Unraveling (Second Chances) - By Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,124

he said, “It’s destiny, Katy. It always has been.”

~***~

The sun had long ago set, the beach now bathed in darkness, the only light came from the little sliver of moon.

Jared came up behind me, kissing my neck, and I instantly relaxed into his embrace.

His lips traveled upwards. Brushing my chin, my cheek, and my ear.

A knock on the door startled us apart.

“Damn,” Jared cursed. “Is this going to happen the whole time we’re here?”

“Probably,” I laughed.

He opened the door and Holden was standing there. “I wanna go to the pool,” was his greeting.

“Dude, it’s like eleven o’ clock, it’s closed,” Jared rubbed the back of his head. “Go to bed like a normal person.”

“Fine, I’ll go by myself,” Holden strutted down the hallway.

“Fuck!” Jared groaned. He looked at me with pleading eyes. “I have to go with him to make sure he doesn’t do something even more stupid.”

“It’s fine, I’ll come with you,” I said, pulling a sweater on, and jeans over my pajama shorts. The nights were cool here, especially with the wind blowing off the water.

Jared reached for my hand, and we jogged down the hall, after Holden. He must have already gotten in the elevator, because he was nowhere in sight.

Jared impatiently pressed the round button.

“What’s going on with Holden? You look worried, and I don’t just mean worried about him sneaking into the closed swimming pool,” I squeezed his hand.

“I don’t really know. He hasn’t been the same for a while. I wonder if it has anything to do with his dad,” Jared muttered the last part under his breath. “I don’t know why Holden goes and visits that bastard.”

“When did you and Holden meet?” I asked, as we slipped into the elevator.

“In foster care,” he sighed. “We clicked right off the bat, both having been through similar things. We kept in touch, even after Karlie and I were adopted. Dan and Patsy sort of took him under their wing, too.”

“Was he ever adopted?” I asked, quietly.

“No,” Jared said, sadly. “He stayed at the foster home until he could legally leave. He had some money saved from odd jobs, and we moved in together, splitting the rent. Dan put him to work at the gym and the rest is just history.”

The elevator doors opened and Jared pulled me down the hallway. He stopped in front of a door, sliding our room key into it.

The green light flashed and he pushed the door open.

The pool was nothing special. It was large and rectangular shaped with white tiles.

The white lounge chairs had definitely seen better days, and needed a good scrubbing.

Holden floated in the middle of the pool, looking up at the stars. He was still fully clothed.

“Shit,” Jared cursed. “Holden, get your ass out of there. You’re going to get us kicked out.”

“Leave me alone,” Holden said, not even looking at us.

“Don’t make me get in there and drag you out,” Jared warned.

“I’d like to see you try,” Holden quipped.

“Motherfucker,” Jared cursed under his breath.

He yanked his boots off and tossed his shirt on a lounge chair.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he unbuckled his belt and shucked his pants. “I’m going to kill you for this.”

Holden chuckled in reply.

“Last chance,” Jared said, “to get out.”

“Not happening,” Holden waved his arms and legs like he was making snow angels on the water.

Jared looked at me before diving in the water.

I stood at the edge, watching Jared swim to Holden.

I must have stepped too close to the edge, because I suddenly lost my footing, slipping in.

A scream escaped my lips as I fell, an involuntary reaction.

“Katy!” I heard Jared gasp.

I swam for the surface, cheeks flaming at my clumsiness.

“Are you okay?” Jared asked, swimming towards me.

“I’m fine,” I pushed my hair out of my eyes. “I fell in.”

Jared chuckled. “Yeah, I saw that,” he kissed my nose.

Holden hooted in the background. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen!”

“I’m gonna kill him,” Jared growled.

“Leave him alone,” I clung to his shoulders. “What’s the worst they can do? Ask us to leave? We’re all already wet, let’s just enjoy a midnight swim.”

“Finally! A voice of reason!” Holden cried.

“When did you get so daring?” Jared smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“I guess when I started dating a guy that gets beat up for a living,” I grinned.

Jared threw his head back, a deep rumble of laughter escaping his chest. “I prefer to think that I do most of the beating.”

I shrugged, rubbing my finger over a faded purple bruise on