836Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFe2TgfyFi
Walking up to the front door of the Wynters’s mansion, Paige texted Selah to get her ass to the front door. After she sent the text, she turned back and waved at Nolan waiting in his black BMW sedan. Mom started working as a receptionist for a small makeup company, so she couldn’t come to the country club with them today. But Paige low-key wanted her to come along just to avoid the ongoing awkwardness she had with Nolan, even after he broke the news about his plan to propose.
The front door opened, Selah sporting a cute workout outfit with a tennis racket and her long black hair in a ponytail
“Well?” Selah asked, raising her arms.
“I bet James would think you’re fuckable in that.”
Selah scoffed and closed the door behind her. “Are you gonna bring up your ship every single day?”
“Why should I when you guys are already dating?”
“Anyway, about Nolan,” Selah branched off poorly, “it was his idea about the country club, right?”
Paige sighed. “Yeah. I swear I didn’t even bring it up around him.”
“But it’s sweet of him to try to spend more time with you.”
Paige crossed her arms as they strolled down the driveway toward the car. “I know, and I couldn’t just say no.” She felt he didn’t need to do anything and could just go down on one knee already. How in the world did Mom get to be with a family type of guy, and why couldn’t he have come back to California many years earlier?
Life was a bitch that way, giving Paige the worst it could give. For example, Mark constantly showed up in her life just when she thought she could move on to a different guy. At least she was able to force Selah to go with her, just in case the hearts in her eyes around Mark made her do even more stupid shit.
The trio made the drive to the country club while Nolan got to know Selah more, with her always downplaying her countless volunteer hours and the AP classes she’s taking despite growing up as a foster kid. Her face just automatically turned beet red whenever someone forced her to talk about herself. How a girl like her could end up with a conceited phony like James was beyond Paige’s comprehension, but at the same time she did still ship them. Somehow, she just felt James needed Selah in his life again. Childhood friendships tended to turn into strong relationships, as seen by the happy, soon-to-be-engaged couple, Mom and Nolan.
But Paige could only dream of having a happy ending like that. All of her childhood friends either called her a whore or turned into people she hardly recognized.
After Nolan parked the car in the parking lot, the three of them carried their bags full of tennis and swim stuff and headed toward the entrance. The place seemed pretty big, so Paige could still count on not seeing Mark. She just needed to know where he worked and she’d avoid those areas.
Nolan dealt with the woman at the front desk and checked whether he had his visor in his bag. Paige leaned over the counter and whispered, “Hi, you have a Mark Vargas working here right?”
The receptionist looked confused. “Um, I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering where he works, ‘cause I’m...sorta...planning to--”
“Paige, let’s go!” Selah called as she and Nolan headed outside.
Paige looked back at the still confused receptionist. “Nevermind,” she sighed, and followed Selah and Nolan.
She found them in the tennis courts unpacking their things. The last time Paige played was never, so if Mark happened to be wandering by, she was set up for complete humiliation. Maybe she should’ve suggested to Nolan bowling or something. Really, anything except a place where Mark worked, which felt like pretty much all of the ones she went to.
While she applied sunscreen, she watched Nolan serve as if he were Rafael Nadal, and he even had the looks with his beard shaven off. It seemed that Selah didn’t spot the ball in time to hit it back, and that went on for the next few serves he did. Paige realized part of why she invited Selah was to watch her fail at any sport she was going to try.
“Work it, bitch!” Paige called as Selah missed one ball after another. “Jimmy would die to see you right now.”
Selah’s face was red, most likely from sweating so much. Selah wouldn’t feel embarrassed by Paige’s shit-talk anymore, but the upgrade on her love life was more than what Paige would love to tease about.
“Paige, hey.”
Her heart stopped right when she recognized that low voice. Gulping, she turned around to see Mark in his white work outfit. He had the kind of crooked smile that she wanted to eat right up somehow. And his lips would probably taste good. And his dark curls might feel soft to her fingertips. And his neck could taste like both soap and sweat. And--
“Paige?” he said.
She blinked a few times and felt her face get hot. This guy was like legit walking sex. He’s my enemy’s brother. He’s my enemy’s brother. “Hey, Mark.”
“You came.” He smiled, and her plan to avoid him sounded like complete bullshit.
“Yup.”
Selah jogged toward them and panted, “Hi, I’m Selah.” She shook hands with him and gave a terrible wink at Paige. At least she was trying to help. “So,” Selah continued, “you work here?”
“Yeah, I’m usually in the tennis and golf areas.”
Fuck, he was going to be around for a while.
“Well, we’re just gonna play here and then swim,” Selah said.
“But I’m not going to,” Paige cut in. She wasn’t trying to seduce him for crying out loud, and it was bad enough being at where he worked.
“Why not?” he asked, his brows scrunched together. “It’s nice out right now.” If Paige weren’t already feeling some lust, she would’ve thought him a pervert for wanting to see her in a swimsuit.
But now she wanted him to strip down and join her later in some secluded place.
“Because she forgot her swimswuit,” Selah said, when really Paige left it at home on purpose.
“Oh man,” Mark said. “Well, I could still give you free stuff like I said before. I’ll get a one-piece for you.” But before she could decline his offer, he was already gone.
