Wake (Watersong Novels) (7 page)

“No, I’m okay.” Gemma shook her head.

“Suit yourself.” Penn shrugged and moved back so Gemma could climb up.

Gemma had hoped for something more graceful since she’d declined help, but with the top rung on the ladder missing, all she managed was a flop onto the dock. Gemma was acutely aware that she probably looked like a fish flapping about, and she got to her feet as quickly as she could.

“We’ve seen you swimming out there a lot,” Penn said.

Gemma had heard her speak once before, and it still surprised her how Penn sounded. Her voice was that sexy baby-talk that usually drove Gemma nuts, but something silky underneath it made Penn’s words strangely beautiful and enticing.

In fact, just hearing Penn talk washed away some of the negative feelings Gemma had about the three girls. They still freaked her out, but her fear had lessened.

“I’m sorry.” Penn smiled at her, revealing bright white teeth that seemed abnormally sharp. “You probably have no idea who we are. I’m Penn, and these are my friends, Lexi and Thea.”

“Hi.” Lexi wagged her fingers at Gemma. Her blond hair glinted like gold in the sunlight, and her eyes were the same aqua shade as the ocean.

“Hey,” Thea said. Even though she smiled, she seemed annoyed even to be talking to Gemma. She stared off at the ocean and ran her hand through her red waves of hair.

“And you’re Gemma, right?” Penn asked when Gemma didn’t say anything.

“Yep, I am.” Gemma nodded.

“We’ve seen you around, and we like your style,” Penn went on.

“Thanks?” Gemma questioned, uncertain what to make of that.

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling naked around the three girls. Gemma knew she was pretty, and sometimes when she was dolled up she thought she was downright hot. But standing next to Penn, Lexi, and Thea, she felt clumsy and unattractive.

Water dripped off her body and onto the wooden planks beneath her feet, and all she could think about was getting to her clothes and putting them on.

“We love going swimming out in the ocean at night,” Penn said. “There’s something truly exhilarating about it.”

“It’s
amazing
,” Lexi chimed in, sounding a little too enthusiastic about it. Penn shot Lexi a look, and Lexi lowered her eyes.

“Um … yeah.” Even though Gemma agreed with them, she was afraid to admit it. It felt like Penn was setting some sort of trap she didn’t understand.

“We’d love it if you joined us for a swim,” Penn said, smiling wider.

“I … I don’t think so. Sorry.” Gemma couldn’t really think of an excuse to give them, but there was no way she would accept an invitation to join them doing anything.

“How about an afternoon swim, then?” Penn asked. “We were thinking of taking a dive right now. Weren’t we?”

“I’ve got my bikini under my dress,” Lexi said and gestured to the slinky sundress she wore.

“Well, I just got out,” Gemma said. “And I’m about to get dressed.”

She pointed to her bike, and then, seeing her chance to escape, walked over to it. Gemma had expected them to give up once she’d turned them down, but apparently that was wishful thinking. Penn followed her down the dock.

“I know you to love swim, and I’d really love it if you joined us,” Penn said. “If today doesn’t work, then let me know when you can.”

“I don’t know.” Gemma fumbled with her bike lock. Penn stood behind her, casting a shadow over her as Gemma crouched next to the bike. “I’ve got a lot of training to do.”

“You can’t train all the time,” Penn said. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

“I play,” Gemma insisted.

Finally managing to unlock her bag, she grabbed it and stood up. Her urge to get dressed had gone away, though. All she wanted to do was throw the bag over her shoulder, hop on the bike, and ride far away from Penn and her hungry smile.

“You really need to go swimming with us.” Penn’s voice was like silk, but it was clearly a command. Her dark eyes locked on Gemma’s, burning with an intensity that took her breath away.

A splash from behind them momentarily broke Penn’s concentration, but the distraction was long enough for Gemma to catch her breath and look away.

Daniel stood on the dock a little way down from them, water dripping down his bare chest and long swim trunks. Gemma knew him from when she visited her father on the docks, but she hadn’t found a reason to resent him the way Harper had.

“Is there something wrong?” Daniel asked, wiping the water from his face. Without waiting for them to answer, he started walking to where Penn, Lexi, and Thea had Gemma surrounded.

“Everything’s just fine,” Lexi said brightly and smiled at him. “You can go about your business.”

