Page 46 of Savored Sins
A man has come to stand behind Caroline, and he looks brooding as all hell. I’m easily ten yards away, and even from here I can see the scowl on his face as she chats with Phoebe.They haven’t even been talking for five minutes when he suddenly wraps a huge, burly arm around Caroline’s shoulder and jerks her in close to him. Caroline smiles weakly, like she’s used to this cue, and waves goodbye to Phoebe before being steered back across the sand.
“Well, that was random,” Phoebe says as she returns to our little group. She sits next to Benji at the picnic table. “I saw on Facebook that Caroline got engaged a few months ago, but I didn’t realize her fiancé’s mom is from Hawthorne Bay. Small world, right? Sounds like they’re planning to move here after the wedding.”
“Really?” Lydia asks. Out of all of us here, she’s the only one who actually grew up in Hawthorne Bay. “What’s his name? Or, rather, what’s his mom’s name?”
“His name’s Spencer, but I didn’t ask further than that—sorry. Dude seemed like he wanted to leave, so I wasn’t going to bring up his family tree,” Phoebe says, winking at Lydia.
Lydia nods and leans into Will, lacing her fingers through his. They’re so cute together—it gives me all sorts of fuzzy, yet wistful feelings. Like, why couldn’t I have met someone likethat? Why’d I have to fall for the jerk that was Patrick? I know, I know. We’re all stupid in college, but still.
At least now I’m focusing on me. My business. What I want from life. That’s a step in the right direction. And as we all head over to where the rest of the community is gathered, munching on M&M cookies and sipping beers as they schmooze about the goings-on in town, I’m kind of relieved to see that Zeke is gone.
He’s hot, he’s fun. He makes me feel like the stuff I normally worry about isn’t quite so precious. But he’s also a distraction, and I don’t have time for detours. Besides, that chick he came with—Jenny or whatever her name was—is probablywaymore what he’s into. She’s adorable. Vibrant. His actual age. She’s also definitely not divorced. Clearly a much better fit for him.
But god. His abs? While he was hitting that volleyball around tonight?
Those abs will fucking kill a girl.
twenty-two
ZEKE
Phoebe: So Jenny’s nice.
Zeke: I told you. She’s a friend.
Benji:
Will:
Phoebe: You got a lot of friends, little brother…
Zeke: More than you, that’s for sure. Will, what’s for dinner?
Will: No.
“You want another Sam Adams?”
The bartender shoots me a sideways smile as she nods at my almost empty glass. I’m looking right at her, but it takes me a minute to tear my thoughts away from the podcast I’m editing and for her words to register.
“Ah, no thanks,” I say sweetly. “I keep it to one these days.”
This chick has been eyeing me all night. Actually, she’s been eyeing me since that time Jaxon Slade tried to hit on her and she gave her number to me instead. She’s persistent. I kind of like it.
But, just as I’m about to take the last couple sips of my beer, I spot an unmistakable mane of auburn hair out the front window.
Immediately, I hop off the bar stool and bound to the door, pushing it open and sticking my head out into the muggy summer night air.
“Hey! Hot stuff!”
Autumn breaks her stride and turns. I grin when she catches sight of me, jerking my head toward the bar in invitation.
Although I’m way too smooth to ever let it show, I’m actually a little annoyed with her. Homegirl hasn’t texted me back for, like, three days. I texted her the day after we slept together just to confirm she had Thursday on her calendar—because god, Ineedto get on this filming if I’m going to edit and submit my entry in time—and she left me on fuckingread.
I thought maybe seeing her at the clambake with Jenny would kick her ass into gear, but nope. I keep having mixed feelings because, on the one hand, I’m glad she’s not pining after me. On the other hand, those two little blue check marks are sitting there killing me.
Excuse you, ma’am.
Ain’t no girleverleft Zeke on read—and we’re not about to start that shit now.
