Page 59 of Liar
Honestly though, I didn’t care what Ash wore. I didn’t think any of us did.
I let her take the front seat with Will, sitting in the middle in the back, mostly watching her as we drove. Will followed Sawyer’s fancy sportscar, and before night fell, we arrived at our destination. Our own little cabin in Beacon Hills.
A one-story cabin, its outside made of wooden logs. It sat on stilts, built high off the ground. A garage sat beside it, although you could pull your car directly beneath the cabin, too. Ash was the first one to leap from the car, and as she looked all around in the dying daylight, she spoke one word.
“Rustic.”
I grinned as I got out, as Will turned the car off. I stood beside her, studying the area. Surprisingly, I’d never been here, but Dad never liked taking Will and I places after Mom…died. From our cabin, you couldn’t see anyone else’s; there had to be acres between this cabin and the neighbors. Tons of trees, both evergreen and pine, standing tall towards the darkened sky. I could imagine not much sun got through their mix of branches during the day. There was no grass around; the ground was simply a mix of pine needles and old, dried leaves and sticks.
Oh, and dirt. Lots and lots of dirt.
The nicer areas were where the attractions were. This place had ziplining, tour-given nature hikes, and even swimming lessons in the lake. I had no idea if we planned on doing any of them this week or simply relaxing, but you know what? I didn’t care. It was good to just get away. To be able to breathe air that wasn’t on Hillcrest.
To focus on us.
As Will went to the back of the car and started to unload the suitcases, Travis and Sawyer got out of their car. Sawyer was quick to move and stand near Ash, while Travis headed up the few wooden steps to the cabin’s front door, where a lockbox sat. Within a moment, he had the key.
“Nature,” Sawyer mused, a twinkle in his eye. “I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t like it.”
Ash swatted his side, and he jerked away from her.
We carried our luggage inside. The cabin had five bedrooms, though they were all about as large as Ash and mine’s dorm room. They fit double beds, a dresser, a closet, and not much else. Two bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room, along with a deck in the back of the cabin, off one of the bedrooms. Every room was decorated similarly: with bare wooden furnishings, some metal decor to break up all of the wood.
It…definitely was a certain style you had to like to enjoy, but I didn’t care either way. As long as Ash was in the cabin with us, I couldn’t care less what the cabin itself looked like.
Sawyer chose the room right across the hall from Ash’s. As in, their doors, when open, were less than five feet apart. The closest room to hers, but no one argued. Everyone else, I think, was just trying to grow accustomed to this new place, to the woodsy, forest scent filling the air.
I chose the room right next to hers, while Travis took the one beside Sawyer. Will was on my other side, the furthest from Ash, but to my surprise, my brother didn’t complain.
Ash popped herself out the back, emerging onto the deck that overlooked the woods in the backyard, the trees between the cabin and the lake. From what Travis said, the lake was a short distance away. One by one we filed outside with her, and all eyes were on her as she breathed in deeply.
She had a spell over each and every one of us. I didn’t know how it happened, but it did. Somehow, Ashley Bonds had found herself in our hearts, and none of us could deny her or push her away. Not anymore. Why else would we all agree to see her at the same time? When guys liked the same girl, wasn’t there always a choice?
“Let’s go see the lake,” Ash suggested, tossing us a smile.
Not a single one of us could deny her. Travis took the lead, heading down the side steps of the deck, Ash directly behind him. Then it was Sawyer and Will, me in the rear. As we walked, I couldn’t help but get lost in my own head, wondering what our future would be like.
I wasn’t naive enough to think this would last forever. Did I want it to? Of course. I couldn’t stomach the thought of losing Ash, especially if she ever suddenly decided she loved one of us more than the others. I never wanted to wake up one morning and not have her with me, to only have her memory. It hurt my heart to think that I could possibly live the rest of my life without her after Hillcrest.
Some people would call me obsessed. Some would call me whipped. I didn’t care. I knew without a doubt I loved this girl with all of my heart, and I would never not love her. Even if she left me, I’d always love her.
After a short hike, we arrived at the famous Beacon Lake. Its waters were clear, its beach made mostly of small rocks and sand that had been brought in. A few docks sat around the lake’s circumference, though the lake really took up all your eyes could see. I had no idea how big it was across, or how many cabins had access to it. Under the moonlight and the stars, it seemed like no one else was out. The world was almost too quiet, too peaceful and calm.
Or maybe that was just me, after everything that happened. You didn’t get over what happened so easily.
“I can’t wait to see it during the daytime,” Ash spoke, taking a step towards the water. The four of us stood, huddled together, and she tossed a look over her shoulder at us. “Who’s up for some skinny dipping?”A grin sat on her lips, the air a bit chilly but nowhere as cool as it had been two months ago.
Will and I only looked at each other, neither one of us jumping to join in. The air was cool, though it wasn’t exactly uncomfortable. The water had to be a few degrees cooler than the air, which was too cold for me, I thought.
“Skinny dipping?” Sawyer echoed, letting out an incredulous chuckle, paired with his usual smirk. “No, thanks. I don’t want my dick bitten off by a turtle, or a snake, or whatever the fuck else is in that water—” It was as Sawyer was going on about getting his cock nibbled at when Travis stepped forward and took off his shirt, revealing his tattooed, lean torso. “Is everyone around here a kiss ass but me?”
Travis was busy taking off his shoes, and then his pants, and Ash turned to grin at him. She untied her shoes first, peeled off her socks and threw them at the offending Sawyer. Her fingers toyed with the button on her jeans. “Don’t lie, Sawyer. We all know you’d love to kiss this ass.” And then she pulled down her pants, her panties, and flashed us her ass.
A rumble left Sawyer’s chest. “She’s not wrong,” he admitted in a whisper, watching as she tore off her shirt and her bra. Together, she and Travis walked into the lake, laughing about how cold it was.
Will gently touched my elbow, causing me to look at him. “I’m going to head back to the cabin. Might try to get an early night. I’m tired.” He gave me a smile before leaving, and Sawyer and I watched him go, though soon enough both of our attention was back on the two in the water.
No longer a quiet, silent night. Ash was too busy throwing herself at Travis in the water and telling him to warm her up. Which, by the look of his tattooed arms wrapping around her back, I assumed he would.