“I don’t think so.” Daniel kept walking, ignoring Lexi. When he got close enough, he shouldered Lexi out of the way and looked down at Gemma. “Are you okay?”

“We said she was fine,” Penn said icily.

“I didn’t ask you.” Daniel cast her a glare before he turned back to Gemma and softened his gaze. Gemma stood dripping wet, clutching her bag to her chest. “Come on. Why don’t you come on my boat and dry off?”

“Go about your business,” Lexi said again, but she sounded more confused than angry. Like she didn’t understand how he could ignore her.

Daniel gestured for Gemma to come with him. As Gemma hurried over to him, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Penn wanted to rip Daniel’s head off, in a very literal sense. Once they slipped away from the girls, Daniel put his arm around her. Not a romantic gesture, but like he meant to protect her.

As they walked over to his boat, Gemma felt Penn’s eyes burning into her back. Lexi called after her, saying that they’d see her again, and something about her voice felt like a song.

Gemma almost turned around to go back to them after she heard Lexi, but Daniel’s arm around her kept her from it.

Once they got to the boat, Daniel helped Gemma onto it. Since Penn, Lexi, and Thea were still standing on the dock watching them, he suggested they go down into the cabin. Gemma didn’t normally get onto boats with older guys she barely knew, but given the circumstances, she felt like he was the safer bet.

His boat was rather small, so the living quarters were pretty cramped. A twin bed across from a small table with cushioned benches on either side. A kitchenette with a mini-fridge and tiny sink. A bathroom and some storage nooks at the other end, and that was about it.

The bed was unmade, and clothes were strewn over it. Dirty dishes were in the sink, and a few empty soda cans and beer bottles were sitting on the counter and table. A stack of books and magazines rested next to the bed.

“Have a seat.” Daniel gestured to the bed, since the benches next to the table were mostly covered in clothes and books.

“Are you sure?” Gemma asked. “I’m wet.”

“Nah, it’s fine. It’s a boat. Everything’s always wet.” He grabbed a couple of towels and tossed one to her. “There you go.”

“Thank you.” She ran the towel through her hair and sat back on his bed. “And I don’t mean just for this. Thank you for … well, rescuing me, I guess.”

“It was no problem.” Daniel shrugged and leaned against his kitchen table. He wiped a towel over his chest, then ran a hand through his short hair, messing it up and spraying salt water. “You looked so terrified.”

“I wasn’t
terrified
,” Gemma said defensively.

“I wouldn’t blame you if you were.” He leaned farther back, looking out one of the cabin windows behind him. “Those girls give me the creeps.”

“That’s what I said!” Gemma shouted, excited to hear someone agree with her. “My sister told me that I was being mean.”

“Harper?” Daniel looked back at Gemma. “She likes those girls?”

“I don’t think she
likes
them, exactly.” Gemma shook her head. “She thinks I should be respectful of everyone.”

“Well, that is a good philosophy.” He reached over and opened the mini-fridge. “Want a soda?”

“Sure.”

After Daniel grabbed two cans of grape soda, he handed one to Gemma and kept one for himself. He sat on the table and crossed his legs underneath him. Gemma wrapped her towel around her shoulders and opened the soda.

She looked around the cabin, checking out his bare furnishings. “How long have you lived here?”

“Too long,” he said after taking a long swallow of his soda.

“I think I’d like to live on a boat someday. But like a houseboat.”

“I would definitely recommend living on something larger, if you can.” Daniel gestured to the tight space. “And it can be a bit rough staying out here when the sea gets choppy. I’ve been out here so long, though, I doubt I could even sleep on land. I need the water to rock me to sleep.”

“That would be nice.” She smiled wistfully as she imagined sleeping on the bay. “Did you always love the ocean?”

“Uh … I don’t know.” Daniel crinkled his brow as if he hadn’t thought of it before. “I guess I’ve always liked it.”

“How did you end up living on a boat, then?”

“It’s not very romantic,” he warned her. “My grandpa died and left me this boat. I got evicted from my apartment and needed a place to crash. And here we are.”

“Gemma!” Someone shouted from outside the boat, and Daniel and Gemma exchanged a confused look. “Gemma!”

“Is that your sister?” Daniel asked.

“I think so.” Gemma set down her can and headed out to the deck to see what Harper was carrying on about.

