The Complete Memories Series (3 page)

“Two weeks!” I slap a hand against the back seat as he pulls up near the Bay. I can see smoke rising into the air and by the noise that drifts through the open car door as Carl climbs out, the party has already started.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Alec says as he opens the door for me and helps me out. “When you turn eighteen, we’ll have this drinking competition. Because then you’re an adult and responsible for your own actions.”

I look up into his stormy eyes and he quirks a brow. My breath hitches and I nod.

“You have yourself a deal.” I reply, stepping away from him as he smiles, showing his dimple.

My heart flutters slightly and I follow Jen down to the beach, wondering what on Earth I’m doing being so attracted to such a cocky guy.

~

Alec slings his arm over my shoulders for the second time that day.

“What are you doing?” I look up at him and realise it was a mistake. He’s looking down at me and the light from the fire is dancing over his facial features.

Making him even more attractive.

I hold his gaze and nudge him when he doesn’t answer.

“Sorry.” He shakes his head slightly and smiles at me. “You see that girl, over there?”

“‘Over there’ isn’t exactly informative.”

“Two o’clock, beach-blonde hair. More fake tan than the crew from TOWIE.”

“You watch The Only Way Is Essex?” I look at him in shock.

“Let’s not go there tonight. Do you see her?”

“Hair bigger than her brains? Eyes that are looking at me like she wants to cut me in half?” I question, looking at the girl.

“Er, yeah, her.”

“Then I see her. What about her?”

“She’s been after me for a while, and I’m fed up.”

“An ex?”

“No, an unwelcome admirer.”

I nod slowly and glance up at him. “So you thought you’d use me so she’d leave you alone?”

“Mmm,” he replies, looking around.

“It didn’t work.” I smirk as I see her approaching us.

“What?!” he asks, panicked. He groans when he sees her. “Fuck it.”

“Language, Timothy,” I tut, shaking my head.

“Shush,” he whispers and pulls me in closer to him.

“What are you doing?” I hiss.

“Making her leave me alone,” he whispers into my ear.

I’m horrified to find my heart is beating a little faster than it was a few minutes ago.

This attraction is going beyond a joke, and I’ve only known the guy a day.

She has this silky smooth hair that slides over my face when I press the side of my face against hers. I think it smells like strawberries. Strange, I imagined her as a mango type girl. Exotic, hard to get.

One of her hands is sitting on my waist, steadying her, and I can feel every inch of skin where she’s touching it. It’s like I’m hyper-sensitive to her touch, attuned to her body. She’s breathing onto my neck and I can’t help but run the tip of my nose along the length of her ear, my lips grazing it gently after.

She freezes and using all the damn willpower I have, I glance up to find Bianca has turned her back to us and is flirting shamelessly with some guy. Right. Like I’d be jealous of that.

“She’s gone. Thanks.” I smile at her and she steps back like she can’t bear to be near me.

“You’re welcome. I guess.” She brings her cup to her lips and her brown eyes comb the beach, looking for Jen presumably.

“Behind the trees, snogging Carl’s face off, most likely.” I answer her unspoken question and lean against the rock.

“How did you know I was looking for Jen?” Her eyes narrow at me.

“It’s clear you don’t want to be alone with me, and she’s the only person you know here besides me.”

“What makes you think I don’t wanna be alone with you?” She juts out a hip, putting a hand on it and shit. She is hot when she knocks out the attitude. It’s a damn good job this beach is jam-packed with people.

“I’m not stupid, Princess.” I smile at how ridiculous that thought is. “I won’t hurt you.”

“It’s not you hurting me I’m worried about,” she mumbles.

“What was that?” I lean in closer, trying to get her to repeat it.

“Nothing.” She smiles brightly.

I give her a ‘yeah, right’ look and take a quick drink, watching her as she swings her hair over her shoulder and runs her fingers through the ends.

The fire is casting an orangey glow over her and in the low light she reminds me of an angel. A fallen one, but an angel nonetheless. She glances up and meets my eyes for a second and a faint blush rises on her cheeks. She’s cute when she blushes. Actually cute.

I could stare at her all day. Not in a stalker way, in an amazed kind of way.

‘‘Stop looking at me,’’ she orders, her eyes sparking with a flame.

‘‘Never,’’ I reply, smirking. She huffs out a little growling sound and turns away from me.

That’s fine. I’ll just stare at her ass instead of her face.

“Oh, fiddlesticks,” Grammy mutters. “Now where have I put my gardening gloves?”

I look up from my laptop and frown. “You put them on the side a few minutes ago, Grammy.”

She spins around, sees them and laughs. “Of course I did. I’m such a wally. Put them somewhere so safe I couldn’t find them.”

I quirk an amused brow and log in to Facebook.

“I don’t know if a kitchen counter is classified as safe, Gram.”

“Oh, you know what I mean!” She flaps her hands. “It’s always the obvious places you forget to look.” She shakes her head at herself as she goes into the garden.

I smile at her little eccentrics and turn my attention back to the laptop. Three friend requests and seven notifications.

I scroll through the notifications, clicking on the one that says ‘Jayna Marshall has posted on your time-line.’

