Текст книги "Addicted for Now"
Автор книги: Becca Ritchie
Соавторы: Krista Ritchie
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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 31 страниц)
{ 19 }
LOREN HALE
“Just drink more water.”
That happens to be Ryke’s brilliant advice whenever I tell him that I feel like a car ran over me. This morning is no different. I stand on the patio, the crystal blue beaches in the horizon, but right below lies the congested pool. Sloshed college students splash in the clear waters to the beat of some techno rap remix. Amps sit beneath a white stretched canopy, shaded from the dangerously hot sun. Sometimes a DJ arrives to fuel the crowd’s drunkenness, but right now, the station stays vacant. The leathered skin DJ downs tequila shots at the tiki bar with two girls in G-string bikinis.
It’s definitely Spring Break.
I chug more water, but it doesn’t cure the pounding headache or the exhaustion that aches my muscles. By the time Lily and I went back to bed, it was near three in the morning, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the text and calling my father. I replayed an entire conversation about what I would ask him. How I would frame my words…just to check up on the progress of everything.
“Are you okay?” Ryke asks.
If I say yes, he’ll know I’m lying. So I don’t know why he asks me. “I’ve had hangovers that have felt better than this.” I stretch my arms and legs, loosening up my joints.
Ryke sits on the patio chair and smears cream cheese on the bagel that he ordered from room service. “But this type of pain isn’t accompanied by horrible drunken memories. Consider yourself fucking lucky.”
“Yes, I’m feeling overwhelmingly lucky right now,” I retort bitterly.
“We’ll find that guy,” Ryke tells me. I showed him the texts this morning before Lily woke up. “And then I’m going to put my fist in his fucking face.”
“HEY! THIRD FLOOR!!”
I lean an arm on the balcony railing and spot two American girls in string bikinis, their breasts hardly contained. Like the locals, they’ve tried to adopt the scarce bottom look, asses fully exposed. Both girls hold brightly colored plastic cups, their hair braided across their shoulders.
Ryke stands and puts his forearms on the railing, taking in the sight. He bites into his bagel nonchalantly, watching as the girl in the green bikini waves us down.
“Come swim with us!!” she shouts with a smile.
“Remind me why I came here with a girl,” Ryke says with a longing look. He checks out her ass, and the girl only grins wider.
“Because you didn’t want to be the fifth wheel.” I smile at his distress.
A loud scream echoes from the room, and we both quickly peel away from the balcony and rush inside. Without much room, I bump straight into Connor’s back. He almost trips over the cot that blocks the hall, but he grabs onto the dresser before falling.
“What’s going on?” I ask, trying to maneuver around the fold-out bed.
Ryke is so annoyed that he kicks the entire thing. It slams into the wall and somehow efficiently makes room for us to walk.
“Daisy is here,” Connor says.
“What?” Ryke goes rigid. Probably thinking the same as me—that was a happy scream?
I frown and search the room with a hesitant gaze. But I only spot Melissa on the couch, eating a bagel and typing on her cell phone. Her lips are downturned, not having as much fun as she probably imagined.
“They’re in the bathroom,” Connor explains. “Rose wants to put makeup on and use Daisy’s flatiron. She’s actually excited, but the luxury of name-brand hair products will probably wear off when she realizes that her sixteen-year-old sister just arrived to Cancun during college Spring Break.”
“So no one knew she was coming?” I ask.
Connor shakes his head. “She wanted to surprise her sisters.”
“She can’t stay,” Ryke says roughly. “I nearly died trying to chaperone her sweet sixteen in Acapulco.”
I heard the story from Lily, who also chaperoned Daisy’s birthday. Apparently the fearless Calloway jumped off a cliff into the ocean and Ryke felt the need to jump in after her.
“I won’t let her jump off anything,” I tell him. “I happen to be a damn good chaperone.”
He glares. “You couldn’t chaperone a fucking sloth. And that requires remedial skills like sitting and watching.”
I shoot him a hard look. I honestly don’t care if Daisy stays or not. One more person in an already crowded room won’t change anything. “Daisy blends in. You won’t even notice she’s here.”
His brows harden and his jaw sets, equally as firm. “When’s the last time you’ve fucking seen her?”
I want to say last week, but I’m certain that’s wrong. I strain my mind. I guess I haven’t seen her since I’ve been back from rehab. In fact, I don’t think I ran into her at the Christmas Charity Gala last year. Granted, I didn’t stay long. The last time I saw her must have been during the yacht trip to the Bahamas—when Lily and I became a real couple. Jesus.
