Page 37 of Tequila Lime and Sunshine

Is he talking about me? The butterflies in my stomach seem to think so.

CHAPTER 18

Hawke

I can’t stop touching Summer, linking our pinkies, putting my hand on her back, or slipping my arm around her shoulder. But out of respect for her request to keep whatever this is a secret, I can’t do it when someone we know might see us. Which makes it extra annoying that Holden and Carly stay so close to us in the market. I love my brother, but damn, he’s kinda pissing me off.

Not like it’s his fault; he doesn’t know what he’s doing. But my hands are itching to touch her, and I can’t. Well, I could. But I’d risk pissing everyone off.

Summer takes her time walking through each aisle of the market. I could watch her all day. She picks up various items and tries to talk to each seller. In the end, she ends up buying a pair of earrings and a small, hand-painted jewelry box, and I’ve got my watercolor painting of a sunset to add to my wall at home.

Holden just had to bring up the sunset and sunrise prints I have at home. He’s only been out to visit me once, but we video chat a lot, so he’s seen the wall before. Not only do they make me think of Summer because of her name, but summertime with her as kids is some of my favorite memories. Laying in the grass, looking up at the clouds, riding our bikes through the neighborhood, and the summer we tried to teach her to skateboard. That was a bad idea, and it turns out she has terrible balance, but the three of us had fun anyway.

I tried to get her out of my head when Holden told me he loved her. I knew it was over for me then. But I just couldn’t. She’s impossible to get over, even before I had her.

When everyone is done shopping, Summer takes more pictures of the market, and we get a taxi back to the resort. Holden and I have to get ready for dinner with our parents. I love my parents, but my time with Summer is dwindling, and I want to spend every second with her.

I won’t disappoint them, so I dutifully shower and change, dropping my towel in front of Summer to give her something to look forward to later. She pretends to not look, but I know she did by the adorable pink color her cheeks turn. Before I leave, I plant a kiss on Summer’s forehead. I don’t think I’ve ever given a woman a forehead kiss before. Summer is making me a different man, bringing out the best in me.

I walk down to the restaurant, and since I’m the last one there, we’re instantly escorted to our table. We’re seated at a much smaller table than when we ate here with Summer and her parents.

I order a margarita, which is weird because I never really liked margaritas before this trip. Summer ordered one on our first night here, and now I can’t seem to stop. Another thing I’ll probably associate with her for the rest of my life. God, I’m way too far gone for this woman.

Holden and Carly sit across from Mom and me. He holds her hand and leans in to kiss her on the cheek. Mom smiles at the two of them before she leans over to me to say, “Hawke, any chance there’s a special someone for you back in LA? Any thoughts of settling down?”

“Leave the boy alone,” Dad interjects. I love him for that. I know Mom wants grandkids, but I’m not even thirty yet. And truth be told, I don’t want to settle down with anyone but Summer. No one else compares.

Holden chuckles. “Hawke? Settle down? No way.” Gee, thanks, bro. “Why would he when he’s got women practically throwing themselves at him.” Carly nudges him in the side. “What? It’s true. He takes pictures of models all day and then takes them home.”

“Alright,” I interject. “Let’s not talk about this in front of Mom and Dad.” He’s not wrong per se, but I don’t do it on every shoot like he’s insinuating. And most of the models hit on me. I never start it.

Holden smirks because he does this shit all the time, but Mom isn’t ready to let it go. “Honey, surely you get lonely out in LA. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a girlfriend?”

Only if her name is Summer, and she smells like coconuts and has the biggest heart. Instead of saying that, I say, “Nah. I’m good, Mom. Really. It’ll happen when it’s supposed to, right?”

She squeezes my arm. “Right. I’m sure whoever you pick will be worth the wait.” She looks at me like she knows something I don’t, but I don’t question her. I simply smile back and direct the conversation elsewhere. “Holden, when are you getting married and having babies?”

I look at him with mock interest as he nearly spits out his drink. His cheeks flush, and Carly looks at him, ready to hear his reply. Hell yeah, I put him on the spot. That’s what he gets for making me sound like an absolute manwhore in front of our parents. I’m sure it’s well-known that I’ve slept around, but we don’t need to discuss it in the open.

“I’m waiting for the perfect moment.” He shoots daggers at me with his eyes before turning to Carly and putting his arm around her. “Soon. It’ll happen soon.”

She smiles at him, but I wonder if there’s something else going on with him. For Carly’s sake, I drop the conversation and tell Mom and Dad about the market today.

“Summer loved it. I think she looked at every single stall. You guys should check it out before we leave.” Two days. We only have two more full days here. The thought of not waking up with Summer in my arms every morning makes me feel sick, but I’m trying not to think about it.

“How is Summer doing, Hawke? Has she been ok with the breakup?” Shit. The breakup. I forgot she even had a loser boyfriend a day before this trip. She hasn’t mentioned him once.

“Um, yeah. It doesn’t sound like it was too serious. I think she’s fine.” She sounded more than fine screaming my name with my dick inside her, but Mom didn’t need to know that part.

“Has he called or anything?” Mom questions again.

I fucking hope not. “No.” My tone has a little more anger behind it than I intended because the thought of her talking to another man, being with another man besides me, makes me fucking feral. “No. I don’t think she’s talked to him.”

Mom squeezes my arm again. We’ve never openly talked about it, but I know she knows how bad I had it for Summer when we were kids. She knew how torn up I was over Holden asking her out. Mom watched me spiral for years. I hate that I made her worry, but I didn’t want Holden to find out that I was pining for his girlfriend. I had to make it seem like I didn’t give a fuck. The result was me distancing myself from our little friend group. I know Summer is pissed about that, and I’ve never been able to explain myself.

“How is everything going with her blog?”

I feel Holden’s eyes on me. I want to look at him to see if he’s mad that Mom is asking me these questions instead of him, but I don’t.