They were all waiting for me when I finally made it downstairs. “What the fuck is all that shit?” They had baskets and coolers and about a million blankets. “It’s a picnic caveman, let’s go.” Carrie came over and hooked my elbow dragging me out the door. I looked back at her husband to rescue me but he was pretending not to notice. Nessa and the douche were bringing up the rare, I was almost expecting to see the parents but they just came to see us off with big stupid smiles. I got the feeling everybody knew something I didn’t and I don’t like that one bit. Or maybe I was just being paranoid since no one mentioned anything suspicious.
There was a lot of chatter and playing around as we headed for the beach about a half an hour away. I felt some of my tension ease a little as we got farther away from town. I think I’m a little afraid of Kadyn Daniels truth be known. The things she makes me feel can’t be right can they? How could someone else have so much power over you, someone you hardly even knew? If that damn kiss was anything to go by she was going to have me hopping.
I looked at Josh and Carrie as I drove, taking covert peeks now and then. Is that what I would look like around Kadyn? That happy to be alive but I’ll slit your throat if you fuck with her look? I shook my head to clear the image. This is what I’m afraid of, you see, if Kadyn is the one, then there’s a whole lot she’s gonna have to put up with. Not only am I changed because of my last experience in the love game; I refuse to let anyone ever fuck me over like that again. But I have the feeling that with her I won’t be able to control myself. If she’s been hurt, what I have in me, the things she seems to draw out of me might be too much for her. But can I afford to let her go? That’s the question plaguing me, and the one that needed answering the most.
You’re not going to solve this shit in one day Matt so just put it away. I pulled into the almost empty parking lot at the beach. The sun was barely out and there were just a few stragglers, older people it looked like. Probably had the same idea we did. Get there before the crowds and find a nice spot.
I helped lug the million and one things down to the sand and the boys and I set up the umbrella while the girls spread the blankets and sorted the coolers. It had been a while since we’d been to the beach I was beginning to look forward to a nice swim. Throwing my shirt to the blanket and hopping out of my shorts I challenged Josh and Drew to a swim in what I was sure would be cool water.
“Come on ladies let’s brave the wild.”
“You’re fucked in the head bro, I’m not getting in there until noon, that shit’s cold.”
“What do you plan on doing until then Cinderella?”
He wiggled his brows at me and looked over at his wife while Drew laughed his ass off.
“Come on Matt, I’ll go with you. Your brother’s a wimp.”
“Wimp my ass just because I have better things to do with my time.”
“You could’ve stayed home for that shit bro, now let’s go I’ll race you.” That ought to do it; he can’t resist a challenge from big brother.
He mumbled and cussed a blue streak but in the end he got down to his trunks and the three of us gave the man howl as we ran down to the water and dove in. It wasn’t long before we were splashing each other and trying to drown one another. Carrie came to the edge of the water and with hands on hips scolded us to stop picking on her husband since Andrew and I had teamed up on his ass. That’s what he gets for always talking shit.
We stayed in for a while before climbing out; I had a towel over my face rubbing the salt water away when I got a soft thump on my shoulder. “Heads up bro.” I removed the towel and turned to Josh who nodded his head in the opposite direction. And there she was. Fuck I knew they were up to something.
She walked towards us at a snail’s pace with her head down and I stood still with the towel clutched tight in my hand. Last night came flooding back in minute detail, the taste the smell the feel of her. I could kill my brother and his meddling wife. She wore some sort of wrap around number and I could see the straps of a swimsuit beneath, my body, already going from memory couldn’t take much more. My trunks were already straining as it is. Thank heavens for the towel but I can’t stand there like a statue for the rest of the damn morning. I gave Josh a good glare as the girls ran to meet her the rest of the way.