Page 28 of Where She Belongs
“Like you?” Dax’s tone is casual, but I know him too well to miss the trap.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugs, eyes on the horizon as he gauges the approaching waves. “Just that you seem pretty determined, too. Ten years of friendship, and suddenly you’re dating? Right after her divorce?”
I focus on adjusting my position on the board, buying time. “Sometimes the timing has to be right.”
“And sometimes,” Dax counters, “people get scared of losing what matters to them, so they hold on tighter.”
I shoot him a look. “You think that’s what this is? Me being afraid of losing her?”
“I think,” he says carefully, “that Simon was an ass who never deserved her, and seeing her hurt must have been hard for you. I also think you’ve been half in love with her for years without admitting it.”
His words hit me like a rogue wave, unexpected and disorienting. “That’s not?—”
“Dude,” Dax interrupts, “you drove three hours in a blizzard to bring her soup when she had the flu. You’ve never missed a single one of her clinic fundraisers.”
“That’s what friends do,” I insist, the words sounding hollow even to my own ears. “Look, she filled in for me after my accident, remember? For a week! It’s not a one-way street.”
“Sure.” Dax nods toward the shore where Andrea has finally managed to stand on her board for a full five seconds before tumbling into the surf again. “And friends also stare at other friends like they hung the moon when they think no one’s watching.”
I open my mouth to deny it, but what’s the point? Dax knows me too well.
“We’re taking it slow,” I say instead, sticking to our story. “She’s been through a lot.”
Dax studies me for a long moment, then nods, seemingly satisfied with whatever he sees in my expression. “Good. Because if this is just another one of your hit-and-run relationships, I’d have to kick your ass. Andrea deserves better.”
“She does,” I agree, surprising myself with the fierceness in my voice. “She deserves everything.”
“And if you guys break up, it’ll make for a few interesting birthday parties for the twins,” he says, glancing over his shoulder to see a perfect wave beginning to form. “This one’s yours, lover boy. Show off a little for your girl.”
I roll my eyes but take the wave anyway, popping up to my feet with practiced ease. As I glide toward shore, I catch Andrea watching me, her expression a mix of admiration and something else—something that makes my heart beat faster than any wave ever could.
For a moment, our eyes lock across the water, and I wonder if she can see the truth written all over my face—that maybe this isn’t entirely pretend for me anymore. That maybe it never was.
The realization hits me harder than any wipeout: I’m in serious trouble. Because in three days, this ends. We go back to being just friends, and I go back to pretending I don’t feel anything more.
Suddenly the wave beneath me shifts, the board tilting unexpectedly and I’m airborne, arms windmilling in a spectacularly undignified fashion before crashing face-first into the surf.
Water rushes into my nose and mouth as I tumble beneath the surface, the board tethered to my ankle yanking me sideways. By the time I surface, sputtering and disoriented, I’ve been unceremoniously deposited in the shallows, my dignity nowhere to be found.
“Are you okay?” Andrea calls, paddling toward me with far more grace than I just displayed. The concern in her voice would be touching if it weren’t so humiliating.
“Fine,” I manage, pushing wet hair out of my eyes as I stand in thigh-deep water. “Just got distracted.”
“By what?” she asks, reaching me and steadying herself with a hand on my shoulder.
By you. By us. By whatever this is becoming.
“Nothing important,” I lie, forcing a grin I don’t feel. “Just thinking about the clinic.”
She doesn’t look convinced, but thankfully doesn’t press the issue.
From further out, I hear Dax’s laughter carrying across the water. “That was spectacular, man! Perfect ten for the wipeout!”
I raise a middle finger in his direction, which only makes him laugh harder.
“For someone who was showing off pretty well a moment ago, that was quite the finale,” Andrea teases, her eyes bright with amusement.
