25. Summer 18
“I’ve been thinking about the speech I’m going to give at your wedding when you and Andrew get married.”
I nearly choke on a piece of brownie from my ice cream, but Rebecca is completely unfazed, her focus on the road ahead, as it should be I suppose.
“I just think as your maid of honor, and the groom’s sister, I can give a lot of great insights into the way your friendship blossomed into an eventual relationship.”
“Becs, I love you, and you will of course be my maid of honor one day?—”
“Awwww!”
“But Andrew and I are not together, and we are not even remotely close to being together. I love that you have so much confidence in us, but I think it’s time to drop it. I can’t take thinking more about something that will never happen.”
“But it will!” she insists. “You need to work on your confidence, girl. You’ve got a kind heart and a sense of humor that catches many people off guard. Your big green eyes and freckles are stunning. When you walk into a room, people stop what they’re doing to notice you because you just radiate light.”
I open and close my mouth, unsure how to respond. When the shock finally settles, I answer, “Becs. You just described yourself… minus the green eyes and freckles part.”
“Well, you’re that way too. Andrew sees that. I see it in his face every time he looks at you. He’s a goner for you!”
I churn my spoon in my ice cream, putting all my focus into getting the perfect bite. “Thank you. I appreciate the pick me up. I just want to be realistic. Andrew and I have been just friends since we were nine years old. If that was going to change, I think it would’ve by now.”
“No! I’m going to prove it to you. Andrew just needs a nudge because he’s scared of telling you how he feels, but if he saw there was a chance of losing you, I guarantee you things would change. You just have to let me prove it to you.”
“The floor is yours,” I tease.
“Well, I don’t have the proof right now, but coming soon to a theater near you. Don’t you worry!”
She pulls into the driveway behind Andrew’s truck. I guess he’s finally back from the gym. It’s only 1:30 in the afternoon! We hop out of the car, and I’m still clinging to my ice cream cup, enjoying each cool, creamy bite.
“I will never understand how you manage to make your ice cream last the entire car ride home! That’s at least twenty minutes!” Rebecca muses. She polished her cone off before we even started heading back.
I shrug. “I just like to savor it.”
“Well, it shows both talent and patience. You should put that on your resume.”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure employers would love to see that I can take more than twenty minutes to finish a couple scoops of ice cream.” I chuckle.
As we saunter in through the Martins’ front door, we find Andrew standing in the kitchen, wearing gym clothes and shaking up his protein shake. He still has a slightly sweaty sheen to him.
“Hey!” He nods at us as he takes a sip of his shake. “What’re you two up to?”
“We just went and got ice cream. Can you believe Emma made hers last the entire car ride home?”
“Yes,” he deadpans. Andrew has gone to get ice cream with me enough times to know better. Rebecca knows better too. She just gobbles her ice cream up in five minutes flat, so she can’t comprehend it.
With a distasteful glance in Andrew’s direction, Rebecca continues. ”How was your workout? I can’t believe you and Brendan spend that many hours working out. How do you not pass out?”
Andrew raises a brow at her. “It’s what athletes do.”
“Emma is an athlete, and she’s not MIA for half the day.”
“I don’t know. Brendan and I like to have a little fun sometimes too. He’s my best bud.”
“I can’t believe I still haven’t met Brendan,” I interject. “He’s like this enigma. I hear about him all the time, but I’ve never met him, even though he’s supposed to be your best friend.”
“I guess I could see if he wants to come hang out with us tonight,” Andrew offers.
His words make me feel like I’m floating. I’m suddenly desperate to meet this guy who is such a big part of Andrew’s life outside of our summers at the lake.
Rebecca straightens up a little, and a light begins to shine in her eyes. She has an idea. Our eyes meet, and she gives me a little smirk. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I tilt my head ever so slightly toward her as if to say lead the way.
“That’d be so fun! We can go night swimming and check out his ah-mazing abs and maybe make some s’mores or something.” She gives me a quick wink.
I blush, rapidly looking between the twins.
Unamused, Andrew flicks his phone out of his back pocket. “I’ll text him. Em, he makes the best burgers ever. You’ve got to try them! It’ll ruin all other burgers for you, but it’s worth it.”
“Excellent! It’s settled then. You two can cook burgers for us, and then we can swim later!” Rebecca chimes.
