Adjournment (The Fate Series) (33 page)

Simon’s sudden voice startles me as he comes up behind us to stand.

“You jackass, you scared me half to death! What are you doing creeping around the beach in the dark alone? And where is your
new
date?” I look around.

“I was able to pawn her off on someone when I saw you leave. I thought I would join you.” There is a nonchalance to his voice. He shoves his hands in his pockets, looking down at the wet sand under his feet.

Am I supposed to be impressed he pawned her off on someone else for me?

“Were you just walking that way?” I look down the beach where I saw the person a few minutes ago.

“No.” He looks over me, his eyes shift toward the Carmichael’s house then back to me.

“Did I hear this right? The great Simon McAllister is all alone?” Molly turns her head to him. 

I see what she’s doing…

“It seems to be that way,” he jokes back.

“Whatever will you do with yourself?” she muses.

“That’s simple. I’m actually hurt you don’t already know.” He gives a barely audible laugh. “I plot when I’m alone.”

I look up at him just in time to catch a glimpse of a devious smile that the moon is kind enough to illuminate. Snapping my attention back to Molly we’re on to what they’re about to do and take off running back toward the house. 

“Sidney, wait! I didn’t mean it like that!” I can hear his voice yelling out as he runs after me.

“Go up the opposite path!” Molly points as we continue to run from them.

Oh, and in case you don’t already know, running in dry sand is really, really hard.

“There was a truce! We called a truce days ago! You can’t do anything once we reach our house!” I yell back to Simon.

Silence.

Slowing down as we run onto the grass, we take our final few steps and turn to face the empty beach. Dropping to our knees we gasp for air and begin to laugh.

“HA! Too bad—for you losers—we made it—back. Better luck—next time!” Molly yells between breaths.

She hunches forward digging her hands into the ground to stand up.

Once on our feet we both give a relieved laugh and Molly turns to go back to the house.

How stupid do they think we are? Did they really think we would fall for something so obvious?

“Dammit! Look at my dress.” I pull at the material where the dirt from the ground smudged it.

Just as I’m about to go find the girls, a strong arm wraps around my shoulders from behind followed by another over my mouth. Struggling against them to break free, the arms pull me back into the person’s chest, holding me tighter then lifting me from the ground to walk. 

“If you promise not to scream, I will remove my hand. But if I let go and you scream, I will make you eat sand,” Simon whispers, his voice filled with triumph.

Sticking out my tongue, I lick his palm to get him to move it but it doesn’t work and instead leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

“Somehow I knew that was going to happen. So I made sure to rub lemon juice on my hand before I put it over your mouth.” He laughs.

Fighting against him I finally give in, and he removes his hand. I already have my escape figured out for when he puts me down but as soon as my feet touch the ground he scoops me back up and my small window is gone. Making sure to avoid people he walks around the side of the tent where the pool is lit up with colored lights, the recollection of being blue for two weeks starts to play through my head again.

“You ran before I could explain. I was going to say-”

I interrupt him, “Do you remember when you dyed me blue?” I say staring at the pool.

“Uh, yes, what does that have to do with this?” His voice on my ear is shaky.

“Do you remember telling Stephen Lares, the most popular guy in school by the way, that I would put out if he asked me out my sophomore year?” I continue as I relive every jerk thing he has ever done.

“Yes, but that was meant to be a prank. The joke was on me when you both dated for months. So he liked you for your personality! Good for you!” Placing me back on the ground, he turns me to face him and lightly pinches my nose.

“As I was saying…” he tries to begin again.

“I fall for your stupid shit every time, but not anymore.” I take a deep breath, but this one isn’t to calm down. Because I don’t want to calm down anymore. 

“Do you know Lexi thinks I have a type? And now that I think about it, I date men who look like you. The one person I can’t stand, I date people that remind me of him!” I look up as his expression changes.

“I was just used in some sort of clothed mating ritual so don’t start with me about dealing with stupid shit,” he barks at me.

Placing my hands on his chest I run them down the front of him onto his pants and down the sides to check his pockets for anything. His body tenses, suddenly he grabs my wrists.

“Sidney…” he gives a low warning.

Really? Like I would ever do that—here—with you?

Unable to stop the smirk that spreads across my lips I remove my hands from him, and he releases me.

He would be perfect, if he wasn’t him…

Gripping his coat in my hands, I remember his hurt expression from earlier. Maybe I can do this, maybe I can control myself and be able to be friends with him. 

“There are things you don’t understand,” he whispers tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

“Then make me understand them,” I beg him.

“It’s better this way, Pet.” He lifts my chin. “If I thought we wouldn’t kill each other I would have married you a long time ago,” he admits, running his thumb across my jaw.

Forget it, I can’t be his friend.

He deserves what he is about to get.

His declaration sends fury through me, and I shove him backwards into the pool.

“Who said I would have you!” I yell down to him.

His face changes from apologetic to angry when he resurfaces. 

“Face it, Pet. I am the only man who can put up with you and your crazy family! Tell me, how many people actually know you? And I mean know you, know you, and not that pretentious snob who lives in the city with her perfectly pleated black pants and pressed shirts!” he shouts. Swimming to the side of the pool, he lifts himself out and stands, water dripping off every crease of his once perfect suit while he waits for my answer.

What everyone’s problem with my clothes?

“Oh, people know me! They don’t have to read about me on page six all the time!” I shout at him.

Holding my hands in the air, I for some reason mime flipping through a paper to emphasis it.

