Liz returns to me and grabs my hand. “Come with me,” she says, and I follow like she is the shepherd and I am one of her sheep. She leads me in the opposite direction of where the guys are.
“Okay, we’re far enough away now. Talk,” she says, her long flaxen braid blowing sideways in the wind.
“Just stuff with Jay. He said some things, I said some things back. We’ll get over it.”
“Can I help?”
This girl is fucking sunshine. I’ll never understand how someone’s heart can be so big and so full of love, but hers is.
“Jay can be difficult. Today is just one of his days to be difficult with me.”
Liz nods her head in agreement and I laugh.
“What?” she asks, but her grin gives her away.
“He hasn’t made things easy for you, has he?”
“He’s actually been doing much better lately.”
We continue ambling along, our matching footprints leaving a trail in the sand behind us. Every once in a while, Liz stops to bend over and pick up a shell.
“Liz, if I asked you a question, can you promise me not to freak out?”
She pockets the broken half of a sand dollar. “I think I can do that,” she replies honestly. I grip her hand tighter in mine.
“What if I told you that I wanted more?”
Liz slows down and turns to look at me. “I’m going to stop you right there, Julien.”
“Why?”
“Elijah and Ryder.”
I figured she would mention Elijah, but Ryder? “What about them?”
“You’re with Elijah.” She pauses to pull her braid off her shoulder but also to slow her words. “And I’m with Ryder.”
It takes me a moment to filter and process what she said. The first thing I think is, fucking hell, not again. Is this going to be the second time she’s taken away from me by my brother? Because for all intents and purposes, Ry is my brother just as much as Jay is.
“You and Ryder?”
“Yes,” she answers, her face tight with worry.
“When?”
“Recently.”
I mull that over.
Liz tugs on my hand. “Julien, I need you to keep this a secret. Including from Elijah and Jayson.”
“But you kissed me.”
“Yes, I did. I don’t regret it for a second.”
“Have you kissed him?”
Her face turns beet red and I have my answer. “I trust you, Julien.”
