Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Sawyer

What. The. Fuck?

Lips were touching my lips. Ash's lying mouth, right up against mine. I inhaled sharply, tasting the hint of blackberry on his breath.

His beard caught in my stubble, tickling my chin.

Sending a shock of electricity through me.

The boat drifted into the dock, jolting us apart, and I lunged for the steering wheel.

Ash laughed. "Oops."

Oops? Really?

Ash stepped up onto the side of the boat before I'd gotten it fully stopped and jumped down to the dock, not even stumbling. "See ya!"

"Wait," I called. "What the fuck was that?"

"It was a kiss, Sawyer. Surely you've kissed someone before."

"Of course I've—" I stopped short as Ash laughed at me. "You're such an asshole!"

He shot me a wild-eyed grin. "I know! I can't seem to help it with you."

Then he spun on his heel and jogged away.

Jogged toward her.

What would she think of that display? Why would he do that in front of her?

Maybe they really aren't involved…

Or maybe he was just fucking with me, and they'd have a good laugh about it together.

Much more likely.

With a growl of irritation, I backed the boat away from Ash and his confusing mixed messages. I'd almost believed he was sincere about his apology before he pulled this stunt.

I'd let myself think—for just a second there—that we could be friends again.

Yeah, right.

I hit the throttle, picking up speed, and flew back toward the resort. The more I thought about it, the more pissed off I got.

Did Ash think I was into guys? Did he think I was into him? What was his game?

My lips buzzed, as if he was still here in this boat, pressing his big mouth against mine. I scrubbed a hand over my face to dispel the sensation and docked at the resort.

I should really clean out the cruiser since I'd run a tour right before I gave Ash a ride home. But fuck it. I needed a drink if I was going to wrap my head around what just happened.

I went through the staff entrance and cut down the corridor toward the restaurant. I expected the place to be empty. Just me and a bottle of tequila while chaos rampaged through my brain.

But Cash, Brooks, and Skylar were sitting at a table near the bar, a bottle of whiskey—Sky's preferred drink—sitting dead center.

It wasn't tequila, but it'd do. I grabbed the glass in front of Cash and threw it back in one shot. It burned as it hit the back of my tongue, then trickled fire down my throat, all the way to my stomach.

"Hello to you too," he said.

I pulled out a chair and collapsed into it. The three exchanged confused looks.

"You okay?" Brooks asked.

I hesitated, cutting a glance at Sky. "Can we all be friends for a minute? Not resort owners and employees?"

"You're not my employee," Skylar said.

I picked up the whiskey bottle to pour a refill. "You know what I mean."

"We're all friends here," Brooks said, wrapping a protective arm around Sky's shoulders. "Regardless of anything else we are."

"Okay, then." I sighed. "It's Ash. He's fucking with me, and I don't like it."

"Fucking with you how?" Brooks asked, sounded guarded.

No wonder. He knew how I felt about Ash. But this wasn't some rant about Ash being immature out on the lake. This was… I didn't even know what this was.

I shook my head. "He was giving me some bullshit line about regretting what happened in the past, and how he and Mel were never meant to be. He wasn't involved with her anymore, and it had never been right with her, blah-blah-blah."

"Okay…"

"And then she was there, waiting for him when I dropped him off."

"Wait, back up. You dropped him off where?"

"At his house," I said impatiently. "Hudson made me do it."

Brooks snorted. "Okay, so her being there doesn't mean?—"

"I'm not done!" I held up my glass unsteadily, and damn, okay, now the liquor was hitting me. "He fucking kissed me! Like on the mouth!"

Cash and Brooks exchanged looks.

"How did you feel about that?" Brooks asked carefully.

"How should I feel? He was just fucking around to prove a stupid point. As if he goes around kissing all his friends."

"I really don't think that's how that works," Skylar said.

"There's no other reason," I said. "Ash is straight. He dates women. He dated Mel. He's probably still hooking up with her and just wanted to distract me from his bullshit lies."

"Hello, bi guy right here," Cash said. "You know dating women doesn't mean you can't be attracted to guys."

"Yeah, look at me," Brooks said. "Before Skylar, I never looked at a guy that way."

I frowned down into my drink. My brow creased as I tried to think through what they were saying. But I was reeling too much to make sense of it all.

"Ash can't be into me. That's just…"

"What?" Cash asked, sounding a little annoyed. "And don't say impossible. Bi people exist."

"I know!" I raised my hands. "I couldn't be friends with you and not know. You sleep with everybody. "

Brooks snickered, Skylar hid a smile, and Cash huffed. "I do not sleep with everyone. I have some taste."

