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"I can't feel anything for the pounding of my own heart, Hope. I'm just leaving my hand there because I like touching your neck."
I brought his hand up to my mouth and kissed the backside of his fingers, letting his hand linger on my closed mouth. "I wanted you to know that I so regretted how I reacted last night."
"I figured that out when you chased me across town in your socks."
"I know. And I'm glad I did that, but last night when I was lying in bed, I was just thinking about everything, and I really wish I would've reacted differently."
"I don't know," he said, tilting his head at me. "I get what you're saying. I have things I wish I would've done differently too, but all of those things led us here. Last night, with the beach and the socks, it was so perfect. Even if it took you rejecting me first—I wouldn't trade that sight of you in the sand for anything."
I leaned in and kissed him when he said that, and he smiled as I broke away.
"I want to do the opposite of reject you," I said. "Is a kiss the opposite of that?" I asked the question with furrowed eyebrows as if I was serious and then I leaned in and did it again. "I'm the opposite of rejecting you right now," I said. I did it again after that just to make sure.
I had been looking at Charlie's face for months, but now I saw him differently, and it made my gut ache. I was crushing on him harder than ever, and it was unbelievable to me that he felt the same way. I sat back, playing it cool, holding his hand and assuming he would take off again, which he did.
We held hands all the way back to the house. I adjusted in my seat and let go of him when I saw a couple of people waiting outside. It was Casey and their Aunt Astrid, and I scooted slightly further from Charlie.
They were on the dock, and they walked toward the end of it to meet us when we drifted up.
"I'm going back with y'all," Casey called as we came closer. "I wish I would have known you were going a minute ago. I would have gone with you."
"How'd you know we were coming back?"
"Beau called to tell me to ride back with you. He said they were out at that cliff."
"I'm not going back with you," Astrid said, holding up a backpack. "My husband called and said for me to send his camera back with you."
Charlie moved to the edge of the boat and Astrid handed him a bag.
"Be careful, there's expensive stuff in there."
"Why did you come back?" Casey asked, looking at us as if making sure we were okay.
"I'm running up to the house to take my allergy medicine," I said, raising my hand a little. I waited until Charlie was done with the camera bag exchange and then I got off of the boat carefully, standing on the dock near Astrid. I looked at Casey. "I know you're waiting on us to take you back, so I won't be long," I said. My gaze shifted to Charlie. "Do you need anything from the house while I'm up there?"
"No, thank you," he said.
"Okay, I'll be back," I said. I turned and began jogging up the dock, leaving everyone else down there without looking back.
