The Moment She Knew (8 page)

“The
girls don’t like me. I feel uncomfortable. I know what you’re thinking but I see how they look at me and they don’t like me. I have nothing in common with them and I’m not usually like this. I can fit in with almost any crowd or so I thought but these people know I’m not one of you. I don’t look the part and don’t act the part. Its obvious.” She sat on the bed rubbing her temples.

“I’m sorry what
‘part’ are we talking about?” He was slowly walking towards the bed.

“The part, I don’t have designer sunglasses or bathing sui
ts. My flip flops cost me three dollars. I grew up poor and I still am. My mother did what she could with what she had. We always had food in our stomachs and clothes on our back. I don’t need people making me feel like I don’t belong here. I know I don’t. I should never have come here.” Callie looked away before she started crying.

Connor
sat next to her and took a deep breath. “Normally I would say to stop the nonsense but I do know Bree and her friends. They don’t like anyone. Bree and I grew up together. Our parents were friends; we went to school together and lived near each other, so I got to know her pretty well. She wasn’t always like this. Don’t let it get to you. She was born into money; she hasn’t had to work for anything in her life. You had to work for everything you have and that’s something to be proud of.” He nudged shoulders with Callie and she gave the best smile she could. He wasn’t buying it.

“Ok
so what do I need to do?” He stood up from the bed, ready to take on any challenge she was going to toss him.

“Nothing.
It’s fine. I’ll get through the weekend,” she said with hope.

“I don’t want you to get through it; I want you to enjoy it. Trust me they aren’t going to ruin this weekend,” he said with certainty.
She nodded. “Ok now we eat, I hope Ricky learned how to cook over the years.”

Later that night
everyone joined around a bonfire and did a drunk sing along, though Callie just watched and didn’t participate. The night turned out to be ok. Callie got along with most of the guys and kept her distance from the girls. Just as they were finished singing Kid Rock’s All Summer Long, Callie noticed Ryan walking onto the beach. She got up to go meet him. “Hey stranger,” she said as she hugged him. He was familiar and she hung onto him.

“Thank
God you’re here,” she whispered in his ear and felt herself begin to tear up.

“Yea I heard some of
the girls were being themselves,” he retorted. Callie figured Connor must have told Ryan.

Connor
watched as Callie hung onto Ryan. They pulled away and Ryan was his usual self resulting in Callie laughing. Connor watched and wished he knew how to do that for her. Callie associated Connor with ‘those people’ and he hoped she would feel as comfortable around him as she did around Ryan.

An hour later and
Callie was ready for bed. The sun made her tired plus eating and drinking all day was not a good idea. She was ready for a nap hours ago. As she yawned Connor called it a night and they walked up to the bedroom. It just hit Callie that she and Connor were going to share a bed. She didn’t mind but she now wondered what if she drooled or snored? She didn’t drool often and she had never been told she snored but this would be the night she did.

When they got into the room
, she showered quickly and got into bed. Connor showered after her, leaving the door open to let some of the steam from her shower escape. She told herself not to but she peaked in the bathroom anyway. She couldn’t see much except a slight reflection in the foggy mirror. As she looked in the mirror, the best shot she was getting was of Connor’s backside. Damn it, she didn’t even get a butt shot, it was a shot of literally his back.

She
turned out the lights and laid there. Minutes later Connor walked out of bathroom wearing his towel, low on his hips. The light from the bathroom kissed his body just enough to lite up all of its glorious features. Her eyes followed him. My god! The man just screamed sexy, hot, wet, naked, come over here and have a taste. He definitely was in shape. She slowly pulled the covers over her eyes. Connor was rustling threw his bag. “I figured you would have been sleeping by now, with all that yawning you did,” he said as he kept his back to her.

“Yea I… I’m tired… I closed my eyes…
like they are closed now…I didn’t look… I won’t look… I don’t even know what I’m saying right now… sorry.” She pulled the blankets completely over her face as she shook her head in disbelief; how could a semi naked man could make her stutter? He wasn’t even FULLY naked. She heard his towel hit the floor and from under the covers let out a loud puff of air. Connor turned out the light in the bathroom after getting dressed and climbed in bed.

