NEVER GOODBYE (An Albany Boys Novel) (3 page)

“I guess this is where I get to kill some bitches? I’m liking this party more every second,” I say as April and Luke laugh. It feels good to make someone laugh instead of cry or fill with pity.

“I knew when I saw you on your first day, I’d fall in love with you,” Luke says with more seriousness then I was comfortable with.
Shark
.

“Come on.” I grab April’s arm and tug her toward the pool with the bikini squad. Carter once again has a camcorder and is filming as he stands by another boy who is just as delicious as Carter, if not more so, especially with the mammoth tattoo of a bonsai that stretches across his back from his hip. His only blemish on that amazing body is the brunette attached to his arm. “You won’t get his attention standing up here,” I say to her, all of a sudden eager to have a mission.

“I beg to differ,” Luke coos, trailing behind us. “You ladies will have all us lads swooning before the party’s over, you just wait and see.”

“Actually, Luke,” I turn to him with a big smile. “I have an idea and we’re going to need your help.”

Within minutes Luke, glad to oblige, is running toward the three girls, Carter and the other boy full force without a word of warning. The girls didn’t know what hit them when suddenly he grabs all three screamers and heaves them into the water with a big splash.

April takes my arm and I feel her laughter right through to my bones. Luke’s head breaks the surface from the water chuckling over the girl’s protests and profanities. “You coming?” he yells to us. Oh how I would love to see that again.

April and I are already heading their way when Carter and said friend turn toward us, camera rolling I suspect. It isn’t until then that I see his face ― not Carter, Carter has nothing on boy dreamy ― and my heart does that ridiculous flutter. He’s staring at me and I can’t look away. I’m trapped; I’m like one of those stupid moths dancing against the light of the bug zapper. It’s clearly dangerous for too many reasons and it’s exciting and it’s stupid. I hate him already for what he makes me feel.

Vaun

              There she is. I was beginning to think she’d never show up.

              I don’t know what it is about her, but I can’t fight against the pull.

Yesterday morning I was normal. Carter was complaining I needed to snap out of my funk and take life by the balls and go for it. But I tried that and it didn’t work. All you get from that is instant gratification followed by guilt and, if you’re not careful, testicular trauma. Just ask Jarrod Dickson after he slept with two sisters within a twelve hour period.

I think I screwed my way through the fog until one day I took a breath and realized I’d lost a part of myself when I left the doctor’s office with Mom that day, and there’s no amount of girls that can save me from that. I lost a hell of a lot more when I watched her deteriorate into a woman I couldn’t recognize, but loved so much it killed to stand by not being able to help her. The day I put her tiny body in the ground, my insides were torn and raw, something that would never be repaired.

The best I could hope for when I put her bonsai tree by her small gravestone was a patch. A crude, stitched patch where my soul and heart bled through.

Though Carter was right to a degree; I needed to do something before I got thrown out of school or something worse in which my mom, bless her soul, would never forgive me for. But when Beth sauntered my way in first hour, suddenly I knew this wasn’t the answer. I’d had enough of this shit and if I didn’t have Mom’s nursery to take care of I would have skipped out already. I could care less about the empty, no-strings sex Beth offered, the school who cares less about a boy lost in life and the father who looks at him with nothing but disappointment.

That is until I was finishing up with the lighting for the drama production. Suddenly I had a reason to stay.

I saw Harper Kennedy dance across the stage when she thought she was alone. She danced like … frack, I don’t even know an analogy that could fit the fluent beauty she demonstrated. I was in awe and, honestly, I think I could watch her forever — and then it was over, just like that. When the song finished, she stood in the center of the stage in the silence and the dim light and began to cry. Her shoulders shuddered and she made little sounds that broke what’s left of my goddamn heart.

I wanted to climb down from the catwalk, get up on that stage and hold her. I wanted to know who she was. I wanted to know why she was crying, why she wasn’t in the production since she could obviously dance the other girl’s asses off and I wanted to know if she would dance for me again. But before I could do any of that, her cousin burst through the door. That’s when I learnt her name and found out she was coming to my own damn party.

