A Complicated Summer of Love (Complicated Love Series #3) (8 page)

“Oh, crap!”

It’s over before it’s truly begun. We spring apart and we’re both sitting there, staring at each other, panting profusely. I look over toward the bungalow to see Annabelle stand there. She looks shocked and her mouth is hanging open. I look over at Lily and she scoots back into the seat opposite me.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting…”

Lily won’t look at me, so I concentrate on Annabelle.

“No, you’re fine…we were just…relaxing.” I have no explanation for what she’s witnessed.

“Okay then. Anyway, I just came to tell you that we’re having a little get together tonight. We haven’t all been together so far on this trip, so I thought it’d be fun. Can I count you two in?” I glance at Lily, but she still isn’t looking at me.

I sigh before replying. “Yeah sure…count us in.”

“Great! Okay, I’ll see you a little later on then.” She turns around to walk off, but she suddenly has other ideas. “Hey, have you spoken to Maddison this morning at all? I just saw her storming off along the beach. She seemed upset.”

I shake my head. “No, I haven’t spoken to her today. I’ll catch up with her at the party and see if she’s okay.”

She smiles. “Thank you, Brandon. Right, I have stuff to do before the party. Bye!” She walks off and I’m left with this awkward tension between Lily and me. She’s still not looking at me and I’m confused.

“Are you okay?”

She snaps her head toward me and I see the pain in her eyes and I don’t understand what’s wrong. She climbs out of the hot tub quickly before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her waist.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she mumbles. “I…ah…better go.” She quickly walks off before I can say anything further.

What the hell just happened?
I sigh and relax back in my seat. The water is so soothing and if I’m not careful, it might lull me off to sleep. I’m confused by Lily and her coldness toward me. I’m not going to go after her, but I will try and talk to her at the party. Hopefully, everything will be okay once the party begins and she relaxes a little.

I spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around the bungalow. My head’s been in a spin since my encounter with Lily in the hot tub. I can’t stop thinking about her and it’s driving me insane. I’m still confused by her awkwardness and her coldness toward me. I’m sure I didn’t do anything wrong and she was absolutely fine until Annabelle interrupted us.

I’m dressed in a pale blue shirt and black jeans. Grabbing a few bottles of wine, I make my way to the party. It’s in full swing when I arrive and I’m not feeling it at all. The music is loud and the drinks are flowing freely. Annabelle wanted to be the host, so we’re all outside their bungalow on the decking. Annabelle keeps serving food consisting of sandwiches, crisps, and dips. She’s acting like a waitress and Joshua has repeatedly told her to calm down and stop waiting on everyone, but she seems to be enjoying it. Karl and Tracy are snuggled up on the love seat. They haven’t really spoken much to anyone because they’re so wrapped up in each other. No one can blame them really. It’s taken them a long time to get to where they are. I’m so pleased for them and you can see, just from looking at them, that they’re madly in love. I can’t wait to feel that for myself. Glancing to my right, I spot Lily talking with Joshua. She hasn’t even looked in my direction since she arrived after everyone else. She’s always late to arrive and it’s one of the things I find so amusing about her. I’m not sure why she hasn’t talked to me yet, and I notice that she’s drinking a lot again. If she keeps going like this, then there won’t be any left for the rest of us.

“Stop watching her Brandon. You’re beginning to look like a stalker.” I don’t see Annabelle walk up and stand beside me. Glancing out the corner of my eye I see her smirk.

“Whatever. I’m not watching her.”

“Yeah, whatever you say. Did you enjoy your dip in the hot tub?” She chuckles.

“Don’t, okay.” I hope I’m not blushing. It’s not exactly manly to blush and my face feels incredibly warm. “We kissed. That was all. There’s nothing between us.”

“You can keep trying to make me believe that, but I know what I saw. That was definitely not just a kiss and I see it in your eyes that you like her. Why don’t you just tell her?” I scoff.

“No way. She’s hot and cold with me, and she hasn’t even talked to me this evening yet.”

“Oh for God’s sake, Brandon, stop being a baby and get over there! Don’t wait for her. If you like her, then go and talk to her.”

She’s right maybe I should be the one to go over there? I take a swig of my beer, the one I’ve been holding since the party started.

“Right, I’m going to go and get the cake for the table.” She walks away toward the kitchen, leaving me on my own. I start walking toward her, but I’m cut off from getting to her by Maddison. She looks like she’s ready to go out clubbing in her short, black dress and red high heels. Everyone else has dressed casually because it’s only an informal get together.

“Hey, baby. Have you missed me?” This is an entirely different women to the one I first met. I thought she was shy and uncomfortable around people, but this woman is the total opposite.

“How can I miss you when I see you every day?” I shake my head. She closes the distance between us and I can smell the alcohol on her breath.

