“The heroin?” I asked.
“The weed.”
“Is it even legal here?” Norah plopped down beside me.
“Hey, you can’t talk about that around me,” Logan cut in.
“You’re a lawyer, not a cop. Your job is literally to tell us we can do it and then how to avoid the punishment.”
“Oh, right.”
I laughed way too loudly at this conversation. “It’s prohibited here, but decriminalized, so no one’s going to jail,” I added information for context.
The conversation drifted as I took in the scene. Now I understood what Luke meant—these people were his family. It felt like a summer camp, just without the puberty and awkwardness. Away from responsibilities, laughing, teasing—it was impossible not to get caught up in it.
I felt at ease. I felt fine. I breathed in the salty air, watching Luke and Alex glide over the waves.
If only I could drown out the feelings stirring inside me and the voice reminding me it wouldn’t last. That Luke wanted to seek only my body, not my soul.
Because deep down, I knew I had to listen to it.
I had to.
17
Luke
I raised my hand to my face and squinted at the sharp sting. The pain could be easily explained by the nasty bruise on my face after losing my balance on the board and smacking my head against it as I plunged into the water. But the way it felt to see Jeremy’s hands on Hazel hit me much harder and made a lot less sense.
After what felt like a full minute below, I surfaced to Alex laughing and shouting if I was okay. The sudden spike of anger was directed more at my reaction than at Jeremy. What had I even had to be angry about, really?
Back at the house, I went looking for something cold to put on my face. The fridge was stocked with dented cans of beans, chickpeas, and pickled mushrooms. Were cashiers stomping on cans just for fun?!
I grabbed a bottle and an ice pack and let the fridge door swing shut.
I’d known Jeremy for a long time, and although we didn’t see each other often, I knew he would never make Hazel uncomfortable. I worried that she might feel something for him.
For God’s sake. Just shove it in. Shove your ridiculous feelings deep inside.
I cracked open a beer and stepped onto the patio. Alex, Ava, Summer, and Norah had already gone upstairs. Hazel was in the shower, leaving just me, Logan, Ethan, and Jeremy.
“So, how long are you staying here, man?” Ethan asked Jeremy.
“Just tonight. Tomorrow, I’m off to Spain. My buddy has a van. We’re planning to ride the Bay of Biscay coastline up tothe English Channel. Maybe grab some Belgian waffles along the way.”
“Nice. You’ll catch babes fresh out of hibernation,” Ethan joked.
“I don’t know. He was getting pretty cozy with Hazel at the beach,” Logan chimed in.
“Give it a rest. She’s a friend of my sister’s. It was about her mom. I just gave her a hug. That’s all.”
Right! Her mom. I sighed internally. He must’ve known her.
“Good, because our Luke has a crush on Hazel.” If there hadn’t been a fragile glass desk between us, I would’ve tackled Ethan.
“You don’t say,” Jeremy said, grinning at me.
I turned to Jeremy, keeping my composure. “You see, I hit my head a little today. Ethan, on the other hand, was dropped on his head a lot as a kid, so he’s got some brain damage.”
