Page 6 of Dream (Fighting Fate)

Of all the experiences I’d had in my life so far, I thought I’d just encountered the hardest. I didn’t how that was possible after some of the things I’d seen, but I couldn’t deny it was a fact.

I was ashamed to admit I’d almost panicked when I first looked up and noticed I wasn’t alone on the beach. But after some quick rationalization, I remembered there was one other house that fronted Aunt Jenny’s beach, so the guy had to have been staying there.

But the closer I got to him sitting there in the sand, the more self-conscious I became. It was strange, but I felt as though he was watching me or something, which was dumb considering the fact that he was reading. I mean, what was I? Some self-absorbed bimbo who thought guys just watched her wherever she went? I was definitely not that girl.

I thought I might’ve had it all under control, but then another realization hit me. What the hell was socially acceptable in this situation? Did I just keep walking and respect his privacy, or did I acknowledge his presence with a greeting? At nineteen years of age, it was the stupidest dilemma I’d ever found myself in. I’d almost laughed.

In the end, I decided I should at least go for politeness. If he looked at me when I passed, I’d say hello. If he didn’t, then he obviously preferred privacy, and I’d respect that.

The nerves that came over me when he met my gaze frustrated me more than I was prepared for. I mean, if I couldn’t handle a simple interaction with one freaking guy on a beach, how the hell was I going to handle a city full of them?

I grumbled as I made my way up the trail to the house. Maybe I should’ve just stopped and talked to the guy to get a bit of practice in. By the way I was acting, it sure wouldn’t have hurt. I’d rather look like an idiot in front of just one guy than a dozen.

My mind lingered on the guy on the beach as I made my way toward the kitchen. I knew I probably wasn’t the best person to judge when it came to appraising a guy’s looks, but damn if that guy wasn’t hot. He had dark, messy hair, just long enough to keep from seeming too clean-cut, but short enough not to be straggly. He wore a pair of worn denim shorts, and a white tee that was fitted just enough to show how incredibly muscular he was. He was definitely someone I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing again, that was for sure.

Aunt Jenny looked up from the food she was preparing at the counter as I walked in. “Hey, how was the beach?”

I took a moment to consider whether I should tell her about the boy. I really didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but I was completely out of my depth here, and a different perspective would be good. “Uh, I saw a guy down on the beach.”

She stopped what she was doing and frowned. “Really? I’ve never seen anyone down there. Is he staying in that house?”

Snatching a piece

of carrot, I threw it in my mouth, more to hide my awkwardness than anything else. “I’m not sure. I only said hi to him when I had to walk past. I think he was a little surprised to see someone else on the beach, to be honest. He didn’t even say hi back.”

Aunt Jenny pursed her lips before placing the knife on the chopping board and striding to the deck. “Didn’t he? I hope he’s not an arrogant ass wipe. How old did he look?” My eyes widened when I saw her pick up a pair of binoculars and instantly start spying on the house down the beach.

“Umm . . . I don’t know, maybe my age? And he didn’t really look arrogant. He just looked shocked. Please don’t spy on him, Aunt Jenny.”

She hummed a sound that indicated to me that she wasn’t happy. “Jesus. There’s like a freaking fraternity of guys down there.”

Okay, she really wasn’t making this any easier for me. One was bad enough.

“Maybe it’s not a good idea for you to be down there on your own,” she mumbled. “Oh, wait. There’s a woman there with a baby. That makes me feel a little better.”

“How many people are you talking about?”

I watched her adjust the binoculars a little. “Hmm . . . four guys that I can see. Plus the lady and the baby.”

All right, that didn’t sound too bad. They were just people on vacation. I could handle that.

Aunt Jenny lowered the binoculars and turned to smile at me. “Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. It might be good practice for you. Get into the swing of flirting a little before you come face-to-face with a hundred or so guys who’ll be chasing you when you start work.”

I rolled my eyes at her. Now she was just being ridiculous. There was no way I was going to have that many guys chasing me.

She laughed with an evil little grin that curled her lips, before sauntering back into the kitchen. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, Liv. I saw you in that bikini at the shops today. You could be a model if you wanted to. And those boobs? I don’t even know where you got those from. It definitely wasn’t the Maxwell side of the family. We seriously struck out in that department.”

My expression was mortified as I watched her retreating back, but as soon as she laughed, I realized she’d just been teasing me. That was okay. I knew I was no glamour girl. It didn’t bother me in the slightest. In fact, I liked it. After seeing what people had to live through in Uganda, looks had become inconsequential to me. It wasn’t important in the slightest. I was happy with who I was, and I wasn’t about to go into a frenzy trying to become something I wasn’t.

“So, are you going to talk to him if you see him tomorrow?” she fished, going back to her chopping.

My lips pursed with thought. “Maybe.”

“I think you should. Plan your trip when you see them down there already. I’ll come with you. I’ll be like your wingman.”

Oh my God, was she serious? The picture she’d just painted was so bad it made me cringe. This was going from bad to worse. “Uh . . . I think I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.”

Aunt Jenny’s eyes shone with excitement. “Come on, Liv. It’ll be fun. I can go introduce myself as their neighbor, and then you’ll have the perfect in. It’s a good plan.”

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