When the hell did she start drinking?

“Oh, yeah.” She starts giggling and I see Lily and Joshua looking over at us. I can’t stop looking at Lily and she’s beginning to look angry as she’s glaring at Maddison. She hasn’t even looked at me yet. “Let’s do something tomorrow. Just the two of us.” She wraps her arms around my neck in a tight grip.

“Uh, Maddison, I’m not sure what I’m doing tomorrow.” I try to untangle her arms from around my neck.

“Oh, come on baby. We can do anything you want to do.” She’s trying to be seductive and flirty, but she’s failing miserably.

“Okay, but I have something to do now, so I will talk to you tomorrow.” I manage to get her arms off of me and leave her standing there while I make my way over to Lily. I notice that Joshua isn’t with her now and she’s all by herself, leaning against the railing looking out to sea.

“Hi.”

She looks at me and turns quickly away and she doesn’t seem pleased that I’m talking to her.

“Are you okay?”

She doesn’t say anything for a while, then she sighs and turns to face me. “I’m fine, Brandon.” Her eyes looked glazed and I’m sure she’s reached her limit, but she’s still gulping down the wine that she’s holding on tightly to.

“You don’t look fine.”

She empties her glass and glares. “You don’t know me, so don’t pretend that you know what I’m feeling. I don’t need you being all concerned for me.” She walks off before I can say anything else.

What the hell is wrong with her and why is she being so cold again?
She frustrates me so much.

“What was that all about?” Joshua is standing beside me.

“I have no idea what her problem is, and I’m not sure if I can be bothered.” I can’t tell him that she’s driving me crazy.

“I saw you and Maddison.” I notice a weary gaze in his eyes.

“Yeah, it was nothing really. She’s drunk.”

“You want to be careful there, mate. She’s poisonous and she takes things the wrong way…a lot.” I look at him and I can see the concern in his eyes and something else that I’m not sure about.

“Whoa, okay. I thought she was Annabelle’s friend and your PA?”

He shifts from foot to foot and I’m confused. “Yeah, she is, but I think you just need to be careful. I don’t think she’s right for you.” This is the strangest conversation I’ve had with him and I’m not sure what to say.

“Okay thanks for the…heads up, but it really isn’t any of your business and I can take care of myself. She seems harmless –”

“She isn’t though,” he interrupts upset and I don’t know why. This is a weird conversation to have with a guy I’ve only just met. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I better go.” He hurries away and I’m left with no idea about what’s just happened.

I can’t believe that I’ve just said that to Brandon and then walked away. I saw the way Maddison was all over him and I’m concerned about him. I know she has no interest in him, and I know she’s trying to do this to make
me
jealous. She doesn’t get that I love Annabelle, and no one will come between us. After everything Annabelle and I had to go through with Tammy, I’m frustrated that this is even happening. I see Maddison sitting in the corner on her own and before I can think it through, I head over to her.

“What the hell are you doing with Brandon? Just leave him alone. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it ends here…understand?” She giggles hysterically and takes a sip of her wine.

“Ah, baby, are you jealous? I knew you would be, that’s why I did it.” She leans forward so I can see her cleavage and licks her lips seductively. “Why don’t we get out of here and go somewhere…alone?”

“Are you fucking serious? I can’t believe you’re still doing this. Leave my friends and me alone. I mean it.”

She huffs and crosses her legs. “Fine. Let’s see what Annabelle thinks about all this.” She smiles a devilish smile.

“Leave Annabelle out of this, there’s nothing to tell.”

“Oh, I don’t agree. There’s that kiss in your office and our little moments at work.”

Panic consumes me, I don’t want Annabelle finding out. There’s nothing that she needs to know. I have to protect her from this nut job.

“There’s nothing to tell because you’re nothing to me. Why don’t you get that through your thick head?” She stands up and wobbles before composing herself. It concerns me that she’s so drunk.

“You’re a prick Joshua, and I will tell Annabelle when you least expect it.” She walks up to me and places her body flush against mine. “I will make you regret treating me this way.” She kisses me on the cheek before walking away. I watch her walk toward her bungalow before disappearing from sight.

“Babe, is everything okay?” I snap my head around to see Annabelle standing there with a chocolate cake in her hands, so I plaster on a smile.

“Yeah baby, everything’s fine. Here, let me help you.” I take the cake from her and place it on the table with the rest of the half eaten food. It looks like everyone has enjoyed Annabelle’s cooking. Annabelle wraps her arms around my waist and I kiss the top of her head.

“I love you, so much, Joshua.” She snuggles closer.

“I love you, too.” I give her another kiss to her head. I love her so much that I won’t let Maddison ruin what we have. I will protect Annabelle…always.