Teach Me To Live (Teach Me - Book One) (30 page)

Raina swung her eyes in my direction and I smirked. “Don’t get your hopes up, baby cakes. We’ve been sharing sleeping space since we were kids. This is nothing new.”

“Don’t call me baby cakes,” I scowled, addressing my first concern before the other less important ones. She laughed. “And you keep telling yourself this is nothing new, but I see the way he looks at you.”

“I see it too,” she shrugged. “I have a vagina and I’m the only one here besides his brother’s girl. He’s bound to want it.”

I mock-gagged. “You’re repulsive. Do you know that?”

She beamed, happy to have disgusted me, I think. “I’m a lady of many talents.”

“I wouldn’t even go so far as to call you a lady.”

“Says the Judges daughter,” she quipped. “The women you know probably have sticks up their asses.” I gaped and she continued, absolutely proving her repulsive tendencies. “And they aren’t the fun kind of sticks, if you know what I mean.”

“Argh . . .” I scrunched my nose, not quite knowing how to reply to her vulgar comment. “You, Raina, make me wonder what goes through your mind and how you’ve lived so long.”

“I’ve lived so long because I don’t give a two craps what people think about me.” She smiled sweetly. “I do what I want when I want.”

“You should consider the people around you.”

“I do,” she announced. “But I consider me first. Besides, my opinions can’t hurt anyone.”

“The mental images you give people can,” I shivered and she laughed throatily, bending to pick up Kaiden’s suitcase. “I gotta set up the tent. You’re welcome to keep talking. I can definitely still hear you through the fabric even though Austin built your tent all the way over there.” She pointed across the camp to where Austin had built our tent in a little alcove with large tree branches covering the overhead space. Then she continued. “You do know why he put the tent all the way over there, don’t you?”

I cocked my head. “It’s the perfect place for a tent.”

“It’s the perfect place for privacy.” Her lips curled into a wide grin and she waggled her brows. Then she asked in teasing breathy tones, “Are you a moaner, Maddy?”

My face heated to an impossibly high temperature. “We haven’t done that.”

She stiffened and then her humor fled from her face. “Oh, like no making out or anything?”

“Um, I should probably set up the tent, too.”

“Yeah,” I turned my back to walk to the tent and Raina called out to me. “Maddy?”

I stopped and turned to her. “What?”

“Austin is in love with you.” She spoke the words so gently I barely heard them. But even still, I felt every inch of my body flush with heat at her words. “If you do choose to be with him that way, to give yourself to him, I want you to know he will cherish you with everything he has inside of him. He’s not like Kaiden that way. Austin is good and he knows how important it is to give yourself to someone you love and only someone you love,” she pulled in a shaking breath. “I just wanted you to know that I know you love him. I wanted you to know that, no one would ever judge you if you do want to be with him in that way.”

“I,” my mouth felt dry. “I d-don’t know if I’m ready.”

She looked almost disappointed by this. “Well, don’t let anyone or anything but you and Austin come between that decision, okay?”

“Okay . . .” I didn’t really understand what she was saying and I knew she knew this because she continued.

“What I mean is, if you love him and you want to be with him, be with him,” she said hesitantly. “Don’t bother thinking or worrying about what anyone else might think if you do give that part of you to him.”

“Okay, I won’t.” I promised, because that seemed to be what she needed to hear.

She smiled, but it was almost sad. “He loves you.” She said and then she nodded to the tent. “We should probably get this finished before they return. They’ll wonder what we’ve been doing if we don’t get this finished.”

I tried to stop my frown from deepening as I stood watching Raina disappear into the tent. She confused me with her advice because it just felt so—out of place. And yet, she seemed so desperate for me to understand her words at the same time. It made me wonder what I was missing, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask.

Later that night after we’d cooked an easy supper of hot dogs over the fire complimented by a pre-packaged side of coleslaw, Austin and Kaiden popped a beer. It didn’t take long before Raina pulled out a case of coolers and announced, “They’re drinking—we’re drinking.”

I smiled, taking a raspberry cooler that was actually really yummy, if not a tiny bit too strong, and drank. I’d never really been given the opportunity to drink my face off as many of my peers throughout high school had, so after my one drink, that was a measly five percent or so Kaiden claimed, I was a little tipsy. By two drinks, my head was definitely feeling a little fuzzy and my smiles were coming a little easier.

I’d most definitely lost track of time, so when Austin stood and announced that he was tired and going to bed, it didn’t surprise me that it had gotten late. Saying a quick, “night,” to Kaiden and Raina who were also standing to hit the sack, I moved beside Austin, who had his hand around my waist, to the tent.

He guided me inside and I fell into my sleeping bag, instantly falling asleep.

I woke to a tent that felt like a sauna. Even worse than the stifling heat, was that there was no Austin beside me. I knew instantly by the sound of his, and Kaiden’s laughter, that they were just on the other side of the tent. As I sat up, I caught the scent of bacon and my stomach growled eagerly. I was absolutely starving and my mouth felt dry. I needed a bottle of water and then I needed coffee. Stat.

Picking myself up off the floor of the tent, I moved to the door. Unzipping the flap, I breathed in the warm, but fresh morning air.

“There she is,” Kaiden called loudly and I frowned.

“How are you feeling?” Austin asked much gentler than Kaiden’s unceremonious and unappreciated bellow.

