As with most writers, some of the chapters I wrote for Something Real just don't make the cut. In this case, I decided to go in a different direction with the chapter. To read the Wattpad version of this chapter, click here.
© 2017 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.
Something Real
[ Chapter 28 ] Over The Edge
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My mother had never seemed like the kind of woman to go wine tasting just a few days before her wedding. But from the looks of things, she was now.
"Oh!" She gasped as she toppled forward, Elias just barely catching her before she hit the ground. "Elias, thank you. I didn't see that extra step there."
I stood back, allowing my soon to be stepfather the time to pull my mother back to her feet before the two strode inside ahead of Hayden, Jay and I. Our little family wine and cheese tasting had gone haywire quicker than I had expected.
Despite the overall sense of control my mother usually kept about her, today she had decided to throw caution to the wind and have that extra glass of red wine.
"I've never seen her like this," Hayden chuckled as he followed me inside. "And she get's wine-drunk around the house almost every night."
"I've only seen her like this one other time," I shook my head at the memory. "It ended about the same."
My parents had neglected to wed before I had come along, and once they finally decided to tie the knot, I was old enough to tell that my mother was far from sober the night of their wedding. My father had been left to carry her up three flights of stairs to our small apartment from the parking lot below.
It was then she said that she would never drink like that again.
Jay suddenly pushed past me, the man shoving me into Hayden without much warning on his way to the front of the lobby. Hayden wrapped his arms protectively around my waist, holding me in place as we each watched Jay pull Wren into his arms.
Apparently, dropping out of college had taken her longer than she'd intended. She had promised to be at the winery nearly two hours before she'd actually shown up.
"Look what the cat dragged in," Hayden drawled in my ear.
I pulled away from him a bit, taking notice of how tipsy he'd gotten over the last hour. "Do I need to take you upstairs?"
"Is that your subtle way of asking me to bed?" He narrowed his eyes in on me playfully, giving me a wink there after.
"That's my direct way of asking if you need to sleep off all that wine you practically inhaled," I corrected. "The way Zane talked about your time in college I would have thought you could hold your liquor a bit better."
"I can hold my liquor just fine, Blaine," he shrugged before dropping his hold on me and standing up straight. Within that instant, the man had sobered up. "Maybe me acting drunk was my subtle way of getting you into bed."
"And we know how well that worked for you," I whispered with a smirk.
Hayden made sure to keep his distance when Elias decided to interrupt our moment to hand out room keys; much like my mother had when we'd gotten into Las Vegas two weeks ago.
"This time around you'll each have your own room," Elias turned his attention towards Hayden. "We don't want a repeat of our last family trip."
Hayden ripped the key-card from Elias' hands before fixing his father's shirt collar. My mother must have ruffled it during her fall near the stairs.
"On the contrary, father," Hayden started. "I think our last family trip went quite well. Don't you think so, Scarlett?"
My face reddened with his words, causing Elias to focus on me for a change.
Truth be told, I hadn't spoken more than three sentences to the man since we'd met.
"I think the Vegas trip went well." I offered as I too took my room key from Elias. "Can I help get my mom up to your room?"
"Oh, no," Elias shook his head. "I'll take care of her. She's probably just nervous about the wedding. But you kids have fun. There's lots to do around here."
Elias somehow missed the suggestive look Hayden sent me when he turned to help my mother into the elevator.
If I felt lucky about any one thing in my life, it would be the moment Elias decided to ignore the tension Hayden was trying so hard to create between us in this particular moment.
-
"Jay, stop it!" Wren squirmed before pushing herself off the wall of the swimming pool. Jay kept after her, catching her just before she got to the opposite edge of the pool.
"Ha!" Jay cheered before tossing the football over to Hayden. The water splashed up in both of our faces with the impact of the ball, but Jay couldn't have looked happier to have won again. "Round three?"
Hayden shook his head and threw the ball back to his older brother. "I think you played enough for all of us, Jay."
