Changing Tides (Kill Devil Hills Book 2) (2 page)

“Hey,” she muttered, resting her head against the plastic of the airplane window. “My seat is with Rhett in the row in front of you, but I’d rather sit back here. As fun as it is playing hi
s
arm-cand
y
, I need a little space.”

“Oh,” was all I said in response. I was well aware that the whole reason Rhett had invited Luce along on this trip was to make Sydney jealous. Even if Sydney couldn’t care less. I just hadn’t realized Luce was also aware of this fact.

“And,” she leaned over to whisper, simultaneously kicking her purse under the seat in front of us. “I wanted to give him a moment alone with Sydney. I feel bad for Rhett. He needs all the help he can get with that girl. I don’t know how he got her in bed the first time because from what I’ve seen…she’s kind of a bitch.”

Rhett and Sydney hadn’t reached our section of seats yet. I’m not sure what was taking them so long. I thought they’d boarded right behind Noah, Georgina, and I. Luce was my friend and usually we got along great. But it bothered me that she’d just called Sydney a bitch. I didn’t get that vibe from Sydney at all. She seemed sweet to me.

Luce continued talking. “She pulled him aside to tell him something right before we stepped onto the plane. Maybe he’s already making some headway, huh? Melting down the ice queen’s walls. If anyone could do that, it would be Rhett.”

“Or maybe she pulled him aside to tell him to stay the hell away from her,” I retorted. “That’s more likely and exactly what I would do if I were in her shoes. So…but about you…you came on this trip to willingly help him try to make Sydney jealous?”

Luce nodded. “Well, yes,” she said. “It’s Rhett. Of course I’m trying to help him.”

Now that I did
not
understand.

“Hey,” Noah said, interrupting and tapping my shoulder. He’d just finished helping Georgina shove her bag into the overhead compartment and had settled in the seat across the aisle. Georgie sat to his right. “The flight attendant told me this flight is going to be very empty. She said once everyone boards we can spread out if we want.”

Luce let loose a small, disappointed huff. If I wasn’t mistaken, I think she was hoping that by sitting with me she’d force Rhett and Sydney to pair off. Weird. Because I could have sworn Luce had genuine feelings for him.

Rhett, followed closely by Sydney, came walking down the narrow aisle a moment later. It shocked the hell out of me when I noticed he was carrying his ba
g
an
d
hers. The four of us said nothing, frozen and all eyes watching to see exactly how they’d interact with each other
.
What in the name of Billy Bob Thornton had Sydney just told the man
?
Because Rhett was unusually quiet as he stowed both their carry-ons and waited as Sydney took the window seat directly in front of Luce and I. She sat down and then, still wordless, he sat down in the same row beside her.

Okay then?

I gave Luce a small thumbs up—if her plan had been to force them to sit together then it just worked. A flight attendant approached, repeating the same news she’d already shared with Noah. Empty seats. We could move.

Georgie and Noah choose to stay together. Luce left me for her own row of seats. But, crazily enough, Sydney and Rhett remained together.

Right on.

Then seatbelts were buckled, safety demonstrations were given, and before I knew it, we were hurling through the sky. It was only a matter of time before we would land in Los Angeles and my crazy plan to convince my brother to come home would commence.

CHAPTER 2:

NATHANIAL

W
ith my baseball cap, sunglasses, and a tattered, old sweatshirt on,
I
was the last person to board the plane. This was a strategic move on my part—the less contact with people, the less likely anyone would recognize me. Unfortunately, my ‘incognito look’ made me look shady as hell. That alone always drew extra attention. Nobody wanted to board a plane with someone who looked like they might want to blow it up. But what other choice did I have? If I didn’t cover up, people would recognize me automatically. So either way, I was screwed.

But today was my lucky day. For the first time in years, I’d made it all the way through an airport and onto a plane without being recognized by anyone. And either the flight attendant was being extremely polite or she didn’t have the slightest clue who I was because she hadn’t so much as glanced in my direction. I found my seat in the first row and positioned myself by the window. The flight time was five hours.

Five hours. My insides felt too hollow number.

I gritted my teeth
.
Only five more hours and you’ll be home
,
I repeated in my mind
.
You’ll survive. You can sleep in your own bed tonight
.
It had been months since I’d done that
.
You’ll pick up Holly from Mrs. Stone and you’ll have one week almost resembling a normal life before the madness sets in again
.
Thanksgiving was this Thursday. I just wanted a chance to breathe before Mom flew in and my next project began.

The plane taxied then took off. Reclining my seat, I settled in for an uneventful flight.

Or so I thought.

Not one minute after the captain turned off the seatbelt sign, the short-haired brunette I’d already noticed twice this morning—once at security and once purchasing a shit ton of muffins—bounced up the aisle. Maybe eating all those muffins gave her a sugar rush because nobody should be as alert as she was this early in the morning.

