Underground Secrets (The Underground #1) (15 page)

“Fuck you.”

She laughs and crosses her arms. “You’re welcome.”

Wes hopes in the back seat.

“Where is your truck?” I ask.

“Over there,” he points to the left with a grim look on his face.

I look towards where he was pointing and notice the tiny little yellow electric car and I bust up laughing.

“How did you even fit in that tiny thing?” I ask, trying to picture him getting in to it.

“Don’t ask. It’s a rental since I flew into Chicago. That ‘tiny thing’ was all they had available.”

“It’s cute.”

“It’s ridiculous.”

I start my car and take off. I am glad my dad had decided not to come because I don’t want to have to explain our extra guest and have to answer to all of his inquiries. I have had enough of that lately from everyone.

We spend the first couple of hours paddling around the river. We laugh and joke and start in on the beer. After a while we head towards the spot where a good time usually happens. I can see several kayaks and canoes pulled up on land as we approach. We do the same and Wes grabs the cooler while Gem and I grab the fold out chairs. We walk several feet into the woods and finally reach the clearing where several, no a
ton
of people are drinking and playing games. It’s like a secret hideout, but for grown-ups and not
that
big of a secret. At least not for our generation of people.

It’s a huge circle of cleared out trees with a huge fire pit in the center and old tree stumps as chairs surrounding it. To the left are three kegs and several coolers. To the right, are where the corn hole and beer pong tables are set up. In front of us, at the edge of the circle, are four swings made out of ropes with old logs tied at the ends for the seats. It’s a pretty sweet set up and I can’t wait to play.

As we’re setting our stuff up, some random drunk guy comes and practically tackles me to the ground, being an ass and not paying attention to where he was running. I fall on my butt and Wes is there instantly holding out his hand. I reach up take it and he pulls me up. “Thanks”.

“You’re welcome.”

He looks behind me and yells at the offender, “Watch it next time asshole!”

Still holding Wes’ hand, we stand there and hold each other’s gazes. My breathing starts to pick up because I am freaking out that I am not freaking out like I thought I would be holding his hand. I know it seems juvenile but with my past, it isn’t. It’s crazy to realize how far I have come with knowing Wes for only about a month. He’s slowly breaking down my walls, but it feels so much faster. He squeezes my hand and I can see something that scares me in his eyes. I just don’t know what.

I realize what is going on and drop my hand and step away from him. I walk over to Gem to help her with the chair she is struggling to set up, leaving Wes where he is.

This man gets to me. I can’t have him do that. Not only because of my past, but because I haven’t quite figured him out yet. There is something dark lurking behind those amazing green eyes. I am sure of it. I just need to figure it out.

I look over at Wes just as he is taking his shirt off. Fuck me running. He needs to put that shit back on. For his safety of course. You know ticks and whatnot. His body and tats are sexy as hell though. He has washboard abs and I feel like drooling a little.

Gemma catches me staring. “Man, I am sure all the chicks out here are going to be clawing at him.” she whispers a little too loudly.

“So what? They can have him. We’re just friends remember?” I say still not taking my eyes off him as he sprays himself with bug spray making his body look like it’s damp and glistening. Jesus! Someone put him in a damn box and lock him the fuck up. It can’t possibly be legal for someone to be that good looking.

“And it’s already begun,” Gemma says nudging me.

“What has?”

She takes her hand and waves it around.

Yep, she is right. Everyone, men included, are staring at Wes. There is a small flicker of emotion stirring in me that I want to push back. The green monster, jealousy.
I have to let it go. I have to let it go. He is my friend, nothing more
. I’ll just brush it off and do my thing. I reach over into the cooler to grab a beer.

“Marlie Edwards! Is that you?” a female voice with fake delight comes from behind me. I know that voice. Emily, my brother’s slutty ex.

I wonder if I don’t move, she’ll leave. But I know that won’t happen. I’m not that lucky. No one is. I turn around and slap on an even faker smile than she has plastered on her shitty face. I have always hated her. My brother was too wrapped up in her to see what a conniving person she was and still is. Finally, he caught her cheating and she still, to this day, denies it. She was always trying to play the “woe is me” card with Michael, and my gullible brother bought it every. Single. Time. I have no room to speak. I have had the same thing happen to me, but ten times worse. Still, this chick is certifiably crazy.