She isn’t dancing today and yet I’m mesmerized by her grace and those blue, wide, doe eyes that are boring into my very soul. Yep, there is definitely something different about Harper Kennedy.

“Carter,” April begins, “this is my cousin Harper. Harper, Carter.”

What the hell
? Am I invisible, April? Nope, I’m definitely here because Harper is finding it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes averted from me and
that’s
a good sign. I like that.

Carter nodded, cocking that smile all the girls get wet for and I want to punch it.

“Art class, right?” Carter asks pointing his beer at her while still filming. I can’t even remember when he started this video obsession but now he films everything. I want to grab it and throw it in the water, but I’ll probably beg for it later because he’s captured her on it.

“Yeah,” she says all sweet like and I wish she would look at me again.

“Thanks, April.” I cut in before I know what I’m doing, making Carter grin, and Harper fights against looking my way again. Silly girl, you’re only fighting the inevitable. “Am I not worthy of an introduction with your cousin, April?” I can’t take my eyes off her and I wish to God almighty, if he would ever listen to me or even exists, that she would meet my eye.

“No,” she said flatly giving Harper whiplash for sure as she stared at her cousin in wonder. Oh, now she’s intrigued for sure and I want to kick myself because I really would’ve liked her to get to know me before April lets loose with the rundown of my past.

I don’t know why, but I need Harper to get to know
me,
not the person everyone sees, the guy I let them see. I want her to know the real me, the new me, the man I want to be even when everything in the world is stacked up against me.

Harper

I don’t know what is up with April, but suddenly I want to know what her and Vaun’s story is. I want to see his reaction to her boorishness and, if I was completely or even remotely honest with myself, I want an excuse to look at him again. Oh. My. God. I could look at him forever if I wasn’t tempted to lick him.
Lick him? Really?

As soon as my gaze meets his I realize what an astronomical, disastrous decision it is because now I’m locked in with the deepest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. I drop my gaze only to find his very tight chest and quickly look back up before I begin panting.

He holds his hand out to me and says, “Harper.” Ohsweetbabyjesus. “I’m Vaun.”
And I’m in trouble.

I know instantly he is one of those boys who gets whatever and whoever he wants, which is not my type at all. Not that I can really have a type, now. Whoops, almost broke rule number three.

“By any chance, did you have anything to do with my brother grabbing the girls before?” Vaun asks with a sly grin and I want to say no because I have a funny feeling that saying yes is like waving a red flag in front of this very nice, very hot bull and yet I’m blown away at his obvious disregard for tact.

I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face despite my reserve and he laughs, shaking his head, followed by Carter who chuckles. April squeezes my arm; she’s peaking out that I’ll give her infatuation away. Little does April realize, those boys can read us like a book, so we might as well use it to our advantage. “What can I say?” I wink at April glad to be broken from the chains of Vaun’s eyes. “They were a tree of bitches that needed a good watering.”

The loud laugh that comes right from within Vaun’s chest makes my belly flip.
Flip,
for crying out loud. I don’t do belly flips, I can’t afford belly flips.

“You want to get a drink?” Vaun asks me and I can see the inner struggle quickly take over April. She wants to protect me from the likes of Vaun Campbell, but this is the moment alone with Carter that she’s been wishing for and I’m not going to be her reason for not getting what she wants and deserves.

“Sure. Why not?” Rule number four — say yes.
Tick
.

“Ah, because no one invited your skank ass,” comes a sarcastic girl’s voice from behind me and I spin around because if there’s anything I’ve learnt about living in the city, it’s never have your back to your enemy.

“Bethany,” April growls and my eyes grow wide. “I swear, if you ever talk to Harper again, I’m going to rip that brown, rag hair from your scalp. Got it?” April looks like a mamma bear ready to eat a predator who’s been trailing her cubs scent and, for the smallest second, I’m scared for Bethany. Like, really scared.

Whoa
.

“Try it, bitch.” The soaked brunette that had been hanging off Vaun turns to him with a pout that she has obviously used before to get her way. “Tell them to rack off, no one invited them.”