The flight attendant, moving from her jump-seat, intercepted the girl. She blocked her path with her petite body. “Can I help you, miss?”

“Um, hi,” the short-haired girl, almost as petite as the flight attendant, said. “I have to pee and some old man is in the bathroom at the back of the plane. He seems like the type who would be in there a while—if you know what I mean. Seriously, I saw him drink a giant coffee and eat a Fiber One cereal bar. Do you get what I’m saying? So would it be okay if I used that one?” She nodded toward the bathroom at the front of the plane, the one adjacent to the galley, the one the flight attendant seemed to be guarding with her life. “I’ll be super-fast,” the girl added. “Promise.”

Miss Flight Attendant crossed her arms over her chest and made a big show of
not
moving to let the girl pass. “Sorry, honey, this is the first class bathroom. It’s supposed to be for first class passengers only. Please return to your seat and wait for the other bathroom. Oh, and close the curtain on your way back.”

Ouch.

But the girl in the black Converse sneakers, jeans, and a hoodie similar to my own did not budge. “I really have to go,” she said, her sweet voice calm but firm. “Would you rather me piss myself and write a complaint letter?” She glanced down at the women’s name tag purposefully. “Sherrie?”

“Please do not use profanity with me, miss. I need you to return to your seat. Now. There is an air marshal on this flight and I would hate to get him involved in this conversation.”

“Me too. Since it’s none of his business if I have to piss or not.”

“Please, once again, stop using profanity.”

“I’m not using profanity.” Then she mumbled under her breath, “Is ‘piss’ profanity? I’m going to have to ask Noah. He’s an expert on profanity.” She said this, while Sherrie the Flight Attendant looked as if she’d been slapped every time the p-word was used. If I wasn’t as tired as I was then this would be hilarious. But I was too exhausted to listen to them argue about piss.

I guess I was going to have to get involved. I let out a long, loud sigh. The noise caused both women to stop and glance in my direction. “Look,” I said, my eyes on Sherrie. “I’m the only person in first class. I don’t need a bathroom just for me. Let her use th
e
fuckin
g
bathroom so we can all have a peaceful flight.”

I spoke as softly as possible, despite my harsh words, but dropping the f-bomb still caused Sherrie to flinch.

There. How was that for profanity?

“Please,” the girl added, all smiles. She knew she was about to win this argument.

“Fine,” Sherrie the Flight Attendant groaned. She stepped aside into the galley, while the girl rushed past her for the bathroom door. But before she could disappear, she glanced in my direction. “My bladder thanks you, Nate West,” she announced, bowing her head, and stepping inside.

Oh hell. My cover was blown.

Somehow I knew this girl wasn’t going to come out of that bathroom and casually return to her seat. Somehow I knew she was the type to bug the crap out of a person. Somehow I knew she was going to want my picture or autograph or both. And somehow that didn’t bother me as much as it normally would have. Not this time.

Sherrie returned to take my drink order, offer me a meal, and then see if I needed anything else. I didn’t need or want anything. And if she’d overheard Bathroom Girl say my name, then she was doing a very good job of
not
reacting to it. Once she finished all attempts to help me, she disappeared down the aisle and past the curtain, leaving me completely alone at the front of the plane.

I urged myself to put on my headphones and go to sleep, but the honest to God truth was…my heart was racing right out of my chest. It thumped in anticipation of Bathroom Girl’s return. It thumped because this bathroom-invading, muffin-loving, spunky-as-hell, tom-boy—yes, she was dressed more like a boy than a girl—had been captivating me all morning. Something about her drew my attention. And nobody. Fucking. Ever. Drew my attention. Not in a long time, not since Kelly. So this wasn’t something I wanted to ignore.

The door clicked open. She softly closed it behind her and then started walking in my direction—or perhaps back toward her seat in coach. Either way, I couldn’t disconnect my eyes from her eyes. Because as she drew closer, I noticed that she had the most amazing blue eyes that I’d ever seen. They screamed with life and energy. And paired with her dark hair, dark lashes, and creamy white skin—she made everything become clear.

I had to have her.

She was exactly what I needed. For far too long I’d felt numb inside—like I’d been stuck in quicksand up the knees. Since my breakup with Kelly, I’d been looking for something that could make me feel bette
r
again. Maybe this girl could be the temporary fix I needed. It was worth a shot. Besides, I had nothing better going on at the moment.

Quick as ever, I discarded my hat and sunglasses onto the floor. “Hey,” I said before she could walk past me
.
So she hadn’t been about to ask for my autograph or to take a selfie with me? What?
“Um, hey,” I said again, a little louder, clearing my throat.

She stopped walking. “Um, hey,” she repeated. “I can’t believe Nate West is on my airplane. No freaking way, right? It’s surreal. Thanks for helping me out back there, man. I thought most celebrities were assholes. Not the case at all with you. Seriously, that was awesome. Well…Sherrie the flight attendant might not agree, but I appreciated you sticking up for me.”

