No Regrets (8 page)

“I should splash them,” Ryan muttered. He almost sounded like he was talking to himself.

“Absolutely, mate.” Liam untangled my arms from his neck and dove toward Annie and Chris. Ryan followed.

“Guys,” I hissed, but they didn't even pause. “Don't do it! Leave them alone!”

They didn't listen, of course. Liam went first, and the wave he made ended up slapping Annie right in the face. She coughed and sputtered, but before she could recover Ryan and Liam both went to work on it, making saltwater rain down on the pair. Chris let out a few colorful words, then dove after Liam. Thankfully, Annie was grinning.

I swam over and wrapped my arms around Annie's neck once again. “I told them not to do it.”

“Them?” she said, her gaze trained on the guys.

“Liam and Ryan.” I rolled my eyes as Ryan and Liam swam farther into the ocean to get away from Chris. Seriously, these guys were idiots. “They think they're pretty funny.”

She stared after the guys for a few seconds, but she didn't look too disappointed about the missed opportunity. Briefly, I wondered if she and Chris had already kissed when our backs were to them. It didn't seem like it, though. I was pretty sure she would have told me. Maybe she just wasn't ready.

“Let's get dressed while they're busy,” Annie said, suddenly taking off toward the beach.

I kept my arms around her until my feet hit the ground, then ran through the waves to the sand. Getting dressed hadn't been my idea, but it seemed like the way to go. While I had no issue with Liam seeing me naked—and if it were up to me, I'd toss his clothes out for good—I didn't love the idea of being naked in front of Ryan. It was weird and creepy.

The saltwater had left a sticky film on my skin, and my clothes were covered in sand. When I pulled my dress on, every little grain stuck to me. I shook out my skirt, then shoved my underwear in my pocket. No way was I putting those on when they were covered in sand. Talk about chafing in a sensitive area. It would probably feel like wearing underwear made of sandpaper.

By the time Liam was heading my way, I was dressed. I'm sure Ryan and Chris were with him, but I had tunnel vision. All I could focus on was Liam in all his naked glory. Water beaded on his pale skin and ran down the curves of his muscled abs. I had the almost uncontrollable urge to lick them off.

“Did you and Liam have fun?” Annie asked, just as I was thinking about running my tongue down Liam's chest and over his stomach.

“Boy, did we. He may be a man-whore, but he sure knows what he's doing.” My knees wobbled just thinking about it.

Liam pulled his pants on and I let out a sigh. Some people shouldn't be allowed to wear clothes. It seemed like a crime against nature to cover all that up.

“What now?” Ryan asked. “We're staying out all night, right?”

Sadly, Liam pulled his shirt on too. His eyes met mine. He winked, and the look sent fire shooting through me.

I scooped my bra up off the ground and swung it over my head. “Hell yeah, we are!”

Liam's smile got bigger. He scooped me off the ground, then tossed me over his shoulder. I screamed and banged my fists against his back as he took off down the beach. He smacked me on the ass, then chuckled when I yelped. It was surprisingly hot. I wiggled against his shoulder, hoping he'd get the point and do it again. Any excuse to have his hands on me.

From out of nowhere, Annie jumped up and tackled Liam like she thought we were in the NFL. Liam grunted and went down, taking me with him. My skirt was practically up around my waist when I landed on top of Annie, and I had a hard time getting it down. It didn't help that my whole body was shaking with laughter.

“I think I broke something,” I said between laughs.

Annie groaned under me. “I think you're breaking me right now.”

She shoved me off her and I rolled right into Liam, who was stretched out on the sand at my side, grinning my way and looking totally sexy and relaxed. Now that my skirt was back in place, I was able to return his smile.

Chris and Ryan jogged up to join us, and Liam's smile faltered just a bit. He grabbed my hand and stood, pulling me up with him, then away from the group.

“Let's check out the pier,” he said.

I didn't look back as Liam led me away. The moon was out and the pier was just visible in the distance. My skin was still sticky and I was covered in sand that scratched me with every step I took, but all I could think about was kissing Liam again. On the beach, under the full moon. It sounded so romantic.

Liam dropped my hand and wiped his damp forehead. “Don't know if I'll ever get used to this humidity.”

“What's the weather like in England?”

“Wet and cool,” he said, glancing my way. It was too dark to get a good look at him, but even in the moonlight his eyes twinkled.

“It doesn't ever get warm?”

He chuckled and nudged me. “Warm, yes. Like a bloody oven, no.”

I laughed and kicked my foot through the sand. It sent hundreds of tiny grains flying. “Why'd you come to Charleston anyway? It seems like a pretty long distance to go for a degree.”

