Page 21 of Letting it Ride

It also slowly dawns on me that I didn’t actually have much of a plan beyond the skimpy outfits. What am I going to do if he calls me out on it? If he realizes I’m into him and tells me he’s not interested?

I don’t want to picture that scenario. And I need aPlan B, clearly. My favorite way to clear my mind and really think is to work out, so that’s where we’ll start. I brush my teeth and hair as best I can without getting claustrophobic in the small bathroom, then pull on a pair of spandex shorts and a sports bra for the gym. I wrangle my mass of hair into a messy bun and secure it with two hair ties.

I’ll give Cam the benefit of the doubt, I decide. Maybe he was tired last night. But he hadn’t even brushed his teeth before he climbed into bed. I mean, maybe he wasreallytired. God knows I’d have to be bone-tired to forget to brush.

I frown at myself in the small mirror. Was he just avoiding talking to me, faking sleep until I passed out? I know he hates fighting, a stark contrast to my love of confrontation. I’ve never understood it. Why wouldn’t you just put it all out there and have it out?

Other than telling people you’re into them, obviously. That’s different.

But on a scale of behaving-at-work Addie to the Hurricane Addie my family knows, last night was on the mild side. My outbursts can get lots worse. But Cam’s seen worse, more than once. Last night shouldn’t have pushed him over the edge.

I sigh as I tuck my phone into my shorts and grab a pair of earbuds to bring to the gym for somebackground music while I work out. There’s Wi-Fi on the ship, which is a nice surprise.

Okay, maybe it’s not a surprise to anyone but me. I kind of thought we’d be drifting out here with no connection to the outside world, like some kind of Bahamas-bound luxury pirate ship. But then again, I also had no idea cruise ships were so… expansive, I guess. This ship is basically a floating Ritz-Carlton. No wonder people pay so much money for these trips.

I scroll through emails while I start on the elliptical, using one hand to hold the handles while I grip my phone with the other.

There are eleven emails from work that I try to ignore before I cave and read ten of them and respond to three. Forty-two are spam messages trying to sell me something—delete—and one email from Annika. I open that one, which is another quick note telling me to have a great time and to bring her all the dirty details. Nothing about my plants this time.

I wish I had some dirty details to share.

Annika is likely to have some advice, and I think I need another person’s perspective here. I open up my texts and send one off.

Annika

Need adviceon Cam.

I put the phone on the stand in front of me, then pop my earbuds in and crank up my music, losing myself in some classic 80s rock while I think.

Maybe he’s just not interested, but the way his eyes darken when he looks at me tells me there must be something there. Is it the whole best-friend’s-sister thing? That seems like the most likely explanation, honestly.

Jesus, I’m a grown adult, and my big brother is still ruining my life the way he did when I was fifteen.

I’m almost done with my cardio when a text pops up.

Annika

The crush? What’s going on?

I pause the music as the timer on the elliptical hits thirty minutes, a perfect warmup before I get to the reason I came here in the first place. I wipe at the sweat on my forehead as I climb off the machine, then type out a text as I head toward the weights.

It feels like he’s ignoring me. We kind of got into a fight last night, And we’re sharing a room, and last night he went to bed without saying goodnight while I was in the bathroom. I don’t think he even brushed his teeth.

Ew? Maybe he was tired.

Maybe. Or maybe he was faking sleep. Who knows.

Wait, back up. Sharing a room?

In a very brother-sister kind of way. There are bunk beds.

Hmm but maybe potential for something?

Potential for what? Hooking up in the top bunk? This isn’t college.

Fair enough. But are you looking for a hookup? I know he’s hot. I saw his picture, but from what you’ve told me, he’s been your brother’s best friend forever.

I think I like him. Like, really like him.

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