I already know Sterling isn’t the type to give up, though, so as he leans in for a repeat of last night, I turn my face to the side without much thought. “I hope you have good waves tomorrow,” Itellhim.
He laughs, probably because that’s not what someone wishes for a surfer, or not in the way I said it, at least. “Thank you, and I hope you don’t get hit by any of themtomorrow.”
He takes a few steps away from me as I head toward the edge of the curb. “Oh, wait, can I see your phone for a sec?”Iask.
He reaches into his pocket for his phone and glances at the screen before clicking a few buttons. “What for?” he asks, retracing his steps toward me and handingitover.
“I was going to put my number in it. You know, that’s whatfriendsdo.”
“Despite being friend-zoned, I’d love your number.” Ignoring his comment, I add my number to his phone, and he calls mine, so I have hisnumbertoo.
“Friend-zoned?” I question. “It’s called dating. Things take time.”Not with Liam, they don’t. I place my hand on his rock-hard chest and smile up at him. “I want to enjoy the summer. That’s what I’m doing right now, and you’re helping with that, sothankyou.”
He releases a quiet groan. “And you’re driving me crazy, which I can’t say is making this summer super amazing, but I’ll endure the chase because you might be worth it.” I might not be. I have a bad track record of choosing guys or letting them choose me, for thatmatter.
“Maybe, maybe not,” I offer as I wave goodbye. “See you tomorrow.” Tomorrow, when I have to start digging to China with the hope of removing myself from the middle of a very uncomfortable trio I’ve apparentlyjoined.
He watches as I make my way over to my car, and I feel bad for icing him tonight, but I think thekissing gamesshould stop until I figure out what the hell is going through my head. Kissing games. Ugh. Liam. If kissing him was a game, I’d lose every time. Every freaking time, which is not what I should be thinking as I wave offmydate.
It’s early,like embarrassingly early to prance back into the house, especially since Samantha, Daniel, and Dylan probably haven’t even returned from their dinner yet. I push the gear into park, quietly slip out of the car, and press the door shut with my butt so it doesn’t slam. The last thing I need is Liam thinking his little games got to me and cock-blocked my date, which is pretty much what he was trying to do. To be honest, he may have succeeded, but he doesn’t need to know that. Though, if he had just behaved today, I probably wouldn’t have gone out with Sterling at all tonight, which makes all this a little more screwed up than italreadywas.
I take off my shoes and head down the path that leads to the beach. There are no lights down here, but the stars are so bright, I have no trouble seeing my way to therocks.
As I dip my toes into the cool sand, I find the tide to be out farther than I’ve seen so far. The ocean seems so far away, but I can hear the waves crashing as if they were only a few feet from where I’mstanding.
I drop down onto a flat rock and pull my knees into my chest, feeling my flowy sundress sweep across the tops ofmyfeet.
How I’ve gone twenty-two years without ever seeing a sight like this is sad. Even in the dark, the inky ocean liquefying into the endless night sky is by far the most peaceful scape I’veeverseen.
Just as I feel like I’ve made a dent in clearing my mind from this day, something horrifying appears in the distance. It’s walking toward me from the water, and it’s glowing orange and blue. Um. I look in every direction, thinking this is a joke, but no one else is around. I need to get the hell outofhere.
Panicking, I jump up from the rock and run as fast as I can through the soft sand, which makes running crazy hard. It’s like quick sand, but I’m scared to look over my shoulder in fear that whatever the thing was has made its way closer to me. I can feel a presence coming up behindmetoo.
I’m so close to the path, and for some stupid reason, I assume the thing won’t leave the beach. That’s how it works, right?Ihope.
Nope. It hasmyarm.
Terrified, I shriek at the top of my lungs, and a gloved hand cups over my mouth. I hope whatever the hell this is doesn’t care about me peeing in my pants because that’s about tohappen.
The thing flips me around, and I don’t feel any better about what’s going on. The orange and blue glowing lights are blinding, and I’m nearly hyperventilating. “Please let me go,” I cry out, feeling small drops of pee dribble out. I didn’t think someone could literally scare the piss out of a person, but now, unfortunately, I know the truth about that. I’m about to be murdered on this beach, and the last thing I’ve done on earth is peemyself.
Thrashing about, trying to get away, I scream again, begging for mercy, and the thing tears its masked face off, revealinganotherface.
Liam’sface.
“What the fuck!” I shriek and slap his chest over and over, which I don’t think he felt, and then I hug him because I’m so grateful he isn’t a sea monster or murderer coming tokillme.
“Did I scare you?” he laughs while catching hisbreath.
“Do you have any clue what you look like right now?” Now that I can see a little clearer, I can tell he’s wearing a wetsuit, and his white board is about twenty feet behind him under the reflection ofthemoon.
“A surfer?” he asks with a wet browraised.
“It’s night. Aren’t there sharks andstuff?”
Liam checks his limbs over to be funny or cocky, whatever he’d like to refer to it as and smiles down at me. “Nope, no sharkstonight.”
“Do you always surf at night? Plus, didn’t you just text me like fortyminutesago?”
