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Was.

“That’s nice of you to offer, but I don’t want to steal Johanna’s thunder, it’s sort of her thing.”

“Suit yourself.”

“I’m just going to go over there tomorrow after my surfing lesson and I’ll be home Sunday, okay?”

“You’re still surfing?”

“Yes,” I grit out, trying to hide my irritation. “I’m actually getting quite good.”

“Maybe I’ll come with you tomorrow. I think I’ve earned a break and if you’re going to be gone until Sunday, I’d like to see you a little bit.”

Nowhe wants to hang out with me? I’ve been waiting to talk to Casper alone since Monday and I don’t think it’s going to go well if Will realizes that Casper is my instructor. Then again, maybe he won’t care at all, but I’m not willing to risk it.

“I would totally love that,” I say, the lie getting stuck in my throat. I can hear the strain in my voice. I’m not a huge fan of whoI’mbecoming either.

I should be ashamed at how easily the lies are rolling off my tongue. “The only problem is, I don’t think they have any openings for lessons tomorrow. I actually tried to change my appointment time and they told me they didn’t have anything. Maybe we could try for next week?” I cannotbelieveI’m lying right to his face but I hope like hell it sounds convincing.

He gives a noncommittal shrug. “I could just come watch you. That’s more my speed anyway.” He finally sets his iPad down on the table. “I thought about what you said earlier this week and I want you to know I’m here for you. For us.”

I actually choke on my water but try to pass it off as just a rogue cough. If we hadn’t already done this yo-yo thing several times, I might allow hope to blossom in my chest. As it is, he’ll want to “be here for me” until work calls or it’s otherwise an inconvenient time for him. Seeing no way out of this without raising an alarm, I concede. “Okay, when I check in, I can ask if they’ve had any cancellations.”

“Sounds good.”

~

I HARDLY SLEEP AT ALL. I picture a thousand different ways for Casper and Will’s second meeting to go.

Spoiler alert - none of them are good.

Tossing in bed, I perseverate on the fact that Casper’s so far out of my league he might as well be interplanetary. That’s not a diss to myself. It’s just the truth. We areworldsapart. I’m twenty-five, intelligent and driven but slow to commit…to everything. To the workforce, to relationships, to buying a car. Casper, on the other hand, is thirty-freaking-eight, clearly has some real-world skills, guards the life of a highly ranked government official for a living…andprobably owns his own home. And while I’m a solid seven out of ten, his looks don’t even register on the damn scale.

When I finally get out of bed, I’m exhausted. Mad that I didn’t sleep since Will is probably going to cancel anyway, I pad down the hallway to the kitchen. He calls my bluff when I find him drinking coffee out back on the porch in his swim trunks with a small bag already packed next to him.

I guess my lack of sleep was warranted then.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

I barely remember drinking my coffee and getting ready. I wish I had Casper’s number but I’m not even sure what I would text him?

Put me with someone else?

Do you have any extra lessons open?

PLEASE don’t look so fucking hot today?

Can you at least wear a shirt?

Better yet, can you just hide in the gear room for the morning?

With my stomach in knots, we drive to the kite school and park in the sandy lot. I see Casper’s G-wagon and my nerves threaten to rob me of air.

I grab my bag and jog up to the hut ahead of Will. “Hey Jörn. My boyfriend decided to join me today.” I give him a tight smile so he knows I’m not that excited about it. I’ll process that I accidentally downgraded Will to my boyfriend later. “Do you happen to have any open instructors?”

I’m fairly certain she doesn’t do it on purpose, but Johanna spots Will heading toward us and intercepts him for a chat. I could kiss her for the extra two minutes she just bought me.

“Um, yeah, I could put him with Johanna, actually?”

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