Page 114 of Summer Ever After
“I’m worried about you, Jane.”
My smile is genuine as I look back at her. “You don’t have to be worried. I’ve never been better.”
I just wish I could tell my best friend about what’s making me so happy, but I can’t.
For the first time in my life, I’ve kept a secret from Capri, and I hate it.
Walker
“So letme get this straight. You weretryingto wear Blake Mickelson’s number at the coed softball game?” My laughing eyes watch Jane as she draws circles in the sand beside me.
We’re lying on our stomachs on the beach behind her house. Cut-off shorts and a pastel bikini top are a sight I could look at every day for the rest of my life.
“It’s a total trope.” She laughs. “It’s supposed to bring out the alpha male. “You know,the guy who says, ‘You’re only wearing my jersey.’”
“And I ruined it?”
“Yep.” She nods, still drawing circles.
My eyes rove over her body, admiring the curve of her back and the cute way she crisscrosses her ankles back and forth.
“You actually ruined a lot of tropes for me.”
“Like what?”
“I’m not telling.” Her sheepish smile feels like a ploy, keeping me entranced by her forever.
“Why not?”
“Because if you ever do them again, I don’t want to wonder if you’re being genuine or just acting how you think I want you to act.” Her expression falls as her eyes drop to the sand. “I mean, like, if you do any of them in the next week.”
It’s a topic of conversation we avoid. Each day we spend together puts us one day closer to our last. The ticking time bomb clicks in every single beat of my heart, constantly reminding me of the looming end.
I decide to ask the question that hangs between us. “What’s going to happen with us after next week?”
“Whatcanhappen?” She shrugs, keeping her gaze hidden from me. “Both of our lives are set in different places. There’s really no point in pretending otherwise.”
Even though I know what she says is true, it still hurts. I still want things to be different.
“So it’s back to business as usual?” My fingers sift through the sand.
“Yep, especially for you. You have the British Open to think about.”
“If all goes well at that tournament, I’ll finish out the PGA Tour the rest of the summer.”
“You’re going to do great.” Sincerity fills her smile. “You’re ready.”
“How do you know? I taught you everything you know about golf…yesterday.”
“I’ve been listening this past month, and from what I’ve heard you say, it sounds like your golf game is more about the state of mind you’re in than your skill set.”
I shift my body from my stomach to my side, resting my head in my hand. “And you think I’m in a good state of mind?”
“I do.” She eyes me. “I’ve seen the progress you’ve made with your family. When you first got here, you could barely carry on a conversation with them, and now look at you. You’re winning the best uncle award for sure. And it’s not just with Jack and Serenity. You’re opening up to Tala andCapri too. Your relationship with them is only going to get better with time.”
“Unless Capri disowns me for sneaking around with her best friend against her wishes.”
Jane grimaces. “Let’s pretend she won’t.”
