“As if I would ever in a million lifetimes say no to you, Secret.”
She smiles at the ocean and takes another chip, and I feel something settle inside me, a nervousness I wasn’t aware I was feeling.
She’s just Sofia, and that has always been enough for me. It’s more than enough now. She hasn’t changed, and that is a relief.
Chapter 8
Sofia
Ilay back on the sand, my stomach full, and Danger has passed out between us. The weirdness between Mack and me has disappeared over a lunch and shared laughter. He’s more confident that he used to be, but he’s still him.
“So, yeah, there is now a suitcase hidden in your room of my collectable action figures that are my pride and joy.”
“You better not let Danger near them,” I say with a groaning laugh. My stomach hurts from laughing.
Mack blinks. “That is a terrifying thought.”
“So, tell me, what made you come back to Sunshine Cove?”
“If I tell you the truth, are you going to run away from me?” Mack teases and lays down, turning on his side, with his hand holding his head up.
“No. I can’t run,” I whine.
“Good.” He leans closer, almost over me. “You are the reason I came back. The only reason I came back that matters.”
I blink. The drowsy feeling that had filled me has disappeared, and I just stare up at him.
“Me?”
“Yes, at first, I said it was because I needed to come say goodbye, but it was more along the lines of I was crazy about you and that feeling never went away.” He lets out a chuckle and rolls onto his back, looking up at the sky. “Do you know I missed youby a month?”
“Really?” I say, but I can’t get my head around it.
“Yeah, I wonder sometimes what would have happened if I’d been able to get back here before you left. Or if you’d waited. Would we have ended up together? Would we have been happy?”
“I guess we’ll never know.”
“Perhaps.”
I hold my breath and then let it out. Nerves make everything harder. “Things didn’t go how I wanted in the city. In fact, they didn’t go well at all.”
Mack sits up and stares at me.
“Just life stuff, my job sucked, my apartment was pretty basic. I didn’t have much savings, but I used it to come home,” I say quickly, tripping around the truth as carefully as I can.
“Do you think I care about any of that stuff? I am just so happy to see you.”
I shake my head. “You sound like we are a real match.”
When he doesn’t say anything, I open my eyes and stare at him. Nerves dance and twang.
“I can’t,” I whisper. “Mack, I don’t even have a job. I just came home. Things are weird.”
There’s Elijah and Devon. Plus, everyone here. I’m not in the right place to be really dating. He will understand when he spends more time with me.
“What do you want to do?” Mack asks quietly. “I can respect whatever line you want to draw.”
I open my mouth, but I stop, frozen, because I haven’t even asked myself that question. What do I want to do?