I give Rebecca a curious look.
Andrew rinses the shaker out in the sink and then turns to us. “I’ll have him come over a little before five.”
As soon as he’s left the room, Rebecca turns to me, wiggling her brows. “This bodes well for you.”
I’m not sure what I expected from Brendan, but I’ve found myself a bit surprised. Not in a bad way. He’s kind and charismatic. He’s a bit more outgoing than Andrew, and I’d be a fool not to notice how attractive he is. Even though he’s just wearing a t-shirt and shorts, I can tell he’s got a muscular build like Andrew, and there’s something about his messy blonde waves that’s both endearing and, dare I say, sexy?
I like him a lot. He’s not Andrew, but I’m happy to see this person Andrew spends so much time with is a likable, respectable guy. It only makes me adore Andrew even more to see he picked such a good friend.
We’re all sitting on the back patio, post-burgers, chatting. It’s nice. I’m starting to wonder why we haven’t done this before. Having an even number is a game changer and adding Brendan into the group has felt very natural. Granted, he has known Rebecca and Andrew since long before I came along. Leaning back in my chair, I place my palms on my full belly. “Andrew was right, I’ll never be able to eat another burger again without thinking of this one. You’ve ruined all other burgers for me, Brendan!”
Before Brendan has a chance to humbly respond, Rebecca interjects. “That’s not the only thing he’s good at. He’s a runner like you too. Brendan, did you know Emma runs track and cross country? She’s going to compete D1 this year, and she’s going to be a superstar!”
“No kidding?” Brendan lights up. “I ran the mile a bit in high school but only for training purposes. I’m no long-distance runner. That’s impressive!”
“What’s your main event?” I ask, thoroughly interested.
“I’m going to college because of my 800-meter time. I dabble a little in jumping too, but not like Andrew.” He slaps his buddy on the back.
“How did I not know you ran the 800?” I ask in shock, looking toward Andrew for an answer. “I’ve been running everything from the 400-meter to the 3200-meter. I think I’ll end up running the 5k next year, though. My coach was already trying to talk me into it on my recruiting visit.”
“The 5k? That’s brutal! Isn’t that twelve laps around a track?” I nod in reply. “Good for you! I’m the opposite.” He chuckles. “My coach is trying to convert me to a 400-meter runner.”
“You two need to stop throwing out random numbers,” Rebecca interrupts.
“One lap around a track is 400 meters. Four laps convert to about a mile, and the 5k is 3.1 miles. Did I miss anything, Emma?”
“I think that about sums it up!”
“You guys have so much in common. Andrew, why have you been hiding Brendan from her?” Rebecca says, turning to Andrew with a pointed look.
“You had to have known we’d hit it off! Not too many other people know the world of distance running. He’s a rare gem,” I add.
Andrew scowls. I swear I can see steam coming out of his ears as his face grows redder by the moment. Why does he seem mad? Two of his good friends are getting along really well. That should be the dream!
I brush it off, looking to Rebecca for guidance. “Are we going swimming tonight?”
“Hell yeah, we are! Let’s clean up the dishes and get to it.” She abruptly pushes from the table, grabbing dishes with one hand and me with the other. She sweeps me into the kitchen with her as the boys slowly move toward the grill, scrubbing it down and collecting the rest of the dishes.
“So, what do you think?”
“Of what?”
“Of Brendan! Or the fact that Andrew is so clearly extremely jealous right now? I wish I had planned this myself because this is amazing.”
Realization washes over me. “That’s why you looked at me like that earlier?”
“He’s gorgeous, and you guys have things in common. I’d be jealous of him if I were Andrew. It was just a happy accident that this all fell together, and he seems genuinely into you. This is so great!”
I stop what I’m doing. “You think Brendan is into me? Oh, this is bad. This is weird. Becs?—”
“Calm down! All this is going to do is make Andrew realize you aren’t just going to sit around waiting for him to act on his feelings.”
My stomach churns.
The slider opens and closes behind the two boys. Brendan claps his hands together eagerly and asks, “So, should we get into our swimsuits? The water is calling to me.”
Rebecca’s words echo in my mind as his eyes flicker to me briefly before he turns to Andrew to say something. Andrew frowns and shoves Brendan’s shoulder before his gaze flits over me too.