"I don't even know what game we're playing," I whispered to Hayden.
From the looks of it, it took everything in him not to laugh at me right then and there.
"It's this game Jay and I made up when we were kids-"
"I really don't know if I want the full run down of the game."
"But what if our kids want to play it, Blaine?" Hayden argued with a pleading smile. "You're going to deprive our future children of the same joy you see on Jay right now?"
"Jay's happy because Wren's pulling him into the hot tub." I motioned towards the end of the pool where Wren had a tight hold on Jay's upper arm. My supposed best friend took each step from the cool waves into the hot water with care before she and Jay dove under together.
"Well then I'm just going to have to give you a crash course on the game," Hayden shrugged before he jumped out and caught me. He quickly tossed me over his shoulder and followed the steps out of the pool.
Luckily enough for Hayden, there was a diving board on the far side of the pool.
Sadly enough for me, there was a diving board on the far side of the pool. If I knew anything about Hayden, he would try to jump off holding me in his arms.
"Hayden, put me down." I ordered, slamming my fists into his back. "I know what you're trying to do."
"Do you know how hard it would be to carry you up that tiny ladder and then to walk across that thin board? Not including the careful diving technique I would need to make sure we were both okay. I'm not taking you all the way up the diving board, Blaine," Hayden reassured.
I breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled me back into a bridal style carry, giving me a loving look before he took a step forward towards the edge of the pool. But even after his speech reassuring me that he wouldn't jump into the water, I could feel my heart jump out of my chest as he jumped into the pool anyway.
"Hayden!" I yelled before we crashed into the cool water, the pool engulfing us in a matter of seconds.
Hayden kept his hands placed on either side of my waist, helping me up to the top of the water once.
"You're the worst," I coughed before swimming back over to the edge.
"I doubt that," he scoffed. He rested his elbows up on the edge, keeping his eyes on me. "Aren't you having any fun?"
"I was before you jumped into the deep end with me," I laughed. "What the hell was that anyway?"
Hayden rolled his eyes at me, "I'm trying to loosen you up, Blaine. You're always so worried about everything. I needed you to have a little fun for a change."
"I have been going with the flow for two weeks now," I kept my voice in hushed tones as I narrowed my eyes in on Hayden. "What more do you want from me?"
Hayden smiled seductively my way, the man placing a hand on my torso before he pulled my body into his. "I've got a few ideas."
He pushed his body flush against my own, keeping one of his hands anchored to the side of the pool to hold us both up above the twelve foot drop. My hands found their way to his neck, my fingers locking to hold myself to him.
"Jay," Wren's stern voice interrupted us, nearly bringing me out of the romantic moment Hayden had created for us.
Hayden pressed his lips against my ear, "take a deep breath."
I frowned as I watched him take in one deep breath, the man slipping under the water there after. Copying his actions, I pushed myself back under the water and reluctantly opened my eyes in an attempt to find him.
Hayden's hands found me before I had caught sight of him, and the second his lips brushed against mine, I had forgotten where we were or what we were doing. My eyes fluttered shut as the delayed sting of chlorine hit my eyes, and though it seemed Hayden was suffering the same amount for this kiss, it was worth it.
We hadn't had a moment alone like this since the night I had broken up with Zane.
Soon enough, the lack of oxygen in my lungs became too much to bare, so I pulled Hayden back up to the surface along with me.
My eyes popped wide open as I caught sight of my mother walking around in the lobby once more. But that wasn't the only sight that confused me.
I swam away from Hayden, making my way to the opposite side of the pool near the hot tub where Wren and Jay we're currently wading around in. I got to the steps leading out of the pool, sitting back against the steps as I did.
Though Hayden was now sitting beside me, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene playing out just thirty feet away from where we sat. Wren noticed it just after I did, and even she couldn't make anything of what was unfolding before us.
"Who's that guy talking with your mom?" Hayden whispered.
It felt all too strange to say the words out loud.
"My dad."
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