The Strong - The Ashford Brothers Series - Book Three

Bonnie POV

“MOM, Benny doesn’t let me go to the swimming pool with him,” I shout, and Benny flips me the bird. I shake my head as I cover my mouth, and then I smirk. “I’m gonna tell Mom,” I threaten him and he takes a deep breath, considering his options. I know I am only fifteen, but my brother is my hero and I love spending time with him when he is home from college.

“Fine, but stay away from us, make yourself invisible,” he tells me as he smacks me on the back of the head, And I nod. I love spending time with my brother and his friends. Although they all treat me like a child, it’s like they don’t realize I am growing up, except Jude. He doesn’t even look my way. It’s like I don’t exist. I remember the first time my brother brought Jude home. I felt my heart beat fast, and I instantly had a crush on him.

“Hey little Bonbon,” Parker says as he ruffles my hair and I slap his hand away from my hair. I and my friends agreed to cut our hair short, but they all backed out and I did it, anyway. I love my pixie cut. It makes me look edgy, and I thought that if I appeared this summer looking different, Jude would notice and give me some attention. Obviously, it backfired because he has his girlfriend here with him. She is one of those Upper East Side princesses. Her hair can never get wet. Her bikini is so small that if she moves, it will show something it shouldn’t.

“My name is Bonnie,” I tell Parker, and he laughs, opening a beer. I watch as Jude is laying on a pool bed with his eyes closed. I wish he would look my way. I have some boys in school trying to date me, but no one ever will compare me to Jude.

I lay on my pool bed in a strategic position so I can watch him with no one noticing. I open my book and a few minutes later, movement catches my attention. Jude sits on the edge of his pool bed and stretches his long arms above his head. Automatically, the plastic doll next to him does the same and wraps her arms around his neck.

I roll my eyes and try to focus on my book again, but this time I can’t. He is standing on the edge of the pool and then he is inside. His jump was perfection, barely any splash, but even like that, the girl let out an extremely annoying scream as if a few drops of water would kill her.

Jude starts swimming in the pool, all the way to the end, and then back again. I watch his muscles move with ease as he swims in front of me. I might be drooling because I feel my brother’s hand smacking me again on the back of the head, bringing me back to reality.

“Stop ogling my friends, that’s disgusting,” he says and I flip him off, going back to my previous position laying down with my book in front of me. I am reading a book that is not proper for my age, but that’s what everyone is reading.

I am deep into a sex scene when the sun is blocked and I look up to protest and I see Jude looking at me frowning as he moves a towel up his arm drying it. I sit up straight, closing the book and hiding it under my leg, and Jude shakes his head.

“You should’ve been faster, Faye,” Jude says and I frown, adjusting my sunglasses, looking up at him. Jude sits on the edge of my pool bed, moving the towel to his hair. I watch with my mouth open and when his eyes lock on mine, I try to behave normally, trying to pretend I wasn’t looking at him, but my entire body is on edge with him so close. He has never done this before.

Jude moves his hand and grabs the book. While he does that, he slightly runs his finger on my leg, making my entire body stiffen and the butterflies in my stomach wake up. Jude opens the book, finding the page I was reading and his eyes scan the page. His eyebrows furrow while he reads, and then he spins the book around and reads the synopsis. I can feel my cheeks warming up.

Jude holds the book and I take it from him, bringing it closer to my chest and hugging it with both my arms. “It will be our dirty little secret,” he tells me before he stands up and walks to the table where the drinks are. I watch as he walks away and I feel like the world has stopped moving and it’s just him on the face of the earth.

I quickly stand up and grab my towel and phone, running back into the house. I can feel my entire body in flames just because unintentionally he touched me. I walk into the kitchen and rest my hip against the sink, trying to catch my breath. I hear the door opening behind me and what’s her name walks in.

“Where is the bathroom?” She asks with her arms crossed in front of her chest as she looks at me.

“Outside, in the pool house,” I say, and she clicks her tongue looking at me from head to toe.

“You’re a pathetic little thing, aren’t you?” She asks and I frown, looking at her as I am now facing her. I put my book down on the counter with my phone as her hands move to her hips and she looks at me again from head to toe. “You have a crush on my boyfriend, it’s just pathetic,” she says and I stay Where I am without saying another word. I am not good with confrontation and I hate mean girls. She takes one step closer to me, but the doors open again and Parker walks in.