Liam looked away from me for the first time, then shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “It's a long story.”

“Well, I'm a good listener. I mean, I try hard to be. Although, I do tend to drift off. Sometimes I get so focused on what I want to say next, I forget I'm supposed to be listening. I get easily distracted by everything else going on in here.” I tapped the side of my head, then shook it. “Scratch that, I'm not a good listener.”

Liam chuckled and glanced toward me again. I loved the way he looked at me. Like he really saw me. “I like that about you. You know how to fill the silence and make it interesting.”

Funny thing was, I actually believed him. That was definitely a first. Usually guys pretended to be okay with it, but eventually got frustrated that they couldn't get a word in. Interesting fact about guys: they actually like to talk about themselves!

“I do like this, though.” Liam waved his hand toward the waves, lapping against the sand.

I couldn't disagree. The beach was one of my favorite places to be.

“I love living in Charleston. I can't imagine going anywhere else in the world,” I said, looking toward the dark ocean. “What about you? Will you go back to England when you're done with college, or will you stay here? You should stay. I mean, with that accent you can get laid any time you want here. In England you're just another guy. Not special in the least.”

“I'm not special? I beg your pardon, but I am a stand-out guy. I don't need the allure of an accent because I'm bloody brilliant at everything I do.”

“Everything?” I said, eyeing him suspiciously. Remembering the caress of his hand on my skin, I believed him.

“Everything,” he said with a nod. “Rugby, drinking, darts, picking up women.” He ticked them off on his fingers as we walked. We reached the pier and he turned to face me. “Kissing, as you well know.”

My stomach fluttered, but I kept my expression neutral. He wasn't lying about being a good kisser. I mean, after that mess with Mitch anyone would seem like a good kisser, but Liam was
bloody brilliant
.

Not that he needed any more hot air in that giant head of his.

“I couldn't say.” I shrugged and did my best to sound casual. “I mean, it was over so fast, there wasn't really time for me to absorb the whole thing.”

Liam cocked his head to the side and grinned down at me. In the moonlight he looked even more adorable than ever, and with the ocean beating against the shore right at his back, it felt like a moment right out of some steamy romance novel.

If only he would throw me down in the sand and demonstrate exactly how brilliant he was.

“I could take your word for it,” I said. “I mean, it's not like you'd want to try again or anything. Not with your mate Ryan right over there and—”

The words were squashed when Liam pressed his lips against mine. It was so unexpected I had to gasp for air. My palms pressed against his chest and he gripped my elbows. Then his hands slid up my arms until he cupped the back of my neck. He eased my mouth open with his, and his tongue slid across mine. My knees wobbled and my heart pounded so hard it drowned out every other noise. Even the waves. I had to lean into Liam to keep myself upright.

When he finally pulled away, I couldn't catch my breath. He didn't let me go and my hands were still pressed up against him. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest. He was just as out of breath as I was.

Liam brushed the hair off my shoulder, but the wind whipped it right back. It blew across my face and tickled my nose. I was frozen in place, though. I couldn't make myself move to push it away. All I could do was stare up into Liam's dark blue eyes and smile.

“Believe me now?” he asked.

A smile curled my lips, and even though I wanted to shout a very emphatic yes, I just shrugged. “I don't think you're as dashing as you think you are.”

He threw his head back and laughed, then planted a little kiss on my forehead that for some reason was almost as sexy as the one we'd shared just a few seconds before. “Yes, I am.”

Since I couldn't talk to Ryan about the whole party thing with Annie around, I headed over to his apartment one afternoon when I knew she had class. She'd mentioned meeting Chris afterwards, so I knew I had plenty of time to bang out a few details with my cousin. Assuming he'd go along with my brilliant plan. You just never knew with him.

When I got to the apartment building, someone else was already coming out, so I didn't have to press the buzzer. I was jittery with excitement when I knocked on the door, and it opened less than thirty seconds later.

Ryan frowned when he saw me standing there. “Cami? What are you doing here?”

He looked behind me like he expected to see someone else and his frown deepened. He looked disappointed. He hadn't exactly been expecting me, but I still thought I deserved a better greeting than that!

I could just hear Liam's voice over the TV, and the sound of it sent my heart into near cardiac arrest. We hadn't seen each other since the beach party, and I was just dying to pick up where we'd left off. Yet another reason to throw a party.

I pushed past Ryan and headed inside. “I needed to talk to you about something.”

Liam was pacing the living room with his phone held to his ear. He had a serious expression on his face and his eyebrows were pulled together. He looked mad. Like he was having an argument.

