Page 43 of Adrift

“Holy-fuck-yes-I’ll-bloody-go-out-with-you-thank-god-I-thought-you’d-never ask...!”

The sentence comes out like one word… and a lot louder than I meant. All conversation just stopped. Chairs scuff and clothes rustle, and then you could hear a pin drop if not for the waves lapping against the restaurant.

All eyes are on me and Gage.

For a second, he doesn’t say anything. He just tilts his head a little, catches his lower lip under his teeth. I only see it because I’ve been studying him so hard these past few days, but I can’t miss it: there’s surprise in his eyes, and then the tiny crinkles appear around them like he’s holding back a secret smile.

Shiiiiiiiite.

He wasn’t about to ask me out. And yet… that was the best thing I could have possibly said.

I think I’m going to go into shock.

Gage is beaming at me like the fuckingmoon. Like he’s been gathering up all the brightness I’ve been showing him, and he’s reflecting it back to me when I need it most.

He’s just been waiting for me to show him the goddamn mess of superheated plasma underneath the glow that I let people look at.

I was finally, really, truly honest—with him, and with myself.

“You will?” Gage keeps on grinning at me. “Then let me ask you properly. May I take you on a date tonight?”

For once, I’m speechless. And people are noticing. Somewhere beyond Gage, I can hear chuckles. I’m suddenlyin the spotlight of the slightly overwrought and very public romance I always thought would make me feel like I finally conquered the world.

But I feel… I feel fuckingshy.

Gage just nods slightly at me, like he gets it—like he understands something that even I don’t know about myself. Then he winks at me in the universal language of,You got this, baby.

So I nod back at him, and then I clear my throat.

“Yes, please.”

Cheers erupt at the social committee table. Someone’s whistling their approval, and someone else slaps the table and exclaims, “Finally!”

Then I hold up a hand. “There’s just one rule,” I tell him, over the chorus of curious oohs and ahhs.

“Have him home before midnight!” Felix calls out.

“Have himathome before midnight!” That’s one of the older ladies, of course. They finally found out how to make me blush, and they’re not going to let me forget it.

Gage grins at the peanut gallery’s commentary, but he tilts his head and waits for me to go on.

“Not a single goddamn rollercoaster.”

Chapter

Sixteen

GAGE

It’s a minute to seven,and I’m waiting for Kieran.

I’m leaning against the little white-painted gate by the road. Every minute or so, I duck down to squint through the orchard toward the beach entrance, in case Kieran’s coming that way.

Footsteps crunch against gravel, and my heart jumps into my throat.

Okay, come on. Cool, confident, and in charge.

Then I smooth a hand down my front and grimace. I’m already sweating through my nice date night shirt, but two out of three ain’t bad, I guess.

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