“Hey little Bonbon, hotdogs are ready,” he says as he walks towards me, wrapping one arm around my shoulder. He looks at the girl and raises an eyebrow. “What is going on here?” He asks as he looks at the two of us.

“Oh, nothing, I was just telling Bonnie that I love her swimsuit,” she says, and Parker shakes his head.

“Okay Meredith, let’s go,” he says, and she nods, spinning on her heels and walking out, leaving me alone with Parker.

“Are you okay Bonbon?” He asks and I nod. My entire body is shaking, and he knows he can feel it. “You’re not okay. What did she say? Did she make you feel uncomfortable?” He asks and I shake my head faking a smile.

“No, I’m good, I am just a little cold, that’s why I came inside, I’m just going to my room,” I say and Parker nods, moving his arm away from my shoulders.

“You know you can talk to me, right, kiddo?” He says and I nod. I’ve known Parker since I can remember. He grew up a couple of doors down from us and then he went to college with Bennie. I always felt like I had two brothers when it comes to Parker.

“Okay, I’ll bring some food for you later,” he tells me.

“It’s okay, I am not hungry,” I say. I have been trying to lose some weight. My mom keeps tormenting me, saying that I need to lose my childhood weight and grow into my woman’s body. I like my body. I am not a Barbie. I have curves.

I grab my things and run up the stairs, hiding away in my room for the rest of the day. I have a little book corner on the window and I sit while I read. I can see the swimming pool and I can watch Jude without him noticing me. He is the quietest of them all. He is not as loud as them and he definitely doesn’t behave like a horny teenager like the other guys, even though they are all in their mid-twenties.

My phone rings with a text message and I see John’s name flashing. He has been asking me out since the begging of the school year and I keep telling him no, but I guess it’s time to change that.

I open the message and smile. Meredith’s words keep repeating in my head. “You have a crush on my boyfriend, it’s just pathetic,” I shake my head, reading the message.

“Hey Bonnie, what are you doing tonight?” John asks, and I smile.

“Going out with you?” I reply and my heart beats fast. John is one of the most popular guys in school. He plays football and he usually only dates cheerleaders, so I have to say it surprised me when he asked me out.

“Yes, I’ll pick you up at seven,” I read and smile, looking at the time. I have two hours to get ready. I clap my hands in excitement as the plan starts to formulate in my head.

I run downstairs and walk into the living room to find my mom reading a magazine. She might not be the best mother in the world, but she knows how to choose clothes. She has a sense of style that I don’t.

“Mom?” I say as I enter the room and she raises her eyes to me, closing the magazine.

“Yes Bonnie,” she says, and I fiddle with my fingers. She raises one eyebrow while my dad looks at me through his glasses that are resting on the edge of his nose.

“I have a date tonight. Can you help me chose an outfit?” I say and she smiles, standing up almost immediately placing the magazine on the coffee table.

“Who’s the date with?” My dad asks, and I smile.

“His name is Joh. He is the quarterback?” I say and Dad nods. Dad owns the school I go to, so he knows everyone, but he doesn’t really meddle in my life.

“John Prescott?” My mom asks and I nod. She smiles and wraps one arm around my neck as we walk up the stairs again.

“He comes from a good family, and he has money,” Mom says, and I nod. I don’t know why Mom is so fascinated with money. Her first marriage ended up because Benny’s dad lost all his money gambling. I understand she needed to protect Benny, and then she married my dad and all she seems to think about is family names and money. I don’t understand.

At seven on the dot, the doorbell rings and I feel my hands starting to sweat. Jude and Benny are sitting in the living room when I walk down the stairs and mom opens the door. I can feel Jude’s eyes on me while Benny shakes his head.

“Where is she going, dressed like that?” He asks my dad and dad looks at him, raising one eyebrow.

“None of your business,” I tell him and I give Dad a wink and she smiles, focusing his eyes again on his newspaper. I walk to the door and John is standing there with a bouquet of red roses. I have never gotten flowers from anyone.

“These are for you,” he says, giving me the flowers.

“Thank you, they are beautiful,” I say.

“I’ll put them in water, have fun, and be home before your curfew,” Mom says, and I nod, walking to John that offers me his arm. I look back to see Jude looking at me. I smile and walk out with John.