“Sorry! He threw a dead thing at me!” Amberly whined.
Noelle rolled her eyes and turned her head away from Amberly. Graham and Gage, meanwhile, laughed, grunted, and trash-talked as they wrestled each other in the sand. Kiran, looking decidedly untraumatized, walked over, grabbed her towel, and dropped down at my other side.
“You know what we need?” she said as Graham shoved Gage’s face into the sand with the heel of his hand. She blithely rubbed her hair with the towel. “A party.”
“There’s a shock,” Noelle muttered.
Dash trotted over to join us now that the volleyball teams were uneven, trailing Tiffany and Taylor, who had been playing with the guys. They all stood around in a semicircle, watching as Gage flipped Graham over and pinned him to the ground.
“Nice move, dude!” Dash yelled as he sat.
“No, I’m serious!” Kiran said. She flicked a speck of sand off her flat stomach and leaned back on her elbows, stretching out her perfect bikini body for all to see. “I think we need a New Year’s Eve–slash–Thank You, Sawyer, for Saving Reed’s Life party.”
“You hear that, Sawyer?” Graham shouted to his brother as he pushed Gage off himself and stood. He walked over to Sawyer and dragged him up off his blanket. “Kiran wants to throw you a party!”
Upton picked up the stick I’d been playing with earlier and jabbed it at the sand.
Graham got Sawyer in a headlock and bullied him over to our group. By the time they got there, Sawyer’s face was bright red—either from exertion or embarrassment or both.
“You really don’t have to do that,” Sawyer replied, shoving Graham off him.
Upton tossed the stick at the ground, where it happened to land near Sawyer’s feet. I felt a sizzle of tension pass between the two guys.
Was Upton angry that he hadn’t gotten to play the hero that night? I nudged him with my shoulder.
“Kiran’s right,” Upton said quickly, clearing his throat. “A party is definitely in order.”
“Woo hoo!” Kiran cheered.
“But New Year’s Eve is three days away. Can you really plan a proper party in that time?” Upton asked.
“You
so
underestimate me, Mr. Giles,” Kiran joked. She whipped her BlackBerry out of her canvas tote and started dialing. “I’m going to start making arrangements right now.”
As Kiran did her party-planning thing, Graham started up with Sawyer and soon a new wrestling match ignited. Gage and Dash both joined in, and before I knew it Upton was on his feet and rushing into the scrum. Even West and Daniel got involved.
“Boys,” Noelle said, rolling her eyes as she sat up to watch. “So juvenile.”
But of course we all couldn’t help watching and laughing as they tossed each other around in the sand. For the first time in days I felt completely happy, completely at ease. I felt like my vacation was just about to start.
“Aren’t you glad you stayed?” Taylor said as we stepped through the automatic sliding doors to the Simon Hotel’s gilded lobby the following night for dinner. The marble-tiled floor shone beneath our Jimmy Choos, and almost every surface was bursting with pink and purple blooms. A three-piece band played Caribbean music softly in the corner, the steel drum gonging a happy tune. I took a deep breath of the salt air and smiled. We were there to meet up with the rest of the crew and have dinner at the Simon’s most exclusive restaurant. Everyone had dressed up for the occasion. I saw a few heads turn as Taylor and I paused to wait for Kiran and Noelle.
“Yeah. I kind of am,” I replied giddily.
“That dress is killer, Reed,” Kiran said, stepping up behind me with Noelle. I was wearing a black dress with a halter neck and a slim skirt—a dress Kiran had bought for me our first day on the island—and I did feel rather killer. “Upton’s going to have a stroke when he sees you.”
“Let’s hope not,” I replied. “I don’t think I can handle a sudden death.”
“What do you say we make a pact never to utter the word
death
again,” Noelle suggested, lifting her thick brown hair over her shoulder. She was wearing a black strapless dress that made mine look like a muumuu. “At least until we get back to Easton.”
“Deal,” I replied with a laugh.
“There they are,” Taylor said, lifting her chin. The rest of our group was gathered around the lobby bar, their voices gradually growing louder and more jovial, filling the high-ceilinged room. The cool air chilled the bare skin of my arms as I crossed the room, concentrating on not teetering in the four-inch heels Kiran had lent me. The last thing I wanted was for Upton to see me fall flat on my face. But as I stepped up next to Tiffany and Amberly, I realized Upton was nowhere to be found.
