9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

ISABEL

Driving carefully through the stretch of sand, I pulled my truck up next to Tucker's Chevy and looked around at some of the surrounding cars along the beach. Not a lot of people were here yet, but I knew the number would grow. Corey's bonfire parties were always big, and his house parties were infamous.

Annie took off to chat with some friends as I walked out across the warm sand opposite the small crowd, enjoying the way the wind wrapped around my face as it blew my hair back from my shoulders, the salt from the ocean permeating the air. It was fresh, crisp in a way that I loved. I placed a hand above my eyes to block the sun as I searched the water for Tucker, discovering my deliciously muscled boyfriend not too far from the shore. He was sitting on his surfboard, drifting in the water alongside two jet black heads of hair as he used his hands in wide gestures.

I smiled, realizing he and Jet were helping Nic learn how to surf, and I waved widely when I saw him look towards the shore. Waiting as he motioned to the guys and they began paddling in, my thoughts drifted to the last time I'd gone to a party, and I shuddered, remembering the way we'd had to leave. My heart clenched in my chest, realizing that Zoey had been there, too. We just hadn't known it yet.

"Hey, princess!" Tucker called out when the guys reached the shore.

I beamed as he ran up because, Jesus, the man was hot. The ocean water glistened along the lines of his gorgeously chiseled chest and abs, and I watched, mouth watering, as he ran a muscled arm back through his wet hair, the strands falling haphazardly across his brow. I had to catch my breath at the beauty of it. He wasn't even touching me, and I was fighting the urge to swoon and jump into his arms. A part of me longed to run my fingers along those lean contours, kiss a trail along…

I sucked in a breath, forcing myself to stop. Because those were things I just couldn't do. Not like I used to.

Too much had happened, and there were so many scars, emotional and physical. I knew I was hurting us both by holding back, but I just couldn't. My mind's self preservation at work.

Tucker lifted me into a cool, wet embrace when he reached me, his unnamable smell mixing with the ocean salt and air, and I breathed in deeper before kissing the salt from his lips.

Okay, not like I used to…yet.

When Tucker finally set me down, I saw Annie running into Jet's arms, and Nic looked away to frown out towards the water, still holding onto the board I recognized as one of Tucker's .

"So, what's the news?" I asked, distracting myself from the way his fingertips pressed into the small of my back.

He gave me a devilish smirk, his hand pressing me closer against him. "Hmmm, not sure I'm ready to tell. Maybe I'll wait so you'll stay for the party."

I swatted his chest. "Tell me. You know I'm not gonna stay."

"I know." He chuckled.

"Just tell us, Tucker."

He glanced at Annie as Jet slid his arm from her waist. "I'm gonna go see if Corey needs help setting up." He took off, and Nic was already at Tucker's truck, loading the boards into the back.

Tucker looked from Annie back to me, purposely dragging out the silence to get under Annie's skin if I knew him at all.

"Tucker!" Annie griped as I swatted his stomach.

"Okay, fine." He laughed, running a hand through the damp strands of his hair, making my pulse speed faster. "I talked with Coach Larson today after practice."

I held my breath as Annie bounced on her heels. "What did he say?"

"Not much. Just that he talked the Ridgeside U Coach into coming to next week's game."

"Oh, my God, Tucker, that's great!" I cried, wrapping my arms around him in a fierce hug.

"See, I told you he'd come around." Annie beamed. "This is exactly what we've been waiting for. You should call up Mateo, run some drills and things to prep this week. And I know Jet will help, too. Oh, my God, this is just too perfect. "

Tucker and I exchanged a wide-eyed look as Annie gushed. She wasn't wrong. Ridgeside U was exactly the school we'd been waiting on since Jet had gotten his football scholarship. It was our only shot at the four of us staying together, even if I ended up at Baste Academy since it wasn't too far away. But Tucker's grades had taken a small dip this year after the accident, and while he'd brought them back up, the Ridgeside coach was more concerned about why they had slipped. Tucker had distractions, and he didn't want players that weren't completely dedicated to the sport.

If only he knew everything Tucker had put into basketball over the years. Even if we hadn't lost Zoey, basketball was his life. I wouldn't have let him give it up.

"Do you know what made him change his mind?" Annie asked.

Tucker shrugged. "I've been working my ass off this season, and Coach was pretty damn persistent about advocating for me. I fucking owe him for that."

"I bet your dad is thrilled." I smiled up at him.

"Yeah, he is, but I have to get the scholarship first. Haven't earned it yet." Worry touched his tone, and I squeezed his hand.

"It's not like you don't have other offers, though. We'll make things work if we have to. I may not be going to the same school either if I can pull off a decent number at my audition."

"You'll do amazing. I'm sure of it." He squeezed my hand back, and I scoffed.

