Sailing West

19.3 • Baths

Our kiss was only the beginning.

West and I spent the next two weeks lost in each other.

Being alone with him was like walking through a thunderstorm of feelings—each touch a lightning strike, each kiss a downpour of passion. Even though I ached for him in every way possible, we'd been taking things slow and getting to know each other before we took our relationship to the next level.

I was dying to talk to Leona about all this, but it was impossible.

I could tell she was starting to fall for Graham—even though she told me he was, "as disposable as a napkin"—I could see right through her. I was happy for the two of them. Graham was a nice guy, but his father owned the Newport Yacht Club, and I wasn't sure how close his father was to West's.

I didn't believe Leona would tell him, but I also didn't want to put her in an awkward position. So, in the end, I decided to keep my time with West a secret from her, which made me feel like an award-winning shit friend.

I'd been dodging all her attempts at double dates too. This evening, Leona invited me on Graham's boat for an evening booze cruise, but I told her I was picking up a shift at Castle Hill Inn—which wasn't exactly a lie. It just wasn't the whole truth either.

I watched her apply a thin layer of lip gloss to tawny lips before she brushed out her long black hair. "Are you sure you can't come, Stells? It's gonna be so much fun. And you know, Spencer and his massive hands will be there," she teased. "He's been asking about you."

I shook my head and waved her off. "I'm picking up a room service shift at Castle Hill to make some extra cash. Since I'm going to be off work for a few weeks after my...surgery," I forced the word out. "I need the money."

Leona eyed me with her bullshit detector look. "Between all these extra shifts and theatre practice, I barely see you!" I looked down at my folded hands, feeling about an inch tall. My best friend set her hand on my knee. "I know what you're trying to do, Stella. You're trying to handle shit on your own instead of talking to me."

"I'm just trying to stay busy," I explained. "That's all. You know how I am. I need my distractions."

Scratch that. I was a centimeter tall. The worst lying friend in the world for what I wasn't telling her. Leona squeezed my knee.

"Girl, I know you're still upset about West, but you need to move on. He said no. And this summer is supposed to be all about hot ass distractions, remember? Not work."

If only she knew just how good of a distraction West was. His lips and his hands were like an eraser to the pain. When I was with him, I felt like an ordinary girl. I didn't have to dwell on all the things in my life that were falling apart because I was too busy falling into him.

We sat up for hours talking about how we could see each other over holiday breaks and long weekends. Between kisses, West and I promised that this wasn't going to be a summer fling. We would figure out a way to fit into each other's lives.