of your flaws is that you’re quick to judge,” I say in jest.
Her face falls.
“No, no, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Just when I think I’ve offended her, a grin sneaks up at one corner of her mouth.
“Ah, I see.” I start to walk into the water and she follows. “So we’re the Overthinking Manipulator and the Control Freak with trust issues.”
“I guess so,” she agrees without argument.
“Well, I hope we can stand to be around each other for three whole hours,” I say. “Sounds like a lot of work.”
Neither of us comments on the likelihood of that, I guess because we both already know that, well, three hours together isn’t going to be enough.
“What else?” she asks, and I get the sense that maybe she’s looking for something a little more serious. “I mean, surely there’s something about you that you, or someone you know, might consider a real flaw?”
Now I’m the one chewing on the inside of my mouth.
Sienna tilts her head to one side thoughtfully, waiting.
“Well, sure there is,” I say, though I find myself trying to word it right. “I’ve known a few … people … in my lifetime who think I’m too much of a risk-taker.” When I say people, I mean girls, but at the last second I thought it might be better not to bring up my past girlfriends and failed relationships.
Her ears perk up and she looks at me contemplatively. “Oh? A risk-taker, huh? In what way?”
I take a deep, but unnoticeable, breath.
Then I point out at the waves and say, “Like with my surfing, for example.” I laugh lightly. “Even you seemed a little anxious when I brought up the whole surfing in stormy weather.”
She smiles, drawing her petite shoulders up around her. Then she shrugs.
“OK, yeah, I guess I didn’t hide that too well,” she admits. “But what else do you do that people consider risky?”
Hmm, did she catch onto the hidden meaning behind that, or was she just reiterating?
I shrug, too. “A few things: rock-climbing, cliff-diving, hang gliding, skydiving—I love the thrill, the sense of freedom.” Quietly I search her face and her eyes and her posture for any signs of retreating, but all I see is interest and maybe a bit of confusion. But so far, she doesn’t seem put off by the things I do.
Of course, that never means anything right away—my ex hung around for nearly six months before she decided the stuff I was into was just too much for her.
Maybe that’s why I’m not telling Sienna everything yet. Then again, she’s only here for a short while, so why worry about even getting into it?
“What about you?” I ask. “Anything worse than overthinking, and manipulating poor unsuspecting guys?”
She reaches out and gently hits me on the arm; the playful gesture and red in her face give me the urge to grab her around the waist—this holding back shit for the sake of being a gentleman is excruciating work.
Sienna looks up at the sky, pursing her lips contemplatively, and then she says, “I’m kind of a neat freak, and I tend to overdo things because I don’t like to be caught off guard.”
“Hmm,” I hum through my closed lips, nodding. “I dunno; I don’t think that’s much of a flaw.”
“Well, neither do I!” She laughs. “It’s something Paige apparently thinks is a flaw—she reminds me on a daily basis. But I like being neat and in control and prepared.”
“And I like doing ‘risky’ things,” I say, our smiles matching.
We head out into the waves and all I can think about anymore is how short three hours really is.
EIGHT
Sienna
Rock climbing. Hang gliding. Cliff-diving. Skydiving. These are things I know I could never do—my fear of heights pretty much makes it impossible—but there’s nothing wrong with someone else doing things like that. It seems dangerous, sure, but most people probably wouldn’t do it if it was too dangerous.
I don’t think too much more about it—I’m having too much fun surfing—but it lingers quietly in the back of my mind.
After two and a half hours of failing miserably at my first time surfing, I’m already beginning to dread the last thirty minutes before I have to leave. I don’t want to go. I want to stay with Luke. I want to run back to the hotel and grab my camera and snap so many shots of this beautiful island that it makes my head spin and drains my battery. I want to see waterfalls and whales and professional