Page 85 of The Love Haters

“That’s why you didn’t want to do any interviews? It wasn’t just”—I tried to come up with a better term, couldn’t, and then finally went with—“false modesty?”

“It wasn’t any kind of modesty,” Hutch said, not taking offense. “It was just knowing, from firsthand experience, that when people are talking about you, most of what they’re saying is wrong.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you. All of you.”

“Me, too,” Hutch said.

“Now I’m wondering if we should be doing this Coast Guard video,” I said.

“I wouldn’t have volunteered for it,” Hutch said. “But there’s an upside if it helps recruitment.”

“Unlike just being Puppy Love–famous for no reason.”

“Exactly,” Hutch said. Then added, “So you better do a good job.”

“I always do a good job.”

“Anyway, it’s not up to me.” He shrugged. “Or you, either, for that matter.” Then he added, “But I thought if it could bring Cole here, at least, that could make Aunt Rue happy.”

“Sorry,” I said, wondering if I’d made things worse.

“Not your fault.”

“I had no idea,” I said.

“We’re okay, now. Mostly. Kind of. It’s been a long time.”

“Your story makes my internet bullies look almost cute.”

Hutch shook his head. “There’s nothing cute about those assholes.”

I tightened my arms around him. Somehow, all this seemed to raise more questions than it answered about Hutch. Was this why he didn’t drink? Was this why he’d signed up for a life of rescuing people? Was this the reason for whatever beef Cole had with him?

I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.

We’d both shared plenty for one day.

One thing was pretty clear, though. I would not—absolutelynot—be asking Hutch if I could borrow his star power to make a “Day in the Life” video to save my job. Now that I knew the reason he didn’t wantto, I didn’t want to, either. Making a video to recruit rescue swimmers was one thing. Protecting me from Sullivan was another.

First order of business, when I got back to the Starlite, was to find my phone in the grass. Then to text an answer to Cole’s waiting question:Will he do it?

No, I texted back.Absolutely not. Case closed.

Fourteen

I DID NOTspend the rest of that night reading more comments.

That kiss from Hutch turned out to be the exact encouragement I needed to stay in the real world. The funny thing about the internet is that it’s basically a collective hallucination. If you don’t join in, it doesn’t exist. I mean, itdoes… but in another very real way, it doesn’t.

Now that I had passed my SWET test, I had real-world things to do.

Like flying in a Coast Guard rescue helicopter.

Takethat, internet.

The morning of the flight, I chose “pinkie” for my beauty list, much to Beanie’s head-shaking disapproval.

“It’s like you’re not even trying,” Beanie said.

---