Summer Ever After: A Sweet Romantic Comedy

Chapter 23

Eleventh Grade

Dear Diary,

Today in English class, Olive Belacourt said there are so many girls at school who are jealous of me because I get to hang out with Walker Collins all the time. I told her that I never ‘hang out’ with him. He’s just there when I’m at Capri’s house. Then she said Walker is the only good reason to be friends with Capri. I was so mad. I can’t stand Olive. I’m smart enough never to mention that conversation to Capri. It would only hurt her feelings.

But what Olive said made me think.

Everybody loves Walker.

And I do feel lucky to be around him so much. I know he’s not the nicest to Capri. But, to me, he’s pretty great.

I’ve been obsessed with this song lately that Walker has on his iPod, and whenever Capri and I are with him, I always make him listen to it. My parents wouldn’t let me download it from the internet. They believe people should buy physical CDs of each album—consequences of them being musicians themselves. Anyway, I’ve been waiting to go to the mainland to buy the CD so I can play it on my own iPod, but I haven’t done it yet. This morning, I found the CD on the front seat of my golf cart with a note that said, Hopefully, now I won’t have to keep playing this song for you, with a smiley face.

He BOUGHT me the CD!

It’s stuff like that that makes it impossible for me to get over Walker.

I’m afraid I’ll have a crush on him my whole life.

Jane

The sun setsbehind us as we lie in the middle of the boat, listening to music over the speakers. We’ve been here for hours, just talking and laughing.

It’s honestly been one of the best evenings of my life—if I don’t think about Capri.

“Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane plays next, and I place my hand over my heart in deep adoration. “I love this song!”

“Oh, I know!” Walker laughs, glancing over at me. “I can’t listen to it without thinking of you.”

“Really?” My lips shift into a crooked smile.

“Yeah, you and Capri made me play it over and over in high school until I finally broke down and bought you the CD. Do you remember that?”

How could I forget?

I could live a thousand lifetimes and still never forget that gesture.

“Oh, yeah,” I answer casually. “I must’ve been really annoying for you to break down and buy the CD for me.”

“I wasn’t annoyed. I just wanted to do something nice for you.”

Nice gestures don’t equal love. I have to keep reminding myself of that.

“But I have always wondered…” He faces me, lying on his side with his head propped on his hand. “Why do you love this song so much?”

“It’s stupid.”

His smile deepens. “Now I have to know.”

I shift my head so I’m looking at the stars, not Walker. “I just always thought it was the perfect song to accompany a dramatic declaration-of-love moment.” I steal a glance at him. “You know, the kind you see in the movies? The grand-gesture moment.”

“Okay.” His smile holds as he watches me.

“I don’t know.” I shrug, looking away. “I just like how the music swells and builds until the desperate vocals on the chorus. It sets up the perfect ending scene in my mind.”

“Describe it to me.”

“No, it’s embarrassing.”

He pushes my shoulder. “Describe it to me.”

The beat drops at my favorite part, and I sit up. “Okay, right here. Can’t you just imagine a man running through the streets to get to the woman he loves?”

“Why is he running?”

“Because he’s desperate for her, and that’s just what you do in a grand gesture.”

“Or maybe she’s about to get on a train and leave him forever, so he has to run to get there before she goes.”

I can’t help the goofy smile Walker’s suggestion draws out of me. “Even better.” He nods for me to continue. “So he’s running through the streets, trying to get to her before she climbs on the train. And it’s raining.” I shoot him a smirk. “It’s always raining in the best grand gestures.”

“Why?”

“It just adds to the drama of the moment.”

“I can see that,” he says in appreciation. “And what happens when he gets to her?”

I smile, sighing a little as I picture the moment in my head and how it matches the song. “He doesn’t say anything, just pulls her body to him and kisses her.”

“That takes some serious balls to just pull her in for a kiss without saying anything.”

“He doesn’t need to say anything. The kiss says it all. The fact that he came back for her says it all. That’s the romance behind it. They both know what the kiss means. They both understand that whatever is keeping them apart doesn’t matter anymore. They just want to be together. Words or a big explanation aren’t needed.”

“Then what happens next?”

“They live happily ever after.”

“Wow.” He lets it all sink in as the song winds down. “I feel emotionally wrecked from that fictional moment.”

“Right?” I don’t even bother hiding my excitement. “It’s the best!”

“I mean, it works for a book or a movie. But I would hate something like that in real life.”

“Why?” My enthusiasm drops with my shoulders.

“I told you. I’m kind of a private guy. I’m not big on grand gestures in front of people I don’t know. The last thing I’d want is a public display of affection with so many strangers watching. It gives me second-hand embarrassment just thinking about it.”