“Is it me, or is he dying to see me in a swimsuit?” Paige murmured.
“Or he just wants you to have a good time.”
Paige rolled her eyes. “You don’t see it. He wants to do it but sucks at hiding it, like every other guy I’ve ever known.”
Selah crossed her arms. “So I should believe you when you say that James has a crush on me?”
“Of course not. I mean that Jimmy is already in love with you.”
“Paige!” Nolan called. “Wanna play?”
Taking a long, annoyed breath, Paige dragged her racket behind her as she took Selah’s place. “Go easy on me, okay? I’ve never played.”
“Sure.” Instead of doing his professional-like serve, he bounced the tennis ball and hit it over the net. She was able to hit it back, and that was enough to be better than Selah.
Several more hits later, Paige got the tennis balls all over the court as Selah picked them up with the basket. Waiting for Selah to come back with all the balls, Paige looked around and found Mark on his way back with a swimsuit. There was something about this image that got her sweating for a different reason.
But now that she knew he was watching her play, she had no idea how she was going to keep it together in the next round. She already played more than Selah had.
“Do you wanna play next?” Paige asked her.
She shook her head. “I’m good. Keep playing.”
Reminding herself to make Selah explain herself later, Paige forced her legs to take her back to her spot on the court. But this time, Nolan had backed up and gotten into position for his professional-like serves. She was screwed.
The balls were either too fast for her or bouncing far away from her. The times when she did hit them, they flew in various directions. One ball hit Mark’s shoulder, and he sucked in a breath.
“Fuck, are you okay?” Paige called, her face turning even redder.
“I’m fine,” he called back. “Do you need help with your strokes?”
For a moment she wondered if he meant foreplay, but then he said, “You know, forehand and backhand?” and made motions that tennis players did.
After she gulped and nodded, he headed toward her, his chest touching her back.
“Hang onto the handle,” he said as his hand covered hers wrapped around the handle. She hoped he didn’t feel her heart beating fast through her back. “Forehand,” he said, and he pulled the racket behind them, before making a U-shaped stroke that had the racket over her left shoulder. When he repeated the stroke, she truly felt like dying.
“What’s next?” she managed to say.
“Backhand.” He brought his other arm over hers, with him basically half-hugging her from behind. He made the same motion on her left side, ending with the racket over her right shoulder. “Good?” he asked. She nodded, low-key wanting him to keep hugging her when he backed away and stood outside of the court.
She repeated his strokes as Nolan served a few balls, and she was able to at least hit all of them with the strings of her racket. Looking sideways at Mark, she returned his smile. She was close to asking him to do what he did with the half-hugging from behind again, but she figured there was more than enough sexual tension already.
Then Nolan started insisting on hitting the pool. But also knowing Mark went through the trouble of getting the free swimsuit for her, Paige had no choice but to agree. As she and Selah headed toward the Women’s locker rooms, Paige whispered, “I would’ve rather watched you screw up at every game.”
“But you know how bad I am at sports,” Selah said. “And you were pretty good. Like when Mark taught you those moves.” She made another awkward wink, and Paige laughed.
“I guess. He really wants it, huh?”
Selah just shrugged. She wasn’t very helpful at this stuff, but it was nice to have someone to vent to.
In the bathroom, Paige put on the one-piece and was actually impressed by her reflection. Usually she had issues with her freckles and uneven boobs, but the swimsuit told her to forget all that shit.
She and Selah, who also had her usual, conservative one-piece on, both headed outside to the pool. There were several families, middle-aged adults, and old people, all of whom most likely rich enough to be there. Paige crossed her arms and put her head down. She couldn’t get used to feeling like she belonged even when Nolan kept giving everything.
He came back out with swim trunks on, and along with his tan skin and average build, he didn’t look so bad. He held up a frisbee. “Wanna play?”
Paige shook her head and lay down on a reclined chair. “I’m gonna tan.” She picked up her sunscreen and applied some on her legs.
“Me too. I used to know how to swim, but I...forgot,” Selah said, and she lay down next to Paige.
Nolan looked sort of defeated, but he turned away and stood next to the pool before diving right in. Maybe Paige would join him later. For now, she wanted to get rid of her paper-white skin.
“Thank God Mark’s only in tennis and golf,” Paige said. “He’s making it so much harder for me. How many times do I have to tell him we can’t be a thing?”
“You seemed to like it when he helped you in the court. And you played better,” Selah commented.
“I was pretending, okay?” Paige scoffed, but she knew that wasn’t even true. She could only dream of reliving that moment when he so sensually taught her those tennis strokes. He so clearly wanted it.
“Incoming,” Selah said as she looked in the direction of the bathroom.
When Paige turned around, all the alarms went off. Mark was going to see her weirdly shaped boobs and the freckles in places she didn’t want them to be. She had a bit of fat in some wrong places except for her ass, but what if her ass was too big?
There was nothing she could do now as Mark got closer and closer. If he had a bigger nose or crooked teeth she’d feel less horny, but he was simply born to torture her.
She needed to put an end to this.