That was a long time ago.
“Daisy doesn’t blend,” Connor says.
“When have you seen her?” I snap accusingly. I don’t like that these two guys have spent more time with my girlfriend’s sister than me. I’ve been around the Calloways longer. I’ve known Daisy since she was a kid. I’m supposed to be the interim “big brother” figure. Though, I’ve done a pretty shitty job of it so far.
“I go to the Calloway Sunday luncheons with Rose,” Connor tells me. Oh. Shit.
If I marry Lily, I am easily going to be the worst son-in-law.
And then I pale at the idea of Connor and Rose.
Connor Cobalt cannot marry Lily’s sister. He’ll set unattainable standards that I will never be able to meet.
Loud, happy squeals resound from the bathroom. I relax at the mere thought that Lily is smiling. Last night she was near tears, and anything that can change her mood is something I wholeheartedly approve of. “I’m going to check on them,” I say.
Ryke takes a seat on the edge of the bed, scowling at the carpet. He seems deep in thought. About what—I have no clue. Could be Daisy. Could be Melissa. Could be me.
As I pass, I point at him, “You know what would make you feel better?” I open my mouth to finish, but he cuts me off.
“I’m fine.” And then he crosses his arms.
“Sure.” I give him a once over. He’s probably pissed that he’s stuck with Melissa. The girl wears impatience like it’s her job. “A beer.”
“A what?”
“A beer would make you feel better.”
He glares. “That’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t a joke.”
“You better go to the bathroom before I punch you, which will actually make me feel better.”
I mock gasp. “But I thought you were fine.”
He actually stands off the bed. I don’t badger him anymore. But Christ, his annoyance made me feel better. Sans beer and all. With a wide smile, I walk over to the bathroom. The giggles grow in octave, and I rap my knuckles against the door.
“Who is it?” Rose calls from inside.
“Lo.” I glance over my shoulder. Ryke and Connor watch me in curiosity by the balcony doors, not attempting to infiltrate the exclusive club that the Calloway girls have. For the first time, I’m a little nervous that the girls won’t invite me in. I’ve always been allowed to be with them. I’m Lily’s other half.
But things have changed, I realize. Rose has a boyfriend. I have a brother. Two more guys have been added to our dynamic, and I could easily be grouped off with them.
So when the door swings open and Lily grabs my shirt, pulling me inside, I can’t help but grin. I feel kind of fucking special. I kiss her almost immediately and while my tongue slides into her mouth, she pushes the door closed with her foot.
Rose clears her throat, and I break away, wrapping my arms around Lily’s waist. She leans back into me with a deep breath, and I finally take in the room. Hair products and makeup have exploded across the counter. Rose sits on the bathtub ledge with a flatiron in one hand and a tube of lip gloss in the other.
“Did Saks Fifth Avenue vomit in our bathroom?” I ask.
They all laugh, and Rose is even too happy to retort with her usual ice. She looks like someone saved her from a deserted island. When Lily untangles from my arms and kneels down over a huge suitcase, I see Daisy for the first time.
She sits on the other side of the suitcase where clothes upon clothes pile high, the stack threatening to topple over. Shopping bags are smashed into available corners of the luggage.
“Hey Lo,” Daisy greets with a warm smile.
And as I truly look at her, my face slowly falls. All I can manage to say is this, “You’re…blonde…” A million other thoughts cross my mind. Most of them circulate around one thing: Me, warning Daisy to stay far away from every guy on the fucking planet. And I have a flash of having to beat the shit out of someone on this trip—just to protect a girl who easily looks as old as her two sisters. She can fit in with our group of college-aged kids. And she shouldn’t. She’s sixteen, despite being a high fashion model.
Great. Now I know exactly why Ryke was scowling. He knew she was going to be trouble. Not because of her personality. But because…she’s beautiful and too young to be here.
Daisy runs her fingers through her insanely long hair. “The modeling agency wanted it blonde.” She drops the strands, and they splay past her breasts. Fuck. I hate that I’m even looking there. I fix my gaze on Lily instead.
She tosses bathing suits from the shopping bag. She looks like she’s digging to China through clothes. It’s kind of adorable.
“So what are you doing here, Dais?” I ask, my eyes staying on Lily. It helps keep my mind off dragging Daisy to the nearest airport. I just want to make sure she’s safe. Three years ago, I’m not sure I would have even cared. Being sober definitely shifts my priorities.
