Page 35 of When Our Stars Aligned

Jacob gives me a big squeeze back. “I know.” He places a chaste kiss on my cheek. “I love you too and I know you’re going to be just fine.”

The next morning, Jacob drops me off as close as he can get to the pier. Carter was right. SummerFest is packed. There are sections for food trucks, kiddie rides, and craft vendors. I walk away from the large crowd and follow the signs for the surf exhibition that is taking place farther down the beach.

Up ahead, I spot Gabby and Michelle. They have quite the setup going with two large beach umbrellas, several blankets laid out on the sand, and coolers full of drinks and snacks. I smile as I approach them. It was so good to spend time with an old friend like Jacob, but I’m quickly warming up to my new friends as well.

“Hey, girl! How was your date with Jacob?” Gabby asks while waggling her eyebrows. She hands me a towel to lay out next to her.

“You know it wasnota date. Jacob and I have been friends andonlyfriends since we were eighteen.”

“Yeah, well, the guys were all convinced it was a date,” Michelle states while spraying sunblock on herself. “Jax looked like his head was about to explode.”

“That’s ridiculous.” I shake my head. “First of all, Jacob and I are strictly platonic. I have always been immune to his playboy ways and he’s respected that. Second, there is nothing going on between me and Jax, so why would he be upset?”

“I don’t know, Aly.” Gabby adjusts her sunglasses. “Jax has never acted so territorial around anyone until you came along. I think you might be the one to tame that growly beast.”

I take off my shirt and shorts to reveal the bathing suit I have underneath. I’m so excited to finally get a chance to wear it.

“That’s so cute!” Michelle compliments.

“Thanks! I bought it at an end-of-summer sale last year, not thinking I’d ever be out here.” The summers in Georgia last a lot longer than the summers in Oregon. My bathing suit is a two-piece but nothing skimpy. It’s a baby pink color and twisted in the front to give the illusion like I have decent-sized boobs.

Something behind me catches Michelle’s attention. I follow her gaze and see Alex and Jax walking our way. Their tanned, sculpted bodies remind me of the posters of random guys Jess and I used to hang up in our shared room during our early years in college. My eyes focus solely on Jax. I find it funny that I lived with an underwear model and felt no attraction. Yet just the sight of Jax sets my body on fire.

Trying not to stare, I kneel in the sand to put my clothes in my bag when I hear Gabby let out a low whistle. “I’m shocked you haven’t spontaneously combusted with the look Jax is giving you right now.”

“What do you—”

“What the hell is that?” Jax cuts me off.

“What the hell is what?” I stand to face him, planting my hands on my hips.

“What are you wearing?”

“A bathing suit. You of all people should be able to recognize that. You see me in one every morning.”

“That isnotwhat you wear every morning. You shouldn’t be wearing that.” Jax moves his hands up and down at me like he’s Vanna White revealing a puzzle onWheel of Fortune.

“I, for one, do not see what you’re complaining about,” Alex cuts in, earning him a death glare from Jax. He puts his hands up in surrender and sits down on the sand next to Michelle.

“You’re a professor. Shouldn’t there be some sort of rule about what you can and cannot wear?”

“You think I walk around campus like this? I’m sure that would go over well with the frat boys. Look around, Jax. I’m not at work.”

He lets out a frustrated huff as he bends down to grab what I assume is his bag and comes up with something in his hand. He takes a step towards me and puts something over my head.

“What are you dohrigng?” Fabric that smells distinctly like Jax muffles my voice—a mix of his bodywash and chlorine.

“There.” He stands back to admire his handiwork. “Much better.”

Here I am, standing in one of Jax’s T-shirts, with the hem of the shirt just a bit above my knee. The satisfied smirk on his face makes me want to smack him. I cross my arms over my chest and let out an agitated huff.

“Dude, if looks could kill right now…” Alex grabs his stomach, howling with laughter, while the girls try to subdue their smiles.

Before I can open my mouth to say anything, Carter comes trotting up to our group. “Hey, guys! Ladies! Aly, nice uh…muumuu?”

The roar of laughter rises up from my friends. Carter plops down next to Alex, and now Jax and I are the only ones left standing in some sort of face-off. Why is it always us going head-to-head?

“You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot wear.” I lift the shirt over my head and throw it at Jax’s face.

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