Page 24 of Acadia Falls

And it was no big deal.

So why did I feel so… funny?

“There he is,” Ryan teased as I went back outside. Tori Blaisdell was still happily sitting on his lap. “My big brother returns with the crackers. But where’s your friend?”

“Huh?” I grabbed a fresh beer and sat back down, pretending I had no idea what he was talking about.

Tommy, bless his loyal heart, passed me another joint. “You look like you need this.”

I took a deep drag, staring out at the water. It churned, dark and mysterious, as full of secrets as ever. I’d lived on the island my whole life, but I never got tired of staring at the sea.

Alex Vejas was sitting across from me, talking to Miles Tanaka. She gave me a dirty look.

I gave her one back.

Maran came out with a full glass of wine, her expression serene, her skin glowing.

Alex gave her a dirty look, which Maran blithely ignored. The other thing she was ignoring? Me. She sat down and started chatting with Mia Harrison, acting as though I didn’t even exist, pretending I hadn’t just fucked her brains out for the second time that day.

Huh. It seemed like she was pulling a page from my playbook. So why was it bothering me so much?

I nursed my beer. I could still smell her on me; for some reason, it made my insides twist. Something felt… off. I had this weird urge to yank her by the hair so she’d sit on my lap like Tori Blaisdell was sitting on Ryan’s. And then I wanted to take her home. And then wake up next to her.

No. No fucking way.

I had another hit off the joint. I drank more beer. The night wore on, and Maran didn’t look in my direction. I had a sudden impulse to start flirting with little Alex Vejas, but not only was she busy talking to Tommy and Jimmy, but I also recognized it as a desperate move. I eyed Tiffany, the cougar who owned the restaurant. She was pretty and very chill, but I didn’t have it in me.

I sighed as Maran pushed the hair back from her shoulder and laughed at something Mia Harrison said.

For fuck’s sake, just go home.

I got up and started walking. “You heading home?” Tommy called. In answer, I waved.

He hustled after me. “I’m coming. We gotta work tomorrow.” He cursed as he looked at his beat-up watch. “We gotta work in five hours.”

“I know.” I slid in behind the wheel and slowly drove home. I was buzzed and a little high, but there was only one road on the island, and I knew it like the back of my hand. Plus, we never drove above ten miles per hour, the unspoken LSI speed limit.

“What’s wrong with you?” Tommy had genuine curiosity in his voice.

“Nothing,” I said.

But I wasn’t sure if I was lying to him or to myself.

Bless his heart, Tommy didn’t say another word as we bumped over the gravel and headed for home.

I usually fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. But there was no escaping my thoughts. I tossed and turned. Alternating images of Everly Reyes and Maran haunted me. I couldn’t stop thinking about Maran’s hair, the way it felt when I pressed my face against it. And then the money. All that money. How was I supposed to sleep? There was so much money on the line, not to mention my whole family’s future. Dad had never wanted us to sell the rights. He held firm right up until his dying day⁠—

Before I knew it, my alarm was going off. Four-mother-fucking-thirty in the morning. Same shit every day. If I sold the rights, I’d never have to set my alarm clock ever again.

But then, what would I do with myself?

Tommy and I stumbled into the kitchen, made our lunches, packed our coffee thermos, and shuffled to the truck. I again thanked God for Tommy; he didn’t usually speak until ten a.m.

The boat was still parked at the Vejas’s dock. Once we got her running, we easily navigated through the morning fog. We knew our route by heart. Every trap was packed as we pulled in our haul and continued our routine. By the time we returned to the co-op, where we weighed in, I felt a little better. The sandwiches and the coffee, not to mention the six hours on the water, helped to clear my head.

It always did.

We went home, I showered, and then I hopped in the truck. “Where are you going?” Tommy asked.