Chapter 52

~Why am I smiling? Stop smiling!~

“What’s that look for? What did he say?” Andy sashayed over to me, a mischievous grin on her face. Hannah joined us, draping her arm around my shoulder.

“You’re trying not to smile,” Hannah sang in my ear. I glanced over at Knox, who was watching me, camera in hand. He was the first to break eye contact, and I turned my attention back to my best friends, the gossip queens.

“Nothing,” I tried to brush them off, hoping to leave it at that. I couldn’t tell them what Knox had said. They’d make a scene, and I didn’t need that kind of attention.

“Alex! What did he say! We know he said something to you. Tell us or I’ll ask him,” Andy threatened. I knew she would do it, too.

“Fine,” she started to march towards Knox, but I grabbed her arm, pulling her back to Hannah and me.

“Not here. Come swimming with me, so you don’t draw attention to us!” They clapped their hands in excitement, and we waded into the sea.

“Spill! What did he say?” Andy demanded, standing in the water up to her neck. The waves lifted us, making us feel weightless. I hesitated, embarrassment creeping in.

“Alex, come on. It’s not that bad, is it?” Hannah swam over to me, trying to read my face.

“Uggghhh, why do I do this to myself.”

“What did he say? I know there’s something you’re not telling us!” Andy insisted.

“He said... Ugh... He said ‘Second time my head’s been between your legs’,” I finally confessed. Their eyes went wide with shock, and they started to scream, so I splashed them.

Everyone on the beach was looking at us, so I pretended to be startled by something in the water.

“Fuck off!..... Fuck off! Fuck off! Fuck off! Are you serious! Knox freaking Carter licked you out? Holy shit! That was not what I was expecting at all!” Andy whispered, her face a picture of shock.

“Same! Holy fuck, Alex! I thought you were going to say you made out again but... Was he good?” Andy asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

I’d been trying to bury the memory since it happened, trying not to blush every time I looked at him.

“Yeah..... it was actually amazing. I’ve never.... you know...... like that before, or ever during oral. Like he’s good, really good..... But I’m so embarrassed, guys!” I whined, covering my face with my hands.

“What? Why? Why are you embarrassed? You got licked by Knox, the sexiest man alive Carter! Hello? What is wrong with you?! I’d be doing a lap of honor right now on this beach,” Andy exclaimed.

Hannah nodded before adding, “I heard he called you his girlfriend this morning—”

“What! Why didn’t you tell me this?” Andy feigned offense. I groaned out loud.

“He didn’t call me his girlfriend, well he nearly did but it was a joke. My mom probably gossiped to you about it, didn’t she? Knox has never and will never have a girlfriend, he will forever be a playboy. Let’s be real here,” I assured them.

What happened this morning was clearly blown out of proportion, and by my own mother at that. I swear, that woman will be the cause of a future heart attack when it comes to my sad excuse of a ‘Love Life’.

“Actually Ben and your mom filled me in..... and Delilah,” Hannah admitted, playing with her hair. “And yes, I agree with you that he was a big playboy, but I think he’s changed now. He’s a lot nicer. Which is weird because we both saw the ugly side to him, but he’s more mature. Plus, I never saw him like this before but he looks so doable these days it’s not even funny! Like those abs are ridiculous right now, I could lick anything off of them.”

“Hannah!” I hissed at her, splashing water in her direction.

“What? Andy would agree!” I saw Andy looking over at Knox, nodding in agreement.

“I think he’s more fuck-able than anything. I, like most girls in this country, would do pretty much anything to get him to even look my way. But it’s not possible when you’re around, Alex...... But your brother though!” She smirked at Hannah and me.

“Ew! No, we’re not talking about Kyle!” Hannah scrunched up her nose, making me laugh. I couldn’t agree more, I didn’t want to hear my best friend talking about my brother, that’s too weird.

“So when did it happen?” Hannah asked me. Her eyes widened, and I followed her gaze to see the boys coming our way to join us.

“Damn! Okay, the short version. The night before the fitting, I was hungry and went down to the pantry for food. He came in, we made out, then he—”

“Ate you out,” Andy interjected, her voice teasing. I groaned internally. I hated when she finished my sentences, especially when she used words I hadn’t intended to.

