Lying in the Sand (10 page)

“I hope it doesn’t take long.” She put the bag on the table and pulled everything out. Then she handed him his plate and utensils.

“Thank you.”

She sat beside him and pulled the blanket over her legs. Then she scarfed everything down like she just returned from being stranded in the desert. He looked at her fondly then ate his own food.

Together, the watched Casablanca then tossed their plates on the coffee table. Then Gray immediately pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. Cheyenne hadn’t cuddled with a guy on the couch like this. It felt nice to be held.

A loud knock was on the door. “Cheyenne open the door. It’s Derek.”

She flinched at the sound then sat up in alarm.

“Who’s Derek…?” The fear was in his eyes.

“My brother.”

“Oh.” He calmed down slightly.

She put a finger to her lip to silence him then put the TV on mute, hoping he would just go away.

“Cheyenne, this is important. Open the damn door. I know you’re there.”

“Fuck,” she whispered.

Gray looked at her, waiting for direction.

“I don’t want him to meet you.”

“Why?” he asked.

“He’s…annoying. He’ll grill you and stick his nose in my business. I never planned on you meeting my family.”

“Now I don’t think you have a choice.”

“I guess I could just ask him to leave while you stay in the bedroom.”

“Not my style. I don’t like to hide from people.”

She sighed. “Then we should get dressed.”

“Cheyenne open the damn door.” Derek pounded on the wood again.

“Hold on a second,” she snapped.

They both got dressed quickly then Gray sat on the couch, looking calm. She sighed before she answered the door.

“What?” she snapped.

He had a bag over his shoulders. “I need to crash here tonight.”

Her annoyance turned to panic. “What? Why? What happened with Paola?”

“We had a fight. When I came home, a bag of my stuff was outside. She doesn’t want me to stay there tonight. Her phone is off and she won’t even talk to me.”

“What the hell did you do?”

He looked guilty. “I never told her I cheated on Nancy.”

“You didn’t?”

“And we just had a big fight about trust…the timing was bad.”

“You aren’t going to break up, right?”

His eyes showed his fear. “No. I won’t let that happen. But I understand she needs her space.”

“I’m so sorry, Derek.”

“It’s okay. This is all my fault, anyway.”

“Like usual,” she said accidentally.

“Way to kick a guy when he’s down.” He tried to step inside but she blocked him. “What?”

“Hold on a second.”

“What?” he hissed.

“I have company over.”

“So?”

“Actually, I’m on a date.”

His eyes widened. “With that guy?” He immediately looked over her shoulder, trying to see him.

“I’m not letting you in here if you’re going to grill him. I mean it. You’re invading my privacy.”

“Like you didn’t do it every single day before you got this place.”

“Derek, please.” She stared at him firmly. “He and I are just having fun. I never wanted you to meet him because it isn’t serious. So please don’t be…you.”

He sighed. “Fine. I’ll try.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“Fine. I will.”

“Thank you.” She stepped aside and let him enter.

Derek put his bag on the ground then looked at Gray.

Gray came to his feet then extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Derek. I’m Gray.”

“Derek.” He shook his hand.

Gray stepped back and put his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry to hear you’re having problems with your girlfriend.”

“We’ll work it out.” He studied his button up shirt and slacks. Then he eyed the Rolex on his wrist. “Was that your Maserati in the parking lot?”

Gray’s cheeks tinted slightly. “Yes.”

Derek nodded but didn’t ask any other questions.

Cheyenne came to Gray. “I think my brother is tired. He probably wants to be alone.”

“Completely understandable.” He grabbed his phone and keys. “It was nice meeting you, Derek.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Cheyenne walked with him to the door. “I’ll walk you out.”

Once they shut the apartment door, she sighed. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Why? He was nice.”

“Which is shocking.”

He smirked. “I hope things get better with his girlfriend.”

“I do too. I really like her. My brother cheated on his last girlfriend but…it was more complicated than that.”

His eyes shined suddenly. “Are you saying you approve it?”

“No. It was just an odd situation. I don’t want Paola to think my brother is a cheater and will cheat on her too. Because I know he won’t. He really is a good guy.”

He nodded. “I’m sure he is. Just because you make a mistake doesn’t mean you’ll make it again. And I’m sure he had a good reason for what he did.”

That was debatable. “I’m sorry our evening is ruined.”

“That’s okay. There will be other evenings.”

She smiled.

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning but I’ll be back in three days. We’ll pick this up then?”

“Sure.”

He cupped her face and kissed her. “I’ll be thinking about you every moment until I see you again.”

Her heart fluttered at his words. “As will I.”

“Good night, darling.” He kissed her cheek then walked away.

She stayed in her spot and watched him get into his car and drive away. She was sad to see him go but then she realized her brother needed her. She walked back inside and saw Derek drinking a beer.

“Please help yourself,” she said sarcastically.

“That guy is loaded.”

“I know.”

“What does he do again?”

“He builds hotels.”

He whistled. “Shit. He’s probably richer than Nancy’s dad.”

