Chapter Ten
ELI
“You gonna eatthat or just rearrange it?” Chase pointed at my plate with his chin.
I shrugged, not putting much effort into the motion. “Not super hungry, I guess.”
I leaned back in my chair as I surveyed the cheery turquoise walls of Braden’s pub on a Sunday afternoon. Across the table, Chase was demolishing his fish tacos with surgical precision. I picked at my own club sandwich.
“Uh-huh. Since when are you not hungry?” He set down his half-eaten taco.
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’ve got a lot on my mind, okay?”
“Like what?”
“I think…” The words stuck in my throat.
Chase’s gaze sharpened on me. “You think what?”
I ate a fry, then whipped my head back and forth. “Nah, forget it.”
“Eli, what the hell is eating you? Whatever it is, it’s recent. You weren’t like this last weekend.”
“No, I wasn’t.” I took another swig of beer for liquid courage and looked him in the eye. “I think I’m falling for Jules.”
Chase’s eyebrows shot up. “Huh. That’s not what I expected.”
“Yeah, well, join the club.”
“I take it the scuba lessons are going well, then?” He looked like he was trying not to laugh, damn him.
“She’s…” What? What exactly was Jules?
“I thought you two hated each other.” He finally started laughing and I threw a fry at him. That only made him laugh harder.
“Well, things have changed.”
“Damn, you must be some scuba instructor.”
I smiled smugly at him. “That goes without saying.” Then my face fell. “But Jules has surprised me a lot. I think she’ll be a great diver.” Unlike Chase’s sister, who I had serious doubts about.
“Right. So you’re not torturing her with her nickname? She’s been forbidding me to tell you about it for years.”
I snorted. “I did a little at first. But she explained it, and… I dunno. It was like she revealed a side I never knew existed. But you’re still a dick for hiding that from me.”
“Caught in the middle, bro. Nothing I could do about it. But you and Jules are getting hot and heavy?”
“No. At least not yet.” I laughed, but it turned into a groan. “God, I’m such an idiot.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I almost kissed her the other night, but instead, I bolted like a scared teenager.” The memory made me cringe. “I literally chickened out, too afraid of rejection.”
My whole reaction had been weird. Stepping in at Salty’s to protect her hadn’t been something I’d even needed to think about. Then, while walking her home, we’d had by far the most insightful conversation ever. Yet I couldn’t seal the deal at the end. The funny thing was, I was pretty damn sure she wanted me to kiss her. She was giving off that vibe for sure.
Chase’s expression softened. “I admit, that’s not your usual move. This clearly means something to you.”
I nodded, my chest a tight ball. “Maybe. I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
