Until Alex - J. Nathan Page 0,34

bitter contrast to the warm flush settling over my skin.

He swept out his arm dramatically. “So to your left, we have the exquisite ocean. Fierce and majestic.”

I snickered. “Fierce and majestic?”

His goofy smile spread wide. “Absolutely. Don’t you know how vast the ocean is? How far it extends? How deep it is?”

I shook my head.

“Well, it’s very vast, extends very far, and is very deep.”

I laughed. So did he. It was nice. He was nice. There was no wondering what he was thinking. No long silences. No questions deflected. He was just nice.

“And over there if you really look…” He pointed up the coast to a speck of light in the distance. “You can see the Seabring Lighthouse.”

Beads of sweat clung to my hairline. “I think I see it.”

Cameron swallowed deeply. “Maybe we could get a closer look sometime? My family docks their boat nearby.”

I hesitated, unsure if he’d asked me on a date or was just being kind to the new girl. “That sounds nice.”

He grinned as we strolled further and further away from the crowd.

“So, have you and Taylor been friends for a while?”

“Yeah, since we were kids.”

I nodded, but my head felt heavy. And stiff. Like I needed to work to nod. What was going on with me? I glanced to Cameron. Could he sense it? His heady gaze told me no.

I looked away, finishing off my beer. I hoped to God it moistened my cotton mouth and he didn’t try to kiss me.

He let the moment pass, tugging me further down the beach. The sounds of the bonfire faded to a distant memory and the crashing waves became the soundtrack. “So, how do you like SSC?”

It was a loaded question on so many levels. One I really needed to consider. But a bout of exhaustion took hold of my body. My knees wobbled and if I didn’t stop walking, I had a feeling they’d buckle.

“It’s good.” My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth like I’d been snacking on chalk.

“You’re from Austin, right?”

I nodded, unable to formulate the words I wanted to say.

That was the last thing I remembered before my head spun and everything turned black.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

HAYDEN

I pulled into the parking lot a little after one, hating the fact that I turned down Sydney. She’d been throwing herself at me all night at Baxter’s. I just wasn’t feeling it. I guess I hadn’t been feeling the liquor either. Because hopping out of my truck, I found myself unusually sober.

I crossed the quiet lot. The small light over the back door of the building cast a faint glow over the property. I glanced to the picnic table where everything seemed to get more complicated. And maybe because I couldn’t shake the image of Alex in that black bikini, I checked out the pool.

My feet stopped.

Squinting across the property, I could’ve sworn someone occupied one of the lounge chairs.

Curiosity pulled me to the surrounding fence. I spotted the silhouette of a person. A small person curled into a ball. Wavy dark hair peeked from the hood of her black sweatshirt.

What was she doing?

I moved through the gate and dropped to my knees at the side of the chair. I waited a moment, taking in Alex’s flawless skin. She looked so peaceful. I almost didn’t want to disturb her. But it was late and getting cooler.

“Alex,” I whispered, gently shaking her tiny arm. Had she been too exhausted to drag herself inside? Or, had she forgotten her key again and locked herself out? I’d seen Katherine leave earlier with a suitcase.

“Alex.” I shook her arm a little harder. “Wake up.”

She didn’t stir. Not even a little.

No one slept that soundly.

“Mom. Wake up.”

I blinked back the vision, burying it deep inside like I’d been doing for the past eleven years, and yanked Alex’s arm to me. It was an ice cube. I dug my thumb into her wrist. Her pulse was there, but it was slow and faint.

Dammit.

I scooped up her tiny body. Holding her tightly to my chest, I ran to my truck. I threw open the passenger door and laid her inside.

Suddenly, I went cold.

Her jeans were unbuttoned and the shirt under her sweatshirt was inside out.

Fuuuuuck.

I wouldn’t let my mind go there. I couldn’t.

I jumped into the driver’s side and sped through the deserted streets with my heat blasting and my head pounding. I pulled a blanket from behind my seat and threw it over Alex’s body, rubbing her back to generate more heat. “Stay