Filed To Story: The Perfect Spiral Book PDF Free by Ashley Constantine
As I settled into the flight bound for Savannah, Andy’s head found a resting place on my shoulder, her snores echoing directly into my ear.
Her hand, heavy and warm, lay on my upper thigh, occasionally stirring in her sleep to stroke my leg while she murmured my brother’s name.
I’d glance over at the man seated next to us, offering him a silent plea for help. His response was always a quiet chuckle, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
Andy’s hand would sometimes wander dangerously close to my private area, leaving me puzzled and slightly offended. Why on earth would she mistake me for Kyle?
I’d gently move her hand back to her own lap, but it always found its way back to mine. We were crammed into economy seats, after all.
I hadn’t informed my brothers about our arrival date. I didn’t want to be upgraded to first class by the usual suspect, and I wanted to surprise them.
Andy was all for the surprise, but we let Eric in on the secret so he could pick us up from the airport.
Speaking of first class, Wes had flown back to New York to visit his grandparents before heading down to Savannah. It was now mid-June, and a lot had happened since the Super Bowl fiasco.
After the whole debacle with Knox, I hadn’t spoken to him until three weeks ago, when I confirmed that I was still coming to Savannah for the summer.
I’d been ignoring his calls and messages, but I refused to tell anyone why I was upset. The truth was, I didn’t even know why I was so annoyed with him and Lauren. I didn’t own him, he wasn’t my boyfriend.
I didn’t have feelings for him, and he didn’t have feelings for me. Andy tried to pry it out of me, as did my mom and Sam, but I kept my lips sealed. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone, so I did what any normal person would do-I swept it under the rug.
Ben and I had grown closer than ever. We hung out nearly every day, either at his place or mine, always with food involved.
Andy was smitten with him from the moment she laid eyes on him. “Fuck, he’s gorgeous! Are you sure you wouldn’t go there? I mean, damn girl! He’s abs-olutely fuckable! If you know what I mean.”
Poor Ben, but he secretly reveled in the attention from the ladies. We got to know each other better, but our relationship was purely platonic. We didn’t see each other in that way.
Wes initially disliked Ben, but he warmed up to him after spending some time together on the beach. Andy adored him from the get-go. “He’s got the perfect sense of humor!” she’d gush. I loved being around him.
I was so happy with him and grateful that we’d met that day on the beach. We texted and called each other every day, and there was never any awkwardness between us-unless one of us was intentionally creating it.
He mentioned that he’d visit us in Savannah over the summer since he’d never been there. I was excited for him to meet my family. I knew they’d love him, especially the girls.
With the start of summer and the end of college exams, I was looking forward to feeling the hot white sand between my toes, the warm water of the hot tub, and the waves washing over me in the sea.
I also told Wes that we needed to stop kissing until I could sort out my feelings. He wasn’t thrilled about it, but he eventually came around. My mind had been a jumbled mess for the past few months, and I needed some time to myself.
I’d been avoiding Drew, too, dodging his phone calls, meetups, and messages. I wasn’t ready to face him yet, to give him a straight answer. I was a mess, and the only people I confided in were Ben and
Andy.
Sometimes I’d call Hannah, but it was hard to keep her updated all the time when she was so far away.
We landed at two in the sunny afternoon. It would take about an hour to get to the house. Eric greeted us, tossed our bags in the back, and opened the doors for us to climb in.
He was always such a gentleman. I wished I could find a guy like him. He’d always been kind to me growing up. I’d given him a hard time at first, but I’d warmed up to him over time.
He understood why I’d been so standoffish with him. I was afraid he’d turn out like my own father. But over time, I realized he was nothing like him.
“So, everyone’s awake and down on the beach right now. You girls have your swimsuits with you?”
We nodded in unison, and I rummaged through my bag for some tinted moisturizer. Airplanes always dried out my skin, and I needed some SPF.
“How did college go for you ladies? You guys doing alright?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder to check for oncoming cars.
“Yeah, it’s fine. Boring, but fine. So happy it’s over and it’s summer now! Give me alcohol, parties, hot boys, and food, and I’m good to go!”
Andy and my brother had a silly fight before we left, and she was still upset about it. Her reference to ‘hot boys’ was a clear indication of her annoyance,
She sat with her sunglasses on and her arms folded, her expression hidden. But I knew she’d shed a few tears on the way here.
“Well, Savannah is the place for you ladies!” We chatted and caught Eric up on everything during the drive to the house. Then Andy took a call and retreated into her own little world.
I think it was her parents, but I couldn’t be sure.
“So, kiddo, how are you? Why didn’t you come to Texas?”
“I’m doing well, actually. Made a new friend named Ben. We met at the beach and hit the waves. together. I was trying to keep a low profile,” I said, shrugging nonchalantly. To me, it wasn’t a big deal.
“Did you invite him to visit? I’d love to meet him. He must be a good guy if you took to him so quickly. But sweetheart, what happened that night?”
“I did invite him. He said he’ll come down over the summer, so you’ll meet him then. You’ll like him, and so will all the ladies! As for that night, nothing happened.”
“Oh, he’s one of those charmers! I’ll have to keep an eye on Annie then. But why were you crying, sweetie? I know when you’re lying, so don’t try to play that ‘nothing’ card with me. It doesn’t work. It never has and never will,” he teased, poking my arm.
“Yeah, he’s one of those! But he’s a fun guy. Look, it’s really nothing. I don’t want to talk about it, it wasn’t a big deal,” I pleaded, turning my body to look out the window.
I rolled down the window and let my hand dance in the hot air, feeling the warmth slip between my fingers. The sun-kissed ground reminded me of the beach. God, how I missed this place.
“Alright, sweetie. If you ever want to talk, you know I’m here.” I thanked him and he left it at that. I took out my new Canon camera and started to capture the things that made me happy.
Ben had been teaching me how to use it. He took a photography class one summer and now he was giving me lessons on how to use my own camera and how to edit the photos. He even offered to take me to the darkroom to get them properly developed.
We finally reached the house and Eric took our bags, telling us to head to the beach. My board was in the shed out back. Andy had broken her board a week before coming out here, so she planned to get a new one here. In the meantime, I lent her one of mine. We stripped down to our bikinis and I could see my family in the distance.
We hadn’t told them we were coming today, so it was a surprise. I was wearing an orange criss-cross bikini top and black bottoms, topped with a black SnapBack to keep my hair in check while surfing. Andy was in a pink top and black bottoms. We looked like twins.
“You ready?” She beamed at me. I nodded back.
“You look hot as fuck in that bikini, by the way! I think you’re turning me on, girl!”
I burst out laughing at her and we walked towards my family in the distance.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.