Weightless (12 page)

I changed into my one-piece quickly and grabbed a towel from the locker room before heading out to the pool. The rain had cleared, but the pavement was still wet as my feet padded across the small garden area to where the pool and hot tub were tucked away. It was a full moon and the light from it reflected off the soft blue of the pool water, casting a cool glow over the white folding chairs lined up on either side. I tossed my bag and towel on one near the shallow end of the pool just as I heard light laughter.

Following the sound, I glanced toward the hot tub on the other end of the pool and sighed when I noticed it wasn’t vacant. Probably two old, drunk, Poxton Beach Country Club members doing God knows what.
So much for steaming out the soreness in my muscles.
I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around me again, though my muscles cried out in disagreement. There was no way I was going to join whatever party was happening over there, though. I lifted my gym bag strap onto my shoulder but as I turned to head back inside, I glanced at the hot tub again.

And I was met with fierce green eyes.

Rhodes was staring at me, brows low, his mouth narrowed out into a straight line. An older woman who I didn’t recognize was kissing up his neck. She caught his earlobe in her mouth and wrapped her long, manicured nails around his jaw, pulling him into her touch.

I swallowed, but I couldn’t look away. Rhodes watched me carefully, but his gaze was just as unwavering as mine. When the woman’s hand dipped below the water line, my stomach sank and I felt a wave of something roll over me. Nausea? Jealousy? I wasn’t sure, but I’d had enough. Averting my eyes, I tucked my towel around me tighter and skipped going back inside, heading straight for the entrance, instead.

I thought maybe he would come find me. I thought maybe he would tell me not to worry, she’s just a client, blah blah blah. But he never came. Then I realized, why would I think he would? Rhodes didn’t owe me anything — least of all an explanation for having a woman’s hands in his swim trunks. I was trying to figure out why it bothered me so much but fifteen minutes went by with my head spinning and no answers coming. Willow pulled up in her cherry red Jeep and snapped me out of the spell.

“Ow owww,” she whistled when she came to a stop. “I can’t believe I get to spend all night with this sexy beast.
And
I stole some wine from my parents’ stash? Oh yeah, tonight will be trouble.” She winked and I tossed my bag in the back before plopping down beside her and fastening my seatbelt. When I didn’t smile or joke in return, she frowned, but didn’t ask me what was wrong. She just threw the car in drive and turned up the volume on the radio.

She would ask me for details when we got to her house. I knew that. This was only a temporary relief. And I knew I’d have to tell her what I was feeling. I’d have to tell her what was going on with Mason, with Rhodes.

The problem was, I wasn’t sure I really knew, myself.

The fair that came to Poxton Beach in late May was nothing like the state fair that rolled through South Carolina each October, but it was an event that drew all the locals out in addition to the tourists passing through. It was themed around corn, being that it was held right in the middle of harvesting season, and there were food competitions, Future Farmers of America showcases, and rides for a promising night of entertainment. I always got excited for it before, but Willow had to practically drag me from her house this time.

“I promise we’ll have fun, Natalie,” she said for the seventh time as we made our way through the dirt lot to the entrance. I was struggling, trying to balance and walk somewhat gracefully in the nude, strappy wedges she’d forced me to wear. “Just ignore Mason and Shay. They’ll probably be off doing their own thing, anyway.”

“Wishful thinking.”

She glared at me, applying another coat of lip gloss.

“Fine,” I sighed. “I’ll try. For you and only for you, Lo,” I trailed off, watching my feet as we walked. “You’re right, we don’t have much longer together. I want to have a fun summer with you, regardless of them. Especially since you’re probably leaving me early, too. Because we all know you’re going to get into the advanced program.”

Willow wrapped her petite arms around me and gave me a squeeze. “I love you! Don’t get sad on me now, though. Tonight’s about fun.” She pulled out a purple sparkly flask. “And that fun starts now.” She winked, took a swig, and passed it to me.

Smiling, I accepted her offer and threw back a shot. Last time we were out I made the mistake of turning down alcohol. This time, I wouldn’t be so stupid. I was down for anything to numb all the feelings bubbling up inside me.

“I wish you would have let me wear sneakers,” I complained. “It’s a fair. It’s mostly dirt and grimy concrete covered in fair food. Why did we have to get so dressed up?”

“Because Mason is going to be here and if you want to get him back, you need to look drop dead gorgeous every time he sees you. The more he sees that you’re doing fine, the faster he’ll realize how badly he messed up.”

“I haven’t changed,” I pointed out as a driver waved us to pass in front of his car in the gravel parking lot. “Not yet. I’m still the same girl he dumped less than three weeks ago. Plus, he saw me yesterday when I’m pretty sure I looked like a sweaty walrus.”

She laughed but stopped me just before the entrance. “You
have
changed, Natalie. You’re already walking with your chin held higher, and believe it or not, I can tell you’ve lost weight. Especially in your face.”

“It hasn’t even been two weeks, Willow.”

“Well, then Rhodes must work magic.” I eyed her and though I tried not to, I blushed. Rhodes
definitely
had some kind of voodoo juice happening. “Besides, from what you told me about yesterday, Mason said he missed you.”

“He said he missed our calls.”

“Exactly. Which reminds me that he called you in the middle of the night the night before. I don’t think getting him back is going to be as hard as you think.
Especially
after he sees you in this dress.” She smiled.