“That’s valid.” I lie back down beside him. “A lot of people feel that way.”

“But as a token of appreciation for sharing your song with me, I will share one with you.” He grabs my phone, lying on the seat pads between us, and begins searching iTunes.

“You have a grand-gesture song too?”

“Not quite.” He peers over the device with a playful expression. “This is more like a make-out song.”

My brows climb. “A make-out song?”

“That’s right.”

“Higher” by Creed starts playing over the speakers.

“I have not heard this song for probably fifteen years,” I say as I watch Walker bang his head to the beat.

“It’s an oldie but a goodie.”

“So, let me get this straight. You turn this song on when you want to make out with a woman?”

“No, I just think it would be a good song to make out to. I’ve never actually done it.” His smile turns cheeky. “You want to try it out?”

“No!” I push his shoulder, causing him to fall to his back. Things are getting a little too casual, so I put up a clear boundary. “It would be gross if we kissed.”

“Gross? Gee, thanks.”

“You know what I mean. You’re like a brother to me.”

Walker’s laughter fades as he looks over at me. “I hate it when you say that.”

“Why?”

The air between us shifts from lighthearted to intense. My heart thrashes inside my chest, matching with the strong beat of the song. I hold completely still as he rolls to me, his body leaning over mine. I grasp his massive shoulders, as if I can magically hold him back on the off chance he leans down to kiss me. I’m like those guys who drive down the freeway, trying to hold a mattress on top of their car with just their arm. I’m never winning this battle. I don’t even know if I want to win this battle.

There’s a change in his blue eyes, an electrifying current dancing in his gaze as he stares down at me. “A sister is the last thing you are to me.”

Rapid, shallow breaths fight to escape my chest, but the pounding of my heart constricts everything. I swallow, as if that can somehow counteract the physical torment I’m under, but it’s no use. My emotions crescendo with the music, and all I want to do is drag Walker’s lips down to mine. The magnitude of the feeling is more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt in my life…but Capri.

Kissing her brother—like this, without her knowing I even like him—would kill her.

I’m Team Capri.

Have been since day one.

The music abruptly stops mid-song, like the BFF gods are helping me out.

“I think my phone died.” I glance away, snapping the moment in half. “We should probably radio in for gas or else we’ll be stuck out here all night.”

“Yeah, okay.” Walker rolls to his back, letting me pass by while I try to figure out if that was disappointment I just heard in his voice.

I pick up the radio and turn it on, but nothing happens. “Oh, it wasn’t my phone that died. I think we drained the marine battery from listening to music for so long.”

Walker sits up, watching me as I reach for my cell phone.

I lift it up, but it doesn’t turn on either. “Oh, no. This is dead too. Do you have your phone?” My panicked eyes search his.

“I didn’t bring a phone. I was out for a run, remember?”

“You didn’t have your phone on you while you were running?”

“No.”

“Who leaves home without their phone?”

“Me.”

“Great.” I start pacing back and forth. “We’re stranded.”

His lips curl into a smile. “Isn’t that what you wanted?” I shoot him a sharp glare, causing him to rethink his smile. “Never mind.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Relax.” He climbs off the bed of chairs. “I’m sure your dad has a jump pack in here somewhere.”

“I don’t think so.” I start lifting seat covers, searching the cubbies below. “I’ve never seen one.”

We spend the next ten minutes turning the boat upside down with no luck.

Walker stares at me with his hands on his hips. “We’ll have to sleep here tonight and swim to shore in the morning.”

“But we’re so far out.”

“It’s, like, a mile. With life jackets, we can totally swim that.”

“I don’t know.” I shift my weight, wondering if I can really handle an entire night alone with Walker.

He senses my hesitation. “Unless you want to swim in right now.”

I glance over the dark water. There’s something really scary about the ocean at night. I think it has something to do with sharks. They’re always my problem when it comes to the ocean.

“No, let’s swim it in the morning.”

He pats the flattened chairs. “Looks like we’re sharing this bed.”

We both eye the space in the middle of the boat.

“Or I could sleep on the sundeck,” I offer.

“And have your feet dangling off the side of the boat the entire time? I don’t think so.” He throws some beach towels down for us to use as pillows and blankets.

“Are you going to be warm enough without a shirt on?” I crawl on the cushions, making up my side of the bed.

“I’ll be fine. I actually sleep naked.”

My wide eyes jerk to him. I cannot deal with naked Walker.

“I’m joking!” He laughs, whipping me with a towel. “You’re so easy to mess with.”

Only with him. Everything he does seems to mess me up.