“Hey, girls,” Tiffany said, lifting a champagne flute. “Grab a glass at the bar.”
The three of them obliged while I held back.
“Hey, Tiff, where’s Upton?” I asked.
“Lounge,” Tiffany said, nodding to a wide doorway across the way. “But I don’t know if you want to go in there.”
“Why not?” I asked, my heart thumping extra hard.
“He’s with Poppy,” she replied, lowering her voice.
A slick of dread washed down my spine, but I shoved it aside. Somehow Poppy always seemed to manage to corner Upton. But I wasn’t just going to stand there and wait for them to come back.
I was going to go get my man. Show her I was not about to be intimidated.
“Thanks.” I tucked my black clutch under my arm, strode purposefully across the lobby. Suddenly four-inch heels were not an issue. Adrenaline can be such a fabulous thing.
Leather chairs dotted the lounge and several older men smoked cigars near yet another bar. The lighting was darker in here and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but when they did I saw Upton and Poppy standing in the corner near a grand piano, arguing.
“If you think I’m just going to take this you are absolutely mad,” Poppy said, her expression incredulous.
“Then I suppose I’m mad,” Upton replied, resting his hand on the piano.
“Everything okay?” I asked loudly, walking over to them.
Poppy whirled around at the sound of my voice. Her one-shouldered dress was covered with colorful swirling stripes. I suppose it was made by some famous designer, but it looked like something I could get at Target for $14.99.
“I wish I had never laid eyes on you,” she snapped at me, striding past. Then she paused and turned around to face me. “Just so we’re clear, that wasn’t a death threat, Miss Paranoia. I don’t want the coppers to come banging down my door.”
Then she laughed and walked away. Through the open door, I saw Daniel make a beeline for her. He reached for her in a solicitous way, but she raised her hand and kept walking, completely blowing him off. Daniel’s jaw clenched. Then he turned around and drove his
fist into one of the columns near the wall. I flinched as a few people nearby yelped in surprise. Then Daniel took off out the back door of the hotel, his hand tucked under his arm.
“What was that all about?” I asked.
“That was Daniel not controlling his infamous temper,” Upton replied, placing his hands on my shoulders from behind. “You look gorgeous, by the way,” he said in my ear, sending a thrill down my side. He kissed my shoulder and nuzzled my neck. Suddenly, all I could think about was getting him alone. This guy had a major effect on my insides.
But I couldn’t let myself get distracted.
“Thanks,” I replied, turning around. “But I wasn’t talking about Daniel. What were you and Poppy arguing about?”
Upton put his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. “She’s just cross because I backed out of a fund-raiser. It’s this thing in London her parents throw every spring, and I’d said I’d take her, but I can’t.”
“Why not?” I asked.
Upton raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Do you really have to ask?”
I blushed. “Answer please,” I joked.
“Well, if you must know, I have a feeling I’m not going to be going out on many dates with other girls from now on,” he said, running his fingertip down my cheek. “After you, everyone else would be sodding boring. I couldn’t bear it.”
I grinned uncontrollably. “Really?”
“Really,” he replied.
I couldn’t believe it. Upton the ultimate player was actually going to stop playing . . . because of
me.
My heart fluttered in my chest like a hyper butterfly.
Upton leaned down and touched his lips to mine. It was a deep kiss. Full of meaning and intent and mushy emotions I would normally get lost in. But this time, I couldn’t stop . . .
thinking
. Did canceling a date three months from now mean that he wanted to stay together? That he wanted to do a long-distance thing? Could a lifelong player like himself really go from sixty to zero that quickly? Before long I found myself pulling away from him.
“That’s really sweet, Upton, but . . .”
“But what?” he asked.
“You’re going to be in England and I’ll be in Connecticut,” I said, lifting a shoulder. “I don’t expect you to be my long-distance boyfriend.”
“What if I want to be?” Upton asked without hesitation, pushing his hands into his pockets.
Yes. Yes, yes, yes.
That was all I wanted to say in that moment. Upton was so much more mature than the guys I was used to. So easygoing and drama free (if you didn’t count his crazy exes). I would have loved to have had a long-term boyfriend like him. He made me feel safe and loved and most of all . . . carefree. He saw the world as full of possibility, and he made me see it that way too.
