Chase and Company

Chapter Eighteen: Heading Towards Some New Waters

                Somehow, I forgot that the next day was the Fourth of July.

               Our parents booted us out of the house and down to the beach while they prepared food in the kitchen. Apparently, they had a surprise for us children that wouldn’t be ready until nightfall.

               And this was how, despite an injured ankle and the inability to swim, I found myself lounging in my black crisscrossed bikini on a beach chaise.

               “Mmm, I will take any opportunity there is to try and tan,” Camille hummed from the chair next to me. Her bathing suit was a pretty, teal color with a single lace ruffle overlay covering the top piece.

               “Too bad you always end up burning worse than Clark when he tries to make toast,” I teased her. I wasn’t kidding. We had to take Clark to his own parents’ ER when he gave himself second degree burns by just trying to take the piece of bread out of the toaster. He burnt the bread too.

               “Hey, a white girl can dream,” she retorted. She sat up, looking past me, and she lifted her sunglasses up off her face. “Speaking of dreams.”

               I followed her gaze and found myself doing the same, perching my own shades on the top of my head.

               Oh holy hotness.

               It was like a scene straight out of Baywatch. All three Chases emerged from the house and were walking down the path toward the beach. Or, more like floating. Toward us.

               This is more like bae watch.

               All three were effortlessly gorgeous in their board shorts and lack of shirts. The blustery wind ran its fingers through their hair, gently styling it into messy perfection. With their skin glowing and their faces set in that Chase smirk, they were the definition of perfection.

               Too bad the picture straight out of GQ was ruined as Clark practically knocked the three down like bowling pins as he barreled through their formation, screaming, “Water!”

               One particular boy stood out to me. His pale brown hair shone with a gold warmth and his teeth beamed brighter than the sunlight. With the cerulean, cloudless sky serving as his backdrop, the blue of his eyes gleamed like sapphires, except much more rare and—therefore—valuable.

               My eyes flicked down to scan his shirtless body and I suddenly forgot what my name was. It goes to show, extracurricular activities do pay off; sports whipped his body into top condition, his toned yet lean frame emphasized by his slight tan.

               “Aiden’s hotter,” I said just as Camille said, “Hudson’s hotter.”

               We burst into laughter. I gave Hudson a quick glance. With denser muscle than Aiden, he still had a fit body, fitting with his creamy smooth complexion. A camera, a model I knew to be waterproof, hung from his neck and partially covered his taut torso.

               Hot, but not Aiden.

“Poor Landon,” Camille said. “He has no one to appreciate his body.”

               The boys finally reached where we are. “Well don’t you two look absolutely stunning?” Landon drawled, flashing a smile at us.

               Camille and I turned the same shade of bright red as Landon’s board shorts. Hudson and Aiden, however, didn’t seem as appreciative of the compliment.