Coastal Runaway (Coast to Coast #1)

Thirty-One

thirty-one

Luke

I hated events. Like I really, really hated events.

Tonight I’d been roped— guilted —into attending this gala and the one bright spot was the perky blonde who had been dodging me for weeks. Keegan had been sleeping at Maggie’s, staying late at practice, and generally avoiding the house if I was there. I thought we were past the little games of ignoring each other before she fled.

I guessed not.

The moment that I saw her in that breathtaking dress, I couldn’t let her avoid me any longer. I knew that cornering her against the bar was risky but I saw the opportunity to get her alone and I seized it.

She dragged me down a hall until we reached a door that opened to the coat room. I assumed we were going to air it out once inside—argue until I was fuming and she was red in the face—but instead she turned to me and crashed her mouth onto mine.

We both groaned in unison as if we were going through withdrawal the last few weeks. I pushed her backwards to pin her against the wall with my hips and I bit her bottom lip, hard. She slid my jacket off of my shoulders and started unbuttoning my shirt.

We didn't speak. We were a frantic mess of kisses and hands as we roamed each other's bodies like depraved animals. I slid the cup of her dress to the side—which was easy since yet again this dress cut sinfully low on her—so I could take her nipple in my mouth. She moaned so loud that I had to slap a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound.

“You have to be quiet, baby.” She nodded and whimpered as I continued to nibble on her nipple.

She reached down to cup me and I started pumping my hips into her hands. I needed her like I needed my next breath. She started unbuttoning my pants when I heard the door unlatch. I turned to block Keegan from the intruder but I wasn’t quick enough with my movements.

“Hey, Keegan are you in—what the fuck?” Nolan stood in shock, “Luke?” His eyes were darting between Keegan and I in our very compromising position. My pants were unbuttoned and my shirt was wide open as I faced him. I was standing directly in front of Keegan’s since her boobs were sticking out of her dress.

She quickly started to put herself back together as Nolan shook his head and turned to leave.

“Nolan, wait!” She took off after him, her heels causing her to trip on the bottom of her dress. She scooped up the bottom in her hands and started running.

I quickly buttoned myself up and ran after them. They made it to the lobby where I saw Keegan grab his shoulder causing him to swing around towards her. Rage filled his face and I could see the tears streaming down hers.

I stopped a few feet behind Keegan, afraid if I stood right next to them I would make the situation worse.

“Nolan, please. Let’s talk,” she pleaded.

“How long?” He seethed.

She didn’t answer him.

“How fucking long, Keegan?” He was dangerously calm, but I could tell by his rapid breaths that he was seconds from exploding.

“This time… a few months…” She trailed off.

He glanced at me over her shoulder, “this time?”

We both nodded.

“I can't believe this.” He was raising his voice now, “what? Have you guys just been fucking behind my back for years?”

“No!” She cried, “we hooked up once in high school. That’s it.”

Onlookers stared as they passed in the lobby but all I cared about were the two people in front of me.

“Oh, okay,” he shouted, “and stupid Nolan wasn’t allowed to know about the secret affair that his two best friends were having behind his back!”

“Don’t yell at her,” I snapped and touched Keegan’s shoulder, but she immediately shrugged me off. I took a step back to give her space, and noticed their argument was starting to draw a bigger crowd.

“Stay out of this,” he looked at me with so much anger that I barely even recognized him, “when did you hook up in high school?” His attention was back on Keegan .

She hesitated and then in the quietest whisper said, “the night of the graduation party.”

Nolan’s mouth dropped open as he came to the realization, like the last puzzle piece snapping into place. He looked me in the eyes and said, “she’s the girl you pined after for years? The one who got away? The one who left that morning?”

I nodded.

“And the girl you’ve been sneaking into your room all semester?”

I nodded, again.

He scoffed at Keegan, “I always knew you had a little crush on Luke but I never thought you would go fuck my best friend right under my nose.” Then he paused in thought, “the night of the graduation party… the night before you left? You put a crack into this family, into my life, because you had sex with a boy?” He looked dumbfounded, “I knew you were selfish Keegan, I knew you only cared about protecting yourself, but I didn’t know you were such a slut that you would risk my closest friendship for some dick.”

“That’s enough,” Mr. Kelly snapped, suddenly emerging from behind me, “I suggest you walk it off Nolan.”

Nolan shook his head, turned, and stormed through the hotel doors. I expected Keegan to break into a sprint and chase him but she didn't. She stayed completely still.

I walked up behind her and whispered, “it’s going to be okay.”

