“Don’t let him ruin this for you. Normally, Carson isn’t such a dick. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”
“Making excuses for him won’t make me feel less like shit. He’s not wrong, you know. I’m bad news. The only thing you should look forward to is me leaving. You don’t want to get saddled with the drunk party girl.”
“That’s not who you are, and you know it. We’ve been hanging out for two days. I already know that you’re more than that. Carson is in as much pain as you, but he hides behind that asshole façade.”
I move to leave, but Ashton grabs my arm. His gaze pleads with me to stay. I settle back down on the blanket and watch him pull a large cupcake from the basket. My anger dissipates as I snatch the cupcake from him.
“You are pretty perfect.” I smile, shoving most of the cupcake into my mouth. It’s so delicious that I can’t help moaning.
“I always aim to please.”
Leaning back on the sand, I try to get the memory of Carson out of my head while I enjoy the cupcake.
But the cupcake doesn’t help me get over Carson’s rude comments. Ashton’s boarding lessons didn’t help much, either, but I didn’t show how much Carson affected me.
“That was awesome. Thanks again for teaching me.” I smile at him as I dry my legs with a towel.
Ashton winks. “It was fun. I like being a teacher.”
“What are your plans for later?” I ask, hoping he won’t leave me alone.
“I’m actually hooking up with Carson tonight. It’s guys’ night at Nelson’s house. We do the whole poker-and-cigars thing.”
I try not to pout and appear disappointment, but half of me can’t help it. “Oh, no worries. Maybe tomorrow, then?”
“Tomorrow is my day off, so I’m yours the whole day. If you’re still interested in me showing you around, we can take a drive. Hit up all those touristy spots.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.” I pick up my beach bag from the sand and sling it over my shoulder, sliding my sunglasses down from my damp hair.
“Pick you up at ten?” He walks over to me and bends, his face blocking the sun. His lips are perfectly pouty. Flecks of sand dot his tan skin, and his eyes hold so much promise.
The graze is sweet and tender, a flicker of a kiss. He pulls me closer, and I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders. The warmth of his skin settles me but not in a sexual way.
He breaks the kiss, searching for the same thing I am.
“I’m going to say it because I think we’re both feeling it,” I whisper. I slide my hands down to his forearms and hold him close.
“There’s no spark,” he says before I can get the words out.
Relief breezes through me. Thank God I wasn’t wrong. “Yup, I got nothing.”
He pulls me against him, wrapping me into a hug. It’s safe, like it used to be in Royce’s arms before we lost Tilly.
“Tomorrow?” My question is muffled by his chest. I don’t want to look up and have him see me so vulnerable. Even if there isn’t a spark between us, I don’t want to lose him as a friend. Especially not now.
“Definitely. I’ll be there at ten. Wear something comfortable.”
He places a kiss on my head and takes a step back. I give him a small wave and smile before I walk off the beach. My thoughts wander to Carson, and I try to push them away. I shouldn’t be thinking of him at a time like this. He’s not worth my trouble. I’m more confused than ever.
CARSON
“We’re going to be late,” I shout from the front door. Guys’ night is the only small joy I have these days. The rest of the lifeguard team meets twice a month for a poker night. My life before was fueled with parties, trips to exotic locations, or Vegas nights. This is the smallest part of the real me that I indulge in.
“What’s gotten into your shorts? You’ve been such an ass lately.” Ashton brushes past me and grabs his keys from the bowl in the entrance hall.
I can’t hold it in anymore. It’s time to have this conversation even if it’s not the way I planned it. “Bliss isn’t good for you.”
Once it’s out there, I feel like a jerk. Doubting where we stand in our relationship, I try to slow my heart rate. What if he hates me for trying to interfere?
“That’s what’s got you all turned out? You think Bliss is the wrong girl for me?” His laughter fills our tiny apartment as he brushes past me and heads to his car.
“I’m just looking out for you. It’s not like she’s going to be here long, but I want you to realize what type of person she is. She’s from a different world. She has the potential to hurt you.”
My feet crunch on the gravel as I open the passenger door. Ashton leans over the hood to look me in the eye. “It’s not like that. She’s . . . we’re not together.”
There is a hint of sadness in his voice, but it sounds more like disappointment than hurt. The interior of the car is cooler than the air outside, and I shiver a bit as my body adjusts.
“Good,” I say, ready to be done with the topic that is Bliss Meyer.
“I’m not going to stop seeing her, so don’t sound so relieved.” He puts the car in gear and pulls out of the driveway.
“What do you mean you’re going to keep seeing her? You’ve obviously hit it and quit it, so why stick around?”
“We didn’t have sex. One kiss, yes, but nothing else. The kiss made us both realize that there was nothing. No sparks. We decided to be friends instead.”
“You don’t have
