Taking the Plunge (7 page)

6

“Wow. I can’t believe how many people are here,” Sydney said as she looked at the crowd on the beach.

“Derek must be so nervous,” Nancy said.

“That cocky asshole?”
Coen said. “I’m sure he’s loving it.”

Henry kept his arm around Ren’s waist. “We’re never going to find him in this crowd.

They walked across the beach, pushing through people as they made it to the judges’ station. Derek was standing with his surfer friends, girls in bikinis gathered around. He wore his wetsuit and it was tight around his body. Nancy stared at him with a hungry expression.

“I don’t think we should go over there,” Sydney said. “It’s blocked off.”

“I think Derek is next,” Henry said. “Good think we got here in time.”

Nancy wanted Derek
to know she was there. It seemed important to him. She pulled out her phone and called him but he never answered.

“He probably left his phone in the car,” Coen said. “Derek!”

Derek didn’t look over.

“Derek!” he yelled again.

“We’ll just seem him afterwards,” Sydney said.

Nancy sighed. “I want him to know I’m here.”

“I’m sure he does,” Sydney said. “There are so many people here that he probably assumed he just couldn’t find you. Now let’s get a good spot.”

They moved to a prime location
on the sand so they could see the waves.

Coen looked at the contestants. “I thought this started at eight. Why are most of the contestants done?”

“It must have started earlier,” Ren said.

“I feel bad for Derek,” Nancy said.
“Going last sucks. He really has to blow the judges out of the water.”

The judges held the scores for the previous contestant.

Coen cringed. “Yikes. That’s going to be hard to follow.”

“He can do it,” Nancy said firmly.

Derek was called to the front and the crowd cheered. Nancy screamed his name several times but he didn’t hear anything. She recognized the determined expression of his face. He was in the zone.

He ran into the waves then jumped on his board, paddling hard. Nancy held her hands to her chest, squeezing them as she waited in anticipation. Derek sat on his board, waiting for the perfect wave to come his way. Nancy shook in her spot, unable to stay still.

Derek finally found the right one. He swam hard and rode it, jumping up on his board. Once he was standing, he began to tear up the water. He rode the surf, turning and cutting in pivotal points so he wouldn’t lose the momentum. Derek didn’t’ seem nervous at all as he gracefully moved through the waves, taking up the entire front of the beach. Minutes trickled by and he still didn’t fall.

“Damn,
he’s good,” Coen said.

“Of course he is,” Nancy said.

Derek finally fell but he paddled back out to sea and rode the next wave, using his second turn. He became the master of the ocean again, making it bow down to him as he moved. The crowd was whistling and cheering, awed by his ability. Now Nancy felt horrible for not believing in him when he said he wanted to go pro. She shut down his dream just like her father shut down hers. Derek finally fell in the water. Everyone screamed for him.

“He’s got it,” Henry said.

“We didn’t see the other contestants,” Sydney said.

“It doesn’t matter,” Henry
said. “Derek kicked ass.”

Derek came back to the beach, carrying his board with him. His hair dripped down and he had to push it back. He
joined his friends and his the contestants. They hugged him and patted him on the back. Several of the girls embraced him but Nancy didn’t let it bother her.

The judges
finally held up their scores.

“Holy shit!”
Coen said. “Derek got a perfect score.”

Nancy clapped her hands and jumped. “I’m so proud of him.”

“He’s getting some serious loving from you tonight,” Henry said.

“Hell yeah he is,” Nancy said with a smile.

Derek moved to the stage, smiling like he would never stop, and he received his medal. He waved to the crowed, who cheered for him with whistles and shouts. He left the stage and everyone moved in on him.

“I want to see him,” Nancy said. “Let’s go.”

They moved through the crowd, trying to get to him. When they were in sight, they saw him talking to older men, who were conversing with him in private.

“I bet those are scouts,” Coen said. “Let’s just wait.”

Nancy sighed. “Fine.”

