Beauty and the Beach (Boys of Summer)
Page 7
He stares at me for a moment longer before lifting his fork and taking another bite.
“And it’s just that easy?”
He nods. “Uh-huh.”
I let him finish off the pie without interrupting again.
I use that time to think about what Jeremy just said. The people I used to call my friends weren’t there for me “no matter what.” They ditched me as soon as I stopped responding to their invites.
Although, now I wonder if I was too busy pushing my friends away for them to be there for me. I guess I’ll never know for sure, but I have two options at this point. I can continue to keep my distance. Or, now that the secret is out, I can see if any of them want to spend some time together.
If they say yes, I’ll know that I missed out because of my own insecurities.
And as uncomfortable as that may feel, or how upsetting it may be to see I was wrong, at least I have a plan when it comes to the girls I used to hang out with all the time.
But that doesn’t help me when it comes to Adam.
I’m still hurt that he would betray me the way he did. He pretended to like me, and then he acted like it wasn’t him who took the picture—like he wasn’t the one who posted it.
Actually, that’s not true. He fessed up to everything else. It’s just the posting to social media that he pretended he knew nothing about.
I know he doesn’t have any accounts. I looked for them when he jumped my fence that first time.
Is he telling the truth?
Maybe. But that still doesn't explain why he had the picture in the first place—or why I care so much.
I absolutely hate this, and I don’t want to sit here with Jeremy while I sort through my issues. I pull out a bill from my purse and lay it on the table. “Thanks for inviting me to pie, but I think it’s time for me to get going.”
He looks down at the money. “But you didn’t eat anything.”
“Then call it your payment for being a good therapist this morning.” He starts to protest, but I put my hand up. “Seriously. Just let me pay.”
Jermey smiles and nods. “Okay.”
I give him a small smile in return before I walk out, because even though his advice was so simple, it actually helped. I’m glad his mom suggested he talk to me, because what he said just reaffirmed everything that I’ve been thinking lately. All my “new Rose” talk is pointless if I’m still living by yesterday’s standards. I don’t have to live to impress the people who don't care about me.
I get to be someone new. And it doesn’t have to have anything to do with Adam and the way he treated me before everything fell apart. He may have been the catalyst, but he is not the sustainer. When I realize that, it lifts a weight off my shoulders. It'll be good not to hold a grudge against him for the rest of my life.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I have to go running back to him and pick up where we left off in his mom’s car at the drive-in, either. It still was wrong for him to post that picture online for everyone to see. I should have been able to share that with people when I was ready.
But what this realization does mean is I’ll listen to what he wanted to tell me the last time we talked.
And I might even be able to forgive him.
Chapter Thirteen
Adam
My mom says flowers can cover a multitude of sins.
I sure hope she’s right, because I’m considering this my last chance to try to apologize to Rose. I stopped by the florist this morning, and as tempting as it was, I didn’t walk away with a dozen long-stem roses.
Instead, I’m about to hop over the fence that leads to the private beach with a bouquet of light pink peonies in my hand. I don’t really know much about flowers, but they looked good and the lady who works there insisted my “girlfriend” would like them.
I don’t know what I hope to accomplish by going there today. After all, there’s a really good chance that Rose won’t be outside, even though it’s nine in the morning—the time I’ve always come in the past.
And if she is there, there’s an equally good chance that she’ll just run inside again. Or possibly even call the cops for trespassing.
But I don’t care. I’ve got to explain what happened. I feel like I owe her that.
My heart quickens when I see her bright pink umbrella as I walk up the beach. And there, underneath it, in a pair of shorts and a tee, is Rose. Is it too much to hope that she’s there waiting for me? That she’s going to give me a chance to explain?
I lift the flowers in front of me, so she can see them, even though it makes me feel a bit like a sad bride walking through the sand.
She turns her head to watch me approach, but doesn't give me any indication of whether or not she’s happy to see me. Instead, her face stays frustratingly blank.
“I didn’t post it,” I say, diving right into the problem. She needs to know that wasn’t me. Taking the picture is another thing that I’ll get into later—assuming she lets me.
“I know,” says Rose. Her head is turned toward the water, and I can’t see her eyes behind her giant sunglasses. “I went to look at it again. It was in a lot of Snaps and posts on Instagram, but not a single one of them was yours...since you don’t seem to have one.”
I take a deep breath, ready to launch into a tirade about Gisele.
“I guess you were telling the truth.” She lifts a corner of her mouth but it drops right back down before it even has a chance to be a smile. “I don’t understand how it got there in the first place if it wasn’t you.”
I take a tentative step toward her. When she waves a hand, I take a seat on the sand and set the flowers down between us. “I have a jealous neighbor and a very empty bank account.”
She frowns, and I hurry to explain.
“We have all these medical bills left over from when my dad was sick,” I start, but my words catch in my throat. I clear it, needing to get through this as fast as possible. “It’s been hard to make ends meet ever since he died.”
Her head stays facing forward, her lips in a thin line.
“My neighbor Gisele offered me money to...to spy on you.” Oh man, this is freaking hard. I rub my sweaty palms against my shorts. “She kind of, uh, hates you.”
This finally gets a reaction. Rose whips her head around.
“Hates me? I don’t even know her.”
