Page 50 of This Could be Love

“I finished a bit earlier. Looks great,” I said, glancing at her hair, which was a few centimeters shorter.

Flattered, she eased out of her espadrilles, which she had worn with a pair of mustard-yellow linen pants and a white lace top. “Have you eaten already?”

“I made two avocado toasts for myself.”

“Sounds good. I think I’ll make myself one of those too.”

Barefoot, she shuffled off to the kitchen.

“How’d it go last night?” I could hear the clatter of silverware. “Are Griffin Chipman’s parties as crazy as they’re made out to be?”

“As they’re made out to be?”

“Loud. Crowded. Wild.”

“It was loud, yeah. Crowded too. But wild?” I tilted my head.“Not really. But I didn’t stay that long either.”

I had to think of the trip back. Of our kiss. And, sadly, Kay’s AC couldn’t do a thing about the heat spreading out across my insides.

“That was no doubt a smart move.”

“Hmm.”

I could hear a cutting board being pulled from a drawer. As she busied herself with slicing the avocado, I distracted myself by telling her about my day. The match with Malia. What I had to contend with and where I was strong. All the while stealing glances at my phone, but there was no text from Vince.

* * *

On my free afternoon, I went down to the beach to swim. I convinced myself that I’d be doing something positive for my tired muscles. That it didn’t have anything to do with seeing Vince. That it didn’t have anything to do with the fact that he hadn’t been in touch.

Sundays on Sunset Beach were always busy. Colorful towels competed with umbrellas, coolers, and tents, and people floating around in the water on air mattresses or bodyboarding back onto land. Neon-colored snorkels poked both out of the shallows and beyond, near a group of surfers too far out to see if Vince was among them.

“He’s not there.”

I spun around. Like a god straight out of the waves I saw Chipstanding in front of me. I knew the video of his world record, had watched him ride an 87-foot wave. With sheer physical strength. And nevertheless, my jaw almost dropped seeing him up close. His upper body naked, in blue surf shorts. Hot. As. Fuck. As if AI had made a person out of just those terms. For an instant I didn’t know if I should snort sarcastically or laugh dumbly.

“He’s not there,” Chip repeated, and I became aware of the fact that I was still staring at him. Or, well…not him. His perfect body.

“Who’s not there?”

He raised his eyebrows, and his face said as much as,You fucking with me?

“I just wanted to go swimming,” I said, but my voice didn’t come out as strong as I’d hoped.

“Of course,” he replied, his own dripping with sarcasm. “All of a sudden you all had vanished yesterday.”

“We wanted to say goodbye, but no one knew where you were.”

A thoughtful crease appeared on his forehead, but I wasn’t sure if he really was thinking or just pretending. “I might’ve been busy.” His grin was so brazen, it was almost dirty. “So…what’s up with you and hostel boy?” His eyes homed in on mine.

“Nothing.”

Chip tucked his surfboard under his arm. “He’s never brought anyone over to my house.”

“He didn’tbringme. You invited me,” I reminded him.

“But you came together and…left together.”

“Because we’re neighbors?” I shrugged, and hoped my cheeksweren’t as red as they felt.