Page 119 of The Summer of Wild

"Isla?" I wipe the tears off my face.

"Yeah?"

"When you get your heart broken next time, do you want me to tell you all the things you just said to me?"

My older sister smiles. "You better."

She drapes a dramatic arm over my shoulder and steers me in the direction of the house. I'm not sure what tomorrow will look like, but Isla's right. I'm a Winthrop. And like my sister, no matter how many times I'm knocked down, I'm still going to stand back up and fight.

I just have to figure out how to fight for Wilder without him knowing.

Chapter 31

The Awkward Conversation

I drum my fingertips on the desk, the afternoon light streaming in through the glass window and shimmering across the tiled floor of Loretta's Laser Hair and Wax Removal. It's been quiet today. Guess everyone is slowing down on their summer waxing plans and preparing for the impending cold around the corner. Autumn. The subtle reminder that everything changes—even the leaves.

I've changed, too.

Before the summer started, I thought I knew what I wanted. A life with Cash Allred. Country club dinners and fancy chandeliers hanging over an exquisitely decorated dining room table. Vacations in Aspen, Cancun, and Jackson Hole. Children with Cash's blue eyes. Christmas pictures in the snow. A life pretending everything was perfect. A shallow life. Not one that would have made me happy.

But then I spent the summer with Wilder, and I fell in love with how he made me feel. I fell in love with all the fun we had. With just being me. No pretending. No wondering if I was saying the wrong thing or thinking the wrong thing. For once, I just got to be me.

There's no comparison. One summer with Wilder is better than a lifetime of summers with Cash.

"Why are you frowning?" Pierre tsks me as he strolls into the room looking bored.

"I look pitiful, don't I?" I groan.

"What happened?"

"Wilder broke up with me, I guess." I'm not sure how else to explain it. He didn't really dump me because we never put a label on what we were.

Whatever label-less thing we were doing is over now.

"You've gotten dumped twice this summer," Pierre notes. "Kind of seems like the common denominator here is you."

"I'm aware," I roll my eyes. I'm also aware that both of these so-called break ups didn't have anything to do with me. I mean, of course, they did. But they had more to do with Cash's blackmailing parents and Wilder's loyalty to Cash.

"You want some advice?" Pierre offers with a flick of his wrist.

"I'd rather not—"

"The summer before last," he interrupts. "I was dating Yani Habid. He was gorgeous. Dark, luscious hair, tanned muscles, and an enormous—"

"Please don't finish that sentence," I hold up a hand.

"Anyway," Pierre continues, "his parents found out about us and forced him to end things."

"I'm sorry, Pierre. That's horrible."

"I wasn't too heartbroken over it," he clarifies. "I liked him, but Yani was afraid to be who he really was. He's engaged now to a New York socialite, Luna Lawrence. He has one life and he's going to waste it trying to make his parents happy. It's a shame."

"Is this the advice?"

"No," Pierre stares at his nails. "First, you chose the wrong person at the right time. Then, you chose the right person at the wrong time. You're doing everything backward."

"Like Yani did?" I try to connect the dots.

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