Page 27 of Unveiled Wishes

“Yeah, Em’s my partner.” I sat up and clapped my hands, getting rid of the bread crumbs.

“Does she know that?” Cyph snorted.

“I am staking my claim before anyone else does.” I turned my hat backwards, getting ready to tell my partner what I had done.

“That’s the way it’s done, lover boy.”

“What would you know about it? You’ve brought no one home to meet the family.” I laughed, using Op’s words from earlier. Thinking about it, I couldn’t even pinpoint a rumor that involved Cyph.

“Strippers are one step up from club girls. You don’t bring them home.”

“You could. No one would say anything.” It was common knowledge that Cyph liked when the strippers came to party at the club.

“Nah, I am good. I prefer to watch other people crash and burn.” He raised his eyes to look at me over his glasses.

“Hear you loud and clear.” I stood and walked over to where Em and How were laying in the sun. “Don’t tell me you tan, How.” I kicked his bare foot with mine, jiggling him.

“I just had lunch. Don’t shake me,” he groaned, shielding his eyes with his arm.

“Cyph is drawing the brackets for volleyball.” I waited for my words to sink in.

How sat straight up, turned his hat around, and told Em that they had to win.

“Got to be quicker than that. I already signed us up. Em’s my partner.” She wasn’t looking, so I gave How a toothy grin. His eyes shifted over to her. Making sure she wasn’t paying attention, he gave me a thumbs up.

“I need a partner,” he yelled, running over to the rest of the group.

I sat down on his towel and waited.

“I am not good at volleyball, so you picked the wrong person,” she said.

“No, I picked the right partner for me.” I turned so that I faced her. “I also didn’t want to go through this morning again. Actions speak louder than words, Em, but you’re mine. I don’t share.” Standing from How’s towel, I walked away from her with a smile dancing on my lips. I had just laid the foundation for getting Emily back.

We ended up winning our first two matches and were waiting to play the winner of Prez and Flo versus Pretty and Wreck. I was standing next to Em and a few of the other teams, listening to Pretty run his mouth.

“Come on. I know you can hit harder than that. You left a red mark the other day,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

Flo’s head did a swivel to look at him. “I didn’t leave a mark, and if you hadn’t been moving so slowly, I wouldn’t have had to grab your arm.”

“You grabbed him?” Prez spoke up, holding the ball in the middle of his serve.

“It was nothing,” she brushed him off.

Prez went to serve the ball again, but I could see the displeasure furrowing in his brow at the conversation.

“It was something, alright,” Pretty chimed in, causing the serve to sail straight into the net. Prez wasn’t happy.

Pretty grabbed the ball from the net, handing it to Wreck to serve. “This is like that movie, but we didn’t play any montage music. I’d be the hot one.” He looked at Flo across the net. “Don’t you think I’d be the hot one since you checked out my ass?”

Prez’s head instantly snapped to look at Pretty, but Wreck had already served the ball to him. It hit him in the forehead.

“Ouch, that’s going to leave a mark,” Pretty said.

“I will deal with you later,” Prez pointed his finger at Flo. “You,” he said to Pretty. “You better fucking run.”

Pretty took off, as Prez followed him down the beach, until they ended up in the sand in a mixture of limbs. No one paid attention as they beat the hell out of each other. They’d be fine.

Wreck went underneath the net to stand next to Flo. “My new partner,” he said to Cyph. “Those two won’t be able to play after that.”

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