‘Missing you,’ she wrote, ‘have some MEGA gossip so call soon. Love you xoxoxo’

I smile and click on the friend request box. One from Jen, one from Carl and one from... Alec.

I accept all three, pausing only a second on Alec’s. I roll my eyes at myself and scroll through the homepage. I comment on a few posts by my friends and a chat box pops up.

Alec.

Jen wants to go shopping. Coming?

I frown and type back.
In Lilac Bay? I’m not into buying buckets and spades.

Lol. In Barnstaple.

I’ve been there a few times. It’s practically the capital of North Devon, and it’s the only decent place - besides Atlantic Village near Bideford - that you can go shopping unless you wanna travel for two hours to get to Exeter, the nearest city.

Sure. What time?
I type.

Pick you up in half an hour.

He signs off and I shrug. I’m already dressed for the day, so I decide to snoop a little on his Facebook.

Hey, why not?

I click on his profile and read his info. He’s nineteen, about a year and a half older than me. There’s a large selection of photos of him and Carl, and a few others with people I haven’t met.

Scrolling down his time-line, I realise he doesn’t post much. What’s the point in having Facebook then?

I sigh, click off the browser and shut the computer down. I hear a horn beep from outside and look at the clock. Have I really been looking at his profile for half an hour?

I blink a few times and grab my phone. I poke my head round the sliding doors and find Grammy vigorously pulling up weeds.

“I’m going into Barnstaple with Jen and the guys. I’ll see you later!” I call to her.

She waves, indicating she’s heard and I collect my bag from the front room on my way out.

Alec beeps the horn on his car a few times and I roll my eyes. I figure I seem to do that a lot around Alec.

When I reach the car, he’s the only one in it. I pull open the front passenger side door.

“Where’s Jen and Carl?” I ask.

“At Carl’s Mum’s café. Getting them on the way. Hop in, I won’t bite.” He grins impishly at me and I climb in.

“Not that I wouldn’t like to,” he adds as he pulls away. I shake my head, saying nothing.

He really is a terrible flirt.

We pull up outside ‘Cara’s Café’ and Jen and Carl both come running out.

“No way, Carl’s mum owns that place?” I look at Alec.

“Yeah... She always has. Why?” He looks at me back.

“I used to go there when I was little. She does the best ice cream.”

Alec nods. “That she does.”

He’s still looking at me when Jen and Carl get in the back seat. I glance back at him and look down.

I wish he’d stop looking at me.

“Are we going or what?” Jen smacks the back of Alec’s seat.

“Sure thing.” He gives her the finger over his shoulder and pulls away. I turn my attention to the view out the window.

Devon really is a beautiful place, when you look past the almost-always-there smell of cow poo, of course. But I guess, if you live in Devon you don’t really notice it. Just like I don’t notice the smell of exhaust fumes in London.

It’s so quiet here, and while a part of me craves the hustle and bustle of the big city, the rest of me is strangely content. It had always been a second home to me, so coming back - even with how much I protested - is almost a relief.

Fields roll by as we leave the Bay and head into the county properly. I roll the window down, just a little, and breathe in the fresh air. The others are chatting casually as I admire the peace around me.

Half an hour later we arrive in Barnstaple, and Alec parks in the shopping centre car park. We take the lift down to the shopping level.

“Okay, River Island!” Jen claps and takes Carl’s hand, dragging him alongside her. I laugh quietly at her enthusiasm.

Alec wraps an arm around my neck.

“Is the big city girl starting to like small country living?” he says in my ear in a low voice.

“Maybe she is, just a little,” I reply, but don’t shrug him off this time. I have no reason to - I walk around this way with my guy mates in London all the time.

He smiles at me and for some reason I half smile back at him. His smile is contagious, the kind that could charm the knickers off the wicked witch of the west.

The kind of charming that’s dangerous.

We enter the shop, Alec still attached to my side. I spy Jen holding up two pairs of jeans, trying to decide between them.

“Baby, they look the same.” Carl runs a hand through his hair.

“No, they’re not.” She turns to me, seemingly unfazed by Alec’s arm around me. “Lexy, they’re different, aren’t they?”

I nod my agreement and point to the right pair. “They’re a shade darker, and the stitching is different.” I spin both pairs round. “Not to mention, the right ones have back pockets and the left ones don’t.”

“Then you should go for the right ones.” Alec puts his opinion in.

“Why? What if she likes the left pair better?” I turn around.

“Because Carl likes resting his hands in the back pockets of her jeans. All guys do.” He shrugs.

I look at Jen and she shrugs too.

“Right pair it is then,” she decides, handing them to Carl and putting the left ones back.

I’ve always thought I knew a lot about guys and relationships, despite having been single for over two years, but clearly, I’m only just starting to learn.

But then again, who buys jeans based on whether or not their boyfriend likes to put his hands in the back pockets?

Jen, apparently.

“You should buy a pair like that,” Alec whispers as I finger a white skirt.

“What, so you can put your hands in them?” I laugh.

“Ah, she learns quickly!” He winks. “Although, I do like these skirts and dresses you seem to like. You have good legs.”

