3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

ANNIE

My toes sank into the semi-warm sand on the nearly deserted beach. The waves were a greenish-gray, thrashing lightly in anticipation of the weather the clouds promised above. Their troubled dance seemed to match my steps as I ran. I wasn’t even sweating. My body was used to the exercise, and the sun was blocked, making the day somewhat cool. Though, on a day like today, it would only grow more humid and muggy after the rain had passed. I ran faster, pushing my body to drown out my thoughts.

I’d thrashed awake early this morning, tumbling out of bed thanks to that freaking nightmare I couldn’t ever shake, and after confirming Izzy had never come home, I slipped out of the house before Mom or Uncle Blake could ask questions. Not wanting to fill them in about me and my issues or find out if they’d be pissed about Izzy leaving.

I was glad she and Mom had shared a good moment last night, but Mom was still resistant to accepting that Izzy and I were adults, and we weren’t going to start catering to her every whim, request, and expectation just because she came home and wanted things to be like they were before.

“It’s just not gonna happen,” I muttered, coming to a stop as I reached the building behind Riptide Surf, the small lifeguard station painted in bright red and white where I went every week for my schedule.

I couldn’t wait until they digitized it. The paper thing was bullshit.

I bent over, resting my hands on my knees as I leaned from side to side, taking long, slow breaths to ease my lungs and heart rate to a normal speed after my much needed run. I shook out my arms and legs and ducked inside.

“Annie, I was just about to call you,” a thick, husky voice said from behind the desk at the back of the room.

I blinked a few times to adjust to the dimmer lighting without the normal added sunlight. “Hey, Brett,” I greeted the wiry built late twenty something guy I had the… fortune of calling my boss. Taking a couple of steps to the desk, I leaned a hand against it as I pulled my ankle up behind my thigh for a deeper stretch. “What do you need?”

Brett leaned forward in his chair and linked his fingers on top of the desk. “I just wanted to let you know you don’t have to worry about working this afternoon. There’s hardly anyone out today, so I think we can get away with who we’ve got on shift now. You’ve also got a new schedule for next weekend.”

“Oh, okay.” I switched ankles, enjoying the pull of my muscles before going to check the chart. “Why the change? ”

“We have a couple of new hires for the summer. I’m starting their training schedule next weekend so they’re ready for June. Hard to believe it’s already close to mid-May, huh?”

“Uh-yeah.” I dropped my foot. “Are the new hours posted?”

He pointed to the wall behind me, and I grabbed the clipboard from the huge rusty nail, pulling out my phone to snap some pictures of the schedule when one of the new names caught my attention.

He didn’t. Tell me he fucking didn’t just hire the biggest asshole in town. I looked back at Brett as I held up the clipboard. “You hired a guy named Zane.”

“Yeah?”

“Zane. As in Zane Hernandez.”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“The eighteen-year-old douchebag about to graduate high school with me?” My voice rose, my brow lifting as my anger built, rising in my gut.

Brett leaned forward, pressing a hand to the desk with a warning look. “Considering I don’t set out to hire any douchebags , I don’t know, but I do know you need to watch that attitude.” He took a deep breath. “And yes, everything else makes it sound like the same guy. Is that a problem?”

My jaw jutted, my head shaking, trying to dial back my anger before I went off on my genius boss and got myself fired. I took a few strained, deep breaths.

“Well, if it is him, I won’t work with him. Tucker won’t either, I can tell you that now. Maybe not even Emma. He’s an absolute asshole that literally assaulted my sister, and I refuse to be stuck on a shift with him. ”

Brett’s expression shifted, and he leaned back to sit upright in his chair. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know y’all had past issues, but I can’t deny someone a job just because y’all don’t like each other. What I can do is try not to put you on the same shift too often. But it might cut back on some of your hours.”

“Great.” Just fucking great. What the fuck did Zane want with a lifeguard job, anyway?

I slammed the schedule back on the wall, earning a stern look from Brett, and I stuck my hands on my hips, trying to force a deep breath.

“Annie?”

I held up a finger. I needed a minute, counting to thirty because I didn’t think ten would work. “I’m sorry.” I shook my head when I felt calm enough. “He’s a trigger point for me. And definitely for Tucker.”

“I get it, and I swear, I’ll watch how I do the schedule. Maybe give him a few of the crappier shifts.” Brett gave me a wink, and I managed a grin.