“Yep, it’s me,” I say, barely giving her a glance. My tone is just as fake as the smile I am wearing. For the most part, I wouldn’t normally fake pleasantries with someone I despise, but I know her, she’ll make a scene if I don’t play nice and I don’t want that. Not today at least.

The nut job has the nerve to grab me and hug me. Really?

I definitely don’t reciprocate the affection. She pulls back and looks me up and down. Probably judging every little flaw she thinks I might have. I take a huge drink of beer to help calm my nerves. She’s really trying to test me today.
Just drink your beer Marlie, and think of your happy place.

“Oh, how I have missed you. Why haven’t we stayed in contact? We were practically sisters!”

I nearly choke on my beer with her ridiculous claim. “Um… no, Emily, we never were.” Gemma comes to stand right next to me. I’m sure she can feel my level of hate. It has to be beaming from me like a cartoon character.

Emily puts on a pouty face that I want to slap right off. “Oh come on, I know that you have always had a stick up your ass, but you don’t have to be bitter about your brother’s and my breakup.”

Her real face shows up now. Perfect.

“Really? Because as I recall, I have never liked you. And last time I checked, cheating on my brother with half the fucking county doesn’t require my staying touch with you.” I am fuming now. And I haven’t even noticed the crowd that has gathered around us.

“Oh, shit,” I hear Gem remark beside me and she steps back.

“Oh you’re just jealous, Marlie. After all, I heard you couldn’t keep your man. I am sure he left you after realizing what a hot headed bore you are.” She snips back at me, not even fazed at any of this.

Screw this patience thing. I’m not going to let the tart talk to me like that. She hit a tender spot and she’s not getting away with it. I start towards her, but a pair of arms wrap around me before I can grab ahold of her.

“Whoa! What’s going on?” Wes asks, as he keeps hold of my arm.

“This little thunder cunt is going to get her ass kicked, that’s what!” I shout.

Emily completely ignores me and I think that might piss me off even more.

She moves her attention to Wes, “Well, hello there handsome. Who are you?” Emily asks, but Wes ignores her turning me to face him. She stands there for a minute being ignored by everyone and I know that must bother her. She loves attention and bashes anyone who takes it away from her or who doesn’t give it to her. Always been that way. Apparently she can’t stand the silence and decides to say some more to me, “Fine, tell your pussy ass brother I said hello and you,” she points to me, “can fuck off.” And then she starts to walk always.

“Fuck. That.” I move around Wes quicker than he can stop me and go after her. I grab her from behind and slam her down to the ground, knocking the wind out of her and she gasps for air. I move to sit on her, pinning arms to the side and I hold them there with the grip of my thighs. She tries to buck me off, but it’s no use. I start throwing my fist at her perfectly fake face. I get about three good blows in before Wes and Gemma pull me off. I’m kicking and screaming like a mad woman trying to break their holds on me. It doesn’t work. Emily gets up quickly and runs away through the woods, holding her hands to her bloody face. Two people follow her and I try even harder to break free from Gemma and Wes’ grasps.

“Calm down, Marlie. She’s not worth it,” Gemma says gently to me.

She’s right. I close my eyes and begin to take deep breathes to cool my shit and relax my body. It doesn’t take long before I calm down enough not to attack her again. I instantly regret doing what I just did. Who does that? I am twenty-four years old and I just fought like I used to in high school. I should’ve just walked away. It’s not like she knew which button to push to make me explode like that. Even if she deserved it, it shouldn’t have come from me.

“I’m fine. You can let go of me now.”

They both look weary but let go. I walk over to our spot, grab a beer from the cooler and plop down in a chair. Emily has no idea what she was talking about. I would’ve ruined her for the comments about my brother. The fucking comments about Carter though, had me seriously considering murdering the twit.

Gemma and Wes keep their distance and leave me be for the moment. They don’t stray far, but keep far enough away for me to collect my thoughts. After a few minutes Gemma walks off to talk to some people nearby and Wes comes and sits silently by me. We sit in silence for about ten minutes when I break it.

