Conflicted in Paradise Ch. 03

"What were you thinking about?"

Damon shrugged. "Just stuff."

"Does that stuff include the reason why you're not going to UCLA with us?" Kelsey asked darkly.

Damon's eyes fell. "Ah... that's what you want to talk about, huh?"

Kelsey just nodded. She walked over to Ryan and gently shook him awake. "Hey, would you mind going to sit with the girls up front for a little bit? Amanda and I need to talk to my brother, and it's kinda private."

"Yeah, no problem," he said groggily, quickly getting up. As he did so, he came face to face with her breasts, and his heart practically stopped beating in his chest. He looked up into her amazingly blue eyes and said softly, "Christ, you're so beautiful."

Kelsey's stern scowl melted from his compliment. "Thank you," she said, bending forward to give him a small kiss on his forehead.

He nodded and grabbed a handful of beers before going to the front deck, where the girls greeted the arrival of drinks with several loud cheers.

Kelsey sat down beside Damon, pulling Amanda down beside her. She gave her brother a long look, waiting for him to say something. When he remained silent, she finally asked, "Well?"

"Give me a second, Kel," he complained. "This isn't exactly easy, you know."

"Easy? What's not easy? You either want to go with us to college or you don't!" she said, perhaps a little harsher than she'd intended. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she said it, however—the mere thought of him saying no had her scared out of her mind. What if he really didn't want to?

"You do want to, don't you?" Amanda asked, her bottom lip wobbling as she struggled to keep from bawling.

"Yes, I do. Of course I do," he said quickly. "I don't want to be separated from you two for anything, but..."

"But what?" Kelsey asked after he trailed off. "Would you rather go pro?"

He shrugged. "That's been on my mind, but it doesn't really matter much if I do."

"It doesn't?"

"No. I mean, I can go pro anywhere, so if I did, I'd still come live in L.A. with you two. Other than the times when I'd be gone for meets, I could see you whenever we wanted."

"So what then? Are you thinking about going to Texas?" Amanda asked quietly.

"I did for awhile, but I'm going to tell them no. After tomorrow..." he clenched his teeth, cursing himself for nearly betraying his surprise.

"After tomorrow what?"

"Nothing. What I meant to say was that after we get back home, I'm going to tell them I'm not accepting their offer."

Amanda couldn't help the sigh of relief escaping from her lips.

Damon smiled at her. "I'm sorry that you were worried about that, sweetheart. Even if I'd said yes to their offer, I'd have made sure they gave you a scholarship too, so you could come with me."

Amanda's smile was more dazzling than the sun's sparkling reflection in the ocean.

"Well, great. And what about me?" Kelsey asked sullenly.

He wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulder, pulling her close against him. Her firm breasts squeezed against his chest, and it sent warm shivers through his spine. "For awhile it seemed like our paths were kinda separating, Kel. If we weren't going to be a couple anymore, the three of us..." he left it hanging.

"I never wanted us separated that much!" she said, clearly hurt.

"I know that now. That's why I'm not going to Texas," he said, trying to assuage her.

"So you'll stay with us?"

"Yes. But I'm worried..." he sighed.

"What? What are you worried about?" Kelsey asked, the question being repeated almost verbatim by Amanda.

He swallowed deeply. "You gotta promise me this stays between us."

Kelsey gave him a puzzled frown. "Of course. What?"

"It's about Mel."

"Mel?" Amanda exclaimed. "What about her?"

"My hesitation's been because of her."

"What? I thought you wanted to go to L.A., just so that we could spend more time with her?" Kelsey said, feeling lost.

"Yeah, I did. Right up until..." he hung his head, clenching his teeth together.

Kelsey looked at him for several long moments. "Is it because she wouldn't let us come over right after graduation?" She'd called Melissa to ask if they could come over for a few weeks vacation, and Melissa had been really curt with her, saying it wasn't a good time, but that she'd see them when they'd start UCLA. Kelsey had been hurt over that for weeks, though eventually she figured her sister must have had a really good reason to turn them down like that.

He shook his head. "No, that's not it. Remember when... when she left, after she'd come to visit you in the hospital?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember what she said to me at the airport?"

Both Kelsey and Amanda thought it over for a few moments, then Amanda said, "She said that she hadn't been joking when she'd tried to seduce you. She said that she really wanted you."

Damon nodded, his posture slumping.

"That's it?" Kelsey gasped. "That's what's been bothering you?"

