Page 14

“Oomph!” Holt lets out a harsh noise as Micha takes him out.

Disappointment is chased away as Holt and Micha roll down the sandy hill, a tangle of limbs, laughter, and curses. The scent of coconut tells me Andy has moved close, the sound of her voice confirming it when she sighs. “Boys will be boys, eh?”

“Totally.”

“Dumbasses.”

I agree, “Yeah.”

I feel her eyes on me. “So, you and Holt.” It’s not a question.

I slide my eyes from the boys, still locked in boy drama, to Andy. “I guess so.”

She laughs, throwing her head back to do it. Andy is pretty. No, she’s not pretty. She’s gorgeous. The kind of gorgeous Mom says is the best. Because right now, you can’t fully see it. It’s hidden under the youthful spread of uncertainty and insecurity, her vehement rejection of all things pink and sparkly. She was clearly ‘one of the boys’ and now that she’s starting to fill out, she can’t really be termed ‘one of the guys’ anymore.

She’s in this awkward place between the friend they throw a punch at in hello, and the girl they fantasize about at night.

With her long, wavy brown hair, sharp brown eyes and bone structure to stop a truck, even I can tell she’s only going to get more beautiful as the years pass. I didn’t need Mom to tell me that, even though she did, about two minutes into meeting Andy the first time.

“Well, even if you’re not sure you’re into him, the guy is totally into you. I’ve never seen him so…” Her lips twist and her brow wrinkles in thought.

“So what?”

She lifts a hand covered in henna, the stack of beaded leather bracelets catching firelight as she tucks her hair behind an elven-like ear. “Obsessed?” She shakes her head. “No. Bad word. He’s more like, I don’t know, like he doesn’t want to breathe without you. Not that he can’t, ya know?”

I have no idea what she’s talking about. “Sure.”

She snorts. She knows I’m lying. “It’s just, usually when he dates a girl, he’s really chill about it. He’s all over you. Tate says as soon as he wakes up, he’s over at your house. He’s usually a pretty quiet guy. I mean, he talks and all that, but not about girls. But he talks about you. A lot.”

I like everything she’s saying. Pleasure hums under my skin. I can’t hide the smile that pulls at my lips. “I like him a lot, too.”

“I sure hope so.” She watches me. “Because if you don’t, I really think his heart might just break.”

I’ve liked Andy from the start, but now I think I love her. “I won’t break his heart.”

“Good.” She looks back to the tussle of guys on the sand. Of course, Kevin has jumped on it. “They’re idiots.”

I can’t help but ask, “Has Holt had a lot of girlfriends?”

“Eh.” She shrugs. “A few. Nothing serious. He went to a couple movies with Shyanne, and I know they kissed. But I don’t think it was much more than that.” Her eyes slide to me. “You should ask him. I’m sure he’d tell you.”

I nod. “I will.”

“She’ll be here tonight. Shyanne, I mean.” Andy’s eyes stay fixed on me. She shifts, stretching her bare feet into the sand and letting the tiny pebbles flow through her burgundy-painted toes. Braided leather she never seems to take off ropes around one tan ankle.

I force a smile. “Cool.”

“You’re not going to hate her on principle?”

I frown. “Why would I?”

Mom says it’s foolish to hate someone because of their past. She says it’s foolish to hate someone based on the words someone else says, a half-baked opinion crafted in someone else’s insecurities.

“Because she had Holt before you,” Andy provides, but there’s a smile on her lips that says she likes my reply.

“Is Shyanne going to hate me because I have him now?”

“Probably, considering you unknowingly stole him away from her.”