Page 40 of Send It

Colson

I fell asleep in Lincoln’s bed, which is dangerous territory considering her brother was sleeping a few rooms away, but after what happened last night, there was no way I was leaving her.

If it were up to me, I’d never leave her.

I check my phone for the time and know Reiss isn’t up this early, so I kiss Lincoln on the forehead and slip out of her bed. I lightly close the door behind me and walk through the upstairs hallway right into Reiss.

Toe to toe I stand as he eyes me down, “Where were you last night? With Linc? I could’ve sworn I heard her whimpering, was she having a nightmare?”

I swallow hard, “I heard her too, I went to check and fell asleep in there, sorry.”

He shrugs me off, not knowing I was the one making her whimper and I follow him into his room, plopping down on the couch against the wall.

“I saw your dad at the shop yesterday,” he says. “Mom talked to me about what’s going on, how are you doing with that?”

“I just found out,” I quip. “I don’t really care.”

Reiss gets defensive, “Do you want me to tell him to fuck off? If you don’t want him hovering around the shop and the track, I’ll tell him to leave.”

I sigh, “It really doesn’t matter. I’m fine.”

“Are you just saying that?”

“Just drop it,” I deadpan. “I don’t give a shit. He doesn’t affect me like everyone thinks he does.”

Reiss chuckles, “Alright then. What are you doing today?”

I shrug, “Don’t know. Was planning on going back to sleep in here but for some reason you are up at eight am, chipper as hell.”

“Stassie’s dad said we can take his boat out,” Reiss wiggles his eyebrows. “She’s on her way here now to wake up Linc. You in?”

I stare him down, wondering why he’s up this early texting Stas.

“Come on,” he whines. “Don't look at me like that. Come with us. Please.”

I don’t really want to go but I wouldn’t mind hanging out with Lincoln today. It also gets me out of riding.

“Okay,” I sigh.

A few seconds later, a shrill scream comes from the first floor and Reiss and I share a concerned glance before rushing down the stairs. When we round the banister at the bottom, Stassie is stomping toward Reiss with her fists clenched at her sides.

“What is your fucking problem you psychopath?”

My brows pinch and I watch as Stas slaps his broad bare chest.

She slips into the bathroom and drags the lifesize Harry Styles out and into the middle of the living room floor. “Why do you still have this?”

Reiss snorts and Lincoln appears next to me, “What is going on?”

“Some twisted flirting I think?” I say to Lincoln, causing Stas to snarl her nose.

“No,” Reiss states. “Not flirting. Mom just asked me to get him out of the garage so I stuck him in the bathroom to avoid disposing of him right away. I can’t help that little miss sunshine here has to pee every single time she walks into our house.”

Stas growls at him, “You know I have a kidney problem, Reiss. You are a fucking asshole.”

“Buuuuut,” he drawls. “I’m a cute asshole.”

“You’re impossible,” she huffs. “Oh, hey Linc. Dad’s letting us take the boat out. You in?”

“Yeah,” Reiss interjects. “I’m captain.”

Stas gives him a look that could kill, “Like hell you are. It’s my boat, I’m the Captain.”

Reiss bops her on the nose, “You are the owner. You can’t drive the boat so therefore you can’t be captain.”

Her lip pokes out and she crosses her arms over her chest, causing Reiss to immediately withdraw his statement.

“Fine,” he sighs. “You can be captain but I’m first mate.”

She wiggles the keys out for him and Reiss takes them, following her outside.

“They love each other don’t they?” Lincoln says, walking past me into the kitchen. “They are in love and everyone knows it but them.”

I laugh, “Maybe. Reiss won’t admit it if he is though.”

Lincoln takes a coffee mug from the cabinet and places it on the counter. “Because he’s never had a girlfriend in his life, and he’s so fucking awkward with girls. I knew something was up with Mira from day one.”

“He knows how to prank them,” I say. “Instead of butterflies, he gives them heart attacks.”

We both laugh about that and drink a cup of coffee before heading upstairs for Lincoln to pack her bag for the day. I have quite a bit of stuff here so I throw an extra pair of clothes in her giant bag and we head out with Reiss and Stas.

When we get to the marina the girls chat with a few of the servers they work with while Reiss and I get the boat ready.

Stassie’s dad is a collector of toys and this is one of the few boats he has here at the marina. Reiss gets everyone’s things loaded on and I begin lowering the boat into the water.

When the girls get back, Stas has a guy with her and I swear Reiss’ eyes look like they are about to bug out of his head.

“This is Drew,” she says. “He’s coming with us. He just moved here from London.”

“Drew,” he says, holding his hand out for me to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Colson,” I say, grabbing his hand and shaking it. “That’s Reiss.”

“Your brother?” He says with a British accent, speaking to Lincoln.

“Yeah,” she says but Reiss doesn’t take his eyes off Stassie. If his gaze could burn a hole through her, it would.

Lincoln and I share a glance and once everyone is on the boat but her, I hold my hand out helping her on. “This ought to be interesting,” she says.

I chuckle under my breath, “Yep.”

And it is so damn interesting.

Reiss has been snappy toward Drew all day and Stas eats up his jealousy. We swim, Reiss and Lincoln wakeboard, and of course we drink and snack.

Everything is all good until Drew playfully pushes Stas off the boat, then dives in after her and they are giggling in the water. I think the vein in the side of Reiss’ head was going to blow.

“Let’s go home,” he barks. “Get in.”

Stas whines, her voice slurring with all the drinks she’s had, “Oh come on, Reiss. Don’t be such a buzz kill, we’re all havin’ fun.”

“You’ve had enough fun,” he barks. “Now get on the fucking boat, Anastasia. You too, London boy, unless you wanna swim back.”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend that you can boss around?” she snaps. “Your pregnant one.”

Reiss’ face falls and then his eyes fall to Lincoln, “You have a big ass mouth.”

Stas pulls herself up on the ladder and pushes by him, “You think I wouldn’t find out? Lincoln didn’t tell me,” she explains. “Landon did.”

His face turns a ghostly shade of white and he doesn’t say another word until we get back to the marina to load up.

What a weird ass day at the lake.