Chapter 26

Danika finished making sandwiches and packed a bag with snacks and drinks for their day at the beach. Meeting James's friends was making her nervous but also excited. She wanted to make a good impression since they were clearly important to him. She'd never dated anyone in the military, but the way James talked about the guys he worked with, they seemed closer than what she'd seen before with other men and their friends.

The sound of his car out front made her heart rate increase. The last thing she wanted to do was mess this up, so she drew in a deep breath, trying to calm down. When the door opened, her heart sped up again.

"Hey, are you ready?" James asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, the food is packed up, and I have sunscreen on, except for my back."

"I'll help you get that once we get to the beach."

"Thanks."

He grabbed a beach umbrella and the food and took it to the car. She followed, smiling like an idiot with a skip in her step, just excited to be going with James. It almost felt like it had back in high school. There'd been so much wrong back then but also so much right. Maybe they wouldn't have made it if they'd stayed together back then, but maybe they would have.

"How far is the beach where we're going?"

"Not too far. I mean, it is San Diego so there's traffic, but at least it's not as bad as the traffic in LA."

"Do you go to LA often?" She hadn't ever been to LA and was curious. Of course, she was because of the movies and TV shows she'd seen there, but she didn't need to do that tourist stuff.

"LA is a crazy place. A lot of guys go there to party."

"Did you go there to party?"

James shrugged. "In the past, like when I was first stationed out here. I haven't been in years."

"It sounds like fun."

He snorted a laugh. "It's crazy, though. I wouldn't go to those clubs now. It's too much. Recently, a club was accused of drugging people."

"What?"

He shrugged. "I haven't read everything about it, but warnings went out. The club was spiking glasses of women and a few men. Then those people end up being used at parties the owner arranged."

Shock coursed through her. "Damn, that's awful." But then she realized it was close to what Ezra had been doing to her.

James nodded. "It is terrible."

"I wasn't really into partying when I was twenty. I mean, I went to clubs, and I hung out with my friends, but I always felt awkward."

His eyebrows shot up. "You awkward? You always seemed so cool and calm. So in control. "

"Oh no, that was all an act back in high school. I was terrified everyone would realize what a total dork I was."

James chuckled, and it felt so good to be laughing with him. They drove onto a bridge and over the water. She swiveled her head, trying to take it all in.

"So many boats."

"Yeah, it's a huge boating area."

"And you work over here?"

"The base is that way." James pointed over his shoulder, and she turned but wasn't able to see anything that looked like a military base at first, then she caught sight of some buildings. She needed to look on some map application to figure out where he worked. She turned and saw a bunch of boats.

"What are all those boats—the gray ones?"

"Navy boats, mostly."

"Wait, there's a golf course right there."

"Yes, there is. I've played there once."

"Do you like golf?"

He shook his head. "Not really. There isn't enough action. I'm a good shot with a gun, but golf is another story. I suck at it. I tried a few times, and I just don't like it. It was more a time for us to get drunk and be goofballs."

"Ah, I played in Scotland a few times, but it wasn't for me. I get why some people like it, but I wasn't into it."

They drove down a divided street with grass and palm trees in the center. Houses and then businesses lined the sidewalks. This place was quaint and probably very expensive. Heck, everything in California was expensive. It wasn't like Savannah, where she could get a burger and a beer for under ten dollars. She was glad she had a job, but if she had to make it on her own, she would fall on her face. Even renting a room here in San Diego was out of her budget .

"This is nice," she said, trying to point out the good parts.

"Expensive," James said. "It's nice enough, but seriously, there are some ladies over here who try too hard."

"What do you mean?"

"They try to pick up military guys. We've been warned to stay away from them. That's why so many of the men and women go to LA to party. There are plenty of women there who try to manipulate their way into a relationship with a military guy, but it's not as bad as here. Most of the people partying in LA want actors or people who work in the industry, so military guys aren't hunted like they are over here."

"I don't understand. Why would someone try to force a relationship?"

"It's complicated. Depending on the person, it could be money. I mean, I have a steady income and insurance. There are a lot of people who live paycheck to paycheck."

"Like me."

"Not like you. You aren't out here trying to find any military guy. And I offered you a place to stay. Not once did you try to force your way into living with me. Plus, when you showed up, you didn't know I was in the military."

Her stomach twisted. It felt weird having to depend on James for a place to live. She'd been okay in Savannah, and if Ezra hadn't shown up, she probably could have saved up money and moved into a real apartment, then maybe one day saved enough to buy a house. But out here in California, there was no way she'd be able to afford a house.

"It's weird having to rely on you. Not you specifically, just in general having no place to live. I thought by the time I was this old, my life would be settled. "

James reached over and took her hand. "It's okay. You've got a job, and you're not trying to freeload off anyone."

Worry filled her. What if that's all she was? A user. In the end, Ezra had accused her of using him, though he'd held her prisoner for most of their relationship. Thinking back, she'd felt so helpless. She hated the trapped feeling, but with James, she didn't feel trapped.

"I hope your friends see it that way."

"They will."

She wasn't sure they would. Her life was a mess, and James had been kind enough to help her, but his friends might not feel the same. Being a freeloader wasn't cool, but she really didn't know what else she could do.

With Ezra chasing her, she needed help, and James was offering. That she also wanted more with him was just a coincidence. If she was on the other side, the side of his friends, she might not believe the story of why she was living with James and what she wanted. Getting closer to James made her happy but also scared her because it could look to others like she was manipulating him, which was so far from the truth. But truth wasn't always obvious, which was why she was in her current predicament.