I laughed. She was blunt and I liked it. “You’re the first person to recognize me all day.” I pointed at my disguise on the floor. “I guess I need to reevaluate that.”

“Nah, your disguise was perfect. It was your voice I recognized.”

“Oh.” No one had ever used that line on me before. Maybe it wasn’t a line. I couldn’t tell. “Want to sit with me for a little while?” I blurted out. “I’m bored. I’ve been out of the country and I could use some American company.”

For a moment, she studied me hard, obviously debating my motives. I had them, yes. And they weren’t all innocent. But no matter what happened here, I desperately wanted this girl’s company. Nothing else seemed to matter in this moment.

She merely shrugged and plopped into the seat to my right. “Sure. I’d love to piss off that prissy flight attendant a little more.”

Again she had me laughing.

“You’ve got to know though—” She stopped talking for a moment, shaking her head. I noticed, barely creeping up the side of her neck from under her sweatshirt, the end of a tattoo. Instantly blood rushed harder through my veins. I wondered if she only had one or many. “I have a serious hard-on for you…as Lucian,” she started to say. “Dammit. I swear…he…you…are sexy as hell as that character. And that’s saying a lot since Kelly Patterson is your co-star and all. But whenever new episodes air, I tune in every Sunday…like it’s my job to watch…not for Kelly, but for you. That’s totally embarrassing but true.”

I swallowed, hard.

The girl stood, avoiding any eye contact. “Sorry. Jeez, I’m rambling like a fool. I’m normally not so pathetically tongue tied. I’ll go back to my seat now.” But she didn’t leave for her seat, she remained close.

I squinted up at her, the air between us growing thick with awkward tension or…possibly something…else. Something hotter. Girls came on to me all the time. But this was different. I felt more in this small moment than I had in way too long.

“Are you saying you normally like girls?” I asked, matching her bluntness and needing to know for sure what she meant.

Her eyes met mine. “Hell yes, I like girls.
I
onl
y
like girls.”

“But you watch the show for me?”

“Yes.”

“What’s your name?”

“Ellie.”

She was a lesbian. It hadn’t even occurred to me earlier because, frankly, even if she dressed a little like a boy, there was nothing boyish about this girl. Underneath her sweatshirt and jeans, I was willing to bet big money that she had one smoldering body. And the way she watched me right now with quick, rapid breaths, like she wanted me to ravish her the way Lucian ravished that girl in season two’s opening episode o
f
Dragon War
s
,
I never would have known girls were her thing. Lesbian or not, I suddenly had a serious hard-on for her as well.

One I was ready to take advantage of. Right now.

Praying to whoever would listen, hoping Sherrie the flight attendant had puke or something equally horrible in the back to clean up and wouldn’t be returning soon, I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood to my feet. Much taller than the girl in front of me, I had to duck my head on this tiny airplane and lean into her space. “Have you ever been with a man before, Ellie?” I whispered, my gaze locked heavy on hers.

“No,” she said, her voice soft but her eyes a force of nature. “Why? Are you offering?”

I gulped. Sweet hell. I had no idea how to respond, so I simply told her the truth. “Yes.”

She stared up at me for several long moments, the hum of the airplane taking over all my senses. Then she suddenly burst out laughing. Embarrassment fluttered through me. Oh God, for as confident as I liked to think I was, I was completely out of my element.

“It’s not really funny,” I said.

She stopped laughing immediately. “So,” she snapped, her hands landing on her hips, her eyes glaring up at me and something beyond fierce taking over her body. “You’re saying you want t
o
fuc
k
me? Is that it Mr. Nate West? Right now. Right here.” She nodded toward the bathroom she’d been in minutes ago.

“Yes.”

She gasped.

“And I hate the name Nate by the way,” I told her. “Please, don’t call me it again.”

“Then what the hell should I call you?” she demanded.

“Nathanial.”

“Does the lesbian thing turn you on
,
Nathania
l
?”

“Nope. Only you do.”

“Does the virgin thing turn you on? Because maybe I’ve never been with a man, but I’m nothing close to a virgin.”

I smiled, confused as hell right about now. She was acting mad…but if she was truly pissed off about this conversation then why was she still standing in front of me, discussing it?

“Yes or no, little firecracker.” I dipped down closer to her until my forehead was nearly resting on hers. “Haven’t you ever wondered what it feels like to have a man inside you? Not just any man, but someone like me. To feel his powerful thrust—not some plastic toy or whatever it is lesbians like to get each other off with—as you scream out in ecstasy? I can give you that. I can even give you Lucian if that’s who you’d rather be with. It’s your choice. Now please move aside, I’ll be in that bathroom waiting. Come or don’t come—whatever you want. But I guarantee if you follow me into that bathroom you’re going to come.”