Page 18 of Meet You in the Waves
Fuck.
CHAPTER 8
ajay
Nick’s and my evil plot was working a treat. Kira was in her element dancing to the music by the fire with Dee and a couple of local girls Nick had managed to rustle up while I cracked open my second beer of the night in peace.
Dane had been in a mood about the change of plans we had sprung on him last minute and I felt bad about that. I knew this type of thing was not his scene. I mean, Dane could identify and name at least ten different types of cheeses which fitted perfectly with his monthly subscription to some wine club back home. A party on the beach with cheap beer and crisps was about as far from Dane’s comfort zone as it got. Even if he had still managed to bring a glass of red wine down to the sand.
But I honestly couldn’t feel bad about it. This kind of thing was something I had really missed since leaving Tassie. I’d had a close knit group of friends like this that I had grown up with and we’d had lots of nights just like this, guitars and a bonfire and a couple of sneaky underage beverages.
The night was warm and humid, the waves providing a rhythmic soundtrack, the sky awash with stars the likes of which I had almost forgotten existed after two years living in Sydney. I was feeling pretty good.
My eyes tracked across the fire to where Nick was lounging on the sand, the golden pops of flames making his eyes spark with life. He was wearing a grey tank top that really showed off his shoulders and those incredible biceps of his. I’d been so blindsided by his abs that I hadn’t actually noticed his arms.
I’d met his best friends earlier when they arrived to help set up for our impromptu beach party. Rob was as down to earth as Nick, another local boy with sand and salt in his veins who had apparently known Nick forever. The two of them still worked together as apprentice builders.
As for Mateo, well, Mateo was another matter altogether. He honestly looked like he’d stepped straight out of the pages of a high fashion magazine, all ashy hair with blonde tipped curls, dark, moody eyes, cut glass cheekbones and a jawline to weep over, accentuated by that smooth olive skin. I’d actually done a doubletake when I first saw him walking down the beach like it was a runway in Milan, a white linen shirt open to reveal his impeccable tanned chest, matched with a pair of beige chino shorts. He might actually have been the most perfect human being I had ever seen.
Mateo was standing across from me now alongside his equally beautiful girlfriend who I think was maybe called Tate. She was as stunning as him in a simple blue and white bikini and skirt combo. T-shirts seemed to be optional accessories down here on the coast so it had been a somewhat simple task to ascertain that Mateo’s chest was cut like glass though not quite as ripped as Nick. Must have been something in the water out here.
Nick was leaning back on his elbows, his golden brown locks set free as he laughed at something Rob had said. There was a girl on his other side, a familiarity between the three of them that spoke of many nights on the beach just like this one.
I had to admit it was a bit of a relief to see I wasn’t the only one who was drawn to Nick. He just had that kind of charisma that drew people to him, his easy smiles and that laidback approach to life so attractive. I was a little envious of his ease with life whilst simultaneously caught up in the same thrall he seemed to place over everyone in his vicinity.
Nick’s eyes suddenly found mine across the sparks of fire and I felt a twist in my stomach. I couldn’t deny I liked having his attention, especially when his was so sought after. He sent me one of those dazzling smiles that looked so good on him and I looked away.
At least Kira seemed happy. She’d put on a hot pink bikini top earlier and had matched it with a little white crochet skirt that showed off the matching pink bikini bottoms. She was a beautiful girl, always had been but I found it difficult to look at her andfeelanything. It made me wonder if it had ever really been there between us in the first place.
Dee soon broke away from the girls and made her way over to Dane, barely sparing me a glance. She sat on his lap and I used the opportunity to make a break for it. I knew from past experience that Dee and Dane wouldn’t be much company for a third wheel and sure enough, they were soon locking lips as though they weren’t entirely out in public.
I grabbed myself another beer from the esky and glanced across at Nick. Rob and the other girl seemed to have disappeared on him, leaving him all alone. It was the first time he had not been surrounded by a group of people all night so I made the most of the opportunity and made my way across to him.
Nick seemed lost in thought, his eyes focused on Mateo and his girlfriend on the other side of the fire, a little frown creasing his normally carefree face. He startled when I sat down beside him but his face quickly broke into his usual smile.
“Hey,” I said, taking a quick swig of my beer.
“Hey yourself,” Nick returned, taking my bottle and helping himself to a sip before casually handing it back. The familiarity of the move made something stir in my gut and I stared at the bottle for a moment, something else a little weird stirring deeper inside when I brought it back up to my lips for a taste. Right where his lips had just been.
Nick watched me drink from the bottle before looking away. His eyes returned to the other side of the fire, that little v back between his eyes as I followed his gaze.
“You know, if you glare at them any harder your face might be stuck that way forever,” I chided. I knew I should have just left it alone but something about the way Nick was looking at Mateo and Tate had me needing to know.
He just grinned at me. “And I’m way too pretty to risk that, right?”
“Something tells me you don’t need me to confirm that for you,” I returned. Nick seemed to like that comment, his smiled broadening into a real one.
“You think I’m pretty, Ajay?” he smirked, knocking his knee with mine. “You’ve just made my night. The feeling’s mutual by the way. And I wasn’t glaring,” he added, almost as an afterthought. “Just puzzling.”
I hummed, leaning back on my elbows to match his casual pose as he stole my bottle for another swig.
“So I’m gonna take a wild guess here and suggest you’re maybe puzzling about an ex?” I hedged, eyes following his to the painfully beautiful couple across the fire. He was beautiful enough to be on the cover of magazines and she wasn’t too far behind. They were standing a little awkwardly with each other if I was completely honest. Definitely a new thing. But I could sense something more to the story what with the way Mateo was gripping onto Tate’s fingers, his stance aloof and a little bored ifI was reading things correctly. Tate seemed a lot more keen on him, twirling a lock of auburn hair around her finger while trying to get his attention.
Nick didn’t respond so I pressed on. “Maybe something a little scandalous? Did she leave you for your best friend?” I was honestly just hedging here but I could tell something was up by the way Nick had been watching them.
A secret smile spread across his face and I couldn’t help leaning in a little closer, suddenly desperate to know the truth.
“Thing is, the gene pool is pretty shallow in a small town like Espy,” Nick said, head knocked my way like we were sharing a secret. “There’s really not much use holding onto grudges out here or you’ll find yourself pretty lonely pretty fast. You were right about the ex thing. But the ex is him, not her.”
