He unrolls them and holds them out. I keep my eyes on him while he looks over at what I’ve gotten for him. I hope he likes them even though they are just simple board shorts.
“Oh, hell yeah. You bought me new board shorts. I love the color.” He turns to me and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
“You like them? I was hoping the color was okay. August suggested a salmon color, which is not you, like at all.”
“No way, not me at all. These are perfect. Thank you.” He gives me another kiss on the cheek, and I feel his scruff brush against my skin in the most pleasurable way.
fifty-three
ROWAN
I watchEllie when she takes a bite into one of the chocolate-covered strawberries. Everything around me slows down while I take in the beautiful woman sitting next to me. The way the sunset reflects off her perfect golden skin, the way her hair wisps around her skin, making her look ethereal.
How I’ve gotten so lucky to keep her as a best friend, I will never know. But to have her more than that, my best friendandsomeone I can spend my life with intimately until my last dying breath, would change everything. Whatever the universe has planned for me, I hope part of it is to let me have her back in my life.
But there are days when I get angry all over again. When my mind goes back to the day she left for good. When I had the small box in my pocket. After she left me a second time, that’s when everything came crashing down on me.
My mental health was shit.
I remember losing weight rapidly from not eating. The bags under my eyes were so hollow that my family forced me to go to the doctor. They didn’t know what to do, and at the time, I didn’t care what happened to me.
Everything sets back into motion when I watch her laugh to herself about something. The small dimple that comes out when she smiles just enough to make it appear.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
She lightly shakes her head and looks at me, dragging away a strand of her hair with a finger.
“I was thinking about the time James challenged you to see who could drink their slushies the fastest when we left the movies. Remember? I think we were seventeen?”
I huff out a laugh and close my eyes at the memory. Then I look at her. “Of course, I remember. I won.” I place my hand on my chest.
“But do you remember what happened after?” She smiles and takes another bite of the strawberry.
I grimace while I think back to what happened after. James finished seconds after me, and I was already celebrating my win when tragedy struck.
“James throwing up a blue slushie a minute after? And some of that getting on Riley who absolutely freaked out,” I say.
“And you, Mr. Champion, were laughing hysterically until you started holding your stomach, only to run to the nearest garbage can and vomit your guts out.”
“I couldn’t have another slushie for two years.”
Ellie throws her head back and laughs more before saying, “I just remember Riley’s face when James got it down her shirt.”
Ellie looks at me and mimics Riley’s facial expression. She was in absolute horror and screaming like someone was trying to kill her.
“I had the worst brain freeze. I’m pretty sure I was questioning life at that point.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard. The three of you,” Ellie says through a laugh. “You and James are vomiting while Riley is holding out her arms and turns into a statue, not knowing what to do.” Ellie’s laughter slows down, and she takes a breath. “Memories like that just make me miss home even more.”
My smile fades when I remember that she isn’t here for good. I don’t know how I can convince her, but I need to find some way to get her to stay. Even if it’s just for a few more months—I’ll take anything.
“August said I could live with him if I really wanted an out. I laughed at that idea. Can you imagine? Me living with my brother, knowing his dating history?”
“I don’t think that would be a terrible idea. I think anyone would be willing to have you stay at their place if it means you get to come back home. A lot of people miss you, Ellie. This summer has been—amazing since having you back home.”
She looks at me and I can see her thinking, processing what I’m telling her. I’ve already asked her not to leave me once, and it would look pathetic if I were to ask her again. I just got my dad back in my life, and it took me a long time to make that happen.
She averts her gaze, and I can see her shivering despite having my hoodie on.