"Yeah."

"To the point where you were even considering going to Texas?"

He nodded once, not saying anything.

"Why?!" she cried out. "I thought you'd love being able to hook up with her! Amanda said the two of you even talked about it!"

Damon raised his eyebrows at Amanda, and she shrugged apologetically. "I couldn't keep that a secret from her. I had to make sure she'd be okay with it first."

"Of course I'm okay with it," Kelsey replied. "I don't even understand why you both thought I'd have an issue with that to begin with."

"We figured it was sort of like a betrayal of you, since she looks so much like you."

"Oh please," Kelsey snorted. "She may look like me, but we're nothing alike personality-wise. It's not as if I'd be worried that you'd be moaning my name while having sex with her."

Damon and Amanda both looked at her funny for a second, then Kelsey added, "Besides, I'm much hotter than she is!"

It hung in the air for a second, then Damon and Amanda erupted in laughter.

"Hey! Don't either of you dare say anything different!" Kelsey grumbled.

"We wouldn't dare, Kel," Amanda grinned.

"Good! In any case, it still doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't you want to have sex with her? She's pretty much said she wants to!" she asked her brother.

"Because of your accident," Damon said, his voice quiet.

"My accident? What does that have to do with Melissa?"

"Nothing. Everything," he sighed. "Your accident happened because of us getting involved with each other, Kel."

"No, it didn't!"

"Yes, it did. Please don't pretend otherwise. It happened because I'm an idiot, and... well, anyways, I was worried about Mel. You know, about something happening to her too."

Amanda gave him a sympathetic look. "Didn't we bury this, and we swore we'd never bring it up again?"

"I know, but just because we buried it doesn't mean that I don't think about it. I'm just... look, I can barely handle having sex with just you, Kel. It already makes my life so complicated that I can hardly think straight. I could never deal with having sex with both you and Mel. Something would happen, somewhere, that would cause serious shit."

Both girls gave him a long, pensive look. "I didn't know you were that worried about it," Kelsey finally said softly.

"Well..." He shrugged. "Sorry, but that's how it is."

Kelsey let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry too."

"For what?"

She gave Amanda a guilty glance. "Once I'd woken up in the hospital, and I heard what had happened between you and her in your bed, I... eh..."

Damon looked at her with raised eyebrows, his face radiating curiosity.

"I sort of encouraged her to tell you that she wanted you."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I thought you'd like it, and I figured it would help in getting you to decide to go to UCLA," Kelsey said sorrowfully. "I never realized it would have the exact opposite effect. I'm really sorry."

Damon shook his head. "It's alright, sis. Besides, I get the idea that Mel would've told me anyways, no matter if you'd encouraged her or not."

Kelsey's look was even. "It's pretty likely, yes."

He gave her a short kiss on her forehead. "That's what I figured, and that's what I was worried about."

"So with your delay in deciding where you were going to go... you were basically trying to come up with a way to avoid her?"

"Yeah."

"That's just silly, Damon. First off, she'd be really pissed at you if you don't go to L.A., what happened earlier this summer notwithstanding. And I do mean pissed to the extent that she would literally fly to wherever you are and just beat your ass! Even if you two never do anything, she still wants you to come live closer to her and spend more time with her. Second, you do know you can just say no to her, right?"

He shook his head. "Yeah, because I've always been able to say no to you so well."

"Well, okay, that's true. But I'm a lot more adorable than she is," Kelsey grinned mischievously, holding up her finger before Amanda could say anything. Amanda just giggled instead.

"I love you, Kel," Damon said with a big laugh, shaking his head at his sister.

"I love you too, doofus. Okay, so, you were feeling this way when I wasn't sleeping with you two anymore, right?" Kelsey asked.

"Yeah."

"So how do you feel now? I mean, things have kinda changed again. Did it change how you feel about Mel?"

"I don't know," he sighed.

"What about you, Amanda?"

"I want to fuck her," Amanda said softly.

Kelsey turned to face her best friend, a huge grin on her face. "Wow. You have no doubts whatsoever, do you?"

"No. Just thinking about fucking Melissa, together with you, drives me insane," Amanda groaned.

Kelsey licked her lips as she reached behind Amanda's neck, drawing her friend close. Their mouths met, and they kissed deeply for several moments, with Damon just smiling at them.

"Damon?" Kelsey moaned after she let up from her kiss.