“I see you already picked your side of the bed
,” he said as he settled himself under the blankets. “Yea I did think it mattered but we can switch if you want,” she pulled the covers off of her face and turned her head in his direction.

“No I’m just busting balls. Does it bother you we are sharin
g a bed? I forgot to mention it,” he said as he winked.

“Nope
,” she responded, tapping her fingers on her side of the king size bed.

“Then why are you
moving around so much over there?” He asked with a chuckle.

“I just can’t sleep like this
,” she got up and was in and out of the bathroom in a minute. She got back into bed and relaxed immediately.

“All
better now?” He asked.

“Yes sorry I just can’t
sleep with,” she stopped herself.

“Sleep
with what?” He wanted to know.

“Nothing
,” she answered and turned away from him. She could feel the bed dip a little. She knew he was right next to her because she felt his warm breath on her neck and could smell his body wash. It smelled familiar, she was pretty sure it was her body wash. He cleared his throat, signaling her he wanted her to finish her sentence.

“Did you use my body wash?”

“Yea, I left mine in my bag and I didn’t think you would appreciate me running out of here naked just for body wash, so I used yours. It smells like warm brown sugar, the smell reminds me of you. I like it.” Callie wanted to ask what cologne he wore that made him smell delicious but she canned that idea. He was so close, she could feel the warmth his body gave off and it made forming sentences almost impossible.

“So what is it you can’t sleep with?” He wasn’t going to stop until she answered.

“I can’t sleep wearing a bra and underwear. It’s just not comfortable” She was thankful he couldn’t see her face. She felt the heat rising in it. Suddenly she felt cool air hit her warm skin as he lifted up the covers. She quickly turned in his direction to see what he was doing. He was looking at her body.

“So you meant to tell me that under that tiny tank top and short shorts you aren’
t wearing a bra or underwear?” She closed her eyes and answered. He groaned.

“God woman you are killing me
.” Callie laughed. He was so close his body was spooning hers. He placed his arm over her body, holding her close to him.

“I noticed your mood changed when Ryan showed up.” She was glad Ryan showed up. He made her feel content, but she didn’t know if she should tell
Connor that, so she just stayed silent. Connor kissed her cheek and went to his side of the bed. Callie wanted to say something but those words were going to have to be left unspoken. Soon sleep came over her.

She woke the next day to
Connor not bedside her. She got dressed and went down stairs. Outside the guys were already in the water.

“Put your bathing suit on
Callie,” Connor yelled from the water.

Callie
went up to the room to change. On her way back down to the water she noticed Bree and company lounging in chairs sunbathing. Ricky ran up to them dripping wet and shook out his wet hair over them. They shrieked and he laughed. Bree caught the sight of Callie and got up heading towards the water. Bree yelled for Connor to wait up. She bent down and cupped some water in her hands. She then drizzled the water on her body, rubbing it around, while staring at Connor. She told Connor she needed to talk to him later. Connor nodded and held Callie’s hand as they walked into the water.

One
second the water was at Callie’s calf the next it was at her chest. She froze. Connor explained that there were spots all over where the ground just dropped. He instructed her to wrap her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and he would bring them out farther. She declined saying she felt like an idiot. He placed his hands on her waist and walked back further she feared another drop so did what he said. She was holding on tight. “Loosen up a bit there. Not that I don’t enjoy the closeness but you’re going to strangle me,” he chuckled. Connor saw how nervous she was and how her eyes kept darting out to land. “Do you trust me?” He asked.  She nodded. She did trust him but that didn’t completely stop her from being scared.

Ryan and a few other people where in the water playing around.
Another girl named Lucy was hanging on to Ricky. Ricky explained Lucy couldn’t swim either and for a moment the girls laughed and bonded over their lack of swimming skills. People were baffled because Lucy was half Puerto Rican and half Hawaiian. Having lived in both Hawaii and Puerto Rico but never learned how to swim.

