Page 56 of Spring Tide

“Did something happen between you two? I thought he’d be happy since you officially put an end to Operation Date Nate™?.”

“No, I’m pretty sure that made him happy.” An amused smile quirks my lips. “For some weird reason, he can’t stand Nate.”

She stops in her tracks. “Some weird reason? Yeah, like the fact that he’s in love with you.”

“He’s not in love with me,” I insist, the truth bubbling in the back of my throat. Eden has no clue how off base she is.

“Please.” A snort accompanies the dramatic roll of her eyes. “He totally clams up whenever your name is even mentioned. Have you seen how red his ears get? So adorable.”

“If he was actually in love with me, then don’t you think he would’ve reached out by now?”

“He’s seriously been ghosting you?”

I clutch the hem of my sundress, smoothing the wrinkles out with a few anxious strokes. “I mean, I think something is actually bothering him. But of course, he’s trying to deal with things on his own and shutting me out in the process.”

“Maybe you just need to show him that you’re really here for him. Prove that he can talk to you about anything that’s on his mind.”

“Maybe so.”

“You really like him, don’t you?”

My chest tightens at her suggestion. I glance around the quad, not quite sure what I’m looking for. My gaze flits toward the exposed brick buildings, across the rows of untended garden beds, and lands on a few seagulls huddled around a storm drain. They’re picking at old, discarded food scraps and squawking at each other.

The sight instantly warms my blood, a sweet, honey-like substance trickling through my veins.

“I think I do, yeah,” I finally admit.

Somehow, the revelation doesn’t shock me. I like the way I feel when I’m around Luca. He’s smart, handsome, dedicated, and surprisingly funny. He loves his family with all his heart. He may be guarded, but he’s been revealing all the secret pieces that make him whole.

It’s not a crush, per se, but I’m not really sure what to call it.

“Well, I’m definitely on Team Reynolds, that’s for sure. Same with Stella and Lai’Lani.” She skips over a jutting brick in the cobblestone pathway. “We’ve already discussed this in great depth.”

I scoff, feigning offense. “What about Team Harper?”

“I heard she has enough cheerleaders.”

“Speaking of—”

“Hey, Princess!” Fletcher’s booming voice carries halfway through the quad. “Wait up.”

Eden slaps a palm across her forehead, groaning as she turns on her heel. “Did you need something?”

“I was just wondering,” he pants to catch his breath, planting both palms on bent knees, “did you already book your room for Hanford?”

“Uh, yeah, I did.” She flashes me an odd look from the corner of her eye. “Weeks ago.”

Fletcher clears his throat, returning to his full towering height. “Did you ... would you want to drive up there together in the morning, then?”

There’s an awkward pause. Eden shoots me a withering glance, gnawing at her lip while she scrambles for an excuse. “I’m already catching a ride with Harper, sorry.”

His shoulders sag, gaze drifting to meet mine.

“Yup.” I shrug, camouflaging my surprise. “Sorry, Fletch.”

“Right.” A solemn smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Should’ve figured you’d be there to support your boy.”

“That’s right,” I choke out.

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