“Well,” she says, leaning against the sink counter. “I always miss out on Spring Break with Lily and Rose. Seeing as how this is Rose’s last official college Spring Break, I thought I’d just kind of tag along. But don’t worry, you won’t even know I’m here. Promise.”
I must be glaring because she smiles again for sincerity. I believe her. That’s not what I’m worried about.
“What about high school?” I ask.
“The teachers gave me extensions on all of the assignments like they do when I have a photo shoot out of the country.” Before I can protest, she adds, “And Rose texted me last night about the stolen luggage, so I had time to stop at the mall and pick up some clothes for everyone.” She grabs a Macy’s shopping bag and hands it to me. “I picked out some swimsuits for Connor, Ryke, and you. I didn’t think you guys would want to suffer through shopping on your first day at the beach.”
“Yessss!” Lily cheers from the floor.
Everyone turns to see her raising a one-piece bathing suit like it’s baby Simba.
“I thought you would like that,” Daisy says. “It’s Billabong.”
“You need sun,” Rose says flatly. She claps her iron at Lily. “Drop. The. Suit.”
Lily clutches the black one-piece to her chest, half the suit multicolored with layers of diamond patterns, like a psychedelic Native American print. “I have Daisy on my side,” Lily reminds her. “She’ll tackle you.”
Daisy nods confidently. “I will.”
Rose is in such a good mood that she concedes. “Fine.” Her eyes flicker to the one-piece that Lily covets. “It is cute in a beach bum, ‘I’m going surfing because I can’t read’ type of way.”
I dig through the Macy’s bag that Daisy gave me, and I pause.
There are five swimsuits, all different bright neon colors but the same style. A mankini.
“Uh…Daisy.” I raise my brows. I hold up the banana hammock on the end of one finger.
Daisy tries not to smile too wide, but she’s enjoying this. “The store clerk said those were the most popular.”
“For children maybe. I’m not sure my dick can fit in this.” And I instantly wince at my choice of word. “I mean, my stuff.”
Lily is distracted enough that she drops her bathing suit, her eyes gleaming between my crotch and the suit. Her imagination is just too fucking vast. I cannot keep up.
Daisy looks at me like I’m the weird one. “It’s okay to curse in front of me. I won’t tattle on you.” Yeah, she definitely makes me feel stupid for trying not to warp her young, fragile mind. But she’s a model. I can’t even begin to understand what goes on after a photo shoot, during one, or before. I’m pretty sure they talk about dicks and breasts and a whole lot of other shit that would be inappropriate around easily influenced kids.
She’s not twelve, Lo, I remind myself. She’s sixteen. There is a difference. She’s in high school. Hell, she’s probably had sex.
I stop myself. There are some things I just don’t want to know.
I twirl the suit around and focus on Lily. I fling it at her and she catches the mankini in her hands.
“Yeah,” she says, far away with her naughty thoughts that I definitely wish I could hear. “I don’t think he’ll fit.” She flushes like she didn’t mean to say that aloud. I just want to kiss her.
“Unnecessary information,” Rose says.
“Actually that was necessary,” I say. “If I can’t fit, then I need another bathing suit.”
Daisy bends down and starts digging through the suitcase beside Lily. While she rummages around, I remember that she shouldn’t be here in the first place.
“So she’s staying?” I look between Rose and Lily, waiting for one of them to be the mature older sister and set guidelines, rules, whatever and send Daisy back home.
But the most responsible girl—maybe in the entire universe—gives me the worst kind of reprimanding glare and says, “She can stay.”
I think they’ve gone nuts. They obviously don’t understand what Daisy looks like or realize her age and the fact that just outside our window are hundreds of horny fucking guys. “Can I talk to you and you”—I point at Lily and Rose—“in private. Thanks.”
From the suitcase, Daisy glances up at me. “I’m sorry about the swimsuits. It was just a joke, honestly. Here.” She tosses a new shopping bag to me, and I hesitate, mostly because I see how much Daisy wants me to be okay with her here. She doesn’t want to put anyone out since she’s essentially crashing our Spring Break. And I think if I told her that she’s not welcome, she would be on the next flight without argument.
Before I search in the plastic bag, I keep my gaze trained on Rose who has the most sway in whether or not Daisy stays in Cancun. “What happens when a guy offers her a drink?”
“I’ll turn it down,” Daisy answers. She rocks on the balls of her feet, prepared to answer more questions.
“Are you going to drink?” I ask her.
“If it upsets you, then no.”
