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I ignore that comment. “Uh, not much. Brunch. Shopping. I work at an art gallery a few days a week. Tennis lessons. I have an SAT prep class starting next week.”
“Sounds like a lot to me.”
“I guess.”
“What’s the SAT?”
“Oh, I guess you guys don’t have it here. It’s a college admissions test. Your score can impact where you go for university.”
“I guess Reid was right—youaretoo studious for me.”
I snort. “Sure.”
“You staying in the States for college?”
“Yeah. Stanford, assuming I get in.”
“Will you get in?”
“Probably,” I admit. I’m a legacy, not to mention a straight-A student.
“Interesting choice.”
“It’s a good school.”
“I know,” Josh agrees. “Ivy League, right? In California?”
“Right.”
He says nothing for a couple of minutes. “Their team is terrible. He wouldn’t even consider it.”
It’s my turn to be quiet. Have I thought about me and Elliot and college? Yes. Part of me would love to be in the same place as him. The rest of me knows it’s a bad idea, worse than this fake dating one, because Iwillhave to see him with other girls.
“We should head back. If the amount of buzzing going on in my pocket is any indication, we’ve been missed.”
I pat my own pocket, then realize… “I left my phone on the dock.”
“Wanna drive back?”
“No, I’m good.” The recklessness from earlier has abated. I’m comfortable and relaxed, lounging against the seat, sipping on my hard seltzer. “As long asyou’regood to drive?”
He seems sober, but he’s also drained most of the beer he brought.
“Yeah. I’ve driven after a lot more than that.”
Hardly a comforting statement, but we’re off before I can say anything else. The return trip takes longer. Josh doesn’t take the same liberties with the accelerator as I did.
There are a lot more people on the dock when we approach than there were when we departed. One of them is Elliot, who helps with tying the boat up before standing with a furious expression that takes me completely off guard.
“What the fuck, Hawley?” He practically spits the words at Josh.
Unlike me, Josh doesn’t seem surprised by Elliot’s words. “Mad you weren’t invited, Reid?”
“Oh, I’m fucking pissed, all right. You took the boat out drunk?”
“I’m not drunk,” Josh retorts. “And we take the boat out with drinks all the damn time. It’smyboat.”
“I don’t give a shit what you do with your boat, as long as Auden’s not on it!”
