California Daze

Chapter 6: What's happening?

Aspen waited till 11 before changing into her bikini and heading downstairs to get things ready. She had her game plan set and was going to stick with it. No matter how much she wants to give into Wesley about having sex she's going to refuse. This is her one chance to really let Wes in and let him see the real side of her. She walked into the theater room and grabbed some extra pillows and blankets for them after they got out of the hot tub. Aspen looked at her phone and realized it was already 11:45 and Wes would be there soon. She walked into the spa room and grabbed two towels, before she walked out she wrapped one around her while carrying the other one outside. She slid through the glass door and laid the towel on the chair before walking to the hot tub to remove the cover.  Aspen had just turned on the jets and cranked up the heat when Wesley appeared from the side of the house.

"It's midnight exactly!" he smiled.

"Impressive Stromberg, you know how  to be on time."

Wes walked over to where she was standing and waited for her to make the next move. Instead she dropped her towel and walked to the stairs. Wes' jaw dropped seeing the rest of her body. This time he noticed something new.

"Is that a tattoo I see?"

"Ha, maybe if you hurry up and get in you'll find out." Aspen laughed.

Wes pulled off his shirt and followed in behind her. Aspen stretched out on one side and kept her distanced away from him. 

"So are you going to answer my question?"

"Not yet.. I have a better idea. How about we ask each other questions and find out more about each other. This whole us just making out is fun but I kind of still want to get to know you" Aspen said sitting up.

"Fine. My first question is.. Is that a tattoo on your hip?"

"Yes. It's an anchor and it says 'I refuse to sink.' I got it last summer when I went through a dark period. Now, what's your deal. Do you try to get into every girls pants or just mine?"

"Haha.. Nah. I just do it cause I know you want too. I mean come on, I'm a guy and sex is always on my mind. But with you it's different, I don't know what it is but you have this weird control over me." Wes stopped talking when he realized he was admitting to liking her. "So um, what's the deal with that ex of yours? Do you still talk to him?"

"Oh, Landon... We dated on and off for two years. I caught him cheating on me and I ended it but right before I moved here I snuck out and went to a party with him and he played me. I was just his booty call for the night, you could say. He still thinks we're an item but I want nothing to do with him.... How long have you been in this band?"

"A few years. It started out with just Drew and I. We finally talked Keaton into joining and then we added Kenny and Kyle. So you don't have to answer this but what caused you to enter that dark period of time?"

Aspen's stomach dropped and started having flashbacks of the past. She didn't even know where to begin. Aspen didn't even realize she was crying until Wesley wiped the tears from her face. 

"I told you, you didn't have to answer. I get some things are better off left unsaid."

"That's really sweet of you Wesley. But it's ok, I think I'm stronger enough to tell you the story." Aspen blinked back the tears and started from the beginning. "It was the summer of Sophomore year, Landon and I had just started dating and everything was perfect. We went on each others family vacations and spent the whole summer doing whatever we wanted. I was so wrapped up in my new boyfriend that I didn't realize what was happening in my own home. My parents were constantly fighting and my dad threaten to leave my mom. When I found out I quit hanging around Landon and spent all my time with my little sister Jordyn. My parents ended up going to counseling and working out their differences. Well later on that summer Kiley's older sister Hailey was having a beach party which she let us sneak into. There had been a lot of drinking and drugs going on that no one even noticed that we left. Hailey and Kiley got into a fight about her drinking and Hailey just blew her sister off. We all went back to my house to crash for the night when Kiley got a phone call from the police. They called to let her know that her sister had been in a car accident and was killed on impact. We went and woke up my parents to tell them what happened. My mom got out of bed and took us to Kiley's house, while my dad was pissed and took Landon home. After spending the week with Kiley I finally returned home where I was ground for the rest of summer and was band from seeing Landon. When school started everything had changed. I quit gymnastics and choir to focus on my volleyball life. I didn't even talk to Landon until after Christmas break when baseball season started back up. He was a junior and had better things to do than date a sophomore. That's when he informed me that he slept with another girl when we got back from vacation. That's when I snapped.  Between my parent's, losing Hailey, and then finding out my first boyfriend cheated on me; I started cutting and drinking. Kiley noticed it and talked to our coach who set me straight. It was either stop what I was doing or lose the only that mattered to me more than life. After getting cleaned up I got my tattoo. It's just a reminder everyday that life is an adventure and I'm just here exploring." Aspen finished and just stared into the water. She felt Wesley's arms wrap around her and she scooted closer.