The Lies That Define Us (Us 2)

“I did, and you do.” He laughed as I neared.

I finally reached them and sat up on my board, floating a few feet away from Ollie with Jeremiah on his other side.

“We’re getting breakfast after this, right?” Ollie asked, glancing ahead at the small wave that formed. “’Cause the Ollster is hungry.”

“Dude, it’s fucking weird when you refer to yourself in the third person. Even weirder when you give yourself a nickname.” Jeremiah shook his head.

“Yes, we’re getting breakfast,” I said, before Ollie could get defensive.

“Yo.”

We all turned around at the sound of someone calling out.

“Brady,” Ollie crowed, waving his arms wildly.

I shook my head, silently wondering how I’d ever ended up friends with him. Brady paddled out to join us and ended up beside me.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever, Wade.” He grinned broadly and held out his fist.

I bumped mine against it. “I’ve had a lot going on.”

“Yeah,” Ollie piped in. “Like his hot cousin showing up.”

“Hot cousin?” Brady’s grin widened further and he waggled his brows. “Care to introduce me?”

I glared at Ollie first and then Brady. “Fuck no. I’d never let you around her. Besides, she’s already gone.”

“And she has a boyfriend,” Ollie added. “He’s a bit of a dork, though.”

“Hey, Dean is cool,” I defended.

Ollie snorted. “Funny you say that considering all the death glares you gave him.”

I groaned and scrubbed my hands roughly down my face. “That’s only because he’s banging her, and she’s practically my sister. Of course I’m going to give him the third degree.”

Jeremiah chortled. “You guys gossip more than girls.”

I leaned forward on my board to see him. “Coming from you, that means very little, Dreaded Wonder.”

“You know, when you guys call me that,” he chuckled, his legs kicking at the water, “it sounds like you’re jealous.”

“Of course we’re jealous.” Ollie reached over to tug on one of his dreads, but Jeremiah moved his board further away. “Come back, snookums, I want to pet you.”

Jeremiah roared with laughter. “If that’s how you talk to Talia I don’t know how you ever get laid.”

Ollie grinned and rubbed a hand over his stomach and down to his crotch where he grabbed his dick. “I have a big dick. ‘Nuff said.”

I’d already tuned him out, because in front of us the perfect wave was forming.

“You snooze, you lose, assholes.” I laughed raucously as I paddled toward the wave.

“Come on,” Ollie groaned. “Why does Liam always get the first good wave?”

“Because I pay attention,” I called back.

Nothing in the world compared to paddling out in the ocean, heading straight for a giant ass wave. It was my high, and I craved it more than anything else. Those moments, when I was up on my board, cruising along on the water, I forgot everything.

The wave began to close in, and I commanded my board forward, toward the opening. I heard my friends catcalling and being overall ridiculous, but I ignored them, keeping my eyes set on the prize of finishing out the wave. I made it, and swerved my board before dismounting into the water.