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I stopped in the sand, facing her. “You want know what it is?”
She nodded, impatiently putting her hands on her hips. “Tell me.”
“I saw my older sister’s heart get broken by that jerk she dated. I watched my guy friends turn into someone completely different the second a girl got involved. There’s never been someone who’s worth the risk.”
She toed the sand thoughtfully. “You know, it’s been nice talking to someone who likes me that way. Maybe you would think it was nice too. Possibly with a girl you keep staring at when you think no one’s looking... if it’s worth the risk.” She winked.
My eye twitched. Why did everyone have to pay so much attention to me? Why couldn’t I just keep my thoughts to myself and figure things out my own way? I hated the pressure.
But most of all, I hated that Kenzie was right.
“Why don’t you invite her to the rafting trip Saturday?” she suggested. “It’ll be a good time. She can even bring a friend if it would make her more comfortable.”
“Are you saying I’m not her friend?” I hedged.
Kenzie lifted her hand and turned to leave. “Think about it.”
As if I’d be able to think of anything else.
Twenty-Six
April
My heart was beating quicklyas I walked back toward Diego’s house. Instead of shorts, I’d opted for leggings and an oversized T-shirt so I wouldn’t constantly be tugging at my clothing.
As I got closer, I could see him sitting at the table, in his usual T-shirt and shorts outfit. My mind immediately missed seeing him without his shirt on, but I quickly shut that thought down.
What had happened between Diego and me... I still couldn’t comprehend.
He’d called my thighs beautiful.
Told me that he hated me.
And it seemed like he’d been seconds from kissing me.
Until hisgirlfriendarrived.
Even though Diego denied it, his little brother had clearly announced Miss Blonde Barbie as his girlfriend. And I couldn’t compete. Nor should I want to. I would never be that kind of girl, just like she’d never be like me. Diego and I just didn’t match up that way. Didn’t fit like people expected couples to.
Not that anyone said anything about us being a couple. Heated moments on a private beach were much different than a public relationship in front of the entire school.
My mind was still spinning as I reached the patio. At the sound of my approach, Diego looked up from the snacks. “Mom outdid herself today.”
So we were pretending nothing happened.
Got it.
I put my drawstring bag on the table and sat down a few chairs away from him. We clearly couldn’t handle standing too close to each other. Especially because he smelled like saltwater and sandalwood and it brought me to distraction.
I got out my workbook with the notes I’d made for the assignment. “This week we’re covering talk about bathing,” I said.
Diego opened his own workbook. “Do they mean like we’re telling them they smell bad?”
Why was he making me laugh? “No, more like prepping them for bathing and talking them through the process.”
He studied the paper a little longer, popping a grape in his mouth. “What do you think we should include?”
For the next several minutes, we made notes about our role play, and I tried not to stare at him. I’d never noticed the little scar on his chin. Or how his curls were slightly longer than when I first met him.
