Sweet Alibi (17 page)

“I don’t know. It ruined my dad after my mom left…” he trailed off. “What about you?”

I sat and watched the waves lap the shore and the grass whisper around my legs. I knew what I was supposed to say. I was supposed to feel that way for Kyle. I thought I’d felt that for him at one time, but I think he had been my lifeline. His support had saved me, but had his love? Could I live without Kyle? I’d slowly become aware that maybe I wasn't as wrapped in him as I’d thought. Our lives had been intertwined for years, but maybe they weren't intertwined with love so much as a shared history.

“I don't know,” I said cautiously. “Tristan left Isolde for years though, so how inseparable could they have been?” I shrugged.

“Just because they’re apart doesn't mean they don't love each other. It broke them to be apart.” Tristan murmured. “Do you think he was with anyone else?” Tristan's fingertip traced circles in the sand between us.

“Why?” 

“‘He fled his sorrow through many shores and many lands.’ Sounds like a metaphor for many women.” He flashed a lopsided grin.

“Is that what you do?” I held his gaze. The grin slowly fell from his mouth as we watched each other. He ran his tongue along his bottom lip.

“Maybe,” he answered, never breaking eye contact with me. I inhaled a quick breath. That one word held so much more meaning than even I knew.

* * *

“GEORGIA!” DREW'S CHIRPY voice called out Monday afternoon. I was crouched down painting the porch a creamy white. The guys had sanded the railings the past week and I had finally been able to convince Silas and Drew to help me. Drew had just ducked into the house for a few minutes.

“What?” I called back as I swiped a damp tendril off my forehead.

“Delivery.”

“’Kay.” I set my brush down and headed up the stairs and into the house. Silas was hot on my heels as I stepped through the French doors and found a large yellow rose bouquet sitting on the dining table.

“For you.” Drew nodded to the flowers with an interested look on her face.

“Did you already read the card?” I cast her a stern glance. She only shrugged in response, an affirmative in Drew's book.

I touched my nose to one of the petals and inhaled. I was sure there was a law somewhere that said you had to sniff any flower, whether they had a scent or not. I plucked the card nestled amongst the petals.

I love you. Forgive me? - Kyle

I frowned for a moment before putting the card on the table next to the crystal vase. Guilt burned a hole in my stomach like acid. If Kyle only knew I’d betrayed him after everything we’d been through, he wouldn’t be begging me for forgiveness. I was instantly ashamed for ignoring his calls the last few days. And I was even more ashamed that it hadn’t been difficult for me. Besides, he’d been so busy so far this summer we’d only exchanged a few quick texts and phone calls a few times a week. There was little difference between then and now.

Plus there had been Tristan.

“You going to forgive him?” Drew wrapped an arm around my waist and laid her head on my shoulder.

“I don't know,” I frowned.

“Do you want to?” she asked.

“I don't know that either,” I said quietly.

“I think the fact that you don't know is telling, love.” Silas fingered a petal absently.

“Who are they from?” Tristan stepped into the room wearing a threadbare T-shirt and paint-splattered sweats, cut off at the knee and hanging deliciously low on his hips. He and Gavin were finishing the interrupted paint job on my bedroom. Silas had been gone all weekend
―
he refused to tell me who with
―
so I’d slept in his room the last two nights until mine was finished.

My eyes found Tristan's and held his gaze. Tristan's eyes flashed to Drew's and then back to mine.

“They from Kyle?” he asked.

I nodded in response.

“They’re nice,” he murmured, his gazed focused intently on me.

“Georgia hates roses,” Silas grumbled from beside me.

“I don’t.” I jabbed him with my elbow.

“You do, and if he wasn't so wrapped up in himself he would know that.” Silas glared back at me.

“I don't hate roses.” My eyes found Tristan's again. His swirled with emotion before they broke our gaze and he continued to the sink, washing out a paint-covered brush. He left the kitchen a few moments later without another word.

“That’s it, I’m calling it. Girls’ night tonight.” Drew rubbed my back with an open palm.

“Agreed,” Silas chimed in and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“You are far from fine, but if being stuck between two ridiculously hot men means fine, then I so wish I had your problem,” Silas grinned.

“I’m not stuck between two men.” I rolled my eyes.

“So you’ve chosen one then?” Silas turned a stern gaze on me.

“No, I mean
―
”

“That's what I thought. Girls’ night!” Silas skipped off to the kitchen and pulled the tumbler and a bottle of Kahlua out of the cupboard.

“Silas, it's not even five,” I moaned.

“Rule numero uno this summer: it’s five o’clock somewhere.”

“You two are alcoholics.” I pointed at both of them with a grin. “And I don't think White Russians are a good idea,” I finished, remembering that the last time we’d drunk them Tristan and I had slept together.

“I told you, girls’ night. No boys allowed, so if the drinks get you all horned up, it's just me and Drew,” Silas tossed over his shoulder.

“Silas.” I threw a nearby pen at him.

“I know how you get with a little alcohol, love.” He shrugged before he and Drew burst into laughter.

“What's so funny?” Gavin rambled in with a grin. “White Russians? Count me in.” He wrapped his arms around Drew's middle.

“No can do, big boy. Girls only,” Silas said.

“But what about
―
”

“Silas is more girl than Georgia and I put together. He's in,” Drew laughed.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Silas poured the first drink into a glass. “For the guest of honor,” handing it to me.

“Why is Georgia the guest of honor?” Gavin frowned. Drew shot him a glance and shook her head. “So what are Tristan and I supposed to do tonight?”

“You'll manage,” Drew said and smacked him on the ass.

“We’re being kicked out,” Gavin glanced at Tristan as he walked into the kitchen. Tristan's eyebrows rose in surprise then his eyes caught mine.

“Everything okay?” He directed the question to me.

