Sea Breeze 01 - Breathe

more time with her. That would only lead to problems. Maybe I’d be leaving Sea Breeze a few times this summer after all. Even if it was just to take a break from being near something I wanted and couldn’t have.
    The door to my room opened, and in stepped Jason without knocking. I glanced back at him, then stepped away from the window. He had called me several times over the past couple of weeks with a different excuse as to why he wasn’t here yet. I knew the real reason was our parents, but I let it slide. When he’d called yesterday he had told me he was flying out this morning. It was good to see him again.
    “You made it.”
    He nodded and let out a weary sigh. “Yeah. Almost waited a few more days, but I decided you needed to get out of this house and live a little, and if I wasn’t here you’d stay hidden away. All alone.”
    He knew me well. I liked being alone. I didn’t get that enough. “I spoke with Mom. Let me know if she starts bothering you.”
    Jason smirked and sank down onto the large leather chair that sat in the corner of my room. “You might be a rock star with the world bowing at your feet, but our mother doesn’t care. She won’t shut up for you.”
    He was right. But I could throw out enough threats to keep her quiet for short spans of time. “Never underestimate my power,” I replied, grinning. I was glad he was here. Jason was the only friend I had. If it hadn’t been for him keeping me levelheaded, I’d probably be one of those teen rock stars strung out on crack. Jason never let me forget who I was.
    “Getting to your head, big brother. Tone it down, would ya? Me and that big ego of yours can’t fit in this room at the same time.”
    I laughed and glanced back out the window just in time to see Marcus approach Sadie. He made her laugh. It bugged me. Jerking my gaze back toward my brother, I pushed all thoughts of Sadie away. I needed something else to focus on. “Hey, you want to have a party?” I asked Jason.
    “Always,” he replied.
    SADIE
    Three days had passed since my trip to the grocery store with Jax. I hated that I caught myself searching for glimpses of him. Somewhere, deep down, I really thought he would seek me out again. However, after three days of not laying eyes on him, I knew our night at the grocery store apparently meant much more to me than him. Yes, he’d taken me shopping and then home, but only because of his promise to Marcus. Sure, he’d held my hand for a few minutes, but who was I kidding? Jax Stone probably held hands with a different girl every day. I needed to find the humor in my stupidity for assuming it meant more to him, or I would curl up in a ball and cry. He had said I fascinated him, but he really should have clarified to me that I was just the fascination of the day. I hated to think badly of him for not seeking me out again, because I couldn’t forget the way he’d treated the little girl, and I knew he wasn’t a shallow teen idol. After all, to Jax Stone I was just another girl.
    He hadn’t promised his undying love to me, or even told me he would see me again. We’d said our good-byes at my house with no promises. Nothing he’d said told me he would seek me out again. Sure, he’d said he liked spending time with me, but it didn’t appear as if he was going to make good on his words. Thinking about it made me crazy. I needed to focus on other things. I’d turned down Marcus’s invitation to go boating with him and his friends on Sunday. I was skipping out on time with my friend because I chose to sulk over Jax. I needed to move on and let it go. My night with Jax would be a really good memory I’d never forget, just like it was for the little girl.
    When I arrived at the Stone mansion, Ms. Mary met me at the door. “Sadie, we’re entertaining tonight. Master Jax is having some friends over, and there is gonna be dancing and an open bar as well as lots of food! Now, I need all my younger employees to serve all night. We got some special uniforms for this. Marcus will be here shortly with William, and they are bringing a few friends who will also be helpin’ out. Don’t worry about changing just yet.”
    She turned and grabbed a large bucket of something very unappetizing. “Have you ever peeled and deveined shrimp before?” Words failed me, and apparently my face showed my horror because she laughed out loud. “Of course not. You’re a Tennessee gal. Come here and I’ll teach you how. We have ourselves