“About my mom just wanting me to be happy.”
“Of course.”
“I don’t want to repeat it. Okay? It was a one—two-time thing. We can’t keep doing it. We can try to be friends, if you want.”
I grip the railing, knuckles whitening as I stare down at the patio table below us.
Friends will never be enough for me, not with her.
chapter twenty-nine
Summer
Even though he never responded to me, saying we could be “just friends,” Dayton still organizes a day for us to go out on his sailboat,Penelope,with Cal, Silvie, Josie, and Juniper.
Cal is helping Dayton with the sails while I pass out plastic champagne glasses to the ladies. I pop open a bottle of sparkling rosé and start filling each of them up.
The weather is perfect. It was warm all day, and I lay out on the beach for hours, earning an even deeper tan on my skin.
I’m wearing a low-cut halter-neck white cotton dress. It’s backless, so I’m not wearing a bra. Dayton’s eyes have been roaming over me for hours, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.
I’m regretting telling him that what happened between us was a two-time thing because I want him again … already.
What is wrong with me?
Hooking up with my former bully/stepbrother is bad enough, but wanting a repeat of the experience makes me question my mental stability.
I haven’t told a soul. I can’t admit it out loud.
Silvie sighs contentedly, sipping on her rosé. “There’s just something about Coconut Beach, isn’t there? It’s unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been.”
Josie nods. “Can’t beat these views.” Her eyes are roaming over the muscled shoulders of Cal and Dayton.
Silvie and Juniper laugh at her, shaking their heads. The sun is beginning to dip down, cooling us off when it hides behind a fluffy cloud.
“I brought snackies. Let me grab them really quick.” I go down below to where there’s a queen-size bed, a small kitchenette and table, and a little bathroom. The mini fridge has a tray of premade quarter-cut sandwiches, a fruit bowl, and fruit dip.
Dayton also got a bag of white cheddar popcorn and pretzels. I gather it all up in my arms and head back up above. Silvie takes the tray from me, and I set the rest of the food down on the small table near the back of the catamaran, where we’re sprawled out.
“Oh, I forgot the plates.” I turn to head back down to the cabin area.
While walking back toward the stairs, the boat catches a wave and pitches me toward the edge. I yelp, attempting to grab the railing and failing. I careen forward, smacking my head against the side of the boat.
I immediately feel woozy, my vision blurring. A strong arm wraps around my waist.
“Summer, baby, are you okay?” Dayton’s voice is panicked.
I groan, my eyes fluttering open to see his eyebrows pinched in concern. My vision refocuses, and I also notice four other sets of eyes studying the way Dayton is cradling me to his chest, like I mean much more to him than the annoying little stepsister he’s stuck dealing with to get his inheritance.
Josie’s jaw is on the floor, Silvie’s eyes are wide, Cal is attempting to hide a smirk, and Juniper is covering her mouth to either conceal her shock or a smile.
I sit up quickly, brushing him off. “I’m fine! I just slipped. I wasn’t holding on. Silly me.”
He’s not convinced, and he’s not letting go of me. His fingers are sending sparks over the surface of my bare spine. I try pushing him away again, and his eyes narrow on my face.
“Summer, you’re bleeding.”
I feel it then, the liquid dripping from my eyebrow. He doesn’t hesitate then. He just starts unbuttoning his striped shirt and tugs it off his shoulders.
