Chapter 6 #2
“Of course,” I mutter, knowing I’m being lame. I’m jealous of a girl who’s been perfectly nice to me, because she gets to lift boats on a forklift and spend time with Justin, who, by the way, I’m spending time with right now.
I have a problem.
Justin drives the forklift into the huge warehouse used to store the boats. When he disappears around the corner, my phone buzzes, and without a second thought I answer.
“Hello?”
“Don’t hang up,” he says.
I consider hanging up.
“I know you’re mad, but I want you to reconsider,” Mason says.
I take a deep breath and say, “Reconsider what?”
“All of it,” he says. I hear the relief in his voice that I’ve finally responded. “Me. The trip. I miss you.”
I look out over the marina and spot a pelican swoop down over the water and scoop up a fish. The carefree feeling of being with the guys and working all day evaporates.
“Summer?”
Still, I say nothing. I don’t trust myself.
“Come on the trip,” he tries again. “I’ll stay away from you, if that’s what you want.”
I look across the parking lot and see Whit walking my way. His blond hair is tied at the neck. He spots me and winks. I turn and face the side of the building. “I can’t. You and I both know what went on between us is over. A trip to France is delaying the inevitable.”
“Come on, Summer,” he begs. “I got scared at the end of the year. So many people were around. The gossip and rumors started. I was afraid I’d lose my job.”
I notice he doesn’t say anything about being afraid I’d get hurt. Or afraid he’d lose me. Selfish prick.
“Mason, you know I didn’t want this to happen but I think it’s for the best. Having some time away is helping me realize that.”
“Are you seeing someone?” he asks suddenly. “Is that why you’re avoiding my calls?”
“What? No.” I feel my throat closing up, a sign I’m about to start crying. “Fuck, Mason. It’s over. Go back to your life, your job. Your students. Forget about me like I’m trying to forget about you.”
“I don’t know why you have to be such a bitch about all of this. I made a mistake. Does that mean I have to be punished forever?”
“It’s not a punishment. It’s reality.”
“You’re upset. I know that if we could talk in person everything would be okay,” he attempts to back the anger out of his voice. “You’re not the only one this affects, you know.”
“Understatement of the year,” I tell him and disconnect just as Justin walks up to meet me.
My hands shake and I drop my phone, flinching when it clatters at his feet. He picks it up before I do; checking the screen to make sure it didn’t crack. “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” I say, steeling my voice and taking the phone back. We don’t know one another enough for him to pry and I’m thankful. I feel the phone buzz in my pocket and I ignore it, instead flashing a smile at Justin. “What’s next?”
“Lunch—hungry?”
I nod, overlooking the terrible knot in my stomach.
“Let’s go then,” he says, directing me toward the docks.
“Um, the Jeep is over there.”
He turns to face me while walking backwards. “We’re not going in the Jeep.”
I follow him down the dock past all the different boats. Some are huge, with multiple levels, while others are basic, small fishing boats. He walks up to a small but nice boat and hops over the side. “Is this yours?” I ask, climbing over the edge and holding on to the seat for balance.
“My uncle’s.” He reaches out to steady my waist. Through my shirt I can feel the heat of his fingers and the current spreads outward. I twist from under his touch, unsure how to handle all this. Friendly behavior? Flirty?
“Thanks,” I say. Avoiding eye contact, I sit in the first empty seat I find. “So you work at his marina and drive his boat…anything else I should know? Is that his Jeep?”
Justin begins removing buoys from the side of the boat, tossing them on the floor. When he’s finished he sits behind the wheel and cranks the motor. The first couple tries don’t take. He frowns and tries again and the motor flares to life with a low rumble. “I live at his house.”
“Not at the campground?” I’d just assumed he did.
“Nope, the guys and I share a house, one with real plumbing and everything,” he jokes.
“Har, har,” I say, but I’m surprised, although I guess I shouldn’t be.
Everything about him has surprised me. Justin maneuvers the boat away from the dock and drives out into the waterway.
Ahead I can see the big bridge that we took from the mainland to the island the other day.
This helps me get my bearings. “So this goes past the campground?”
“Yep, a couple of miles up the waterway.”
He keeps a slow pace, careful of the other boats and docks jutting out into the water. We pass a variety of houses, some new and huge, others older and more modest. I lean back in my seat to enjoy the warm sun and breeze.
Justin settles into his own seat and points inland, slowing the boat to a crawl.
“That’s my favorite house.” I follow his hand and see the bright blue house sitting on a point.
Huge trees surround the property, shading the house from the hot sun.
There’s a tree house perched over the edge of the water and a dock with a wide covered platform.
“It’s beautiful,” I agree. “You could have awesome parties there.”
“I’d put a swing off that tree house right over the water.”
He shifts gear and we move faster—a lot faster, plowing past other boats and countless docks. The motor and waves make it impossible to talk, but I notice him gesture ahead and I stand up for a better view. I smile when I see what he’s pointing at on the horizon. Ocean Beach Family Campground.
I lean over the edge for a better view and sure enough, Anita and the kids are playing by the water’s edge.
Justin honks the boat horn and she looks up.
She gives a short wave until she sees me waving back and her arm stops moving.
I see her mouth something, and I yell to Justin, “What did she say?”
“I think she said, ‘What the hell?’”