"You haven't seen me lately. I need some serious time in the studio if I'm going to get back into shape in time." I just had to wait for the doctor to clear me for more since my ankle was still healing.

"I'm gonna go mingle and give y'all a minute," Annie said before running off for the party.

"Sure you don't want to stay?" Tucker gave me a hopeful look, but I shook my head.

"No. I think I'm going to go before I get blocked in. I need to work on my exercises and the choreography I started. I really am behind with my ankle. I'm so happy for you, though." I tiptoed for a kiss as Tucker leaned down to meet me.

"Love you," he whispered against my lips, and my heart smiled as it ached for him.

"Love you."

TUCKER

"Alright, Dad. Thanks for taking a look at it… No, we'll be here a while… Yeah. Okay. Bye."

I watched Jet slide his phone back into his jeans and passed him a cup of beer as he joined me and the guys around Noah's tailgate.

"So, what's the verdict?" I kept up my part.

Jet sighed, leaning back against the side of the truck before taking a long drink of his beer. He peered down into his cup, frowning before answering. "He's not sure. Said he couldn't pinpoint the cause of the noise, so he had it brought over to the shop. I'll have to go take a look at it tomorrow."

Oh, shit . "I'm sure your dad'll be on it already. I wouldn't worry about it. You'll have your car back in no time. Plus, weren't you going to run some drills with me?"

Jet winced but then nodded. "You're right. I promised. Your game's more important, and I'm sure my dad will have my car running again in no time."

I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the truck beside Jet. We looked around the bonfire as we drank, the crowd now littered with people from all over the Ridge, and I watched several of my friends flirting with the buffet of girls, trying to get lucky. A year ago, that still would have been me.

If any of them had a shot tonight, I'd say it would be Noah. He'd been talking to Trisha for a few weeks now. Wearing her down as he'd put it. Not that Trisha was hard to get, but Noah liked to play the boyfriend game. Make them think they were special and then cut them loose.

Someone had their music blaring further down, and Casey and Dinah were in the thick of the crowd starting to dance. Exactly where Izzy would be if she was here.

Nic was resting against a long piece of driftwood off to the side, frowning and slowly working on a cup of beer as he talked to Mateo, who was eyeing Emma from across the party like a sick puppy. Fuck, did it suck for my friends. Someone in this crowd was a snitch, though, because every time they got together, her dad somehow knew.

She glanced over her cup at him for a moment, their eyes meeting, and then looked away, grinning as she watched Annie tell an animated story with her hands. She was part of the main crowd, people around her laughing and eating up her words while she ate up the attention. But her brow furrowed when she glanced our way.

"Hey, Jet!" A girl I didn't recognize waved as she headed over. I looked at my friend as he waved back.

"Hey!"

Corey and Kyle shot me confused looks, a girl on each of their laps, but I just raised my brow with a slight shake of my head. I had no clue.

The girl came up and wrapped her arms around Jet in a hug, and he gave her a light squeeze before pulling back. "Guys, this is Ruby. The new girl at the shop I've been training. Ruby, the guys."

"Hey. You must be Tucker." Her eyes raked up my body.

"Yeah." I nodded, hiding my surprise.

"Corey."

"Kyle."

The guys held up a hand from their place on the tailgate, and Ruby smiled, looking around at us before focusing on Jet. "I can't believe I ran into you. Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised since this is your neck of the woods. Parties like this aren't usually my scene, but when they canceled the thing tonight, I just wanted to get out. Were you planning on going?"

"My car's out of commission right now, but I'll make it to one soon." Jet took another swig of his beer.

"Make it to what, soon?" Kyle asked.

Jet winced as I shot him a look, and Ruby's eyes widened. "Nothing important. Hey, is Annie here? I'm surprised not to see y'all together."

My eyes narrowed slightly, picking up on something in her tone. "Over there." I motioned with my beer to where Annie was eyeing us from across the crowd. "She and Jet usually end up glued to each other after doing the social thing." I made sure the hint was clear, and Jet gave me a funny look.

Ruby just nodded, her smile never slipping. "Cool. Y'all know where I can grab a beer?"

"It's set up on my tailgate," Corey cut in. "The navy blue truck over there where the line is."

"Gotcha. I'm gonna go grab one. Great meeting y'all." She beamed with a wave before walking off, and I instantly fixed a look on my friend.

Jet paused with his beer halfway to his mouth. "What?"

"That girl's trouble."

He rolled his eyes at my warning. "No, she's not. She's just as obsessed with cars as I am and was excited to see me here. Don't overthink it."

I shook my head, exchanging a glance with the guys behind us. "I'm just saying. Be careful. I don't think Annie even trusts her." I motioned to where our friend was eyeing Ruby as she walked away.

