RIDING AWAY

CHAPTER 9 - Houston, I think we have a problem...

By six o'clock the next morning, I was all geared up for our expedition.

Merlin had been relentless the night before and I'd ended up listening to one too many stories involving the twins and Noah. He didn't go into details because I wouldn't let him but what I soon gathered from his accounts was that Noah had always been the man in their household. It also seemed to be the reason why he'd started competing in the first place.

Their Mom had lost her job as a shop-assistant when he was ten and had apparently never worked again after that. From the sad expression on Merlin's face when he'd referred to that period, I suspected that there was more to it, but didn't prod. From then on, Noah's surfing had been the only resources of the Violette's household.

He was the provider but also the authority figure, it seemed, as Merlin mentioned at least two incidences when Noah had to meet their principal after they were caught smoking dry banana threads (Yeah! I thought it was strange, too...), or paint spraying a school bench.

And just because I was keen on tragedies, my night had then been haunted by thoughts and dreams of the handsome blond man asleep next door in spite of the fact that he'd made it crystal clear that nothing would ever happen between us.

Needless to say I hadn't slept much.

For the second day in a row, I'd been the first up, which suited me just fine since I really didn't want to have to face him again.

I let out a relieved sigh when Merlin's voice echoed loudly in the front hall.

"Blake!" He shouted so I left my hiding spot and ran up the steps that led to the terrace where Noah stopped me.

"I've been looking for you..." He mumbled almost shyly.

"I was sitting under the palm tree..." I answered without meeting his eyes.

"Are you ready?" He then asked uncertainly. I gave him a small nod and started walking away from him but he stopped me and his next question startled me so much that I didn't know what to make of it.

"Did you have fun with Merlin last night?" It wasn't so much the question itself but the fear mixed with a misplaced sadness, that made my throat go dry.

What was he implying? Did he really think that after being rejected by him I'd have a go at his brother? I could tell he hadn't meant in an insulting way but it stung nonetheless.

After almost a full minute had passed, I shook my head slowly and headed to the front door, walking past a bemused Merlin who'd apparently been standing there all along.

I paused in my room to collect my bag and sneakers, and jumped slightly when raised voices exploded right as I opened the front door.

I didn't stay to listen, choosing to settle at the back of the jeep with Angus and Julia Stone's soothing voices in my ears after saying a quick "Bonjour" to the driver.

The two brothers came out a couple of minutes later, looking grim as they reached the car. Unsurprisingly, Noah sat at the front while Merlin joined me at the back.

From the corner of my eye I could see that Noah and the driver chatted throughout the drive to some military camp where we met two other Jeeps full of LAGOON surfers, eight in total, six men and two women.

Marina came to hug me as soon as she saw me.

"Girl, I've seen all the videos!" She exclaimed.

What videos?! To say I was confused would have been the understatement of the century.

"You're that snowboarding champ that got humiliated by some paps last year!" The second woman, a gorgeous brunette with a southern accent, exclaimed excitedly, attracting everybody's attention on us.