her — I wanted her to be able to go to her Senior Homecoming even if I wasn’t going to be the guy to take her. Ironic, that I didn’t trust anyone but my brother to do the job. Especially considering he’d confessed not but a few days ago that he liked her.

At least he was finally honest. I could respect him for that, for not lying to me when I asked him straight up how he felt and if I could trust him.

It’s hard.

Hard when you love two people so much — and know deep down in your soul — they love each other possibly just as much as you love them. What’s a guy supposed to do with that? Did it make me selfish that I was willing to still date Nat when I knew that part of her still wanted him? Did it make me a horrible brother?

I pulled my baseball hat further over my eyes and handed the boarding pass to the attendant.

With a sigh I walked onto the plane and took my seat in first class.

“Champagne?” The flight attendant held a tray in front of me.

I stared at the alcohol, my mouth immediately going dry. I thought of Nat, thought about how long I’d actually gone without drugs or alcohol and shook my head. “No. I’m good.”

It seemed small. To say no to a drink.

But for me it was epic.

I wanted to run around the plane and do a little dance, possibly flash someone my nipple rings, just so I could see their shocked expression.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and stared at Nat’s picture.

A month ago I was doing it for her.

Today — was the first time I’d done something for me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Alec

SHE WASN’T ANSWERING her phone.

It had been three hours since she left the school parking lot — since I watched her drive away directly into the storm clouds.

Three hours where my mind went places it hadn’t gone for over a year. A place where death existed — where my heart used to exist.

“Damn it!” I tried her phone again. Straight to voicemail.

I called Demetri.

Straight to voicemail.

Why the hell did people have cell phones if they weren’t going to keep them on! I threw mine against the bed and cursed for a good ten minutes before staring out the window and willing her truck to come around the corner.

Another hour went by.

I was about five minutes away from calling the hospital. My clothes from school were still on — I hadn’t even changed into my workout clothes. Hell, I’d forgotten to workout completely.

Cursing, I jerked off my jeans and put on sweats, then pulled my shirt off and threw it against the wall. My eyes flickered to the window just as Nat’s truck pulled up into her driveway. The headlights went off. And I was absolutely seething. I was beyond pissed, beyond terrified, hell I was ready to fall onto my knees and weep at that point.

She jumped out of her truck and looked up.

Directly at me.

I stared at her, taking in my fill; she was okay. She was totally fine. I was being ridiculous. It was just rain.

But no matter how many times I told myself that — I was still frustrated as hell. I just, I needed to know she was okay — I also needed to give her a giant ass piece of my mind about NOT answering her cell phone and taking three years off my life.

Without thinking — I put on my flip flops, ran down the stairs into the outside and then used the trash can on the side of her house to launch myself onto her low roof and go over to Nat’s window.

I was going to wait for her when I noticed it was open a crack. Are you freaking kidding me? Did I need to give her a bodyguard twenty-four-seven? What if someone would have crawled through her room — someone who wasn’t me? Someone who wanted to hurt her?

Damn it. I was going to get gray hair; I just knew it.

With a grunt, I pushed the window open and stepped inside the room, shutting the window behind me. Grimacing, I looked down at my naked torso as water dripped off my body and onto the floor. Yeah, she deserved a wet floor after what she put me through. Hell, I had half a mind to give a little shake or something, create a damn pond, if that’s what it took to get her attention and to get her to LOCK HER DAMN WINDOW!

“Holy crap, what are you doing here?” Nat gasped and dropped a bag onto the ground. What am I doing here? Oh you know, just freaking out, having a heart attack at nineteen, contemplating asking my brother where he used to store his pot so I could get high and forget about the fact that my heart is hammering so hard in my chest that I want to hold it a bit… or maybe I just wanted to hold her.

“What am I doing here?” I repeated, running my hands through my damp hair.

“In my room,” she clarified eying me up and down.

I seriously had to take a minute so my voice wouldn’t shake, “Do you realize how worried I’ve been about you?”

“Worried?” Her face softened. “Why?”

“You disappeared, Nat! When I came back to the house your truck was gone. You weren’t at work. You weren’t downtown… I waited for hours!” Yelling. I was full on yelling at her. Shirtless.

“I don’t understand?” Her voice was small as she hugged her arms to her chest.

“Haven’t you seen the weather report?”

She shook her head.

“A huge storm is coming in tonight, they’re telling people to stay inside, and here you are driving around as if the damn sun is shining!” Calm down, calm down.