Alarick as the two of them sit on a large blanket on the sand.
“Fuck, me too,” he murmurs. “I’m done with ink and bad business. Be nice to relax.”
“You couldn’t live without the club,” Cohen grunts. “Let’s be honest.”
“Yeah.” Alarick chuckles. “True.”
“Well, you’re all welcome to come here whenever you want to get away,” I say. “I’m going to grab another round of cocktails, do you want any?”
The girls all give me a yes, the guys have beers in the coolers. I stand, walking back up to the cabin. It’s only halfway up that I realize Bohdi is following me. I turn and glance at him, the alcohol slowly effecting my head. I don’t drink a great deal, because of the situation I was in, so it hits me a lot harder than everyone else. I take it slow and steady. I don’t want to make a fool out of myself.
“You’re following me,” I say, my voice soft.
“Thought you might need a hand.”
Right.
We make it to the cabin, and the lights burn my eyes when I walk in. It’s getting dark and peaceful on the beach. I grab a bunch of glasses and make some cocktails—Bohdi leans on the counter and just stares at me. His expression is so intense, it makes me slightly uncomfortable.
“It seems like you want to say something,” I say, stirring the fruity drinks.
“You ever surf?”
I look up at him, narrowing my eyes. “No, why?”
“You want to learn?”
Do I want to learn? Hell yes I do. I have a list of all the things I want to do, the things I never got the chance to do, and surfing is one of them. I love the ocean, and I’d love to spend as much time out on the water as I can. That includes sailing, but one thing at a time.
“Yeah, I do,” I tell him, placing the glasses on a tray.
“I’ll teach you. I haven’t been in the water for years. I’d like to get back into it. If you’re interested, I’ll come down a few times a week and teach you.”
“I don’t have anything,” I say. “I don’t even have a wetsuit.
He stares intensely at me, like he wants to say something other than what comes out of his mouth. “You get the wetsuit, I’ll bring everything else.”
God. Is this a bad idea? Probably, but he has spent time in the water, and I know, once, he was great at surfing. He can teach me, but the idea of being that close to him is scary. Still, my life now is about taking calculated risks that bring me happiness.
“Okay,” I agree, lifting the tray.
He follows me out, opening the door for me. We walk back down to the beach, and I hand out the drinks.
“We should go night swimming!” Briella says, standing up.
“Is that safe?” Waverly asks, frowning.
“Just in the shallows.”
“There ain’t a lot of sharks around here, should be fairly safe. We used to do it all the time when we were younger,” Bohdi adds.
“Perfect, let’s do it. You in, Merleigh?” Briella asks, lifting her shirt over her head until she’s down to her bra and panties.
“Fuck me, I’m in,” Alarick growls, standing and pulling his shirt off, tossing it to the ground.
“Fuck it, let’s go.”
Mykel stands, doing the same, and Waverly follows suit. I stare at Aviana, who grins and stands, stripping down to her bra and panties too. I stare at them, uncomfortable. I’ve never gotten down to anything less than a shorts and shirt in front of anyone willingly before, but ... maybe it’s time to change that.
I hesitate, fingers on the hem of my shirt, and then I carefully pull it over my head. I take my shorts and shuffle out of them, putting my arms around my belly to try and shield myself. I’m tiny, and I’m sure I have a nice figure in other people’s eyes, it’s not why I’m shy. It’s because I’ve never, ever exposed myself before. Never. Not once.
The only time my body has been seen, is by force.
I glance at Bohdi, who has his shirt off. He is looking at me with an expression that makes my cheeks heat. His eyes slowly scan over my body and, in typical Bohdi style, he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to, though. The look he gives me tells me enough. I turn and rush off before he can see how he’s making me feel. I run to the water and put my feet in the