“Thank you,” he says, without looking away. “We should probably head back in.”
Exhaling a nervous laugh, I follow Bailey’s lead, taking my own advice to trust that everything is going to be okay.
He sets his board in the sand next to our things, passing me my water bottle a moment later before grabbing his.
I might not have everything figured out in my life, but I’m glad I followed my gut to take the gap year. Hunter and I have a lot to figure out still, but maybe it’s okay for some things to change. Everything happens for a reason.
“You okay, Price?” Bailey asks, pulling me back into reality.
“Yeah, why?” I ask, taking a quick drink of my water.
He tilts his head to the side, his green eyes dancing in the morning light as they comb over my face. I’m not sure what he sees, or if he’s looking for something, but the last thing I expect is Bailey stepping forward to pull me into his arms.
I’m not sure I’m breathing as they fold around me, holding me firm against his chest.Hell, I don’t think he’s breathing either.
It hits me like a hurricane, taking me back to the night where we stood in this exact spot, and I thought everything was going to change between us. I’ve tried so hard to forget how consuming it felt to be kissed by my best friend under the stars because it makes my entire body hurt to remember.
My reaction is delayed, and I’m hesitant to rest my hands on his back, the heat of his skin scorching my fingertips.
“You’re still my best friend too. You always have been, and I don’t want to forget any of it. I missed you every single day.I’m sorry I left,” Bailey says, and I’m finally forced to take a breath.
The smell of salt and citrus bodywash floods my senses, making me immediately regret my decision. It’s a lethal combination, and it feels like all the pieces are finally falling into place because of how right it feels to be held by him.
Even if it shouldn’t.
It hits me like an electric shock, jumpstarting my heart.
Oh my god, this is wrong.
The last thing I should be doing is hugging Bailey, especially when we’re both in swimsuits.
My hands are shaking as I put them on his chest, pushing him away from me.
“Don’t,” I whisper.
Bailey staggers back, his face pale and eyes wide. I don’t even have to wonder if he felt the same connection I did, but I don’t want this.
“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have hugged you,” he stammers, clearly caught off guard by whatever the fuck this is. “I’m sorry, Kait.” The plea in his voice shakes me to my core, and all of the chaos from earlier spins faster, clouding my head.
Logically, I know it was a hug, and it didn’t mean anything, but even an innocent touch with Bailey feels likeeverything.
“I have to go,” I say, reaching for my board to carry it back to the shed, more confused than ever.
Bailey doesn’t follow after me, and I struggle to breathe, pressing my hand to my chest.
The only thing I can think about is that damn green flash because sometimes, I think that’s all we were.
It only occurs for a few seconds in the right conditions at exactly the right time—a phenomena that isn’t meant to happen all the time.
Now I’m not sure if it’s better to have experienced something once, knowing it’ll never happen again, than never to have experienced it at all.
But I guess that’s the thing about phenomena.
They exist in only perfect conditions, and life isn’t perfect. It’s messy and raw, and outside of those fleeting moments where the planets and stars seem to align, I’m not sure Bailey and I could exist.
I think he’s wrong.
Sometimes the impossible isn’t actually possible.
