Page 96 of Declan
Chapter 23
Kyler
Summer was my favorite time of year. The weather was hot, sunny, and perfect. I loved being outside, loved swimming, hiking, and doing anything outdoorsy. Some of my best story ideas came when I was in nature and being stupid with my friends.
We were celebrating that day. Over the past few months, I’d thrown myself into my writing. I’d written like a madman on my Greek god and farm boy story—who needed sleep anyway?—and after suffering through writer’s block a week before, I’d finally reached the end.
With each book I finished, Royal and Brysen liked to celebrate. It warmed my heart that they treated it like it was a big deal.
After I polished it a bit more, I’d query it to a few publishing agencies. I’d also submittedArrows in a Grecian Skyand some of my other stories to agents. Wouldn’t hold my breath for an acceptance, though.
“Bry. No,” I said, pointing at him. “Stop.”
Brysen’s cheeky grin as he inched closer to the edge of the boat had me shaking my head.
“Let him,” Royal said, looking over his shoulder at us. He was sitting in the driver’s seat and steering the boat as we made another lap around the lake. “He’ll learn his lesson when it feels like a belly flop burn all over his skin.”
Brysen jumped out of the moving boat.
“Stop driving!” I exclaimed, stepping up on the ledge and seeing if I could spot my best friend. Blond hair bobbing in the water caught my eye. “Over there!”
Royal drove the boat slowly over to Brysen, who was floating in the water on his back, staring up at the blue sky.
“Ow,” Brysen said.
“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock,” Royal said. “We told you.”
“But I wanted to look cool by jumping out of a moving boat.” Brysen grabbed my offered hand, and I pulled him back into the boat. “I want to be a stunt man.”
Royal and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that was probably never going to happen. What he wanted to do with his life seemed to change every few days.
One time it was a marine biologist, but then Brysen saw a video of a man being attacked by a shark, and he decided against it. Then, he wanted to be an astronaut but changed his mind when he learned about the kind of food they had to eat while up there.
His chef phase had lasted for about a week. He got on aFood Networkwatching kick and destroyed our kitchen when he tried to cook the recipes.
Stunt manwas just his current fascination.
Tomorrow it’d probably be a rock star.
“You finished going all Evel Knievel now?” I asked, tossing a towel at him. “Can we get back to drinking and swimming?”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Brysen snagged my beer from the holder and took a swig. The little asshole. “Dream crusher.”
Royal drove over to our favorite spot, shut off the motor, and tied the boat to the dock. Other people were there hanging out that Saturday afternoon. Mostly college students who I recognized, but didn’t remember all their names.
“That was epic, man!” one of the guys said to Brysen, clapping him on the back. “You bounced like five feet off the water when you hit.”
“It felt epic, too.” Brysen finished my beer before grabbing another from the cooler.
I hopped out of the boat and walked along the dock, loving the heat of the sun on my skin. My tan had darkened over the past month as I’d practically lived outside anytime I hadn’t been working or writing, and it’d brought forth even more freckles on my face.
Every time I looked in the mirror, I thought of Declan. Thought of how he’d loved to try to kiss every freckle and then would start over again when he’d lost count.
He’d never responded to my text about missing him. That shit had hurt, too. Probably for the best, though.
“Kyler! Come to the bluff with me.” A girl named Dana grabbed my wrist and started dragging me up the hill.
Since I was the adrenaline junkie of the group, people sought me out to do things with them, especially the girls—and sometimes guys—who were scared to do something. When we reached the top, Dana released my wrist and jumped in place before making a small squealing sound.
