Epic Sins (Epic Fail #1)(9)

“Cassie, here is a dress for you too.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Weston, my Grammy has my clean clothes downstairs. I’ll go get them. Be right back!” I hear Cassie run down the stairs, calling for her grandmother.

“Sam, are you okay in there?” my mom asks through the bathroom door.

“Yes.” I slowly open the door and step back into my room. “I’m sorry for not being careful, Mommy.” Tears fill my eyes again and she pulls me into a huge bear hug.

“You’re okay. That’s all that matters.” She pushes me away from her gently and places her hands on my shoulders. “Promise me something?” she says, her eyes soft but stern.

“Yes, Mommy?” I look up and feel bad that I let her down.

“Promise me that you won’t take chances like that without me or your father around. I mean, until you can swim strongly without your swimmies, you need to be supervised. Okay?”

“Okay, I promise Mommy. I’m sorry.” I throw my arms around her waist as warm tears flow down my cheeks once again.

“Hey, hey. No tears, okay? I’m proud of you for trying your best and being brave, but we want to make sure that you’re strong enough to swim on your own.”

I wipe my tears on the back of my hand and sniffle back the boogies that are about to fall out of my nose. She puts a tissue in my hand and hugs me again.

“Cassie’s a nice girl, isn’t she?” Mommy asks and leads me over to sit on my bed while I finish cleaning up my messy face.

“She sure is. I wonder how she learned to swim so good. I wish I was as strong as her.”

“I bet she started swim lessons much sooner than you. Mommy and Daddy didn’t think to get you swim lessons when you were younger and before we put in the pool. I’m going to call someone tomorrow to make sure you get stronger throughout the rest of the summer.”

I hear Cassie’s footsteps in our hallway and she’s back in my room before I know it.

“Let’s play summer vacation! How many Barbies do you have?” she asks as she pulls out the canvas storage boxes from underneath the hutch in my room.

“I don’t know. Maybe twenty or thirty?”

“I’ll leave you girls to play. I’ll come get you when dinner is ready. Have fun.” My mother kisses my forehead as she lets go of my hand.

Cassie pulls out all of my Barbie dolls and pets. “I also have the Barbie Beach House. Let me get that out of my closet.” I open my closet door and pull out the house along with a Jeep.

“This is going to be awesome!” Cassie exclaims. “Our girls will live in the city and head out to the beach on the weekends. Just like my parents.”

“Cassie, we don’t live in the city.”

“I know that, silly, but my parents are always out at our beach house in New Jersey. That’s where they are this weekend. Maybe you and I can go with them one weekend. Would you like that?”

“Oh yeah!” I say, excited.

“Cool. I love the beach. Especially the boardwalk and the rides. My favorite ride is the rollercoaster!” She stands up with one of my Barbie dolls in her hand and pretends to have her ride an imaginary rollercoaster in the middle of my room.

“I’m not sure about rollercoasters, but I do love the beach,” I say hesitantly.

“Hey, if you could jump into the deep end today, you can ride a rollercoaster.”

I smile as I begin to set up the furniture in the townhouse. The plush sectional couch barely fits on the second floor, but I make it work.

“We’ll see, Cassie.”

She leaps through the air with the doll and gives me a huge hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Sam! I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

“I was scared, but I’m okay now.”

“You almost drowned! You were coughing up so much water I didn’t know what to do. Thank God for your Daddy. He was in the water and pulled you out so fast. He saved your life.”

“Yeah, I guess he did.” I smile.

Thank God for my Daddy.





Garrett

Present

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Age 26



“YOU CAN’T GO BACK THERE!” Our driver, and sometimes security guard, Mick’s voice booms from the front of the tour bus. The fog begins to lift as the naked body next to me shifts. “Garrett?” she asks quietly. I open my eyes and try to identify where the soft voice came from. A mess of blonde hair is draped over my chest.

Shit.

I hate when they spend the night. Her warm hand moves slowly up my thigh and I quickly push that regret aside. She could be of use one more time…

The voices in the hallway echo as my head remains glued to the pillow. Footsteps quicken, and I hear another voice coming from the front of the bus.

Heath.

“Hey, can I help you with something?” he asks the nameless stranger who seems to still be barreling toward the back of the bus. It’s a rare event anyone can get past him. He’s six foot five and easily fills the cramped hallway of the tour bus. It’s also a rare event that anyone wants to get past him, especially girls. He’s the new lead singer of Epic Fail and is also the newest obsession for the endless groupies. He’s also my biggest competition for those groupies. Dick.