“I feel fine,” I offered him a smile before enquiring cautiously. “Why wouldn’t I feel fine?”

“Well,” he tipped his head down before lowering his voice a notch, speaking in my ear. “You kind of passed out before you even got tucked into the sleeping bag. I thought you were going to have a hell of a hangover today.”

I blushed, because I had done that—as embarrassing as it was. “Oh,” I pulled in a deep breath and shrugged. “No hangover here.” I assured. “I feel fine.”

He smiled, “All right.”

“You’re cooking breakfast?”

His smile widened. “Bacon, eggs, and hash browns over the fire. You don’t get a better breakfast than this, sweetheart.”

“Mmmm,” I moaned long and throatily. I knew just by the smell of it that he was right. Staring longingly at the fire, I admitted, “I’m starving, so I seriously can’t wait.”

“I’ll bet you can’t.” Kaiden chuckled.

I moved to the cooler and pulled a bottle of water from the icy interior. Twisting the cap from the top, I set it against my lips and took a deep swig of the crisp deliciousness. Then I sighed. “Do we have coffee?”

“Only instant,” Austin announced. “It’s nothing like the signature stuff you drink.”

I shrugged. “Coffee’s coffee.”

“There’s no better coffee out here than instant,” Kaiden informed, grinning. “You’ll like it.”

“If there’s caffeine, I’m going to love it.”

Raina appeared from her tent, chuckling. “You must be hung over if you’re saying you don’t care about the coffee you drink. The stuff you’re used to costs a fortune. This crap is like three dollars for something that lasts any sane person—and I decree I am not sane, as I drink a minimum one pot a day, but it should last the average citizen about a month.”

I snorted because not only had I not had my coffee, but I hadn’t even had my breakfast—and I was expected to listen to Raina spew this crap. Oh no, I don’t think so.

Therefore, I said nothing as I moved across the campsite to the fire where Kaiden was manning the grill covered with two pans and a pot of boiling water. “You need any help?”

“Naw. I’m good.”

I looked again at the grill and felt overwhelmed. “Are you sure?”

“Yep,” he chuckled at the sight of my wide eyes and announced. “Don’t know if you noticed, but the Weir men cook. We like to cook and we do it well.” He winked. “You sit your pretty ass down in that chair and just let me do what us Weir men do.”

Raina laughed as she came to plant her pretty ass down in the chair next to me. “You’ve met Gracie, right?”

I nodded, looking across the camp at Austin who was staring intensely back at me. “I have,” I admitted curiously. “A few times.”

“Well, then you should know she’s the reason the Weir men cook.”

“Oh?” I urged her to continue.

“You see, most women are taught that the way to a man’s heart is his stomach, right?”

She seemed to need confirmation. “Yes, that would be what my mother says.”

“And can you cook?”

“Not a thing,” I admitted, blushing. Then I smiled at Austin flirtatiously. “Well, maybe KD.”

“Okay, that’s just whacked. What kind of mother tells her daughter the way to a mans heart is through his stomach and then doesn’t teach her to cook?”

“I have no clue.” I shrugged, because Raina and ranting was amusing. It was like Saturday morning cartoons. Purely addicting.

“Anyway,” she took in a great big breath and continued. “Gracie taught the boys to cook. Her theory is if they know their own stomachs and can satisfy their own stomachs, then they won’t be fooled into loving a woman simply because she’s awesome-sauce in the kitchen.”

I snorted. “That’s ridiculous.”

“My Mom’s a genius,” Kaiden confirmed. “Look at me. I’m a great cook and still free as a bird.”

Seeing my look of utter disapproval, Austin teased. “You’re free as a bird because not only did you learn to cook, you figured out you have two hands and you’re lazy as shit.”

Kaiden feigned a wounded expression, but if I were being honest, I’d bet he was actually kind of shocked. “Man, what side are you on?” He pointed to me and Raina. “Vagina’s,” he pointed to himself. “Or big dicks?”

“You’re a big dick, all right,” Raina muttered.

Kaiden waggled his brows at her. “Sweetheart, you have no idea.”

She raised her hands in surrender. “Don’t need an idea, Kai. Don’t want an idea.”

“You know you do,” he winked. “Anytime you’re ready, baby, I’m here for you.”

Oh, dear lord. This was not going to end in Kaiden’s favor.

Raina’s teasing face turned to something like stone. “When I’m ready I’ll take a man, Kaiden.” He flinched. “I won’t be wasting my time with a boy who likes it quick and careless.” Her words cut straight to the heart. “I’ll take a man who knows how to take his time. Who loves me right and when I wake up in the morning, he’s right there to do it all over again.”

For once, Kaiden didn’t have a response.

He didn’t have a response because his heart was breaking. I could literally see it bleeding through the crystal blue of his eyes. I hurt for him. Even though Raina’s words were a painful result of Kaiden’s whoring ways and I knew how deeply they had hurt her, I couldn’t help but be affected by the shocked pain in his blues. It was only a matter of time before this happened, and feelings were unbridled. I just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

The sound of bacon sizzling was the only thing claiming the silence, before Raina stood and announced. “I’m taking a walk.”

Looking to Austin, I asked him with my eyes,
“What do I do?”

“Go.” He mouthed.

I chased after Raina.