Free See Through Me (Lose My Senses) by Sera Bright Page B

with a boy. Little did I know, he was just waiting for me to catch up…
     
     
    From the top of the long flight of concrete stairs, I scanned over the beach spread out below me. I trailed my fingers over the metal railing, moving to the side for the crowd of people leaving. In the distance, the skyline of downtown Cleveland stood in all its hazy glory.
    Ash had texted to meet him here while I was out on a run. I could see why. Dark clouds rushed toward the shore, and a roll of thunder sent tremors through the air. He knew how much I loved to watch storms with him.
    Through the crowds of people, I spotted him near a lifeguard station, watching the sky over the lake. He was shirtless and wearing frayed cargo shorts slung low on his narrow hips. My breath hitched in my chest, the way it always did when I saw him. It didn’t matter if I’d seen him an hour before, it always happened. I tried not to think about the reason.
    A group of long-limbed girls in tiny bikinis stopped in their tracks as they passed by Ash, giggling and checking him out. That ’s what usually happened at the beach.
    He ’d changed over the last couple of years. Physically, like he’d finally grown comfortable in his skin. But more than that, he had started interacting with other people than me. Hung out with some of the guys from the soccer team. Went out with girls. Pretty, perfect ones that always knew what to say and what to do. I’d been certain he would move on from me. But he hadn’t. Not yet, at least.
    Other people had no problem cheerfully informing me how he ’d slept his way through our graduating class. And two neighboring schools. I scraped my teeth over my bottom lip. It was like he’d discovered sex in the last year, and needed to make up for lost time.
    Sweat trickled between my shoulder blades. I skipped down the concrete steps. Strands of hair stuck to my neck from the high humidity of the day. I fought off feelings of insecurity over my grungy outfit, a white ribbed tank and blue running shorts that had seen better days.
    I didn’t know why I was worrying so much about how I looked. I was just going to see my best friend at the beach. He didn’t care how I dressed. Why would he? We were just friends. Always just friends. As I made my way across the sand to him, I noticed that the girls were still standing and staring.
    One girl from the group, a junior named Brooke, broke away from her friends and approached him. I slowed to a stop. I couldn ’t blame him for his newfound popularity and libido—that would be hypocritical.
    I ’d attempted to whore it up myself, too. Trevor’s harassment had slowly stopped, but my reputation continued to gain legendary status. And for a few drunken months the summer before senior year, I had tried to earn something I never deserved in the first place.
    Ash gave Brooke a nod like he couldn ’t care less she existed. I rolled my eyes when she tossed her auburn hair over her shoulder, rocking back on her heels. Girls loved the challenge when he acted sullen and distant. I could see where this was going, and started to look around for somewhere to sit down while he finished his manwhore act. There would be some cocky self-assured dialogue, followed by giggling and fake coyness. Then numbers would be exchanged with hints of a hook up later. Hell, I should just go now, and leave him to his fun.
    “ Katie!” Ash waved me over. Brooke looked over her shoulder, clear annoyance on her face.
    Reluctantly, I walked over to them. Beads of sweat dotted his lean chest and shoulders. Sinewy muscles crossed his torso. Slivers of the finest white lines marred his shoulders, a few scars remaining from his father ’s beatings. You could see them if you knew to look closer.
    Ash placed a hand on the small of my back, as if he wanted to show Brooke we were more than friends. My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. If he didn’t want to talk to her, he didn’t have to use me as an excuse.
    “ I didn’t think