I answered anyway. “No, I’m free.”
“Please get back in the car, Katy,” he begged, pulling on the belt loop of my shorts.
“Let me have my fun,” I pouted.
I felt him let go of shorts and sigh. “Just don’t get yourself killed.”
Pretty soon, the wind got to me and I slid back into the car, but I kept my window down.
Jared reached up and turned off the AC, putting his window down.
My hair swirled around my shoulders and I pulled it back, into a messy bun, tying it with a ponytail holder I had on my wrist.
“You’re beautiful,” Jared said, suddenly.
I blushed at his words. “Thank you,” I mumbled.
He chuckled. “You are, inside and out, kitten. You shine like the brightest star in the sky.”
I laughed at his words. “That’s so cheesy, Jared.”
His eyes remained steady on the road. “Yeah, it did come out pretty cheesy. It sounded more romantic in my head.”
I leaned over and kissed his stubbled cheek. “It may have been cheesy, but it was sweet, too.”
“Thanks, my wounded ego feels so much better now,” he flicked his brown eyed gaze to me, a grin spreading across his face.
“Who’s going to be at the beach with us?” I asked.
I knew Holden, Piper, and Rollo were coming. We were all staying at the same hotel together, but I also knew, friends of Jared’s I had never met before would be there too.
Apparently, there was a big bonfire party on the beach Memorial Day. Jared, Holden, and their friends went every year.
“Jason, a guy I went to high school with, will be there with his fiancé, Eva. Jayden, he goes by Jay, will be there. He used to fight MMA with Holden and me. I don’t know if anyone else is coming or not.” He scratched his head. “Kane and his girlfriend Lacey might come, but I doubt it. She’s about to have a baby.”
“So, not many?” I asked, nibbling on my lip. I was just starting to come out of my shell, thanks to Jared, but I was in no way ready to be introduced to a big bunch of his friends. Three or four, I could handle, more than that… and I might just chew my lip off in nervousness.
“No, not at all. The beach is usually crowded with other kids, but our group won’t be that big,” he gave me a reassuring smile.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
I could do this.
I could spend the holiday weekend with Jared’s friends and act like a normal human being.
“You’ll be fine, Katy,” Jared said, reassuringly.
I swear, that man could read my mind sometimes.
“Stop worrying,” he continued. “I know you think they won’t like you, or something silly like that, but that’s not true. They’ll love you.”
“I’ll be fine. I can do this,” I nodded my head.
He chuckled. “I never had any doubts, kitten.”
~***~
We checked into the hotel and went up to our room. It was surprisingly nice; the walls were a pale blue-green with white furniture and bed coverings. It wasn’t over-done, the sole focus being the solid wall of windows overlooking the beach below.
A volleyball game was being set up and many people sunbathed. It was so peaceful that I instantly found myself relaxing.
Jared came up behind me, rubbing my shoulder blades.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he kissed the back of my neck.
“Incredible,” I said. “I can’t wait to dig my toes into the sand.”
“What are we waiting for then?” Jared asked, lightly pinching my side.
I changed into my bikini in the bathroom, while Jared changed in the bedroom.
Before my rape, I had worn bikinis to the pool and beach, but since then, I’d avoided both of those places like the plague.
Piper had helped me pick it out. It was pretty, but sexier than something I would pick out.
The top covered the necessities, dipping into a V at the front, and tying at my neck. The bottoms didn’t cover up much either, the front and back connected by two wide strings. Both the top and bottoms had pale orange, gray, and white stripes. I looked at myself in the mirror, startled by the amount of skin, and was thankful I had talked Piper into letting me buy the sheer white cover-up; it would at least make me feel a little better.
I let my hair down from the messy bun, brushing through it, before pulling it back again.
“What’s taking so long in there?” Jared asked.
“Sorry, just give me a second,” I said, pulling on the cover-up.
I opened