Heart Waves (13 page)

I recovered and splashed a large wave at Mike who happened to be using Grace as a human shield. Reece came to fight on my side and we were all involved in an attempt to splash the other couple out of the pool. I hadn’t had that much fun in the water in years. For about twenty minutes I even forgot how much I loathed Mike.

After the pool, we snacked on the chips and pretzels at the table and played Monopoly. Every once in a while I’d look up and notice that same angry glare in Mike’s eyes. At first I let it go, but after a while it really bothered me and I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

“What?” I snapped.

Mike played it off like I was crazy and had no idea what I was talking about. Annoyed, I rolled my eyes and shook my head.  

“So what’s the deal?” Mike asked. “Are you two exclusive or what?”

“Yes.” I answered with Reece’s arm hanging around my shoulder. “You have a problem with that?”

Mike shook his head, leaned back in his chair and slung his arm over grace’s shoulder. “Just surprised is all.” He kept his eyes down, fixed on the game.

“And why is that?” I asked.

“You never dated anyone seriously.”

“And who do I have to thank for that, Michael?” I snapped.

“This is such bull! You want to blame me for every bad thing that happened in your life.”

“What?!?”
Years of anger finally came to a boiling point. For the moment I didn’t care that Reece and Grace looked on.

“Hey, babe,” Reece rubbed my shoulder trying to distract me.

I shook him off, and went on to explain, “I started high school, and people I knew for years avoided me, because this idiot thought it would be funny to tell a bunch of his buddies, I’m a lesbian.”

Mike’s jaw tightened. “I never said that!” he insisted. “I just said you weren’t into guys.”

“You never bothered to correct it.”

“Maybe you just looked the part.”

I shot out of my chair; my whole body trembling, barely aware of Reece trying to pull me back. I dug my nails into the palms of my hands, hoping that would help me from diving across the table and wrapping them around Mike’s neck.

“Screw you!”

“Okay.
Fine.
I should’ve cleared it up.” Mike answered. “But it’s not like anyone believed it anyway.”

“Maybe the guys didn’t, but the girls sure as hell did. Do you have any idea what it was like changing for gym in the locker room?”

“Jenna,” Grace’s voice was soft, soothing. “No one really believed that. Those girls just said those things to hurt you.”

“You’re defending him?” I couldn’t believe she would take his side. As my best friend, her job was to stand by me and defend my honor.

“Leave her out of this,” Mike said drawing my attention back to him.

“If only you would’ve left it at that.” I ranted again. “But no, that wasn’t enough for you. You had your friends ask me out to see if they could get me to play for the right team again. That, along with your stupid Ice Queen label, really did wonders for my social life.”

“They asked you on their own. I had nothing to do with that.”

“Neither did the spread sheets you set up. They only encouraged those jerks to try and push further than the last guy, any way they could.”

“That was you, Mike? You were the one that set that all up?” Grace let a low moan escape her lips. I couldn’t be sure the meaning behind it, pity or surprise. I never came out and told her, I just assumed she knew. Everyone else seemed to. Either way it became clear she had no idea how ugly things really got.

Mike gave her a quick look and then turned back to me, face red, eyes blazing, “I’m sorry, all right? There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s done and I can’t undo it. I don’t even go to the damn school anymore.” He yelled getting to his feet and knocking the game board over. “I’m outta here!”

I rubbed my forehead with my still shaking hands, mortified at the scene I created. I wanted to shrivel up and disappear. My eyes burned with tears of anger. Bad enough I lost it in front of Reece I didn’t want to cry like a baby too.

Why did I let Mike get to me? I opened the darkest part of my soul and let my most painful memories come flying out.
So much for a fun night by the pool.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was him?” Grace said her voice low.

“I don’t want to talk.” I kept my eyes fixed on the pavers beneath my feet. “Go find Mike.”

“Jenna, I didn’t realize . . . I want to stay with you.”

I shook my head, choking back the tears. “Please, just go!”

I walked away from the table and went to the opposite end of the yard. I gripped the fence overlooking the bay, hoping to steady my emotions as well as my body. The water rocked and swayed under the moonlight, like liquid glass. It just kept moving right along no matter what. Never stopping, never letting anything or anyone
impede
its progress. If it ran into an obstacle it would swish away and flow in a different direction. I wished I could be like the water. Forge forward and never look back.   

I expected Reece to leave with Grace. I thought he understood I didn’t want to be with anyone. I didn’t bother checking to see if he did. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the recesses of my mind until I felt him behind me. Warm and loving, Reece wrapped his arms around me, making my skin tingle, my back against his chest.

“Are you alright?” he asked after a long silence.

I nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for.” He kissed the top of my head.

“The way Mike kept glaring at me all night, it made me so angry!”

“He wasn’t glaring at you,” Reece answered matter of fact.

“You obviously weren’t paying attention,” I snapped.

He turned me around so that we were facing each other. “He wasn’t glaring at you,” Reece explained. “I’ve been getting those looks since you left last night.”

“Why?” I didn’t understand. Why would he be upset with Reece?

“At first, I thought it was because things got heated between Mike and I. Brandon and Dale kept us from really going at each other. I almost packed my things and left. Actually I’m surprised he didn’t toss me out.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He smiled.
“You.
I like the idea of being close, sneaking over for a goodnight kiss,” his lips brushed ever so lightly against my neck, making it difficult for me to think.
“Or just talking under the stars while everyone else is sleeping.”

