I rolled my eyes, but heat crept into my cheeks. “I did not combust.”
“You hugged him,” Beth said. “You stared at each other like the rest of the dock stopped existing. And then you went for drinks.”
“Those are facts,” Natasha agreed. “Not judgments. But also … judgments.”
I capped my mascara and turned toward them. “You both act like I planned this.”
“That’s what makes it better,” Beth said. “The universe planned it. The odds of you running into your best friend from a tiny Texas town in Charleston, South Carolina, on the exact night you save a man’s life on a boat?”
Natasha lifted her phone. “Statistically impossible. Romantically inevitable.”
I laughed despite myself. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Are we?” Beth gestured vaguely. “Because you’re about to go have coffee with him. After twelve years.”
My stomach flipped in a way that felt entirely too aware. “It’s just coffee.”
Natasha smirked. “Famous last words.”
I moved to the closet and pulled out the sundress I’d laid out earlier. Soft pink, light fabric, fitted in a way that made me feel feminine without trying too hard. I hadn’t chosen it for Wyatt, but I also hadn’t chosen it not for him.
Beth followed my gaze. “You look like a woman who accidentally breaks hearts.”
“That is not a compliment,” I muttered.
“It absolutely is.”
Natasha tilted her head. “Are you nervous?”
I hesitated. “No. Yes. I don’t know. It’s weird seeing someone who knew you before everything. Before you became … this.”
“This what?” Beth asked.
“An adult with expectations,” I said.
“Sexy,” Natasha deadpanned.
I smiled faintly. “It’s just … he knew me when I was a girl. Braces. Ponytails. No idea who I was supposed to be.”
“And now?” Beth prompted.
“Now, I’m standing here wondering if he’s still going to see that girl when he looks at me. Or if he’ll only see …” I gestured to myself.
Natasha’s gaze softened. “Both can be true.”
Beth set her coffee down. “We’re sitting by the pool today. Hydrating. Being horizontal. You take your time.”
I blinked. “You’re not coming with me?”
“Absolutely not,” Beth said. “We need recovery time. Emotionally and physically.”
I laughed. “You’re abandoning me.”
“We are empowering you,” Beth corrected.
I slipped into my dress, feeling the soft fabric skim my thighs. The air-conditioning brushed against my skin, cool and grounding, but my thoughts were already drifting ahead.
Wyatt. The way his voice sounded when he said my name. The solid warmth of his arms when he hugged me. The way my body had noticed his presence before my mind had caught up.
