Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 97079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
“Anyone want to come cliff jumping?” Sam asks as we approach.
Hemi pushes her sunglasses down her nose. “You’re not serious.”
“Of course we’re serious.” Isaac frowns at his sister.
Hemi sighs and shakes her head, like he’s an idiot for even suggesting it. None of the girls are interested in cliff jumping.
“Please remember that not everyone lives their lives at Mach 10!” Hemi calls to her brothers as we head for the rooms to change.
“We’ll be fine!” Sam calls over his shoulder.
We split off, Brody following Dad since his bag is currently in his room. He’s staying with me, or at least he’s staying in my room, but we’ll bring his stuff over when we get back. Changing rooms now seems pointless. We can always push the bed to one side if it rains to avoid the leak.
I check my phone when I get to my room.
Essie
Do you have a roommate tonight?
Nate
Yeah, but Brody sleeps like the dead, so I should be able to sneak over.
Essie
I’ll understand if you need bro time, tho.
Nate
You’re much nicer to wake up next to.
Essie
And cuddle with. Have fun at the cliffs.
Nate
Have fun with the girls.
Essie hearts the message as a voicemail alert pops up from an unknown number. My stomach twists, but we’re in a foreign country, and sometimes the carriers don’t pick up familiar numbers.
I key in my passcode and hit play.
“Hi, Nate. It’s your mom. I saw your brother’s—”
Panic hits hard and fast. “No fucking way.” I delete it without listening to the rest, then toss the phone on my bed. My skin prickles, and my chest tightens. I run my hands through my hair, gripping the strands tightly as I pace. I blocked my mom from my social media. As soon as she started calling, I set them all to private. But I’m sure she has a fake account set up, and Brody’s accounts aren’t set to private, so he probably doesn’t realize she can see what he’s posting.
I wish she’d just leave us alone.
My phone pings with new messages.
Brody
Waiting on you.
I’d come get you, but you haven’t sent me your room number yet.
Naaaaaaaate. Brooooooooo.
Nate
Be there in two.
I shove all my feelings about my mom and her fucking phone calls into a box. My dad and my brothers don’t need to know she’s still trying to reach us through me. I change into board shorts and a T-shirt and meet up with the rest of the guys.
“Took you long enough!” Brody rolls his eyes. “Did you need to iron your board shorts first?”
“Ha-ha.” The ironing board is currently set up in the corner of my room because I like things neatly pressed, but I draw the line at swim- and underwear.
“Everything good?” Tristan asks.
I force a smile. “Great. Let’s roll.”
We follow Isaac and Sam to the pier and climb into a sweet speedboat with seating in the bow. Sam gets behind the wheel.
“This is lit!” Chase exclaims.
“It’s awesome,” Brody agrees and tucks his ball cap under his leg so he doesn’t lose it in the water.
Isaac points to the rocky cliffs across the bay. “That’s where we’re going.”
“This is freaking cool.” Chase can hardly contain himself.
He’s the extrovert to my younger brother’s introvert.
“You all been having a good time?” Dad asks as we zip across the pale blue water.
Tristan nods. “It’s been great. We had a hiccup in the beginning with the room situation, but Connor Grace pulled some strings and we ended up at Bea’s dream resort, so it all worked out.” He’s in a buoyant fucking mood.
And why wouldn’t he be? He’s marrying the love of his life. He has no idea Mom is still trying to contact me. Or that I’m over here having an existential crisis because my views on love and relationships are suddenly shifting, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. But I can make a plan. I’m good at those.
“Sounds like everything is working out the way it should.” Dad stretches an arm across the back of the seat.
“Aside from that and Nate here getting stung by jellyfish, it’s been smooth sailing.” He claps me on the shoulder.
“Jellyfish? Did someone have to pee on you?” Chase asks.
I roll my eyes. “That’s not actually what you’re supposed to do.”
“You should probably send Essie a thank you for taking care of you last night,” Tristan says.
“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck. “I owe her.” For a lot more than just rubbing cream into my stings and making sure I had food when I woke up.
Brody perks up. “Essie took care of you?”
“I was high on antihistamines. There wasn’t much to take care of.”
“He passed out in her bed and snuggled with her stuffed cat,” Tristan notes.
“I didn’t snuggle with Catalina,” I grumble.
“Yeah, you did. Bea stopped by to check on you and snapped a couple of photos.”