She turned to face me. Her makeup was running down her face and her eyes were red, when she said, completely devoid of emotion, “nothing about this is okay, Luke. He’s right, I’ve been selfish.”

“You’re not selfish, baby. We made a mistake?—”

“Yeah, this was all a mistake.” She looked me in the eyes defiantly.

“What?” My voice horse.

“What did we think this was? This was not something that was meant to last. What? We were going to fuck until graduation and then you would leave for Columbia? I would follow you? Give up my dreams for yours?”

Her words were like a stab wound to my heart.

“What? No. We would figure it out. I can stay on the West Coast and we can go wherever you want. Me and you. It was always supposed to be me and you.”

“We both know that’s not the deal, Luke. It’s best if we just end it now. I’m just a measly Kelly after all, right?” She looked over my shoulder.

I turned around to see my stoic looking father standing next to Mr. Kelly.

“I’m done, Luke. We’ve hurt enough people. I thought I changed but the moment you came back into my life, it’s like I lost all of the progress that I made and retreated back to the lost little girl I was in high school. I don’t want to be her anymore. I don’t want you anymore.” She turned on her heels and left me standing there. I watched her walk out the door, feet cemented to the floor unable to move. I could feel the panic rising in my chest.

I took a step forward when someone grabbed my shoulder to stop me, “it’s for the best, son. Let her go.” My father remarked from behind me .

I whirled on him and threw his hand off of me, “what have you done?” I shouted.

“I just made sure she was aware of the gravity of the situation.” He shrugged, completely calm.

“You knew she was listening didn’t you? Knew she could hear us in the office?” I was incapable of keeping my voice at a normal volume.

“I saw her peering through the door. I thought if she was so curious then she should understand who she is in bed with.”

“You’re such a sorry excuse for a man. You just cost me the only thing in life that has ever truly made me happy.”

“Look at you, pining after a girl who has no impactful social standing or influence. I knew that moving you to the East Coast was a mistake. I never should have let you hang out with those little brats so much as kids. They tainted your world view with all of their lowly ways,” he snarled, “real men know who to marry and the importance of marking their financial stamp on the world.”

“I think you should leave,” Mr. Kelly’s voice suddenly echoed through the lobby. I dropped my head and nodded about to head towards the door when he added, “Sean.”

My head snapped up and my father looked stunned, “what did you just say?” He was facing Mr. Kelly now.

“I think your time at KavTech is over,” he walked up next to me, “I have looked past your lack of quality leadership, and mediocre personality for a long time now, but I will not let you insult my family in my presence.”

“You can’t do that!” My father shouted.

“Watch me.” Mr. Kelly simply shrugged, “we haven’t been friends for a long time, Sean, and I have made more than enough money to buy out your shares. You’ll be hearing from my lawyers about the contracts and your, soon to be vacant, board position. Now please leave the premises before I have you escorted out.”

My father stomped out of the hotel shouting profanities like a toddler and it almost made me crack a smile. Almost.

I turned to Mr. Kelly, “I'm sorry.”

He shook his head, “You are not your father, son. His mistakes do not land on your shoulders.”

“I know. That’s not what I’m sorry about.”

“I’m not going to tell you that you haven’t made mistakes, Luke. Lying is wrong, and Nolan is going to be upset. But don’t stand here for one second and think I don't see the way you treat my daughter.”

“You knew?” I asked.

“I suspected,” he shook his head, “you two were about as subtle as a brick through a window.” He chucked at himself, “Go. Tell her how you feel. Keegan gets scared, but she loves hard. Don’t let that go.”

With a nod I took off out of the hotel door. I hailed a cab and my leg shook with nerves the entire ride back to the Malibu house. When the cab pulled up to the house the panic set in further. Baby Blue was gone. I hopped out of the yellow car and ran up to her bedroom.

I tore her door open only to be met with Nolan sitting on her floor with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. I felt like I was having an out of body experience looking back at myself all those years ago. I looked up and saw her gold beaded dress laying flat on her bed.

“She’s gone,” he said without looking up.

“Where?” I asked, tears springing to my eyes.

Not again.

“I don’t know.”

I walked forward and dropped down next to him, “I’m going to bring her back this time.”

He nodded and leaned into me letting a sob escape his chest.

A few minutes later Maeve and Aiden walked in and joined us on the floor. I wrapped Maeve under my arm and she leaned on my chest. We all sat there in silence, still dressed up from the gala. Keegan would never understand the effect she had on the world. Without her it’s as if all of the joy and life had vacated the house leaving behind only an empty, hollow, shell of a building.

“I think I know where she’s going,” Maeve spoke up and our gazes all snapped to her, “let’s go get our girl back.”