Lucy
was trash talking Ricky when he jokingly threatened to let her go. Callie looked at Connor and he said he wouldn’t even joke like that. He knew she was terrified. Everyone was bouncing around in the water when some yelled there was a massive wave coming. Callie saw Ricky and Lucy head for the shore. Connor looked at the shore and knew he couldn’t get them back in time. Callie started to tense up.

“Look
, the wave is going to crash over us. Just hold on to me and when I say so, I want you to hold your breath and close your eyes. I will get us above water but you can’t let go of me. Ok?” He didn’t look worried at all, like he had it all figured out. Callie agreed because she didn’t have a choice. So far this trip was going down as the worst trip ever. The wave was coming and Connor calmly told her to hold her breath. She closed her eyes and did as he instructed. She held on to him and felt his grip tighten around her. They went under water for what seemed like forever. They bobbed up closer to shore but not close enough for Callie’s feet to hit the ground. They were both coughing a bit but made it to shore.

Ricky and Lucy didn’t have much luck. Lucy got scared and let go of Ricky. Ricky and some of the other guys went after Lucy. She was coughing up water and had scraped her shin on a rock under water.
Connor grabbed a first aid kit and another guy patched Lucy up. There was lot of blood but she was declared fine and it was announced she was going to live. For the rest of the day Lucy sat on the sand, avoiding the water. Connor and Callie stayed closer to shore at knee height as did everyone else.

When it was time to start cooking, everyone got out of the water and Bree was there to greet
Connor. She reminded him they needed to talk and he excused himself. They went for a walk and Callie headed inside to help. After helping Ricky prep for dinner, she went to shower. She came out to an empty room. She was slightly red from the sun; she took her mother’s advice and brought aloe lotion with her. Callie stood in her towel rubbing on her lotion on when the door opened. Connor came in the room with a heated expression on his face that instantly vanished as he noticed Callie in her towel.

“You don’t have to stare you know
,” she said as she turned her back.

“I think this makes us even now
,’ he said as he passed her, taking off his clothes and heading for the shower. She remembered her sight of Connor in a towel. She subconsciously licked her lips.

While he showered
, she got dressed and headed down stairs to help Ricky finish dinner. She went upstairs informing Connor dinner was ready when she found him staring out the window. She cautiously walked over to him. “Are you alright?” She thought maybe it had to do with his walk with Bree but didn’t want to ask, it wasn’t her business.

“Yes. I’m good. After dinner you want to go for a walk
? There is a firework show at the end of the beach.” He wasn’t looking at her. Of course she wanted to go; the fourth of July was her second favorite holiday right after Halloween.

Dinner consisted of Lucy, Ricky and a few others talking to Callie while
Connor stayed silent. He smiled and nodded a few times but it was obvious there was something else on his mind. After dinner they started walking to the pier, Connor remained quiet. She decided to turn the tables on him. “Ok out with it.” She nudged his shoulder. He smiled and didn’t waste any time.

“Bree wants to know if we are dating. I told her we weren’t. She want
s to spend the night in my room,” he said rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh well why did
n’t you just say so? I can stay in another room or even on the couch.” She didn’t want to and the thought of Bree and Connor made her nauseous, but they weren’t dating and it wasn’t her room or her bed to have a say.

He snickered, “yea that’s not going to happen. She isn’t staying in my room and I told her that.
She took off her clothes and tried to persuade me but that wasn’t working.  She got pissed at me. When we were younger our parents always said we should get married. I didn’t like her like that. As we got older I knew she had a thing for me but I didn’t cross that line. She had it rough in school, being picked on because she was thin and tall. She was always nice and now she is just, disrespectful and devious. She is looking for someone to take care of her so she can work on her social status. Well I’m not that person. I refuse to be used.” Callie was glad he turned her down. Bree didn’t deserve Connor, not that Callie thought
she
did, but she knew Bree didn’t.