Page 58 of SALT

The back gate opens, and Stormy walks in with three guys on her heels, none of whom are Parker. I recognize Nash right away. He's hard to miss wearing a leather jacket in the fucking summer heat. The guy behind him has to be his brother. They both have the same strong jawline and jet-black hair. And finally, I see Elijah. That's strange. Why would he come but not Parker? Unless Parker is still upset about everything that went down after the game. I would have thought getting his suspicions about Moira off his chest would have lifted a weight, but I know he's close to his dad. I understand wanting to protect his heart. However, it's not fair to blame Everett for Moira's infidelity if that is indeed what this is.

"Salt, where are you, girl?" Nash calls.

I hold up my beer, drawing their eyes toward the swim-up bar.

"Cameron, you've been holding out on me. You didn't tell me you had a private lagoon in your backyard," Stormy says, making it to the bar first.

"I don't, Everett does."

"Either way, I now see why you're not in a hurry to leave," she says as her eyes rake over the grotto. "What are we drinking?"

"Whatever you want. The bar is pretty stocked now that it's summer."

She nods before inspecting the refrigerator below and scanning the selections.

"Salt," Nash says, sliding past Stormy and pulling me in for a hug. "I missed you at the bar last night."

"The bar?"

"Yeah," Stormy answers. "Everyone went out for drinks last night to celebrate the win."

"You going to introduce me to your girl or what?"

My eyebrows shoot up. His girl? Nash is great, but we're just friends. A complication is the last thing I need right now. I'm just about to correct him when Nash releases me.

"I already told you. She's not my girl." With his arm around my shoulder, he says, "She was my backpack."

"Right," his brother mocks sardonically, leaving me to believe Nash must have said a little more than he's letting on for his brother to assume we are anything other than friends. Tall, dark, and handsome, steps forward, extends a hand, and says, "I'm Emmitt."

"Cameron," I say as I take his hand. Handshakes are a gesture I love, but they seem so nineteenth century anymore. Most guys greet you with a head nod now.

"So, it's not Salt?" his head tilts to the side.

"No, it is. My name is Cameron Salt. The guys at the fields usually call me Salt. You know, the whole athlete thing where everyone calls everyone else by their last names."

"I wouldn't know. I didn't play sports. I prefer the stage," he shrugs. "I like Salt better anyway."

"Yeah, why is that?"

He smiles, and the sexiest dimple appears, not two, just one, making it all the more alluring. "Everything is better with salt."

Stormy chuckles as she pops a beer. "Real smooth, Romeo."

"Hey now… I'd offer you some love too, but I already know you can't calm a storm." On that note, we all start laughing.

I hear the back door open, and my stomach feels queasy. It has to be Everett walking out. He's the only person that was inside. Moira left almost an hour ago now. After Everett left the room, I snuck back into mine. I showered and did my business before subtly cracking my door just enough so I wouldn't miss anything downstairs. I assume they went to his office because there was no eavesdropping to be scored, and then she showed herself out.

"Can you show me to the bathroom?" Stormy asks, and I nearly fly across the pool bar to kiss her, thankful for the interruption. Nash still has his arm around my shoulder, and while it feels lighthearted, it's not a look I want Everett to see.

"Yep," I link arms with her and head toward the pool house. The last thing I want to do is walk past Everett. I know avoidance is a shit response to dealing with anxiety. However, I'm also not ready to deal with whatever regret might be written on his face. At least by avoiding him, I can hope for a little longer that last night changed things for him the way they did me. That what we have is irrevocable. It's not something that can easily be discarded; it can't be ignored because we are the beginning and end. "Where's Parker?"

"He said he had something he needed to take care of… but I'm not sure I buy that. When we went out last night, something he needed to take care of today never came up. I think he feels shitty about the spot he put you in yesterday, and Everett currently isn't his favorite person, so that doesn't help."

I know Stormy says she and Parker aren't dating or hooking up, but I feel like she knows him well for someone who is doing none of those things. Parker wears his heart on his sleeve, but it feels like they have more late-night phone calls or hangouts than she lets on.

"And what about you? I still don't see how you're not a little pissed off at either of us," I say as I pull open the door of the pool house.

"I mean, maybe if I hadn't known about the fake wedding date incident the two of you shared, I'd feel some type of way, but honestly, after getting to know both of you, I don't see anything but really good friends…" She trails off, releasing my arm and staring up at the exposed wood beam ceiling. "Damn, this is just the pool house? It's hella nice. If I were in your shoes, I'd claim this place for my own."

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