“I believe you believe it. But that doesn’t mean it’s real. That doesn’t mean it will last. You’re my brother’s best friend. You already have holidays with my parents. Of course, you’ve convinced yourself you’re in love with me. That doesn’t mean any of this is real. That doesn’t mean it’s gonna last.”

“I’m not Tripp.” He gives me another one of those long, hard looks. The kind I can’t decipher. Even though his sunglasses are off, I can’t tell what he’s thinking.

“I went into this thinking it was going to be a vacation fling. I don’t know how to wrap my brain around it being anything else. I’m sorry.”

“So that it?”

I don’t know what to say in response to that, which is probably for the best, since he doesn’t give me a chance to reply. He turns and stalks off in the opposite direction. A moment later, he’s running down the beach. Looking like he belongs in this amazing perfect tropical location. Just so far removed from my everyday life.

Part of me wants to run after him, to make sense of all of this craziness. But who am I kidding? He said maybe feel jogging on the beach. Last time I went jogging, it was an air-conditioned indoor race track in the gym.

So instead, I do the only thing I can think to do; I go get myself another cup of coffee, and then I make the long slow walk back to my cabin at the very end of the beach.