Chapter Twelve

Wade

Wade pounded on the front door of the Laynes’ house. It was a perfect afternoon, and there was no school today to allow for teacher conferences. Iris had texted him that her dad got great reviews back from all her teachers. His tutoring had paid off.

Mr. Layne opened the door. His dark hair was grayer since the last time Wade had seen him. He’d forgotten Iris said her father was down from Baltimore to keep an eye on the girls while their mom and gram were out of town. Iris had told Wade once that Mr. Layne’s job was flexible. Benefits of working for his new wife.

“Hey, Wade, good to see you.”

“Hello, sir. I’m here to pick up Iris.”

“Yes, she mentioned you two were going out to celebrate,” Mr. Layne said. “I’m quite pleased with her progress. Her science teacher said she’s done a one-eighty with her tests. Aced every one so far.” He pulled out an envelope. “Iris said you didn’t want to be paid, but I’m insisting you take this.”

“I can’t do that,” Wade said.

Mr. Layne never backed down. “Take it or I’ll just go to the trouble of getting it to your mom so she can put it in your account.”

There was no winning that battle.

“Besides,” Mr. Layne added, “I hope you’ll take me out on that boat of yours sometime.”

Wade accepted the envelope. “Okay, thanks.”

Mr. Layne stepped aside. “Go on in. I have to meet with Violet’s teachers.”

“Thank you,” Wade said, passing him as he entered.

“See you later.” Mr. Layne closed the door behind him.

The house was messier than Wade was used to seeing. The flowers in the vases around the living room were wilted, blooms bowing over their stems. There wasn’t the scent of Gram Froggatt’s baking in the air as usual. All definite signs that Iris’s mom and gram were gone.

Iris pounded down the stairs, wearing jeans and a pullover hoodie. “Ready? Let’s go,” she said.

She was at the front door before he had a chance to register her presence.

“What’s your hurry?” He trailed after her.

“I need to be back in a few hours.” She skipped down the porch steps.

He closed the door and picked up the two helmets he had placed there before knocking on the door earlier. “You going to lock up?”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Darting back up the steps, she retrieved her keys from the front pocket of her jeans and locked the door.

“You don’t have to rush,” he said. “I’ll have you back in a few hours. I promise.”

“Sorry. I just have a project due tomorrow.”

“Safety first,” he said and slipped a helmet on her head.

She looked cute in the helmet, buckling it as she headed for his motorcycle. “Where are we going?”

Wade put on his helmet and straddled the bike. “To the marina.”

She got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her thighs squeezing against his. Her touch always excited him.

When he steered the motorcycle into the parking lot of the marina, Violet, Dena, and Carys waited by Dena’s Ford Focus. He parked and waited for Iris to get off before unsaddling the bike.

She removed her helmet. “I thought we were going to be alone.”

“It’s a special day.” He opened the seat and put his and her helmets inside.

“Special? How?”

“You’ll see,” he said, crossing the parking lot to the others.

After saying their hellos, the group trekked over the docks until the second-to-last row where Wade’s boat was kept in a slip. After they were all on the boat with life jackets secured, Wade motioned for Dena to untie it from the dock while he turned on the motor. The others found seats around the deck.

“So we’re actually taking it out?” Iris said, standing beside Wade in the cockpit.

“Yep.” He steered it through the marina to the open ocean, only having to avoid a few boats on his way. The harbor was nearly empty, with it being a workday.

Iris adjusted her feet to stay balanced with the rocking of the boat. “This will take longer than two hours.”

“We’re just going to head out a little ways for the big reveal,” he said.

“Is the reveal that the boat won’t sink?” Iris laughed.

He flashed a smile at her. “Funny.”

The farther the sailboat moved away from the marina, the more excited Wade got. He couldn’t believe that the boat was almost ready. He spent so much time with Dena and Carys fixing it up. This first run was for Iris. For the big reveal.

When he’d picked a perfect spot, he turned off the motor and looked over at her. “Want to take the helm?”

Wade and Dena rushed around hoisting the main sail. Next, they raised the jib. Carys and Violet clapped and whistled. Wade glanced back to see Iris’s reaction. She squeezed the wheel tight, her hair whipping around her head as she looked up, her mouth wide. On the main sail was a dragon Iris had painted for him. The maker had copied the image and transferred it to the sail.

“What do you think?” Wade yelled over the wind.

Iris held her hair away from her face. Her expression excited Wade. “I love it!” she shouted over the crashing of the waves.
The wind was perfect—not too weak and not too strong—and the boat went out for a bit before Wade brought it back to shore. After the sails were lowered and secured, he turned on the motor and maneuvered it to its place in the marina.

