“She really likes you.” I said, fishing for more information.
“You think so?” Demetri sounded a bit unsure as he sat on the bed and looked out the window. “She makes me feel good.”
“I’m glad,” I lied. “You deserve to feel good, Dem.”
“Thanks, man.” He self-consciously rubbed his head with his hands. “Are we good? You and me? Like are we cool?”
I thought about the girl next door. If this was how Demetri was acting after a week. Imagine a year from now. I’d finally have my brother back.
“Yeah, man.” I nodded. “We’re cool.”
“Good.” His shoulders sagged in relief as he walked to the door, he stopped and whispered, “It’s been a week.”
“A week?”
“Since I’ve gotten high.” He didn’t turn around. “I just, I don’t know maybe it’s stupid. I just thought it’s something you may want to know.”
He’d never shared that kind of information with me before. I felt honored and panicked at the same time. “Man, I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks.” Demetri turned around and flashed me a smile. “Maybe Seaside won’t be so bad after all, huh?”
“Right,” I agreed, “What could possibly happen?”
We shared a laugh and I decided to turn in. I had no idea, no freaking clue, that Seaside would almost be my brother’s downfall.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Alec
THE BEST THING about living in Seaside? Being able to run on the promenade. The air was crisper in Oregon than it was in Malibu; it had a different smell, a different bite as it hit my skin. I loved it.
It was my third day running; this time I went an extra mile then back-tracked on the prom back towards our house.
And saw Nat doing her own run.
I wondered if she even realized how sexy she looked right then. With sweat pouring off her face, and pieces of hair falling out of her ponytail. Pretty sure if I was still the same guy I was two years ago, I would have attacked her, pushed her down into the sand and had my way with her.
I shook the betraying thought from my head. Demetri’s. And he was trying. Damn him, he was trying.
Nat still hadn’t seen me, so I ran up along side her and said in a casual voice, “Didn’t take you as the type to exercise.”
Her eyes narrowed like I’d offended her. Shit, I didn’t mean it that way, it’s just she’d tripped twice in the same day, in the same hall, within the same six-hour period.
“Yeah, well” — she finished tying her shoe — “I didn’t take you for the type to do anything but sit and brood, guess we’re even.”
Touché. I smirked and fought the urge to burst out laughing. It was comical that she thought I had no personality — then again she didn’t know me, she didn’t know that I did, in fact, smile and that I rarely ate small children for breakfast.
Hell, it’s not like I kicked puppies for sport or anything.
With a small laugh, I shrugged. “Want some company?” That tiny voice, I think it was my conscience, told me I needed to tread carefully. But it was running! I could have her as a running partner, right?
Nat’s cute eyebrows pushed together in a frown. “You want to run with me?”
“I think I can keep up.”
“I run fast.” She crossed her arms.
I shrugged. “Okay.”
“I listen to music.”
Damn what was with her and excuses? It’s not like I was asking her to flash me or something! I held up my iPhone so she’d see that I wouldn’t be talking her ass off the entire time.
“Sounds great.” Hah, right. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes and she looked like she was ready to puke. Was it me? Did she hate me that much? What exactly had Demetri said to her last night? “Ready?”
I put in my headphones and fell into a solid cadence next to her. We ran a mile in complete silence. It took most of my energy to keep my eyes on the road ahead so I didn’t stare at her legs. Each time her foot came into contact with the pavement, I was distracted.
It was going to be a problem.
Suddenly, she stopped and pulled out her earphones. “What?”
“Uh…” Shit, she knew I’d been staring at her. “I’m just surprised that’s all.” Wow, Alec way ta pull that out of your ass.
“Do I even want to know?” She sighed and held her hands behind her back stretching.
I moved behind her and tugged them down a bit to give her shoulders a better stretch. My eyes fell to her neck, her pulse was racing, I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “You tripped over your own two feet, twice yesterday, until now I wasn’t even sure you knew how to walk in a straight line.”
Her arms tensed beneath my hands. “I’m in track.”
I chuckled at her bristled state, she was so damn cute and had no idea, “That explains the body.”
“What?” She jerked away from me.
Yeah, I hadn’t meant to actually say that out loud.
“Your body.” I took in her long legs. “You have really long legs.” Wow, good job Alec almost choked on that compliment. You have long legs? That’s like telling a girl she has a wide smile! They don’t know how to take it! I may as well let her slap me.
Nat’s eyes glazed over a bit.
“What?” I smiled, trying hard to look friendly instead of predatory.
“You can’t just walk around saying things like that to girls.”
“Just did, but I guess your right, I shouldn’t say things like that, especially to my brother’s girl.”
“I’m not his girl,” she snapped.
I had a hard time hiding my surprise so I looked away and whistled. “Don’t’ tell him that, plus I saw you two last night.”
“Studying?” she asked in a hopeful voice.
I wish. “At the beach.”
Nat swallowed and put her hands on her hips as an uncomfortable silence fell over the conversation.
“But it’s cool.” I fought to keep my voice light when all I wanted to do was yell a bit. “Demetri likes you.” I went and sat on the concrete fence lining the prom. “Look, I want to be your friend. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not angry that my brother got to you first. But I’ll overlook your obvious lack of good judgment if you promise you’ll come to me if you need anything, okay?”
Yeah. I’d said too much. It wasn’t fair to ask her to babysit my brother. Hell, that was my job. I was more parent then brother. I just, I didn’t want to freak her out and say ‘by the way if he does lines of coke in the bathroom don’t call the media just send me a text. Or if he gets too happy with his hands, I’ll deal with it.’ Shit. I hated feeling out of control.