Girls in bikinis would come over and take pictures with him. Derek smiled at the camera and looked like he was enjoying it a little too much. A few of them asked him to sign their bikini tops. Nancy tried not to let
it bother her but it did. When a girl took off her top and asked him to sign her bare tit, he did.

Coen shook his head.
“Lucky bastard.”

Sydney elbowed him.

Nancy tried to stay calm but she felt like she would explode.

Henry caught the look. “Nancy, he was put on the spot.”

“Why does that matter?” Sydney said. “Coen would never do that.”

“That’s different,” Coen said. “I’m married.”

“You still wouldn’t have done that if we were just dating,” Sydney said.

“I don’t think comparing Coen to Derek is fair,” Henry said.

Nancy wasn’t listening. She was just looking at Derek, watching him act as the king of the moment. One of the girls handed Derek his bag. He opened it and pulled on a shirt and took out his phone. When he looked at it, Nancy expected him to call her back. Instead, he put the phone back in his bag, ignoring her call. That made her feel even worse.

“Derek!” a cute blonde girl said. “You were amazing. I knew you would do it.” She jumped in his arms and he caught her in midair. When she kissed him on the cheek, he didn’t pull away or put her down.

Nancy stepped forward so she could slap him hard across the face.

“No,” Henry said as he grabbed her. “Leave him be.”

Nancy glared at him. “I’m just supposed to put up with this?”

Henry looked at her. “I admit Derek is being an ass right now, but the scouts are standing right there, people are taking pictures…talk to him tomorrow.”

“You’re unbelievable,” she snapped.

“He’s right,” Sydney said. “Don’t make a scene.”

“Fine,” she said, pulling her arm away.

The afternoon went by and Derek remained where he was, talking to his friends and laughing, taking picture after picture. Nancy watched him, seeing the happiness on his face. After everything they went through, he was just back to his old ways. She sat on the beach, watching him. He never came over to her, never even glanced.

As the sun went down, Nancy and her friends sat down in the sand and drank their beers. Coen and Henry walked away and started talking to friends from school. Sydney and Ren gave Nancy worried expressions, knowing there was a fire of despair burning inside her.

Booze was brought around
, and Derek started doing body shots with the girls, licking the salt off their chests and downing his drinks. Girls wrapped their arms around him, hugging him to their chests.

Sydney gave her a sad expression. “I hate him now.”

“He’s an ass, Nancy,” Ren said. “Dump him.”

“Dump him tomorrow,” Sydney said.

Nancy stood up and brushed the sand from her clothes. “I’ll see you later.”

“Where are you going?” Sydney asked.

“Just leave me alone,” she said as she walked away. She marched up the sand, her eyes downcast. She was so stupid for believing that Derek would ever change. As soon as he was in the same environment, he became the ass he always was.

“Excuse me, I’ve misplaced my keys. Have you seen them?”

“Huh?” She looked up from the floor, seeing a tall man in front of her. He was a least six feet, the same height as Coen, and he had dirty blond hair and blue eyes. His mouth was stretched in a smile while he looked at her. He was shirtless, wearing blue swim trunks. His muscled chest caught her eye for a moment in time. Then, she disregarded it.

“My keys.
I left them over here. Now I can’t see to find them.”

“Oh. Uh, I’m sorry. I can’t help you.” She knew she was being rude, but she turned and kept walking.

“Wait,” he said as he jogged to her and stood in front of her. “Where are my manners? My name is Thatcher.”

“Okay.”

He waited for her to speak but she was too upset to engage in a conversation. “Can you do me the honor of telling me your name?”

“Nancy.”

He nodded. “Nancy, let’s forget about the keys for a second. Is everything alright?”

She wasn’t sure why this stranger cared. “I’m fine. Good luck with the keys.”

He stepped in front of her again. “Wait. Can I help?”

She sighed. “I’m sorry to be rude, but please get the fuck out of my way.”

His eyes widened and a smile stretched his face. “Wow. Having a bad night?”

She walked around him then headed up the beach.

