“He doesn’t feel the same way,” I reply. “I know that.”
“And how do you know that?”
I think about this morning and how upset he was waking upwith me, and the way he slips and lets me touch him, but it makes him tense every time. “There’re a lot of signs. And we’re supposed to be using this trip as time together. I keep ruining it with these thoughts.”
“He’s really important to you, isn’t he?”
“Soimportant.”
She pauses, and I wonder if she’s about to do the thing that everyone does—tell me to get over it.
“Then I get it.”
I blink. “Really? That’s all you’re gonna push?”
“Nothing good comes from forcing someone to see what you want them to see. And you do know about your feelings. That’s the first step, and the hardest one. There’s only one thingtodo.”
“And what’s that?”
“Not be dense to what he feels.”
“There’s no way I could be. He’s making it clear.”
Scarlett purposefully keeps her face level. “You know him best.” I have a feeling she sees it a different way, but she’s wrong. There’s no way he thinks anything else. “So, you’re facing your fear of water.” She changes the topic with ease. “Think you’ll be going in?”
“No idea. I don’t think I can without a swimsuit.”
“Well, weareat a port that’s known to have shops.”
“Really? But I’d have to go on the dock and then deal with people.”
Scarlett laughs and sits up. “Maisie, I’m inviting you to go shopping with me. If you don’t want to, fine. But at least let me down gently.”
“Oh,” I say as my cheeks heat. “You know what? That would be nice. But we’ll have to go slow. I might freak out.”
She laughs. “Good thing I’m a trained professional. I won’t judge you. As long as you don’t judge me for how much money I’m about to blow.”
Gettingoff the boat isn’t fun, but it’s not terrible. I find myself missing Nate, but Scarlett is nice enough about it and holds my hand without immediately letting it go.
We’re able to walk to all the local shops and find one that’s dedicated to swimsuits. The second we step inside and get to a fitting room, she goes wild. It gets hard to see her through all the swimsuits she has piled on my arms.
“You do know I only need one, right?”
“Oh, my young padawan, you’re new to shopping for a swimsuit. It’s like a war. You have to find the needle in a haystack.”
“Did you just referenceStar Wars?” I ask with a laugh.
“Hot people can be nerds too. Let me guess, you and Nate love it?”
“Nate does. So does my other friend, Quinn. I don’t get the hype.”
“Excuse me?” She raises an eyebrow.
“How about we pretend I didn’t say that. I can’t handle another lecture aboutStar Wars. Ever.”
“I should be on Nate’s side here,” Scarlett mutters. “At least you’re cute.”
My answer is cut off by her tossing another one at me. “I think my arms are gonna fall off,” I complain.