I looked down embarrassed, feeling completely exposed. “Now you know. You know why I can’t stand him, why you terrify me. Now you know everything.”

He tilted my chin up so I would look at him rather than the ground. “It will never happen again. I promise. And if it makes you feel any better, I think I understand why he did it.”

“So he could look cool, like some sort of big shot at school.”

Reece smirked and shook his head, brushing my hair behind my neck. “I don’t think so. I think he was a bonehead and didn’t know how to tell you he liked you, as more than just a friend.”

“Oh please,” I rolled my eyes.

“No really,” he insisted. “Listen, you show up at high school and all of a sudden his friends were interested in you, he tried to discourage them so he could make nice and ask you out himself.”

“So he lets them think I’m gay?”

“Why not?
It would neutralize most of the guys, because let’s face it, most of us don’t handle rejection very well.”

I wrapped my arms around him and thought about what he said. Something about it didn’t click. “If that were the case why would he take bets? He had to know that would encourage . . .” I stopped and looked away unable to finish my thought. I tried to pull away from Reece, break contact but he only tightened his hold on me.

“I don’t think he thought it through like that. It’s not like Mike thinks in terms of cause and effect. He’s spontaneous, act now pay later.” I didn’t have a chance to protest, before he continued. “He probably thought they’d act like jerks and you wouldn’t want to go out with them again.”

“Jerks
doesn’t
do them justice.”

“Last night, the look on his face when I said you hate him, it hurt him.
Like I hit him in the gut with a bat.”

“I wish you did.”

“He would have thrown me out for sure,” Reece chuckled. “Forget about Mike. Pay attention to me.” Reece’s eyes were playful, the way he bit his bottom lip deliciously wicked.

“I wish I could forget.”

“I bet I could get your mind off him.”

Reece stroked the side of my face and brought me a moment of serenity and clarity. Only he could touch me, causing a storm of fireworks that settled my soul rather than roused it. I looked into his hypnotic eyes and realized with all the turmoil Mike caused in my life, he did one good thing, he brought me Reece.

I was learning to expect the barrage of energy when Reece touched me. I didn’t shy away from it. I invited it. I welcomed the burning hot electricity between us. I craved the trail of heat on my skin when his fingertips brushed against it. We were soul mates. I was meant to be his.

His beautiful brown eyes spoke to me. I knew he felt exactly the same way.

“Jenna,” a serious look came over his face. His eyes were intense, boring into mine, asking questions he wasn’t certain he wanted answered. “Do you feel it too?
The intensity?
It’s like I’m under a spell.”

“
Shh
.” I placed a finger over his lips. I didn’t want him to say too much. I understood whatever we said, once the words left our lips, they’d be out there in the universe waiting to be tested and undone.

Reece bent down to meet my lips with his own. They were warm and soft. His arms held me tight against him, his body pressed against mine. This kiss so different than the one we shared the night before. Tender and loving, passionate all the same, this one spoke of love rather than hunger and desire.

He broke away. I couldn’t force myself to stop something that felt so good, so right. Once again he left me breathless, dizzy.

“That’s better,” he said, his eyes alight.

He was right. I felt better. Not just because I’d been dying to kiss him from the moment he arrived. I felt unburdened, like a heavy load had been lifted off my shoulders. The rage I felt earlier dissolved. What was left in its wake were warmth and serenity. For the first time in years I felt peace.   

“Where did everyone go?”

My mother’s voice startled me. She popped out through the sliding glass door that led from the deck into the kitchen, a disposable aluminum pan in her hands.

“Sorry Mom. I guess Mike forgot you were cooking.”

“Thank you so much for going through the trouble. I’ll be happy to bring it over,” Reece smiled at her and then looked back at me. “Besides, you look tired. I think you should get a goodnight’s sleep.”

He pressed his lips against my cheek leaving me wanting more, much more. Reece approached Mom ready to take the tray from her.

“Hope you boys like baked ziti,” she said.

“I’m sure it will be delicious. Besides, as long as something is edible
,
 
we’ll
eat it.”

I could see she still didn’t get his humor, still wasn’t warming up to him.

“I’ll call you early tomorrow. Maybe we’ll spend the day at the beach,” he offered.

I forgot all about the deal with my parents. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair feeling like an eight-year-old.

“Seems I’m busy.
I’m going to volunteer at the library.”

“Really?”
He sounded like I told him I knew the winning numbers to the lottery. “That’s a great idea.
Looks good on college applications.”

Mom nodded and wore an I-told-you-so look on her face.

“I’ll drive you. Besides there’s a book I want to read. I haven’t had a chance to pick it up.”

I glanced at my
mother,
she didn’t look appalled by the idea.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Are you kidding?” he asked as if we were planning on going to see Santa’s workshop, “The library is one of my favorite places.”

Right back at you, Mom.
   

*                       *                       *

Just as I closed the blinds on the sliding glass door and turned out the light, I heard a faint rapping sound. I thought like me, Reece wanted to sneak in one more kiss.

I smiled as I pulled the blinds open and flicked on the light, unable to believe my eyes as Mike raked his hand through his hair. Hesitantly, I opened the door and stepped outside.