She looked down at her laptop. “ButIcould get in at least a few more pages before?—”
I stole her computer and tucked it under my arm. “Comedown to the beach with me.Giveyour brain a break.”
“The last timeItried to go to the beach, you yelled at me, threw me over your shoulder like a caveman, and tossed me back inside.”
“You won’t be drunk off your ass this time.”
“I was barely buzzed.”
“I carried your ass once.I’lldo it again.”
Five complaint-filled minutes later,Auroraripped her bedroom door open and appeared in a bright red bikini.
This was acolossalmistake.
Heavy breasts were held up by twin triangles.Thesupple globes of her ass danced out of the scarlet fabric.
“Well?Arewe going or what?” she said in a huff.
I clenched my fists to keep from touching her. “Yep,”Icroaked.Ireally needed to run next door and double up on boxer briefs.
That dirty smile on her lips as she piled her hair on top of her head and tied it in a bun told me that she knew exactly what she was doing.
“Tell me something,”Isaid once we made it down the stairs and out to the dunes of soft sand.
“What’s that?”Auroraheaved as she trudged through it.
I took her hand to give her a little more support.Tomy surprise, she laced her fingers in mine.
“Are you happy?”
She glanced up at me, then immediately squinted at the blinding sun. “Whatdo you mean?”
I shrugged. “I’mjust curious.Theday you moved in, you were . . .Idon’t know.Haunted?”
Aurora let out a soft snicker. “Ilike that word.”
When we made it to the packed sand,Ilet go of her hand, but immediately laid mine on the small of her back. “Youseem lighter now.”
“It’s the stages of grief,Iguess,” she said as she kicked at the waves that raced up the beach. “IthinkIwas fully in the anger stage whenIgot here.”Shenudged me with her elbow. “SorryItook it out on you.”
“Where are you now?”
She sighed. “Honestly?IthinkI’min acceptance.IthinkI’llalways be hurt over how everything went down.Ijust want it to hurt a little less over time, you know?Shithappens.Butyou have to leave it behind to move on.Ihave to stop thinking of myself as a ‘has-been’ and start thinking like an up-and-comer again.I’llfigure my life out.I’llget a job.I’llwrite just becauseIwant to.”Shelet a reckless laugh slip. “Idon’t think my agent would even pick up the phone even ifIwanted to call her.WhichIdon’t.Wedidn’t end on the best of terms.”
“So, get a new agent."Ididn’t know how the hellAurora’sworld worked.Itjust seemed like the logical thing to do.
She just shook her head. “Lifeknows when you need a break.Andif you don’t take one, it’ll make you.Rightnow,IthinkIneed to step back whileIcan.Idon’t know ifIcan even finish a book or ifI’dever want to publish again.Itbroke me.”
I brought her down onto the sand with me and let the water wash up beneath us. “Notthat my two cents counts for anything?—”
“It does,” she said as she rested her head on my shoulder. “Iknow we complicated things last night, but . . .”
Hope sparked likeFourthofJulyfireworks. “But?”
“ButIdo like you,Jack.Ihave the best friends a girl could ask for and you’re one of them.”
“Does this meanIget inducted into theCouncilofGirlfriends?”