But then my rational side kicked in. Maybe Upton had told me he was falling in love with me, but I didn’t exactly expect that to translate
into a future for us. It was great that he was offering to be my one and only, but what if he went back to England and realized he couldn’t do it? Even if he didn’t, I knew I’d always be suspicious. Did I really want to be hanging out at Easton, all celibate and alone, wondering where he was at every moment . . . and with whom?
“Can I think about this?” I asked. “It’s kind of a new concept for me.”
“Take all the time you need,” Upton said, reaching for my hand with a smile. He seemed pretty confident that I’d eventually agree. “In the meantime, I was thinking we should do something fun together tomorrow. Something that will get our minds off everything that’s happened in the last few days.”
“I don’t know. Every time we do something fun I almost end up dead,” I said, only half joking.
Upton laughed as we walked back into the lobby together. “Are you turning me down?”
“Not exactly,” I said, swinging our hands between us. “What if we just do something chill? Lay low for a day.”
Upton paused and looked at me in a suggestive way. “
Lay
low? I like the sound of that.”
“Ha-ha,” I said flatly. “You’re hilarious.”
He pulled me to him and gave me another quick, firm kiss. “Whatever you want,” he said, looking me in the eye. “I’m there. The next few days . . . they’re all about you.”
I didn’t sleep all night. All I could think about were Upton and his proposal. This thing with him was supposed to be just a vacation fling. Nothing more. Something fun to pass the time. Yes, I had developed feelings for him over the past week. Serious feelings. But were they the kind of feelings that could sustain a long-distance relationship? A relationship that would span a whole ocean? Separate continents? Different time zones?
And what about Josh? Yes, I knew he was with Ivy, but the last time I’d seen him he’d implied—practically stated—that he still loved me. If there was a chance that he and I could be together, did I really want to risk that?
Wait. No. I wasn’t just going to sit around like a loser and wait for Josh to wake up and smell the true love. He hadn’t even called me or texted me once since I’d been here. Not even on Christmas Day.
But if I stayed with Upton, when would I ever see him? Holidays? Long weekends? I knew what my friends would say. I was only sixteen. Now was not the time to become a nun.
When my phone beeped at 6 a.m., I was so excited for a distraction I fell out of my bed reaching for it.
The text was from Sawyer, the message simple:
Shutters for bfast? 7?
Oh, I was so in. If I didn’t get out of this room soon, I was going to start clawing the stucco walls, which would seriously screw up the French manicure Taylor had given me after I’d gotten out of the hospital. Maybe Sawyer would even have some advice for me. He knew Upton, and he seemed like a levelheaded guy. This could be exactly what I needed. I texted back.
Im there!
I showered quickly and dressed in a simple blue skirt and white T-shirt, bringing along my hoodie just in case. My hair was still slightly damp when I padded through the door of Shutters an hour later in my flip-flops, having borrowed one of the Langes’ mopeds to get myself there. (Waking up Noelle for her car keys was not an option. Unless I wanted to lose a limb.)
The restaurant was dotted with diners, mostly couples, but not nearly as crowded as it would be in a couple of hours when the regulars would roll in for their breakfast. Sawyer was sitting at the corner table that Poppy, Paige, and Sienna seemed to prefer, and for once, his face wasn’t bent toward a book. He was watching the door intently and stood up when I arrived. His black T-shirt was
as wrinkled as if he’d slept in it, and his cargo shorts hung loosely on his thin frame. As always, his blond hair was brushed forward toward his face.
“Can I help you?” the maître d’ asked.
“Just meeting a friend,” I said, gesturing in Sawyer’s direction.
The man smiled and I wove my way around the tables to join Sawyer. The morning breeze was oddly cool and almost crisp. I untied my sweatshirt from around my waist and pulled it on.
“Hey, Reed. Thanks for coming,” Sawyer said, sitting only after I had seated myself.
“No problem. Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, fine,” Sawyer said. He stuffed his hands under his arms and hunkered down in his chair, trying to escape the wind. “I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Me neither!” I replied, perhaps a bit too manically. For some reason, when I don’t sleep, I seem to have a ton of energy. At least first thing in the morning.