Page 61 of The End of Summer

I excuse myself to use her bathroom.This is probably for the best, I decide. I’m so wound up, there’s no way I could have lasted for her anyway. I splash cold water on my face as my erection subsides, noticing the fluffy white bathrobe she wore that first time she barged into Luis’ apartment hanging on the hook behind the door. The room smells like peaches from the hand soap, and she’s got a lineup of hair and skin products on a shelf above the toilet. There’s a box sign on the wall that readsTrue beauty can’t be found in the mirror.It’s sweet.She’ssweet, with her aspirations to teach children and the way she clearly cares about other people. Such a far cry from some of the girls I’ve dated in the past.

This one is different,I realize.

Suddenly, as much as I want to devour her, I also want to help her through this issue and show her that I’m not just some asshole whose sole objective is to get her into bed.

Besides, maybe if we hold off a little longer, it will mean more when we finally go there.

I exit the bathroom. She’s still on the phone with Cherry, and I don’t want to sit here listening in on their conversation. I grab the ice cream bowls off the table, place them in the sink, and leave a note on the magnetic whiteboard on her fridge.

Thank you for a fun nightcap, I write.I’ll see you tomorrow at 10 for our beach date.Sweet dreams. I draw a heart, even though that seems… well, not exactly macho.

I don’t care.

I like her.

She pouts as I point to the door, shaking her head in a silent request for me to stay. She’s perched on the arm of the sofa, so I walk over, plant my lips lightly on her forehead, and whisper, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

GRETCHEN

Ihate watching Brady leave, and to be honest, I’m sick and tired of people interrupting our time together. But when I hear what Cherry has to say, it’s all heavy enough that I probably wouldn’t be in a real sexy mood afterwards anyway.

We exchange pleasantries, and after learning that she’s no longer in the hospital but is now at home on bedrest, I discover that Arrow never told her about this trip to Arizona.

“Really? She didn’t mention it?” I ask.

“Nah, but this happens from time to time,” Cherry replies. There’s a slight change in her octave, though, reminiscent of a child who’s been caught sneaking candy after bedtime.

And so we begin a passive-aggressive verbal tug of war. She shares nothing further; I hesitate to deliver the details of Arrow’s private, family-related e-mail. For one thing, I don’t want to gossip, but also, I don’t want Cherry to tell Arrow that I was snooping around in her personal business. Instead, I play dumb.

“What’s in Tucson? The girls thought you might know.”

“Her sister lives there.”

“I didn’t know Arrow has a sister.”

“Yeah – a twin, actually.”

“Wow. Really?”So it’s thesisteron the fridge.

“She keeps it all pretty quiet, because she and her sister have kind of a strained relationship.”

I wait for more, but Cherry stops there. So, I fish. “You guys are pretty close, right?” I ask.

“Best friends since elementary school.”

“That’s sweet; I didn’t realize that.”

“Yup,” she says, but that’s it. I wait through another awkward moment of silence, piecing together that Cherry either knows what’s going on with Arrow and doesn’t want to tell me, or might actuallynotknow… and what if Arrow needs help? My conscience pulls at me.

“If I share something with you, will you promise to keep it a secret?” I ask, my resolve eroding like the bluffs at Cahoon Hollow Beach.

There’s a pause. “I guess. I mean, it depends on how serious it is.”

I appreciate her honesty. “You really don’t know what’s going on with Arrow at all right now? Like, you swear you don’t know why she left for Arizona out of the blue?”

She sighs. “Like I said, she’s got family there. But this time, specifically? No, I don’t know.” Another pause. “Is her sister okay? Is something bad going on?” There’s concern in her voice. It’s genuine.Just tell her the truth. It’s the right thing to do. Also, who’s to say that the other girls won’t say something to Cherry?

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