Page 43 of Never Tear Us Apart

I’m about to answer Cal’s question, when I see a horde of Elmhurst kids make their way down to the beach. I sit up as they stroll down to the water’s edge as if they own the place, coolers and blankets in hand.

“What’s wrong?” Jake follows my gaze.

I nod in the direction of the polished mass. “They aren’t supposed to be here.”

Jake swings his head in my direction. “So you weren’t kidding about the whole locals only thing?”

“No,” I reply with a firm shake of my head. “The rich have their beach, and the locals have theirs.”

“Maybe they’re with someone?” he suggests. “Or on the approved list, like you.”

“No way, man. See those two?” I point at a tall brunette in a red bikini, and a guy of the same hair color and height, wearing matching board shorts. “That’s Courtney and Dex Webster. Their dad is the mayor back in Elmhurst. If entitlement and asshole had a kid and then split it in half, you’d have them. They’re twins and the absolute worst.”

Jake spits out his beer. “Shit, they’re siblings?”

“Yep.” I take a swig of my beer.

“They don’t look like siblings.” Jake leans in closer, lowering his voice. “I mean, the blood related kind.”

He looks over as if to say, ‘check that out,’ and when I do, I get the point he’s trying to make. Dex has his hand on his sister’s hip possessively, and she is snuggled close to his side.

They were always together in school. Always close and touching. I thought it was a twin thing, but with time it looks, I don’t know, off.

A few more folks arrive. The first is a girl, holding two paper bags, wearing a baseball cap and a pair of cutoff shorts and T-shirt. And the second is—

“Shit.” Jake straightens, taking the word right out of my mouth. It’s Ellery and the girl with the bags in her hands is her friend from the party.

Jake says something as her friend sets the bags down, but I don’t hear. Royce has just come up behind Ellery and put both hands on her hips. My heart pounds, and the sound of bloodwhooshing in my ears, cuts off all sound.

She looks up at him over her shoulder and smiles and every muscle on me tightens.

He drops his hands, and steps back, and when I see her reaching for the button of her cut offs, I stop breathing. God, fuck, I hope she’s not…

The thought is cut off as she wiggles her shorts down, then lifts her shirt overhead, and stands there in a Body Glove bikini.

Now I know what she meant the night of the party when she said her suit covered less skin.

The pink and yellow one piece with the cutouts on the sides that drove me wild the summer we were together was nothing compared to the two-piece she’s wearing now. The black bottoms cut high on her hips, and the top, which looks like a bra, has a zipper that’s pulled down halfway, and she looks absolutely incredible.

Dex hits Royce on the shoulder and leans in and whispers something in his ear, to which both turn their heads and look at Ellery. Seeing them eye her like she’s a piece of meat, I toss my bottle down and start to push up from the chair.

“Oh no.” Jake grabs hold of my arm and stops me. “You’re staying right here.”

“Let me go,” I ground out.

“Dude…” He grabs my arm tighter and leans in. “Don’t make a scene.”

I flick my eyes to his, and swallow down the heat in my chest. “She can’t—”

“Don’t,” he cuts me off and leans in, getting into my line of sight. “You’ll only make an ass of yourself and say something you’ll regret.”

I look back to Ellery. She’s twisting her long hair over her shoulder and laughing with Jenica. She looks so happy it hurts.

“Cruz.” Jake leans in even closer, voice low so only I can hear.“You look like someone that’s about to mark his territory so I suggest you sit back and chill the fuck out.”

I look at him and know he’s right. I can’t do or say what I want to. But Ellery bringing them here…it’s a betrayal. And not to the locals, but us.

This was our place and it pisses me off she’s brought them here because she hated them in school just as much as I did. But I guess a lot of things have changed since I left. Still, I hate knowing everything I did to keep their hooks out of her was all for nothing.

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