Wet: Part 1 (21 page)

The second the words were out of her mouth, she backtracked in horror. She couldn’t believe she’d just said it out loud. She reached up to put her hand on his cheek, she wanted—
needed
to take back the sting, the look on his face, but he took a step back. He smirked and bent forward, resting his hands on his knees like he needed to catch his breath. He laughed, but not his usual laugh. It sounded darker, the sound of acceptance.

“I’m sorry,” she cried.

“I thought you were supposed to mean it when you say that.” He straightened himself. His face had taken on a stoic expression.

She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. “I am. It didn’t come out the way—”

They both turned to see Tracy and Regina come around the yard below. Paul smiled, but she didn’t like the look of it. Rhees couldn’t bear his expression. She’d never intended to be so cruel.

Tracy and Regina arrived at the top of the stairs to find them staring at each other, and there was an awkward moment of silence.

“Is that my beer?” Regina glanced at the empty beer bottles next to the chairs.

Rhees sighed loudly and closed her eyes. She didn’t need Regina’s paranoia ruining any possibility she might have to apologize to Paul.

“Paul left money in the fridge. He more than paid for what we drank.”

“No problem. That is what it is there for,” Regina said sweetly, looking in Paul’s direction. Tracy shot Regina a shocked glance. 

“Do you guys know what time it is?” Tracy finally asked to break the awkward silence hanging in the air. “It’s three in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Paul said. “I’d better get home, see if I can get a couple hours of sleep. That is . . . unless Taye’s in the middle of an orgy. We all
know
I wouldn’t be able to resist joining in on
that
.” He glanced at Rhees and even though he gave her a crooked grin, she could see how deeply she’d hurt him. His eyes never lied. He winked before he turned and walked down the stairs.

Rhees threw her hands over her face and started to cry. She ran into her bedroom and slammed the door before Tracy and Regina could interrogate her about what Paul was doing there, why they had drunk so much of Regina’s beer, and why she cried. She couldn’t talk about it. She just wanted to take it all back.

Chapter 20

T
he next day Rhees couldn’t bring herself to get to the shop until the afternoon. She cried and worried herself sick about the night before, agonizing over her mistake. She still remembered the last time she’d turned Paul down. She considered the possibility of him retaliating and the consequences she’d have to endure because of it. She managed to brush that concern aside. She understood him better now. She cared about him. She’d hurt him, and wished she could take her words back—find a better way to explain her feelings—but she couldn’t.

She finally pulled herself together around noon but then waited for the swelling in her eyes to go down. Facing Paul would be hard enough, but she didn’t want to endure the questions everyone else would surely ask the second they saw her. 

When she showed up, Claire told her he’d gone out. He’d said he had an errand to run and wouldn’t be gone long. Rhees wanted to pump Claire for information about his state of mind but didn’t dare ask. She didn’t want to explain it to anyone, not even Claire, but she took it as a good sign that he hadn’t killed anyone that morning. Someone would have said something.

She went out to her usual spot at the end of the deck and sat down to wait. She curled up, wrapping her arms around her shins, and rested her head on her knees, thinking about what she could say to him.

Someone sat next to her, very close.

“Paul, I need—”

“That’s right, beautiful. Tell me what you need and I’ll take care of it for you.” She wanted to smack Taylor for always being so crude.

“You’re in my personal space. Get out.”

“You and Paul had a very exciting night.”

Rhees rolled her eyes, feigning disinterest, but inside, her mind raced.
What had Paul told Taylor?

“He tells me everything.” Somehow she knew he lied. “Nah, all I know is that he wasn’t interested in my offering when he finally came home last night.” Taylor watched to see how she’d react, searching for clues. “Don’t hold it against me for trying, although you’re welcome to hold your body against me anytime you want.”

Rhees thought of Paul’s comment about orgies and didn’t respond to Taylor’s comment, but it pleased her to hear that Paul hadn’t accepted.

“You know,” Taylor’s grey eyes dazzled, dancing with excitement. “Paul and I are very close. We don’t mind sharing. We share all the time.”

She glared at him incredulously, the pleasure she’d felt only a second before completely gone. “There’s nothing to share. Paul and I aren’t—haven’t—” She didn’t know why she was telling him. “Leave me alone, Taylor.”

He erupted in laughter. “I know you’re a virgin. It’s not a secret on the island. Ask a few questions and you can learn a person’s life story here.”

She exhaled.

“That’s got to be the only reason he’s so invested and so stingy with you. I’ve never known him to be greedy—not with me. He loves me, you know. He’d do just about anything for me . . . except
share you
, apparently.” Taylor sounded bothered by that. “Paul has this need to watch out for the people he cares about. But he has a tendency to take that responsibility a little too seriously. People can take care of themselves, but he loses track of that sometimes. The more he cares, the more he loses track.

