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A fair question. “I’ll ask, but I think she’ll be okay. We can sit under one of the umbrellas so I don’t get torched. Vaughn helped me with sunscreen but I’ve already been in the water.”
Behind us, the guys abandoned the net and started kicking a soccer ball around in the sand. Vaughn, still damp and shirtless, was the first one to steal the ball. Right away from Beau.
I smothered a grin as we walked back up to the house, feeling far lighter than I had when I’d gone down to the beach. I felt good. Settled.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom.”
“Okay. I’ll figure out where we’re going to be.”
Meeting Ellie’s eyes, she came to me right away, smiling. “You looked like you were having fun.”
“I was. I am. Just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be upset if I sat… not here.” My eyes flicked toward Angela, and my sister laughed.
“No, I don’t mind. I’d rather her not be here either, but Beau insisted, and since he’s the best man, we felt like we had to.”
“Seems like a theme,” I muttered. “Everyone around Beau feels like theyhadto do something.”
Ellie smirked. “Keep the claws out. I think you’re going to need them. For the record, I will be stealing you away at some point before the wedding to dosomething, but other than that? I’m just glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
She peeked around me down toward the beach. “They keep looking over here. At you.”
“Probably a coincidence.”
“I highly doubt that.” She left me there, and I went farther down the veranda to an umbrella and chaise chairs where we could relax.
On the beach, there were makeshift goals for the guys to score through, and it was clear the lines had been drawn. Warren and my pack against the rest of the guys. Shirts and skins. My team was skins, and I wasn’t complaining about it.
Hawk kicked the ball through the goal and stretched his hands out wide like he was flying before turning and pointing right at me like he was dedicating the score to me.
Laughing quietly, I sipped the drink. This was good. Sweet. Probably too easy to get drunk on.
“It’s good to see you like this.”
I startled, turning to find Dad standing just behind the table. He came around and stood nearby, watching the game.
“Like what?”
One flicker of a smile. “With light in your eyes.”
I froze, waiting.
Dad shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain it, Iz. It was like something was just… extinguished in you. I’d never seen you like that when you finally called us back.”
When I ran, I avoided their calls. When I could finally stop panicking and crying I’d given in and called them back. I’d made sure the wall behind me looked better than the apartment as a whole. It became the set dressing for all of their calls.
“And it hurt, because there wasn’t anything we could do. I’m glad to see you better. That’s all.”
Was I?
I looked down at the beach, where the guys were still dominating the game. Joel kicked the ball around Beau over to Rowan. More than scoring, it seemed like their real goal was to keep the ball away from my ex. Even his own team didn’t pass to him often, despite waving his arms and saying he was open. It made me smile.
Theymade me smile.
And that hurt too, because it wasn’t real.
But Dad wasn’t wrong. I was better.
