5.
During lunch Doyle couldn't keep his mind from reeling over what his body was experiencing. Even now as he sat at a large table surrounded by his cousins and new friends he felt a slight shock when everyone was laughing, it was hard to pin point who was the source of problem. Problem. That was odd to think of it as a problem, Doyle thought, for the past three years he was beyond envious of his sisters for having something he so desperately wanted. He was now 19, almost 20 and he wasn't any closer to finding his mate. It couldn't be that bad, his father was a few years older than him before he met his mother. But for them and Ali it was like a sudden realization, or an awakening almost, that this person was meant for them. Each of their mates had been werewolves as well, but Doyle now found himself at a table surrounded by human females. This was proving to be more difficult than he had wished it would be.
"So Doyle, what are you in school for?" Andy voice woke him from his own tangled thoughts. Bringing his gaze up he met her sparkling hazel eyes, he couldn't help to notice they had flakes of gold and green in them making them look like marbles. "You awake in there?" She smiled as she waved her hands in front of his face again.
"You okay, Doyle?" Zach was watching carefully as his cousin shook the haze from his eyes bringing his brain back into the land of the living.
"Yeah, I'm fine. This hang over must still be getting to me." He smirked as he lifted his bottle of water to his lips chugging half it down in a second. "So you were saying?" He turned his attention back to Andy, who was watching his every movement with question. Izzy nudged her then just took over the train of thought completely for her friend.
"What are you in school for?"
"Business."
"Cool, what do you plan on doing once you graduate?" Izzy's smile was infectious when she actually showed it, a few drinks forced on her had clearly allowed her to drop her guard a bit.
"Well I am going to be taking over a security company my father over sees. My dad's best friend is running it now, but has plans to step down once I'm ready to take over the reins."
"Well your definitely built for the job." Andy mumbled before she lifted her drink to her lips causing Doyle to look at her with raised brows and wide eyes. He could clearly see that behind that glass was a playful smirk playing on her lips.
"Isn't that the truth!" Izzy giggled causing Andy to follow suit soon they were both in a fit of giggles. Doyle watched them as another shock zapped through his entire body, it was so sudden and stronger than before he couldn't help but to glance over at Zach, who was already watching him. Zach must of seen the concern hidden in Doyle's eye because seconds later he slipped into Doyle's mind.
'What's up?'
'A shock.' Doyle was not longer just slightly annoyed with it, but no he was beginning to worry it could be something completely different.
'Is that what you were feeling earlier?' Doyle nodded ever so slightly so no one other that Zach would notice it. He plastered his face with a very convincing fake smile and continued to eye both girls.
'Who is it?'
'That's just it, I don't know!' Doyle's voice was now plagued with fear. 'I need to think!'
"Hey! Who's up for going to the beach?" Nicholet asked from the head of the table she was bouncing around in transparent white bikini, Layla often covering Zach's eyes when Nicholet got in his line of sight. There were calls of agreement from around the table, Doyle couldn't help but to bob his head as well.
The bills were quickly paid for and the group once again set out for their next destination. Doyle was actually looking forward to the blue ocean and the warm white sand of the beach. It wasn't crowded but by no means was it empty. There was plenty of room for a group of their sized to have a bit of beach to themselves. Zach and Kyle walked off to rent some chairs as the rest of them strolled about. Doyle plopped his butt down in the soft sand as he watched the girls strip down to their bathing suits again. Instantly his eyes were drawn to Andy with her red suit that accented her curved waist and plump breasts and Izzy wiggling out of her shorts to reveal a tiny black bikini. A slight gasp escaped his throat as he realized that Izzy was the girl he saw dancing earlier. Both girls clasped hands and ran toward the crashing waves, screaming when the water broke at their ankles.
"Come on, Doyle!" Izzy yelled, he smirked as he got to his feet and began tugging off his shirt. Taking his time he sauntered down to the water's edge letting the water greet his toes before he ran full force to the ocean diving head first into the next upcoming wave. The cool water engulfed him as he paddled his way up for air.
As Doyle broke the surface he felt someone jump on head pushing him back down, sudden shock ripped through his body as whoever held his head put all their weight into it. Grabbing the body that hovered over him he pulled them down in the water with him hoping to get a glimpse under the water as to who it was. But they were gone once he opened his eyes the salt water stinging his sensitive eyes. As he gasped for air when he resurfaced a second time he saw both Andy and Izzy laughing a few feet away.
"Oh you two are in for it now!" He called out as he jumped toward both of them causing them to squeal and paddle to get away. Both girls being agile slipped away from him eager grasp eventually running from the water to collapse on the soft white sand.
"We're too quick for you, Doyle." Izzy teased as Andy turned back and grinned a breath taking smile.
"I doubt that!" Tipping his head down he glanced up at the girls giving them an evil glare as he posed ready to pounce. Their squeals filled the air again as he sprinted toward them, both running in different directions. "No fair, there is only one of me, and two of you!" He whined as he stopped watching both girls turn back to face him.
"Doyle!" Zach called from behind him, "Catch!" Doyle turned just in time to catch the multicolored football that was hurdling toward his head. As he cocked his arm back to throw it back he felt the ball being snatched from his hand only to see Andy running toward Zach with the ball tucked under her arm.
They spent the next few hours playing until they were nearly all dead on their feet. Doyle collapsed into a lounge chair Zach had rented, the sun was warming his skin as he felt sleep try to take over. Just on the cusp of sleep he heard soft music begin to play. Opening one eye slightly, he shielded his eyes from the bright sun to see Izzy, Alicia, and Nicholet dancing together.
