Page 57 of Coastal Runaway

“Just let me explain, please?”

three years ago

I shut Keegan’s door behind me and leaned against it.

Holy shit, last night actually happened.

I couldn’t hold back my smile or the spring in my step as I looped my way down the main hallway, down the staircase and toward the kitchen.

Keegan Kelly shocked me last night. Who would’ve thought that sweet little Tigger likes to be degraded and slut-shamed in bed?

I did not see that coming.

But, my. God. Was I into it. It’s like she awoke a part of me that I didn’t know needed to burst through. That girl was made for me and I intended to claim her, even if that meant that I had to face her brothers.

I walked into the kitchen and started grinding up coffee beans, prepping the coffee machine. A few minutes later Nolan confidently strutted into the kitchen and plopped himself on the kitchen counter with an evil grin.

“Okay bro, please tell me, where the fuck did you sleep last night?” Nolan was way too happy about my sexual escapades and clearly was brutally unaware that his sister was wrapped around me all night.

“Mike said he saw you head into the house with some blonde who was smoking hot,” he said wiggling his eyebrows, “who was it? Cammy? Not again dude. Please? I’ll have to chase her out of the house again.”

Cammy was a girl that I steadily hooked up with this past year until I found out that she was also sleeping with half of the football team. When I broke things off with her, she didn’t take it very well. And by that I mean she snuck into Nolan’s room at a party and locked herself in the closet demanding that I talk to her. Nolan had to, literally, call the cops for her to leave.

My chest swelled at the pride of having Keegan on my arm last night. People finally noticed what I’d been seeing for years. She had this energy about her that you were drawn in by. Like planets orbiting the sun. When I was around her, I just felt lighter.

“Nah man, it wasn’t Cammy. I would never go there again” I shook my head. Panic seeped in because Nolan and I always told each other who we hooked up with at parties so we never hooked up with the same girls. Unsure what to do, I said, “it’s someone you don’t know. She didn’t go to our school.”

This was good. He wouldn’t ask too many questions and it would give me and Keegan time to think about how we wanted to present our relationship to her brothers. Hopefully, Nolan would still want to talk to me after he found out that I went behind his back and betrayed him, but Keegan was worth the risk.

“You’re literally such a slut, dude,” Nolan laughed but his words landed hard. I wanted to be different for Keegan; I didn’t want to be the player anymore. “How do you have these girls literally begging for your dick? Please teach me your ways, Obi-Wan.” Nolan bowed to me, a laugh bubbled out of my chest.

“I can’t help it if these girls are so desperate that they’ll let me put them on their knees at my will.” I shrugged dramatically, “You should’ve seen her. She was practically begging for it. It was honestly a little pathetic.”

Nolan paused and then erupted with laughter, “no but seriously, who was it and are you going to see her again?”

“I’m not ready to tell you who it is yet. But I can tell you it’s serious. I think I’m in love with her,” I said. Hopefully soon I would be able to shout from the rooftops that Keegan Kelly was mine.

"Okay, okay, but I want to meet her soon." He pointed at me, "Do you know where Keegan is? I'm shocked she hasn't come in screaming for coffee like the morning troll she is."

I did know where she was considering I left her naked in her room, but I obviously wasn't going to say that, “nah, I haven't seen her."

Nolan dropped the subject and we continued talking about the party last night while I waited for the coffee to brew. Nolan started making us all breakfast, eggs and bacon, and I was putting creamer into two steaming mugs when Mr. Kelly came speed walking into the kitchen looking pale.

“What's up, Dad?”

“Did you just get a cryptic text from your sister about leaving?” He asked while pacing the room taking quick breaths.

“I have a lot of sisters, Dad, you’re gonna have to be more specific. Ryleigh is probably just off on another trip. She’ll be back.” Nolan seemed to shrug him off as if he was stressed for no reason at all.

“No, Nolan. Keegan’s gone.” He paled.

“What the fuck do you mean, Keegan’s gone?” Nolan spat.

“I mean she just sent me a text stating that she committed to CCU and decided to leave abruptly to drive across the country alone. What kind of father am I? Who lets their kid just take off without a word⁠—“

“Dad! Chill out. Sit down. This has to be a mistake.” Nolan yelled. Mr. Kelly nodded his head and sat on the barstool at the island counter.

My chest was on fire.