Chasing My Forever (Beaumont: Next Generation 3)

“In bed?” I hedge again.

“If you’re going to say, ‘in bed’ after everything I say, I’m going to bury you in the sand.”

I look out over the beach and imagine myself buried there, with only my head sticking out. Birds would crap on my head and peck my eyes out and knowing my luck a dog would come by and lift his leg. “Yeah, I’ll stop,” I tell her.

We take the last few steps out and stand on the outside of the circle. Everyone’s sitting around the fire pit. I clear my throat, even though I know damn well they know I’m standing here.

“Quinn, didn’t hear you come in,” my dad says. “This must be Nola.” He stands and walks over with his hand out. “I’m Harrison, Quinn’s dad.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”

“I’ll go around the circle and introduce you to everyone, okay?” She nods, and I start. “You’ve met my mom already, next to her is my aunt Jenna, JD, Ben, Noah, Betty Paige, and that’s Liam.” Everyone waves. “Where are Peyton and Elle?”

“Right behind you,” Elle says. I turn slowly to find the terror twins standing behind me. I don’t know why I thought bringing Nola here was a good idea.

“Nola, this is Peyton and Elle, my sisters.”

Peyton is the first to shake Nola’s hand. Elle, on the other hand, stands there with her arms crossed. “I know you from somewhere.”

“She works at the Bean Song,” I tell my sister.

“Right,” Elle says, pointing at Nola. “You said something about knowing me, but we’ve never met.”

“Actually, I had said I thought I knew his other sister, Sofia.”

“Quinn doesn’t have any other sisters,” Peyton snaps. I’m rather surprised by her tone. “Just Elle and I, unless you mean Paige and Eden.”

“No, I know. It was a case of mistaken identity,” Nola defends. “My friend, Sofia, she has a brother named Quinn who looks like…” She looks at me and smiles. I want to kiss her for being so brave against these two, but I don’t need an audience. Maybe when I take her out surfing later, I can sneak a few.

“Quinn?”

I look in the direction that my name is yelled from. Running toward us is Eden. She slams her surfboard down a few feet from us. “Who’s this?”

“My girlfriend, Nola. This is Eden.” I make the introductions.

“Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

“Since right now, what’s it to you, squirt?”

Eden looks from me to Nola, and back to me. It’s when she meets my gaze that I see she’s not happy. “Whatever,” she says and runs back toward her board.

“Don’t mind her, mate. She’s got her knickers in a twist because she thought you’d surf with her all day,” JD says from behind us. I lead Nola over to the chairs, with my sisters hot on our tails, and sit down. I refuse to let go of her hand, out of fear she’ll leave me to the vultures that is my family.

“I can surf later. Do you want to learn?” I ask the beauty sitting beside me.

“If you’re teaching me, then yes.”

“Oh, gag,” Elle blurts out.

“Elle!” Our dad’s stern voice bellows out. He’s glaring at her, but she doesn’t seem to care. Ben goes to her, leans down and whispers something in her ear. She nods but says nothing.

“So, what did you think of the show last night?” Dad asks.

I glance at Elle, who is looking at the small fire. Later tonight, it’ll be a full-fledged bonfire that will attract the neighbors. “I thought it was good. The crowd was really into it.”

“You took off right after. Where’d you go?” Elle asks.

I smile. I can’t help it. I know exactly where I was and with who. “I had some things to take care of.” I squeeze Nola’s hand, hoping to convey that she’s the reason I bailed on the rest of the show.