y thoughts kept spinni
started back at the gas station. I grabbed my phone, saved Isla's number, and pu
otal bitch. I didn't mean to. New town a
end, my screen lit
ned you he can be a jerk sometimes, but he has a good heart
ling her what her brother had
ll have to show me what peopl
pt the rest
p at 11. Good ni
osed my eyes, praying for
.
my back aching, and all I could think about w
hot," Grandma
activity. She'd already ordered a bed for me, knowi
s on," s
la for coffee around eleven. Wan
most of the day running errands. You ha
's not a big deal. I'm gonna go j
table for you. I'll probabl
as out, I dug a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, my boots, and my leather jacket out of my suitcase. Towel wrapped around my body, I p
n was fading, the air already sharp with the dry cold of coming winter. I'd always
I shoved the cash into my back pocket, grabbed my bag
d, smiling as
scarf?" Isla lau
t there, and it's not much warmer
never get cold? She w
d the dial anyway. "I figured we could grab coffe
g's better than starin
r grand
house. She wants to make everyt
ever gone without. She always mad
ghing as she pulled up to a small café. "It's no
d me at
. The place was tiny but cozy, and the rich sme
ou find us a table," she
oved people-watching-imagining their lives, guessing their stories. But my
ak
wasn't
setting a steaming mug in front of me. I stirred in some suga
sweater off, draping it over the back of her chair. I followed her l
ike meeting new
me. My eyes snapped away before I could stop them. It wasn't norma
w him. Why was I
sla whispered,
uh
her has that effect on girls. Maya, p
t that,
next to Isla. "This winter is going to be brutal." She shrugged of
o," I m
ady standing. "Then you can finish telling u
e a mischi
ped open. How
stomach rumbled. As if reading my mind, Brooke
d, pushing the plate towar
huge bite. The other two
f muffin. "I have a serious sugar addi
burst out
ong," Brooke said with a wink. "No
insisted, my voice d
h gave m
t help it. It's... weird. I've never felt anything li
significant look with Isla. "You've got
could tell there was someth
I'm jealous of the girl on
jealous type. I'd always been sec
as dif
, polishing off the rest of the muffin. I fought t
coffee, you guys want
, thanks,
t, you know," Brooke said quietl
ime I'd heard that to
it was true. I didn't do casual. I'd waited a
ck. "And maybe that's
The girl was gone from his lap, and he was
nds and then grabbing drinks for tonight,"
nig
onfire, beers, music... just a way to bl
here?" I couldn
y answered
beach is my natural hab
is weekend started
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