“Are you having fun, Javi?” I ask, but the little boy looks happier than I’ve seen him, holding on tight to the rails.
“This is awesome! Did you know mermaids are real?” he asks, his dark eyes wide with delight.
Mirabelle’s smile grows, and she leans to dip her hand in the water to splash him. “As real as anything can be.”
“I did know they’re real. Sometimes when we come out for dawn patrol, you can see them jump through the air in the distance,” I say, and his jaw drops.
“That’s so cool.”
Hunter executes a flawless cutback, shifting his weight on the board to snap off the lip. He has a way of making everything look effortless, but I think being out on the water is the one place where he can clear his mind.
Javi’s quiet clapping pulls my attention back to him, and I wish I knew more about what he’s been through. “Why do you think Hunter doesn’t like you?” I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.
He shrugs, kicking his feet in the water as a smaller wave rolls underneath us, causing our boards to bob. “I said hi to him, and he didn’t say it back. Why doesn’t he smile more?” Itamazes me how much he’s noticing in such a short amount of time, but before I can answer, he asks another question. “Do you know how he hurt Bailey?”
So much for ignoring that until later, but this only gives me more of a reason to grill Bailey. Mirabelle is staring at me, and part of me wonders what she knows that I don’t. The conversation I interrupted this morning seemed serious.
“I wish I did, but what I do know is that once Hunter gets to know you better, you’ll be best friends. He’s kind of quiet, but when he smiles, it can make everything wrong feel right again,” I reply softly, noticing Hunter heading in our direction.
“Kait! Are you planning on catching any waves since you’re the one who dragged us all out here?” Hunter calls out, and I roll my eyes.
“Don’t be such a baby. It’s a beautiful day, and you could use some sun. You’re looking a little pale,” I tease, and he laughs, looking happier than I’ve seen him since Bailey came back.
“Whatever. Why don’t you show us what you got?”
“Fine, I’ll show you how it’s done.” I stick my tongue out at him, lying down on my board to paddle further out to wait for the right swell. Taking a few seconds to look over my shoulder, I’m surprised to see Hunter and Bailey sitting next to each other . . . talking?
I don’t have a chance to speak to Bailey until later in the afternoon, and I’m going to need him to find some answers pretty damn quick. I’m done with this vague shit from him and Hunter, and I want to know what they talked about on the water because no one said anything when I joined the lineup again.
Hunter was talking to Mirabelle when I slipped away to find Bailey, and Javi fell asleep watching a movie in the living room.
I knock on Bailey’s door, chewing the inside of my cheek as I try to prepare myself for the answers I might get from him.
“Just a minute!”
I knock harder, and the door swings open a moment later. I’m greeted by the sight of Bailey shirtless and a towel hanging almost a little too low for my sanity. It’s not like I didn’t just spend hours out on the ocean with everyone in a swimsuit, but in his room, it somehow feels more intimate, if that makes sense?
His skin has a red tint to it from hours in the sun, and there’s a dusting of blond hair across his chest, but my face flushes when my gaze lands on the happy trail disappearing beneath the towel he’s holding in place.
Bailey clears his throat, and I refocus my attention on his face before pushing my way past him, trying to ignore the shame crawling up my spine. “We need to talk.”
“By all means, come in,” he mumbles under his breath, shutting the door behind me. “Can I maybe get dressed first before you tell me what I did?”
“I’ll turn around. I know guys aren’t known for their multitasking skills, but I’m pretty sure you can talk while getting dressed,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
Bailey shrugs and moves toward his closet while I turn around, focusing on an old picture of me, Bailey, and Hunter from our childhood. My two front teeth are missing from the time I knocked them out after I tripped while running away from the twins—but I’m sandwiched between them, smiling happily.
I miss the days when it was just the three of us together instead of whatever the hell happened three years ago.
“So are you going to tell me why you’re mad?”
“Why do you think, Bailey?” I retort back sarcastically, and he chuckles.
“Don’t know. Kind of why I asked.”
“How did Hunter hurt you?” I ask, desperate for an answer, and I think I might scream if he refuses to tell me.
Bailey falls silent, and it’s overwhelming, causing my thoughts to run wild with worst-case scenarios.
