Page 41 of Lake Hollow Curses

It takes pushing our way to them when we arrive, he points to Remi dressed in a stunning red barely there top, black pleather shorts, her arm linked with Keenan’s. She’s sipping a large cup. Her movements are getting sloppy. Her hanging on to her friend and loud laugh make me think she started the party before ever getting here.

Christ. Nothing is going well tonight.

We encircle Remi and Keenan. I start to speak, “Re-”

She lunges at me, her hand covering my mouth. “Shhh, just let it happen.” She laughs hysterically as she kicks a leg up behind her. The knee-high black boots have a three-inch heel, she stumbles slightly. “Oh, the lights are staggering to the senses.”

Sure. The ‘lights’ are causing her unsteadiness.

“Sweetheart? Have you been drinking?” Cal asks her, taking her elbow to help her avoid falling. “We were hoping to have some fun tonight, but… slow down, okay?”

“Fun? Sounds like you better get started.” She winks at him, linking arms with Keenan again. He seems completely sober. “Anyone else hungry? I could annihilate some food.”

Deep in my bones, I don’t understand what she’s up to. Remington James isn’t a party girl, or much of a drinker. She’s acting aloof making me suspect she’s overanalyzed everything we talked about a couple nights ago.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Remington James

Part one of my plan was to show up late with Nat and Keenan. Part two of said plan, act like I’m in the bag. I’m as sober as it gets. Guards are lowered around drunk people. Someone may slip up and tell me something they wouldn’t otherwise. Part three is to make it out of here... well, alive.

None of the guys look thrilled as they follow us to the food truck. Charlie leans into my side. “Remi, are you okay?”

I’ve had them ask that more times this summer than I’ve had in my entire life. “Mmm? Oh, sure. Fine, lovely, wonderful. All’s good.”

He grimaces as he looks at Grady, the two share a look of concern over my state.

Carter Kelley joins us double fisting it with two bottles of beer. “Eesh, bet that one wears homemade deodorant.” He tips his head towards a girl wearing a crocheted mini dress, a bandanatied around her bright blue hair. Dick. At the alumni baseball game he made a few off-color comments, too.

Skip is helping Jim at the food truck, the cool reception he gives the guys causes more perplexed looks amongst them. I try to distract them from it. “Hey, Carter, you don’t need to make comments about every female you see, hope that helps.”

As the night goes on, I notice that none of my guys drink. They seem to prefer staying near me, and aware of what’s happening in my vicinity. To Skip’s credit, he must’ve blasted the news of the party to everyone he knew and that they knew. Easily, over two hundred people showed up.

I’m sitting at a picnic table near the food truck, Kami and Alana are at the next one, I hear Kami burst into tears saying, “It’s not fair.” When she sees that Cal is approaching the table with my orange craft soda and pretzel she loudly proclaims, “I’m just old news, right? I could beat your ass, you lying sack of shit.”

Ugh, it’s bad enough she resorts to this behavior at work, sober, now that she’s had a couple drinks, she’s being loud about it.

Charlie says, “And this would be why he broke up with her in public, for his own safety.” He leans around me saying to her, “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Drowned, by Romantic Ruin starts to play. I grab Keenan and Grady’s hands leaving my food to dance on the dock. I’m spinning around like a total nutcase, Grady grabs my arm to keep me from falling into the pond. That would finish the night off, taking a dip. Loudly, the lyrics are sung by me, swaying between my starstruck bestie, and the man responsible for the music.

I lean into Grady, kissing his neck. “I need to see you perform this live again. So sexy.” The fevered purr of his voice is felt to my core.

Before he can say anything back, Keenan pulls me away, reminding me quietly, “Girlie, girlie…”

It’s not that I magically forgot my current predicament, it’s the draw I have to them. Even right now as I’m bumping hips with Keenan, acting like I have no cares, Cal is standing over my food with his arms crossed watching me, Wilder is watching, leaning against a bumper boat plug-in pole, Charlie is actively ignoring Carter while staring at me.

I don’t like disappointing them.

It felt necessary.

After two more dances, I drop on the ground near the Mini putt shack. Carter hands me a wine cooler. “Truce, lady.”

To myself I mutter, “Oh, for fricking hell.”

I thank him for the drink I intend to leave unopened. He sits cross legged next to Keenan and me. “I still don’t get your relationship,” he says to me.

“That’s fine. It’s not your average relationship.”

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