“I don’t care how rich he is,” I blurted. “I like him for him.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah right. You would never date a guy if you knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere.”

“Maybe not before but now I will. I wasted so much time with one guy who was just a total asshole. I want to experience new people and new things. I’ve developed a friendship with Gray that I never expected to have. It’s nice to be carefree and just live in the moment. I know he and I will go our separate ways, and probably very soon. Whenever he’s done with this hotel he’ll go somewhere else and work on something else. That’s fine. I don’t expect a commitment from him.”

Derek studied her face. “I guess if that’s how you feel I shouldn’t be worried about him hurting you.”

“I admit I’m very fond of him, but I’ve come to learn that relationships come and go. Just enjoy them and then move on. Sometimes you meet someone and it lasts forever, like Sydney and Coen or Nancy and Thatcher—”

“Or me and Paola.”

“My point is, not every relationship will be like that. And that’s okay. That doesn’t mean I can’t have fun.”

He sighed. “He did seem like a nice guy.”

“You said two sentences to him.”

“But he was nice.”

“You just kinda like him because he’s rich.”

“It doesn’t hurt,” he admitted. “So, he knows this is going to end and so do you?”

“Yeah.”

“So, you actually talked about it?”

“Well, no. But I think that’s obvious. He lives in California and I live here. I’m never going to move because I can’t leave you, and he would never leave his family. End of story.”

“Most girls wouldn’t be cool with that.”

“Well, I am. Why not enjoy something while you have it than not enjoy it at all?”

He nodded. “Good point.”

“Enough about me and Gray. What can I do to make this better?”

He sighed. “Nothing. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

“You guys will work it out. She loves you.”

“I know she does. This is just our first big fight. Coen and Sydney fight all the time but that’s normal for them. I guess it’s nerve-racking.”

“Yeah…” She rubbed his back. “You can have the bed and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

He smirked. “Thanks, sis. But it’s okay. I’m sure you and that guy screwed all over them.”

She didn’t comment. “Are you hungry?”

“No.” He stared at the TV, watching the movie.

“I’ll get the couch made.” She laid down the sheet and put a few blankets on top. Then she moved to the other couch, watching the movie with her brother. Nothing was said, but she knew her brother appreciated the companionable silence. Even though he acted brave, she knew he was dying inside.

Chapter Nine

When Cheyenne got off work, she checked her phone.

You’re still coming over, right?

She forgot about it until now. Derek’s relationship problems distracted her.
Yeah. Should I bring anything?

Just you.

I can do that.

See you at seven.

After she went home, she showered and changed her clothes. Tired of wearing skirts and dresses, she decided to wear shorts and a halter-top. Sandals were back on her feet and she felt like herself again.

When she arrived at his house, she knocked on the door.

Bryce opened it immediately, wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt. It looked good on his chest, showing the muscle underneath. His arms were thick like usual, stretching the sleeves. “Hey.” He glanced at her legs then returned his look to her. “You look nice.”

“Thanks. You do too.”

He opened the door wider and allowed her to come inside.

She looked at the leather couches and saw no one sitting in them. She was the only one here. Everyone else was running late.

He stood beside her. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“You know me, I’m always hungry.” She smiled at him.

“Great. Shall we?” He nodded to his kitchen.

“Shouldn’t we wait for everyone else?”

“It’s just you and me, Cheyenne.”

Oh. It is?

He pulled out the chair for her then gave her a serious look.

She sat down, the confusion going through her mind. He grabbed the plates from the kitchen then put them down. It was Mediterranean salad, balsamic chicken, and creamy potatoes.

“You made this?” she asked.

He smirked. “Me and Betty Crocker.”

“Wow.” She stared at her food, amazed. “That’s impressive.”

“Well, we haven’t tasted it yet. For all we know, it tastes like dog poop.”

She laughed. “I guess.” She cut into her chicken and took a bite. “It’s a winner.”

He shoveled the potatoes into his mouth and ate with perfect manners, like he usually did. “I’m getting pretty good at this.”

“I didn’t know you liked to cook.”

“Every once in a while—for a special occasion.”

“What’s the special occasion tonight?”

“Spending time with you.” He looked at her as he said it then looked down at his plate.

Suddenly, feeling nervous, she looked at her food and ate quietly. She finished every piece, surprised by how good it was. She wasn’t even that hungry when she came over but the smell made her feel famished. When she finished, she put her hand on her stomach. “That was so good but I couldn’t eat another bite.”

“Me neither.” He took the plates away and put them in the sink. All the leftovers were covered and put in the refrigerator. He moved to the couch and she sat beside him. “What do you want to watch?”

“I’m not picky.”

He opened his Netflix account and looked through the selections. “Comedy?”

“I like to laugh.”

He put on a movie with Steve Carrel then rested his arm over the back of the couch. She sat on the opposite end, her knees pulled to her chest. Bryce got up and grabbed a blanket then he covered her with it.

“Thank you.” She pulled it closer to her.