“Thanks.” I picked up a book lying on the shelf under the window, a man with dark, dripping hair leering through a rain-spattered window on the cover. The title was done in a deep, blood red, the letters dripping over the image. Mine . I pressed my lips together, considering it for my next read.

“It’s an awesome read if you want to borrow it,” Brett offered. “Totally worth the recommendation.”

“Who recommended it?”

Brett hesitated. “Zane.”

I dropped the book like it burned my hand and took off out the door. Count that as one book I’d never read .

Sprinting over as the rain started, I threw open the glass door to Riptide to find Jet hunched over the counter with some invoices. I just watched for a minute, loving the crease in his brow when he was trying to concentrate but knowing he hated the paperwork.

“Need a break?” I stepped up to the counter, resting my arms on the polished wood. “You get off soon, right?”

Jet looked up, and a smile split his face until he glanced over me, then his expression shifted into a concerned frown. “Yeah, at one. You okay? You’ve been running.”

“Yeah. Started the day with the stupid dream again and just needed to get it out of my head.”

“I’m sorry.” Jet placed a hand over mine. “I hate that you’re alone for those. I feel like such a crap boyfriend knowing you get them, especially when I’m at home and Tucker’s practically moved in there with Izzy for the same reason.”

“Not the same reason. Theirs is much worse. But yeah, not gonna lie that I’m jealous they get to share a bed.” I gave him a wistful smile. “I miss sneaking in through your window to join you in yours.” Fucking Nic.

“Me, too.” Jet squeezed my hand. “But Nic’s going home after graduation. At least for a month or two before he comes back for school.”

“Before he what?”

Jet winced. “Yeah, forgot you didn’t know that yet. Nic told Tucker after the party last night that he plans to stay and go back to school.”

My hands clenched and my breaths grew tight as a string of curses ran through my head. Another jackass I can’t get rid of .

Shit. I hadn’t told Jet about Zane .

I’d just opened my mouth to tell him the crappy news when the bell above the door rang and a group of people ran inside, arms and bags thrown over their heads to avoid what was now a downpour.

“Oh, my God, that was crazy. I told y’all it didn’t look like the weather would clear up.”

“Ruby?” Jet asked, peering past me to the girl in a deep blue bikini that barely covered her tits. She beamed at my boyfriend and lowered her bag, the large, red beach tote now covering part of her washboard stomach.

“Hey, Jet. Sorry for ducking in like drowned rats. I remembered you said you worked here, and we needed to get out of the rain. Looks like you were right.”

“Wish I wasn’t.” Jet gave her a sympathetic look and then glanced at me as my insides flared. They’d talked ? Not only that, but he told her where he works ? I tried to calm myself, seeing Jet’s uncertainty, but he freaking knew I didn’t like this girl. I didn’t trust her.

But I do trust Jet.

I also don’t have to fucking be civil.

I eyed her, making sure everything in my expression conveyed my warning.

Jet ran his thumb in gentle circles on the back of my hand, his way of calming me, but I was far from being tamed.

“Get the towels out, babe.” The guy that was with her spoke to the other girl, and she dug in her beach bag to pass them out.

“I’m so sorry. We’re dripping all over your floor. I’m Shelby, by the way, and that’s Gio.” She nodded at her boyfriend and then dragged the towel over her stomach before scrunching it through her hair. “You’re the guy that works at the shop with Ruby? Jet, right? She talks about you all the time. Always bets on you down at the races.”

“Shelby.” Ruby shot her a harsh look, and the girl shrugged.

“What? You do. Anyway, nice to meet you, Jet. And…”

“Annie,” I said. “Jet’s girlfriend.”

“Oh.” Shelby glanced at Ruby again, a weird silent look passing between them. “Nice to meet you,” she finally replied and then turned to Jet who was eyeing their exchange. “Do y’all have a bathroom we could use to go change back into regular clothes?”

He pointed to the back corner. “Right over there.”

“You coming, Ruby?” Shelby called over her shoulder, she and Gio already heading down one of the aisles.

“You go first,” she called back.

I was busy fuming, heat rising through me to sit like an electric prickle on my nerves as I watched Ruby dry off. Or whatever the fuck she was doing. She barely dabbed herself with that damn towel, leaving drops of water trailing down her body as she focused on her hair, making a show of tossing it over to press the towel to the dripping strands.