My muscles twitch. I don’t like the idea of people being sober just because I am. That’s ridiculous. “It doesn’t upset me, but you’re underage, Daisy, even in Mexico.”
“Since I was fourteen, my mom has always let me drink during vacations. Ask Rose.”
Rose unplugs her flatiron and brushes her glossy hair. “Just the fruity drinks,” she says. “And only because Mother trusted you not to go crazy.”
“I won’t,” Daisy says. “And if it makes you feel better, I won’t drink at all.”
I shake my head and wear a deep frown. I’m not sure what the right call is. I know that most kids drink at sixteen. And I wouldn’t want to baby her just because I’m an alcoholic. But is twenty-one the magical safe age or something? I don’t know.
I internally groan. She may not be staying here at all so it won’t even matter. “What happens if she breaks from our group, Rose?”
“She won’t,” Rose retorts. “I’m not going to leave Daisy alone in a foreign country. While the big brother routine is flattering, Loren, she has two sisters in Cancun who care for her just as much, if not more. She’s safe with us.”
I watch Lily glance between me and Daisy, and I see the worry so apparent on her face. She wants her little sister here just as much as Rose does. Maybe they want to spend time with her, to reconnect together in ways that they haven’t in a long, long time. And if Daisy can put a smile on Lily’s face, then maybe the hassle will be worth it.
“Okay,” I nod.
“Are you sure?” Daisy asks. “If you’re upset, then I can go…”
“No,” Rose cuts in.
I glare at her. “So glad to know that you consider my feelings, Rose. We now know who the nicest sister is.”
“I thought that was me,” Lily pipes in with a coy smile.
“You’re the best everything, love, that’s unspoken and true.”
She bites her lip, and I can practically hear her chanting for me to come over there and kiss her. I would, but Rose is searing holes in my forehead.
“What about Connor and Ryke?” Daisy asks hesitantly.
“Connor won’t care,” Rose tells her.
Ryke will. I flash her a comforting smile that feels a bit false for me. I just hope I’m not grimacing. “If Ryke isn’t nice to you then I’ll take care of him.” I actually turn to Rose for approval, not sure why hers means so much to me. But she nods in appreciation, or as close to the sentiment as that girl can come.
“Thanks, Lo,” Daisy says.
Lily stands up and sidles to me. I wrap an arm loosely around her shoulders while she sinks into my body. This is a hug that should turn into something more. I can feel her aching for it as her fingers dig deeper in my waist. But she can’t. I just hope she can withstand a week without sex. She’ll need to be satisfied by kisses. Whereas normal people take a kiss as real affection, Lily sees it as nothing more than teasing if it’s not the means to a good fuck.
I rub her back while I dig through the plastic bag with one hand. I find three appropriate male swimsuits in black and navy-blue. “Are these the only other guy suits you bought?” I ask Daisy, a wicked thought crossing my mind.
“Yeah. Are they bad?” She comes to my side and peeks in the bag. “These Ralph Lauren ones should fit.”
“I know. I’m just thinking that you only bought two of them…for me and Connor.” They all catch on to my ploy.
Rose shakes her head repeatedly, but Lily is nodding fiercely. Daisy’s lips pull into a devious smile, definitely up for a bit of harmless fun.
If Ryke and I are going to be brothers, I might as well start reaping the benefits. And it starts with a prank.
{ 20 }
LOREN HALE
We took one step onto the beach, and I thought my eyeballs were going to burn out of their socket. The sun was inescapable, too hot to even breathe properly. And all the beach cabanas are first-come-first-serve, so we have to wake up earlier to claim one tomorrow. We end up finding seven lounge chairs around the crowded pool. On the elevator ride down, Daisy asked me again if it was okay if she drank around me. Personally, I feel worse if people stop having a good time on my account. I’ve forced Connor to order wine—his drink of choice—on numerous occasions.
But I thought I’d be a little more creative in my reply to Daisy since she is sixteen and I’m still trying to understand what’s appropriate for teenagers. I told her that I didn’t mind if she drank, but she shouldn’t drink more than Rose. In fact, she should try to loosen Rose up this week. If there’s anything I’d pay good money to see, it’s Rose Calloway drunk.
Daisy easily agreed. She seems to want to please other people, and I wonder just how much of her life has been dedicated to appeasing her mother.
Both Daisy and Rose wade in the pool with piña coladas in their hands. An engulfing rock fountain swamps one circular alcove where a pool-side bar lies, but we’re a good distance from that mobbed area.
