Page 78 of The Bro Pact
It feels like he’s talking about us.
I spin Warren around, clutching his face between my palms as my eyes ping-ping between his.
“You’ve always been there for me, Kyle. I hope I’ve paid it back even a sliver with this road trip.”
Oh my God.
“Renny,” I whisper, moisture pricking at my eyes.
Fuck. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“You don’t need to pay anything back. You’ve been there for me just as much as I’ve been there for you,” I confess before Icrush my mouth to his, not giving a single fuck who on the beach sees.
I don’t know what I want, or what I expect things to be like after this trip, I just know that I don’t want to go home yet.
And I don’t want to stop messing around with my best friend.
I’m not ready.
Planting one last peck on his ridiculously plush lips, I wade further out, diving under a wave to forget about everything.
The next day at the beach, we lay out for hours, enjoying the sunny weather and a cooler full of drinks.
“If I don’t go home with the deepest tan of my life, Val will give me shit for weeks,” Ren chuckles next to me as he tosses the sunscreen right back, skipping a second application.
“And she’ll also give you shit if you come back looking like a lobster or a snake shedding its skin. So, put some on.”
I won’t take no for an answer.
“Fiiine, Dad,” Ren teases, giving himself a quick spray before hopping up to finish his sandcastle. He’s been working on it all morning with the kid’s shovels and buckets we bought from the nearby beach shop, along with a boogie board and two low-sitting beach chairs.
I sip my mango White Claw, sinking lower into the seat as I alternate between watching the waves and watching Ren enjoy himself building a sandcastle.
It’s a calm, peaceful afternoon, and I love everything about it.
Just as I’m cracking open another drink, a guy with wild blond curls walks up to Ren, squatting down to talk, and Istiffen in my seat. The surfer dude with a bright white smile and flawlessly tan skin flirts with my best friend.
Right in front of my face.
I’m on guard, ready to shoo him away as soon as Ren seems even remotely uncomfortable. But instead, he just laughs, hopping up and nodding his head enthusiastically. He points toward me, saying something before jogging over.
“Hey, Ky. That’s Dex over there, and he’s offering free surfing lessons, wanna join?”
“Why?” I blurt, nearly cutting him off and dampening some of his excitement.
“Why what?” Ren’s dark brows furrow behind his shades.
“Why is he offering you a free lesson?” I clarify a little too harshly.
Nothing in this world is free, and Ren definitely knows that. If only I could see behind those reflective lenses, I swear there’d be a sparkle in his eyes.
Is he pushing me to step up and prove something to him?
“Dex is just being friendly, Ky. He saw my pathetic boogie board and offered something better. Are you in or not?”
“Not,” I deadpan, tilting my baseball cap further down my forehead until he walks away.
I take a deep breath, swallowing my annoyance and my pride as I watch Dex go through different moves on shore, showing Ren how to pop up and balance on the surfboard.
