Page 2 of Pretty Heartache

“You have a crush on Teddy, and he’s in high school,” I argue, twisting my face into a scowl.

“Shh,” she hisses, whipping her head to the side and dramatically lifting her sunglasses to shoot me an angry glare. “Do you think you said it loud enough for the whole club to hear you?” She nervously shifts her eyes up to where Teddy is sitting in his lifeguard station. Completely oblivious to our conversation. And us. “Besides,” she adds. “Teddy is only a few years older. Micah istwelveyears older than you.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. Ember is right.

With my sunglasses still shielding my face, I watch as Micah walks alongside the edge of the pool beside my brother. He’s talking animatedly, waving his hands in front of him and laughing. He grins, displaying his perfect teeth. They stop at thebar and both lean against the counter with their elbows as the bartender drops full glasses of beer in front of them.

My warm chest fills with oxygen at the sight of Micah. The sun hits his dark brown hair when he tilts his head back to take a sip of his beer. But the oxygen is sucked back out from my lungs the second two women walk up to Micah and Archer.

I ignore my brother and the woman draping her arm across his back. Instead, I hesitantly shift my attention to Micah. The blonde woman standing between Archer and Micah turns her entire body to Micah, giggling as she drags her finger down his cheek. He leans into her gesture, his mouth spreading into an even wider grin.

My stomach sours. I’m green with jealousy. I feel it in my gut, growing like long strands of ivy.

I haven’t seen Micah all summer. I prepared for today. With my eyes still shielded, I look down at the pink bikini I took hours to pick from my drawer. I chose this one because I’d seen a model wearing a similar one in my favorite magazine.

I swipe my tongue across my lip, licking off the pink lip gloss I’d put on an hour ago. I feel stupid for thinking Micah would ever notice me. In a way, he does. He’s my older brother’s best friend, and I’m his best friend’s annoying little sister.

But that’s all I’ll ever be in his eyes.

We haven’t even spoken yet this summer, and I’m already feeling foolish. But even though I know he’s only my brother’s best friend, I look forward to these moments, because even the rare, ten second high I get from being acknowledged by Micah Harding is worth the wait.

I risk a chance looking at him again and swing my gaze back up to the bar.

Archer and the girl clutching his hand have already left the bar, leaving Micah standing with the girl he’s with. They’re still deep in conversation, not paying any attention to anyone else.

I inhale a deep breath and sit up from my lounge chair. My skin peels off the plastic as I swing my legs over the edge and slip into my sandals.

“I’m going to the bathroom to fix my lip gloss,” I tell Ember.

I can’t tell whether she’s asleep or still watching Teddy.

I don’t have to wonder long when she turns her head slightly. “Are you truly going to fix your lip gloss, or is it because Grant is heading in our direction?”

“What?” I turn to my left just in time to see Grant doing just that, heading in my direction. I stand and swipe my pink, sequined makeup bag from the ground at my feet.

“Both.” I quickly stand.

“You know he’s only mean to you because he has a crush on you,” Ember says. “All the boys are like that. If they tease you, they like you.”

I open my mouth to argue, but maybe Ember is right. My dad isn’t always the nicest to me, yet he says he still loves me. Maybe the same could be said for Grant. Though my stomach doesn’t agree. It wobbles, and the thought of talking to Grant right now when I feel the way I do for Micah makes me nauseous.

Without answering Ember, I straighten my back and hold my head high, keeping my eyes focused on where I’m headed: toward the bathroom, away from Micah and the girl he’s with. But I only make it a few feet along the perimeter of the pool when I realize I need to pass Grant to get to my destination.

I clutch my bag and start to turn on my heel, but I’m too late. Grant is already standing in front of me.

“Where are you headed, Addy?” he asks, lifting his chin as he grins. He reaches out and curls his finger around one of the ends of my braided pigtails.

“Leave me alone, Grant,” I force out between my clenched teeth, and jerk back. His hand falls away from me.

He looks the same as he did during the school year. I’ve known Grant ever since we were in kindergarten, and he stole my favorite pink, feathered pencil with the unicorn eraser.

His cheeks redden and his dark eyebrows knit. “That’s not very nice. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings,Addy.”

“Stop calling me that.” I steel my voice, narrowing my eyes.

His attention falls to my makeup bag clutched in my hand. “You look pretty in pink.” His gaze roams over my body.

Maybe there’s truth to what Ember is saying. Maybe Grant does like me. He hasn’t stopped teasing me since we were five years old.

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