Page 18 of Until We Fall

Maybe he needs to hear it.

“You’re exactly as you should be, Rory.” I close my eyes for half a second. I don’t know what I’m feeling, but I’m feeling ithard. “You’re perfectlyyou. And that’s enough for me.”

I push up to my feet.

Rory stares up at me, his eyes really wide now, his mouth dropping open.

I don’t know what else to say, so I give him a last smile and then turn to jog after Carter.

6

I have zero game.

I usually have game. But today? Nope, nada. It’s like I’ve never seen a volleyball before.

Mostly, Carter and I just laugh and embarrass ourselves. We’re playing a doubles game where we each have a partner up on our shoulders. It’s completely ridiculous, but by the time we win—shockingly—I’m thirsty, sweat slicking my shoulders, and my jaw is aching from smiling.

And I’m getting a neck cramp from watching Rory.

I can’t believe I said those words to him.

You’re exactly as you should be. You’re perfectlyyou.

Something flipped when I said them. Maybe I realized how much I’ve wanted to say them, or something similar. Not just since we’ve been here, but before, too.

But he’s still avoiding looking at me, so I give him space. I head off to play volleyball with Carter.

And I’m totally not watching him out of the corner of my eye.

I don’t see how he and Theo chat for a while, an easy conversation where they are both smiling. Or how they throw a football after that, Rory being a good sport and tossing a few wobbling passes between catching Theo’s spirals. Or how, next,they head to the drink tents that line the boardwalk at the rear of the beach. And then how Rory reclines under an orange umbrella with his reader and drinks a huge, pink concoction in a rather phallic cup, the shade of the umbrella hiding his expression as he reads.

Is he reading about Oliver and Leo?

Leo seemed really into Oliver for that snippet I read, but it was difficult to tell if Oliver was feeling the same, and?—

“Dude.” Carter smacks me on the chest. “Play again tomorrow?”

“Um, yeah.” I fist bump Carter, his other hand palming a volleyball. “Of course.”

His eyes narrow on me, like he’s trying to sort out my answer.I’mtrying to sort out my answer, too. I’m here to hang with all the guys, so why wouldn’t I play?

My gaze slides over to Rory again.

My feet want to go over there, my flip-flops sinking into soft sand.What if we’re just both too scared to jump?

Shit, stop staring.I swing my head back toward Carter, putting on an amiable smile.

Carter’s not looking at me, though.

Not at fucking all.

His hazel eyes are fixed on our beach camp. On Rory and… Theo.

Actually, I don’t think he’s looking at Rory at all.

My forehead lines as I watch Carter. He’s palming that volleyball hard, his banana shorts so tight that I swear he’s gonna bust through them with one exaggerated move.

It’s not the first time I’ve caught him looking at Theo. Although, a lot of people look at him. Theo’s this muscled Adonis with the blue-est of blue eyes and a flop of brown hair that seems to feather around his face. A well-known football player for IFU—well, ex-football player now after his recent knee injury. Still, everyone around campus knows him.

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