When the Tide Rolls In [COMPLETED]

Chapter Nine: So Much For Meaningful Conversation

I decided to convince Conner that I would be going out. Immediately, he discarded the idea.

"For the rest of the summer, it is my job to stay here and sleep on your couch. I don't get to leave this house and you aren't allowed to leave without company. So you're staying until Nick gets back," he stated.

Conner was currently flipping through the channels on my television. His feet were propped up on the coffee table and I had to hold myself back from scolding him.

"Well can't you just let me-" and the sound of the doorbell broke off my sentence.

Conner jumped up immediately, unceremoniously shoving my body behind his. We stood still for what felt like ages before the doorbell rang again. His arm twitched at the sound.

"Well aren't you going to answer it?" I grumbled, pushing on his back.

Conner turned to shoot me a glare and the doorbell rang again.

Not wanting to be rude to the person on the other side, I slipped around Conner and headed for my front door. Suddenly, arms were wrapped around my waist and I was hoisted over Conner's shoulder.

He spun around and set me down in the living room.

"So you have no personal space," I observed out loud, "got it."

Conner moved silently to the front door, ignoring my remark, and put his eye up to the peep hole. He glanced back at me and then spoke.

"It's a boy with flowers."

I shoved him out of the way and ripped open the door to reveal a very nervous looking Daniel on the other side. In his hands was a bouquet of roses.

This boy isn't doing himself any favors.

Roses were my least favorite flower after I fell in a rose bush when I was little and had to get stitches.

"Daniel, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice flat. He gulped and then I watched his eyes stray from me.

He had spotted Conner standing behind me, and his eyes narrowed.

"Who's this? You have two weird men in your house now?" he growled, and I was taken aback.

Daniel never spoke like that.

"Who are you? The man who almost killed her last night?" Conner snapped back and stepped closer.

"Guys stop!" I shouted, shoving Conner back into my house.

"Samantha, I came to apologize," Daniel sighed, holding out the flowers to me. I didn't take the roses, but instead raised my eyebrow.

"Apologize for what?"

"For sinking the boat. I'm sorry," he said, a hopeful smile forming on his face.

I heard a loud laugh come from Conner a few feet behind me. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Daniel.

"Daniel, you're twenty-five. You shouldn't be acting like a hormonal teenager. The way you tried to touch me on the boat was unacceptable, and I'm going to need more than just a bouquet of my least favorite flowers to forgive you," I told him. His face fell and he nodded.

"I'll see you around then," Daniel muttered before stepping off my porch and back to his truck.

Once I closed the door, Conner resumed being his normal annoying self. He stretched and then smiled at me.

"What's for lunch?"

--

Do not ask me how we ended up in this situation.