Jet frowned but shrugged my warning off. "Maybe, but I still think you're too paranoid. I'm telling you, Ruby's just a friend that I work with. Annie and I are golden, anyway. Always have been."

Kyle scoffed. "Yeah, no shit. That girl could go anywhere she wants for school, but she's still taking your man card off to your college with her. I mean, fuck, you've never even looked at another girl, have you? At least, Tucker tested the waters before doing all that settling down shit." Bitterness seeped through his tone, and I shot him a warning look, but Corey beat me to it.

"You're just still pissed about Farah cheating on you last year. "

Anger flashed through Kyle's eyes. "Fuck, yeah, I'm still pissed. Watch if I ever settle the fuck down again after that shit. Fucking tramp. Hope that's not what you're wanting, sweetheart." He nibbled at the back of the girl's neck that was in his lap, and she squirmed.

"At least, you're up front about it." She slipped off the tailgate, tugging on his hand for him to follow, and Kyle smirked, hopping down.

"See y'all later."

"Yeah…I'm not that easy." The girl on Corey's lap looked over her shoulder at him, and he shrugged, taking another swallow of his beer.

"I've got time."

We chatted for a while, and it was about the time I saw Noah disappear with Trisha through the mass of cars that I pushed myself off the truck. "Refill." I held up my cup before taking off for the tailgate across the crowd.

The line was down right now, and I refilled my beer, chugging it down to shove back the haunting thoughts that were trying to surface. I'd just filled my cup again when Nic came up.

"Oi, Tucker, save some for everyone else."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want some?" I smirked and downed my cup again before sticking it back under the spout of the keg.

Nic's grin slipped. "No, I'm okay."

I frowned, noting the turn. "What's up?"

"Just not feeling the party vibe tonight."

Well, fuck. We had kind of roped him into it. "Why don't you give Izzy a call? She'd give you a ride."

His brow raised at the idea. "Yeah, I might do that. "

I waited as Nic called, sipping on my next cup of beer, the images and memories I hated flashing through my thoughts even as I fought them. I was always fucking fighting them. Tonight couldn't come soon enough, when I could pull Izzy into my arms and let her embrace chase all the ugly shit away.

"Thanks," I heard Nic say as someone stepped up behind me. I moved to the side so the next person could reach the keg.

"So, is she coming for you?"

"Yeah. She said to give her a few minutes. It sounded like she'd been working out."

I nodded. "Probably in her studio."

"So, Izzy's going to be at the party after all."

I made a strange noise at that voice, somewhere between a groan and a growl as my stomach knotted. When the fuck did that jackass get here?

"She's just giving me a ride home," Nic replied.

"So, she's traded up, then. Decided she'd rather be with an older guy than a pathetic friend who screwed her up, huh?" Zane's smooth voice mocked.

"Fuck off. It's just a ride home," I grated through my teeth.

"Just a ride, huh? I'd like to give her something to ride."

I glared as Zane smirked up at me, my free hand clenching into a fist at my side. What I'd give to beat the shit out of this guy, but I'd fucking learned my lesson. The hard way. I have to keep my cool.

But even as I thought it, the wild array of images I'd been shoving back flashed through my head: Izzy lying broken at the bottom of the stands, the overwhelming look of terror and surprise covering her face as she fell, the blood from the gash in her head smeared across my hands. Zoey hurt and unreachable, dying inside of her, her lifeless, tiny form resting in the palm of my hand. The way Izzy had thrashed and screamed, her very spirit broken when she'd learned we'd lost her.

My grip relaxed, but my stomach grew tighter, nauseous now.

"Keep dreaming. You'll never get her," I managed to retort with a coolness I hadn't used with the guy since before he'd started dating Izzy.

Zane filled his cup and took a drink before he smirked. "Oh, I will. And don't forget I had her first."

I took another long swallow, using every ounce of restraint I could muster and keeping my eyes on Nic who was glancing between us, wary. He should be. I was way too close to turning around and beating the guy to a writhing pulp on the ground, making him beg for mercy. Which I was pretty sure I wouldn't grant. Someone would have to drag me off him to get me to stop.

Zane either didn't get the hint or didn't care.

"Well, awesome chat," he said after polishing off his beer, but he paused before walking off. "I guess it's fair to warn you. I'm not giving up. I won't be just dreaming forever. Izzy will be mine one day."

"No, she won't." I didn't know how the fuck I sounded so controlled.

Zane shook his head and grinned, the smile antagonistic yet masked with confident, friendly features, the disguise only working on those he hadn't yet screwed over with the manipulative side of his charm.

"You know what, man? Go ahead and think that. It'll only make it easier for me. But I look at it this way. You and Annie hated me from the beginning. Neither of you thought I'd get as far with her as I did, but she wasn't far off from letting me take her, man. I promise you that. And I might not have gotten any from her back then, but look at the fucking irony now."

