Page 86 of This Changes Everything

I bolted upright and felt immediately nauseous. “He’s here.”

Maddy and I both removed our sunglasses and twisted around, looking for Rory.

“Don’t freak out, sissy. He might be looking at you right now.” Hannah didn’t move a muscle.

“She’s right. Bring it down,” Maddy agreed. She and I both slowly returned to our “super-casual” lounging positions.

ELLIE: I’m on one of the loungers in the shallow end. Look for me or Hannah. Kara’s in the pool.

I held my breath when I saw the three dots pop up in our open text conversation.

RORY: I see you. Making my way over. Heads up, I’m with Orson Whitlock.

“He sees us. And he’s with Orson Whitlock.” I practiced some deep breathing.

Hannah straightened in her lounge chair and leaned over my phone. “Really? Orson? Oh man, Kara’s going to freak out. I think he’s still super close with Cameron.” Hannah giggled. “I hung out with him a couple of times back home after Mr. Campbell’s funeral.”

“Hannah, did you sleep with him?!” I tried not to scream.

“No!” she snapped.

“Okay! Don’t get so defensive! Hello, Lucas!” I reminded my sister of her on-and-off fling with one of my best friends in New York, whom she not-so-secretly hooked up with every time she came to visit. “Hello, Blair!”

“Blair and I were never a thing!” Hannah burned brightly.

“I don’t believe you for a second. You two—”

“Ellie. Shut it,” Hannah snapped, practically biting my head off.

I took the cue and backed down. I thought about Orson and Rory’s longstanding friendship. Orson had asked about my relationship with Ben when we were in Vancouver. He’d been unusually curious at Mr. Campbell’s funeral, too. Orson had been keeping tabs on me.

I placed my phone down on a small, elevated table where our drinks were and smoothed out the bottom of my bathing suit. I had switched up my suits that morning and was wearing an athletic-style black bikini set. I went to tuck my hair behind my ears and felt the hat on my head.

“Oh no. I’m wearing his hat. I look—” I was about to say pathetic, but Hannah interrupted.

“Sexy,” she said sternly.

I looked over to Maddy, and she nodded in agreement. The ultimate hype women.

Somehow, miraculously, I heard Zoë shout from the middle of the pool, over the screaming crowd and the venue’s thumping bass. “ELLIE! RORY’S HERE!”

I slumped down when Zoë pointed over to Rory and Orson making their way through the crowd. Rory was holding a towel and wearing navy-blue swim trunks, Ray-Bans . . . and that was it. I felt like I was going to faint. He looked like he was made of marble, wild curls flopping on top of his head. He was broad-shouldered, defined, and absolutely gorgeous. Suddenly, I remembered exactly how it felt to have him crawling up my body inside an old, cramped Jeep Cherokee and pinning me to my seat.

A couple of guys patted Rory on the back or shook his hand as he walked toward us, but for the most part, he was getting noticed more for his looks than his sports status.

Orson sent a chill through my bones as well. His hair was buzzed to about half an inch in length. He was wearing red trunks, a loose white tank top, and sunglasses. He looked like a sexy lifeguard, and I saw Zoë tracking him from the pool like a hungry bear.

I stayed seated when the boys finally made it all the way to us. I looked up at Rory through my sunglasses, and he squatted down to meet me at my level.

Jesus . . .

He looked like a volleyball player. A soccer player? A hockey player? I didn’t even know. He didn’t look like what you would imagine a typical golfer to look like. It was no wonder he made so much money through endorsements.

I couldn’t see his eyes behind his dark sunglasses, but his mouth curled at the edges. He reached out and gently tapped the brim of my new black hat, his old black hat, with his index finger.

“Hi,” he said quietly.

I matched his smile, but it was Maddy who spoke first.