"Come on Andy, you danced with me earlier!" Izzy whined.
"Yeah, well you and Nicholet put me to shame. So to save myself the embarrassment, no." Andy sighed as she relaxed back in a chair.
Doyle closed his eye, he did want to be seen eavesdropping so he just hoped his heightened hearing would do the job. "Andy." Izzy said quietly as she took a seat on the edge of Andy's chair. "You act like you can't dance as good as us."
"I can't, and I won't go around pretending I can." Andy's voice sounded harsh and full of regret. "You two are in Julliard, I'm not."
"But..."
"Drop it Iz, just drop it!" Andy sat back huffing loudly.
"Come on, Izzy. Those guys over there want to talk to us." Nicholet called, Izzy sighed heavily as she pushed herself up from the chair and slowly trudged behind Nicholet and Alicia. Doyle couldn't resist anymore he turned to look at Andy, who was watching her friends and cousin walk off to talk to a group of college guys standing a few yards away.
"You okay?" Doyle asked as he peered over at her. Her face turned to look at him, her expression changed from envy to anger and hurt.
"I'm fine!" Pushing herself out of the chair she grabbed her clothes, "Layla, I'm going back to the hotel. I'll see you later." She angry swiped her hand through the air and began stomping off toward the boardwalk that lead back to the hotels.
'You better go after her.' Zach intruded in Doyle's head.
'No, she wants to be alone. I'm not going to bother her and make matters worse.'
'So who is it? Andy or Izzy?'
'I don't know, and why do you care?'
'Your my cousin, Doyle, practically like a brother. So I care, and so should you! Now, go talk to her! We'll meet you back at the hotel shortly.' Doyle sighed heavily as he lifted his tired body from the lounge chair snagging his shirt in his hand and draping it over his shoulder.
"I'll meet up with you later." Doyle waved bye as he noticed the interested look on Layla's face, she watched him carefully as he exited the beach in hopes to catch up with Andy. He couldn't see her once he got to the board walk, but there was no way she could get back to the hotel that fast, she's only a human, and she didn't have any money on her so she couldn't hail a cab. Thinking as he walked, Doyle kept his eyes open for Andy. There were a few open air bars along the way and in hopes of catching Andy he made sure he peered in each one. Three bars later, he stopped in the last bar before getting to the hotel and he spotted her, she was sitting at the counter with a beer in hand and just her shorts on, her shirt was draped over her shoulder much like Doyle's was.
He quietly walked up to the bar taking the seat next to her, "One beer, please." The bartender nodded at him and went to get a beer. "So, you want to talk about it?" He turned his head slightly glancing over at Andy, who was playing with her bottle.
"Not really." She mumbled as she sipped at her drink.
"They say it's easier to talk to a complete stranger, I'm pretty much a stranger. So?"
"You are pretty much a stranger, but I have this weird feeling you won't be for long." She looked at him with concerned eyes.
"Why do you say that?" He asked as the bartender slid a bottle at him catching it with ease and began to nurse it.
"I don't know, gut feeling, I guess." She shrugged as she looked down the neck of her beer.
"You know you can talk girl talk with me. I have two sisters, so I'm well versed in the world of girl talk." He chuckled lightly. "Would you believe that both my sisters are actually older than me? Well Ash is a few minutes older, but that's still older."
"You have a twin?" Andy asked as she glanced over at Doyle.
He nodded happily, "Yep, Ashling. I also have an older sister, Ali." They sat in silence for a few minutes as Doyle waited for her to talk.
"I used to dance. Used to being the correct phrase. I no longer do it."
"Why not?"
Andy sighed heavily, he noted that this was a heavy subject but something inside of him was pushing to know more. "All three of us tried for Julliard together. I was the only one that didn't make it. So now Izzy and Nicholet attend the best school for dance and I don't dance at all. I always wanted to dance in front of a packed audience at Carnegie Hall, but that will never happen."
"Did you like dancing?"
"Like?" She asked her brows raised, "Doyle, I loved dancing, nothing made me more happy in the world then when I was dancing." Doyle smiled as her eyes sparkled at the thought of dancing. "It just can't happen now."
"I'm sure you could do it." Doyle grinned as Andy down the rest of her beer.
"I don't think so." She slipped a few bills from her pocket and placed them on the bar and jumped from her stool to leave.
"Wait!" Doyle quickly tossed a few dollars on the counter and hurried to catch up with her. He caught up with a few seconds later he caught her wrist. "Andy!" As soon as his skin came in contact with her's he felt it again, this time so much stronger than ever before. Instantly he forgot his train of thought as Andy watched him waiting for him to speak.
"What?"
"Uhh. Come dancing with me tonight." Doyle finally stumbled out. He looked at her amazed, had he finally found her? And her only wish was to go to New York and be a dancer, could he possibly handle the distance? What if she didn't like him in the first place? He knew who and what she was to him so he could control his wolf. Was he going to let her slip away from him just to make her happy? "Please?"
"I don't know." Andy shrugged as she looked down at the ground, Doyle placed his index finger under her chin lifting it back up so she could look into his eyes.
"Just once, please. If you don't like it we'll leave."
After a few seconds of silence, Andy huffed and mumbled, "Fine."
"Great. I'll pick you up at your hotel in three hours?"
"Sure."
Doyle walked her back to her hotel watching her walk to the elevator. He knew he was in deep, way deeper than he ever thought he'd be. Now he was at a loss as to what to do, and he had to get ready for a date. Running back to his room he had a few calls to make before he could get ready, and he had to find the perfect place to take Andy dancing.