Summer's Kiss (The Boys of Ocean Beach 1)
Page 58
“Doesn’t she?” Justin says, coming up behind me with two drinks and handing one over. His arm rests on my shoulder and his fingers brush against me gently. He likes the exposed skin, too. I realize the boys are circling the dart board. “Excuse me, ladies. I need to go kick some ass.”
He squeezes my shoulder and walks off, already yelling jeers at his brother.
“So, Summer,” Anita says. Her eyes shift between me and Justin as he walks away.
I take a sip of my drink and scrunch my nose at the sourness. I wait for her to continue but she doesn’t. “So, Anita…”
“I heard your friend from back home has visited the campground…twice.”
I make a face. “You heard?”
“Of course, I heard. I also heard the first time, he left angry. The second time he was sad.”
“That whole place is full of gossips.”
“Oh yeah, I’ve heard about your comings and goings as well—and the fact you show up some mornings in the same outfit that you left in.”
“Are you kidding me?” I hit my forehead with my palm. “No, you aren’t. How else would you know? Great. What’s everyone saying?”
Anita gestures to a back door. “Wanna go on the deck?”
“Please?”
I follow her outside, giving the boys a smile on the way out the door. “It’s not that big of a deal. My ex came to visit.”
She nods. “I suspected. What did he want?”
“I don’t know. To get me back? To let me go? It’s all mind games with him.”
“Are you going to?” Her eyes widen with curiosity.
“No!” I shout. “Absolutely not.”
“It’s a fair question.”
“He offered to back out of the trip to France and let me go with my friends.”
“Wow. France? Whe
n do they leave?”
“July first.”
“That’s in a few days. You could make it.”
“No.”
“Why the hell not?” her voice is loud.
“Shhh!” I look around but we’re alone on the deck.
“Because I’m really enjoying myself down here.” I smile at her. “I met you and I’m working on my mom’s book.”
“You can come hang out with me any time. Don’t miss out on France for me.”
She holds my eye. We both know it’s something bigger. Four times bigger. For some reason, she wants me to admit it.
“Fine. I don’t want to leave the guys. I’m just getting to know them too and well, I like them. A lot.”