Chapter 36
I glance at them with a smile, but my eyes betray me almost immediately, sliding right back to Esteban.
He’s wearing the same pink trunks and white shirt he had on yesterday, and I’m wearing the one-piece. I debated if I should wear the same green two piece from yesterday but decided to wear this one. It looks great on me, and Esteban has been looking at me this whole time.
He’s sweating now, a thin sheen glistening on his tanned skin, and after a particularly good serve, he peels off his shirt and tosses it to the side like it weighs him down.
My mouth dries.
Trying to act casual, I attempt to keep my sunglasses perfectly in place so no one can tell that I’ve been watching him like a woman who hasn’t had a sip of water in days.
I must not be doing a good job because Josy leans in closer and drops her voice. “Girl. You have it bad.”
My head jerks toward her. “What?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” she says, giving me a knowing look. “I’ve seen the way you stare at Esteban, and the way he stares at you.”
I shift in my seat, trying to sound casual. “How does he stare at me?”
Josy smirks. “Like he wants you. Not just in a ‘you’re hot’ kind of way. Like he really wants you.”
Oh.
“I thought he was just messing around at first, trying to fuck with Noah,” she continues. “But now I realize he’s never acted around you. That’s why Noah keeps hounding him not to do anything.”
That makes me sit up straighter. “Wait, what? Noah’s been on his case? I thought that it was clear that we were pretending.”
She nods. “Yeah. Look, it’s not because he doesn’t think you’re grown enough to make your own choices, he knows you are. But Esteban’s never been the kind of guy who settles down. Noah’s just worried you’ll get hurt.”
I look down at my drink, swishing the ice around with my straw.
“So if I were you,” Josy says gently, “I’d talk to Esteban. Find out what this is. If it’s just infatuation or if he wants something real. Then at least you’ll know. And you can decide from there.”
My chest feels tight and fluttery all at once. I glance back toward the court just as Esteban spikes the ball and grins like a Greek god basking in applause.
Yeah. I definitely need to talk to him.
A few minutes later, Esteban jogs over, covered in sweat and sand, his hair damp and sticking to his forehead.
His skin glistens in the sun, and the second he drops beside me on the towel, I catch a whiff of sunscreen and sweat and something distinctly him.
He leans in and plants a soft, sticky kiss on my cheek.
“Ew,” I giggle, scrunching up my nose. “You’re all sweaty.”
“You’re welcome,” he says with a grin, clearly proud of himself.
At that exact moment, Melissa leans forward with a knowing smile. “You guys are too cute.”
Esteban smirks, puffing out his chest like he’s just been awarded a trophy. “Thank you. But I believe Eva is the cute one in this relationship. Look at her, all pretty and sweet, sitting here like a queen.” He throws a wink my way while I turn crimson under my sunglasses.
“Aww, that’s so sweet, Esteban. I never thought I’d see you like this,” Violet says, amusement laced through every word. “All in love.”
“What can I say?” Esteban grins. “When you know, you know. And this lady? She’s all mine.” He throws his arm dramatically over my shoulder.
I burst into laughter. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love,” he teases with a little sing-song tone before standing and holding his hand out. “You wanna come to the water with me?”
I glance up and spot Noah walking our way, his expression unreadable, serious. For a brief second, I hesitate. But then I ignore him, reach up, and slip my fingers into Esteban’s hand.
“Yes,” I say, standing. His fingers tighten gently around mine as we head toward the shoreline.
“This is gorgeous,” I whisper, my eyes taking in the vast, sparkling expanse in front of us. The waves crash lazily on the sand, and the sun makes the water shimmer like it’s dusted with glitter.
“It is,” Esteban says beside me, his eyes on the waves. “But it doesn’t compare to Puerto Rico. You should come with me this summer. I could show you around, take you to all the beautiful beaches. We could eat everything in sight, and then at night, I could take you dancing.”
I blink at him, unsure whether he’s joking or not—he looks so calm, so sincere. The kind of sincere that makes your heart skip a beat.
“Are you serious?” I ask, quietly.
He grins. “Of course. I mean, we’ve gotta visit Puerto Rico before the wedding, right? Gotta make sure my future wife approves of the homeland.”
I snort. “Oh? Is that right?”
He shrugs like it’s the most logical thing in the world. “I mean, we are fake dating, fake kissing... it’s only fair I take you to our fake wedding destination.”
I laugh, shaking my head as a wave splashes up around our ankles. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously charming,” he adds with a wink.
I roll my eyes, but my smile stays. That’s part of what I love about him, how easily he can make me laugh, how light everything feels when he’s around. But somewhere deep down, beneath the laughter and flirting, there’s a small ache forming.
Sometimes, I wish he’d stop joking for just a second.
Just long enough for me to figure out if I actually mean something to him—or if he’s just this friendly with everyone.