Dena and Wade went about tying the boat to the dock. Wade snuck glimpses of Iris as she took off her life jacket. Her back arched and her breasts pushed up, turning Wade on.

You’re only torturing yourself, Diaz. He shook his head and finished off the knot he was tying.

A rope hit him in the face.

“Pay attention,” Dena said, towing the rope back to her.

“I was,” Wade said, grabbing the other end.

Dena shot him a knowing smile. “Not the kind of attention I meant.”

When the boat was secured, Dena urged everyone into the cabin, where she opened a bottle of champagne and poured it into five clear plastic cups.

The last time Dena and he had champagne, they were celebrating her coming out. Dena’s parents weren’t too pleased with her admission about her preference for girls. Her mother cried and her dad gave her the silent treatment. It wasn’t until Dena’s heart condition knocked her on her ass that they came around. After her surgery to fix a faulty valve, Dena’s parents told her they only wished her happiness.

“To Wade,” Dena said, holding up her cup, “congratulations on finishing this boat.”

“Congratulations,” Violet and Carys said in unison.

Iris rose her cup. “It looks amazing. Cheers.”

“That sail is beautiful,” Carys said and slipped into the booth. “It’s from the painting Iris gave you, right? At a birthday or something?”

Violet and Dena scooted in next to Carys.

“Yeah, she gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday.” Wade leaned against the counter and took a sip of the cheap champagne.

Iris leaned close enough to Wade that he could smell her floral shampoo. “You are so talented,” she whispered, her breath tickling his ear and sending a spark through his body. He wished they were alone. He had an intense urge to kiss her.

He swallowed a big swig of bubbly. “Look who’s talking. You have mad painting skills.”

“So when are you taking your dad out?” she asked.

“Halloween morning. He’ll be back this week sometime.”

“Oh,” she said. “What about the haunted house? We were going to set up that day.”

“Don’t worry.” He brushed her hair away from her cheek and quickly brought his hand back.

She leaned away from him, a startled look on her face.

Why did I do that?

It was as if he were on autopilot. There was no thought behind it. “We’re going early in the morning,” he said, looking down at his cup. Bubbles popped in the golden liquid. “I’ll be over in plenty of time to help out.”

“Wade,” she said so quietly the others couldn’t hear her over their own conversation.

He looked at her.

She touched his arm. “You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m still Iris. I just made a mistake. I won’t hurt you again.” And then she mouthed, I’m sorry.

He wished he could forget, but he hadn’t thought she would hurt him the first time. It was that fact that kept him from giving them another chance.

“Let’s see the pictures of the sail,” Violet said to Carys, causing Iris to break her gaze on Wade.

Carys slid her phone across the table. “I took a bunch. Tap All Photos so you can choose which ones you want to view.”

Violet dragged her finger across the phone, scanning the pictures. She tapped one. “Oh gosh, this look on my face is horrible. Please delete that one.”

“I don’t delete pictures,” Carys said. “They’re memories. I promise not to post any you don’t like.”

“Let me see,” Iris said, leaning over the table.

Wade couldn’t help checking her out in those tight jeans.

“Nice view?” Dena said, smirking at him.

The other girls turned to look at him, and he directed his gaze out the cabin window. “It’s a beautiful one.”

Iris was back at his side. “I have to go soon.”

“What are you, Cinderella?”

“It’s not midnight,” she said.

“I meant…” He ran his fingers through his hair. The wind had tangled it, and the salty air had curled the ends. “Are you going to turn into a pumpkin if you’re not back exactly in two hours?”

“Cinderella doesn’t turn into a pumpkin,” she said. “It’s an actual one that returns to its original state.”

“Listen to you being all scientific-sounding,” he teased. “I’m so proud.”

She elbowed his side. “You’re hilarious.”

“Oh my God,” Violet said, tapping the screen of Carys’s phone repeatedly. “Oh my God. Why do you have this photo? How did you get it?”

“What photo?” Dena leaned closer, trying to see over Violet’s hands.

Carys glanced over Violet’s shoulder at the screen. “Crap. I thought I deleted that.”

Violet held up the phone, showing the photograph. “This one.”

It was the photograph of her and Dena making out in their bras.

“I…I…” Carys looked around at all of them, her eyes pleading for help.

Wade was tired of keeping Carys’s secret. He stepped away from Iris. “It’s time you two tell her the truth.”

“The truth?” Violet asked.