Ryke climbs out of the pool and nods to the rest of us who idly stand in the water. Lily is the only one on dry land.
She lies alone on a lounge chair, not wanting to join us. I get it. She touched herself the first night, and I’ve been repeatedly telling her that she’s not going to have sex this week. Now we’re at a pool with half-naked guys, a half-naked me.
I can spot several couples groping underneath cabanas, and even a few cling to each other in the water, making out, the guy’s tongue deep down the girl’s throat. There’s no shame there either. And I think she’s probably just as jealous of that too.
She’s craving sex badly, and I understand wanting to drift off with music and take a nap in the sun. So I let her have her space and try to talk with our friends.
“I’m going to go buy some tacos,” Ryke says. “If you want to eat one, you better come with me.” He stands confidently in his hot pink mankini. When I told him it was the only suit left, he literally shrugged and put it on. Tan skin, ripped abs, and stylish wayfarers—he instantly looked cool even wearing that damn thing. And the girls playing water volleyball even gawked at his ass.
That’s not exactly the reaction I was looking for.
Melissa swims to the edge and climbs out, always attached to Ryke in some way. And whenever she’s forced to untangle herself from him, her mood flips. A part of me wonders if that’s what Lily and I look like when we’re in someone else’s company—bored and aggravated. Probably. I guess it’s something we’re working on.
“Ready?” she asks, hooking her pinky with his fingers.
He lets go of her hand and nods to the pool again. “Calloway,” he calls. All three girls turn to look at him, even Lily on the chair. He rolls his eyes and points at the tall blonde. “Daisy. You coming?”
She shakes her head and sucks on the straw of her piña colada. For lunch, we all ate handmade pizza, but Daisy picked at a salad instead. I think it’s a success that she’s even sipping a fruity drink that contains a shit ton of calories, but knowing Ryke, he no doubt believes alcohol is the equivalent of bark on a food pyramid.
“Come on,” he prods, gesturing her to follow him. “You’ll like the taco, I promise.”
“I probably will,” she says, “but that still doesn’t mean I should eat it.”
Melissa clutches Ryke’s hand and begins to pull him towards the outside grill behind a set of palm trees. “She doesn’t want a taco,” she says, tugging him like a child would a parent. “Let’s go.”
Ryke’s jaw locks, and I think he would try to convince Daisy until she relented, but not with Melissa yanking his arm. So he leaves with that failure. Ryke inserting himself in other people’s problems is nothing new. I’m not surprised that he would take interest in Daisy’s diet, one that she maintains only to please her mother—I’ve known that since she started modeling.
Connor holds a mojito low in his hand and watches Melissa disappear behind the palm trees with Ryke. “He’s going to regret bringing her.”
“He already does,” I say. I didn’t think being around alcohol would affect me as much. My attention zones in on the plastic cup, and it takes a great deal of energy to concentrate on other things. Like my brother’s sex life, not that I particularly care about it.
“What’d you do last year for Spring Break?” Connor asks.
I strain my mind and shake my head. “I can’t remember.” I’m sure I spent my nights at a bar while Lily fucked other guys. Our old routine. It’s all so hazy, even trying to crawl back through the memories is like walking through fog. “Probably something stupid,” I mutter under my breath.
Connor takes the hint and doesn’t prod. “If it makes you feel any better, my last three Spring Breaks were in Japan trying to convince angel investors to capitalize in Cobalt Inc.”
I let out a short laugh. “Now I just feel like an underachieving loser.”
“I tried,” he says with a casual smile.
Rose swims over to us and she elbows me in the ribs.
“Hello, Rose,” I say with a grimace.
She points to our lounge chairs where Lily lies.
“Do you see what she’s reading?” Rose asks me, not even slurring yet.
I frown and study Lily. Sure enough, in her hands is a Cosmo magazine. “Where did she get that?”
“Daisy probably bought it from the airport.”
“Is she not allowed to read trashy magazines?” Connor asks.
Rose tilts her head like he asked a stupid question. “Not ones that describe sexual positions and have romance stories in the back.”
I raise my eyes at him. “You’ve never read Cosmo before?”
“I never needed to know the top fifty ways to pleasure a man.”
I splash him, and he lets out a laugh, and I actually smile. I swim to the ledge, knowing full well that if I had whiskey today, nothing would have stopped me from uttering a biting response. And for once, I truly feel like I achieved something.
I hop out of the pool. Lily doesn’t even see me coming, too immersed in a dirty magazine.
