Page 7 of Next Time We'll Fall

I can tell by the looks on Sage’s and Rosie’s faces that I am protesting too much. I don’t know what it is about Rafe, but he really irritates me, to the point of no return, and I’m starting to wonder if he makes irritating comments on purpose to rile me up.

“So, how long are you two in town for?” Rafe asks my cousins with a wide smile, and they just shrug nonchalantly.

“We’re not sure. As long as Juniper will have us.” Sage points at me and runs her fingers through her hair. “We love spending as much time as possible in Coconut Beach.”

“You know you girls are welcome to stay as long as you want.” I grin at them both, putting my arms around their shoulders. “You’re family.”

“That’s why we love you, Juni … because we get to stay in this beautiful place for free and meet hot men with lots of money who want to wine and dine us.” Sage’s eyes glow for a few moments before she looks down.

“Juniper doesn’t look too happy right now,” Rafe says loudly. “Scared they will take all the rich men away from you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re not beaming with excitement to hear that your cousins may stay for an indefinite amount of time and snag all the rich men in town.”

“Really? Are you trying to annoy the shit out of me, Rafe?”

“Would I ever try to do that? I think it’s just something that naturally happens when you see me because you can’t resist me.”

“Is there anything you wanted from us, or would you like to get a drink and then move on and hang out with your friends?”

“I actually said I was here to hang out with you guys.”

“I didn’t invite you to come and hang out with us, so I don’t know why?—”

“Mia asked if I wanted to come. She and Luke will be joining,” he says matter-of-factly. “You know, Mia, your best friend, also known as my sister.”

“And what is Luke? Your new best friend now too?” I stare at him, and he just laughs at me. “I didn’t think so.”

“Juniper, one of these days, we’re going to have a conversation so we can figure out why you’re always so annoyed and angry with me.”

I stare at him in disbelief because he and I both know where our friendship/relationship went wrong, and it’s certainly not a moment I want to relive. I didn’t think he would want to either. I can still remember standing there in my oversize T-shirt, with one shoulder exposed, gazing up at him with pouted lips. My stomach curls as I cringe at the memory.

Don’t relive it, Juniper, I lecture myself.

I don’t want to think about the kiss or the way I held on to him. Or the way he pressed himself into me. I don’t want to think about how my heart leaped. How I thought this was going to be the beginning of forever. Guess I’ve always been a fool.

“Really?” I stare at him. “You really want us to have a conversation about why we don’t get along?”

“It can’t be about what happened at your fifteenth birthday party,” he says, staring at me. “Or can it?”

“What do you think?” I ask him. “And it wasn’t my fifteenth. It was my eighteenth.” I am seething now. Does he even remember that we kissed? Or what he said to me afterward?

“Oh, was it? It was a long time ago. I forget the details.”

“It wasn’t that long ago.”

“Do you want us to go back and relive that night?” he says softly, whispering in my ear. “Have me make a different decision, and then maybe we can move past?—”

“Oh, hell no. I’m not interested in you like that anymore. I was young, and I was dumb, and—” I am ready to go off.

How dare he tease me and treat that night so casually, like it was nothing?! Like I can’t still feel my skin burning.

“Let’s do karaoke!” Rosie rushes up to me and grabs my hand. I don’t know if she’s doing it to prevent a fight or not, but I am grateful for the interruption. “You want to sing ‘Summer Nights’ fromGreasewith us?”

I stare at her and wrinkle my nose as Rafe just stands there with a cocky smirk on his face. “Not particularly.”

“Or would you rather stay there, arguing with Rafe?” she whispers and gives me a look that says she knows exactly what she’s doing.