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“Didn’t doubt it for a second, hotshot.” He chuckled, climbing around to get to the front of the boat. “Hey,” he said, sitting down beside her.
“Hey.”
The compact design didn’t afford them any privacy, so I could hear every word.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“I told Josh I think we should end things.”
My hands tightened around the wheel, the blood draining from my knuckles.
“You did?”
“Yeah. It’s not going to work.” She gave Carson a sad smile. “Me here, him there. And I keep thinking… maybe there’s a reason I kept him at a distance, you know?”
“You deserve someone who will put you first, Dayna.”
“I know that, I do. But honestly, I’m not even sure what that means. I’ve spent so long hiding, Cars.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and she rested her head on his chest. Jealousy surged inside of me, a feeling I was really fucking unfamiliar with.
I barely knew her.
It made no fucking sense.
But it didn’t seem to matter. Because watching them together, I wanted it to be me. I wanted to be the one comforting her.
And that was a huge fucking problem.
* * *
We sailed on the lake for another couple of hours. Carson’s love of the water and his precious boat bled from every word, every smile, and laugh. Dayna joined us, too, putting on a brave face as we zipped up and down the lake.
By the time we reached the dock, my skin felt crispy, and I was fucking starving despite the lunch Mrs. Benson had packed us.
“You two up for a pizza and a fire?” Carson asked as he and Dayna moored the boat.
“Sounds good.” She gave him a smile and then slid her gaze to mine.
“Sure,” I said, not entirely certain if I was answering him or the silent question in her eyes.
Her mood swings were giving me whiplash.
We all piled into Carson’s truck and drove the short distance back to his house. “Do you want to invite your parents?” he asked Dayna.
“Is it awful if I say no?”
He chuckled, “Of course not, Bug.”
“We could always go to a bar and get shitfaced,” I suggested out of nowhere.
“I don’t think that’s—”
“Actually, I think that sounds like a great idea,” Dayna grinned.
“You do?” Carson frowned.
“We could go to Moonies and order some dirty fries and some pitchers of beer.”