We both lie down with plenty of space between us.

See? I got this. This is fine.

“Jane?”

I glance over at Walker. The glow of the moonlight just adds to his handsomeness. One arm rests behind his head, magnifying his tricep muscle, but I’m not dwelling on that. It was just a fleeting thought—a Hey, his arm looks incredible in that position kind of fleeting thought, never to be mentioned again.

“Thanks for today.” He shifts his head to me. “I forgot all about the U.S. Open. I don’t even know who won.”

“Oh, we should’ve checked before my phone died.”

“No, it’s a good thing. You’re a good thing for me. For my head.”

Then why does he feel like such a bad thing for me?

“I’m glad I could help.” I smile before turning over to face the opposite direction.

“Hey, Jane?”

“Yeah?”

There’s amusement in his voice that wasn’t there moments ago. “Isn’t this the one-bed trope from your paper?”

“We’re both staying on our own side,” I snap, causing him to laugh.

This is not fine.

And I don’t got this.

The sky shifts from purple to pink, enough of a change to cause me to stir in my sleep. My eyelids barely lift, confirming what my mind already registers.

I’m spooning Jane.

I don’t move. My gaze drops down the length of her neck, over her collarbone, to her body, where my arms wrap around her waist, holding her close to me. Her hips and legs line up perfectly with mine, like two spoons in a drawer.

She’s beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever told her that, but I should.

She should know how absolutely breathtaking she is.

I close my eyes and breathe in her scent. It’s not a store-bought perfume or even her shampoo. It’s just Jane, with a hint of ocean salt, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever smelled.

And for the first time in years, I feel content.

My mind isn’t racing with golf stats, world rankings, who’s doing better than me on the course, or who I need to beat in the next tournament.

For one moment, everything is still, except for the steady beat of my heart and the hot thrill of desire.

Every inch of my skin aches to pull Jane even closer, to entangle our bodies in a way that connects us even more. The urge of attraction is more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt. I want to place my lips at the hard line under her jaw and kiss until I blaze a path up to the corner of her mouth. I’d make each movement slow and torturous, worshiping her the way she deserves. My hands would roam her arms, memorizing how her skin feels against mine. Then I’d roll her over to her back and wake her up with even more kisses. We’d lose the morning to our desires, and nothing would ever feel so complete and perfect.

The rightness of holding Jane resonates deep into my soul, like maybe I was meant to come back to Sunset Harbor all along…just for her.

But then what?

Do I confront Capri and tell her she’s wrong about me and that I could be the kind of man who deserves Jane? Even if I did that, what happens next?

I don’t live here.

I don’t even want to live here.

And Jane is not coming back to Jupiter with me.

We both lose, and pretending that’s not the outcome is just setting us up for disappointment, like being ahead in a golf tournament all weekend and losing by one stroke on the last putt of the eighteenth hole. Nothing hurts more than thinking something amazing is in your reach, only to find out it’s not.

I can’t do that to Jane. I can’t be the guy who takes her romantic moment and ruins it. Capri is right. She deserves better. She deserves to have her one-bed trope with someone who’s actually going to stick around.

That guy isn’t me.

Slowly, I unlock my arms from her body and scoot myself away to my own side so she can wake up on her own and still have a chance to make this trope work someday.

I lie on my back, glancing at the changing sky until pink and red overwhelm everything.

Jane sniffs in a big breath and glances over her shoulder. Her bleary brown eyes widen at me. “You’re awake.” She quickly sits up and runs her fingers through her hair. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” I sit up too. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Um, yeah. I think so. What about you?”

A small smile lifts my lips. “One of the best nights I’ve had in a long time.”

“Good.”

In the distance, a boat engine purrs, and we both stretch our necks to see.

“Oh, my gosh!” She waves her arms over her head. “It’s Dill O’Donnell. He can help us so we don’t have to swim back.”

“Dill O’Donnell? That’s quite the name.”

She smirks at me while still signaling her arms in the air. “He’s quite the man.”

“Is Dill next on your list of men to date?”

“No!” she scoffs. “He’s married.”

“Then who is next?”

“No one this week. I’m getting my wisdom teeth out on Thursday and don’t want to look like a chipmunk during a date.”

“There aren’t any chipmunk tropes?”

“Not that I know of.” She laughs. “Oh, yay! He sees us. We’re going to be saved.”

I grab Jane’s arm, forcing her to look at me. “I meant what I said yesterday. You can’t stop your Summer of Jane Hayes. It’s going to work for you.”

She stares back at me, expressionless.

I lift my brows, needing to hear an audible response from her. “Okay?”

“Okay,” she answers just as Dill pulls up.