Handing the sunscreen to Selah, she stood up and folded her arms as soon as he reached her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I know what you’re trying to do.” He still looked confused, and she continued. “You’re here just to check me out, and what you did at the tennis court was totally on purpose. Well, I hate to say this again, but we can’t be a thing. Part of it’s ‘cause of Christy, and also because...I’m just not into you. Okay?”
Mark’s eyes widened. She wanted to slap that dumb expression off his face, until he said, “I’m not checking you out. I have break right now and just wanted to stop by and hang out.”
“Oh, sure. What about teaching me tennis? Or getting me the swimsuit?” But then she regretted mentioning that since he lowered his gaze to her body. She took a few steps back, even though that was as effective as her mom’s condom during Paige’s conception.
He looked back up at her face faster than she expected and he said, “I swear I’m not trying to hit on you. I’m just working, for a friend. We’re friends, right?”
Paige scoffed and looked at Selah nodding. For the first time, Selah might’ve actually been right. Was Paige’s paranoid ass looking too much into everything Mark did? Her face heated up as she fidgeted with her hair. “Oh. Yeah, we’re friends. Sorry. I’m completely stupid.”
“Maybe it was my fault. I’m pretty awkward, I guess,” he said.
“It isn’t your fault. I’m just...more awkward,” she laughed.
“I guess we’re both awkward.”
She hadn’t had a conversation with the word “awkward” mentioned so many times. She might’ve actually been screwing up a legit friendship.
“I think we both know if I were trying to hit on you, I’d say a ton of awkward puns.”
“What puns would you say?”
He took a moment to think. “If you were words on a page, you'd be what they say is fine print.”
Paige shook her head though she was giggling lightly. “Not bad, not bad. What else you got?”
“Are you okay with a sex-related one?”
She tried to hide her excitement with a small grin. “Sure.”
“Did you buy your pants on sale? Because at my house they would be one hundred percent off.”
She cracked up. “Not bad either.” She wanted to ask him for more sex-related ones, but fuck, he didn’t feel the same way. Talk about expecting sex with him only to see it was all in her own head.
“Do you have any--”
Paige’s ringtone of an old, catchy pop song went off, which she thought was funny when she installed it, but now painfully embarrassing. She scrambled through her bag to pick it up.
“What?” she answered.
“Paige, I got bad news,” James said with random voices and hip hop music in the background.
“Are you at Mila’s pool party?” she sneered. Of course she was jealous as hell, but then again, who was she to judge when she wasn’t invited?
“Yeah, but Christy and Carter just did something really fucking bad to you.”
Paige’s blood immediately ran cold. “Both of them?”
“They called the cops on you for having weed.”
“What the fuck?” Paige yelled, prompting Mark to take a step forward with confusion crossing his face. “I don’t even smoke it!”
“Yeah, and they just started dating, like today.”
Paige could feel the world spinning, and she could only sit back down on her chair with Selah and Mark staring at her.
“Sorry, I gotta go. Christy threw up on my shoes.”
“Fuck her. Fuck everything,” Paige murmured. After they both hung up, she massaged her temples to try to alleviate the headache, but it didn’t help.
“What happened?” Mark asked.
“It’s your sister. Apparently she and Carter are together too. I didn’t ask for this shit. Fuck!”
The pop song pierced the air, and Paige made a note to herself to change the ringtone linked to one of the worst events of her life. She answered, expecting it to be James or Christy or Satan for all she knew, but instead it was Mom.
“What is going on, Paige?”
“Are the cops at our place?”
“They just left, and they said you have drugs! Please don’t tell me you had drugs this whole time--”
“Mom, wait,” Paige said, her voice weakening. The last thing she wanted right now was hearing that same disappointment in Mom’s voice. “Am I gonna get arrested?”
Mom paused. “They didn’t find anything, so no. But are you hiding it somewhere else?”
“No! I don’t do drugs, Mom. I’m not that stupid.”
She sighed in relief. “Good. I was shocked for a second there.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.” Paige was mostly sorry that for a moment she felt as though she disappointed her mom yet again, and right when things seemed to get back to normal between them.
She could feel a fire inside lit from the image of Christy and Carter conspiring together. What if this was Christy’s plan all along? To hook up with all the guys rigged to ruin her life even more than it already was?
“I gotta go,” Paige said and hung up. Selah and Mark still stared at her, both seeming to want an explanation, but she was busy finding Sadie’s contact. As soon as Sadie answered, Paige growled, “It’s on.”
“Now we’re talking,” Sadie said.
After Paige explained what happened with Selah and Mark listening, Sadie said she’d call back later since she was busy, so Paige hung up.
“So you’re really gonna do it?” Mark asked with a bit of sadness in his voice.
“I’m sorry, but your sister’s a bitch. And with Carter Fucking Adams on her side too, I can’t just let all this crap happen to me when I could do something about it. Whose side are you on?”
Mark looked at the ground, at the pool, then back at her. “Yours.”
They both looked at Selah, who was standing behind her reclined chair. She looked at Paige, then sighed. “I do think she’s gone too far this time.”
Knowing that was Selah-talk for “I’m on your side too,” Paige grinned.
It was time to stop her past demons coming back to haunt her.