"Your point, Zane?" My fist clenched again at my side.

"My point is that the situation's now reversed. You're not getting any from her anymore. Haven't been for a while, from what I've heard. Man, I can't wait to be inside her. I bet she's wild in the sack."

Red flashed across my vision, and before I could even process, my leg swung out and clipped Zane behind the knees, dropping him to the ground. I gripped his hair, yanking his head back, and swung, my knuckles screaming in protest when they made contact with his face.

I smiled, sick and sadistic as satisfaction swam through me, and I pulled back to strike again, but Zane lunged for my legs, knocking me to the ground.

He got in one swift jab to my stomach, the breath whooshing out from my lungs, but that didn't matter. I didn't need to breathe, fury fueling every muscle in my body.

I shoved him back, pinning him to the ground with my knees as I crushed his body with my weight, and slammed my fist into his face again, striking two more times before several pairs of arms reached in, dragging us apart.

"Let me go," I roared, struggling to break free, my arms pinned at my sides as someone gripped my torso.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Nic grunted in my ear.

"Yes, let him go," Zane sneered, blood dripping from his nose. "I've been waiting for the chance to kick his ass. "

"Looks like he was doing that to you, jackass." Mateo barked a laugh as he and Jet pulled Zane back. "But y'all need to break this shit up."

"Unless y'all want the cops to show up when there's a party full of underage drinkers around. I'm sure everyone here will love you for that." Jet glared.

Zane smirked. "Let them come. It'd be worth it to show Pierce and everyone here he's the loser I know he is."

My jaw hardened, my eyes narrowing. "It'd be more than worth it," I growled.

"Don't be an idiot." Jet shot me a look. "You want Izzy pissed at you for eternity? Cuz that's what he's trying to do. And those scholarships if we get caught out here? Kiss them goodbye. That Ridgeside U coach won't even bother to show up."

I glared at the controlled blue eyes that were steadily driving the madness from my mind, forcing me to recognize the reality of the situation. Fuck Jet for always keeping his cool.

"Fine," I grated.

"Oh, come on, Tucker. You know you're dying to take another swing at me," Zane taunted.

"Get him the fuck out of here already," Corey barked.

"On it." Jet gave Zane a shove, steering him out of the crowd to where the sleek, black Mustang was parked in the packed sand.

"Guess you didn't get enough of this the last time, huh, asshole?" Mateo smirked, keeping his grip on Zane's shoulder. It wasn't until they were further out that Nic released his hold, and I gripped the side of the nearest truck to keep from running after them, everything in me seething .

"What the hell is your problem?!"

Damn it. Not now, Annie. My teeth ground together, biting back a retort, but when I glanced over my shoulder, I realized that somehow I wasn't the target of her anger.

"What do you mean what the hell is my problem?" Nic glared, stepping back as Annie raged towards him.

"Don't fucking act like you don't know. Why didn't you stop him?!" she yelled, throwing an arm out to point at me.

"I did!" Nic yelled back, standing his ground. "I pulled him off! Or are you blind as well as bitchy?!"

The green of Annie's eyes scorched with disdain, and she clasped her hands together like she had to to keep from smacking him.

"No, I'm not blind," she hissed, somehow sounding scarier than before, more of the crowd gathering to watch the next of the night's drama. "But don't fucking act like you did any real favors here. You could have stopped things before they got that far. I already warned you that Zane was an ass. That he was trouble. But you didn't do a damn thing to stop it until they were fighting."

"How was I supposed to know Tucker was going to snap?" Nic hissed back. "I wasn't going to break up their conversation. The bloke was giving him fair warning. Everyone deserves a fair warning," he finished, his eyes hardening into stone.

Annie gripped the sides of her head in frustration, her fingertips pressing hard into her scalp. "Argh! You are so damn ignorant! Zane doesn't fucking play fair! He's just screwing with Tucker to hurt Izzy, and he's hurt her more than enough already! Or did you not get that from the last time I told you?! That jackass doesn't need any more help from you!"

Nic's gaze narrowed, and his arms came up in defeat. "You're right! I am ignorant! But only because no one will fill me in!"

Annie glowered so harsh then that Nic would be dead if looks could kill. I looked around for Jet, worried, and spotted him just now coming back after kicking out Zane. His eyes shot to Annie as she yelled.

"Don't you dare fucking turn this back on us. What do you expect us to do? Reveal all our dirty laundry to a jackass we just met? You might be family, but that doesn't fucking mean anything. You haven't earned our trust. And sure as hell not mine."

"Annie!" Jet barked, and she jumped as his hand found hers, pulling her back.

A horn sounded in the distance, and Nic looked away, breaking the hold of their mutual glares.

"Your sister's here. Thank God." He walked off, leaving Annie fuming in Jet's arms.