Page 17 of The Ex-cavenger Hunt

“Hey, ‘I Want It That Way’ is a classic,” I defend, raising my eyebrows as if challenging the entire universe to disagree. My chest puffs out with mock indignation, but I can’t hide the grin that’s tugging at the corners of my mouth.

“Can’t argue with that.” She throws her head back, singing along to every word, her voice filled with unbridled joy. “But you’re not what I expected.”

Her words catch me off guard, and I feel a flutter of curiosity in my stomach. What did she expect? A stuffy businessman with a taste for classical music and NPR? I chuckle inwardly at the thought.

“Ah, Lily Harper, there are many layers to this onion,” I reply, grinning as her laughter fills the space around us, as inviting as the open road ahead. I wiggle my eyebrows, a playful gesture that earns me another giggle from her.

As we harmonize on the chorus, there’s this force that runs between us, a connection beyond the music. It’s as though the song has opened a door, allowing us to step into a space where it’s okay to be unapologetically ourselves—quirky, off-key, and utterly content.

Chapter Ten

Lily

We find Kevin in Narragansett, Rhode Island. He hasn’t changed that much. Still the same old person who loves to surf and is loyal only to the waves. He invites us to dinner. Ethan declines the invitation, saying it should be just us, but Kevin insists that the more, the merrier.

“Seriously, you guys should come out tomorrow morning,” Kevin says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, laid-back as ever. His sun-kissed hair falls into his eyes, and he brushes it away in that carefree manner that always made my heart skip when we were younger. “The waves have been epic these past few days.”

I feel my stomach flutter, a mixture of nostalgia and nerves. “Surfing has never been for me,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

Ethan leans forward, elbows on the table. “What happened to improvising?” he asks mockingly.

I shoot him a look that I hope reads as ‘traitor’ but probably comes off more ‘adorably flustered’. My cheeks heat up, and I resist the urge to kick him under the table.

“Great,” Kevin exclaims, oblivious to what I want, which isn’t anything new. That’s just him. And probably this is it, the moment to confront the jumble of feelings I’ve neatly boxed and labeled ‘Kevin - Do Not Open.’

I draw in a deep breath that tastes like sea salt and bravery. My heart pounds in my chest as I speak. “I haven’t surfed since . . .” My words trail off, and I don’t need to finish the sentence.

“Since us,” Kevin fills in, and there’s a flicker of something in his eyes—a shared history that still smolders between us. His gaze locks with mine, and for a moment, it’s as if no time has passed at all.

“Right,” I manage, forcing a laugh that sounds more convincing than I feel. I break eye contact, focusing on the napkin I’m twisting in my lap. “As you remember, I was never good at it.”

Ethan’s phone rings, and he excuses himself. I watch Ethan rise from the table, a look of chagrin crossing his face before he disappears into the night, leaving me alone with Kevin. My heart races as I realize the gravity of the situation, and I wonder if I’m ready to face the past.

Isn’t that why we’re here? I ask myself. If not now, when?

“Five years, huh?” Kevin says, breaking the silence. He leans back in his chair, the flickering candlelight casting shadows across his sun-kissed features. His eyes hold a mixture of curiosity and something else I can’t quite decipher. “You’ve changed, Lily. Never thought I’d see you going across the country to . . . What did you say you were doing here?”

I feel my heart race, unsure if I should tell him the truth. My palms grow clammy, and I discreetly wipe them on my jeans beneath the table. “I didn’t,” I respond, my voice sounding more confident than I feel. “I’m just full of surprises these days.” I flash him a smile, hoping it comes across as enigmatic rather than nervous.

Kevin raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “You are. I never thought you’d be dating a . . . What is he again?” He glances toward where Ethan left, his eyes narrowing slightly. “He looks rough, athletic, but built like a brick. Like some Army guy or security dude, yet, he also looks like corporate America.”

I think he just described Ethan perfectly. He’s all of those at the same time and maybe more. So far, he’s surprised me a lot. Singing to *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys was . . . a total surprise. Though he also loves AC/DC, Queen, and . . . he has eclectic taste in music. Not what I expected at all.

“Ethan is unexpected,” I say, not confirming or denying that I’m dating him. My heart skips a beat as I think about Ethan, and I can’t help but wonder what other surprises he has hiding and if I’ll be able to discover them all before we walk away from each other.

Kevin leans forward, his elbows resting on the table as he fixes me with an intense stare. “So, if you’re not here to surf, why visit?”

I feel my throat tighten, and I take a sip of water to buy myself a moment. The truth dances on the tip of my tongue, but I’m not sure I’m ready to voice it aloud. I meet Kevin’s gaze, searching for the right words.

“Zoe says I’m having some kind of mid-life crisis,” I confess, my eyes dropping to the table as I fiddle with the napkin in my lap. A rueful smile tugs at my lips, and I feel a twinge of embarrassment admitting this to Kevin. “Probably because everyone in my family is married, engaged, or has a life partner.”

Kevin tilts his head, studying me with a mixture of curiosity and understanding. “You have an Ethan,” he states, his tone neutral but his eyes searching mine. “Unless things between you are . . . Is this why you’re doing this? Trying to see if the trip fixes or breaks your relationship?”

I feel a pang in my chest at his words, and I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. There’s no way I’m telling him that Ethan and I are nothing. “I’m trying to learn from my past,” I state, meeting his gaze with a newfound determination. “So I don’t make the same mistakes in the future.”

“Interesting.” He gives me a look, his eyebrows raised slightly. “I take it you came to learn from me then.”

I can’t help but let out a short, humorless laugh. “Only trying to figure out why we didn’t work out,” I state, my voice tinged with a mix of bitterness and nostalgia. “Then I remember you sticking your . . . tongue and dick in someone else’s mouth in our bed.”

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