“How so?”
“Well, at first, I was worried that my dad would find out and be angry about the things I wrote. Stuff about my mom and her death. Things we just don’t talk about. But when the principal called and told him what happened, my dad enrolled me in a creative writing program. He didn’t know how to talk to me about it, so I guess he figured me writing about it was the next best thing. And now, here I am, writing for a living.” Rafa paused, then added with a devilish smirk, “Plus, the entire soccer team got suspended.”
“Okay, that’s pretty amazing,” she said.
Yeah. It was. Rafa smiled.
“So, do you know what ever happened to William Tremblay? Please tell me his pants-splitting saga lives on in infamy and follows him wherever he goes.”
Rafa chuckled. “You know, I have no idea.”
“Then wehaveto look him up whenever we find internet access again.”
“You really want to waste precious internet data in theAmazon to look up what happened to a secondary school soccer captain?” Rafa asked, unable to control his smile.
“Absolutely. When I learned that the mean girls from my high school got arrested in this whole shoplifting–Poshmark resale ring, I savored the sweet satisfaction that all their glitz and glam was phony.”
“Mean girls, huh?”
“Oh yeah.” Miri chortled. “They did their best to make my high school experience true misery.”
“Why?”
Miri made a face. “Because, well…well, look at me.”
Rafa was looking at her, all right, but all he saw were her sparkling sapphire eyes. Her spunk. Her sassy spirit.
“I mean,” she continued, clearly unaware of her charms, “I knowyouthink my money belt is cool, but it wasn’t the most fashionable of accessories back in high school.”
God, she was doing it again, bringing out his goofy, uncontrollable grin.
“Pringles, I hate to break it to you, but no matter how many times you say it, you’re never going to convince me it’s not a fanny pack.”
She punched him playfully in the arm as he turned away laughing.
“Okay, all better,” he said, balling up the trash in his hand.
“Your turn,” she said.
They traded places, with Rafa resuming his spot at the ship’s helm. Miri brought an antiseptic wipe to his lip, and now it was his turn to hiss.
“Man, you were right. That smarts,” he said.
“Need me to kiss it to make it better?” she mocked.
But the instant the words came out of her beautiful mouth,the air in the cabin shifted. They stared at each other for a moment. Was that an invitation? More than a playful ribbing?
The thought of kissing her flashed through his brain. Could he? Should he? She lifted her hand up once more, slowly dabbing the blood and dirt from his face, staring intently into his eyes. She moved, putting her body between his and the wheel. Yes, he did need her to kiss it to make it better.
“I think I do,” he said.
“Okay…”
Rafa leaned down, pressing Miri’s back against the wheel as she sucked in a breath. Waiting for him. Wanting him.
And he wanted her.
“So, what’s the plan?” Logan said as he and Felix burst into the cabin.
