“If you don’t want to do laps, I won’t make you. But we used to have fun together, remember? You, me, and Eli always hung out.”
I narrow my gaze. “So what happened between you and Eli?”
He looks away. “That’s old history, Scarlett.”
“Brendan—”
He rakes his hand through his wet hair. “I wish I’d done things differently.” His face clouds with regret. “So many things.”
“Like what?”
“You,” he whispers. “My sister’s accident came at the worst possible time. Don’t get me wrong; I’m grateful she survived.That month when we didn’t know if she’d wake up was torture, and I blamed myself for not driving her home after the party. Nothing went the way I’d planned.” He shakes his head, the regret on his face evident.
“It’s okay, Bren,” I say, my voice low. “I’m over it.”
He studies me, his brow furrowing. “Over…”
“What happened between us.” I pause, knowing this isn’t the truth, but what heneedsto hear. “We were young, right?” I shrug, pretending it was nothing, even though to me that kiss was everything.
“It never would have worked. My world was a coffee shop on the other side of town.” I gesture at this gorgeous pool around us. “And your world wasthis.”
His frown deepens as his expression grows darker. “You really think it matters where you’re from? You think I even care about that?”
“It’s probably for the best. We both know it.”
He doesn’t look relieved.Why?I’m giving him the out he’s been wanting all these years.
Instead, he looks like I just sucker-punched him.
Without another word, he turns and swims across the pool, putting as much distance between us as possible.
“Wait, I thought we were swimming together?” I call as he climbs out and grabs his towel.
“Some other time,” he says without looking back, then strides out the door, leaving me treading water.
I let out a breath. At least one of us can move on from that night. I just wish it were me.
NINETEEN
Scarlett
“It’s gorgeous!” Carmen gushes to Grandma Rosa, holding up a pearl-colored plate rimmed in twenty-four-karat gold that she just opened from her towering stack of wedding gifts. The Marco family sits in a circle on the sprawling stone patio,oohingover each new treasure at the bridal shower.
The property around us feels like something out of a movie—rock walls and lush gardens heavy with roses draped over archways, the ocean stretching to the horizon in the distance.
There’s probably no other house in Sully’s Beach with a view like this. And somehow, I’m sitting in the middle of it.
Brendan sits beside me, noticeably quiet, keeping careful space between us on the outdoor love seat. He holds a sweating glass of iced tea, aviator sunglasses shielding his eyes from both the sun and, conveniently, me.
Maybe he’s thinking about everything he’s missing at the arena right now, but somehow, I don’t think that’s it.
Ever since our swim this morning, something’s changed. When we’re alone, he finds reasons to leave the room.
But the second we’re with his family, he flips the switch, back into boyfriend mode, careful not to touch me, but close enough to be believable. It’s just convincing enough that no one asksquestions. His wedding-shower face is solid, so I match it. I laugh when everyone laughs and nod at the right moments. From the outside, we look pretty good. But every time I glance at him, I catch it, the way his gaze slides away from me.
Aunt Elana reaches for her gift next. Based on the gleam in her eyes, this won’t be another set of china. Carmen lifts the lid and parts the tissue paper, then freezes.
“What is it?” Isabella asks, trying to see what’s inside.