“Page six? That’s what you have? I’ve seen you out, pretending to be this perfectly put together person. You’re exactly like your mother. You know
this
is who you are but you would rather chant your way into being calm, you would rather fit in with everyone than admit it,” he says through his teeth.

“Oh yes, you’ve seen me out… I got your card. But no I’m nothing like her, I don’t pretend to be who I am, it’s just who I am. But you wouldn’t know that because you’re so determined to be right. You’re so fixed on trying to get me to be someone I’m not. I was happy with my life before I came back here, before I was around you.” My words catch in my throat.

“Sidney,” I hear Morgan yell.

“And now…” He begins to wring his coat out.

“And now?” I look at him confused.

“You said you
were
happy before you came here… before you were here with me.” He steps toward me.

I release a heavy sigh, moving closer to him, I tug on the bottom of his jacket, in an attempt to straighten his once perfect suit that is now soaked and wrinkled.

“And now, I’m here… doing this with a man who will most likely forget about me the second he gets whatever it is he’s after.” I shake my head, my heart sinks a little.

It’s one thing to know it…

It’s another to admit it out loud.

“Sidney!” Morgan interrupts him as he goes to speak.

I look over, my expression dropping when I see the other two devil siblings holding my sisters as they walk toward the pool. Simon quickly wraps his long arm around me pinning me to his chest with the water from his suit instantly soaking my dress.

“Was any of that real?” I roll my eyes in disgust.

“All of it, but you did push me in the pool… it wouldn’t be very nice of me to not reciprocate the gesture.” He flashes a sexy smile at me causing my stupid naïve heart to skip and my stomach to cinch with excitement.

“Now you’re going to throw me in to get me mad. I wish you would give this up.” I relax my shoulders, giving in to him.

“That’s funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.” He tightens his arms.

“Ladies!” Simon yells out over the pool.

“You did a lovely job on these dresses. It’s a shame they are going to get all wet!” Chase finishes his thought.

“You’re not really going to do this?” Morgan shrieks.

“It’s our parents’ anniversary,” Molly shouts.

“Yes, but well Grams said it best, she can’t protect us once we broke the truce and I did that earlier.” I hear Chase laugh.

“Not to mention Sidney started it by pushing Simon in,” Dean adds.

The weak one my ass…

“Boys, I would put those girls down if I were you.” I tip my head back to see our uncles exiting the tent and Simon’s hand reaches up behind my neck to hold onto me. My breath stills when I feel our hips align and press together.

Calm down, body.

“Put the girls down, and we won’t hurt you boys,” Uncle Sal adds while cracking his fingers.

“These girls love us too much too let you kill us,” Chase informs our uncles.

“When are you going to get it? I am not in love with you, Chase!” Morgan shouts.

This reminds me of when we were kids and they would pull our hair. Our mother would say it was because they liked us… I still think it was because they wanted to see us get angry. Too bad for Simon I’m not about to give him the satisfaction.

With my head still tipped back I watch Dean and Chase step closer to the water and then I feel Simon move me backwards. The fear of tipping over into the pool hits me so I grab onto his jacket to pull myself upwards wrapping my arms around his body for security.

“Simon? What is wrong with you?” I hear Mea yell out from behind him. “You guys promised,” she yells to them.

The group starts growing pretty quickly and some of Mom’s friends are actually cheering for us to get thrown in. 

This is what alcohol does, it turns civilized people into backstabbing jerks.

We make eye contact and I can’t help the childish puckered smirk I send him.

“She has had this coming for a long time!” he shouts back to her without taking his eyes off me.

“What do you call the other day?” I remind him.

“That was just for fun,” he whispers.

I try to move him back without pushing myself into the water. “You’re about to be dropped into a pool and you have yet to fight back.” He stares into my eyes moving me closer to the edge. My foot slips and I know there is no more concrete behind me.

Locking my arms around his waist, I lift my shoulder to challenge him.

If I’m going in he’s coming with me. 

“So do it already,” I taunt him.

“Do you think that is going to stop me?” His deep laugh fills the air.

I know I’m not getting out of this dry but right now it’s not about the water. It’s about which one of us is going to control this situation.

He dips his head down brushing his lips across my ear and sending a shockwave straight through me.

“Sidney, Sidney, Sidney… I’m already wet,” he whispers.

“Simon, please.” My words come out breathy and his body stiffens against me.

“And now you’re begging me?” His eyes turn cold. “Where is Sidney? I know she’s scratching to get out… let her go.” His voice is velvety as it tries to pull at her.

Always have a back-up plan…

“She. Is. Gone,” I say defiantly.

Tightening his hold he leans forward, I grip onto him as though my life depends on it. An evil smile sweeps across his lips, I feel myself falling backwards until the water surrounds us and we let go to find the surface.

“Simon McAllister, I am going to kill you for this!” I swim to him, pushing him back under the water.

He comes back up, laughing, water running through his thick black hair and down his face is streams. “Are you? That is nice to hear.” He grabs my wrist to pull me behind him.

“It isn’t going to work, you can stop trying now.” I let out a long sigh.

“What won’t work? Dropping you into the pool? You looked hot, I thought you needed to cool down.” He continues to laugh.

“I was fine and you know it.” I slap my hand against the water to splash him.

The material of my dress wrapping around my legs makes it difficult to swim.

“Fine, hot, whatever you would like to call it. The point is the water has done wonders for your gown,” he jokes.

Grabbing his shoulders, I push him back under and reach for the ladder.

“Look at your gowns!” pain-in-the-ass Judith gasps, walking toward the pool.