When he sat down, he moved to the seat right beside her. He crossed one leg at the knee.

She eyed him next to her, realizing this wasn’t normal. They never hung out like this, where he made her dinner and they watched a movie together. She tried to concentrate on the movie, laughing at the funny parts. Bryce seemed to be lost in the film.

When it was over, the credits moved across the screen.

“Did you like it?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think Steve Carrel is cute.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Like, hot cute?”

“No. Like, old man cute.”

He laughed. “Phew. I was going to say you have some weird taste.”

She laughed. “I’m sure some people find him attractive.”

“Yeah…old ladies.”

“He’s not even that old. I think he’s forty.”

“Maybe late forties.”

“That’s still not very old.”

He turned to her, smiling. “I’m twenty-six. Do you think I’m old?”

“Older than me.”

“But that’s good, right? I’m at the same maturity level.”

“Same?” She laughed. “I doubt it. The only guy I know who’s extremely mature is Thatcher. And that guy is an old soul.”

“I can be an old soul like him.” He gave her a serious look. “I’m deep and dreamy.”

“You like to eat peanut butter and strawberry milkshakes,” she said sarcastically.

“Yeah, I’m not a stereotype. I’m different. I walk my own path, even if it’s the opposite way everyone else is going.”

She leaned against the couch while she stared at him. The credits continued to move across the screen. The music played in the background. “I never thought you were a stereotype.”

“Good. Because I’m not. And neither are you.”

“The only person I know who’s a stereotype is my brother. He’s a typical lazy surfer dude.”

He shook his head. “I don’t agree with that. He’s changed a lot in the past year. Paola made him a different person.”

“Actually, I think Nancy did. But she prepared him for the real thing. But she landed Thatcher so she got the better guy of the two.”

He laughed. “You think Thatcher is better than Derek?”

“Is that a serious question?”

He smirked. “Everybody loves that guy. I want to hate him just to go against the current.”

“Impossible.”

“I’m a good guy too. No one hates me.”

“I’m sure some sharks do,” she teased.

“Those things are scared of me—and they should be.”

“If I’m ever drowning, I want you to save me.”

He winked. “And I’ll give you CPR.”

She laughed. “Even if I didn’t need it?”

“Any excuse to touch your lips with mine is good enough for me.” His eyes turned serious when he said it. He looked at her, not backing down.

Their conversation quickly changed from light-hearted to deep in a matter of seconds. Cheyenne couldn’t deny what she was thinking. It didn’t seem like they were hanging out as friends. Something was different.

“Cheyenne, I really like you. And I have for a long time.”

She processed his words, unsure what to say. Where was this three weeks ago? She asked him out and he turned her down. “I don’t understand…”

“When I blew you off it wasn’t because I wanted to…I just couldn’t say yes at the time.”

“And what changed? Did you have a girlfriend or something?”

“No, nothing like that. Actually, I’d rather not say.”

“But things are different now?”

He looked uncomfortable. “Not exactly…but when I found out you were seeing some guy I had to make my move.”

She didn’t know what to say. “I…I wished you had said something earlier.”

“Believe me, I do too.”

“I mean, now I’m seeing someone….”

“But it’s not serious, right? You aren’t exclusive.”

“No, but I’ve never dated two guys at once. It feels wrong…”

“Then dump him,” he blurted. “You even said yourself it would never go anywhere.”

She couldn’t do that. She was having fun with Gray. She didn’t want their time to end so suddenly. “I…I don’t want to.”

He tried to hide his disappointment but he couldn’t.

“Bryce, I’ve liked you for a while. I love hanging out with you. You’ve become such a close friend. But when you didn’t ask me out and then you rejected me…I just moved on. I’ve spent a lot of time with Gray and I don’t want to stop seeing him. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. This is all my fault and I know it is.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“So, this isn’t going to happen.”

He looked at her. “I don’t mind dating you even if you’re seeing him.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

“I know if you gave me a chance you would fall for me. And I’ll always be here, Cheyenne. I want something serious with you, something that’s going to last longer than a month. I’ve…been around…and I know what’s out there. I’m sick of that lifestyle and I want something serious, something true. I see Henry with Ren and I just…I want that—with you.

“I know you had a bad relationship with a guy that treated you like you were lower than dirt. I’ll make up for all of that. I’ll be the man that you should have had from the beginning. I’ll be everything you ever wanted. Just give me a chance.”

She was torn. These are the words she wanted to hear for months. But now she was conflicted. The relationship she had with Gray had grown and changed. She loved being around him. She didn’t want that to end. But she didn’t want to lose Bryce too. “I can’t do this unless you’re both okay with it. I’d feel like a liar if I wasn’t honest about it.”

“I understand. Does that mean you’ll go on a date with me?”

“I need to talk to Gray first.”

“What will that change?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He may end our arrangement altogether. I’m not sure.”

“So, that’s a yes? You’ll go out with me?”

She smiled. “Yeah, I guess so.”

He smirked. “Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”