Free Drawn to You — Volume Two by Vanessa Booke Page A

lied because Tristan was the guy who ruined me for all other guys. I don’t think I ever loved anyone as much as him. He was the first guy I had sex with. It was so brief, I’m not even sure you could call it sex. Then he left after my brother died. He kept in touch with Nicholas, but he completely removed himself from my life.”
    The surprised look on Augie’s face makes me want to both laugh and cry. He pulls me into his arms and gives me a tight squeeze.
    “I have a feeling that you’re most upset about him leaving than the actual sex part.”
    “Maybe,” I admit.
    “I know it’s hard putting yourself out there sometimes.”
    “Not for you.”
    Augie laughs and rolls his eyes. “Speaking of, would you hate me if I left tonight?”
    “No… Why?”
    “I got a text from Harvey. He wants to go out tomorrow night.”
    I smile. “That’s great!”
    “It is. I should probably go get my stuff together.”
    “I’ll help you pack,” I say, grateful for the distraction.
    As we head back to shore toward the beach house, I see two bimbos with giant tits hanging around Nicholas and Tristan. I thought my bikini was tight, but theirs look like they were taped on. Don’t look at Tristan. Don’t look. It’s better if I just ignore my feelings for him. My self-control works for a while, but at the last minute, I look back. Fuck. A sting of jealousy hits me as I spot Ceci pressing herself against Tristan they walk the beach.
     
    * * * * *
     
    I stare blankly into the kitchen taking in the words of my conversation with Augie earlier today. The house is quiet despite the party atmosphere that lingered earlier. I step out into the living room to find Ceci sprawled across the white suede couch still passed out from swimming earlier. My brother is nowhere in sight, but I can only assume he went home with one of the models Tristan and he ended up talking to. I grab a spare blanket and cover Ceci as she shivers in her sleep. It’s already late in the evening, but I still can’t sleep.
    The sounds of waves crashing outside draw me to the window as if calling my name. I grab one of the bottles of leftover beer from the kitchen and step through the sliding glass door. I find myself walking further and further from the beach house. Outside, the moon floats high above me reflecting on the tips of the waves breaking on the sand. My eyes are drawn to the black abyss that reaches as far as the naked eye can see. As hard as I stare, I can barely make out the lines where the sand ends and the ocean begins. I shouldn’t venture too far, but I can’t help but feel relieved as the tension from my shoulders releases with each step I take. The farther I walk down the sandy trail, the easier I find it is to breathe.
    A gust of wind whips at me as I spot the perfect place to sit and stare up at the stars. I sit back and drink my beer as I listen to the melodic sound of the nature around me. It’s not long after I finish the beer I found that I feel myself drifting into sleep.  I should head back . I quickly give up, as my limbs feel too heavy to move. The feeling of the ocean sand brushing up against me suspends me in its gritty warmth. Despite the cold that creeps up my skin, the sand beneath me is strangely comforting. I rub my eyes as I spot a shadow moving in the distance. I try to focus on the shadow, but my eyelids droop. I force them open, but after a while, it’s pointless.
    It feels like I’ve been sleeping an eternity when I feel something warm grab ahold of me and lift me mid-air. The strong pressure against my side envelopes me in warmth. The feeling is strange yet addicting. I move my body closer against it hoping to draw it out.
    “You’re so cold, Lily Pad.”
    My eyes flutter open just long enough to see the ends of Tristan’s hair whipping around in the ocean breeze. His intense gaze is trained on my face as he brushes back my hair from my eyes. My head spins, but I’m not sure if it’s from the beer or the