MY FATE FOR YOURS

Chapter 14- RACHEL

Rachel

 Nelson showed up with Kelly, who had caught a ride out with him. As glad as I am to see everyone, there’s a selfish part of me thinking I only get one weekend, and I don’t want to share it with anyone.

When Nelson mentioned something involving guns and the woods and fire, the guys were naturally gone within minutes. Kelly and Leslie are chatting about college and doing nails, and I’m pretending to study my nursing text.

The place is decorated in all this white wicker furniture that was probably gorgeous and modern when it was purchased in the eighties, but now the greyness of it just makes me a little sad. Like I want to tear out everything inside this place and start over.

I bite my lip as I stare into the darkness wondering where the guys are and what they’re doing and hoping no one needs bandaging up.

“Were you there when Nelson kissed me last weekend?” Kelly shudders. “As if that would ever happen.”

Leslie snorts. “I heard about it. Traive and I stepped away from the bonfire for a bit...”

“Of course you did,” I add, just wanting something to distract my brain. “And what’s so bad about Nelson? He’s a nice guy.”

Kelly rolls her eyes. “I swear he’s had this sort of weird, puppy dog crush on me since I can remember.”

Nelson isn’t Kelly’s type. Actually, Kelly would take Tobin or Eamon in a heartbeat, and she makes that well known--always flirty and touchy. Another pang of jealousy seizes me for a minute.

“How’s Delia?” I ask her. They were supposed to graduate together, but Delia moved.

Kelly shrugs. “Been awhile since we chatted. I guess she’s busy in the big city.”

There’s a bit of hurt in her voice but also resignation. Me and her and everyone else knew Delia wasn’t sticking around Crawford.

“Wish Tobin was dating again.” Kelly pulls a tanned leg toward her chest and rests her chin on her knee. “Or that Eamon did more than one-night stands.”

“Everyone grows up eventually,” I say before realizing I may have said something I didn’t mean to. “I’m sure he’ll be fifty before it happens and the rest of us will be long gone and married.”

Leslie smiles. “Traive and I will be for sure.”

It’s no surprise that they’ve talked about getting married. We’ve teased them forever. “You two still thinking of moving?”

“Yeah.” Her drawl is thick. “Pretty sure we’re going to Atlanta in the fall. I’m ready to be out of the dirt and on city streets. He’s got a few music contacts there, so he’ll have something to do that doesn’t involve mud, gators or guns.”

We all chat about something and nothing for a while, and the whole time I try not to think about how I had sex with Eamon LeJeune this afternoon and I can’t wait to do it again. But it’s more than that. I want to talk about how much I’ve loved him. How it’s not just the kissing or the touching but how the way I’m sure he feels and how the way I feel all tangle up as much as we do. How hopeful I am even though we both said for the weekend.

The sound of Eamon’s Jeep and Nelson’s crazy welded custom rig fill the small house and we run out to the porch.

I step outside just in time to see Eamon covered in mud and smiling wide, jump out of his truck.

“We’re washing off in the ocean!” Traive shouts. “If the ladies don’t want to join us, we may take them by force!”

And we all know they would. The group of us runs for the water not bothering to shed any clothes before diving into the shallow depths near the shore. I’m aware of very little aside from my proximity to Eamon. Where he is, where he’s looking. I back up further and further into the ocean while their voices turn into an excited hum with a few occasional squeals. And then my heart drops because I’ve lost sight of Eamon.