The rest of the guys head back to work as Bryson and I make our way over to the girls.
chapter 7
Jenna
“Are we going to keep doing this, Jenna?” Charlie whines. I continue to ignore her. The last thirty minutes were hard to get through since I can never go very long without talking to her, especially when she’s practically in my face, hounding me. “Jenna.” With my eyes closed, I adjust myself in the lounge chair, making myself a bit more comfortable. As hot as it is, I soak in the sun and allow myself to tan in peace, disregarding her. “Jenna!” she cries out again. I think I’m enjoying this. This is payback for forcing me out of my room and then embarrassing me in front of the guys.
“That’s it!” I hear her wet flip-flops squishing across the patio. Before I can utter a word, Charlie’s legs are straddled on either side of my hips. I pop my eyes open and she leans forward, her face inches from mine. Charlie grips my wrists, places them over my head, and humps me. She’s literally humping me.
“What the hell are you doing? Get off me!” I struggle beneath her.
“Oh, yes!” she yells out, panting. “Fuck. You feel so good, Jenna.” Still humping. “Oh, God…harder.” She looks ridiculous. “You know how I like it, baby. YES!” Her back arches, her eyes roll to the back of her head, and then her body shudders as she acts out her fake orgasm.
Is she serious right now? “You’re absurd!”
She releases my wrists from her hold and sits back on my thighs. I lift myself up with my elbows and look up at my friend’s crooked grin. “Is that a smile plastered across your face, Jenna McDaniel?” I force my lips back to a thin line. “Well, I think I’ve succeeded. One point for me.” She shoves her hips, one time, into mine. “Boom!”
“Get off me.” I wiggle beneath her and push forward to move her off. But I can’t. Her legs are practically glued to my thighs.
“Careful. My pussy lips are twerking again. I may go another round.”
“I hope we’re not interrupting?”
Charlie and I turn our heads toward the voice. Can this day get any more embarrassing? Both Bryson and Logan are standing there, Bryson with a curious raised brow, Logan with his arms crossed and an amused grin on his face. Great. “I mean, we can come back if you need your privacy.”
Charlie, loving the attention, smiles mischievously. “Oh no, we’re not afraid of public affection. Are we, baby?” She looks down at me and winks.
For a split second, I imagine that I have eyes that can shoot out painful darts, and I aim those eyes right at the center of Charlie’s forehead. Since nothing is happening, I crook my neck, focusing on Logan and his charming blue eyes. He yanks my chain by lifting a hand and pointing his thumb behind him, silently questioning whether or not he should leave so Charlie and I can continue fooling around. Smart ass. He must have read my facial expression because his lips curl into a wide grin. An adorable grin. I shake my head. “No. It’s fine. What do you need?”
Bryson takes a step forward. “We won’t take much of your time,” he says. “We just wanted to apologize on behalf of Santino. It was unprofessional of him to treat you ladies that way. We’re sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“I don’t mind,” Charlie declares.
Bryson nods once. “Right. Either way it was out of line.”
It’s kind of sweet he cares enough to apologize. “Thank you. I appreciate that,” I say.
Logan, who hasn’t taken his eyes off of me, clears his throat. “We’d still like to invite you ladies to the lake house this weekend. It’s an annual event, and if you come and stay, we’ll make sure you have your own room.” He’s looking at me intently, almost intimately, as if this conversation is just between the two of us. “We also promise no more remarks by Santino or any of the guys. Just think about it.” They both smile reassuringly and turn away, walking in the direction of the soon-to-be guesthouse.
Charlie hops off my lap, releasing the pressure from my thighs. She sits beside me with concerned eyes. Goofy Charlie has been turned off and now caring, loving Charlie is on. “Talk to me.”
My head slams back on the headrest of the lounge chair. “I left Dr. Rosario.”
She places her hand on top of mine. “That must’ve been tough.”
“It was…is. I’m just confused by it all. I thought I would feel relieved, but I feel stuck.”
“That’s understandable. You’ve been with her for almost a year. When you adapt to someone, they become a part of your routine, a part of you. And when they’re taken away, you feel a bit lost. No matter how much you think it won’t affect your life, it does.” She sighs and turns her head away from me. I can’t make out her exact point of interest, but it seems like her gaze is lingering over Brooke’s bedroom window, the one right beside mine. “Do you think this is for the best?” she asks.
“I have no idea. But I felt suffocated. I still feel suffocated, Charlie.” I adjust to sit up. “For God’s sake, I’m in my early twenties and my parents control everything I do. It’s as if I have no say whatsoever in my life. Sure, they’re never here physically, but they manage to control every little thing anyway: school, work, therapy. For once I just wanted to feel in control. They treat me like I’m incapable of doing anything. Like I’m a pet puppy who can’t be left alone without destroying everything, so they keep me caged.”
Charlie gives my hand a tight squeeze. “I know the past few years have been difficult for you, Jenna. Especially the last eight months.”
“Don’t,” I interrupt flatly. The last thing I want to be reminded about is the last few months of my life. I’m aware of how difficult it’s been. I’ve lived through it. But I’m still here, fighting through it, managing somehow. It can’t be so bad if I’m surviving each day. It could always be worse, right? At least that’s what I tell myself. It’s the only thing that’s giving me hope.
That’s the end of the conversation. Charlie knows how much I can handle, and she’s learned throughout the years not to push my limits.
She stands. “Want to take a dip? I can’t take this heat any longer.”
“Sure.”
Sometimes I wonder how I became so lucky to have her in my life. Neither one of us can replace Brooke for the other. She meant different things to each of us and we’ll never be able to fill her shoes. But in some small way, having Charlie around helps me hold on to a piece of my sister that I’d lose otherwise. And I think it’s the same for her. She’s been there for me through and through for the past few months. It’s taken up to this very second for me to realize it. Knowing that I’ll always have her, that she’ll always be there for me, makes me grateful. Like today. I needed someone to pull me out of bed and force me back to reality, and she was there.
Charlie sits at the island in the kitchen, chatting away as I whip up scrambled eggs and bacon. She hasn’t left my side since last night. Being the good friend she is, she insisted we rent movies, eat junk food, and have a good old-fashioned girls’ night. The last time I had a night like that was about a year ago—when Brooke convinced me to watch Grease for the thousandth time. She had a massive John Travolta crush and refused to believe he acted in other movies. I smile, remembering how Brooke would jump up and dance along with the scenes.
Charlie didn’t realize it, but I needed her last night more than anything. I didn’t trust myself alone; I could’ve easily fallen back into a depressive spell. It isn’t difficult to succumb to my gloomy moods, but with Charlie around I’m able to avoid my racing thoughts for a short period of time. We stayed up all night, talking about nonsense and watching comedies. My mind was free of everything I’ve been dealing with the past few days. I even laughed. That’s something I haven’t done in a very long time.