“And you’re getting real grumpy because you’ve forgiven me and it bothers you that you did it that fast. It means admitting to yourself that the soft spot for me that you worked for seven years to kill, didn’t truly die.” I kissed his temple. “You don’t have to marry for money, dummy. Seems to me the answer is letting the girl who messed you up put you back together again.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?! Ugh!” He slid out from under me. “You and your damn mind games will put me back in therapy before these four years are done!”
I relaxed on his pillows, getting comfortable just like he accused. “No mind games. I don’t have the right to demand things of you. Not to be my fake fiancé or even my friend. I just want to know one thing, Carter.”
He stalked the length of the bed. “And that is?”
“How do you see our love story ending?”
Carter froze, back to me. “You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll tell you straight up, it doesn’t end in me walking away.”
My heart thumped loudly in my ears. “You mean you would—”
“We’re a long way from that conversation,” he sharply cut in. “I may have forgiven you, but trust doesn’t come as quickly.”
I sobered. “Yes, of course not.”
“The point is also moot because while Byrne is out there, you won’t feel safe to take meaningful steps with anyone. Let’s put on hold conversations we’re not ready to have. We’ll also pause the hugging, kissing, and sleeping together.”
I rolled over, taking his hand. “But not the talking and spending time together, right?”
“Sure,” he said, staring at our hands like he was wondering how they got there.
“And we can hug and kiss and sleep together when you secretly want me to.” I winked. “Right?”
“Now you’re out.” Carter scooped me up and carried me out the door. I was cheesing ear to ear as he put me on my feet.
My life was no less complicated and fraught with danger than it was the day before. But I had Nathan. I had Preston. And by a miracle, Carter was finding his way back to me. That was plenty to be happy about.
FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS of my summer, happy I was. Actually, joyfully, blissfully, glowing was a better description of my mood. The pressure of husbands and marriage was over and I could bask in my time at the cove for what it was—the last chance to have fun with my friends and love with my boyfriends before college, commitments, and the real world crashed in.
Zion, Mila, Kelli, Owen, Hazel and I formed a tight group. Kelli was slowly falling for Lukas, and by the sloppy grins he threw her over breakfast, he was plunging just as hard. Hazel kept sneaking away with Andres and thought we didn’t know about it, but their smiles were no less toothy when they saw each other.
The rest of us weren’t worried about marriage, so we spent our days swimming, playing volleyball, watching movies, and enjoying everything the island had to offer. One night, we went to a bar to listen to an island band play and stayed up dancing until early morning.
As for my boys, I could talk, calling Lukas sloppy in love, but I wasn’t much better. Nathan and I ate dinner on my balcony almost every night, talking about the lives we’d have when we were free.
Preston’s need to be careful of his mom and soon-to-be fiancée didn’t slow us down as much as I thought. We easily skirted her sleep routine at night, and during the day, he surprised me by whisking me somewhere private. Having sex in the ocean is tricky with waves knocking you about, but we got the hang of it.
As for the Ice Prince Carter Knight, starting over with the boy I once shared everything with was its own minefield to navigate. We knew too much about each other. The buttons to press. The embarrassing stories to whip out when the other needed to be taken down a notch. Some days we made the nuclear fallout of my breakup with Nathan seem as harmless as a baby splashing in a kiddie pool. But then there were other days—
I burrowed into Carter’s side, throwing my arm around him and weaving my leg between his. The four of us laid out on the beach watching Owen teach Zion how to surf.