No freaking way! Was Rebecca right?
I turn to her, and it’s impossible to miss the smug look on her face. She sees it too. I try to stifle the giggle bubbling up inside me, but it slips out. She leans into me as the boys leave the kitchen to get their swimsuits. With sheer glee, she murmurs, “This is going to be so much fun.”
Excitement and hope rush through my veins as I grab my bag off the floor next to the couch and head to the bathroom to change into my suit. It’s the suit I just bought with Rebecca in town today before we got ice cream. It’s navy blue, and the bottoms have a little lettuce edge ruffle. She told me it made my butt look good, and, honestly, I feel pretty good in it.
I unlock the bathroom door and step out, wrapped in my towel. I may feel good in this, but I still have my modesty. Brendan and Andrew sit on the bar stools in just their swimsuits. Damn, they are a sight to see with their broad shoulders, taut chests, and perfectly chiseled abs. Feeling suddenly shy, I pull my towel around me even tighter. Meanwhile, Rebecca struts into the kitchen in her pale blue bikini.
“Ready?” Andrew asks.
Rebecca and I nod, and we all head out to the backyard. The juxtaposition is unreal as Andrew responsibly turns on the dock lights and carries towels for everyone while Rebecca grabs my hand and starts rushing to the dock, leaping off, leaving me with no choice but to follow.
We pop up with laughter just in time to see Brendan throw himself off the dock, curling into a cannonball. Before he surfaces, I feel a tug on my ankle, causing me to shriek. He bursts free from the water right in front of me with a huge grin, and I splash him in playful frustration. “Don’t you ever do that again! You scared the crap out of me.”
“Get a room, you two,” Rebecca teases from over my shoulder.
I look to her, trying to hide my embarrassment and find Andrew still standing on the dock, holding the towels and fuming. His eyebrows are narrowed, and his mouth is in a crooked line. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him like this before.
“Are you getting in, Andrew?”
That seems to break his train of thought, whatever it is. He throws the towels onto the dock and leaps off to my right.
Brendan continues to tread close to me, but Andrew lurks close by too. I can see his wheels turning before he finally speaks. “Hey, Brendan! Bet I can beat you to Emma’s dock!”
“No chance!” Brendan calls back before rocketing in the direction of our property.
The second they’re out of earshot, Rebecca bursts, “I’m a genius!” I can’t help the laughter that follows her words. “What are you laughing at?”
“You are a genius, and I will give credit when credit is due, but I think you’re reading into this too much.”
“Emma! I promise you, I’m not. Andrew is so ticked that another guy is giving you attention. He just tried to use Brendan’s competitive side to get him away from you. I told you earlier I’d prove to you that the prospect of losing you would trigger something in Andrew, and it’s right here for you to see if you’d just open your eyes and stop being so humble!”
The boys hit the dock at about the same time, and I can hear them arguing over who got there first. I can’t help the smile that grows on my face.
“I don’t know, Becs. He’s only ever treated me as a friend, and I don’t see that changing.”
“That’s not true, and you know it.”
When Brendan and Andrew come back to our company, they’re both out of breath. In between pants, Andrew prods, “Em, tell this ass I beat him fair and square.”
“Oh, shut up!” Brendan argues back. “You know I have the stamina to outlast you.”
“This wasn’t about endurance. It was a sprint.” Andrew gestures toward the dock about 50 meters away.
“I don’t know, I think you two will need to go again for me to determine the winner,” I tease, shrugging my shoulders with nonchalance.
Andrew narrows his eyes at me as the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly. He reaches out and swoops me up. “Here, I’ll give you a better view this time!” Then he pushes off the dock. I squeal with laughter, and he lets go.
Both laughing, we turn toward one another, and I catch Andrew’s gaze. There’s something soft behind his eyes. I can’t help but think there’s no way I’m imagining this. The look in his eyes. The tension between us. I can’t just imagine that, can I?
We are broken apart by Brendan’s loud remark. “Ohhhh! I get it now,” he says, facing Rebecca. She simply nods with a soft smile. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Andrew turns back to me, saying something about a hankering for Oreos, but I don’t miss Rebecca’s response. “I’m not sure if he even realizes it yet, but he will soon.”