Harper stood on the dock next to Gemma’s bike holding the bike chain in her hand. Her dark hair was in a ponytail, which swung back and forth as she looked around frantically.

“Gemma!” Harper yelled again, the tremor in her voice betraying her fear.

Gemma went over to the railing and looked down at her sister. “Harper?”

“Gemma!” Harper turned to face her, relief washing over her until she saw Daniel standing on the boat behind her. “Gemma! What are you doing?”

“I was just drying off,” Gemma said. “Why are you freaking out so bad?”

“I came to see if you were coming home for lunch, and I found your bike chain unhooked on the dock, like something happened when you were locking it up, and I couldn’t find you, and now you’re on
his
boat!” Harper stomped toward Daniel’s boat, clenching the bike chain in her fist. “What were you doing?”

“Drying off,” Gemma repeated, growing annoyed with her sister for making a scene.

“Why?” Harper demanded and pointed at Daniel. “He is bad news!”

“Thanks,” Daniel said wryly, and Harper glared at him.

“Look, I’ll get on my bike, and we’ll go home, and you can be a total spaz there,” Gemma said.

“I am not being a spaz!” Harper shouted, then stopped and took a deep breath. “But you’re right. We
will
talk about this at home.”

“Yay.” Gemma sighed. She took the towel from around her shoulders and handed it back to Daniel. “Thanks.”

“No problem. And sorry if I got you in trouble.”

“Ditto,” Gemma said, offering him a small, apologetic smile.

Gemma threw her backpack onto the dock, then hopped over the railing after it. She took her chain from Harper, grabbed her bag, and went down to her bike to put her clothes on before she rode home.

“You are a disgusting pervert,” Harper snarled at Daniel and pointed her finger at him. “Gemma is only sixteen years old, and even though you have some sort of Peter Pan complex, you are still a twenty-year-old man. You are too old to be messing around with her.”

“Oh, please.” Daniel rolled his eyes. “She’s just a kid. I wasn’t hitting on her.”

“That is
not
what it looks like from here.” Harper crossed her arms. “I should report you for living on this stupid boat and for your abhorrent behavior hanging around with underage girls.”

“Do what you gotta do, but I’m not a creep.” He leaned against the railing and looked down at Harper. “Those girls were hassling your sister, and I stepped in to get her away from them.”

“What girls?” Harper asked.

“Those girls.” Daniel waved vaguely. “I think the head one is named Penn or something.”

“The really pretty girls?” Harper tensed up.

She hadn’t thought Daniel had done anything to Gemma, not really, but at the mention of Penn, her stomach tightened.

“I guess.” Daniel shrugged.

“They were messing with Gemma?” She glanced back at Gemma, who was pulling on her tank top and appeared unharmed. “How?”

“I don’t know exactly.” He shook his head. “But they had her surrounded, and she looked scared. I just don’t trust them, and I didn’t want them around her. I asked her on my boat to hide out until they left, and you showed up like ten minutes later. That’s all that happened.”

“Oh.” Harper felt bad for yelling at him now, but she didn’t want to let on. “Well. Thank you for looking out for my sister. But you shouldn’t have her on your boat.”

“I hadn’t planned on making a habit out of it.”

“Good.” Harper shifted her weight, still trying to look indignant. “I think she’s seeing someone anyway.”

“Harper, I already told you, I’m not into your sister.” Daniel smirked. “But if I didn’t know any better, I would say you were jealous.”

“Oh, please.” Harper wrinkled her nose. “Don’t be disgusting.”

Daniel laughed at her protests, and for some reason, Harper began to blush.

Gemma sped past her on her bike, shouting a good-bye to Daniel as she did. With her sister gone, Harper didn’t really have any reason to wait around on the dock, but she stayed behind for a moment, trying to think of something to snap at Daniel for. When she couldn’t come up with anything, she turned and left, acutely aware that he was watching her walk away.

SEVEN

Picnic

Capri had been founded by Thomas Thermopolis in southeastern Maryland on June 14, 1802, so every fourteenth of June the town held a celebration in his honor. Most of the stores in town closed for it, as they would for any other major holiday. It had become nothing more than a big picnic with a few rides and concessions, but everybody turned out, both the townies and the tourists alike.

Alex had invited Gemma to go with him, and she didn’t know exactly what that meant. Since he had invited just
her
and not Harper, too, she was inclined to think it meant something, but she was too afraid to ask.