Page 12 of Tequila Lime and Sunshine

But before I can do something stupid like tell her how I feel, we’re once again interrupted by Holden and Carly.

“Hey, guys. We just came up from the beach to get a drink,” Holden says. He’s got his goggles in one hand and a snorkel in the other.

“A drink sounds great.” Summer stands from her chair. “Carly, do you want to go to the swim-up bar with me?”

Carly looks surprised by the question but quickly recovers. “Yeah, sure.”

She sets her sandy towel down on the edge of my chair before kissing Holden’s cheek.

“Hawke, do you want anything?” Summer asks me. I’m surprised she cared enough to think of me.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.” The girls walk down the steps into the pool. Holden and I watch as they make their way through the water to the swim-up bar.

Holden sits down next to me. “Summer is looking really good.”

My jaw clenches. I don’t want him looking at her. He shouldn’t be looking at her anyway. His eyes should be on his girlfriend.

“Yeah.” I try to keep my tone even, but I’m not sure how well it worked.

“There’s not anything going on with you two, is there? It’s kinda weird you’re sharing a room.”

I laugh and hope it doesn’t sound forced. “No, nothing at all. Just friends like we’ve always been. I’d never do that to you, man.” Lie. I’d one hundred percent be with Summer if she showed even the tiniest bit of interest. I would hate to do that to my brother, but he’s moved on, right? And I firmly believe that Summer was always supposed to be mine.

“Cool. Thanks, man. I know we’ve both moved on, but she was my first, well, everything. She’ll always have a special place in my heart.”

Fucking great.

The girls make their way back to us, and I feel like I’m in a dream when Summer steps out of the pool holding two margaritas. She’s smiling at something Carly must’ve said, water dripping off her body. That white bathing suit. . . are those her nipples?

Jesus fucking Christ.

I have to look away before I end up tenting my bathing suit in front of the entire resort.

She hands me my drink, and I mumble a quick thanks before taking a huge chug, hopefully letting the tequila take my mind and dick off other things.

CHAPTER 7

Summer

Snorkeling in other countries is one of my favorite activities. I’ve considered scuba diving, but it kinda freaks me out. So, for now, I’ll stick to snorkeling.

I had planned to go alone, but before I left the pool yesterday, Hawke asked me what my plans were for the next day. I mentioned snorkeling, and all three of them piped up, saying they wanted to come too.

I should get an award for keeping the smile plastered on my face when they asked to come. Don’t get me wrong, there are worse people I could spend my time with. But hanging out with my ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend was not on my to-do list.

But I gritted my teeth and added them to my snorkeling reservation before walking back to my room to get changed for dinner with my parents.

So I found myself standing outside of the resort, waiting on the three of them so we could head to the snorkeling site. Hawke was with me, but he ran back into the breakfast buffet to grab another donut. I guess the two he had at breakfast weren’t enough. I don’t know how he stays so lean with the amount of food he eats.

I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Hawke with a chocolate donut in his mouth. He hands me a banana. “Got you this. Just in case.” He winks. I hesitate for a moment before taking it from him and putting it in my backpack. It’s actually kinda thoughtful that he grabbed me a snack. I didn’t even think to bring myself one.

I don’t know what it is, but he seems different from the last time I saw him. We’ve only been here a few days, but I haven’t seen him try to hit on any women or walked up to our room to find a sock on the door like he said he’d do. He’s focused on me and Holden and his parents. It’s almost like the old Hawke is back. Wishful thinking, maybe. But I like this version of Hawke, and it makes me want to lower my walls just a little.

Finally, Holden and Carly come running down the stairs. “Sorry we’re late.” They don’t offer an excuse, and I don’t expect one.

“No problem. Everyone ready?” I turn, not waiting for a response and head down the front path of the resort. Hawke walks next to me, and Holden and Carly are a few feet behind us, whispering about something.

The snorkeling excursion I booked is run by locals but came highly reviewed. They take you out further into the Gulf of Mexico with a snorkel and a life vest and let you swim around and explore the reef.