Always & Forever (Nick & Bailey #2)

33. Bailey

I climb down my lifeguard tower slowly, knowing that Nick, Simon and Olly are all watching me. I'm officially meeting the younger two, and I don't want their first impression of me to be falling on my ass.

"Hi!" I say way too over-enthusiastically when I reach the three of them. I'm nervous about meeting them. It's ridiculous, but I want them to like me.

We were supposed to meet several times over the summer, but it just never worked out. I was starting to wonder if Nick didn't want me to meet them and was just coming up with excuses to get out of it until he suggested bringing them to the pool while I was working today.

I bend down so I am eye level with Simon and Olly. "I'm Bailey. And I'm sooo happy to meet you!"

They look at each other before turning back to me. "I'm Simon, and this is Olly."

"I know!"

Then the three of us proceed to having the world's most awkward staring contest, waiting to see who will speak next. Finally, Nick ends the torture. "Why don't you guys give me your towels and get in the water?"

The relief that I see run through them is obvious. After they run off, I look up at Nick, who's trying not to laugh.

"They hate me."

Nick pulls me into him. "No, they don't. They are just kids. They aren't going to be jumping up and down about meeting their brother's girlfriend. It's not a big deal to them."

"I guess I don't know much about little kids. I'm not really ever around them unless I'm here, and I don't talk to them very much besides yelling at them to stop running."

His chest rattles as he chuckles. "Just talk to them like you do everyone else, which I know you have no problem with. They are eight and nine, not two."

I nod and look over at them. It's inner tube day today, so the pool is covered with air filled blue donuts with some kids resting on top of them and some popping their bodies in and out of the holes, seeing who can jump the highest.

Simon and Olly appear to be joined at the hip, looking unsure of their situation. Nick notices too. "My mom doesn't usually take them to places like this. Ken hates crowds."

I have a few things to say about that--mostly that crowds also hate Ken--but decide to keep that to myself. "That's too bad. Do you remember how much time we spent here as kids?"

"Yeah," Nick answers, but his tone is distracted as something catches his eyes in the pool.

I look over and see Simon tentatively reaching for a free tube. I'm elated that they are actually going to try to have some fun. But then I see another boy, at least five years older than them, snatch it out of his hands at the last second.

To give the other boy the benefit of the doubt, I think that maybe he hadn't seen that Simon was reaching for that one. But then as Simon moves to grab another one, the boy does the same thing. He says something to Simon and Olly that I can't hear, and they slowly start to walk away, heads down, looking like they want to be anywhere else.

"I know that kid," I say to Nick. "He's here almost every day and he's a little asshole. All the lifeguards avoid him."

"I can see why. Should I say something?"

"No." I storm away from Nick and walk right up to the little bully. I'm standing at the edge of the pool, looking down at him. "I don't think those tubes are yours."

"Yeah they are. Those losers don't want them, do you?" He turns to Simon and Olly who shake their heads no. "See?"

I bend down closer to him and lower my voice. His friends all start backing away slowly, leaving him alone. "Listen here you little shit, it may be easy to pick on kids who are younger and smaller than you. But I'm not someone to fuck with. If you don't give them those tubes right now, I will make it my personal mission to ensure that you never enter this pool again, okay?"

He scowls at me. "You can't do that."

"Do you want to try me?" I ask smirking. "Because based on your behavior here, I'm guessing you lack a moral cornerstone at home, but I'll be happy teach you a lesson."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means because you are such a shithead, you probably learned that from someone else and weren't born that way. At least that's what I'm trying to tell myself instead of grabbing you by your ear and tossing you out."

He turns away from me and pushes the inner tubes toward Simon and Olly.

"Now say you're sorry," I say louder, so more people can hear us.

"Sorry," he says under his breath. I think about coming back with a 'louder' but decide not to push it. But then he gets louder on his own, saying, "Bitch."

"Excuse me? What'd you say to me?" I ask. I move to jump into the pool but am stopped by Nick grabbing my arm.

"I think you did enough," he says.

The bully re-joins his friends who seem to all be having a laugh at his expense. And Simon and Olly climb onto their inner tubes. Some kids who appear to be closer to their age come up to them, and I hear "That was so cool" and "Finally somebody stood up to him" and "How do you know her?"

"She's my brother's girlfriend," Simon answers.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool," Olly adds.

I'm euphoric as I look at Nick. "Did you hear that? I'm cool. They like me!"

"Yeah and all it took was you swearing at and threatening a pre-teen."

"The kid deserved it. And I felt oddly protective of your brothers." I shrug. "But I better get back on my tower. They don't usually care when we come down as long as we keep an eye on the pool, but if I'm too long, they'll notice."

Nick nods. "I have to leave town tonight since I work early tomorrow, so will I see you again?"

I stick my bottom lip out. "Probably not. I have to stay for a head lifeguard meeting after we close. It may go pretty late. You don't need to wait for me."

"But I'll see you this weekend?"

"Definitely. You'll need my help moving to your RA room."

Nick rolls his eyes. "Yeah, what would Cam and I do without your man-power?"

I slap his arm. "Did you ask Ian to help?"

"No."

"Why not? He doesn't go back to school for another week and a half. I'm sure he'd help if you asked."

"Bailey, I don't know if you've noticed, but Ian and I don't really talk anymore. I hang out with him if you're there, but him and I haven't been around each other basically all summer."

I search my brain and realize that he's right. How had I not noticed? When Nick visits, which isn't often, I monopolize all his time. Although my friends could say the same thing about Nick. Maybe Ian could come with me this weekend to help move, and I could try to make myself scarce at some point.

I immediately dismiss the thought. It's our last full weekend before Nick's classes start and I move two hours further away from him. I selfishly want him to myself.

He jumps slightly, like a thought just occurred to him. "You said you needed to talk to me about something at Target yesterday. What was it?"

I obviously can't tell him right now while I'm at work and he's with his brothers. I've gotten through this entire visit without telling him--or him finding out from other people. And the relief I feel is shameful.

But the weekend is only two days away, and I will, without question, abandon all excuses and tell him. I'll wait until I know he's in good mood--maybe right after sex? Or right before sex? I'm not sure.

As long as he hears it from me before the semester starts, it will work out.