"Yeah?"

"If you decide you don't want to fuck Melissa, can Amanda still do it? With me?"

Damon looked at the two of them. Their longing was written in both their faces, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, she can. But you better make a goddamn video of it for me!" he grinned.

"No, but we will let you watch. I give it five minutes before you'd join in!" Kelsey said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Five? I give him one!" Amanda said with a teasing smile.

The three of them laughed as they got closer and wrapped their arms around each other.

"So you're coming to UCLA with us?" Kelsey asked, enjoying being trapped between the two of them.

"Yeah, I will," he said. "If push comes to shove, and Melissa comes on to me, I can just sic you two on her, and you can both fuck her to shreds until she leaves me alone."

"Mmmm, that sounds yummy!"

"Are you sure, Damon?" Amanda asked happily.

"Yes baby. I'm never leaving you. Ever," he replied.

Amanda's shout of joy was wonderful, and Damon and Kelsey just intensified their hugs, smothering her with their love.

They just sat together for awhile in their combined hug before they went back to the front deck where the rest of their group was sunbathing and drinking cold beers.

"You ready to get going again?" Ryan asked once Damon and the two girls joined them. "I'll need some more help hoisting the sail."

"Yeah, that's fine," Damon replied. "How far is it to that island you were talking about?"

"I dunno. I guess another few hours or so, I'll have to check the GPS."

"That'll make it right around supper time," Siara said. "What did you plan on eating, love?"

He gave her a sharp grin. "That's what the fishing rods are for, honey."

"What?"

"You landlubbers better get to fishing if you want to eat!"

"Is he being serious?" Carynne asked.

"You bet that cute ass of yours I am," Ryan grinned. "C'mon, it's not that hard. Put some bait on your hooks, and see if you can catch something."

"And if we don't?"

"I guess we'll go hungry tonight," he said with a casual shrug.

"You have got to be bloody joking!" Siara complained.

"Nope, I'm not. Now, are you ever going to put those rods in the water, or are we going to sit here and hope the fish flop into the boat on their own?" Ryan asked while he got the sails ready to be hoisted again.

Damon laughed as he helped Ryan get the sails back up, while the girls gathered around the fishing rods with helpless expressions on their faces. "Are you serious about making them catch their dinner?" he asked.

"Sort of." Ryan shrugged. "I did bring food in case we don't catch anything, but nothing tastes as awesome as fresh fish grilled over an open fire, man."

"Judging by the way they're going, I think that fish isn't going to get caught for awhile," Damon grinned.

The girls had pulled one of the rods out of its holder, and were looking at it dubiously. They were busily discussing something amongst themselves, and finally Stacey turned to the two guys. "Ryan, where's the bait?"

"In that little cabinet underneath the bench. No, the next one!" Ryan replied, pointing at the cabinet in question.

Stacey bent forward, giving both guys a nice view of her curvy ass, and opened the cabinet. She rummaged through it for a few seconds before pulling out a small, covered plastic case. She pulled the top off and looked inside; then, she let out a loud shriek and dropped it, dumping the still living worms all over the deck.

"Hey, be careful with those! Those things are expensive!" Ryan grinned.

"You jerk!" Stacey yelled at him. "You could've warned me!"

"And miss your reaction? Not a chance, princess!"

She gave him a dark scowl as he and Damon finished rigging the sails. "Have you ever fished before?" Ryan asked Damon once they were done, and they both got down from the top of the cabin.

"A couple of times," Damon said.

"Go help those poor girls get some lines into the water while I see where we are, okay?"

Damon nodded and joined the girls on the rear deck, smiling as he saw them recoil from the slithering worms. He knelt down to quickly gather up the slimy critters, putting them back in the box. Once he was done with that, he grabbed one of the rods and impaled a worm onto its hook.

"That is so gross!" Carynne said, her face clearly showing her distaste.

"C'mon, stop complaining," Damon grinned. He threw the line into the water behind the boat, fortunately managing to avoid skewering one of the girls on the hook. "Kel, take this one."

"Okay," his sister said, not really sounding very sure of herself. Carynne quickly joined her, both their beautiful faces intent on the spinner.

"Right, just watch the spinner. If it goes down, yank on the pole," he explained.

Leaning in close, Amanda whispered in his ear, "I'm sure they'd rather yank on your pole."

