Free Pieces of Me by Rachel Ryan Page A

speechless…how… why ?”
    Shrugging, I look back at her shocked face. “I don’t know. I’ve just never felt ready for that. I guess I’ve just been waiting for the right guy and the right time.” I’m beginning to feel really uncomfortable discussing my sex life with my baby sister.
    Cameron eyes me suspiciously. “You’ve been waiting for Jake.”
    Choking on my mouthful of coffee, it squirts out of my mouth and across the table.
    “What?”
    Cameron is nodding as she wipes up the coffee with some paper towel. “I saw the way you were watching him last night. You were in love with him weren’t you? When he left you, you were in love with him.”
    I shake my head and rise from my chair walking to the sink to rinse out my mug. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. We had our chance six years ago and it wasn’t meant to be. That ship has sailed.”
    Cameron walks up behind me and places a hand on my shoulder “Abbi, it doesn’t have to be like that. He’s back in your life. Maybe it is meant to be.”
    Turning, I look into her eyes. “He broke my heart the day he left and then two years later he shattered it into a million pieces. It has taken me four long years to put those pieces back together. I can’t go through that again.”
    Cameron smiles sadly. “Okay, sis. Whatever you say.”
     
    An hour later Cameron pulls her little car into the parking lot of the beach where she had arranged to meet Levi. He’s waiting for her and his face lights up in a huge grin when she steps out of the car. Watching from inside the car, I can see his eyes take in the length of her bikini clad body. Cameron got her looks from our dad, he’s tall and slender and she is the same. She has never had an issue with weight, even though she eats like a horse. I on the other hand am short and curvy and if I even look at a piece of cake I put on a kilo. As I get out Cameron locks the car and we make our way over to Levi.
    “Morning, ladies. Glad you could make it.” He is wearing a wetsuit that is currently unzipped and hanging down around his hips and I can’t help but admire his body. He has tanned skin and his muscles are…wow. No wonder Cameron is keen on this one.
    He leads us down to the beach and closer to the water’s edge I can see a group of guys and a bunch of surfboards standing up in the sand. My steps falter as I see a familiar dark head of hair. I suspected he might have been here with Levi, but I wasn’t sure. As we get closer the sight of him standing there in his wetsuit, hanging down around his hips like Levi’s takes my breath away. It’s been a long time since I have seen his body and he has changed quite a bit. He was always toned from the many hours of football and surfing, but now he just looks…like a man…a really sexy man. Six years ago he was still a boy becoming a man, but now, he is tall, tanned, muscular and…hot. He glances in our direction and his eyes meet mine. As we step up beside the group of guys they all turn and look at us. Scanning their faces I can see the guys from the bar, Brady, Wes and Tristan and there are two other guys sitting around in their wetsuits. They are all good looking guys and I feel kind of shy as Levi introduces us to all of them.
    “Brady, Wes, Tristan, you remember Cameron and Abbi from last night? And girls the other two over there are Tristan’s brother Nathan and his friend Sam. And of course, you already know Jake.”
    My eyes snap to his to see him smiling down at me. “Hey, Shorty.”
    Smiling at him I drop my beach bag onto the sand while Cameron spreads her towel down. She really does draw a lot of attention in her tiny black bikini. As I glance around at the guys I notice most of them watching her, except for Nathan who is staring right at me with a smile on his handsome face. I smile back at him and plonk down onto the sand. Brady stands up and zips up his wetsuit.
    “Time for round two. Who’s with me?” Most of the guys follow him into the water