I mouthed ‘I hate you’ at her, and she laughed, dipping her head back into the water. She mouthed back, ‘I love you too, girl.’

“Alright, no more talk about this until we’re completely alone! Got it? And don’t tease him! Especially you,” I pointed at Andy, who wore a mischievous smile.

“Fine! My lips are sealed, once your lower lips are too!” I swam towards her and dunked her, her laughter bubbling up as she resurfaced. She wrapped her arms around my neck in a loving way. This didn’t look good.

“Are you two making out?” Brett asked, his eyes hopeful. I turned to look at him, silently praying that we weren’t about to give Andy any ideas.

“What? No, I—” I snapped my head back to Andy, who chose that moment to press her lips onto mine and actually kiss me.

A chorus of curses filled the air as I felt my body being pulled away from her, and I slowly sank underwater. I knew it was Kyle. Once I resurfaced, I saw him glaring at me, with Andy smirking behind him.

I glanced around to see the guys in shock, but Knox had a strange look in his eyes, his jaw clenched as he stared at me. He wasn’t annoyed, but I couldn’t place the expression. I’d never seen it before.

“Uhh, hi?” I asked, embarrassed.

“Don’t make out with my girl again!” Kyle gritted out through clenched teeth.

“What? Your girl kissed me! Fuck off, Kyle! You saw it, Andy kissed me first,” I splashed back, making him take my hand and pull me towards him. He tried to stay angry, but a smile was creeping onto his face.

“You could never be mad at me, could you? And you—” I teased him, pointing at Andy, “Are you some secret lesbian we don’t know about?” I joked, making her grin and the others laugh.

“Trust me, she’s not a lesbian,” Kyle winked at her, and Hannah and I cried out, “Eww! Gross!” making everyone else laugh. I swam out of Kyle’s grasp and stood next to Hannah, who hugged me.

Before long, Andy and Kyle started making out, making everyone groan. I felt a hand stroke my butt cheek and yelped in surprise, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Sorry, something... gross just touched me,” I turned to see half of Knox’s face hiding under the water, and I knew he was smirking.

He didn’t move his hand, instead, he tapped my butt lightly like he had the other day and started to play with my bikini bottoms.

His fingers hooked around the material at my hips, so I swatted his hand away underwater. But moments later, he brought it back and continued.

I made eye contact with Ben, who looked confused at my expression. He glanced at Knox, then back at me, and I could see him putting two and two together. He smirked and winked at me.

Knox’s hand played with my bottoms, his thumb running along the crease of my butt cheek. I wasn’t going to lie—it felt good. I grabbed his hand to try to push it away, but his fingers interlocked with mine.

I managed to squirm my hand free. How was nobody noticing this? Everyone was too wrapped up in talking about going clubbing that night, while I was fighting off this sea monster beneath the water’s surface.

His hand slipped into my bottoms and rested on my butt cheek, squeezing it softly. I grabbed his hand again to remove it, holding his wandering hand in mine to stop him from feeling me up.

I whispered under my breath so he could hear, “Perv.” Bubbles erupted from his mouth as he stood up to his full height. Andy gave me a curious look, trying to decipher what was going on with me.

“So tonight? We’re all going out? Like out, out! We need to show Ben a good time! Also me, I haven’t been out clubbing here yet,” Andy beamed at Ben, who shrugged his shoulders to show he didn’t mind what we did.

“Alright, I’ll ask the rest of the girls, Sam, and Tyson to join! Hannah, you ask your brothers to come out too! So we have a big crew! Where shall we go, guys?”

We hadn’t actually been out clubbing since we all arrived here. We’d mainly been relaxing at the house. But I was excited to get dressed up and go out with my girls.

I hadn’t been out with Sam since New Year’s, and that hadn’t been the best night for me.

“Let’s go to Club 51 Degrees? That’s usually a good spot!” Kyle suggested. He was the party animal, so we all agreed. Knox’s fingers kept brushing against my leg and butt cheek.

I smacked his hand, telling him to stop, but he just smiled at Kyle, who thought he was agreeing with him about the nightclub. “Club 51 Degrees it is then!”

Kyle sealed it with a kiss on Andy’s lips, making her smile and wrap her arms around his waist.