“Elisabeth said it wasn't like that, Mum. The guy's a tosser, but she said she was okay—” He stopped talking when he saw me standing there and frowned.

I smiled and gave a little wave, but he didn't return it. Instead he turned away and headed back toward his room. Geez. I wasn't used to people being so disappointed to see me.

Ryan threw himself down on the couch with a grunt. “What do you want, Cami?”

He had ESPN on and was barely looking at me. Getting his attention was going to be tough. I sat in the ratty old chair across from him and reached for the remote, but he yanked it away before I had a chance.

“I need to talk to you,” I said, sticking out my bottom lip.

Ryan didn't take his eyes off the TV. “I'm listening.”

“No, you're watching TV.” I glanced toward the hall Liam had just disappeared down, then looked back at Ryan. Why were they both in such a foul mood? “What's up with Liam?”

“Family stuff.” Ryan didn't take his eyes off the game. “What do you need?”

I sighed and rolled my eyes, but of course Ryan didn't react. Trying to get his attention during football season was pointless. He wasn't even watching a game! Just the highlights from a game he'd probably watched over the weekend. I didn't get guys and
Sports Center
. Who wanted to sit around and listen to people recap a game, anyway? Not me.

Since I wasn't going to be able to get his full attention, I decided to just go ahead with it. Maybe if he was distracted he'd say yes without thinking it through, just to get me to shut up. It was possible.

“So . . . Annie's birthday is coming up.” Ryan sat up and finally looked my way. I didn't have a clue why he was suddenly interested in listening to what I had to say, but I was glad to finally have his attention. “I wanted to have a big party for her. Here.”

His eyes narrowed and I squirmed. “What else?”

“How do you know there's something else?” I snapped.

“Because I know you, Cami. You don't just have parties for birthdays. What else do you want?”

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. Why did he always have to act like I was so predictable? “Fine. I want it to be a big deal because she's turning nineteen and her life has kind of sucked.”

Ryan frowned and leaned closer. “Sucked how?”

“You know. She doesn't get to do fun things thanks to her crazy overprotective dad. I just thought it would be nice to take her to brunch, then she and I could have a spa day. After that, I thought we'd have a nice lunch and go get our noses pierced before we came back here for a party. No big deal.” Ryan nodded and settled into the couch. I could tell he was chewing it over, so I decided to drop the bomb. “And . . . I need your help getting fake IDs for Annie and me.”

His eyebrows shot up and he shook his head. “No way. Out of the question, Cami.”

“Come on, Ryan,” I turned on my extra whiny voice so he'd be more likely to give in. “I'm just asking for this one thing!”

“You're asking for two things.”

I gave him my most scorching glare. There had to be a way to convince him to do this for me. “What's the big deal about having a party for Annie's birthday? You're her friend too, aren't you?”

An expression I couldn't quite read came over his face. It was like he felt sick or was trying to hide something from me. I'd never seen Ryan look like that before and it got me thinking. Were Annie and Ryan friends? I mean, Ryan liked everyone, but he was acting weird about this whole thing. It was almost like he didn't want to be around Annie. Which didn't make sense at all. Annie was as sweet as my mama's homemade peach pie.

Ryan let out a big sigh and his face relaxed; then he nodded. “The party isn't a big deal. Of course I'm Annie's friend, and of course I want her to have a good birthday.”

All my questions evaporated as a surge of triumph shot through me. I beamed at my cousin and sat up straight. “Thank you!”

“But the ID . . .” Ryan shook his head
again
. “I don't feel comfortable with that.”

My smile turned upside down. “You had a fake ID when you were nineteen.”

“You're not nineteen, and I don't know if you're responsible enough.”

My face got hot and my hands clenched into fists on their own. I hated it when Ryan talked to me like I was a little kid. I swear he still thought of me as a five-year-old! He'd always been my protector, my big cousin who had stood up for me when the bully on the school bus pulled my pigtails. It was endearing when we were little, but we weren't kids anymore. I wanted to be treated like an adult.

“Annie will be nineteen,” I said through clenched teeth. “And even if you think I'm a total screw-up, you have to know
she's
responsible.”

Ryan gave me a little smile that looked only slightly guilty, but it was enough to help ease some of my anger. Like I said, I could never stay mad at him.

“I don't think you're a total screw-up, Cami. I just think sometimes you don't realize there are consequences for your actions. I want you to be more responsible.”

The words stung more than they should have. He wasn't referring to Julie, but that was all I could think about. Ryan had been with me when Julie's parents ordered me out of her hospital room. He'd held me when I cried and he'd called them all kinds of names I've never heard him use before or since. He'd tried his best to convince me I wasn't to blame for what happened to Julie.

I never really believed it, though.