“I think that’s why he bought this shop and left the real world behind. People come and go here, leaves fewer to care about. Life’s more manageable for him now, I think. I’m not sure what would have happened if he hadn’t gotten away. The pressure—no one can handle that kind of pressure.” Taylor never took his eyes off of her, as if waiting for any signal to jump on, to give him a reason to read something, anything, into her relationship with Paul.

“I’m happy for him,” he continued. “I’m happy to see him happier—that’s not the right word. Accepting, maybe. But something’s changed. I noticed it almost as soon as I got here. He’s different and I couldn’t tell if it’s a good different or a bad different—until last night. Paul always says, ‘I’ll fix it.’ I finally have a chance to try and help
him
for a change, but I can’t fix it if I don’t know what needs to be fixed. You need to tell me what happened.”

“If Paul didn’t tell you himself, it’s not my place.”

“My protective instincts aren’t as strong as his, but I love him right back. We’ve been friends for most of our lives. That makes us practically brothers. This isn’t like him. I don’t like it.”

“What isn’t like him? And nothing happened last night, at least I didn’t mean . . .” Rhees’ voice trailed off. She couldn’t explain what happened, not to Taylor. She wasn’t sure she could explain it to Paul—
anyone
. She took several deep breaths to stave off a panic attack. 

“But you do know what’s wrong.”

She didn’t answer. She didn’t know what to do or say.

“Undo it! Get him back to the Paul I know and love, my brother, my partner in crime.”

“Taylor, I would give anything if only I could.”

Taylor smirked. “Give him your virginity then. That’s the problem, isn’t it? You’re dangling it over him, like a carrot on a stick.”

She gasped. “No, I would never—” She had to take a second to catch the breath he’d knocked out of her.

“Actually, give it to me. That would get him over it faster. He’s used to me taking all his girls. No more carrot, no more leading him around by the nose.” One corner of his mouth went up as he watched the revulsion sweep across her face. He leaned in to gaze into her eyes. “I think I could fall
so
in love with you, beautiful. Do you feel it, the chemistry between us? Give me a chance. We owe it to ourselves to see where this can go.”

“You are really a piece of work.”

“You’ll love how great my piece works, but not as much as I could love you. I’m sorry, that was crude. I can’t control my manners sometimes, but honestly, you’re just the kind of girl I’ve been searching for. I was so jealous last night—all through dinner, watching you look at him. I couldn’t stand it. I wanted you to look at
me
like that. I’m falling for you. Do you think there’s any possibility you could ever feel that way about me?”

He sounded so sincere, he’d rendered her speechless. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, wondering if he was mentally ill.

“I could love you, Rhees,” he said, gazing into her eyes, the earnest look in his—he must have been able to tell she didn’t believe a word he’d said because he finally dropped the act. “Well, at least I’m not afraid to say the L-word.”

Rhees snorted out an incredulous laugh.

“My point is, you’ll never hear Paul say it.” Taylor looked her over as if gauging her response. “I think you’ll want him to, but you’re wasting your time—never going to happen.”

“I don’t—we’re just friends.” 

“Keep telling yourself that.” They sat quietly for a few seconds. “So taking love out of the equation, what do you say? Let’s have sex and put the poor boy out of his misery so he can get back to normal.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Yes, I am. And Paul is usually disgusting with me, but you’re ruining everything.” Taylor took advantage of the bewildered stupor he’d put her in and leaned into her, breathed on her neck. She froze at the contact, literally became immobile, long enough for him to skim his lips from the base of her throat up to her ear. Two seconds later—it felt more like two hours in her mind, she finally gathered her wits and leaped up, away from him.

“Excuse me, but this conversation is making me sick. I’m going to go throw up.” She walked off to the bathroom.

Taylor grinned as he watched her walk away until he noticed Paul at the other corner of the deck, looking shocked to find his best friend getting cozy with Rhees. He knew what Paul thought—he was wrong, but only because Rhees didn’t play along. Taylor decided to take matters into his own hands. He hopped to his feet.

“Hey! Wait for me,” he called and took off after her. Rhees had already locked herself in the bathroom and didn’t realize what he’d done. Taylor removed his T-shirt and set it in the small, open window of the bathroom.

“Someone’s in here!” Rhees snapped. She leaned against the door, trying to compose herself, so it didn’t really matter if someone decided to use the window sill as a personal shelf. She just wanted to be left alone.

Taylor took a second to rethink what he was doing and shrugged. He slinked around the corner and hid in the compressor room. He felt bad about it, but in his heart, he believed he was doing Paul a favor.

oOo

Paul finished his errand and made it back to the shop, hoping to finally catch a glimpse of Rhees. So far he hadn’t had any luck. He checked his watch again. Two o’clock. She’d never stayed away from the shop so long. He’d dropped two cases of beer off at her apartment, wanting to pay Regina back for what he drank the night before, but it also gave him what he thought was a good excuse to see Rhees. He struck out there too. He never did figure out what he’d say to her if he found her at home, but he didn’t. Now he worried about her more than before.

