Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
"Come on guys," I say. "Let’s eat." It takes a determined wave of encouragement and an expression that mothers aim at naughty toddlers to get the group onto the blankets.
"So, Dawn, have you had a beach picnic before?" Lachlan asks.
"With my family a long time ago."
Oh great. Way to go, bringing up memories of her mom.
"I didn’t have one before I came here. Scotland’s a little cold for nighttime paddling," he tells her.
"Scotland’s a little cold for most things," Jared says, grinning to accompany his playful banter.
Bryce and Bradley pull out boxes of sandwiches that look like they came from an upmarket deli and dips, chips and chopped up vegetables. There are mini chocolate cupcakes, blueberry muffins and what looks like millionaire’s shortbread, topped off by boxes of strawberries and whipped cream. For a picnic assembled at short notice, they did well.
We eat, and laugh, and Dawn seems to go along with everything, but nothing feels genuine. It’s as though she knows what part we want her to play, but she can’t quite bring herself to make it reality.
I know I’m quieter than usual because I can’t work out a way to make this work. After turning over ideas in my mind, I’m no closer to a solution. All I come up with is trying to get her to remember the fun we had before everything felt serious and laced with troubles.
"Me and Dawn played a twenty-question game when we went to the wholesaler."
"It ended up being ten questions because we didn’t have time." Dawn smiles softly at the memory.
"Did Cooper ask you lots of sex questions?" Lachlan rolls his eyes like he knows me so well. He does, but I am deeper than the puddle he’s suggesting.
"Some sex questions," she says. "But I’m okay with that."
"We hit the jackpot, boys," Logan says, reaching for Dawn’s hand.
"We did," I say, reaching for her other hand and lacing our fingers together. She stares at me, the intensity of the moment buzzing between us like the static of a storm.
"We know what we’ve got," Bradley says.
Dawn nods, and then withdraws her hands.
The harder we push for her to hear us, the more distance she seeks.
The only part of our relationship that she ever feels comfortable with is the sex. Maybe that’s where we’re going wrong. We should focus on the part that Dawn feels most comfortable with, and the rest will hopefully follow.
So instead of us trying to tell Dawn how we feel with words, I suggest we all go for a midnight swim.
Stripping off on a deserted beach feels strange. The cool temperature of the water makes the hairs on my legs stand to bristle but getting to see Dawn in her pretty white cotton underwear makes it all worthwhile.
I grab her hand and lead Dawn down to the sea. As soon as the water touches her toes, she freezes and gasps.
"No hesitation," I say. "No looking back. We’re going to run."
Her green eyes meet mine, wide and afraid, but I know her expression comes from more than just a fear of the ocean at night. I pulled her out of the sea once. She’s not frightened of the water.
"You only live once, baby," I whisper, as Jared and Joshua fly past us, spraying water in giant arcs as they bound into the surf.
"You only live once," she whispers.
It’s Dawn who takes the first step and ends up dragging me into the sea. We laugh with gasping wheezes as we plunge beneath the waves, coming up for air with salt stinging our eyes and burning the inside of our noses.
It’s Dawn who presses my hand between her legs, urging aside her soaking panties so that my fingers can seek her warmth, and that’s all it takes for an innocent midnight swim to turn into so much more.
It’s hard to keep track of everything we do in the dark, beneath the swirling ink of the sea, with so many men and just one beautiful woman, but I keep my eyes on her face, seeking the reassurance that this is really what she wants.
Dawn cries out, over, and over, her pleasure like a living, breathing thing connecting us all. And even though I know this night will be one that none of us will ever forget, I don’t know if it’s enough to tip the scales to keep Dawn with us for good.
35
DAWN
Kyla messages me at four am. I’m tucked up in my bed alone, my limbs aching and my flesh tender. Just seeing her message makes my heart burst open like a ripe fruit that’s fallen to the ground.
Kyla - Sydney is a riot. How’s Byron? Miss me?
Tears well in my eyes, and I blink them away, turning my face into the pillow.
Dawn - Byron’s good. Just tying up loose ends.
I watch the screen as Kyla types for what seems like ages. My heart begins to dread what she’s going to say because even though everything is always rooted in love, sometimes what she says hurts. The more truth there is in her words, the worse I feel.