Page 7 of His Girl of the Summer

“Fair enough. You’re right. I know one thing for sure: I’m not going to question it. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m on the right path. I’m not going to hold back with Grayson. I want to let go completely and see where it takes me.”

A devilish smirk takes over my face at her words. “I couldn’t agree with you more, best friend. It’s time to let our hair down and take what we want. No prisoners!” I yell.

“No prisoners? Dear lord, Charli! Do I need to warn Kas to arm himself or something?” I throw a pillow at her, smacking her in the face, making me laugh.

Harper heads to the shower, and I lie back on my bed, thinking about Kas. I wish I could be like Harper, so carefree with my heart. I know she's had a hard time with her mom leaving, but her dad has been her and her sister's rock. He was at every school event, every birthday party, every major event in Harpers, and, by proxy, my life. My parents have never once been to anything of mine.

We’ve lived in the same house all my life, but it’s become a tradition to only see their backs as they walk away from me. I get a few words, a couple sentences if I'm lucky, but what they really want from me is silence and obedience. They want a nice little trained pet.

I think back to Kas and his constant presence. His eyes seeming to seek me out. Will that last for long, though? He has to know it's a summer thing. I don't want to give my heart to another person I will have to watch leave. I don't think I could survive watching a guy like Kas leave me behind.

Needing to get my thoughts off these depressing ones, I get up and make my way to the bathroom. I heard the shower stop a while ago, but Harper has yet to come out, so I decide to go in and check on her. I see her wrapped in a towel and smiling down at her phone.

I lean over her shoulder and see the text exchange between her and Grayson. I smile at his responses and know this guy is hooked. He seems to have fallen for my best friend and her amazing heart.

“That’s it. Never let this guy go,” I say, propping my chin on her shoulder.

“What?” She jumps, but I continue.

“You have never, in your entire life, smiled that big before. Never let him go.”

She covers her phone before continuing, “How do you know it was him? I could have been watching insta or something.”

“Oh, please. For one, I could see your phone. And two, no one smiles like that at Instagram. Be real.” We both laugh.

“We only have three weeks here. Eventually, we’re going to have to say goodbye. All four of them go to NC State. They are frat brothers, for gosh’ sake. UGA and NC State aren’t exactly across the street from each other, babe. That’s too far away. It’ll never work,” she says softly, and I can feel the sadness taking over. I don't want her to have the same hold-ups as me. I don't want her to be scared like I am. I want her to have the world.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen, Harp. Just enjoy the next three weeks, and don’t let the thought of leaving get in the way of you two being together now.”

“I’m turning in. Don’t stay up too late,” she says, completely cutting off the conversation, and I can understand that. So I leave, giving her a moment alone before she returns to the room. I can tell she's not up for talking, and I feel the same way.

“Goodnight, Charli,” she murmurs, turning off the bedside lamp.

“Night, Harper,” I whisper into the dark, though I don’t fall asleep. I hate the thoughts running through my head, but I can't seem to stop them. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is Kas walking down the beach, away from me. Hours later, my brain finally finds a state of peace, or delusion, depending on how you look at it. I'm able to fall asleep to sweet images of being wrapped in strong, loving arms.

***

The next day goes about the same as the day before: Harper and Grayson are heading out for some hot date, and I am with the guys. We decide to head to the diner for breakfast. Beck and Riley both have plans for the afternoon, so I plan to spend a few hours sightseeing and trying to find some drawing inspiration.

We make it to the diner just as a woman about our age with mousey brown hair comes rushing up to our group. “Oh, Kas, thank the heavens. I hate to ask because I know today's your last day off, but Mitch called in sick, so Tony is running the kitchen by himself.”

“Why didn't he call me in?” Kas asks, already walking to the back.

“You know he’s stubborn. Thinks he can do everything himself, stubborn mule.”

I snort a laugh, and Kas turns back to me. I can see he’s torn. He doesn't want to leave me, but still wants to help his work. I smile in encouragement, letting him know I’ll be okay out here. Instead, his actions shock me. He grabs my hand and pulls me behind him before addressing the guys.

“I’ll send out your usuals. Charli’s gonna hang out in the back with me.” And before I can say anything, I'm lead away and pushed through the diner kitchen doors. I open my mouth to argue, but Kas keeps pushing me closer to the back. He stops when we finally reach a bar top seat in the corner. I watch Kas pull an apron off the wall and tie it around his waist before jumping into the fray without missing a beat.

I still can't believe he’s a cook. He looked embarrassed at first, but I’m majorly impressed. There is something so sexy about a guy knowing his way around the kitchen. Watching the back-and-forth joking between him and Tony while navigating the kitchen like he rules the place. This is the first time I’ve seen him full of confidence, and I know I'm in danger of falling entirely too hard for this man.

That's how we spend the rest of the day, and it's actually the best time of my life. I got to take out my sketchbook and get some real-life drawings. Most of them were of Kas, I can't lie, but one scene stayed with me today and I was itching to get it on paper. The drawing turned out better than I hoped. It was of both Tony and Kas working the grill. Tony is smiling at the ribbing he's giving Kas, but Kas' head is thrown back in laughter. The image of Kas, so unabashed, scar prominent and not hidden. I can't believe I get to have that image for the rest of my life.

By the time he gets off work, it's late, and we are both exhausted. He leads me out of the Diner and to a restaurant a little way down the boulevard to grab some dinner. The dinner is comfortable, and by the time night falls, and we are standing outside my hotel room, I’m more confused than ever. He gave me a little more of a view of his life today. Well, Tony made comments that hinted at how bad Kas' home life is. I hate the thought of him leaving and heading back to his house.

“Have a good night, Charli,” he says after walking me to my door and turning to leave. The impulse hits me to get him to stay longer.

“Where are you staying tonight?” I ask. He turns back to me before replying.

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