“I invited them,” Luke says, appearing next to me, making me jump as he drips cold water on my arm and foot

“Figures,” Bethany says, giving him a sour face. The girl could pull the sucking-on-lemons pout off well.

“Enough, Beth,” Vaun clips, frowning as he takes a step away from her. “I think you should go find your friends and leave April and Harper alone before I lose my cool and tell
you
to rack off.”

“Oh, burn!” Luke laughs at her and for some weird reason I actually feel sorry for Bethany. She’s hurt and confused by what just happened and, quite frankly, so am I. Yet I don’t feel strongly enough that I would stop her defeated departure; the back of her is a blessing in more ways than I want to think about.

“So, you wanna get that drink?” Vaun asks again, this time a little less cocky, which only makes it worse.

“Actually, Luke can show us.” April steps in and takes my hand. “I need to cool down before I hurt someone.”

Carter laughs once and smiles his model smile at her. Even though my plan didn’t go quite to design, the result couldn’t have been more perfect. Carter Walsh is definitely interested in her.

“Once you’ve chilled, come find me,” Carter says and I feel her hand squeeze mine. I can’t hold back the smile it brings.

“Give her five and you can come find her,” I say, shocking them all. Carter Walsh is used to having girls throwing themselves at him; he needs to learn right now my cousin is better than that, even if she’s willing to. I turn and pull her back up toward the house, astounded by my brazen attitude.

“What in freakish hell?” she hoarsely whispers in my ear and I grin, knowing that the camera is zooming in on our hot departure.

“Do not look back and I promise you, you’ll have him in your net before you finish your next drink.”

“Hells yeah!” Luke hoots as he catches up to us. “Woman, you know your stuff.”

“What did he say?” I ask, wanting just as badly as April to turn around and look to see if they are looking.

“Yeah, what did he say?” April chimes making me chuckle at the small screech in her voice.

“The words were ‘Game on’.”

“Ohmygod,” she exhales.

“Ohmygod. Okay, April, just breathe and stay in control. This is a boy who clearly loves the fact that you aren’t going to chase him, so don’t. Let him come to you,” I say to her.

“And then what?” she rushes.

“Yeah, then what, Doctor Love?” Luke coos, but just as intrigued as April.

“Be yourself.”

She freezes and scoffs. “That’s it? Be myself!”

“Yeah, what about showing him some skin?” Luke gazes down at April’s body and grins. “Okay, so that part you’ve checked off our list.”

“Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod,” she chants leaving me no choice but to take her shoulders and hug her.

“Stop freaking out. It was you who showed him how tough and sexy you are, I just threw the lure out there and now you just need to reel him in. K?”

She hugs me tighter and I feel the damp, warm body of Luke who hugs the both of us. “That’s right ladies, share the love. It’s been a dream of mine since I grew hair near the meat and veg department.”

“Eww,” I say, laughing and pulling from them as April slaps him hard enough on the bare chest to make him cry out in pain and laughter. People are looking at us and lately, this would bother me, but right now, I realize life is too short not to enjoy it. Even if it is disgusting.

I left Luke and April together while I went to the bathroom which was like going to the bathroom at the
Crowne Plaza
. Not that I’ve been there, but you get my drift. It’s bigger than my bedroom and apparently it’s the guest bathroom, so I’d hate ― or love ― to see the master bathroom’s size. The house is empty, though the music loud as it pumps from the roof. I walk down the hall of glass, gazing out at the hill of tall grass that waves in the breeze and wonder idly what I’d find over the ridge when I run into something. No, I run into someone.

“Whoa there.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I’ve never met this man, but I can tell right off he’s Vaun’s father. That same cheeky smile, bright brown eyes and broad chest. “I really am sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

I don’t know what it was, but something made his whole demeanor change and no longer did he remind me of his son. His eyes became hard and pinched as he scrutinized me obviously not approving of a teenage girl in his house.

“Typical,” he says, like the word’s dirty, somehow rubbing it’s filth onto me and I shudder.