Page 4 of The Summer Plans

Knowing I probably only have a few more minutes before a kid interrupts my solace, I decide to slip on my swimsuit so we can head down to the beach. Honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t asked to go yet. I strip quickly, shimmying on the bottoms to my tankini. The top has all these criss-crossy straps, and it’s gotten extra tangled in my suitcase, so I lay it on the bed to straighten it out.

I can see the door opening out of my periphery, but I’m determined to untangle this knot. “Mommy needs privacy.” I turn to see which kid walked in.

Only it’s not a kid. It’s a man. A man with blond hair and angular features I would know anywhere.

“Uhhh… Shit… I didn’t know anyone would be in here… Hey, Summer.” RJ smiles sheepishly, bringing out his perfect dimple.

Several seconds pass as I gape at him, slack-jawed. My heart pounds loudly in my ears as blood rushes to my face. I grip the top in my hands and stare at Raven’s brother. He’s the last person I expected to walk through that door.

The door snicks shut behind him, and his eyes travel lower.

And that’s when I realize I’m topless. In front of my first kiss. The boy I wanted to marry. The one that broke my heart.

I let out a blood-curdling scream as I scramble to put on my top. “What are you— Don’t look at me— Ahhh!” I screech as I struggle with the tankini.

His hands fly up to cover his eyes. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. Shit. I’m so sorry.”

My hands are shaking as I wrestle with the top, grunting each time I attempt to slide it down my body. No matter what strap I loop my arm through or how hard I tug, it’s not budging.

Who designs these things? Are they created to torture women? The model on the website looked cute, and they had free returns so I didn’t have to drag my kids into a store to try it on. The only thing worse than trying on swimsuits is doing it with kids in tow. But I should’ve tried it on before now. Rookie mistake.

When it’s clear I’m not getting this thing on, I flop face-first onto the bed and scream into the comforter. “Just leave me here.” This man doesn’t need to see how red my face is. I’ve already embarrassed myself enough, and now I’m stuck in my tankini, held hostage by Lycra. Is this how I die? What did I do to deserve this?

“I got you. Can I?” His voice is way too close for comfort.

I got you. He used to say that all the time when we were younger. But he didn’t get me—he moved on to someone else. It’s the reminder I need that he’s not someone I can depend on.

The bed dips, and the second his fingers touch my exposed flesh, I know I’m in trouble. My skin prickles as he yanks on the straps. There’s no way to hide goosebumps. He’ll know exactly what his touch is doing to me. I squeeze my thighs together to relieve the ache as he works. Every time I think he’s about to say something, I’m met with silence.

His knees press against my side as he pulls on the hem of my top, attempting to cover my back. I wish he would straddle me. Hell, I wish I could straddle him.

“I’m sorry, this is an awkward angle. Could you maybe… could you turn over…or maybe stand up? Then I’ll have gravity on my side.”

Biting back the groan wanting to escape, I slowly push up to sitting. He bites his lips as his eyes dart around.

And then it hits me that I’m still exposed. I smack my breasts hard, attempting to cover them. “Ouch.”

Furrowing his brow, he ignores my awkwardness as he tries to untangle me. It’s not clear if he’s annoyed at me or just concentrating on the mess of fabric on my body.

I look around the room, awkwardly trying to avoid the way his touch lights up my skin. I’m firmly rooted in the land of denial. A million thoughts race through my head. I want to ask him why he dumped me back in high school. Why, even though we were friends, he never reached out to me over the years. But I do not want to go down this road with him again. And certainly not right now while I’m half naked.

He huffs out a frustrated breath, making the hair on his forehead dance. “I think the best option here is to take it off.”

“What?” He’s got to be kidding.

His responding chuckle isn’t helping. “The top. You need to take your top off.”

“How long have you been waiting to use that line on me?”

His lips part, eyes blinking rapidly as something dangerous flashes in his gaze, quick like lightning in a summer thunderstorm. “Longer than you realize.”

What does that mean? “Hold on. What are you even doing here?”

He crosses his arms defensively. He has no right to look annoyed—he’s the one crashing my vacation. “Raven said Sophie and I could use her beach house.”

I’m going to kill her.

“Based on your angry little huffs, I’m guessing she told you the same thing.”