“Can’t we keep swimming?”
“You want your blow-up toys, don’t you? And I have snacks in my suitcase…” My mom is more like me than my sister. Even not knowing she’d be sharing a room with two second graders, she’s come prepared.
It’s too much. Really. I try one more time.
“You don’t have to do this, Mom. Beckett and I can?—”
“Don’t even think about it.” Mom leads the twins out of the pool to where Babs is gathering up all of their carry-ons. She gives me a wink. “Besides, I need a nap.”
“Grown-ups don’t need naps.” Blakey has her hand. Max runs ahead, snatching up his backpack.
“That’s where you’re wrong, buddy,” Mom says innocently. “Adults need naps even more than kiddos.”
Their voices trail away as they all disappear. When I glance over to where I’d left Luna and Noah, their chairs are empty.
And just like that, we’re alone.
Well, as alone as we can be in a literal sea of people.
Doing my best to ignore Beckett, I climb out of the water and stroll over to where I’d left my margarita. With nowhere to go, I reclaim my lounge chair.
The sun is hot, but the breeze is cool. As far as vacations go, cruising isn’t my activity of choice, but even I have to admit it feels nice.
And it might have been.
Only…
“How do you want to do this?” Beckett asks, stretching out beside me.
SELLING IT
ASHLEY
“What do you mean, how do I want to do this? We’re here, aren’t we?”
Beckett dips his chin, watching me over the top of his aviators. “You do know your sister isn’t an idiot, don’t you?”
Something in his tone makes me pause. “You think she knows?”
He tilts his head. “I mean, you’re the one who said you didn’t want to ruin her big week.” His voice is calm, but there's an edge underneath. “But let’s be honest—she knows something’s off. Between us.”
Ah.
Right.
I catch my reflection in the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses.
How do I look so normal?
“She keeps pushing for us to spend time alone,” I mutter. “Acts like half the reason she planned this cruise was for us to?—”
I stop myself.
Beckett’s brows lift, that smug little told-you-so expression tightening the air between us.
“If we’re gonna sell this, you can’t act like you hate me,” he says.
Not fair.