He laughed at her joke even as he prepared the other rods. He quickly got two more put into the water, handing them over to Stacey and Siara. He was about to put the fourth one in when Ryan asked, "Hey man, you want to sail for a bit?"

"Ehh... are you sure about that?" Damon asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, what could possibly happen? The ocean's calm, there's very little wind, and we're on course. Basically you just need to sit here and watch the GPS."

Damon shrugged. "Okay, sure." He joined Ryan at the wheel, listening to his friend explain what he needed to look for, then he sat down behind the big wheel. He casually steered it left and right, amazed at how easily it moved, and at the same time how little the boat's course changed because of it.

Ryan quickly got the fourth line put into the water, sitting down close to Siara and the girls so he could keep an eye on their rods as well.

Amanda, not having a fishing rod to entertain herself with, came to stand behind her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around him as she cozied up. He put his hand on her arm, squeezing it, loving the feel of her body pressed against his—especially since her breasts were naked, and her firm nipples were poking into his back.

"If you were wearing a uniform right now, captain, I'd just melt all over you," Amanda whispered in his ear.

"I'm sorry, honey, I left it in the laundry. Are my swimming trunks sexy enough for you?"

"I think they'll do," she grinned, teasingly letting her tongue run over his earlobe, loving his shivers of joy at the feeling.

"Oh God... Ryan, help!" Siara squealed from behind them. They both quickly turned around, seeing her struggle with her fishing rod, its line dancing around in the water.

"You got one, babe!" Ryan said proudly. "Now just start hauling it in. Give the rod a good hoist, then quickly reel in your line!"

"You do it!"

"No, it's your fish. You gotta learn how to do it, Sia, it's not that hard."

She scowled at him for a moment before grimly setting about her task. She hoisted the fishing rod a few times, never really managing to get the line reeled in very far, before the line snapped, and the sudden lack of resistance caused her to stumble backwards, falling down on her ass on the deck.

"You okay?" Ryan asked, a big smile on his face.

"You utter... buffoon!" Siara scolded him. "If you'd helped me, we would have had something to eat by now!"

"Relax, there's plenty more fish out here, I'm sure. Here, take my rod while I re-hook yours."

Ryan efficiently repaired Siara's broken line, casting it back out with a practiced throw. For a few minutes things were quiet, and Kelsey, Carynne and Stacey diverted their attention away from their rods so they could talk to each other.

"Stacey, you got one!" Ryan yelled suddenly.

Purely by accident, Stacey yanked back on the rod in surprise, and out in the water, a large, heavy fish jumped, the hook sunk deep in its mouth.

"Whoa, that's a big one! Get him, Stace!" Carynne chirped excitedly.

"I need help!" Stacey cried out.

All the girls quickly went over to Stacey, to help the tall blonde reel in the fish. After a few failed hoists and reels, they got the hang of it, and between the four of them they got the fish right outside the boat in short order. Ryan quickly grabbed it with a fisherman's net, bringing it on board.

The girls all kept their distance as the large fish flopped about on the deck.

"Oh my God, look at its teeth!" Kelsey said.

"Yep, it's a biter alright," Ryan grinned. "Just let it flop for awhile, it'll calm down in a bit."

"Are you just going to let it suffocate like that?" Carynne asked sadly.

Ryan shrugged. "It's either that or I smash it with something. Which would you prefer? We're gonna eat it, so it's gonna die anyways."

Carynne nodded halfheartedly before diverting her attention away from the dying fish. She never liked seeing any kind of animal in distress. It flopped around for a few more minutes, then it grew still.

"That's a ten pounder, at least. Looks like we'll eat well tonight," Ryan said, smiling at Stacey. "Well done, babe."

"Why, thank you! I had help from my three lovely assistants, though!" she said proudly. Kelsey, Carynne and Siara beamed at her, thrilled at their success.

"What kind of fish is that?" Damon asked, holding Amanda closely in his arms.

"I'm not sure," Ryan said. "Maybe a barracuda or something? I don't really care, as long as it's good to eat."

The girls went back to their rods, their spirits buoyed by their success, and Stacey even baited her hook herself before casting her line out again.

Damon and Amanda watched the fishing action for a few more minutes, after which they turned their attention back to the instrumentation panel. Not long after, Amanda knelt right beside him, a wicked grin on her gorgeous face. "So, tell me..."

"What?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Have you ever had boat head?"

He laughed out loud. "Boat head?"

"Well, what else would you call it?" she giggled. "Sea suck?"