Page 35 of Ghost on the Shore

I’m pretty sure she’s thinking along the same lines I am, but she chooses to lighten the mood. Her hand skims along my hip and then grazes my dick when he says, “You better bring you’re A-game this weekend.”

I laugh even though it feels like there’s a rock lodged in my chest. “I always do, don’t I?”

“You don’t hear this girl complaining.”

I kiss her so she can’t get a good look at my face. It’s getting too hard to hide from her and I don’t want our last few days together to be sad ones.

Chapter Twelve

Grace

One week. That’s all we have left.

I’m trying my best and so is he, but it’s weighing on the both of us. A dark cloud that descends right after you laugh or you kiss or you smile. An ominous voice inside of your head reminding you at every turn,Don’t get used to this.

And he’s bailed on me twice this week. Once because Eli was drunk at a friend’s house while insisting he was fine to drive home, and once because Eli’s father was short-handed at a worksite and needed extra help to meet a deadline.

Gianna called Damien to come to the rescue the other night. She calls, he jumps. It’s not really like that, I’m being petty, but I do get the feeling the girl would do anything in her power to come between us. I saw the way she looked at him that first night. She wanted him for herself—still does.

I was over at Eli’s apartment with Damien last Monday night to watch football. I was still riding the high I was on from our weekend camping trip. It was too cold to swim this time, so no naughty skinny dipping at night, but it was amazing and mind-blowing and so special. Lying in his arms that night, I realized that I’ve never once felt this way before because Damien makes me feel cherished and adored. It’s a heady feeling, and one that left me practically walking on air.

There were a few other guys at Eli’s place, one with his girlfriend, and everything was going just fine until she showed up. She gave me the fakest sweetheart of a greeting when Damien was in the room, but then shot me a look like I was crap stuck to the bottom of her shoe once his back was turned.

I was sitting there, seething with a smile on my face when she sat down on the couch and basically ordered him to fetch her a drink, making a show of saying, “You pick...You know what I like,” when he asked what kind of beer she wanted.

Damien seems oblivious to her manipulative bullshit, and I won’t lower myself to whine about it. I won’t give her the satisfaction. I did have Frannie pick me up early from Eli’s, giving Damien some lame excuse about needing to study when I didn’t, but that’s as far as it’s gone.

When we’re together I don’t want that girl anywhere near, don’t want to hear her name, don’t want to waste what little time we have left even thinking about her.

And here we go again, I tell myself when Damien’s phone vibrates. He picks it up, looks at the screen and then turns it over before putting it back on my nightstand. The buzzing stops and then starts up again not two minutes later.

“Should you get that?”

He shakes his head and then sighs a moment later. The phone is rattling over the surface of the table, impossible to ignore.

Damien’s words are clipped when he answers, “What’s up?” and then he’s pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “No, I can’t come right now. I’ll text him but I’m sure he’s fine.” He pauses and then repeats, “I’m sure he’s fine. I’ll call you back.”

He lets out a breath and gives me an absentsorryas he shoots off a text. It must be to Eli. And it was a girl’s voice on the other end of the line just now, so I’m sure it was Gianna calling.

A caring person would ask if everything is all right, but I’m feeling way more passive aggressive than compassionate right now. I sit up and put the shirt Damien just peeled off me back on. I can feel his eyes on me as I get up and go to the kitchen for some water.

I’m staring ahead at nothing when I feel him come up behind me and kiss the top of my head. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Why does she do that?” I’m so angry I can barely get the words out.

“What do you mean?”

I step away from him. The boy isn’t stupid, and I’m running low on patience at the moment. “Did you two have something together?” When he doesn’t answer I turn to face him. “Gianna is a little territorial when it comes to you, wouldn’t you say?” I dump the rest of my water into the sink. “It’s ridiculous the way she calls you all the time and just expects you to drop everything.”

And when I say drop everything, I’m referring to me. She wants him to dropme.

“It’s because of Eli.”

“And is Eli all right? Were you able to get in touch with him?”

“He’s out with a few of the guys he met from the rugby club. He’s fine but I might swing by the bar on my way home just to make sure.”

“Right. And I guess you’re on your way home now?” I sound like a witch.

---