Page 132 of Ominous: Part 1
Jasper runs his fingers through his hair, dark strands slick with sweat from the sun overhead. Despite the fact it’s not even noon, it’s almost uncomfortably hot. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if I got in the pool, but Luna is in there, along with Baca, Janelle, and some other girl whose name I don’t remember. They’re both on the lacrosse team with Luna, but neither of them have really spoken to her much.
On the steps of the shallow end, they’re drinking from bottles of water and in animated discussions with each other. Baca stands off awkwardly a few feet in front of them, his phone in hand. I’m not sure why Eric wrangled him here. Maybe he thinks the more people around, the better behaved his son will be.
I’m not so sure that’s true.
“I just moved here, back in August,” I continue with Jasper. His brown skin glistens in the sun, arms not quite fully hidden by the umbrella. I heard him speaking Spanish on his phone a few minutes ago, to his mom, based on my very terrible level of Spanish skills. I glance at him as he drags his gaze away from his cousin. I can’t really tell if they get along well or not. They were cordial to each other when Eli introduced me, but he’s since drifted away after we changed upstairs in his room, me in the bathroom and him in his bedroom.
He seemed annoyed and we didn’t really speak. Still haven’t since he hung up on his dad, aside from reluctant introductions to the people here I didn’t know.
“You know Janelle?” Jasper asks, glancing at the label on his beer.
“Not really,” I admit.
I dart a look at Janelle in the pool, and I see her eyes drifting from Jasper, who is oblivious.
“Janelle Nichols. She’s nice. Easier to be friends with than Luna, trust me.”
I smile.I think they’re crushing on each other.
I glance at Eli, finding him still smiling at Luna who has pulled her sunglasses down. My eyes drift over her body. I know I shouldn’t hate her because I’m jealous, and I keep trying to tell myself she could just be a really nice person, and she’s dating Dom, but memories of her on top of Eli from Dominic’s party come into my head, and I’m glancing at the glass doors leading inside, curious if Dominic has any more coke.
I could use a dose of happiness right now, but I’m not sure what to say to Dominic. If it’s true, if investigators are starting to think his sister might be dead instead of missing, well… I can’t imagine what’s going on in his house right now, or inside his head.
“You’re a senior?” I ask Jasper, dragging my gaze from the doors and taking a drink of the melted, rum-flavored ice from my cup.
“Yeah,” he says, smiling at me. He drinks from his beer, and I notice he and Eli have the same eyebrows. Dark and perfectly arched, it’s a crime girls don’t usually get things like that. “You, too?”
I nod once, grateful I took my medication this morning. Otherwise, I’d be bouncing my leg and pacing, my heart racing with envy the longer Eli and Luna speak together easily in the pool. I clear my throat when I can think of nothing else to say to Jasper and stand, nodding toward the door. “I’m gonna get another one.” I glance at the beer in his hand. “You want anything?”
Jasper shakes his head. “I’m good with this one.” He lifts the bottle a little.
I force a smile and stalk off, head held high, knowing Eli has a perfect view of my ass. I’ve got on my white cropped top, my one-piece underneath. Despite the shredded material, it’s got a lot of coverage, but it’s kind of hard to hide this ass, and I’ve seen Eli gawking at it more than once.
Keep your hands off of Luna, baby boy.
I close the door at my back, kicking off my Keds. I only put them on to protect the soles of my feet from the hot cement outside, and I take a deep breath in the cool air of Eli’s house. I don’t dare look over my shoulder, not wanting to see him sidled up close to Luna again, and instead, I head for the island where bottles of liquor are lined up. I saw Jasper bring in the six-pack of beer, Janelle the rum and vodka, and Dominic, surprisingly, brought the plastic case of water bottles.
I wonder if Eric knew the reinforcements he called in for me and his son would bring so much alcohol, or if he just doesn’t care. But on some level, he has to, doesn’t he? He cared we were alone here, and I don’t know if he doesn’t trust me or his son or neither of us, but he had a motive for inviting them all over.
I push it aside and grab a water bottle after I set my cup down. I twist off the cap, breaking the seal, and drink, sweat trickling down my back, little hairs stuck to my neck. I need to put my hair up, because it’s way too damn hot to leave it all down, but my pins are upstairs.
Using a rubber band is out of the question, if the Addisons even have something so mundane lying around. It’ll rip out too much of my hair when I take it out.
I drink half the water bottle, set it down, and reach for the rum. At the exact same time, I sense someone in the hallway, leading to the foyer.
I look up, and my eyes lock on Dominic’s. I curl my fingers around the half-empty bottle of rum and pull it toward me, but I don’t look away from Eli’s childhood friend.
He’s got his hands shoved into the pockets of his tan jacket, the collar up around his face. The jacket seems out of place, considering it’s in the high eighties today, a real feel temperature probably closer to a hundred. But he’s wearing black swimming trunks, and his feet are pushed into beige boat shoes. His entire outfit could be a mess, but somehow, maybe with his height or his lanky frame or even his bleached white, buzzed hair, he pulls it off.
The bloodshot look to his eyes, though, that’s a little harder to make fit.
“Hi,” I say, seeing a little of Sebastian as I look at him. Maybe it’s why I soften toward him.
“You don’t wanna break up the sexual tension between your boy and Luna?” he asks, jerking his chin toward the pool at my back.
Well. There goes my soft feelings. I break eye contact with him and screw off the lid to the bottle of rum, dumping it into my cup until it fills up a third of it. Too much, definitely, but the medicine will wear off soon, and in its wake, I’ll have to feign calmness when I don’t feel it. I twist the cap back on, and I take a big drink from the rum, wincing as it burns down my throat.
“You’re dating her. Why don’tyoubreak it up?”