He poked his head in the office to ask Claire if she’d seen Rhees, but the room sat empty. A note taped to Claire’s computer monitor said she’d be back in ten minutes. He headed around the building to the deck. He walked around the corner just in time to see Taylor getting cozy on the far corner—with Rhees. Paul’s reflex reaction was to head the other direction, fast. He didn’t want to see it, but he couldn’t move. He stood, watching, trying to remember how to move his legs and draw air into his lungs.

Rhees walked off and Taylor watched until he turned to see Paul standing there, gaping. Taylor jumped up and took off after her.

Taylor just gave me the look. That nauseating look that says, I win.
Paul had to lean against the wall to catch his breath. It didn’t make sense. Why would she fall for Taylor?
He’s as bad as I am!

“That’s right, it
doesn’t
make sense
.”
Paul made his way to the other corner and peered around, hoping to see he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. He refused to believe it, believe she was like that. He knew she wasn’t, but he knew Taylor too well. He’d probably professed his love . . .

“Oh God.” Paul looked up toward heaven.
Taylor promised to marry her. She’s too naïve, too trusting to know he’d just fed her a line.

The bathroom door was closed . . . Taylor’s shirt hung out the window. Paul leaned against the wall again and felt sick. He had to bend over and rest his hands on his knees for a minute before he found the strength to walk away. He slipped into the gear room. No one wanted to be in the hot, dark space that time of the day. He could be alone, the perfect place to think for a second.

“Damn it, Taylor.” He shook his head. Rhees falling for Taylor—the one man who would hurt him, cut him the deepest.

He heard a whimper and recognized the voice.

“Seriously?” He looked up to heaven again in quiet prayer. Not only did he have to know about it, he had to hear it happening?

He turned to leave the gear room, escape before the sound—too late—was forever etched in his brain. But he could spare himself from hearing more to have to remember. He heard more before he made it safely away. Something didn’t fit. He couldn’t help it. He reluctantly moved closer to the equipment room wall that connected with the bathroom. He didn’t want to hear it, but he had to know. He quietly pushed his way through the BCs that hung above, climbed over all the fins on the floor, trying to get as close as he could. Another moan.

“No.” He changed his mind. He turned to get out of there, away from it. He didn’t want to know after all. He tripped on the fins stacked on the floor and landed on his butt with a thud.

He closed his eyes, cursing under his breath. Surely they’d heard him. They would know he’d been snooping, spying on them. The sounds from the bathroom didn’t stop. Rhees was crying.

He put his ear against the wall just as she moaned again but the sound quickly muffled, as if someone—Taylor?—had thrown a hand over her mouth. Paul shuddered. She wept softly, quietly like she didn’t want anyone to hear, but why didn’t Taylor stop? She wasn’t enjoying it—what kind of man wouldn’t stop?
Taylor?
He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t heard with his own ears.

Paul jerked away from the wall and fumbled over the equipment, trying to get out so he could kill his childhood friend, but the fins moved and slipped beneath him, impeding his objective, again. In that split-second, his inability to move as fast as he wanted to, she murmured something about wishing she could have a do-over.

He quieted and stopped trying to get to her. He sat and listened with a new understanding.

“I’m sorry, Paul, I didn’t mean it.” Not the kind of sweet nothings a woman whispers into a man’s ear—a man named Taylor, and definitely not what she’d say while being forced.

He would have collapsed with relief if he hadn’t already fallen on the floor. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. He finally crawled out of the mess and made his way around to the bathroom.

He could still hear the faint sounds of her sobs, now that he knew what to listen for. He grimaced, wished she’d stop wasting her tears on him. He grabbed Taylor’s shirt from the window sill and stared at it.

“That bastard,” he mumbled. “Taye!” he yelled this time, wondering where his
friend,
the jerk, had slinked off to. He wondered how Taye had managed to rattle his cage so easily. “Surf’s up!”

Rhees’ crying paused. She’d heard him too and he turned expectantly, hoping she’d open the door—hoping she would, but he knew she wouldn’t want him to see she’d been crying.

“Taye!” he yelled again to flush the scoundrel out from hiding. He had to give her the time she needed.

From the bathroom, Rhees heard the commotion that only lasted a few minutes before the motor of the Porgy roared to life and sped away. She felt a little better knowing Paul had gone surfing. At least he acted like everything was fine. Someone knocked on the door.

“Are you going to be much longer? I have to go.” It was Ulla. Rhees wiped her eyes and cheeks with the hem of her shirt.

“Um, yeah. Just another sec.”

Rhees made it into the office and worked on Dailies for a while. She knew Paul had gone surfing, but it drove her crazy, waiting for him to get back.

“Did Paul go surfing?” she asked, hoping Claire knew how long they would be.

“Yeah. Rick said the surf was pretty gnarly today, duude. They went to catch some waves.” Claire laughed at her attempt to impersonate a surfer bum.

“Did he say how long they’d be?” Rhees didn’t even notice Claire’s joke.

“Okay, what’s wrong?”