Page 53 of The Surfer

She’d told me explicitly not to get with Cove. She warned me about him, and specifically about his playboy nature. I can’t just kiss Cove when I know what she’ll think about us together and what she told me explicitly not to do.

Don’t fuck Cove.

That’s what she said.

She’s my best friend and going around her back like that was wrong, I had to put an end to it as soon as it started.

No matter how gorgeous her brother is, or how right his touch feels.

I don’t want to reject Cove, but I have to think with my head.

Drinking from our milkshakes, Cove and I start preparing the prawns and garlic butter.

He’s bought all the right ingredients. I watch him work, his big arms delicately opening the packaging, his intense focus on the garlic butter, the way he carefully handles the food.

What a tender man underneath all the bravado.

The way he cooks, he makes my heart swoon, and I begin to realize that he’d bought all this food to impress me, as a way to make up for the kiss, and as a way to apologize in a way he only knows how. How sweet. How caring. He really does thinks about me, he really doesn’t want to lose me.

Why, Ripley? Why do you fall in love with the one man you shouldn’t.

This is hard.

So hard.

I don’t know how my heart can handle this; my soul is torn between two extremes. Cove and Sandy. Between the most beautiful man I’ve ever met and my best friend.

It’s a choice I never want to make.

We finish making the butter, our hands soaked in the stuff. My fingers are coated in the gooey liquid.

“We’re absolutely covered in butter,” I giggle.

Cove flicks some towards me and I scream in terror. “You’re the messy one,” he says with a laugh.

“No, you are!”

“You are!”

We run the kitchen tap and wash the butter off our hands, playfully pushing each other all the while.

We laugh and fake fight until our bodies are touching and our hands are holding on to each other. Our faces are close. Our fighting pace slows, and we look at each other in the eye. Cove’s intense stare pierces through me and my heartbeat crawls to a stop.

He’s so close. He’s so present. He’s so near my heart.

“Hey, Ripley,” he says softly, nearly whispering. His fingers tighten around mine. I don’t fight back; I’m enjoying his touch way too much.

“Yeah?”

“About that kiss.”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think about it?”

I flick my hair back, and I don’t know what to say. I’m torn in so many ways, but the way Cove is looking at me with his bright blue eyes… I just… can’t resist him.

“I’m worried about Sandy finding out,” I reply sadly. “I’m scared what’d happen if she finds out, and I’m scared about losing you in my life.”