“If you’re trying not to flirt, you’re doing a bad job at it.”

“Oh, I’m not trying not to flirt. I’m just being myself.”

“Alec?” I look at him with my eyebrows raised.

“Yes, Princess?” He grins cheekily and puts his arm over my shoulders. Again.

“Shut up.”

The thought of putting my hands in the back pockets of jeans she’s wearing isn’t something I should entertain in public.

Her eyes flick up at me when I call her Princess and I put my arm over her shoulders. I have an irrational need to touch her, make sure she’s not a figment of my imagination. Surely, someone as sexy as her can’t be real.

‘‘Shut up.’’ The ends of her hair flick over my arm and I know she’s real and she smells like strawberries.

Strawberries make me think of cream, and cream makes me think.... Oh hell.

Licking strawberries and cream off her lightly tanned skin as she writhes beneath me....

I run my hand over my face. I need to get laid, and fast.

~

My door opens and I know who it is without looking.

“Please, Bing, come on in. Make yourself at home,” I say sarcastically. I look up from my E-reader when he drops himself on my bed.

Bing - my older brother. He’s 20, and he’s the biggest pain in the ass in the world. His real name is Samuel, but when he got to my age he already had a name in our area for the biggest man slut. Bing being Bing decided he’d live up to his name, and his friends said he could either be called ‘Bing’ or ‘Tap’ in honour of how many girls he’d slept with.

He said ‘Bing’ and its stuck for the last two years. Only my parents call him Sam. Even Grammy calls him Bing, the legend that she is.

“Hi to you too. You’d think after three months you’d miss your brother.” He pinches my toe and I kick him.

“No. It’s been lush without you.” I smile sweetly.

“Such a rat.” He looks around the room. “Nice crib.”

I shake my head. “Thanks, gangsta wannabe.”

“What?” He fixes his gaze on me.

“Never mind.” I sigh.

He looks at me like I’m weird - rich, coming from him - and shakes his head.

“How’s my favourite little sister then?”

I look at him like he’s the most annoying person in the world.

Which he is.

“I’m your only sister, so I’m your favourite by default, idiot. But I’m fine.”

“Good.” Bing draws the word out and leans back, flexing his toes.

“Get comfy, Bing.” I roll my eyes.

“Yeah, I will, thanks.” He grins at me. “Who’s that dude in the garden?”

“Oh. That’s Alec.” I turn my attention back to my E-reader.

“Who’s Alec?”

“Grammy’s help.”

“Her help?”

“Yeah, she’s getting old, Bing. Can’t do everything she used to.”

“Since when has that ever stopped her?”

I look at him over the top of the e-reader and tilt my head slightly.

He has a point. Even when I was ten and Grammy had her hip replacement she still insisted she could do everything. She’s independent, strong, just like Mum. She’d never accept help from anyone...

“Maybe she’s realised she needs to start taking it easy,” I guess.

“She’s off to Bingo tonight. What happens when Gram goes to Bingo, Lexy? She comes back pissed as a coot.” Bing laughs. “Good on her.”

“I dunno then.” I shrug. “I think she’s trying to set me up with Alec. Maybe the ‘help’ thing is just a ruse for that.”

Bing taps his chin and muses it over. “You can see the garden from here, right?”

“Uh...”

He gets up and moves to the window. He slides the curtain across and pokes his head out the window. He comes back and sits down a minute later.

“You could do worse, Lexy.”

“Gee, thanks,” I retort, turning off the E-reader. Clearly, my brother has no intentions of leaving me alone.

“Just sayin’, sis. You need a boyfriend. You could do with loosening up a little.” He winks and I chuck a pillow at him.

“That better not have a double meaning, Bing!”

“Would I ever?” He mock gasps and holds his hand to his chest.

I give him the ‘yeah, right’ look and he gives in.

“Okay, okay,” he acquiesces. “I’m just sayin’ you could do with a bit of fun. I know you’re worried about your education but you’re not going to uni for like, seven weeks. Relax a little, yeah? Who knows, you could find a keeper.”

“If I can’t find a decent guy in London, what makes you think I will in Devon?”

“Lexy, I only say it cause I care about you, yeah? Lighten up a little this summer. Have a little fun.” He turns to the door and gives me a peace sign. I notice his trousers are hanging halfway down his ass.

“Pull your damn trousers up, you tramp!” I yell as he shuts the door.

“Suck it!” he yells back and I close my eyes.

Why is everyone on at me about lightening up?

~

I wake to the smell of bacon. My nose twitches as I sniff it, that glorious scent. I begin to climb out of bed when I’m hit by the thought that the pig providing my breakfast was most likely local... Hmm... My stomach rumbles and settles my internal argument.

Local pig or not, I need food, and Mr. Piggy is on the menu.

I yawn and open my door before padding down the stairs. I hear cutlery clanging and I stop dead in my tracks at the kitchen door.

Alec is cooking bacon. In my Gram’s kitchen.

“Uh,” is all I can manage.

He turns and appraises me head to toe. My cheeks flame as I realise my satin shorts and top don’t leave much to the imagination.

At least I left my bra on last night. Thank heavens for small mercies.