“Everything's perfect. Get out,” Drew said sweetly as Silas handed her a glass.

A frown settled on Tristan's face. “Georgia, can I talk to you for a minute?” He made his way toward me.

“Nope, Georgia's off limits tonight,” Drew intercepted and turned him toward the hallway. “You'll survive, lover boy.” She patted Tristan’s bottom for good measure. He looked over his shoulder at me with wide eyes and a sweet, boyish smile. 

“You need to fill us in,” Drew said. The three of us sat on the porch an hour and another round later.

“I don't want to.” I scrunched my nose up at the concerned faces of my two best friends.

“Well, don't bother telling us there isn't anything going on between you and Tristan. That ship has so sailed, literally and metaphorically speaking.” Silas winked at me.

“You are so corny.” Drew rolled her eyes.

“But I make a helluva White Russian.” Silas took another drink.

“I’ll drink to that.” We all lifted our glasses and clinked them together.

“Now as you were.” Silas nodded to me.

“I still don't want to.”

“Blah blah blah, get past the part where you play coy and onto the good stuff,” Silas chastised.

I glared at him. “So we hang out. We click. But I click with Kyle too.”

“Not like you’ve been clickin’ with Tristan.” Silas winked.

“Shut up.” I threw a balled up napkin at him. “We click. A lot. But we click with a lot of people, right? It doesn't mean you leave the one person you’ve always loved over a summer…
click
.” I emphasized the last word.

“I see you
clickin’
,” Silas put air quotes around the word, “a whole lot more with Tristan than I’ve ever seen you click with Kyle.”

“Me too,” Drew chimed in as she took another drink. I rolled my eyes at both of them.

“What about you? You seem to be doin’ a lot of clickin’ with a lot of somebodies.” I shot him a glare.

“You have to choose one,” Silas said, completely ignoring my attempt at redirection.

I only stared at him then averted my eyes a moment later as I took another drink. I knew I had to choose one; I had a decision to make, but so far I wasn’t convinced that Mr. Promiscuous was worth walking away from the only person I’d ever loved.

“You said yourself he’s a manwhore. All this clickin’ is all it is,” I said to Drew, but I wasn’t sure I believed my own words.

“Okay, enough with the clickin’ already,” Silas said.

“Fine, he flirts… we flirt. He’s a slut. Aren't you the one that told me I should hook up with him this summer?”

“Yeah, but I told you not to get attached, and you are so attached, Georgia.”

“No, I'm not.”

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes. She didn’t know the half of it. She had no idea Tristan and I had slept together. I dreaded what they would say if they knew the full story. The truth was, I wasn’t convinced Tristan and I hadn’t been a one-night stand, despite what he said. It still meant I’d cheated on Kyle, but I didn’t want to throw everything I had with Kyle away, tear his heart out, rip mine to pieces, over a drunken indiscretion.

“I hate this,” I whispered.

“I know, love.” Silas scooted his chair closer to mine and wrapped me in a tight embrace.

“I wish I’d never met Tristan.” A tear leaked down my cheek as the guilt tightened my heart. “I wish Kyle and I could just be like we were.”

“But then you wouldn’t have known,” Drew said softly.

“Known what? That I’m an inconsiderate bitch who leads two men on?” More tears escaped from my eyes.

“That you and Kyle weren’t working. We’ve been trying to tell you that, but it took Tristan to make you see it.” Drew reached across the table and held my hand tightly.

“But I want Kyle and I to work. We’ve always worked.”

“But what if you work better with someone else?” Silas asked.

“Like who? Tristan? The guy who sleeps with half the county
―
your words exactly.” I glanced at Drew.

“Maybe, maybe not. But someone.” Drew’s eyes swam with concern.

“I can’t talk about it anymore. More alcohol.” I tipped my glass toward Silas.

“You got it, love.” He grinned before taking my glass for a refill.

After we'd drunk our way through a few more rounds, Silas disappeared to his room phone in hand, avidly texting with a grin. Gavin and Tristan had returned from wherever Drew had hustled them off to and joined us in a last round of drinks. I was curled up under an afghan and nearly passed out on the couch. Gavin and Drew had left for a beach walk, and Tristan sat in the chair opposite, sipping the last of his drink and watching me. I could feel his eyes but I refused to meet them. I couldn't talk to him right now, not about anything serious. My talk with Silas and Drew was still rolling around in my brain. I knew I had to choose, but at this point I couldn’t choose anyone but Kyle. He was my everything and had been for most of my life. What Tristan and I had was fun and sweet, but nothing more.

The waves on the beach echoed through the stillness as the breeze blew in the windows, twisting the curtains and accentuating the silence that stretched between us.

Tristan finally stood and I chanced a glance at his shadowed form walking into the kitchen. He set his glass in the sink then turned back to me. Our eyes locked for a moment before he spoke.

“I’m going to head to bed,” he murmured.

“Okay,” I answered and curled up tighter in the blanket.

“You’re not sleeping there are you?” He nodded to the couch.

“I can't sleep in my room. The paint fumes.” Silas was staying home tonight, so I’d moved to the couch.

“Sleep in my room, Georgia. I know after the flowers and whatever…we don’t have to…I can sleep here,” he rambled before motioning again to the couch.

“I’m not running you out of your room.” I tucked my head further into the pillow. The high from the drinks had worn off, and Silas and Drew’s lecture hadn’t much helped. I just wanted to curl up and fall asleep and hopefully forget about the painful decision that lay ahead of me.

“You can't sleep on the couch, Georgia.” He stepped toward me. “I insist. Come on. Don’t make this weirder than it has to be.” He held a hand out to me. My eyes shot up to meet his and I could see the determined set of his jaw. I rolled my eyes and took his hand, standing up and curling the blanket around me as we walked down the hall to his bedroom.