Page 38 of Diem

Fuck.

But I cock my head to the side and confirm, my parents are going at it again. It seems half the time all they do is argue.

It gets really damn old but today I’ll take it because Mom won’t be asking for the milk anytime soon.

Although it feels like hours have passed, Harriet will be here any minute and after locking myself in my room, I collapse to my bed.

I’d rather have a root canal than speak to Diem, but his issues are now firmly mine. I don’t ever want to see Skull again and that’s a fucking fact.

There’s nothing I can do about it tonight though, so I set the issue aside and trudge down the stairs when Harriet texts that she’s outside.

I’ll worry about this shit tomorrow. Tonight, I need to forget.

We roll up to the lake in her used Honda and I smooth my hands down the tight red shirt with a weird pulse in my chest. What does Diem see when he looks at me?

Fuck me…I’m so used to hiding my curves that now, showcasing it creates all kinds of panic in my soul. I can just imagine the comments from my peers. The assholes.

Still, Diem’s thoughts on the matter aren’t relevant and I’ll remind myself of that very fact until my brain gets the damn memo.

The music is so loud, I can hear it from the car and as we approach, I spy people I’ve never seen before bumping and grinding to the beat. Little by little my limbs start to relax and when Harriet hands me a beer with a grin I smile before joining her at the edge of the water.

When an errant wave curls way too close, I shiver as the resultant spray covers my face. Harriet laughs beside me, and I giggle before we scoot back a little to avoid the tide.

The next hour is pleasantly slow while I chat with her friends, grinning at the antics of a guy my age who sat beside me on the wet sand.

“Has anyone told you that you have beautiful eyes?” he says, and I blush to the roots of my hair before shaking my head.

“Aw, that’s not true. I’m pretty sure I admired your eyes right before I busted that cherry,” Diem says and I stiffen, crunching the can of beer in my hand.

With a chuckle, he grabs the can from my fingers and chugs the remainder down before crushing it in his meaty fists.

The guy who was previously flirting with me glances up and pales before he nods to me and gets to his feet.

“See you around,” he says.

Slack jawed, I watch him walk away while Diem chuckles, “Tool.”

What the actual…?

Dropping my head, I rub my brow before saying, “What are you doing here?”

“Partying,” he says with a shrug.

“Partying,” I parrot before pushing to my feet.

Now would be a good time to tell him about Skull but I was enjoying myself until he intervened. Jerk.

I almost swallow my tongue to find him standing before me in a tight white t-shirt that strains against the muscles beneath. His chest is so fucking beautiful, and I admit I worship it like no other.

With his shirt cut off at the sleeves, I’m able to continue my lust filled journey, taking in the tattoos swirling across his ropy muscles. The ink is beautiful in its own right, but painted on his delicious skin, they’re a true work of art.

Diem’s eyes drop to my boobs, pressing against my shirt and his nostrils flare before he follows the trail to my painted-on jeans.

He licks his lips, and my skin erupts in goosebumps.

With a shiver I can’t contain, I step into him boldly and say, “Maybe it’s you who still thinks about that night?”

His entire body goes rigid before he wraps his arm around my waist. The contact creates havoc in my core, and I barely stop myself from arching into his chest.

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