Page 29 of Don't Think

Tiny droplets of water glisten on his sun-kissed skin, clinging to his cheeks that are just starting to turn pink from the sun. He laughs at something Casey says, and then his eyes flick to mine momentarily. It takes him not even a full second before he does a double take with wide eyes.

And suddenly my knees forget how to work—again.

Chapter Eight

Jax

I think I’m having my first heat stroke.

When the guys and I first visited the States last year, my mum would constantly harp on us about staying hydrated and wearing lighter clothing. She was convinced one of us would keel over from the heat because some friend told her Cardiff’s July is basically Boston’s springtime. We just rolled our eyes and told her she was being dramatic, and that heat strokes were more of a concern in the southern states, like Florida. Not so much of a worry on the East Coast.

But here I am, in the middle of Boston, Massachusetts, swearing to God I’m having my first heat stroke. Because there’s no way this makes any sense.

One second we’re just messing around, tossing a ball back and forth, and the next? That same ball nearly nails Allie in the head—of all people.

I stand here, staring while trying to figure out if she’s a mirage or some sort of heat-induced hallucination. But then she smiles—just a small one. The corner of her mouth pulls up, and it’s like the ground drops out from under me.

She turns back to Gareth and tosses him the ball when the sun bounces off her sunburnt cheeks. I’m too busy still staring like a weirdo that I almost missed the small glimpse of a purple-and-blue crescent lying just under her right eye, and it hits me like a punch to the gut.

I don’t even think before my feet start moving, every step harder than the last because the sand’s working against me like it’s trying to hold me back.

I reach her in a few strides and my fingers instinctively reach for her chin as they easily glide underneath. Pausing, I search her face for any sign of discomfort, or that I might have crossed a line, but she doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t even pull away. Instead, she leans into it, tilting her head slightly while her eyes lock on mine.

I let my hand fall, take a step back, and mentally kick myself in the ass. What am I evendoing? I’m not the kind of guy who just runs up to someone like that.

What the hell is wrong with me?

All I know is, the heaviness in my chest? It’s awful. If I thought I felt bad before, it’s nothing compared to the mess in my stomach after seeing her eye like that.

I grab the back of my neck, squeezing tightly to try to find some sort of relief, but it’s no use.

“I’m so sorry, Allie. Are you sure you’re okay?”

She smiles and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It wasn’t your fault,” she says lightly, shrugging as if it’s no big deal. “I should’ve been paying attention.”

The tension in my shoulders suddenly lifts, and my hand falls from my neck, returning to my side. The fact that she’s not pissed off about it and taking it out on us says a lot. I’ve seenfirsthand how many bands lose fans because they got hurt at their shows and never wanted to come back.

“Hey, since you guys are from here, maybe you can help us out,” James interrupts, gesturing toward Allie and her friends. “If tomorrow is America Day, why is the beach so dead?” He hikes his thumb over his shoulder toward the boardwalk.

He does have a point. We’ve been out here for a few hours now and passed maybe three people, tops. I’ve heard people usually go all out for the holiday, fireworks and all, so it was pretty shocking to walk here and find it practically empty.

“What the hell is ‘America Day’?” Gareth laughs beside me.

I glance at him and nod toward James. “He’s talking about the Fourth of July. It’s practically the same thing as St. David’s Day.”

Allie’s friend, the one with the warm skin and long, curly, brown hair, places her hands on her hips and scrunches her nose. “There’s a storm coming so everyone’s hiding while weindulgein it.”

“Ah, so you guys don’t celebrate the beloved birthday then I take it?” James jokes, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Well, I don’t know about them, but I was planning on bringing some tea to the harbor,” she says with a light laugh.

James cackles, like throwing his head back laughing. He points to her lazily before saying, “I like this one. She’s funny.”

She places her hand on her chest. “I’m Ana. We met yesterday, but you guys met a ton of people.”

I look back at Allie and see her smiling from ear to ear with the faintest shade of pink brushing along her cheeks and the tips of her ears. I keep trying not to look at her too long so I don’t end up looking like a total creep, but I can’t help it. The way her smiles seem so genuine and makes you feel like there’s nowhere else she’d rather be is addictive. The way it makes you feel like you mean something tosomeone,even if you just met them three seconds ago.

“Man, it’s too bad you guys don’t celebrate it. If it’s anything like St. David’s Day, then it’s the best excuse to crack a few open. At least that’s what we do,” James says, nudging Gareth with his elbow, who just glares at him.