Page 75 of Coincidentally Kismet

Groaning and rolling over, I give her a very muffled and defiant, “Fiiineee...give me an hour and tell him to get ready.”

“Will do, princess,” she says, slapping me on the backside and hopping off my bed.

Fucking fantastic! Now I have to pull it together, think of something fun to do, and probably get drunk. At least the last part sounds somewhat appealing.

“Okkaaay...just lemme get this straight. She told you she was going on a trip with a friend from college and instead actually went on a romantic getaway with another dude?” Lo recaps Elliott’s miserable breakup loud enough for the entire bar to hear.

“Ugh, yes. Keep your voice down.” Hanging his head in his hands, my brother confirms what we both already know to be true.

“What in the actual fuck is wrong with people?” Lo’s face is full of disgust as she seeks out our waitress.

We decided to come to Castaway Bay because it felt timely with Elliott and me so recently being “castaway.” Pathetic we may be, but we’re also taking this self-pity tour seriously, really leaning into the pain.

Stunned is not the right word for what I feel about all my brother has been through. He’s a goddamn walking male model, with the kindest heart. How dare he get cheated on. It’s unconscionable.

“Please, tell me what...her...excuse...was. I mean, other than being the biggest idiot on the planet,” I chime in between big gulps of icy-cold draft beer. Not my usual go-to, but at this rate anything will do.

“You know, I didn’t even give her a chance to give me one. I just told her to get her shit out and not to be at my place when I got home.”

“Go you. I wish I coulda told Will to get his shit. Except we didn’t even live together, so there was no shit to get,” I say pitifully, laying my head down to feel the table’s cool rough wood on my cheek. Tears roll silently down my face for what feels like the millionth time since we left the house. It’s honestly a bit disturbing how much water I’ve lost from sheer crying at this point.

“Alright, nope.” Lo slides her hand under my head, gently peeling me off the table. “I’ve seen and heard enough of this. Both of you, God, like two freaking peas in a pitiful pod. Can we get mad now? I’m ordering shots, and for each one we drink, we are going to toast something horrible and mean until you either feel better or get alcohol poisoning. Whichever comes first is fine by me.”

Our waiter, Linda, the most adorable little thing, sashays her way to our table at Lo’s summoning. “Can I get you anythingelse? My shift is almost up, so I can cash you out or transfer your ticket to the new girl coming on.”

“You can transfer it, beautiful. This is for you.” Elliott hands her a hundred-dollar bill and winks. Bleh! Heartbroken and yet still able to turn the waitress into a puddle of emotions with a generous tip and a wink. It’s disgusting.

“Okay, Rico Suave, let’s not spend all our money in one place,” Lo chastises.

“What? You wanted me to feel better, didn’t you?” he asks, acting innocent.

“Sure...but you’re sleeping on the couch. I refuse to sip coffee with some rando in my living room. Keep it in your pants for a couple more days, please,” she says with a mixture of stern mom face and pride.

We all bust into a fit of giggles. I’m talking the full belly laughs that hurt your stomach and make your cheeks feel like they are so strained they might pop right off. Excusing myself, I head to the bathroom to wipe my face, do my business, and mentally prepare my insult toasts.

It’s actually a nice bathroom for such a small beach bar. I take a couple extra minutes in the stall to deep breathe, desperately attempting to pull myself together enough to be fun for a few more hours. Reaching for the latch, awareness settles in my stomach like a sinking ship. I’m not sure exactly how I know or what instinct is set in motion, but I can feel a confrontation brewing deep in my bones.

Another deep breath in through my nose and out through my mouth, then I pull the stall door open and—bam! Bri is standing at the sink, washing her hands. Shame lurches inside me, clawing at my throat. I’ve been purposely avoiding her, but there is only one exit and I know she sees me.

“Cam, oh my gosh. Thank God I ran into you.” She quickly dries her hands before sweeping me into a hug. I can’t stop thesob that bellows out of me or the tears that flow freely down my cheeks. It’s official: If I don’t die from alcohol poisoning, it’ll be from dehydration.

“Oh honey, don’t cry. I’m sure he’s fine. Why haven’t you been answering my calls?”

Does she not know? Wait, how could she know? I haven’t answered her, and Lo doesn’t have her number. She thinks I’m crying with worry or fear, not heartbreak.

“Uh, um, I’m not, he’s not...I’m sure he’s fine. Not that it’s my place to know.” I stutter out the response, not knowing what else to say.

Bri pulls back from our hug and grabs my face, placing both hands firmly on my cheeks. “Cam, Will loves you.”

“Thanks, but no, he doesn’t.” I close my eyes and suck in air through my nose, willing my body to keep it together.

“Yes, he really,reallydoes. I’ve been trying to contact you for days. Cam, he tried calling you. There was a whole mess when they left. Ruiz didn’t answer the call, and Will had to find him. He ran out of time, but when I heard they were leaving, I went to the air strip to wish them well, for Thatch. Will used my phone because they put his phone in lockup, but you didn’t answer. He made me promise to tell you that he loves you, that you are his life. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you over text, it just felt like something that needed to be said in person.”

All I can do is stare at her. This can’t be happening. She is saying the words, but it’s like they’re bouncing around in my brain, making me more jumbled and confused.

The door bursts open and in rushes Lo, frantic. “Oh, thank fuck. I thought you died in here or ran out the back and ditched us,” she belts out. “Wait...what...what’s happening right now?” she asks, finally noticing Bri, who’s still holding my face in her hands.

“I’m telling her that Will is in love with her.”

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