I cringe. “That’s kind of why.” I let out a loud breath. Girls are so freaking complicated. “She always wanted to be popular, like you, and you just…”
“Ignored her,” Rose finishes for me. She’s shaking her head. “Old Rose wasn’t very nice.”
“Old Rose?”
She flushes. “Just something I call pre-cancer me. A lot more changed about me than just my face. New Rose is less...self-centered. I’d like to think I’m more real now.”
“Well, I like the new Rose. She’s the girl I fell for.”
“The one you fell for?” Her head turns back to the ocean. “I have a hard time believing that. The picture—”
“Was from before I really knew you,” I say. “Before I realized how much you mean to me. I would never hurt you.”
“But you did hurt me, Adam. You pretended you cared about me. You betrayed me.”
“Yeah, I had a bad motive to come to your house that first day, I know that. And I’m sorry.” I close my eyes. “But I never pretended to care for you. That part was real.”
She lets out a bitter laugh.
“I’m serious. I planned to confess the whole thing to you, even knowing you might not want to talk to me again. I swear I never planned on sharing the photo with Gisele.”
“So, why did you keep it? If you planned on telling me everything, why not delete it?”
My cheeks warm. I’m going to be honest, as embarrassing as it is. “You looked so beautiful, I couldn’t bear to erase it.”
I hear her breath catch. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“The most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
I nod quickly, like an idiot, before I remember she can’t see me. I gently turn her head so she’s facing me, and she opens her eyes. They’re glistening with unshed tears, and I hope she can see the sincerity in my expression when I tell her, “You can trust me.”
Her gaze goes to the sand. “And what about the money? What if someone offers you more for...I don’t know. Are you going to change your mind again?”
“I don’t care about the money.”
She looks up and raises a brow.
“Fine. Figuring out my money situation is important.” I pause. “But it’s something I’ll worry about later because right now, all I care about is whether or not you forgive me.”
“Really?” she asks, breathless.
I nod. “Yeah.”
Her lips curve into a smile. “Then, I forgive you.”
I perk up. “You do?”
“Yes.” Her face is suddenly stern and she lifts a finger. “But if you hurt me again, I swear I’ll let old Rose loose on you.”
Her smile returns when I laugh. “Sounds fair. But what about the new Rose? Do you think it would be okay if I kissed her?”
When she bites her bottom lip and nods, it’s all the answer I need.
I lean in and press my lips to hers. It’s more tender than our first kiss, but it’s just as amazing. She’s not holding back, and I don’t take this trust she’s giving me for granted. I try to show her how much I care about her—how beautiful I think she is.
I don’t know what tomorrow is going to hold for us. I don’t know what’s going to happen when I pick up a second job to earn money the honest way, or when we start college in the fall.
But I decide I’ll worry about that when we get there. For now, I’m happy to be here in this moment with Rose. And I think she is too.
Thanks for reading!
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And make sure to check out the next installment of the Boys of Summer series!
A broken-down car. A girl down on her luck (again). And the rich boy in the blue Camaro.
Dulce and her mom are no strangers to going a little hungry, sleeping on a friend’s couch, or having to start over. But when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, she's pretty sure they've never been this low.
The last thing Dulce expects is for a cute stranger to offer his help. And a place for them to stay.
She can’t help but wonder: why is Nolan Montgomery so nice? What’s in it for him?
All Dulce knows is that she and Nolan come from two very different worlds, and the sooner she and her mom can get back on the road, the better.
Except Sterling Beach feels more like home than anywhere she’s ever been.
And what if there's more to the rich boy than she thinks?
Love Retellings?
Romeo and Juliet meets high school basketball in Courtside Crush.
Love Retellings?
A retelling of Tess of the d’Ubervilles, complete with a happily ever after and a fresh academy feel.
Acknowledgments
God always first.
My husband and boys are next.
A and J, my writing besties: Thanks for cheering me on with this project!
To all the girls in the Boys of Summer series: What a privilege it was to work with you. Let’s do it again sometime!
And to the readers who keep reading my books: thank you from the bottom of my heart.
About Kayla
Kayla has loved to read as long as she can remember. While she started out reading spooky stories that had her hiding under her covers, she now prefers stories with a bit more kissing.
When she gets a chance to watch TV, she enjoys cheesy sci-fi and superhero shows. Most days, you’ll catch her burning dinner in an attempt to cook while reading just one more chapter.
Find me online:
www.tirrellblewrites.com
kayla@tirrellblewrites.com
Also by Kayla Tirrell
Varsity Girlfriends:
Courtside Crush
Game Plan
Shelfbrooke Academy:
Tessa
Boys of Summer:
Beauty and the Beach
Mountain Creek Drive:
Chasing Love
Carnival Wishes
River Valley Lost & Found:
All The Things We Lost
All The Things We Found
All The Things We Were
Collection of Sweet Shorts:
Home For Christmas
The Art of Taking Chances
Disastrous Dates:
Disastrous Dates: The Complete Series
Children’s Chapter Book:
Help! My Parents Are Zombies!
Varsity Girlfriends
Sweet YA Sports Romance
Disastrous Dates
Sweet, Funny, College Romance
Mountain Creek Drive
Sweet Young Adult Series with a touch of 2000’s nostalgia
River Valley Lost & Found
Sweet Young Adult/New Adult series
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