Page 81 of I Could Be Yours

“You all been having a good time?” Dad asks as we zip across the pale blue water.

Tristan nods. “It’s been great. We had a hiccup in the beginning with the room situation, but Connor Grace pulled some strings and we ended up at Bea’s dream resort, so it all worked out.” He’s in a buoyant fucking mood.

And why wouldn’t he be? He’s marrying the love of his life. He has no idea Mom is still trying to contact me. Or that I’m over here having an existential crisis because my views on love and relationships are suddenly shifting, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. But I can make a plan. I’m good at those.

“Sounds like everything is working out the way it should.” Dad stretches an arm across the back of the seat.

“Aside from that and Nate here getting stung by jellyfish, it’s been smooth sailing.” He claps me on the shoulder.

“Jellyfish? Did someone have to pee on you?” Chase asks.

I roll my eyes. “That’s not actually what you’re supposed to do.”

“You should probably send Essie a thank you for taking care of you last night,” Tristan says.

“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck. “I owe her.” For a lot more than just rubbing cream into my stings and making sure I had food when I woke up.

Brody perks up. “Essie took care of you?”

“I was high on antihistamines. There wasn’t much to take care of.”

“He passed out in her bed and snuggled with her stuffed cat,” Tristan notes.

“I didn’t snuggle with Catalina,” I grumble.

“Yeah, you did. Bea stopped by to check on you and snapped a couple of photos.”

Heat works its way into my cheeks. “That’s some bullshit.” I do vaguely remember trying to huff Catalina.

“Essie and Bea were talking about how cute you are when you’ve overindulged on antihistamines.”

“I have never been cute a day in my life,” I grouse.

He ignores me and turns to Dad. “How are things with Sophia?”

“Good.” His smile softens. “Great, actually. She’s a lot of fun. Smart, ambitious, patient.”

And young. At least I think it and don’t say it.

“She came to one of my university games last week,” Brody says.

“She likes hockey?” Tristan asks.

“She went to a lot of Hockey Academy stuff out in Pearl Lake because her best friend is married to Maverick Waters,” Brody explains. Maverick and Lavender are the kids of hockey legend Alex Waters.

“Nate and I will have to come to one so we can support you and get to know Sophia better,” Tristan tells them. “Right, Nate?”

“Yeah, for sure.” My stomach turns a little. I really hope this thing with my dad and Sophia doesn’t go sideways, because Brody seems like he’s getting attached.

I try to stay engaged while Brody and Chase talk about the awesome time they’re having at the Hockey Academy this summer, but my mind drifts to Essie. I keep trying to pinpoint the moment it stopped being about just sex and became something else. It’s been happening for a while, I decide. The woman I’ve gotten to know is still fairy-tale obsessed, but she’s so much more than that. She loves with her whole heart. Even after Ighosted her all those years ago, she never stopped being nice to me. What if she could love me? What if I could love her? Would she be willing to try?

Sam pulls the boat into a slip at the pier. From across the bay, the cliffs don’t look like much, but this close, the height makes me nauseous.

Isaac hops out of the boat and ties us off, and we all file onto the pier. Sam and Isaac are unreasonably excited about the prospect of jumping off a steep cliff into the churning waters below.

“That’s quite the drop,” Tristan observes.

“There are several levels,” Sam informs us. “It’s a bit of a climb to the top, but totally worth the rush.”