“I hope it gets better, Nancy.”

She ignored him and kept walking. She didn’t give a shit about anything at the moment.

7

Nancy slept in late the next day. She woke up but never opened her eyes, choosing to l
ie in bed rather than be productive. Her phone rang around noon. When she looked at it, it was Derek. She ignored the call then went into the kitchen, making some coffee. Her dad wasn’t home but it didn’t feel any different. Whether he was there or not, it felt the same.

Her phone went off
again and she looked at it.

Baby, talk to me.

Her eyes narrowed in anger.
Fuck U. Don’t call me baby
.

I need to talk to you.

Instead of bothering with a response, she ignored him.

Don’t ignore me.

She picked up the phone.
We’re done. Don’t contact me ever again.

Sydney called
so Nancy decided to pick up.

“Hey, are you okay?” Sydney asked.

“Yeah,” she said weakly.

Sydney sighed. “Coen an
d Henry had a nice talk with Derek today.”

“What a waste of time,” she said bitterly.

“You wanna do something?”

“I want to go to a party and pick up a guy.”

“What?” Sydney asked. “You’re just upset right now. Don’t go crazy and do something you’ll regret.”

“I already did something crazy. I shouldn’t have dated Derek.”

“For what it’s worth, he did seem contrite.”

“That doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“You wanna get some coffee?”

“No. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up without saying goodbye. Not knowing what else to do, she walked outside and started to paint, taki
ng all her frustration and anger out on the canvas. Since she was lazy, she got paint on her clothes. When she finished, she was still pissed, so she tossed the painting in her closet, forgetting about it.

Since she had to go
to work, she showered and got ready. She wanted to call in sick but she preferred the distraction. There was nothing to occupy her mind in this empty mansion. Her thoughts echoed down the hallways and played loud in her ears. She drove to work and clocked in.

“Re
n told me what happened,” Andre said sadly.

“I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s okay.” He tagged along and helped her clean the tanks and complete her assignments. “I spent the night with him last night.”

“Who?”

“The guy I’m seeing.”

“Did he come out?”

“No. When his roommates found out I was there, he kicked me out and acted like I was an annoying stalker.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Andre.”

“It’s okay,” he said with a shrug. “You and I have horrible taste in guys.”

She shook her head. “What’s wrong with us?”

“I don’t know. But it sucks.”

“Yeah.”
She finished her work then clocked out, dreading it. When she was done, she had to go home to that empty house. She would break down and start crying, hating herself for being so stupid.

Andre patted her on the shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Nancy.”

“Thanks, Andre. I wish you weren’t gay so I could date you.”

He laughed. “I’ve heard that at least a hundred times.”

They left the facility and walked outside. When Nancy saw Derek’s truck parked in front of her car, completely blocking it in, she felt the anger explode inside her.

“Uh,
I’ll talk to you later,” Andre said as he turned to the right.

Nancy marched to Derek.

He had his hands in his pockets, a sad expression in his eyes, and he watched her approach him, a look of murder on her face.

When she reached him, she slapped him hard across the face then pushed him into the truck, rocking it.

Derek kept his hands in his pockets and let her shove him.

Nancy glared at him. “Move your fucking truck.”

He rose to a stand and looked at her. “Please hear me out.”

“If you don’t move your truck, I’m going to slap you again.”

There was no anger or emotion in his eyes. He looked dead inside. “I’m not going anywhere until we talk about this.”

She slapped him again.

He took the hit without reacting.

“How many times do I have to hit you?”

“Until you hear me out.”

She raised her arm to strike him again but he gr
abbed it and steadied it, guiding her against the truck. He pinned her against the door and held her there.

“Let me go!”

