Page 45 of We Thought We Were Invincible
When I closed my eyes, I pictured it. The wave tossed me about like a ball being passed as a part of some game. For a second I hadn't been able to see anything, then I was pulled up. The sea was so cruel, the land my savior. That wasn't how it was supposed to be. I was supposed to be out there and now I couldn't imagine it.
My peace no longer existed, my safe place was gone.
I climbed out of the tub and dried off as I walked into my room to throw on some clothes and crawl back into bed.
I jolted awake when the front door slammed.
“Cal,” Colby called.
“In here.” I jumped up and grabbed my computer so I didn't look like I'd been in bed all day.
He pushed through the door and took his glasses off.
“You've been sleeping all day?”
Damn.
“What does it look like?” I asked. “I'm working on something.”
He moved around the bed and I wasn't quick enough to shut the laptop before he caught a glimpse of the blank screen.
“Huh.” He regarded me, worried. “I figured you'd be going stir crazy stuck in the house all day. Want me to drop you at the beach before going to the diner?”
“Shouldn't you be at soccer?”
“Off day.” He shrugged.
I tried to hide my hesitation. No, I didn't want to go to the beach.
“Jamie told me what happened yesterday.”
“What?” I choked on the word.
“Your spill.”
“Oh.” Could he see the relief on my face? Or was that guilt? “I'm fine. I'll just come with you to the diner.”
I scrambled off my bed, running my hands through my hair as I did. I'd fallen asleep with it wet and there was nothing I could do but tie it back.
As soon as we walked inside, Colby ducked behind the counter and I slid onto a stool.
“Coffee?” Colby asked with a smirk.
“Heck, no. Just water. And can you slide a piece of Kat's key lime pie my way?”
“You've got it.”
The place was slow, so after Colby brought me my pie and checked on the one other table in the place, he leaned against the counter, looking around for Kat.
“She must be in the kitchen,” I said.
He just grunted, then his face turned serious. “Look, Cal, there's something I need to talk to you about.”
I swallowed a bite of pie, nodding for him to continue.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I don't know if I should talk about this with you. It's totally breaking bro-code.”
“Bro-code?” I laughed, taking a sip of water.
