How the f**k had this kid made it to high school? “They speak English, you dipshit,” I said, slapping him on the back of the head. “I’m exhausted. You woke me up. Now, go the f**k to sleep.”
He nodded and slumped as if I had just ended his world. I ignored the pouting and followed him up the stairs. This wasn’t a first for us. Will ran away to my place whenever I was nearby. His mother liked to visit Rosemary Beach in the summers, so it happened most often then.
“You ever been to Ireland?” he asked, as he reached the door to the room he would be crashing in for the night.
“Yep. Gorgeous country. Now, go to sleep,” I replied, then headed back up to bed.
He was going home tomorrow, but I’d have to call Grant to come get him. As soon as I got to my aunt’s and he started fighting with her, I would cave and bring him back here with me.
Grant would be able to take him home. He had done it for me more than once.
CHAPTER NINE
My bedroom door slammed, and I sat up in bed, rubbing my face and trying to block out the sunlight.
“He’s back home,” Grant announced.
“Thanks,” I muttered. I had texted Grant last night about Will’s appearance and asked if he’d take Will home before he went to work that morning.
“Little shit is a handful. He tried to take Blaire home with him.” Grant chuckled.
At the sound of her name, I dropped my hand and looked at him. “She still here?” I asked.
Grant nodded his head toward the windows. “Out there. In a f**king bikini. I may stay here all day instead of going to work, if you don’t mind. Besides, you owe me one for taking Will home and dealing with the evil witch.”
I grabbed my discarded sweats and yanked them on quickly before walking over to the window.
Miles and miles of empty beach stretched just beyond my front yard. Blaire was lying out there with her eyes closed and her face tilted toward the sunshine. Yeah . . . Grant’s ass was going to work. He wasn’t staying here to sit around and stare at her all day.
“She’s gonna burn,” Grant said in a hushed whisper, and I tore my gaze off Blaire to see him staring down at her just as reverently as I was. Fuck that.
“Don’t look,” I snapped, and moved back from the window.
Grant let out a laugh. “What the hell does that mean, ‘Don’t look’?”
It meant not to f**king look. “I don’t . . . just . . . you remember who she is. She’ll hate us, and she’ll leave soon. So don’t.” I wasn’t sure what I was saying. I just wanted him to stop looking at her. She was barely covered up, and all her smooth skin was right there for anyone to see. I didn’t want anyone to see it.
“She won’t hate us, just you. And Nan. And her father. But I didn’t do shit,” Grant said.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. He was doing this on purpose. He wanted to see if I reacted to her. He was trying to piss me off. “Don’t you have work to do?” I asked calmly.
Grant glanced back at the window and shrugged. “Dude, I work for my dad. I’m the boss. I can take off when an emergency comes up. Besides, aren’t we celebrating Nan’s birthday tonight?”
He was baiting me. Reminding myself of that, I walked over to the closet and found a pair of board shorts. I was going out there. She might not be wearing sunblock, and she needed it. Her skin would burn. I would hate for her to burn her skin.
“You going for a swim?” Grant asked teasingly.
I didn’t look back at him. “Go to work, Grant. Nan’s party is tonight,” I replied, and slammed the bathroom door behind me. I had forgotten that I was giving Nan a party for her birthday tonight. Blaire was making me forget everything.
“You’re playing with fire, man. Like massive flames that will eat you up! Should’ve let me have her. This ain’t gonna be pretty,” he called out loudly enough that I could hear him through the door.
“You don’t know what the f**k you’re talking about. No one gets her. She’ll be leaving soon,” I yelled back.
Grant’s laugh faded away as he left my room. He was right. This was fire, and I couldn’t seem to get away from it. I kept moving closer, knowing it was going to consume me if I wasn’t careful.
I didn’t think about what I was doing. I just changed and headed outside to check on her. “Please tell me you have sunblock on,” I said as I sank down onto the sand beside her.
She covered her eyes from the sun before opening them and looking over at me. She didn’t respond. Had I woken her up?