I fidgeted, shifting on my feet that were already sore. Every time I heard Mason’s name, my stomach fell to my feet. But I couldn’t tell if it was for the same reasons as before. “I love Mason, Lo. You know that. I know that. But this is about me, too. It’s about getting me back. Or rather, getting a new me. A me that’s never existed before. A better me.”

She smiled at that, linking her arm through mine and leading us through the entrance. “Every life-altering change stems from a series of small, seemingly meaningless amendments.” She winked as they scanned our tickets and I shook my head. My best friend was a wacko.

We passed by Dale and my mom on our way to the spot the group had agreed to meet at. They were judging the cornbread competition, against my mother’s will, I’m sure. She hated eating any kind of carb — she preferred to drink them. Willow and I wished them luck and then continued on through the fair, sneaking swigs of the flask she’d packed as we walked.

I really did love the vibe of the fair, and with each passing step, I started to relax a little. It might have been the alcohol, or it might have been the bright lights, loud, tacky music, and array of aromas wafting in around us. Aside from the few children crying, everyone was in good spirits at the fair — it was hard not to be. And though my stomach was still in knots over all the confusing thoughts whirling around in my head, I did my best to push them all down and focus on having fun.

When we met up with the group by the Himalaya, Mason and Shay were already with them. Shay rolled her eyes when she saw me, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder before whispering something in the ear of a girl I didn’t recognize. She had platinum blonde hair and long tan legs like Shay’s. They really did look like walking Barbie dolls.

Dustin gave me a hug when he saw me and I squeezed him back, thankful to still have him in my life regardless of what was going on with me and Mason. “Heard you were training at the club,” he said as he pulled back. “That’s awesome.”

Shay scoffed. “Waste of money, if you ask me. No amount of workouts can make up for eating your weight in fried food and Twinkies.”

My cheeks flushed and I felt a pain stab at the back of my stomach as Shay and her friend giggled. I looked to Mason, waiting for him to put her in her place, but it was Dustin who shook his head.

“Stop it, Shay. It’s not funny.”

She shrugged, eyes on her nails like she was filing them with straight laser beams. She was still smiling. “Maybe not to you.”

I silently thanked Dustin with a soft smile and he just nodded, frowning in Shay’s direction.

Willow missed the interaction, she had run off to the restroom nearby, but when she returned, she could sense the tension. Mason seemed a little uncomfortable, but still held his arm tight around Shay as Willow eyed them both before turning to me. “What happened?”

I sighed, not wanting to ruin our night within the first five minutes. “Nothing. Let’s go ride something.”

“Something or some
one
?” She waggled her brows and I smacked her arm playfully before we made our way with the rest of the group to a spinning, flipping, high-speed ride that I was absolutely positive couldn’t be safe. Willow handed me the flask to finish off when we took our place in line, the purple glitter sticking to my hands a bit as I stole the last drag. I tucked it in my purse just as Mason sidled up beside me.

“Hey,” he said softly, his brown eyes warm in the fair lighting. He looked like he’d been drinking, and without Shay on his arm, he almost looked like the old Mason. Brown hair mussed and wispy in the wind from the ride, same familiar grin on his face.

It made my stomach ache.

“Hi.” I returned his smile, but I wasn’t sure what to feel. He was nice at the club yesterday, but then he just let Shay say what she did without so much as a disapproving glance. I couldn’t figure him out.

“You look really pretty tonight. Is that a new dress?”

I tried to fight it but my cheeks burned and I nodded. It was a new dress — a knee-length, cream dress with a pink rose pattern splashed across it. Willow and I had gone shopping at the mall earlier that day and she had practically flipped when she saw the way it accented my cleavage and made my waist appear smaller than it really was. My heart hurt when I realized Mason was the only one in my life who would notice something like a new dress. No one else paid that much attention to me.

“Well, I like it.” He grinned wider, tucking his hands in his front pockets. “So, you’re training with Rhodes?”

I chewed my lip, debating an answer. I didn’t want him finding out about my training and now that he knew, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to tell him about it.
Did he already think I was doing this for him?

I didn’t have the opportunity to reply. Shay slid up beside Mason and wrapped her arms around his middle, nudging her way in until his arm was around her shoulder, her sharp hazel eyes on me like I was a bug that needed to be killed.

“What are you talking to her about, baby?” She asked the question to him, but her gaze was still fixed on me.

Mason smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. A little piece inside me broke in that moment. “Just chatting. You ready?” he asked just as the line moved and we had to file into the death contraption. She giggled and grabbed his hand, leading him forward and casting another frown in my direction. When she looked away, Mason looked back at me, an apology in his eyes.

I just sighed.

Regardless of Shay’s attempts to throttle the night with her glares and snide remarks, Willow’s promise held true. We did have a good time. We rode ride after ride and took ridiculous pictures with my camera. I even took a few photos of Shay and Mason, though it almost killed me to do so. Maybe Rhodes was right. Maybe I really was too nice.

Willow wasn’t the only one who brought flasks. Everyone in the group was passing them around all night and when they ran out, we found a local carny who knew me. He hooked us up with Coca-Cola cups filled with booze and we were pretty much set after that. No one questioned the red cup and by eleven, most of us were sloshed.

I had avoided eating all night, trying to stick to the meal plan Rhodes had prescribed, but the drunchies were catching up to me. When the gang started to head toward the Ferris wheel, I told Willow I had to pee and snuck away into the bathroom to eat the protein bar I’d packed in my purse. It felt a little weird eating in the bathroom stall, but it was better than doing it in front of Shay. I could only imagine the remarks she’d have for me eating a protein bar.