Page 62 of Double Play
“You’re welcome,” I say.
Sean points at me like I’m the devil. “You—you're insane.”
“Nah,” I correct. “I just know what I’m doing.”
Sean drags a hand down his face. “I’m going to kill you.”
“You won’t,” Isla says brightly. “Because then you’d have to explain to Emiliano why you’re in jail.”
Sean’s face goes red again, deeper this time.
Adriana laughs. “Text him back,pendejo.”
Sean looks down at the phone like it’s a live wire. His thumbs hover for a moment, and then he types.
Deletes.
Types again.
Deletes again.
I watch him wrestle with himself for a second, then I nudge his knee with mine.
“Breathe,” I say more quietly. “You don’t have to be perfect. Just be honest.”
Sean’s throat works. He nods once and finally types something.
He hits send.
Then he sits back like he just jumped off a cliff.
“What did you say?” I ask.
Sean stares straight ahead at the ocean, his voice low. “I said… okay. Somewhere private.”
I nod, satisfied. “Good.”
Sean exhales shakily. “If he ghosts me, I’m haunting you.”
“He won’t,” Isla says with the confidence of a woman who has never met Emiliano but already hates him a little on Sean’s behalf.
Brooks suddenly yells from the sand, “ANDRES! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE. YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN STOP KAI FROM CHEATING.”
Kai shouts back, offended, “IT’S CALLED STRATEGY!”
Jackson laughs, and it carries to me like a hand squeezing my heart.
I stand, brushing sand off my shorts. Sean grabs my wrist briefly, stopping me. His face is still flushed, but his eyes are softer now. Less storm cloud. More human.
“Thanks,” he mutters, like the word hurts.
“Anytime.”
Sean’s phone buzzes again. He looks down, and his mouth twitches despite himself.
Adriana leans in, shameless. “What now?”
Sean’s eyes flick up, a reluctant smile pulling at the edge of his mouth.
