Chapter Sixteen
TRAIN
Igrabbeda beer out of the cooler off the back deck of my parents’ beach house, which overlooked the Atlantic. I’d gotten permission from my old man to use the place. He was in the process of renovating the sprawling structure, but the only room that was torn up at the moment was the upstairs master bedroom, which was off-limits. The rest of the house was intact but with minimal furniture, which for a high school party was perfect.
Music pumped out of the large speakers that Austin and I had set up on the deck. The neighbors on both sides of us were far enough away that they wouldn’t hear super loud music, not with the waves crashing along the shore.
I took a swig of beer as I watched a group of girls below me on the sand sway their hips to Coldplay. I searched the rest of the crowd for one girl in particular, but I came up empty. I’d invited Montana, and she’d confirmed with me in computer class on Friday after we handed in our report that she had gotten approval from her mom.
Overall, I’d had a great week. Nina hadn’t been in my face, and I’d spent most of the time practicing football. We’d even won our game last night. The only thorn I had stuck in my side was Ferris. He’d asked Montana to the ball. I didn’t know whether she’d said yes or not, and I hadn’t asked. Part of me didn’t want to know. The other part of me wanted to shove Ferris’s spiked head into a toilet.
Austin ponied up to me with a beer in his hand. “Man, Montana’s here.”
I quickly scanned the beach, the patio, and the living room behind me. “Where?”
“Down, boy,” he said. “I thought you swore off girls.”
“Shut up.”
He held up his hands and gave me one of his smirks that saidI knew you couldn’t go without a girl. “Tonight might be a perfect night for you to make your move, then.”
“Maybe to talk.” Hell, there wouldn’t be any talking between Montana and me.
“Fuck talking,” Austin ground out. “Look at her.”
At that moment, she glided up to Elvira and Reagan as though the sand beneath her bare feet were ice. Her hair was up and off her shoulders. The blue bikini top revealed the swell of her breasts, and the frayed short shorts hung low on her hips. My balls were officially blue. I grinned because she’d worn the blue bikini. When I’d mentioned that she should wear it, I was expecting her to return a sarcastic comment likeIn your dreams. I’m not wearing that.
I downed half my beer to clear the dryness in my throat. “You might be right. Talking is overrated.”
Elvira handed Montana a beer.
“Put your tongue back in your mouth,” Austin said at my ear.
I couldn’t. I was finding that Montana had the perfect makeup of beauty, confidence, and attitude. My mom had always said a girl should have beauty inside and out, they should carry themselves as though they could fight off an army of men, and they should have an attitude that could adapt to anything on a dime. Montana certainly measured up to my mom’s advice, unlike Nina.
As if my mind had conjured up Nina, she appeared with her cousin Drew. I growled.
“Easy, dude,” Austin said. “You knew she would be here.”
“I didn’t invite her.”
Austin swigged his beer. “Seriously? It’s a high school party. Tell one, and the whole fucking school shows up.”
I stifled a growl and the urge to jump off the deck and escort Nina right the fuck off the premises. But those thoughts floated out with an ocean wave when Montana ran a hand down her chest as though she was wiping something off. The innocent act jolted every muscle in me until, out of the darkness, Ferris sauntered over to the ladies. He proceeded to drape an arm around Montana, who smiled at him.
What the fuck?Maybe she had said yes to his offer. Maybe they were officially dating. I fisted my hands at my sides.So much for a great fucking week.I was deciding what my next move would be, when Montana giggled at Ferris.
“You might be too late,” Austin said. “Ferris seems to have garnered your girl’s attention.”
It was time to get my ass in gear and snag the girl who’d rocked my world since she’d shown up to class on the first day of school. The same girl had my stomach in knots, had me jerking off in my shower every morning, and had me practically running to school each day to see what tango we would dance to. My problem, though—I wasn’t sure I could trust another girl again.
Austin gripped my shoulder. “As your best friend, I’m telling you to go down there and hang out with Montana. Take the bull by the horns and live a little.”
Montana shrugged out of Ferris’s arm, peered up at me, and gave me one of her ball-tightening smiles. At the same time, Nina joined their group.
Derek came up on the other side of me. “What’s cooking?”
“Numbnuts here is still a pansy-ass and afraid to ask Montana out,” Austin said.