"Maybe a little." I held up my thumb and index finger a fraction apart.

"You're an asshole when you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk." I reached for the bottle to pour another refill and missed. "Er, well, I didn't eat much before my shift."

Skylar stood. "I'll go get you something from the kitchen."

I grabbed his wrist. "Don't tell my mom!"

He patted my shoulder. "Your mom went home already. Don't worry."

I released Skylar, slumping in my chair. "What a fucking day."

Between the interviews I'd done while Hudson was out with a group and then the tour I'd led after, it was an exceptionally long day.

One with a lot of mind-fuckery.

"Shoulda let Ash fall into the lake," I mumbled.

Skylar placed a glass of water in front of me. "Drink that. And here's some pasta and bread."

I took a bite of bread roll, chomping as sullenly as my neighbor kid Shua had when I'd told them I couldn't take them out wakesurfing without their parents' permission.

"Why are you all here?" I asked suddenly. "The resort isn't open until Friday."

"We were just enjoying the quiet while it lasts," Skylar said. "Soon, everything changes."

Like it hasn't already?

The food and water sobered me up pretty effectively by the time I left, but Cash insisted on tagging along to make sure I was safe, so I tossed him the keys.

"You can drive me home before you go bug Declan."

Cash looked caught out. "Who says I'm going to see Declan?"

"You were really quick to volunteer to play designated driver, and since his bed-and-breakfast is close by…"

"Whatever. I'm just being a good friend."

I clambered into my personal boat. "Sure, whatever you say. But I'm not so drunk that you fool me."

"Just drunk enough to pretend Ash didn't kiss you?"

"I wish," I muttered.

Cash took the seat in front of the steering wheel while I sprawled on the bench toward the stern.

"You know," Cash said casually, "I think you protest too much."

"Huh?"

"I think Ash kissing you freaked you out." He shot me a glance over his shoulder. "You've carried a major grudge against him for a long-ass time. You ever asked yourself why you couldn't let it go?"

"Uh, because he stole my girlfriend, betrayed me, ruined our friendship, and?—"

"Broke your heart?"

"I…" My tongue was thick and slow in my mouth. I fumbled for the words. "No. Not like… I mean I never… It wasn't like that. Ever. "

"Maybe not, but you were very close friends." Cash started the engine and eased out of the dock. "Just food for thought."

Ugh. I'd had enough thought for one day. I closed my eyes and willed my brain to empty.

Ash's mouth pressed against mine. His hot breath mingled with mine.

My eyes shot open. Fucking hell. If that happened every time I closed my eyes, it was going to be a long fucking night.

After we docked near the RV park, Cash took off in the direction of the B&B. I'd totally called it.

I walked up the dirt trail that wound through the LandShark Retreat, passing luxury RVs, pop-up campers, and old trailers that had been here so long they were never going to move again. The place three doors down from mine had a firepit going, laughter trickling toward me on the wind. Lights glowed from a few others.

My tiny teardrop camper should have been dark too. But my awning sported blue fairy lights, which had been turned on. The culprit? My fourteen-year-old neighbor, Shua.

They sat in one of my lawn chairs under the rolled-out awning. With dark bangs against pale skin and big blue eyes, they had an anime-style waif look going on.

"Hey, why are you so late?" they asked, hopping up from the chair. "I thought you were going to teach me to play Texas Hold 'Em."

I carried on straight to my front door. "That sounds like a bad idea. Don't wanna turn you into a gambler."

"As if I have anything to gamble with," Shua said, following me.

I paused in the doorway, the words on the tip of my tongue to send them home. But then I saw the look on their face, a sort of guarded hope. As if they expected me to disappoint them.

And I couldn't do it.

"All right," I said. "But just one round. I'm beat."

"Yes!" Shua skipped up the steps behind me. "You got anything to eat?"

I waved a hand toward the fridge, and Shua had been here enough times by now to help themselves. Mom had sent some brisket home a couple of days ago with a warning to stay out of the kitchen while she got ready for their opening this weekend.

I'd happily accepted. The less time I spent at the resort, the less time I'd be around Ash.

Who'd fucking kissed me.

I still didn't get his game. But my friends had to be wrong. There was no way Ash had ever been interested in me that way. He could have anyone he wanted—even fucking Mel—so why would he want the guy he'd spent years antagonizing?

No way. It didn't make sense.

There was a much easier explanation. Ash was an asshole, pure and simple.