I glanced at Jet, my look asking him if he was seeing this. Catching on to any of it…

He just raised his brow, looking at me like I was the crazy one. Or maybe not crazy, but that he didn’t care . Which should be a good thing, I guessed, if her blatant display wasn’t even a blip on his radar, but it didn’t mean I had to like watching her try to perform for my boyfriend.

“Hey, man! This door’s locked!” Gio called from the back .

“Ah, no! It just sticks like crazy! Hang on!” Jet walked off, leaving me to glare at Ruby and the smug little look on her face.

I raised an eyebrow and looked down my nose as I used my most condescending voice. “All you need is some heels and a pole and you could put on a show.”

Ruby’s smirk dropped, and her eyes narrowed dangerously, but I honestly didn’t give a fuck. She had no clue who she was playing with.

“Grab a swimsuit and we’ll see who looks hotter on a pole. Who Jet would look at first.”

I snorted. “Please, I don’t have to dress like a slut to know I’m hot.”

“Yeah.” Ruby looked down her nose this time. “You’re right. I see all the dried sweat and sand caked on your skin and clothes. I’m sure Jet loves the look.”

I rolled my eyes. “He lives covered in grease half the time. Trust me, he doesn’t care about a little sweat. We know how to make plenty, anyway.” My fingers tapped at the bite marks on my neck Jet had left on me last night in the limo, and I gave her a smirk.

Her eyes narrowed back into a jealous glare, but she quickly shifted back into a bright smile when Jet came around the corner.

“Hey.” He slowed as he walked up, his eyes going from me to Ruby as he read the vibe, hatred bouncing between us.

“Your turn, girl.” Shelby came out wearing tiny shorts and a halter top with sandals and grabbed a few umbrellas from a shelf, placing them on the counter. “We’ll take these. ”

Jet rang her up as Ruby disappeared to change, and Shelby kept giving me not-so-discreet glances over the register. Maybe I couldn’t blame her. My bitch face was well on display at the moment, and as soon as the three of them finally left, I turned and glared at Jet.

“So much for seeing her less.”

“I didn’t tell her to come here, Annie.”

“You still told her where you work.”

“Which I mentioned before I knew you didn’t like her. Do we have to fight about this again?”

“About you telling Ruby shit she doesn’t need to know?”

“No. About Ruby in general. I don’t care about her that way. My eyes are only for you.”

I felt my anger start to dissipate as those blue eyes looked into mine, like he could see down into my soul. Just like I could read his. He meant it. I knew he did. It just didn’t make the jealousy any easier with my stress eating at me with everything going on. That and knowing how hard she was trying to get her claws in him…

I sighed, some of the tension dropping from my shoulders. “I know they are, babe. I just don’t like that you won’t shut her down. She still thinks there’s a chance.”

“Even if she thinks she does, you and I know she doesn’t. She’s just a friend. And someone I’d like to stay on good terms with since I do still have to work with her.”

Inwardly, I scowled, hating that he had a point, and before I could comment, he looked down as a text buzzed through. “Hey, have you checked in with Emma today?”

“No?” I frowned at the sudden topic change. “Why?”

“I missed a call from her earlier and wondered if she called you, too. She just texted me back. Mateo’s in jail.”

“What?! Why? ”

“Drugs at the party. David’s in, too, apparently. I don’t know who else is.”

“You’re kidding! Oh, my God, tell me you’re kidding.” I slapped a hand on the counter for effect. Why didn’t Emma call me?

“I wish I was.”

I leaned against my elbows to rest my head into my hands, trying to process. “Holy crap, babe, is anyone we know not having problems?”

Jet ran a hand along one of my arms. “Doesn’t seem like it. Have you heard from Izzy yet?”

I shook my head against my hands. “No, I texted her and Tucker, but they haven’t gotten back to me yet. She didn’t even come home last night. Do you think that’s a bad sign?” I looked up.

“Not really. I think she and Tucker are just sticking to themselves right now. They have a lot to work through.”

Closing my eyes, I released a long, heavy breath through my nose. “Do you think they’re going to really work through it…finally?” Hope and doubt mixed inside me.

“I have a good feeling about it. I doubt they would have stayed out all night if something crucial wasn’t happening.”

“You think?”

Before he could answer, our phones lit up in a group text.

Izzy: Tucker and I have news. And a surprise…