Page 38 of Shattered Rhythm

“No, I’m fine, River, but thank you. That’s sweet of you.”

“Okay, but if you change your mind, don’t hesitate to call me, okay? I’m going to keep my phone right next to me.”

My eyes water. When was the last time someone went out of their way so much because they cared about me?

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Sleep well, beautiful,” he whispers back before hanging up.

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

Liv

“You did great today. Keep it up, and you’ll see results in no time,” Jaxon tells me after I finish his workout routine. He wasn’t hovering over me the whole time, but I felt his gaze more than anything.

“Thanks, it was surprisingly fun,” I reply as I grab my water bottle before heading to the locker room. Classes ended early today, and since my head still wasn’t up for all the movement required to dance, I decided that a light workout to get my limbs moving a bit would be better.

I take a quick shower and change into the white bikini I brought with me. Over that, I put on an oversized sky-blue sweater with Boca Raton written in pink across the chest. I slip into my white jean shorts and check myself in the mirror. I want to spend the rest of the day at the beach. I’ve never done that before, and I really want to try it, since it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to move to Florida—to live the beach life, where I’d get a tan and always have salt on my skin.You know, the usual things.

Everyone here has already seen the scar on my knee, thanks to my carelessness the other day before shopping with Chris, so I thinkfuck itand step out of the locker room. The people on the beach might stare, but I’m going to enjoy myself. I grab my bag with a water bottle, beach towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, my purse, and a book, then make my way to the reception area.

I spot Chris waving at me from the weight section. I turn and glance out the window, which offers a stunning view of the beach, and suddenly feel overwhelmed. I realize I have no clue how to live the beach life and begin to doubt myself. Who am I kidding?Just because I’ve decided to be a beach girl doesn’t automatically make meone.

As I stand there, frozen in place, Jaxon walks over to me.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, noticing my hesitation.

I take a deep breath before admitting, “I don’t know how to beach.”

“What do you mean?” he asks with a grunt. “You just lay out a towel, put on some sunscreen, and relax.”

“I guess I just feel like I’m pretending to be someone I’m not,” I reply with a shrug, feeling silly. “Plus, I tend to overthink things. I’ve never really hung out at the beach before. Is there some kind of beach etiquette I should know about? How far away from the next person should I put my towel?”

Jaxon looks at me, and the side of his mouth quirks up.

“I’m happy that my worries amuse you,” I mutter, looking down at the ground.

“Eyes on me, Liv,” he says firmly, and I immediately lock eyes with him. “It’s just amusing how considerate you are. Are you sure you’re American? You sound more like a Canadian.”

My blood freezes, and I can’t help but stare at him for a second before regaining my composure. “Anyway, thank you so much. You really helped ease my anxiety,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll just go try not to look like a total idiot. See you around.”

“Wait,” he says, his hand gripping my shoulder gently. “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll join you.”

My eyes nearly fall out of my head. “You’d do that?”

“Sure. The last time I hung out on the beach was too long ago, the gym is slow today, and I don’t want to bail you out of jail because you stole someone’s assigned beach towel space.” I blink at him, unsure if he’s serious, but he keeps a straight face before turning to go to his office.

“There are assigned spots?” I ask, panic lacing my voice, even evident to myself. He just chuckles before entering his office.

Jerk.

* * *

Jaxon

Luckily, Chase insisted that we keep gear in our offices for spontaneous beach trips. I never thought I’d use it, but here I am, putting on my red swim trunks, a black T-shirt, and my black cap on backwards. I grab a towel and slip on some flip-flops. Driving in these things is just something you can do as a native Floridian.

With car keys in hand, I leave my office to meet Liv, who’s chatting with Chris. When Chris sees me, her eyes widen, and she grins.

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