For more than one reason.
I needed a plan.
There was no way I could stay in the Troc world for much longer.
I walked along the backyard, looking for a body of water. It sounded so dumb, but I missed the ocean. I missed the view from the beach house. I missed the sound of the waves, the smell of the water and the peace it offered.
The only water around here was in the sink.
And I wasn’t even sure if that worked.
I stepped through some of the brush and spotted something.
It was a pickup truck.
An old pickup truck.
I noticed the back of it was open. And in the bed there were blankets and pillows. And what looked like more bottles of booze.
On top of that, from the side, I could see feet.
Two feet.
On the ground there were shoes.
Someone was sleeping in the bed of the truck.
The feet then moved as I approached to see who it was.
I heard a noise.
A groan.
It wasn’t a guy groaning either.
That meant there were two people in the bed of the pickup truck.
I told myself to turn around and walk away.
Only I kept walking toward the truck.
It felt like in the Troc world, it was just one surprise after another.
This was no different either.
I heard another groan… then a giggle.
The sound of the giggle went through me like an icy spike.
I knew that giggle…
“Relax, darling, you don’t want us to get caught, do you?”
That was Talon’s voice.
I moved toward the back of the pickup truck and saw the truth.
Talon and Gia were fooling around.
I gasped and didn’t mean it to be so loud.
But what I saw…
Talon shirtless.
Gia wearing his shirt.
His hand between her legs.
Her kissing his neck.
And then Talon looked at me.
He popped his head up but didn’t stop moving his hand.
“We’re busted,” he said.
“What?” Gia asked.
She looked and when she saw me, she let out a cry.
She pushed Talon’s hand away from between her legs and sat up. She grabbed a blanket, wrapped it around her then bounced her butt to the edge of the truck and jumped down.
“Winter,” she said.
“What. The. Fuck…”
Talon sat up and hung his arms over his knees.
The smile on his face was a mile wide.
“Looks like you two need to have a chat,” he said.
Gia looked back at Talon. “I told you this was too risky with her here. You asshole.”
“It was either you or someone else, darling,” Talon said.
He started to laugh.
He stood up and jumped out of the truck and grabbed his shoes.
“I’ll leave you two to have at it,” he said. “If you start throwing punches and anyone ends up naked, someone better call me.”
I was like a statue as Talon walked by me.
I refused to take my eyes from Gia.
Her hair was a sleepy mess. Of sweat. Of sex. Wearing nothing but Talon’s shirt.
“Where… where’s your car?” I asked.
“Parked over there,” Gia said and nodded. “There’s a gravel area where they have their vehicles. I always park there.”
“Always?” I asked. “This wasn’t the first… oh, shit. I’m going to throw up again.”
I turned and started to run.
There was one problem.
Nobody could outrun Gia.
Running was her thing.
Not that I was planning on outrunning her. I just wanted to keep moving.
The shock that went through me…
Gia and Talon.
“Winter, wait,” Gia said. “We need to talk about this.”
“Talk about this?” I screeched.
I stopped and turned. Gia ran into me. I shoved her back.
She dropped the blanket and jumped at me to push me.
We ended up in this pathetic pushing match, neither one of us wanting to actually hurt the other.
I finally just grabbed her arms.
“You’re wearing nothing but his shirt,” I said.
“So?”
“Who are you?”
“Me?” Gia asked. “Are you really going to try and judge me right now, Winter?”
I swallowed hard. “He was in bed with me last night, Gia.”
She blinked fast. “Your point?”
“He kissed my forehead. I… I thought…”
My stomach felt sick again.
I let her go and started to walk again.
For some reason, I wanted to see her car.
I wasn’t sure why but I needed to see it.
Gia stayed right with me, the blanket wrapped around her again.
“What do you think you’re going to get out of this?” I asked. “If you only knew how close he and I were to sleeping together. So many times too. You’re a fool, Gia.”
“You’re the fool,” she said. “He would have never touched you.”
I stepped from grass to gravel and spotted Gia’s car.
Just where she said it was.
Then I looked at Gia.
“He already did touch me.”
I watched as Gia dug through a bag of clothes to get dressed.
Sneaking around to be with Talon. Bringing clothes.
Standing in a gravel driveway outside of a Troc’s house, stepping into fresh panties and then hiding on the side of her car so she could take Talon’s shirt off and put on a bra and shirt. Then finally, stepping into a pair of jeans.
“I know about everything,” Gia said as she fought with her hair. “You don’t realize what’s going on here.”
“Then fill me in,” I said.
“You don’t think I’ve wanted to?” Gia asked. “I feel like crap right now.”
“You should!” I yelled. “Because I feel like crap. I feel like I betrayed you.”
“How?”
My mouth opened. I hesitated. Then I just let it loose… “I wanted him to take me last night. I was drunk and he climbed into bed next to me and I made a move. Then I got sick. If I hadn’t gotten sick, Gia…”
“He would have cut you off and got you to go to sleep,” she said. “Trust me.”
“Trust… what the hell…”
Gia sighed. “Winter, I’ve been here every single night since you’ve been here.”
“What?”
“Talon made a promise to you,” she said. “And you pay him. That’s it.”
“Are you kidding me right now. The way he talks and acts…”
“Talon is a flirt,” Gia said.
“You sound crazy.”
“And you keep judging me. So when you’re ready to talk, you let me know. I can’t lose you from my life, Winter. And I wanted to talk to you about Talon. I really did. Before I could you were worrying about your dress choice for the ball with Noah, Easton, and Xavier. Okay?”
Gia got into her car and started it.
I lunged for the passenger door and got into the car too.
“You’re not leaving,” I said.
“What am I supposed to do then?” Gia asked.
I didn’t look at Gia. My heart, head and body… I was so confused.