Shit, I can’t believe we’re leaving. Summer just flew by, and now we’re days away from leaving Cannon Beach behind us. I take another sip of water and shove the bottle back into my vest before rubbing my stomach. “I’m hungry.”
He snorts a laugh. “You’realwayshungry, dude.”
I feign a pout. “I’m a growing boy.”
Wes rolls his eyes. “Anyway, I need to do well, man. I’m reliant on my scholarship to get me through college.”
I pat his sweaty bare back, and, as usual, touching Wes does absolutely nothing for me. No spark of attraction. Not like when I touch Mike… Fuck, I don’t even need to touch him; just being close to him, breathing him in, drives me crazy.Stop it, Dennis. Don’t risk getting a chubby in front of your friend. Gross.“We’ll keep you there, Wes. Don’t worry. We’re going to do amazingly. Hell, we brought our high school team to the state championship for the first time in history. Okay, so it was for the boys, but still, wewon!”
“You’re right, and with you at my side, we’re going to kick ass.”
I bump his shoulder. “Hell, yeah, we are!”
We walk for a bit before we start running again, when I suddenly stop as my gaze catches something in the sand. I bend down to pick up a seashell. It’s rare to find shells intact during the peak summer season. Well, the season is over, but not that long ago.
“Holy shit, it’s anOlivella biplicata!”
Wes raises a brow. “Awhat now?”
“A Purple Olive Snail. It’s perfectly intact.” I flip it over to see if the animal is still inside, but it’s empty. They’re all over near Haystack Rock, but people usually snatch up the empty ones if hermit crabs haven’t taken them.
I hold it out in the palm of my hand, running a finger along the smooth, oblong surface as Wesley stands close to me. “Look at the pretty pink and purple lines. But don’t be fooled, my man. As pretty as they are, did you know they’re predators? They eat clams, mussels, and scallops. These little babies even eat carrion. Moon snails are their most common predators, which can get bigger than my hand. They’re the largest—”
Wes huffs a laugh and shakes his head at me. “Fascinating, Den.”
I smile sheepishly. “Sorry, I can get a bit carried away.”
“It’s all good. I know you love that stuff, but we need to get back to running.”
“Hey, before we take off, are you going to make it to the bonfire tonight? It’s the last one for a while. Until next summer, anyway. Everyone’s going to be there.”
He holds out his fist, and we bump knuckles. “Oh, hell yeah, I am. I wouldn’t miss it. A few beers will do me good after my breakup with Sadie.” Sadie Miller is the latest in a string of girlfriends that Wes has had. It didn’t end amicably. She’s the jealous and controlling sort.
“Is she going to be there?”
“God, I hope not, but she probably won’t if she knows I’m going.”
Mike will definitely be there.And… so will my brother. Aaron has one more year of college to go before he’s off to Stanford Law. God, I love my brother, but I’ve come to treasure my time alone with Mike. I think he’s become more of my friend than Aaron’s at this point. I’ve made it my life’s mission to spend most of my free time with Mike, but between high school activities, his working, and taking care of his mom, it’s hard. There’s more time to spend together in the summer, but Aaron’s always around then.
Ugh, what does it matter? Mike and I will never be a thing.
“Mike’s going to be there, right?” Wes asks as if he can read minds.
“Definitely.”
“I think you need to do it, dude.”
“Do what?” Yeah, I’m playing ignorant. If I haven’t told Mike how I feel about him by now, I probably never will. I’m such a coward. Though he doesn’t really date at all, I chalk that up to his being busy all the time. And he’s never shown the same level of interest in me as I have in him. Then again, I’ve got no idea what interest looks like. I haven’t dated anyone at all since my sights are squarely on Mike.
Wes groans and punches my upper arm. I rub it demonstratively, feigning hurt. “Hey!”
“Don’t be stupid. You know what I mean. Comeon… You’ve been pining after him since when? Since you were twelve? Hell, it’s nearly six years now. Tell him how you feel. You’re a damn adult, and you’re leaving for college. This may be your only chance.”
My shoulders sag. “I liked you better when we were running and you were quiet.”
He laughs before pouring water down his throat from his bottle. He wipes his mouth with his forearm and shrugs. “You know I’m right. You just don’t want to hear it. Seriously, what’s the worst he could say? No?”
“Uhm, no one says no to you, so you have no idea how much that would hurt.”
