13. Hunter
Chapter 13
Hunter
“You’re sure you know how to drive this thing?”
It’s not that I don’t trust my bestie. It’s just that on the first night we ever hung out, she confessed she’d never even been on a boat. Now she’s cruising across Lake Chapel with total confidence and a decent amount of speed.
“Yep.” Joey centers herself behind the helm of the smaller speed boat, headed toward the marina and the first day of spring semester.
It’s just the two of us.
Sort of.
Kylian is already at the marina, awaiting our arrival. The guys are on the pontoon not far behind us. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that within twenty-four hours of the unveiling of Decker and Kylian’s transportation schedule and proposed plans, Joey convinced them that we needed girl time and would be taking a boat just the two of us.
I giggled when I saw Little Green added to the color-coded schedule this morning.
“Hold on, babe. I don’t know who we’re racing, but I fully intend to win.”
Joey thrusts the throttle forward, and the boat jerks. She screams with glee as the wind makes an absolute mess of her hair. Thankfully, I opted for a beanie today.
As my eyes water and the wind stings my cheeks, I laugh, weightless and free. I love new beginnings.
Fresh starts.
This is exactly how the first day of school is supposed to feel.
When my phone vibrates in my pocket, I pull it out, and when I catch sight of Spence’s name on the screen, giddiness surges through me.
Spence : You appear to be traveling at a much faster pace than the rest of our cohort, love. Care to explain?
Explain, I won’t.
I do, however, sidle up to Joey, hold out my phone, and take a quick selfie of her windswept hair and my wild, gleeful smile.
Firecracker: I can’t help it if the boys can’t keep up.
I follow that up with a serious text, not wanting him to worry.
Firecracker : The guys are behind us. Kylian is waiting at the docks. Joey got her boating license a few months ago. We’re good!
Spence: A few MONTHS ago?
Whoopsies… I didn’t think that one through.
Spence: I suddenly have the urge to make Gerald acquire a boating license and escort you to and from class each day.
Firecracker: Unnecessary. Besides, the guys are with me.
Spence: But if it were Gerald with you, you wouldn’t be trying to ditch him.
He’s got me there.
Firecracker: Why don’t YOU get a boating license? Then we can race each other next time.
Spence: I can think of many, many creative things I would like to do with you on a boat, Firecracker. Racing is quite low on the list.
“Earth to Hunter.”
“Sorry, sorry.” I stash my phone, cheeks heating, and give Joey a sheepish smile. It was rude of me to ignore her when she specifically wanted to have a little time for just the two of us.
“Don’t ever apologize for being that happy, babe. I don’t know who you were messaging or what they were saying, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you smile that wide.”
The heat in my cheeks spreads down my neck and to my ears. She can tease me all she wants, though. She’s my bestie, so it’s her God-given right.
Besides, she’s not wrong.
Despite everything we’ve endured and the fact that my mother is still a menace, I’ve never been this happy in my life.