“I'm responsible.” My voice sounded small and meek, nothing like me. I wasn't sure if I was trying to tell him I was a responsible person, or that I was responsible for what had happened to Julie.

Ryan sighed and scooted across the couch so he was closer to me. “That's not what I meant, Cami.”

I stared down at my clenched hands, unable to meet his gaze. A burning had started in my throat as tears tried to force their way to my eyes, but I refused to let them out. “I know.”

Ryan exhaled and leaned back. “I worry about you, that's all. You've been in this self-destructive phase since the accident, and I don't want you to do something you'll regret.”

“My goal in life is to have no regrets,” I said, trying to sound like the old me. The me who wasn't swimming in guilt and self-doubt.

“You can still be safe and careful and have no regrets.”

He had a point. Ryan seemed pretty satisfied with himself, and he was so squeaky clean he'd be able to run for president one day if he wanted to. No way would the tabloids be able to dig up dirt on Ryan.

“ Cami.”

I finally tore my eyes away from my hands, and he patted the couch next to him. My legs trembled when I stood, but sinking into that ratty couch and curling up next to Ryan helped. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I tucked my feet under me. I leaned my head against his chest and we sat in silence. Ryan watched TV while I focused on the security his closeness gave me. As usual, it helped ease the pain and guilt.

Maybe twenty minutes passed like that before Ryan patted my arm. I sat up and he smiled. “Okay,” he said, sitting up. “How about this? I will get you the ID if you promise you'll only use it when I'm with you. If something happened to you, I'd feel responsible. Understand?”

The triumph of winning helped the happy Cami surface. I smiled and nodded even though I had absolutely no intention of keeping my side of the promise. Ryan was overreacting as usual. There was no way I could get into trouble going to a club and ordering a few drinks. I wasn't a moron.

“Fine.” He stood up and started to stretch. “I need to go for a run. What are you doing tonight?”

I swiped the remote off the couch and pulled up the guide. “Nothing. Annie's out with Chris.”

He didn't move, and when I finally tore my eyes away from the TV, that strange expression was back on his face. He looked like he was going to be sick or something.

“Are you okay?”

He blinked, then shook his head like he was trying to clear his thoughts. “Yeah. I'll be back in a bit. We'll order a pizza or something.”

I shrugged and went back to the guide as he headed for the door. Ryan was probably still feeling guilty about agreeing to get me the fake ID. When it came to Ryan and his conscience, I always pictured one of those cartoons where there was an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. Except in Ryan's case, the devil was taking a nap most of the time.

Pitch Perfect
was about to start on HBO, so I flipped it on and settled back into the couch. The thing may have been secondhand, but it sure was cozy.

Anna Kendrick was in the middle of performing her little cup song when Liam walked into the room behind me. “What the hell are you watching?”

I turned to face him, and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. He wasn't smiling, which was a first. Liam seemed to always be in a good mood.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, tearing his eyes away from me. “Thought you were Ryan.” He turned toward the TV and frowned. The new Bellas were all lined up, ready to drink the blood of their sisters. “But what the bloody hell are you watching?”

“
Pitch Perfect
,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Don't judge. It's funny.”

He stared at the TV for a few seconds, then looked back at me. “Ryan around?”

“Went for a run. We're going to order pizza when he gets back.”

Liam shuffled his feet as if he was uncomfortable. After a few seconds, he turned and headed for the kitchen. “I'm going to get a beer.”

“Get one for me!” I called after him.

He didn't answer, but I had no doubt he was going to get me one, so I went back to watching the movie.

When he came back, he handed me the beer without a word. I flashed him a dazzling smile as I took it, but he didn't even look at me. Then he sat in the chair, which was as far away from me as he could possibly get. Everything with Ryan and Liam felt off today.

I eyed Liam suspiciously, but his gaze was glued to the TV. It didn't really look like he was watching it, though. It was more like he was avoiding looking my way, which didn't make any sense at all considering what had happened at the beach house. Liam didn't really seem to be the type of guy to feel uncomfortable around a girl after they'd fooled around. Especially a girl who knew his reputation and wasn't concerned about it.

“Everything okay?” I asked after about fifteen minutes of awkward silence. Well, not total silence. The room was full of music, thanks to the movie.

Liam gave me a curt nod. “Smashing.” He made a face that looked as if he'd tasted something bitter, then took a drink of his beer.

“Somehow, you don't sound very convincing.” I took a sip of my own beer and frowned. “Fight with your mom?”

His eyes snapped toward me and for once the blue wasn't adorable and welcoming. More like ice. “That's none of your business, Cami. I'm not your bloody boyfriend.”