He tried to kiss her but she moved her head, not letting his lips touch hers. She knew what would happen if their mouths touched. “This is what happened. I waited for you to come to me. You never did. I waited until it was my turn. By then, I didn’t think you were coming. It pissed me off. You said you would be there but you weren’t. I really needed you, Nancy. I was so nervous. I didn’t need you just as a girlfriend, but as a friend. In the end, I let my anger get to me. When I saw your phone call, it just made me angrier. I admit my actions weren’t right, but I was in the spotlight and couldn’t be a jerk. I was celebrating my victory, and I didn’t think you wanted to be with me anymore because you didn’t show up. I’m sorry for hurting you. I really am.”

“That’s a bullshit excuse.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Well, it doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Nancy, look at me. I’m sorry. Coen and Henry told me your side of the story. I completely understand why you’re upset. I really am sorry.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Then get off me.”

“I’m not letting you go.”

“You said you wouldn’t let me go until we talked about it. We’ve talked. Now let me go.”

He didn’t release his hold on her. “I can’t lose you, Nancy.”

“Don’t act like you give a shit about me.”

“I do.”

“No you don’t!”

He pressed his lips against hers. She tried to turn her head but he wouldn’t let her. The familiar taste of his lips broke down her walls. Against her will, she responded to his touch, feeling him breathe into her mouth. His grip on her arms loosened, cupping her face and kissing her passionately. She fell into him—again.

“No,” she said as he pushed him off.

He grabbed her and pinned her down again.

Against her control, she started to cry, tears spilling from her eyes. “I can’t keep doing this,” she said with a sob. “I can’t, Derek. You keep hurting me and I’m sick of it.”

His eyes softened when he looked at her. “I’m so sorry. I hate hurting you.”

“Fucking liar.”

He grabbed her and held her to his chest, holding her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Nancy. I hate this.”

She sobbed into him, letting him hold her. “I just want to be with someone who cares about me, who I
can trust, who makes me happy. Not someone who breaks my heart all the time. I need that. I can’t be strong anymore.”

Derek ran his hand down her back, touching her gently. “Nancy, listen to me. I’ll never hurt you again. I promise you.”

“I can’t trust you.”

“I know. I’ll prove it to you.”

“No.”

“Nancy—”

“I said no.”

He stepped away, looking at her with eyes coated with tears. He lowered himself to his knees and looked up at her, sadness and despair on his face. “Nancy, please.
Just one more chance. That’s all I need.”

She shook her head.

“I’ll never stop begging you. I’ll bug you every day until you give me another chance.”

“I don’t owe you anything, Derek.”

He sighed. “Please.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

He came back to his feet and pressed his face close to hers. “I’m ready for this relationship, Nancy. No more partying, no more flirting, no more looking at other girls—nothing. I’m yours, totally and completely.”

She closed her eyes and leaned her face against his.

“Yesterday, I won the championship and was offered contracts by scouts. Everyone was paying attention to me, thinking I was the coolest guy ever. Girls were throwing themselves at me, every guy’s dream. But you know what I was feeling? I was sad. I thought you didn’t come. I thought you abandoned me. That hurt, Nancy. I never would have acted that way if I had gotten a good luck kiss from you.”

“Don’t blame this on me.”

“I’m not,” he said quickly. “I’m just explaining.”

“So every time you’re mad at me, you’re going to cheat on me?”

“I didn’t cheat on you, Nancy. I didn’t do anything with those girls.”

“You signed a girl’s tit.”

“I still didn’t do anything. And no, I won’t act that way again. You have my word.”

She shook her head. “I—I don’t know.”

He sighed. “I really don’t want to lose you. It kills me that I’ve hurt you. I want a chance to make it up to you. I think we can be great together if we just work through it.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Because I know how much you care about me. Please give me another chance.”

“Derek, I’m scared.”

“I know. I understand that. But I won’t let you down.”

“You have to promise me.”

“I promise.”

She stared at him, seeing the blue eyes she loved so much. She wanted to reject him and just walk away, but she couldn’t.

“I cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye,” he said with a smile. He grabbed her pinky with his. “I pinky promise. I give you my word. I give you everything, Nancy.”

She sighed. “I really hope I don’t regret this.”

He kissed her forehead. “You won’t. You won’t.”