“I’m sorry about all that. I lost my cool. That usually doesn’t happen.” I don’t look at him as I say it.

“It’s fine Marlie. But you have to not do things like that around me,” he says.

“I know. She has just-”

“No, what I mean is, if you want me to remain in the friend zone, you have got to stop doing stuff to turn me on. Not that you even have to do anything to get me turned on. Just hearing you breathe does it for me. But you getting all worked up and in badass mode like you just did, is by far the hottest fucking thing ever,” he rasps, leaning in dangerously close to me and placing his hand on my thigh. I fight so hard not to move it. Or not hard enough.

I don’t know what to say. Most men wouldn’t want to deal with my crazy and he doesn’t even know the half of it. And yet, he seems to welcome it. And, what he just said to me practically has me panting and wanting him. What if I just let go? Not fight it anymore? Looking at his lips. His luscious lips, that have haunted my dreams since the day I met him, are begging for mine to connect with his.

He must see the heat in my eyes as he reaches behind and grabs the back of my neck with his hand to bring me in closer. This is it, I am going to kiss this man and I don’t know what will become of it. But right now, I don’t care.

Just before our lips touch, a loud noise comes from in front of us and I jump up, knocked from the trance I was just in. Wes looks over in the direction of the crash. Someone has started the fire and threw and bunch of wood onto the pile making it loud and echo throughout the area.

Wes sighs and turns back towards me, but before he can say or do anything, panic sets in and I walk hastily towards Gemma. I am a coward. I know this. I can’t believe I came so close to kissing him. Whether or not I want him more than as a just friend, which it’s pretty clear by now that I do, I can’t do it. It would be messy and complicated, when my life is already a giant heap of chaos and I don’t need to add to it. But god, the way he makes me feel, it’s like nothing I have ever felt before.

After a while, Wes walks up to the group of people we are talking to and acts completely normal. Like the kiss that almost happened between us never occurred. I am not sure if it’s for my benefit, his, or ours. Either way, I am grateful for it.

All three of us spend the rest of the day hanging with just each other, sitting on the fold out chairs and genuinely enjoying each other’s company. Occasionally, I could feel Wes’ eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him to confirm it, but I knew he was. Emily had left right after our little tiff, so I was able to mostly enjoy the rest of the day. Well, besides the fact that I can’t help but think about what almost happened between Wes and me.

By the time we are ready to clean up and leave, Gem comes over to talk to me. “So, that was an interesting start to the day. I mean, I was going to let you rip her limb from to limb, but the good best friend that I am didn’t want to see you in prison. I kind of need ya’ for our business. Besides, even though you can rock just about any type of clothing, I don’t think even you could pull off an orange jumpsuit,” she jokes with a smile.

“You know, that’s exactly what I was thinking. Me in an orange jumpsuit? Yeah, that wouldn’t look good. But… on the other hand, it would’ve given me some street cred.”

“I think you have plenty of that.”

I freeze at her comment and she instantly takes it back, “Shit. I’m sorry, chick. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yeah, you did. But it’s alright; I know you meant it in a harmless, funny way.” I froze as a reaction to the blow directed at my past, even though I know she never in a million years would use it against me. Maybe one day I’ll be able to take jokes like that and laugh at it. But that day is not today.

Getting back to town, we unload the canoe and bring the cooler to the front porch. Wes has meetings in Chicago Monday that he needs to prepare for, so he is leaving as soon as we take him to his car. As we’re walking towards my car, Gemma excuses herself claiming she is exhausted and headed for bed. I know better and should have seen it coming; she always seems to dip out on Wes and me every opportunity she gets. I’m thinking she can’t abandon me now because that would mean Wes and I will have to talk. Though, she wasn’t around when the almost kiss happened. She has to know how much I want her stay since I keep pleading with her with my eyes; she completely ignores me. Damn her! On our way home, we definitely need to have a little chat about her little antics when it comes to leaving when Wes is around. It’s absolutely bogus.

Wes and I drive to the gas station in complete silence. I put the car in park next to his. I look over and give him a nervous smile. “This is it. Thanks for coming and spending the day with me. I mean us.”